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Page 1: Contact us today 850-267-4555 - GateHouse Mediamediakit.gatehousemedia.com/Walton_FL/mk.pdf · Contact us today 850-267-4555 ... newspaper delivers6 10 out of waltonsun.com ... claims

SP82

342

2018 Media Kit

Contact us today 850-267-4555

waltonsun.com

Page 2: Contact us today 850-267-4555 - GateHouse Mediamediakit.gatehousemedia.com/Walton_FL/mk.pdf · Contact us today 850-267-4555 ... newspaper delivers6 10 out of waltonsun.com ... claims

[ [Welcome to The Walton Sun

In a world of increasing advertising options, newspapers continue to be the most trusted medium and the top choice for shopping and checking advertising.

We offer a comprehensive selection of quality digital and print products to help grow business and more easily navigate the market’s competitive media landscape.

The paper of choice for Walton County and Santa Rosa Beach area is The Walton Sun, published every Saturday. The Sun has a focus on society and entertainment news within their community which is bustling with writers, entertainers, and scientists, captains of industry and the upper echelon of the professional and business world. Published once a week, the dedicated staff of The Sun publishes content daily at waltonsun.com.

The Walton Sun can help you access other nearby GateHouse Media publications, including the Northwest Florida Daily News in Fort Walton Beach.

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[ [GateHouse Media Overview

As part of GateHouse Media, we offer a diverse and growing portfolio of resources to serve your marketing

needs locally, regionally and nationally.

Portfolio Overview GateHouse Reach

100% OF OUR DAILYNEWSPAPERS HAVEBEEN PUBLISHED FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS

TOTAL COMMUNITYPUBLICATIONS

640+

DAILYNEWSPAPERS

130

RELATEDWEBSITES

540+

OPERATE IN 540+ MARKETSACROSS 38 STATES

1350+I N - M A R K E T

SALESR E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

SERVE OVER

225KSMALL &MEDIUM

BUSINESSESSAAS, DIGITAL MARKETING SERVICES,& IT SERVICES

+ REACH 21 MILLION PEOPLEON A WEEKLY BASIS

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[ [Market Profile Walton County, FL

Walton

De Funiak Springs

Santa Rosa

Beach

•Destin

•Fort

Walton Beach

Total Households

27,738Average Household Income

$75,014

Total Population

68,318

Children at Home 7,670 28%

2018 Claritas, Walton County, FL

Base: Total Households - 27,738

Own a Home 20,024 72%

Employment (population age 16+)Executive/Professional/Mgr. 11% Office/Administrative Support 6%Sales 7% Healthcare 3%Services 19%

Education (adults age 25+)College Graduate 16,504 33% Some College, no degree 11,891 24%High School Graduate 13,998 28% Other 7,318 15%

Household IncomeUnder $35,000 9,705 35% $35,000-$49,999 4,369 16% $50,000-$74,999 4,865 18% $75,000+ 8,799 32%

Age Median Age: 5118-34 12,786 23% 35-44 8,294 15%45-54 8,953 16% 55+ 24,461 45%

GenderMen 27,394 50% Women 27,100 50%

Base: Total Adults - 54,494

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Consumer Spending

We will help you increase your sales.

Key Consumer categories Expenditure Apparel $48 Computers, Software & Accessories $11Education $26 Household Furnishing and Appliances $50Health Care $139Groceries $121 Automotive - All $301 Pet Related $19 Sports & Recreation $19Travel $55Dining Out $75

2018 Environics Analytics, Walton County, FL

Total Annual Consumer Spending

$1.5 Billion

(in millions)

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[ [Reach

We reachyour most profitable customers.

shoppers.

Print & digital newspaper delivers

6out of

10waltonsun.com Average Monthly Traffic Page Views 260,791 Unique Visitors 22,078

Google Analytics- 2017 Average

63% of Total Adults

61% of Men

64% of Women

59% of Adults Age 18-54

69% of Adults Age 55+

69% of College Educated Adults

54% of High School Graduates

57% of HHI under $50,000

68% of HHI $50,000+

65% of Homeowners

58% of Families with Children in the Home Scarborough USA+ 2017 R1, National average; INA+ Audience (weekly print, monthly digital)

Print & Digital Reach

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PRINT PRODUCTSWe offer a large variety of print products and other creative solutions to grow your business:

Premium PlacementSpecial SectionsMagazines Total Market Coverage

We delivershoppers to your business.

