This week on Paul N’ Saul, your trusted source for local journalism across Niceville, Valparaiso, Florida, and the 30A corridor, we’re unpacking a packed week in news from Okaloosa County, Walton County, and beyond.

📰 Top Headlines:
• 🚨 Charges dropped against Robert Morris Watson III — what new documents reveal
• 🏖️ Is 30A tourism in decline? We break down year-over-year numbers in Walton and Okaloosa counties
• 🗳️ Nathan Boyles defeats Dondre Wise in the Florida House District 3 special election — what it means going forward
• 🏘️ Affordable housing on the chopping block? A new accessory dwelling unit (ADU) proposal hits the Niceville city agenda

🔎 Also this week:
• Fire chief out in Valparaiso, plus a city commission vacancy
• Okaloosa County School District rolls out new security positions, including a threat management coordinator
• Walton County Commission drama: will Stan Sunday be fired?
• Legal updates on Dylan Deschaine, Isaiah Lamar Luna, and Aaron Craig Gleason
• We sit down with our Walton County reporter — and Saul’s dad — Steven Saul to preview Tuesday’s contentious meeting

📣 Don’t miss:
• A one-on-one on the future of controversial construction along 30A
• Community mailbag on the ADU controversy in Niceville and infrastructure criticism from Robert Murphy
• Strong words from Michele Wilson defending a family fighting to keep their in-law suite

🙌 Special thanks to this week’s sponsors:
• Steve Schutt at Movement Mortgage
• Cindy Zimmermann at Cindy Z Sells Homes

📍Covering everything from Valparaiso to South Walton, we’re bringing you real local news with real local voices.

🗞️🟢🟡🔵🗞️

Want to know more about what is going on around the Emerald Coast from real journalists and not Word-of-Mouth Pages?
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Do you have an insider tip or unique information on a story? Do you have a suggestion for a story you want us to cover? Submit to the Tip Line: news@midbaynews.com

CHAPTERS
00:00 INTRO
02:01 Charges of abuse dropped for Robert Morris Watson
05:10 Is Walton County headed for a recession this year?
09:04 Florida's last state legislative race is finally over. Here's what it means for the Florida Panhandle.
11:16 Niceville Accessory Dwelling Unit Update
15:00 Coming up on the Emerald Coast - quick headline updates.
22:30 Interview with Walton County Reporter Steven Saul
37:36 From the Comments Section - We respond to your comments

ABOUT MID BAY NEWS
Mid Bay News strives to empower readers with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions for our community’s future.

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Wow. Just Wow.

The Walton County Commissioners decided to fire County Administrator Stan Sunday after just three months on the job.

Plent of people showed up to talk - and opine on Sunday, including his ex-wife.

This follows the firing of Quinn Robertson after a six month tenure as the top unelected official in the county.

But don't miss the things that are REALLY going on that affect your day to day life. There's not a county administrator in the world who would look at this job and think "I could have a good quality of life at this gig," which means serious negative implications for the quality of the applicants. Don't forget the fact that there are claims up and down about nepotism in the local government - from the inside and out. Add on the. fact that there are multiple key positions in Walton that haven't been filled - and you have a real set of issues to overcome.

Christopher and Steven talk about the meeting, what it means for residents and what's next for Walton County.

Chapters

00:00 Emergency Meeting Overview
01:59 Firing of Stan Sunday
05:22 Nepotism and Leadership Issues
12:58 Reflections and Future Implications

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This episode breaks down the surprise-packed special election for House District 3, where Republican Nathan Boyles clinched a decisive win over Democrat DeAndre Wise. The hosts explore what made this race unique—from the historical backdrop to the unexpectedly competitive Democratic performance—and unpack what low voter turnout says about the district. Plus, they look ahead: what could Boyles’ victory mean for the future of Florida politics, and is the political landscape in Northwest Florida beginning to shift?

Takeaways

Nathan Boyles won with 66.2% of the vote.
DeAndre Wise achieved the best Democratic performance in history.
Voter turnout was historically low at around 8.6%.
Democrats are showing signs of increased support in conservative areas.
The upcoming 2026 election could see a closer race.
Boyles is expected to bring Northwest Florida values to the state legislature.
Low turnout may indicate complacency among Republican voters.
DeAndre Wise plans to campaign actively for the next election.
The political landscape may shift if moderate Republicans swing left.
Boyles will have to address budget issues in Tallahassee.

Chapters

00:00 Election Results Overview
02:48 Democratic Performance in Conservative Districts
06:05 Voter Turnout Trends and Implications
09:13 Future of Nathan Boyles in State Legislature

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Paul N Saul welcome Collin Bestor, Mid Bay News' newest reporter to the show for an interview - they also talk about the highlights from this weeks news, including:

Aerospace company announces 1 billion investment in Shoal River Ranch: https://midbaynews.com/post/this-aerospace-company-just-announced-a-1-billion-investment-in-crestview

Drowning in Destin https://midbaynews.com/post/drowning-claims-two-lives-in-destin-at-end-of-memorial-day-weekend

Nolan Weeks' responses and competition for the job.

City Manager David Deitch talks about his trip to Taiwan.

