Walton County has announced temporary nighttime lane closures on SR 20 in Freeport beginning Monday, July 27, as geotechnical crews conduct soil borings for a roadway embankment investigation.

The Walton County Sheriff’s Office has increased the reward for information leading to the arrest of Isabelle Johnson to $11,000, as investigators warn the fugitive murder suspect may have cut and dyed her hair to disguise her identity.

The Freeport City Council convened on July 14, 2026, to adopt a clean audit report, officially ban data centers within city limits, and approve contracts for air conditioning repairs and a Walton County Sheriff deputy program. Council members also engaged in a wide-ranging discussion about traffic congestion on Highway 20, directing staff to work with FDOT and the city’s lobbying team on potential turn-lane improvements.

The Walton County Sheriff’s Office joined Florida Highway Patrol and multiple Panhandle law enforcement agencies on July 13 to launch Operation Southern Slow Down, a week-long enforcement campaign targeting speeding and aggressive driving on Florida roadways.

A 25-acre parcel of land on the west side of U.S. Highway 331 — roughly 3.8 miles south of Interstate 10, between DeFuniak Springs and Freeport — has become the focal point of a conversation about gambling, jobs, and the economic future of Walton County.

The Freeport City Council will convene Tuesday, July 14 for a regular council meeting and a budget workshop as the city begins shaping its spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year.

The Walton County Sheriff’s Office has arrested two more individuals in connection with the murder of Jason Christopher Coulthart, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to five as the search for the primary suspect continues.

Freeport Mosquito Control will be spraying from 7 PM to midnight tonight, July 10, 2026, as continued high mosquito activity prompts another round of treatment across the city.

The Florida State University Family Medicine Residency Program at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast has reached full capacity with 18 resident physicians training across Walton County, marking a milestone for a program launched just two years ago to address the Panhandle’s persistent primary care shortage.

The District 1 Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed through DNA testing that human remains discovered buried on a Freeport property belong to a missing Niceville man.