Multi-Media Solutions

DIGITAL SOLUTIONSWaltonSun.com

ThriveHive

* **

Business .........................A7Diversions ..................... C7Local & State ...............B1-6

Obituaries ...................... B2Sports.........................C1-5Viewpoints .................... A8

Panama City News HeraldWant to subscribe?Call 850-747-5050

F O O D | D 1

FLASH IN THE PANGold rush - ‘Tis the season for citrus and shrimp.

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

PANAMA CITY

@The_News_Herald facebook.com/panamacitynewsherald 75¢www.newsherald.com

S P O R T S | C 1

BOZEMAN, NBH COACHES RESIGNBay County football coaches Lyle Messer, Jeff Lee announce departures from programs

N AT I O N & W O R L D A 4

RELATIONS WITH CUBAThe U.S. considers whether a viral assault or “other types of attacks” explain illnesses of U.S. personnel in Cuba, as the initial theory of a sonic weapon loses steam.

L O C A L | B 1

SCHOOLS, PANCARE PARTNERStudents at two local schools will soon be able to access advanced medical treatment on campus with some help from technology.

By Katie Landeck 522-5114 | @PCNHKatieL [email protected]

PANAMA CITY — After taking a hard look at the num-bers, the Panama City City Commission has decided to pass on building a $1.3 mil-lion commission chamber, at least for now, as part of the renovations of the new city

hall at 509 Harrison Avenue.Instead, the commission

decided Tuesday to take the county up on an offer to use County Commission cham-bers at the Government Center, 840 W 11th Street, for free.

“It’s very hard for me to justify us not taking advan-tage of that,” said Mayor Greg Brudnicki. “The room is one mile away from the new City Hall. It’s in the center of the city ... (and) the county used this building (the current city hall commission chambers)

for 25 years.”The current city  commis-

sion chambers are used about 75 times a year, according to Brudnicki. About a quarter of those meetings, 23, are commission meetings. The rest are planning board, code enforcement and other ancil-lary meetings.

Some of the smaller meet-ings, Brudnicki said, could likely still be held in other meeting spaces planned within the new City Hall. Larger meetings, like the commission meetings, would

be held at the Government Center. The mayor said based on his conversations with the county, he does not believe scheduling conflicts will be a problem.

For more than a year, the commission has been wres-tling the question of the commission chambers.

The original plan was to use a space within the current footprint of the former Trust-mark building, but that was ruled out after the purchase because six load bearing columns would hinder the

audience’s line of sight. They then considered purchasing a building adjacent to the Trustmark building to use, which was quickly ruled out due to price.

In the end, it became a decision between building an addition, estimated to cost at least $1.3 million, or using the county chambers.

The argument in favor of building the new chambers were it would be more conve-nient for staff, construction

Commission passes on new chambersDecision will likely save taxpayers around $1.3 million

Mike Phillips works to hang a door on a room that will soon be part of a free clinic at the Panama City Rescue Mission. The clinic will open on Jan. 25, 2018. Patients will have access to basic wound care, medical needs and written prescriptions. [PATTI BLAKE/THE NEWS HERALD]

By Tyra L. Jackson 850-522-5121 | @TyraJack-PCNH | [email protected]

PANAMA CITY — Bay Medical Sacred Heart has teamed up with the Panama City Rescue Mission to ensure people leave the mission happy and healthy, through a free health clinic that will open this month.

Access to medical care is an issue for several of the mission's clients, and while there are two other free clin-ics in Bay County, the need is consistient. To help fill that

gap, Bay Medical will be pro-viding services every fourth Thursday of the month for both residents and members of the public.

“We are stepping out into our community, to take care of those individuals who otherwise would not have medical care,” said Teresa Jones, Bay Medical director of Patient Experience. “We are reaching out to let these individuals know that we care about them, to give them a bit of hope as we treat their health issues.”

