Northwest Florida Daily News

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A Freeport man has been charged with felony animal cruelty after multiple witnesses said he was repeatedly hitting and throwing his dog, according to a press release from the Walton County Sheriff's Office. Deputies were called to the area of 1 Jefferson Street in Freeport on Oct. 20, after 911 calls we received about a man abusing a dog. When deputies arrived, they saw a tan dog running northbound near Jefferson Street. The dog appeared to be scared and in pain, WCSO said. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating two fatal wrecks that occurred within minutes of one another in Walton County on Tuesday evening. In one of the wrecks, a hit-and-run which killed a bicyclist riding along U.S. Highway 98 about 7 p.m., the FHP is seeking the public's help to identify the vehicle and the driver that struck the bicyclist. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The National Hurricane Center considers a major hurricane as a Category 3 storm or higher. A Category 3 storm has winds between 111 and 129 mph. A Category 4 storm has winds between 130 and 156 mph. Fort Walton Beach remains east of the current projected path See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office is investigating a home invasion robbery that took place early Tuesday morning at a home in Holt. The victim went outside his residence on Belgium Run around 5 a.m. to investigate a noise and was confronted by an armed man wearing a blue mask, baseball hat, black hoodie, blue jeans and white shoes, according to a press release from the Sheriff's Office. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Valparaiso woman who worked for a local law firm for about 10 ten years has been arrested on charges she stole more than $700,000 from her former employer. The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office arrested 51-year-old Janice Porter Sept. 23, for fraud of more than $50,000 as well as three counts of money laundering, according to a press release from the Sheriff's Office. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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A 21-year-old man is dead and his 19-year-old friend is charged with manslaughter after the suspect said they were playing around with an AK-47 and he pulled the trigger thinking it was unloaded, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office. Matthew Gunn, of 1650 U.S. Highway 98 in Florosa, was arrested Tuesday morning by the Sheriff's Office. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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A South Walton restaurant temporarily closed last Friday after a complaint inspection performed by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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In a since deleted post, Fubar Pizza Bar in Fort Walton Beach announced Thursday night on its Facebook page it would no longer show any NBA, NFL, MLS and MLB games.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The number of reported positive coronavirus cases continued to be significantly lower in this region Sunday than in previous weeks and the state of Florida logged its lowest number of positive cases in two months, according to reports. Florida Department of Health officials reported 2,678 new cases statewide. Okaloosa and Santa Rosa each documented 14 new cases Sunday while Walton County reported five new cases and Bay County 15. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Neyland Schmidt, 7, of Fort Walton Beach, will be sitting in the stands, via a cardboard cutout of his photo, at all the home Atlanta Braves baseball games at Truist Park starting Aug. 17. Neyland is the oldest of four sons to David and Shannon Schmidt. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Efforts to resuscitate a toddler found floating facedown in a family pool Wednesday were unsuccessful. The 2-year-old apparently drowned in his family's pool on Brown Place in Crestview. A parent working at his home there told Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office deputies he was not aware his children had gone into the backyard. An older sibling came in to tell the parent that the toddler was in the pool, according to a press release. The parent immediately began CPR. Deputies and first responders continued to try to revive the child, but could not. The incident is under investigation by the OCSO. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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SHALIMAR — With a 4-0 vote, the Okaloosa County Commission today approved an ordinance directing all businesses countywide to post signs on their entry doors stating who if anyone needs to wear a mask while inside each business establishment.The emergency ordinance is expected to take effect in about 10 days, or once the Florida Department of State finalizes it, and will remain in place until Oct. 1. While the ordinance applies to businesses in both the unincorporated and incorporated areas of the county, municipalities have the option to opt out of the ordinance.Commissioner Graham Fountain did not attend today's meeting. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The search for a scuba diver who went missing late Sunday morning while diving from a 26-foot catamaran in the Gulf of Mexico about three miles south of Grayton Beach was shifting from a rescue operation to a recovery operation on Monday afternoon, according to Corey Dobridnia, public information officer with the Walton County Sheriff's Office. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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