TOGETHER WITH
Good morning!
Yesterday afternoon, I received a message about a manatee in the Cinco Bayou/Gap Creek area in Fort Walton Beach. The manatee was located in the creek behind Hot Spot Cigars and Coffee on Beal Parkway.
Let’s get to the rest of the news this morning…
FORT WALTON BEACH
Bank robbery in Fort Walton Beach, police searching for suspect
On Thursday afternoon around 4:26pm, the Fort Walton Beach Police Department received a call stating that the BancorpSouth bank on Beal Parkway had just been robbed.
According to Lieutenant Steven Marlow, a white male entered the bank and passed a note to the Teller demanding money. The suspect made off with an undisclosed amount of money.
The suspect is believed to have left in a red, four-door Kia.
At this time, this is all of the information that the FWBPD could tell us. We will report back as an update becomes available.
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SHOPPING
New shoe store coming to Niceville shopping center
The Shoe Dept. will be the newest store at the Oak Creek Shopping Center in Niceville, FL.
The store is located just left of the Ross Dress For Less at 1140 E John Sims Pkwy. So far, the sign on the building as been installed and the store is currently being remodeled inside.
The Shoe Department currently has job listings for new hires as “Retail Sales Associates.” The store is part of a larger company called Shoe Show, Inc.
SOUTH WALTON
Fire causes $1 million in damage in South Walton
South Walton firefighters were called to the WaterSound Beach community for a two-alarm, residential structure fire at approximately 8 p.m. on Wednesday, February 23.
South Walton Fire District responders reported a “glow” that was visible from County Highway 30A while en route, then arrived first at the home on Compass Point Way.
“They reported heavy smoke and flames showing from a large residence,” said SWFD. “Firefighters initiated a fire attack to protect surrounding structures and bring the fire under control.”
Due to the size of the home, it took several hours to knock down the fire and complete an overhaul process of eliminating hotspots. SWFD utilized resources from all five of its fire stations and mutual aid agencies during this response, amounting to approximately 30 firefighters on scene.
The fire also affected the exterior of a nearby residence, causing damage to one of the walls and several windows. There were no other reports of damage to the second structure. No one was in the home at the time of the incident, and no injuries were reported.
The South Walton Fire District Fire Marshal and State Fire Marshal’s Office conducted a joint investigation and found the fire most likely originated on a porch located on the first floor.
- Furthermore, they were able to determine an electrical outlet on the porch was the most likely point of origin.
- It is estimated the fire caused $1 million in damage between the two structures affected.
REMEMBERING
Doolittle Raiders Final Goblet Ceremony
On April 18, 2022, the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce will host the “Final Goblet,” a ceremony that will mark the passing of Doolittle Raider, Col. Richard E. “Dick” Cole.
Since April 1947, a ceremonial “roll call” has honored the 80 Doolittle Raiders. Cole and all of the members of Doolittle Raiders were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in May 2014 “for outstanding heroism, valor, skill, and service to the United States in conducting their bombings of Tokyo.”
- Many historians credit the raid as the critical factor of the Japanese defeat at the Battle of Midway, often cited as the turning point in the Pacific War.
“The Cole family is deeply honored and appreciative of the Okaloosa County Community hosting the Goblet Ceremony for our Dad, Col. Richard E. “Dick” Cole, on April 18, 2022,” said Cole’s son, Retired Air Force Lt. Col. (Dr.) Rich Cole. “As the last member of this historic mission to pass away, the turning of his goblet signifies the passing of the generation of men and women who were willing to stand against tyranny and evil at any cost. It is a bittersweet moment. While there is great sadness at their passing, there is also a great celebration of their sacrifice and the legacy of their courage. We are thankful to celebrate this moment in the city where it all began.”
Scheduled to be held at the Northwest Florida State College, special guests include invited attendees, Raider family members, government officials, and military dignitaries.
- Eighty active-duty airmen from Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field will sit among family members to represent each Doolittle Raider during the ceremony.
“Fort Walton/Okaloosa County has had a front-row seat for everything Doolittle Raiders,” said Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce President, Ted Corcoran. “From their initial training in March 1942 to their reunions in 1957 and 1968 to the training re-enactment Homecoming at Duke Field we scheduled in 2008 to their 71st Final Reunion in 2013—it has been an amazing adoration from our community. We have numerous roads, buildings, and of course, the NWF State College Raiders— all named in their honor.”
Corcoran says that “for our community to have the opportunity to witness the Final Goblet is so bittersweet—indeed the end of a history of Legends 80 years after the raid—and one last chance for us all to pass along the story of the Raiders to our grandchildren.”
For more details, visit https://www.fwbchamber.org/doolittleraiders.
- Tickets will be available online beginning March 7, 2022, at www.mattiekellyartscenter.org.
NOW HIRING
The Boardwalk restaurants on Okaloosa Island are now hiring
The Boardwalk restaurants on Okaloosa Island are now hiring for many positions. If you love good people, fun energy, and beach vibes, then this is for YOU.
- Apply to any Saltwater Restaurants, Inc. property by clicking here.