The clinic will provide basic ambulatory care for anyone who needs services, accord-ing to Lisa Nixon Mabry, Panama City Rescue Mission communications manager. The program is aimed at the homeless and people without insurance.

Providing this new service will give the mission another avenue to help people, said Michelle Price, director of development.

“Anytime people are strug-gling with poverty, addiction or any hardship, they need extra help,” Price said. “With the medical services we’ll be able to reach people and address some of the issues they’re dealing with, and we might even save some lives.”

Some people might not be aware of any health issues they might have, and the free clinic will be a way for them to better care for themselves, Price said.

“It feels wonderful to have additional community sup-port,” said Mabry. “Several of them don’t have access to

Free health clinic opening

Bay Medical Sacred Heart forms partnership with Panama City Rescue Mission

By Zack McDonald 747-5071 | @PCNHzack [email protected]

PANAMA CITY  — A former clerk for Panama City Beach has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the city, claiming she was threatened with public humiliation after questioning what she con-sidered “unlawful” orders in filling public records requests, according to court records.

Former City Clerk Diane Floyd filed the lawsuit Jan. 1 in the 14th Judicial Circuit Court against the City of

Panama City Beach. In it, Floyd alleges she faced retaliation from city offi-cials  after she expressed objections to orders on how she should fill spe-cific requests for their public emails and was then pressured to resign. Floyd claims the actions consti-tute a violation of Florida whistleblower protec-tion laws and cost her an unidentified amount of past and future wages, court records stated.

Floyd has demanded a jury trial and claimed

Former clerk fi les suit against PCB

See CLINIC, A6

See SUIT, A6

See CHAMBER, A5

FRIDAY

Rain; breezy64° / 39°

THURSDAY

A shower71° / 58°

TODAY

Clouds, sun70° / 58°

* **

CLASSICAL CONNECTIONS CONCERTSThe Classical Connections series presented by Sinfonia Gulf Coast features SYBARITE5 string quintet at 7:30

p.m. Jan. 26 at Grace Lutheran Church in Destin.

Volume 45 Number 7Phone: 850-863-1111Fax: 850-863-7834

Obits .........................A2Opinion .................... A6Community ........... B1-B2

Classifieds .................B6Sports...................B7-B8Crossword ..................B8

COBLE SETS NEW SOUTH WALTON SCORING RECORD, B7

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

SNOWBIRD SEASON IN FULL SWING, B1

@DestinLog facebook.com/TheDestinLog 50¢thedestinlog.com

Aquatic Center of Destin hosting teams, classes fi ve months aft er opening

By Annie Blanks 315-4450 | @DestinLogAnnie [email protected]

Five months after it finally opened to the public, offi-cials at the Aquatic Center in Destin, formerly the Destin YMCA pool, say things are going swimmingly.

Pam Braseth, secretary for the Emerald Coast Fitness

Foundation, said Monday the pool was seeing great suc-cess with classes and swim teams and hoped to expand in 2018 to host swimming tournaments.

“When we opened in the fall, when the weather per-mitted, we had family swim lessons and Aquasize, and that will begin again mid-March,” Braseth said. “By April, when the weather is nicer, we’ll be able to gear that back up again. We had a very active group.”

Braseth said the pool also

saw its first college winter training trip over the holi-days. The swim team from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas came to Destin to train for two weeks, and while their trip fell “smack dab in the middle” of the recent cold snap, Braseth was able to make accommodations for them.

“We were able to put them up at the Bernie,” Braseth said, referring to the Bernie R. Lefebvre Aquatic Center in

Destin pool going swimmingly

A pool worker cleans the pool Tuesday morning at the Aquatic Center of Destin. [ANNIE BLANKS/THE LOG]See POOL, A2

Harbor View Park is south of the intersection of Beach Drive and U.S. Highway 98 in Destin. [TONY JUDNICH/THE LOG]

Harbor View Park has one parking space for disabled people. [TONY JUDNICH/THE LOG]

Harbor View Park opened is one of the smallest parks in Destin

By Tony Judnich 315-4438 | @Tonyjnwfdn [email protected]

Unbeknownst perhaps to hundreds of motorists on U.S. Highway 98 and tucked beneath trees a couple miles east of the well-known Crab Island and Emerald Grande stands what might be the smallest park in Okaloosa County.

