WEATHER

NWFL residents urged to be ‘extremely cautious’ with outdoor fires due to dry weather

Officials with the Florida Forest Service’s Blackwater Forestry Center are issuing words of caution as wildland firefighters in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties have responded to nine wildfires in the past week.

Cold weather and a lack of rain over the past several days has left much of the thin, highly flammable vegetation available to burn as fuel for a wildfire, according to the FFS.

• Low humidity also has increased the potential for fire activity. 

“Residents are asked to be extremely cautious with any outdoor fires — burning yard debris, charcoal grills, campfires — and follow Florida’s outdoor burn laws,” said Joe Zwierzchowski, Florida Forest Service.

Those who chose to burn yard debris may do so in piles less than 8 feet in diameter as long as they meet the required setbacks and there are no city or county ordinances against it. 

The setbacks are:

• 25 feet from your home
• 25 feet from the wildlands or other combustible structure
• 50 feet from a paved public road
• 150 feet from any other occupied buildings

In addition to meeting the required setbacks, it is recommended that those who chose to burn have a charged water hose along with a shovel or rake on hand.

“Never burn on windy days and never leave a fire unattended,” he said.

ENERGY

DeSantis responds to Florida Power & Light concerns at press conference, Matt Gaetz chimes in too

While talking about the record-setting tourism numbers that Florida saw in 2021, Governor Ron DeSantis responded to a question concerning the rate increases from Florida Power & Light. 

• WEAR Channel 3 asked Gov. DeSantis if he planned to take any action regarding the rate hikes, along with what his message to residents would be who are concerned about the increase.

“Obviously when you have the prices rising through everything, it’s a huge burden on people to be able to see gas bills, energy bills, all this stuff go up,” he said. “My view is, we want to have affordable energy in the State of Florida, and we’re committed to doing that.”

On Wednesday, Congressman Matt Gaetz chimed in on the topic.

• “Many in Northwest Florida are bothered by the recent rise in electric rates,” he said. “I will be bringing their concerns to the Florida Public Service Commission along with my own thoughts regarding the need to stabilize rates.”

On January 1, 2022, Florida Power & Light Company and Gulf Power Company merged and are now doing business as Florida Power & Light Company in Northwest Florida.

In early February, Pensacola Attorney Mike Papantonio fired off a letter to the Florida Public Service Commission threatening to bring a lawsuit over the approved rate increases for Florida Power & Light customers. 

Read more on that here.

COMMUNITY

City of Valparaiso to reopen and repair Senior Citizen Center following massive community support

On Monday, the City of Valparaiso held their monthly city commission meeting. The room was packed with concerned citizens mainly interested in one topic: the Senior Citizen Center.

• Following a number of comments from residents, the fate of the building looks to be positive.

Initially, questions were asked as to why the city did not immediately use a donation given in 2020 in the amount of $8,000 to repair the roof. Although the city has acknowledged that they now have the money to proceed, Commissioner Jay Denney said that “the problem was we were looking at a $25,000 bill and we had $8,000 to pay it.”

Jerry Spence, a general contractor in the area, recently completed a thorough inspection of the center at no cost to the city and has determined that the building is still in good shape. 

“The wood that it’s built out of is made of 100-year-old hard pine, and it’ll be there for another hundred years,” he said. “Termites can’t eat it, it doesn’t rot, and it’s pretty much like a steel beam without the rust.”

By Spence’s evaluation, the main point of problem were three concrete piers that could “easily be repaired”. Additionally, the attic rafters were deemed to be in good condition with no sagging.

• “Going in the attic, they look as good as the day they were put in there,” he said.

The building is in need of a temporary tarp until the roof is fixed, and the local fire department has offered to provide the center with a FEMA tarp.

As of now, a steering committee has been formed and the Center will be in full operation except for meals, which is still being worked out. Previously, “grab and go” meals were offered on site.

Support from the community has been massive. Over 200+ citizens are documented to have shown their support, with two separate donors offering a combined total of $20,000 to help with the upkeep of the building. One contractor has offered to put a new roof on the building at a discounted cost of $23,500.

• The Senior Center has also been placed on the water bill as a way to help with donations. 
• Talks about adding the building to the Florida Historical Registry are also being looked into.

Additionally, although not available right now, opportunities for leasing the building for receptions and other gatherings are being looked into once the repairs are complete. This would allow citizens to host various events at the center.

Upon hearing supporting evidence, and the outpouring of support and donations, the city commission voted unanimously to re-open the center. 

“There’s nothing that isn’t fixable, and it’s a good building,” said Denney. “We’re all citizens, this is not us versus you trying to tear that building down. We hope to see at least another hundred years out of that building.”

Tom Jackley, director of the Senior Center, along with other members of the community and associations, are also looking into a list of activities for the center. They’re accepting any feedback from the community for ideas, and nothing is set in stone.

The center will re-open on the February 22.

FOOD+DRINK

Slim Chickens now open in Fort Walton Beach

Slim Chickens is now open in Fort Walton Beach, as the newest location for the fast-casual restaurant chain.

• In addition to the new location, owners Richard Maddox and Becky Rutherford also own the Slim Chickens restaurants in Panama City, Pensacola and Lynn Haven.

Maddox and Rutherford have spent over 20 years building a career in the restaurant industry. The Fort Walton Slim Chickens location represents the brand’s fourth location in Florida in the past 18 months, all owned by Maddox and Rutherford.

