SCHOOL

Okaloosa schools will be in session on Wednesday, January 17

School officials in Okaloosa County have been consulting with county emergency management about the freezing temperatures forecast to impact the area Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, according to a district statement.

• Patrick Maddox, Okaloosa County’s public safety director, said the latest data from the National Weather Service shows temperatures will drop below freezing overnight but roads are not expected to become icy.

The school district said classes will take place as scheduled Wednesday, with students advised to wear layered clothing for warmth. Some outdoor student activities will be moved indoors due to the cold.

Morning temperatures are predicted to climb above freezing Wednesday, providing some relief from the winter chill.

• The district said it will continue monitoring the weather but does not anticipate any closures or changes to operating hours at this time. Officials urge families to exercise caution during frosty conditions.

Petition to cancel school

On Tuesday afternoon, a petition began circulating that called for schools in Okaloosa to be cancelled today.

• It is rumored that this petition was student-led, and based on the comments…it seems likely.

The petition quickly amassed supporters and as of this email, has gained over 6,000 signatures.

TRAFFIC

FDOT monitoring Northwest Florida roadways for ‘icy conditions’

The Florida Department of Transportation is monitoring winter weather conditions Tuesday in Okaloosa, Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Walton counties in preparation for forecast freezing temperatures in the Florida Panhandle region.

• FDOT’s winter weather plan readies the department to keep the state’s highways safe and open amid all weather conditions, according to the agency.

FDOT says motorists may notice more FDOT vehicles on state routes as agency staff monitor and respond to winter weather. If crews detect icy conditions, they will deploy tankers, bridge deck sprayers and other equipment to apply ice-melting products on bridge overpasses.

FDOT will work with state and local law enforcement to evaluate closing roads if icy conditions make maintaining drivability difficult.

Officials encourage motorists to follow law enforcement closure announcements and use caution when driving.

SCHOOL

Okaloosa high school students set to Debate at National Championship in Jacksonville

Students from Fort Walton Beach High School and the Collegiate High School will test their debate skills against competitors from across Florida and South Carolina at a national championship after qualifying at a regional contest this past weekend.

• Twelve students from across Northwest Florida punched their tickets to Incubate Debate’s National Championship on April 5-6 in Jacksonville by placing among the top performers this past Saturday at a regional qualifier hosted by Crestview High School. 

The students debated the merits of eliminating Daylight Saving Time, reforming the International Monetary Fund and dropping atomic bombs on Japan during World War II.

Judges included members of the military, college professors and elected officials who evaluated students on their persuasiveness, civility and critical thinking abilities.

“It was a showcase of what it means to care about a topic,” said Madison Rabens, Incubate Debate’s program manager. “I haven’t seen as much passion or heart put into a debate as I did Saturday. These students are not only incredibly intelligent, but incredibly invested in this country and their community.”

The Okaloosa qualifiers who will vie for a share of $15,000 in college scholarships at nationals are: Christian Bailey, William Kiker and Alliyah Knochenmus from Fort Walton Beach High School; and Jonathan Watters, Kaylynn Sirney, Genesis Jimenez-Chavez, Eliora Miller and Nyeli Reyes from Collegiate High School in Niceville.

• Tristan Martinez, Maverick Marley and Riley Perantoni are from schools in Pensacola, and Larken Hayek is a Gulf Breeze Homeschooler.

They’ll be joining top finishers from Incubate Debate leagues across Florida and South Carolina. While students compete individually at the national tournament, they spend months preparing arguments and rebuttals together leading up to the event.

“They have these huge call sessions where they all call each other and get ready before tournaments, even with the other schools,” said Katrina Brownsberger, a debate teacher at Fort Walton Beach High who also serves as the Okaloosa County and northwest Florida regional director for the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative. “It’s really cool to see the way they do that.”

Brownsberger said her student leaders often lead half of her classes because of their mastery of debate techniques and events. They also mentor middle school debate teams to build the next generation of competitors.

“The student leadership is what’s really impressive about debate in general. But my debate kids especially, I am so incredibly proud of them,” she said.

While many people misunderstand debate as mainly being about confrontation and arguing, Brownsberger said it teaches critical listening and thinking skills too. Students gain confidence speaking in public and learn how to craft persuasive messages, skills that translate to college, career and civic life, she said.

• Debate teaches “how to sell themselves and sell what they’re trying to get accomplished,” Brownsberger said. “They learn how to network.”

Her top debaters volunteer to judge middle school contests, give speeches to Rotary Clubs and American Legion posts and have won community competitions like the Martin Luther King Jr. oratorical event.

“They’re learning to use their voices for the messages that are important to them,” Brownsberger said.

Congratulations poured in for the victorious debaters who will represent Okaloosa County.

• “It is awe-inspiring to see the hard work of these students, who demonstrated exemplary speech and debate skills and used civility and aptitude for respectful disagreement,” Marcus Chambers, superintendent of Okaloosa County schools, said in a statement. “I wish them all great success when they compete in Jacksonville in April.”

The county’s top competitors have a full slate of contests ahead to prepare for nationals. Brownsberger said she is hoping to qualify more students this year for the National Speech & Debate Association national tournament held over the summer.

With team officers teaching classes and mentoring younger students, Brownsberger said the activity builds leadership skills that translate far beyond the debate stage.

“Confidence is the easy answer. Public speaking is the number one fear in the world,” she said. “By the end of the year, there’s none of that anymore. Of course there are nerves when public speaking but these kids gain such confidence in themselves, their abilities and the skills that they’ve built up.”

PUBLIC SAFETY

Fort Walton Beach Police Department welcomes two new officers

The Fort Walton Beach Police Department welcomed two new police officers to the police force this week.

• David Bowell and Austin Howard were sworn in during a ceremony Tuesday that was attended by fellow officers, family, City Manager Jeff Peters and City Council members Gloria DeBerry and David Schmidt.

David Bowell comes to the city following a 26-year law enforcement career with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. Bowell is a native of Fort Walton Beach and is looking forward to serving the city he grew up in.

Austin Howard served as a police officer in Fremont, California for about three years before deciding to move to Florida. He served a short time with the Walton County Sheriff’s Office before joining the Fort Walton Beach Police Department.

Both officers will start this week in the department’s patrol division.

POLITICS

Destin City Council-member Matthew Sweetser resigns due to health conditions

Destin City Council member Matthew Sweetser has resigned from his position, the city announced Tuesday.

In a resignation letter, Sweetser wrote that he is stepping down “due to my health condition worsening.”

• “It is with a heavy heart and many family discussions that I have decided due to my health condition worsening, I am resigning from my position on city council,” he wrote. “I have enjoyed my time with all of you and our hard working staff.”

Sweetser was elected in November 2022 and was slated to finish his term on council in 2026.

A fifth-generation descendant of one of Destin’s founding families, the Maltezos, Sweetser was born in Destin and graduated from Fort Walton Beach High School.

• He has been involved with several community organizations, including the town center Community Redevelopment Agency, the Destin History and Fishing Museum board and the city’s “Leave No Trace” sustainability initiative.

Councilman Sweetser’s letter of resignation is effective immediately. According to the city, Council will vote Monday, January 22, on how to handle an interim.

The council may choose to select nominations from those referenced on the dais, or they may ask for applicants to be sent in for an interim council-member until the November elections.