The 0.4-acre, city-owned Harbor View Park is south of the intersection of Beach

Drive and U.S. Highway 98 and just east of the towering Grand Harbor condomini-ums. The short public access drive to the park is part of the entrance to Grand Harbor.

The city Parks and Recre-ation Department maintains and operates 31 properties, including more than a dozen parks. Harbor View Park is a “neighborhood” park, like Destin’s 0.86-acre Main Street Park and its 3-acre Kell-Aire Park on Kell-Aire Drive.

“Typically, they serve the neighborhoods where they’re

Off the beaten path

See PARK, A2

By Tony Judnich 315-4438 | @Tonyjnwfdn [email protected]

At a special meeting, the City Council on Monday u n a n i m o u s l y a g r e e d t o extend the city’s franchise agreement with Gulf Power for another year.

The city entered into a 30-year franchise agreement with Gulf Power in May 1986 and, after several updates, the contract was set to expire this May. The new extension pushes the expiration date to May 19, 2019.

Councilman Jim Foreman did not attend Monday’s meeting.

The extension gives Destin officials more time to try to hammer out a new contract with Gulf Power or pursue other options, such as pos-sibly buying and running the company’s utility system in Destin or having a third party buy and manage the system.

Among other concerns, Destin officials say the elec-tric rates that Gulf Power charges to its residential customers in Destin are the highest among the large elec-tric utilities in Florida, and that other utility companies appear to have more favor-able policies on converting overhead electric distribution lines to safer and more reli-able/aesthetically pleasing underground service.

There are about 15,600 retail electric customers in Destin.

“We’re doing everything we can in our power to try to get the costs down” for those customers, Councilman Tuffy Dixon said at Monday’s meeting.

In a recent letter to city

Destin extends Gulf Power agreement

See POWER, A2

* **

A GateHouse Media newspaper read by 10,450 people every week.

Bulletin Board .............A5Classifieds ......... A9-A10Community ............... A3

Obituaries ................. A2Opinion .................... A6Sports...................... A11

C O M M U N I T Y | A 3

BAKER MUSEUM TO HOST FAMILY FUN DAY

A3Free tax help available in

Northwest Florida

A6How Jimmy Carter changed

Georgia and the world

Saturday, January 20, 2018

S P O R T S | A 1 1

HOLT MAN NAMED COLLEGE’S INTERIM SOFTBALL COACH

@cnbulletin facebook.com/crestviewbulletin 50¢crestviewbulletin.comVol. 43 Issue 6

WEEKEND EDITION

By Renee Bell 682-6524 | @cnbRenee [email protected]

CRESTVIEW — Freez-ing temperatures in North Okaloosa County this week have increased the need for various items at a local homeless shelter.

Ann Sprague of the Crestview Area Shelter for the Homeless said the organization has a range of needs.

“We can use more finan-cial help to pay for the electric bill, because it’s going to be huge,” she said. “We could always use more blankets and hoodies, for men and women.”

She described condi-tions as “jam-packed four nights a week at Helping Hands.” The organization usually has about 14 people who use the shelter during regular winter months, but with the freezing temper-atures, they had 15 to 20 a night.

“If we get any more people I don’t know what we’re going to do with them,” Sprague said.

S h e m e n t i o n e d h e r gratitude to First United Methodist Church, which donated the Helping Hands building at 428 McLaughlin St. in Crestview, and to the various people and orga-nizations that have made contributions.

“Okaloosa County has been very generous to provide us with disaster aid kits and blankets, and a lot of people in the com-munity have come forward with clothing donations, food and blankets from

Okaloosa County (and surround-ing areas). Anderson Columbia came with quite a few

blankets,” Sprague said.Area Girl Scouts and the

Woodlawn Baptist Church ladies group brought in knitted hats, gloves and other accessories.

“It’s pretty nice when somebody walks in and their hands are ice cold and we’re able to give them gloves, jackets and hats,” Sprague said.

The organization also welcomes food donations. Soups and casseroles have been the main dishes being served. Homemade or store-bought items are wanted, as are countless cups of coffee brewed and served each day.