PLUS Mid Bay News Journalist Collin Bestor talks to Paul about the stories he's working on this week:



🗞️🟢🟡🔵🗞️

Want to know more about what is going on around the Emerald Coast from real journalists and not Word-of-Mouth Pages?
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📰 Get our newsletter - midbaynews.com/newsletter
📆 Check out our events calendar! - midbaynews.com/calendar
🌈 Get it all - midbaynews.com/linkup
Do you have an insider tip or unique information on a story? Do you have a suggestion for a story you want us to cover? Submit to the Tip Line: news@midbaynews.com

CHAPTERS
00:00 INTRO
04:00 Williams International Aerospace Investment
05:32 Drowning Incident in Destin
07:39 Nolan Weeks Jail Director Investigation
10:36 David Deitch's Taiwan Trip
19:29 Interview with New Journalist Colin Bestor

ABOUT MID BAY NEWS
Mid Bay News strives to empower readers with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions for our community’s future.

More here: midbaynews.com/about-us

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Midbaynews.com/linkup

It's not every week on the Emerald Coast that a bunch of Army Rangers (Allegedly) show up on boats and fire blanks into the air with their machine guns.

Last week was that week, we guess.

PLUS:

🕵🏻‍♂️ Someone passed us the former Okaloosa Jail Director's rebuttals to the investigation into him, his brother's company, and whether or not he violated county policy before he resigned with a severance package - so long as he didn't sue Okaloosa County.

🏡 Home sweet home? Some Niceville City Council members don't want people using their land to build or host Accessory Dwelling Units that look like mobile homes. Or, at least, that was what was discussed at last week's council meeting. One family in town added theirs to their backyard near a councilperson's home - and it was NOT well received. What happens next?

🏖️ After a long battle in the state legislature, it looks like the public's right to access the beach will now move to the courtroom. We will explain what happens next.

🗞️🟢🟡🔵🗞️

Want to know more about what is going on around the Emerald Coast from real journalists and not Word-of-Mouth Pages?
📲 Get our app - midbaynews.com/app
📰 Get our newsletter - midbaynews.com/newsletter
📆 Check out our events calendar! - midbaynews.com/calendar
🌈 Get it all - midbaynews.com/linkup
Do you have an insider tip or unique information on a story? Do you have a suggestion for a story you want us to cover? Submit to the Tip Line: news@midbaynews.com

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Show Setup
01:24 Nolan Weeks Investigation and Resignation
04:22 Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) Discussion
11:16 Crab Island Incident and Military Involvement
15:03 Customary Use and Beach Access Legislation
17:04 High School Football Update and Community Engagement

ABOUT MID BAY NEWS
Mid Bay News strives to empower readers with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions for our community’s future.

More here: midbaynews.com/about-us

Connect with us here:

Midbaynews.com/linkup

After discussing the UNBELIEVABLE fact that Vanilla Ice was the first rapper to have a Billboard 100 #1 hit - We settle in and talk about a couple of important things that will have serious ramifications for the Emerald Coast, including:

🏛️ A potential new law that could strip money from tourism promotion and reallocate it to reduce your property taxes.

🏡 Another new law that could spell the end of restrictions on 'Accessory Dwelling Units' which could help with the housing affordability crisis in Florida.

🏟️ Azareye'h Thomas gets his number called in the NFL Draft

+ Saul Interviews Niceville Football's new head coach, Richard Morgan

🗞️🟢🟡🔵🗞️

Want to know more about what is going on around the Emerald Coast from real journalists and not Word-of-Mouth Pages?
📲 Get our app - midbaynews.com/app
📰 Get our newsletter - midbaynews.com/newsletter
📆 Check out our events calendar! - midbaynews.com/calendar
🌈 Get it all - midbaynews.com/linkup
Do you have an insider tip or unique information on a story? Do you have a suggestion for a story you want us to cover? Submit to the Tip Line: news@midbaynews.com

CHAPTERS
00:00 INTRO
01:00 TOURISM BILL THAT COULD REDUCE PROPERTY TAXES
06:15 ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT LAW
10:22 Azareye'h Thomas makes it to the NFL
14:30 Coming Up This Week on Mid Bay News
17:50 Donor Shoutout!
19:20 Saul Interviews Niceville Football Coach Richard Morgan



ABOUT MID BAY NEWS
Mid Bay News strives to empower readers with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions for our community’s future.

More here: midbaynews.com/about-us

Connect with us here:

Midbaynews.com/linkup

In this episode, Paul N Saul talk about the ongoing Dylan Deschaine case and its implications from the Stand Your Ground law hearing, the financial audit results for Niceville, the city's attempts to establish a sister city relationship with Taiwan, Freeport's decision to manage its mosquito control in-house, and the legislative changes regarding beach access in Walton County. The conversation highlights the intersection of local governance, community interests, and legal matters affecting residents.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Local News Overview
01:25 Dylan Deshane Case: Stand Your Ground Hearing
08:19 Niceville's Financial Audit Results
10:32 Taiwan Sister City Discussion
13:56 Freeport's Mosquito Control Initiative
16:43 Walton County Beach Access Legislation

Connect with us here:

Midbaynews.com/linkup