👉 Rockin Tacos Grill & Tequila Bar
👉 The Crab Trap
👉 Al’s Beach Club & Burger Bar
👉 Floyd’s Shrimp House
DESTIN-FWB
Okaloosa looks to make Destin-Fort Walton Beach the dive capital of Florida, including reefs in Choctawhatchee Bay
The Okaloosa County Tourism Department has put a heavy emphasis on water-based activities throughout Destin-Fort Walton Beach.
- Now, the Tourist Development Department has outlined a 5-year plan to make Destin-Fort Walton Beach the dive capital of Florida, while maintaining its status as a premier fishing destination.
As recently as 2017, very little funding was being budgeted for artificial reef construction and the majority of those funds were used as a match for an annual grant from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Artificial Reef Program.
Since then, the Coastal Resource team has been ranked near the top of the grant applications for the past four years and currently manages a budget of $610,000 for artificial reefs, according to Alex Fogg, Coastal Resource Manager for Okaloosa County.
- According to Fogg, this is considered a strong annual budget for artificial reef construction compared to other programs throughout the state, although other locations will allocate significant funds to large projects on a case-by-case basis.
Additionally, the TDD has received (and spent) more than $3 million in grant funds from the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and RESTORE Act to expand the artificial reef program. However, all of those funds were required to be spent on a specific type of modular concrete artificial reefs.
Recently, the Coastal Resource Team was able to modify their offshore artificial reef permits to allow vessels greater than 60ft in length to be deployed. They have since deployed several unique vessels as artificial reefs.
- Prior to these recent vessel deployments, the last vessel deployment was in 2011.
“All of the vessels that have been deployed in the last two years were donated,” said Fogg. “And while these opportunities are a positive step for our artificial reef program, it is somewhat inconsistent due to having to wait on a vessel to be donated.”
Fogg says that the donated vessels are generally smaller and not as unique as other potential vessels, and likely won’t establish Destin-Fort Walton Beach as the dive destination they are striving to be.
“We are proposing to increase the density of unique, marketable artificial reefs and experiences by making some additional targeted investments,” he said. “These initiatives will align with our destination stewardship approach by expanding fish habitat, creating interesting water destinations for diving and fishing, providing novel scientific research opportunities and adding to our expanding list of visitor adventures.”
The plan to increase the role of artificial reefs in tourism
The plan to increase the role of artificial reefs in tourism includes an investment of $12 million in strategic artificial reef deployments over the next 5 years from a combination of TDD, State, and Federal funding.
Of the $12 million total plan, $2 million has been recommended by the TDC to come from tourist development tax revenue, and $4 million from RESTORE, NRDA, state and federal sources. The remaining $6 million in funding is being explored.
- The $2 million is to capitalize on a pair of large research vessels that are available in Louisiana and are strong candidates for deployment as artificial reefs.
“These vessels are named the DOLPHIN and MANTA and are both approximately 190ft each,” said Fogg. “The complexity of these vessels will not only provide an ideal location for scuba diving and fishing activities, but they will also provide essential habitat for commercially and recreationally important species that our destination is dependent on.”
- Additional vessels will be sought each year to fulfill the intent of this plan, according to Fogg.
“We have a good base of approximately 10 unique and marketable large wrecks to build on,” he added. “Other artificial reef programs around the state are not necessarily planning ahead for developing long-term vessel deployments or how to package them for tourism. The destination can be a leader and looking ahead toward long-term investments would further promote Destin-Fort Walton Beach as a premier diving and fishing destination.”
- Additionally, the military is expected to continue to provide materials of opportunity such as large concrete and heavy steel targets resulting in 1-2 large reef sites per year for the duration of their training.
Implement an inshore (Choctawhatchee Bay) reef program.
Few reefs have been deployed in bays and estuaries throughout the state. Based on the plan from Okaloosa’s Coastal Resource Team, this will be the only active inshore reef program in the state.
“Not only will it provide a site that can be easily accessed on days with unfavorable sea conditions in the Gulf of Mexico or by members of the community who are unable to take their vessel offshore, but it will provide hard substrate for encrusting organisms like oysters which help clean the bay,” said Fogg.
- This initiative involves permitting (currently underway) three areas and completing deployments at all three sites in five years.
Additional aspects of the plan include:
- Deploying modular concrete artificial reefs within the County’s inshore, nearshore, and offshore permitted reef areas.
- Invest in the purchase, preparation, transportation, and deployment of large vessels as artificial reefs.
- Add an additional eight beachside, shore-accessible, “snorkel reefs.”
- The final part of the plan includes the development of high resolution and highly visible imagery and information about the reefs.
“We want people to come to Destin-Fort Walton Beach and be able to dive these reefs,” said Fogg. “People know about the artificial reefs in the Keys and people know about the Oriskany in Pensacola. We don’t have to be Pensacola, but we can absolutely be a destination that you can go to and dive a lot of different reefs, not just one.”
OK, that’s all I have for you this morning! I hope you have a great Friday.
p.s. What did you think of this morning’s newsletter? Hit the reply button and let me know!
