Northwest Florida Daily News

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.

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.