SCHOOL

Okaloosa School District already planning for new school start times ahead of 2026

The Okaloosa County School District is already making plans to comply with a new state law that will push back start times for middle and high schools in 2026, Superintendent Marcus Chambers told the school board Monday.

The law, passed by the Florida Legislature last year, requires high schools to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. and middle schools no earlier than 8am beginning in August 2026.

• School districts must inform parents, students, teachers and other stakeholders about the “health and safety impacts of sleep deprivation” and benefits of later start times, according to the legislation.

The change could mean earlier start times for elementary students, who are not addressed in the new law.

• “The last thing we want to do is have our elementary kids sitting at bus stops really early in the morning,” Chambers said. “That’s not to say that some of that doesn’t occur right now based on buses and schedules.”

To prepare, district staff already held meetings as early as December, and will run bus route simulations in summer 2025, Chambers said. 

As with many school districts in the state, Okaloosa County is already facing a shortage of school bus drivers, Chambers said. Staying with the current three-tiered bus system, which allows drivers to cover multiple routes with staggered school start times, could mean some schools start even later than they do now.

Transitioning to a two-tiered system would require hiring drivers to fill current vacancies as well as additional drivers and buses.

• “If we could get to a two tiered bus system, that means we would not only hire the bus drivers that were currently vacant, but then we’d have to hire even more, [and] likely purchase additional buses,” he said. “Going into a two-tiered bus system would probably be difficult.”

The district is weighing the challenges of both options while developing its plan to comply with the new start time requirements.

School Board member Tim Bryant said he worries about the impact on younger students.

• “I appreciate our lawmakers trying to put our secondary students in the forefront, helping them with their abilities to get enough sleep and be productive and all, it does put a burden on the younger ones who I think are more vulnerable than our older ones,” Bryant said.

Chambers said the district will communicate with families as planning progresses over the next two years. Florida designated a few small districts to pilot the new start times before 2026, which could prompt changes to the law if problems arise, Bryant noted.

SPORTS

Niceville High School’s Garrison LeMire named 2024 Taylor Haugen Trophy Winner

Garrison LeMire had no idea what was in store when he was ushered into the cafeteria at Niceville High School early Wednesday morning.

• The senior lacrosse player walked into a room full of cheers from the student body, members of the All Sports Association, Kathy and Brian Haugen, The Taylor Haugen Foundation Board Members and his family.

LeMire was surprised with the news that he has been named the 2024 winner of the Taylor Haugen Trophy — an award offered annually in memory of Taylor Reid Haugen, a Niceville High School student who died at age 15 from injuries sustained while playing football in 2008.

“Mr. Marello was very good at keeping me completely in the dark. I had no idea what was going on,” LeMire said, referring to Niceville High Principal Charlie Marello’s effort to keep the news a secret. “At first I knew something was up as I saw a lot of people coming in the doors, but I wasn’t totally sure.”

LeMire said seeing the Haugens made it click.

• “It just felt surreal for a minute,” he said. “I think I’m still shaking. It’s an amazing honor to win this award. It’s just not something you expect.”

The Taylor Haugen Trophy and a $1,000 scholarship are awarded each winter to an area athlete who demonstrates a balance between academics, athleticism, leadership, community service and faith — the same traits that defined Taylor. The Foundation hopes to recognize well-rounded individuals who demonstrate the perseverance to improve themselves while enjoying God’s gifts to the fullest.

“It’s a very competitive field,” said Cindy Gates, chairwoman of the Taylor Haugen Foundation Board. “To be the person standing here receiving this trophy means that you’re more than amazing.”

Gates highlighted LeMire’s involvement coaching youth lacrosse leagues, mentoring young students, serving as captain of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, maintaining a 4.56 weighted GPA and participating in National Honor Society and church activities. Along with playing Lacrosse at Niceville High School.

“You’ve done incredible things with your family, your school, your community, your church, and that is the reason that you’re standing here today,” she told LeMire in front of his peers.

The annual trophy winner receives a bronze sculpture of an eagle in flight, inspired by Isaiah 40:30-31 and meant to symbolize Taylor’s motto of “Don’t Quit…Never Give Up.” The trophy stands 26 inches tall and weighs 35 pounds.

• In honor of LeMire winning, Niceville High School Athletic Department will also receive a $1,000 donation. 

“I really can’t believe it, so I think it’ll take a little bit to set in,” LeMire said after the surprise ceremony.

LeMire moved to Niceville several years ago due to his family being in the military. Although he didn’t know Taylor, he learned about him through friends at Crosspoint Church.

“They all told me about the amazing impact that he had on them and the community,” LeMire said.

At Niceville, LeMire has been actively involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He serves as captain, a role he said was another honor.

• “It’s just great to get to work with students,” LeMire said.

He is also involved outside school, volunteering as a youth coach.

“I think it’s important that we build up the next generation,” LeMire said, citing bad influences that youth face today. “I think it’s important that we keep our youth steady and I try to work with them as much as possible.”

In addition to lacrosse starting, LeMire said he looks forward to finishing his senior year strong with graduation approaching.

• “There’s some big things coming up for FCA as well,” he said, citing the annual FCA breakfast in February. “Just looking forward to staying in the grind, staying the day to day and taking it one day at a time.”

LeMire has been accepted to Texas A&M University and plans to study psychology. He is also waiting to hear back from Duke and UNC. He hopes to one day work with special operations in a cognitive way, or teach at the college level.

For the Haugen family, the Taylor Haugen Trophy carries deep meaning as they prepare to mark the 16th anniversary of Taylor’s death this August. For the Haugens, it’s a ‘mixed bag’.