Sprague said, “And of course, you know people like their sweets, cookies and cakes and things like that.

“For people who don’t have time to make some-thing, we go through five gallons of tea in a day. If they want to bring coffee or tea, that would be wonder-ful. I don’t know how many cups of coffee we’ve been going through.”

Sprague invites people who are homeless in North Okaloosa County to partic-ipate in the shelter’s annual point in time count. Volun-teers will assist attendees with surveys for the count, and provide hair cuts and

Cold weather leads to more shelter needs

By Renee Bell 682-6524 | @cnbRenee [email protected]

CRESTVIEW — Caitlin Randle has joined the staff at the Crestview News Bulletin.

Randle, who started work-ing at the CNB on Tuesday, served as an intern at the Miami Herald and the South Florida Sun Sentinel. She also wrote for The Beacon at Florida International Univer-sity (where she graduated in 2017), and the South Florida News Service.

Randle has reported on var-ious issues in the past three years.

“Caitlin has reported on a lawsuit related to alleged rape within a fraternity; South Florida measures to pro-tect sea life from cigarettes;

threatened coral and what’s being done there; and music, among other things,” CNB Editor Thomas Boni said. “She has a diverse portfolio and  interned at some great publications. We’re so glad to have her join the team.”

“I covered community fea-tures at the Herald, including charity events, protests, mar-athons, etc. At the Sentinel, I covered breaking news, crime, local government and the environment,”  Randle said.

“One of my favorite stories was about a dance company traveling the country giving lessons to underprivileged children who otherwise wouldn’t have had the chance to take lessons.”

Bulletin staff welcomes reporter Caitlin Randle

Reporter Caitlin Randle sits in the News Bulletin conference room with Editor Thomas Boni on Wednesday in Crestview. [RENEE BELL | NEWS BULLETIN]

Sprague

By Caitlin Randle 682-6524 | @cnb_crandle [email protected]

CRESTVIEW — On Friday, over 800 local soldiers and their families attended a spe-cial screening of “12 Strong,” a movie about the first Spe-cial Forces group deployed to Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The screening took place 10 a.m. at the Marquis Cinema 10 in Crestview. The Friday premiere was open only to soldiers currently in the 7th Special Forces group. Throughout this month, “12 Strong” will premiere nationwide.

“The significance of this movie today is to tell the story of the amazing bravery of the soldiers of the 5th group and

what they went through,” army spokesperson Maj. Kimbia Rey said. “Special Forces soldiers are known as quiet professionals and they’re not often recognized for the things that they do.”

The movie follows one of three teams assigned to mis-sion Task Force Dagger and the soldiers who partnered with the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan to fight the Taliban and al-Qaida. It’s based on the best-selling book “Horse Soldiers.”

“The American public is not often provided an opportunity to hear of these things due to the classification,” Rey said. “So this is a great event to pay homage to what these soldiers did.”

The timeline of the movie closely follows the real sequence of events, but the film took artistic liberties with characters and dramatized

some events, according to Rey.

“While we’re not endorsing the movie, we are in agree-ment that this a pretty factual account of what transpired,” she said.

The movie was approved by the U.S. Army Office of the Chief of Public Affairs.

“The Army provided sup-port to the production to help tell an accurate story, and we are looking forward to its release. We are pleased to have the opportunity to help tell the amazing story about the brave service mem-bers who faced innumerable challenges against incredible odds,” a statement released by the army said.

The 5th Special Forces group arrived in Afghanistan 39 days after the 2001 attacks. They worked with the Afghan

A screening for heroesSoldiers from the 7th Special Forces Group purchase tickets at the Marquis Cinema in Crestview Friday morning for a special early screening of the movie “12 Strong.” The fi lm depicts the U.S. Special Forces team working in Afghanistan fi ghting the Taliban. [DEVON RAVINE/DAILY NEWS]

‘12 Strong’ premieres for Special Forces soldiers

See MOVIE, A7 See WEATHER, A7

See CAITLIN, A7

* **

Publisher Jim [email protected]

Community .......... A2-A3Faith .........................A5Government .......... A6-A7

Law Enforcement .........A2Lifestyle ..................... B1Opinion .................... A4