“After two successful openings in the area last year, we are very excited to bring our fourth panhandle Slim Chickens location to Fort Walton Beach,” said Maddox. “The brand is known for bringing the community together with its southern hospitality and food, and we’re excited to share that with Fort Walton Beach. My immense growth in 2021 was made possible by the support of the Slim Chickens corporate team and the resources they provide to help us take care of our customers.”

Aside from bringing their fried chicken and Southern-inspired sides to the area, the new Slim Chickens location in Fort Walton Beach will also create over 75 new job opportunities in the local community.

Since its founding in 2003, Slim Chickens has celebrated over 150 openings in 26 states, with an overall goal of opening 600 restaurants by 2025.

“Our freshly made southern dishes and homemade recipes create loyal guests who feel good about the food they’re eating, and we’re proud to be able to grow our loyal fan base into the Fort Walton Beach market,” said Slim Chickens Chief Operating Officer Sam Rothschild.

The restaurant is located at 131 Miracle Strip Pkwy SW in Fort Walton Beach, right in front of the Holiday Inn.

CONSERVATION

10,000 redfish to be released at Fred Gannon State Park in Niceville

Redfish populations along Northwest Florida have declined since 2010 due to overfishing and habitat degradation. Additionally, Florida has banned the commercial harvest of redfish because there simply aren’t enough.

• That’s where redfish restocking comes into play, and that’s exactly what will happen in the Choctawhatchee Bay.

The Coastal Conservation Association Florida is a statewide nonprofit dedicated to protecting and preserving Florida’s marine environment. Back in 2018, they got involved with restocking Florida waters in partnership with Duke Energy Mariculture Center out of Crystal River, FL.

• Duke Energy has been restocking for more than 30 years.
• They have released over 4 million fish and crustaceans into the Gulf of Mexico.

The mariculture center started as an environmental compliance requirement for Duke Energy to operate their nearby power plants. Now, each year it raises up to 100,000 redfish and spotted seatrout and releases them into the Gulf of Mexico to support year-round fishing.

• It has grown into one of Florida’s most successful hatcheries.

“Stock enhancement is a must in Northwest Florida, or we could continue to see a decline,” said Amanda Krpan, Regional Director for Coastal Conservation Association Florida. “Redfish play a major ecological role in the marine ecosystem, as both dominant predators, and important prey.”

According to Krpan, Duke Energy’s hatchery only has the funding to operate at a local level in Crystal River. However, thanks to a $25,000 donation from an IMPACT 100 member, the project will be a reality in Okaloosa County.

• These funds will go directly toward holding tanks, rigging components, nets, feed, transportation bags, and transportation to the Panhandle.

Krpan says that “a lot of science goes into raising 10,000 fish” and many factors are considered including the time of year, how the fish are raised, and what they are fed. 

“These fish will be given the best conditions to survive and thrive,” she said. “The survival rate of these fish should be excellent because the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance won the IMPACT 100 grant award in 2019 to build hundreds of feet of oyster reef which is a natural habitat for these Redfish. So these two projects go hand in hand!”

What they will be releasing

With the help of Okaloosa’s Coastal Resource Team, the redfish that will be released are 6-10 inches in length. These fish have been raised in outdoor ponds instead of a laboratory tank setting, and get water pumped into the pond from the Gulf of Mexico.

• That includes crabs and crustaceans. 

Krpan says that the fish are already learning how to forge for their own food before they put them back into the Gulf. 

“The quality of these fish are going to be very good, especially compared to other hatchery raised fish,” she said.

Alex Fogg, Coastal Resource Manager for Okaloosa County, says that inshore fishing for species such as redfish is just as important to our area as our iconic offshore fishing.

“CCA has been extremely active in helping to restore numerous fish species throughout the region and we are happy to partner with them,” he said. “We look forward to working with CCA to make these restocking events more frequent.” 

In terms of longevity, Krpan says that when female redfish reach reproductive age (5-7 years), they can spawn 2 million eggs per year and live up to 40 years. That means these fish have the potential to release billions of eggs in their lifetime, creating a self-sustaining impact once they are released. 

“This is the first-ever concerted effort to help restore redfish populations in the Panhandle,” she said. “The project is self-sustaining and offers a positive environmental and economic impact. Choctawhatchee Bay is the heart of this community, and we aim to make it a thriving environment.”

Details on the restocking

It is completely free and open to the public. In fact, the public is encouraged to attend, watch and participate. (Kids too!)

“We actually want the public to not only watch, but to participate,” said Krpan. “We are asking people to wear athletic attire, water shoes, or attire that you don’t mind getting wet, and help us restock.”

Volunteers will carry the redfish from the tank inside big, clear bags and wade out about knee deep in the water to release the fish. 

“The release is a beneficial project for the health of the Choctawhatchee Bay area fisheries and we are fortunate to have CCA Florida as a meaningful partner in this conservation effort,” said Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners Chairman Mel Ponder.

“We truly believe in this and want to restock this fishery, but it’s also an incredible opportunity for everyone to see how important projects like these are so that we can do them again in the future,” added Krpan.

The redfish restocking is planned for Tuesday, March 29th at noon at Fred Gannon State Park in Niceville.

• Contact Amanda Krpan for additional details at akrpan@ccaflorida.org. Date, time and location are subject to change.