“It’s a blessing to be able to pass on Taylor’s legacy and memory, to keep his story alive,” Kathy Haugen said. “That is an absolute blessing. But it’s also hard to think that it has been 16 years since Taylor passed.”

She said the trophy winners become “truly part of our family.”

“I am very close with the trophy winners. All of them,” Haugen said. “And they really are part of our family.”

The selection process begins with nominations from about 20 area high schools. Students must have at least a 3.5 unweighted GPA and be involved with athletics, community service and faith-based activities.

• A committee that includes past winners as well as representatives from the All Sports Association and Taylor Haugen Foundation review applications and conduct interviews before selecting each year’s recipient.

“They have something extremely special about them that we call the ‘wow factor,’” Haugen said of trophy winners. “And I cannot tell you what that is until I see it.”

EVENTS

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend events

The Okaloosa County Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Committee has a series of events this weekend commemorating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

• January 13th – 10:00am – 1:30pm: Oratorical and Poster Contest at Niceville High School. Over 100 students signed up from Elementary to High School. The Winner for each grade level will find out on Saturday and they will receive an award and monetary gifts.

• January 14th – 5:00pm: MLK Observance Program at Beulah First Baptist Church, 109 McGriff Street, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32549

• January 15th:
  • 8:00 am: Parade Registration at Fort Walton Beach City Auditorium
  • 10:00 am: Parade Begins
  • 12:00pm – 2:00pm: After Rally at Chester Pruitt Park

“These events aim to celebrate Dr. King’s enduring legacy and foster a sense of unity within our community,” said Felicia Scaife. “We encourage everyone to participate and join us in honoring the values that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood for.”

SPORTS

Choctaw’s Bage, Thornell named All Sports Association’s Scholastic Winners

Two Choctawhatchee High School student athletes were surprised with scholastic honors at the school’s Winter Pep Rally on Thursday.

Senior Titus Thornell and senior Lauren Bage were named the 2024 male and female Scholastic Winners by the All Sports Association in front of the entire student body.

• Members of the association highlighted the students’ athletic and academic achievements.

Thornell, who ranks 21 out of 339 students in his graduating class, holds a weighted 4.34 GPA. He earned All-State honors with a fourth place finish in the state weightlifting championships and was part of the school’s 2023 Traditional State Champion weightlifting team.

He also contributed to Choctaw’s 2023 football District Championship and Elite 8 appearance in 2022. His academic accolades include being named an Anne T. Mitchell Award Scholar from 2021-2023.

Bage is currently ranked fifth in her class, holding a 4.61 weighted GPA. The multi-sport athlete helped lead the flag football team to back-to-back state championship appearances and individually earned the 2023 Defensive MVP award.

• In cross country, Bage was a 2022 State Qualifier and 2022, 2023 Regional Qualifier. Her academic honors include being named an Anne T. Mitchell Award Scholar, serving as the 2023 Vice President of the National Honor Society and being an International Baccalaureate Diploma Candidate.

Both winners have committed themselves to serving the community. Thornell volunteers with the girls weightlifting team and at Beachside Community Church, while Bage participated in a Rotary Club youth leadership program, captains the cross country team, and volunteers at Children in Crisis.

Congrats!

BUSINESS

Twin Cities Hospital unveils $14 million ER Expansion in Niceville

HCA Florida Twin Cities Hospital held a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday to celebrate the opening of its $14 million emergency room expansion, a move CEO Todd Jackson says will significantly enhance healthcare services for Niceville-area residents.

The 18-month construction project has doubled the size of the hospital’s ER from 8 beds to 16 beds across 13 acute care rooms and three dedicated fast track bays.

• The expanded facilities also feature new specialized rooms for mental health, women’s health, trauma care and weight loss surgery patients.

“Our emergency department has continued to grow year after year. One of the biggest challenges that we had was space limitation and so this particular project effectively doubled the size of the ER,” said Todd Jackson, CEO of HCA Florida Twin Cities Hospital.

Jackson said the expansion was designed collaboratively with nurses and physicians at the hospital to include state-of-the-art amenities they need to provide prompt, quality care. This includes a significantly enlarged trauma room to accommodate the latest medical technologies at patients’ bedsides.

“Decades ago we didn’t have portable x-rays so the patient would have to be wheeled over to the x-ray room that would produce film and they would stick it up in the film box to see what was broken,” Jackson explained. “Today, it’s all digital. So they wheel the digital x-ray into the trauma room, they snap the photo, and it pops up on a high resolution screen right there. The physician can make a decision without having to move or transport that patient.”

Hospital staff have already transitioned into using the new ER facilities over the past few weeks after receiving the necessary regulatory approvals. Jackson said the $14 million project was completed on time and on budget thanks to detailed coordination and weekly progress meetings between hospital leadership, contractors and subcontractors.

While no CEO wants to see community members requiring emergency care, Jackson said the expansion will allow hospital staff to provide that care more efficiently when it is needed.

• “The expansion enables us to do just that. That’s the biggest piece is that it all revolves around the patient,” he explained. “The hospital healthcare industry is one of the few industries in this country, perhaps in the world, where the patient or the customer doesn’t want to come and see you.”

The ER expansion is anticipated to serve over 20,000 patients in 2024. It also includes a new dedicated lounge area for EMS personnel.

“Providing compassion, explaining what we’re doing and why we’re doing it, delivering on that promise to provide efficient care for the patient, I think is a good thing when we’re able to deliver on that,” added Jackson. “And this project allows us to do that.”