HEALTH OFFICIALS: IT’S NOT TOO LATE FOR FLU SHOTLIFESTYLE | B1

Gulf Breeze man charged with attempted murder,

A2 

Hundreds brave cold water, colder temps for

charity, A3

Saturday, January 6, 2018

GazetteSanta Rosa’s Press

PSYCHIC, HEALING ARTS FAIR COMING TO NAVARRELOCAL | B1

@srpressgazette facebook.com/srpressgazette 75¢srpressgazette.comVol. 109 Issue 106

By Alicia Adams 623-2120 | @aliciaadamsSRPG [email protected]

MILTON — The new year brings changes for three area chambers of commerce.

SANTA ROSA COUNTY CHAMBER

The Santa Rosa County Chamber of Commerce’s new office and Tourist Informa-tion Center  breaks ground this year   and President Donna Tucker said various events will celebrate each leg of the project.

T h e c h a m b e r ’ s c u r -rent Stewart Street facility has just 13 parking spaces, but 22 board members. The new facility will have much more parking, a board room large enough to hold 50 board

members and smaller administra-tive spaces, according to Tucker.

T h e n e w facility is modeled after the Asa May House in Capps, Fla., and will be made of solid wood from 50-year-old Vir-ginia pine. The chamber researched the new Avalon Boulevard location and found that the area has the county’s highest traffic count.

NAVARRE CHAMBER

The Navarre Beach Area Chamber of Commerce will have an official mascot and an updated logo, President Tamara Fountain said. It will  also partner with the University of West Florida’s

Small Business Develop-ment Center to bring free consulting to members through the “Ask Adam”

Series with Adam McCloskey, SBDC’s associate director.

The  chamber plans to create an interactive “Digital Downtown” since they lack a physical downtown area. In addition, the  chamber will introduce Navigators, a group of members who vol-unteer to promote businesses and chamber functions. Also, an internship for high school and college students will begin for positions in admin-istration, destination sales, membership, visitor services and events.

The chamber will kick off

a capital campaign in 2018 to fund a permanent home. During the early months of 2018, the chamber will tem-porarily relocate from  its Navarre Parkway office to a location on Highway 98. The chamber is working to iden-tify and purchase property for a permanent headquarters.

GULF BREEZE CHAMBER

The Gulf Breeze Chamber will celebrate its 30th year in 2018 and will establish a non-profit organization, President Kristen Loera said.

“We are looking to rees-tablish a 501c3 organization in order for us to work more on some of the aspects of our mission such as education — our support to the education system is a big part of it — and

community development,” Loera said.

“We’re still in the process of develop-ing the exact m i s s i o n f o r

the foundation, but we’re moving forward to get that established within the next year.”

The Gulf Breeze Chamber’s office also will relocate. “The building that we have been in for the past 17 years is owned by the Santa Rosa County School Board,” Loera said. “They have sold the property, so we do not know where we are going yet — we are explor-ing different options — but we will be moving to a new [tem-porary or permanent] home in 2018.”

Chambers of commerce eye changes in 2018

LoeraTucker Fountain

Clubhouse All Sports Training Facility owner and CEO Jason Kimbrell, right, and Director of Operations Drew Cumberland stand in the gym section of the facility overlooking the 10,000-square-foot football training area next to the basketball court. [AARON LITTLE | PRESS GAZETTE]

By Aaron Little 623-2120 | @AaronL_SRPG [email protected]

PACE — Staffers are aiming for a Jan. 8 opening day for the Clubhouse All Sports Training Facility at 4829 W. Spencer Field Road in Pace.

The Clubhouse will have 10,000 square feet of turf with seven batting cages, two pitching lanes, two pitching machines, a sports lounge for parents to relax, party rooms, and a 1,300-square-foot ath-letic performance center on the ground floor.

Security is a priority, according to owner and CEO Jason Kimbrell. The facility has 60 security cameras. In addition, every adult coming through the front door will have to scan his or her driver’s license through the Raptor visitor management system, which screens against the registered sex offender databases in all  50 states, according to raptortech.com.

