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7 Pines Native Plant Nursery in DeFuniak Springs offers treasures for the garden

For native plant lovers in our area, it’s no longer necessary to drive to Tallahassee or Pensacola to find what you are looking for. The newly opened 7 Pines Native Plant Nursery in DeFuniak Springs has just about everything you can imagine for the perfect native landscape. Nestled along scenic CR 192 in DeFuniak Springs sits 240 acres of pastoral rolling hills owned by Dara and Lloyd Dobson. The couple has owned their homestead since 1998, and together have transformed...

Walton County to open beach driving permit lottery on April 1

On April 1, the Walton County Board of County Commission Administration Department will begin the submission period for their annual beach driving permit lottery.  Each year, the county issues 150 permits via the beach driving permit lottery.  The in-person submission deadline for inclusion into the lottery will be close of business on May 8th.  Applications will be accepted online through May 10th at midnight. Applications will not be accepted unless all eligibility requirements are met and all documentation is provided...

Honey bees all abuzz in Vernon

The honey bees were abuzz on March 24, 2015, as beekeepers from Sleeping Bear Aviaries harvested titi honey from their hives in Vernon. In a large field off of State Road 79, Sleeping Bear houses more than 150 hives. The company also has hives in Wausau. The bees spend half the year in Washington County producing wildflower and Tupelo honey, then relocated to northern Michigan where they produce star thistle honey according to founder Kirk Jones....

Walton County Jail garden provides fresh vegetables for inmates

Over the last several years, Walton County Jail and the Walton Correctional Institution State Prison have been feeding inmates with fresh vegetables right from the their back yard. Currently with 14 acres and five to seven more in the works, the garden program has been a success. The Walton County Sheriff’ Office took over management of the county jail last year and the project has been accelerating according to the garden’s crew supervisor Section Commander Lt. Oscar Jiggetts. “We would...

Firearms training in DeFuniak Springs April 4

Would you like to learn more about the basic fundamentals of operating a firearm in a classroom environment, followed by practical exercises and some shooting?  Or have you recently purchased a weapon and want to be more proficient?  Then this is the class for you. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office Basic Civilian Firearms Safety Program is hosting a six hour course that details the basic safety and shooting fundamentals for most handguns. The course will be held on April 4,...

Butterfly lecture in Santa Rosa Beach April 1

Butterflies: Here Today, Flutterbys Tomorrow? The Walton County Master Gardeners will be hosting butterfly expert, MaryAnn Friedman in Santa Rosa Beach on April 1. The program will be from 10 – 11:30 a.m. in the Community Room at Padgett Park located at 810 JD Miller Road, which runs north off US 98 just west of the intersection with US 331 in Santa Rosa Beach. MaryAnn will give a beautiful digital photographic record of her experiences in the field searching for...

The Point Washington alligator trapper

By DeLene Sholes Note: This story was originally published in the historical book Of Days Gone By – Reflections of South Walton County, Florida by South Walton Three Arts Alliance. Republished with permission. You may find a copy of the book that includes many short stories about our area’s colorful history at the Coastal Branch Library. Long ago, when it was legal to trap alligators, and sometimes when it wasn’t, Point Washington native George Morgan and his father-in-law, Alfred Barrett,...

Troy University fraternity trekking for a great cause – wounded warriors

Troy University fraternity members from Alpha Tau Omega are walking more than 128 miles for a great cause this week – wounded warriors. The group, named Alpha Tau Omega Walk Hard are hiking to raise awareness and funds for wounded warriors and hope to raise more than $10,000. Proceeds will help Jeep Sullivan’s Outdoor Adventures, a non-profit organization that offers wounded warriors, veterans, and first responders an opportunity to refresh and recharge while enjoying nature. Eighteen members of the fraternity...