{
    "site": "Emerald Coast Dispatch",
    "url": "https://emeraldcoastdispatch.com/guides/",
    "answer": "Emerald Coast Dispatch publishes 14 free local guides for Bay, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties, on Halloween, elections, holidays, books, fishing, golf, roads and safety and more. Latest data check: Oct. 31, 2026.",
    "checked": "2026-10-31",
    "guides": [
        {
            "name": "Halloween 2026",
            "url": "https://emeraldcoastdispatch.com/halloween/",
            "topic": "Halloween",
            "season": true,
            "summary": "Halloween is Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. Here are 2 Halloween events in Bay, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties through Nov. 1: trunk-or-treats, festivals and haunted attractions from official and organizer sources, plus trick-or-treat hours and safety tips.",
            "checked": ""
        },
        {
            "name": "Early Voting 2026",
            "url": "https://emeraldcoastdispatch.com/elections/",
            "topic": "Elections",
            "season": true,
            "summary": "Early voting dates for the Nov. 3, 2026, election: Bay Oct. 19-31, Okaloosa Oct. 19-31, Santa Rosa Oct. 19-31, Walton Oct. 19-31. Hours and sites from county election offices.",
            "checked": ""
        },
        {
            "name": "Election Results 2026",
            "url": "https://emeraldcoastdispatch.com/election-results/",
            "topic": "Elections",
            "season": true,
            "summary": "Live, unofficial Nov. 3, 2026, election results for Bay, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Walton counties, updated as officials report them.",
            "checked": ""
        },
        {
            "name": "Christmas 2026",
            "url": "https://emeraldcoastdispatch.com/christmas/",
            "topic": "Holidays",
            "season": true,
            "summary": "Christmas is Friday, Dec. 25, 2026. We track 17 holiday events in Destin, Panama City Beach & the Emerald Coast through Jan. 1, from official and organizer sources. Next up: Emerald Coast Christmas at The Dock (Fri., Nov. 20).",
            "checked": ""
        },
        {
            "name": "Beach Romance Reads",
            "url": "https://emeraldcoastdispatch.com/books/",
            "topic": "Books",
            "season": false,
            "summary": "Beach romance books to read on the Emerald Coast, from Destin and 30A to Panama City Beach: shelves picked by our newsroom, holiday romance and the next big love story.",
            "checked": "2026-10-30"
        },
        {
            "name": "Emerald Coast Fishing",
            "url": "https://emeraldcoastdispatch.com/fishing/",
            "topic": "Fishing",
            "season": false,
            "summary": "As of Sat., Oct. 31, 2026, 6 of the 8 fish we track on the Emerald Coast can be kept today: red snapper (through Sun., Nov. 1), redfish, speckled trout, sheepshead, gray triggerfish (through Thu., Dec. 31, 2026), and red grouper. Closed: gag grouper and greater amberjack. Most anglers 16 and older need a Florida saltwater license: $17 a year for residents, and $17 for 3 days, $30 for 7 days or $47 a year for visitors, per the FWC. Rules from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).",
            "checked": "2026-10-30"
        },
        {
            "name": "Emerald Coast Golf Guide",
            "url": "https://emeraldcoastdispatch.com/golf/",
            "topic": "Golf",
            "season": false,
            "summary": "We map 26 golf courses, 3 driving ranges and 7 mini golf courses on the Emerald Coast. Okaloosa County has 9, Walton County has 8 and Bay County has 5. The best months to play are October, May and April, with about 24–26 good golf days each (a dry day with a high between 60 and 90°F), and about 218 such days a year, from NOAA records at Niceville for 1996-2025.",
            "checked": "2026-10-30"
        },
        {
            "name": "Car crashes & roads",
            "url": "https://emeraldcoastdispatch.com/crashes/",
            "topic": "Roads and safety",
            "season": false,
            "summary": "From 2020–2024, 553 fatal crashes killed 594 people on the Emerald Coast, according to NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System. In 2024 there were 106 fatal crashes and 107 deaths. The road with the most fatal crashes was US 98 (Bay) (44). 22% involved a motorcycle.",
            "checked": ""
        },
        {
            "name": "Retire on the Emerald Coast",
            "url": "https://emeraldcoastdispatch.com/retire/",
            "topic": "Retirement",
            "season": false,
            "summary": "We compare 25 towns on the Emerald Coast with U.S. Census data, the nearest hospital from our local directory and official state tax rules. The highest share of residents 65 and older is in Miramar Beach (38.3%) and Mexico Beach (38.1%). Taxes: Florida: no state income tax.",
            "checked": "2026-10-31"
        },
        {
            "name": "Emerald Coast Military Guide",
            "url": "https://emeraldcoastdispatch.com/military/",
            "topic": "Military and veterans",
            "season": false,
            "summary": "The Emerald Coast has 6 military installations: Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field, Tyndall AFB, NAS Whiting Field, NAS Pensacola and NSA Panama City. About 82,600 veterans live in Okaloosa, Walton, Santa Rosa and Bay counties (16.1% of adults), and about 20,900 residents serve in the armed forces. Closest towns to Eglin AFB: Valparaiso (under 1 mi) and Niceville (4.3 mi). Closest towns to Hurlburt Field: Mary Esther (2.1 mi) and Fort Walton Beach (4.0 mi). VA care nearby: Eglin VA Clinic, Panama City VA Clinic and Panama City Beach VA location. Florida: no state income tax on military retired pay.",
            "checked": "2026-10-30"
        },
        {
            "name": "Invest on the Emerald Coast",
            "url": "https://emeraldcoastdispatch.com/invest/",
            "topic": "Real estate and rentals",
            "season": false,
            "summary": "A local short-term rental permit is required in Destin, Walton County and Panama City Beach. Lodging tax on a rental: Destin 13%; Okaloosa County 12% to 13%; Walton County 10% to 12%; Panama City Beach 13%; Panama City 13%; Bay County 7% to 12%; Santa Rosa County 12%. About 52,700 homes on the Emerald Coast (14.9% of all housing) are seasonal or vacation homes. Builders got permits for 7,457 new homes in 2025.",
            "checked": "2026-10-30"
        },
        {
            "name": "Emerald Coast small business",
            "url": "https://emeraldcoastdispatch.com/small-business/",
            "topic": "Small business",
            "season": false,
            "summary": "$2.2 billion in direct visitor spending in Okaloosa County, and visits outside summer grew 19% (Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council, 2025 research deck). People filed 14,459 applications to start a business in the 4 counties on the Emerald Coast in 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (+43% vs. 2019). Our local directory lists 8,092 businesses on the Emerald Coast.",
            "checked": "2026-10-31"
        },
        {
            "name": "Hurricane prep",
            "url": "https://emeraldcoastdispatch.com/services/hurricane-prep/",
            "topic": "Local services",
            "season": true,
            "summary": "",
            "checked": ""
        },
        {
            "name": "Visitor guides",
            "url": "https://emeraldcoastdispatch.com/visitor-guides/",
            "topic": "Visitor guides",
            "season": false,
            "summary": "Our 94 free visitor guides cover beaches, water spots, parks, museums and festivals in Bay County, Okaloosa County, Santa Rosa County, and Walton County. As of 1:15 pm today, 37 places look good to go, 28 call for caution and 13 are not recommended, based on National Weather Service, NOAA and USGS data that we check every 3 hours.",
            "checked": ""
        }
    ]
}