Jason Barlow, a 2016 Pace graduate now playing for Lurleen B Wallace Com-munity College, practiced

pitching with Pace High senior Dalton Childs Dec. 29

Pace sports training facility sets grand opening

Jason Barlow graduated from Pace High in 2016 and now plays baseball for Lurleen B. Wallace Community College in Andalusia, Ala. Here he practices pitching at the Clubhouse All Sports Training Facility. [AARON LITTLE | PRESS GAZETTE]

By Aaron Little 623-2120 | @AaronL_SRPG [email protected]

PACE — Pace Fire Rescue District on March 1 will receive a new fire pro-tection rating from the Insurance Services Office, a national insurance industry risk rating and assessment service. Pace Fire’s rating will improve from a Class 6⁄9 to a Class 4⁄4x.

ISO ratings play a role in  insurance companies’ underwriting process. Most major U.S. insurers use  them  to help deter-mine what coverage to offer or premiums to charge for personal or commercial property insurance.

ISO rates fire depart-ments on a scale of 1 to 10, with an ISO class 1 rating considered the most effec-tive fire defense system, from an insurance analysis perspective, with a Class 10 rating considered the least effective.

“We are very pleased that our rating has improved by two classes,” Chief Robbie

Whitfield said. “Not only does this mean our level of fire protection service has improved but it could also earn lower property insur-ance rates for home and business owners within the Pace Fire Rescue District.”

The second number for the Pace district’s split clas-sification has to do with the water system, according to Whitfield.

“The nine is for the water system,” he said, “which is on our northern end of the district.”

The ISO bases ratings on surveying and inspecting all aspects of a fire depart-ment’s achievements since January 2013, its last review.

ISO officials consider 911 communications and the fire hydrant water supply and other factors of quality fire and rescue service in the rating process.

“There are things we know we need to do,” Whit-field said. “In the past, we were limited on man power. We’re not 100 percent

Pace Fire’s insurance ranking improves

From left are Pace Fire Rescue District Battalion Chief Robert Nowlin, Lt. Patrick Wissing, fi refi ghter Andrew Adcox, fi refi ghter Nick Lopez, fi refi ghter Carl Bowers and Chief Robbie Whitfi eld. [AARON LITTLE | PRESS GAZETTE]See FACILITY, A8

See PACE FIRE, A8

We are the one sourcefor your customized solution.

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Advertiser promotions are aligned with a customized media plan and executed across our comprehensive media channels. This allows you to achieve your marketing objectives.

Promotions provide an incentive for our audience to engage with your brand on an even deeper level which provides you with the opportunity to acquire them as a new customer.

TYPES OFPROMOTIONS: • Sweepstakes • Photo/Video Contests • Quizzes • Sports Pick ‘Ems • Ballots

Sharing via social media enables amplification of your marketing message and builds valuable E-mail audiences. Promotions also have the ability to generate leads as well as in-store traffic.

Leverage the Power of Promotions!Promotions provide the strength of integrated media

with high engagement and database growth.

QUALIFIEDLEADS

E-MAIL DATABASE

COLLECT RICH DATA

SOCIAL FOLLOWING

DESIREDAUDIENCE

AUDIENCEENGAGEMENT

Build your target audience through a customized promotional campaign. Promotions captivate your desired customers by appealing to consumersinterested in your products and services.

Promotions bring a unique opportunity to generate both marketing and measurable sales leads through multiple touch points of your promotional strategy.

Learn what matters to your audience using quizzes and survey questions. Educate your audience on your products and services while engaging them with your customized promotion.

Promotions require interaction and engagement, which motivates customers to take a specific action. Contests supercharge your advertising, making it more effective by getting people involved.

Promotions have high social engagement,will increase your reach, fan base and expose your brand to new audiences. A larger social database means opportunities for continued engagement.

Promotions help you build a robust database and is something YOU own. E-mail is effective at reaching customers and driving sales and is often cited as the #1 driver in digital conversions.

[ [Promotions

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[ [Web Redesign The Best Local News Site Just Got Better

NEW DESIGN = BETTER USER EXPERIENCE

& INCREASED AD IMPACTWhat is it?It’s the latest move in our digital evolution to meet the needs of readers and advertisers. Still the main source of digital news in the area and a key part of our community - we’ve totally rebuilt the site with a fresh new design!

