James Calkins - Republican for Walton County Commissioner

05/31/2026

05/30/2026

Five innocent people are dead in Virginia.

Among them a 13 year old girl. A 7 year old boy.

They were killed when a bus slammed into stopped traffic.

The driver was an immigrant from China who does not speak English.

Can't read road signs. Can't communicate with law enforcement.

New York State gave him a commercial license anyway.

Democrat-run states handing out CDLs to unqualified drivers need to be held accountable.

The federal government is now investigating New York's licensing records.

It's long overdue.

Praying for the victims and their families. 🙏🏻🇺🇸

05/25/2026

On this Memorial Day, we pause to honor the brave men and women who gave their lives defending our nation and our freedoms. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten, and we owe a debt that can never truly be repaid. May God bless the families of our fallen heroes, our active-duty troops, and every veteran who has worn the uniform with honor. 🇺🇸
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” — John 15:13

05/08/2026

On May 7th 2026, Iran launched its most coordinated assault yet — missiles, drone swarms, and fast attack boats — against three U.S. Navy destroyers in the S...

05/08/2026

For America to be great, we must always remain one nation under God.

On National Day of Prayer, we pledge that America will always, as it is written in Psalm 96, “Tell His glory among the nations”—and that we will never forget God’s role in creating, protecting, & sustaining the freest, strongest, most prosperous, & greatest country in the world. 🙏

05/07/2026

Chautauqua Hall of Brotherhood - Chautauqua Auditorium, DeFuniak Springs. The Chautauqua, founded in 1874 by John H, Vincent and Lewis Miller, was an indigenous adult educational organization developed in the United States. Founded on the banks of Lake Chautauqua in New York, there were at least fifty Chautauquas around the country by 1886. The movement combined education, recreation and religion and was designed to "utilize the general demand for summer rest by uniting daily study with healthful recreation". The first annual Chautauqua appeared in Florida in 1885 and the ambition of the directors was "not to be in any sense a rival to the great Chautauqua, but an assistant". It was, however, patterned after the original Lake Chautauqua resort and was located on the banks of Lake DeFuniak in Western Florida. The aim of the Florida Chautauqua was stated in this manner: "The object and purpose of this corporation is to establish and maintain an educational institution known as an Assembly on the general plan of the Chautauquas, New York, with courses of lecture and class instruction in art, science, philosophy, history, literature and morals" The Florida Chautauqua flourished for about twenty-five years in its original form and afterward DeFuniak continued to be one of many Florida towns on the circuit of the nationwide Chautauqua which brought with it lecturers and entertainers of the magnitude of William Jennings Bryan. In later years, the movement evolved from a general education emphasis to traveling entertainment shows. The traveling Chautauquas first appeared in 1904 and the performances usually lasted from three to seven days. The competition of radio and the building of good roads brought an end to Chautauqua in the mid-1920s. For this reason, the Chautauqua Auditorium in DeFuniak Springs stands as a monument to one of the earliest and finest movements in mass education and culture in the United States.
https://www.historic-structures.com/fl/defuniak_springs/chautauqua-hall-of-brotherhood/?fbclid=IwY2xjawLM3-9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFhTjk5dnhMS2ZkdGlxaTFnAR49XvkOL00HVULnXP98_XXyfwdXRwxmhDjcYmFoNA7xpMXSkdkpZtsvem2O_A_aem_N4em910qXTWhHY1Z3ljkhg