But more than just a redesign, the website has been totally rebuilt to improve navigation, increase consumption of content by users and deliver great value to advertisers.

What’s new?Integrated advertising opportunities throughout the site

• A less cluttered environment for a better user experience

• Increased visibility for your messages

• Easier navigation to encourage more time on site

Your message is seen by users on any device so you’ll reach them wherever they are.

Why do you need it?Our site delivers high-value, trusted content that engages our growing community of loyal readers. Your message appears in the ideal environment and is seen by consumers in your backyard.

ADS LOAD AS USERS SCROLL THROUGH THE PAGE

#IMPRESSIONS = #VIEWS!

HIGHER IMPACT AD UNITS+ FRESH, CLEAN ENVIRONMENT+ CROSS PLATFORM PRESENCE

= POWER FOR YOUR BUSINESS!

Get started today!Contact your representative for current rates and additional details.

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Digital marketing solutions for local businesses About ThriveHiveThriveHive empowers local business owners to take charge of their growth, combining human guidance with easy-to-use technology to make marketing more understandable, effective and affordable. ThriveHive serves as a trusted online expert, offering a unique blend of leading-edge technology and high-quality digital advertising services for small and mid-sized businesses.

Why ThriveHiveOur expert team of 300+ professionals are committed to your business success. We understand that you have many options when looking for a digital marketing company to expand your online presence and we offer the help and results that make it easy to choose us — and stay with us.

www.thrivehivecom

Unparalleled reach. Backed by GateHouse Media, ThriveHive reaches over 22 million people across the country, expanding your audience more than ever before

Google AdWords Premier Partner. We’re part of a select group of strategic partners that meet Google’s most stringent eligibility and training requirements, including proven expertise and years of experience in delivering high-performing AdWords campaigns

Dedicated advisors committed to your success. ThriveHive’s dedicated digital marketing team works to build stronger communities by driving the success of local small business

Industry expertise. With established relationships with digital leaders like Google and Facebook, we have the experience to build marketing solutions to help your business keep up with the competition

An extension of your team. We know your time is valuable - that’s why we do the work for you, planning and executing successful marketing strategies that let you get back to running your business

Tailored service. We customize our services based on your business needs to provide the most effective solutions that fit your budget

Transparent results. We believe in complete transparency, providing you with measurable results through a 24/7 results dashboard

EST. 2012 Recognized leader in SMB Digital Solutions

Voted 1st PlaceNamed Best

Digital Agency

ThriveHive at a Glance

Full suite of Digital Marketing Solutions including:

• Guided Marketing Platform• Display Advertising• Social Media Marketing• Searching Engine Marketing• Search Engine Optimization• Email Marketing• Better Website• Local Listings Builder

Customized digital advertising solutions also available

30+ YearsExperience in SEM

190K+ Small and medium businesses served

15K+ Custom

campaignsrun

[ [ThriveHive Everything you need to market your business online

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[ [Creative Solutions Solutions to Build Your Brand and Your Business.

Custom solutionsWe are a full-service creative agency within GateHouse Media delivering cross-media programs to engage your audience.

Premium Edge unit distributes your message with video and slideshows.

Interactive elements, including locator maps, make it easier to bring customers directly toyour door.

Custom creative designed to attract and engage online and in print. Our experience has created success stories for small shops and large enterprises alike.

Creating specifically for mobile devices ensures that your message reaches our entire online audience no matter how they choose to view.

Digital and print

advertising created to

support your campaign

and reach ourtotal audience.

Develop a constant connection with your audience by integrating features

including social media feeds.

Custom projects such as logos, podcast headers, identity packages and collateral.

w

EXTRAORDINARY RESOURCES Available only to UF grad students, faculty and staff.

24 hour on call maintenance,

safety and security features.

To learn more go to

www.thetraditiongrads.com

LUXURY STUDENT LIVING

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How to Reach Us

Trusted. Local. Engaged.

The Walton Sun and WaltonSun.com provide unparalleled coverage of our community. Written by locals, for locals, our team is proud to live, play and work in the community we serve.

WaltonSun.com495 Grand Blvd. Suite 206 Miramar Beach, FL 32550

(850) 267-4555