SEVERE WEATHER

Okaloosa schools will close Tuesday due to severe weather threat

The Okaloosa County School District has announced that schools will be closed on Tuesday, April 5th, due to potentially severe weather.

• All before and after school activities, including extracurricular activities, daycare, and tutoring, are canceled as well.

“It has undoubtedly been a challenging month of weather in Northwest Florida,” said Superintendent Marcus Chambers. “Adjustments to the school day due to severe weather disrupt our daily routines, and it would be expected for “weather fatigue” to set in. However, the alternative places too much risk on our students and staff.”

School will resume on Wednesday.

A strong line of storms will move through the area on Tuesday from West to East with the greatest threat between 9AM and 3PM, according to Okaloosa Public Safety Director Patrick Maddox. 

• This places the entire forecast area in the Enhanced (orange) Risk category. 

“Some discrete cells are possible ahead of the main line of storms in this scenario, with the main squall line arriving somewhere in the middle or late end of that window,” said Maddox. “This system will be a significant weather threat with 70+ mph winds and fast-moving tornadoes possible both within the squall line and embedded within the discrete cells.”

Rainfall in the 1-3” range with locally higher amounts possible in areas where storms travel repeatedly. 

According to Maddox, after the line passes, some weaker storms are possible in the wake of the system, followed by a break Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. 

Rip current and high surf threats will increase beginning Monday evening and persist for much of the week. 

For Wednesday, a more isolated/scattered severe storm threat is forecast to occur in our area Wednesday afternoon and evening, with the forecast area currently in the Slight (yellow) Risk category. 

• This will be more of a damaging wind and large hail threat. 

“Although a brief tornado can’t be ruled out, the tornado threat for Tuesday is greater,” added Maddox. “These scattered storms will persist through the evening hours ahead of a cold front which will shut the system down in the evening time and provide a few days of drier weather.”

SPORTS

Steve DeMeo returns as the new Men’s Basketball Coach at Northwest Florida State College

Steve DeMeo has been named the new men’s head basketball coach at Northwest Florida State College (NWFSC). 

• NWFSC President Dr. Devin Stephenson and Athletic Director Ramsey Ross announced this morning that DeMeo will be returning to the College to coach the Raiders after serving as the assistant head basketball coach for East Carolina and St. John’s University.

“Our College feels incredibly fortunate to have Coach DeMeo lead our men’s basketball program again,” said Ramsey Ross. “His previous tenure here was extraordinary and we could not be more excited to see what awaits in the next chapter. It was important to us to sustain the tremendous momentum of our men’s basketball program from this past season and we feel bringing Coach DeMeo back to the Raider community does just that.”

DeMeo was the head coach at Northwest Florida State College from 2013 to 2019. During his time at the College, he attained more conference, regional, and state championship titles than any other coach in the College’s history, leading the Raiders to:

• Five Panhandle Conference Championships
• Four FCSAA State Championships
• 2015 NJCAA National Championship
• Three Elite Eight appearances
• 2017 Final Four appearance

Throughout his career, DeMeo has thrived at every level and is widely considered one of the most elite recruiters in the country. Coach DeMeo was named the Panhandle Coach of the Year five times and the FCSAA Coach of the Year four times while at NWFSC. 

• He also assisted 40 student-athletes in receiving D1 scholarships and held the College’s highest winning percentage in its history. 
• In addition, he has also developed eight NBA players, a CAA Player of the Year, a South Atlantic Conference All-Freshmen Player, and a Conference USA Player of the Year.

“We are pleased to welcome back Coach DeMeo as the men’s head basketball coach,” said Dr. Devin Stephenson. “Northwest Florida State College strives to produce the best student-athletes in this region by providing them with the support, leadership, and resources they need to excel on and off the court. We are confident that they will continue to develop and succeed under Coach DeMeo’s leadership and are excited to see what is in store for them next season as we continue to celebrate their recent win at the NJCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship.”

MEDICAL

Hospital fulfills mom’s last wish to see twin sons graduate from Navarre High School

After an eight-month battle with amyloidosis, a rare disease that can lead to life-threatening organ failure, 48-year-old Jennifer Reckner’s final wish was to see her twin sons graduate from high school in May.

But as her condition deteriorated and it became clearer she may not live to see that day, loved ones worked with her hospice care team, school officials and HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital’s medical staff to arrange an impromptu commencement ceremony in the halls of our ICU.

• Dozens of friends and family showed up — with countless others joining virtually — to celebrate Logan and Lauchlan Reckner, as their mother watched from her hospital bed.

“That was her wish,” Jennifer’s husband of nearly 23 years, Stephen Reckner, said. “She got to that point where she realized there were not many things she was going to get to see happen. Those are her babies.”

With “Pomp and Circumstance” playing on a Bluetooth speaker, the 17-year-old brothers made their way down the ICU hallway donning caps and gowns, where they hugged and kissed their mom before being presented with diplomas from Navarre High School.

Loved ones cheered, clapped and cried. 

Jennifer’s husband expressed his gratitude to those who made it possible for her to be a part of their sons’ special day.

“Thanks to everyone here,” he said. Stephen says his wife made plans to donate her organs for research.

“She figured if there’s any way she could help someone down the road, that’s what she wanted,” he said. “Any of her friends here would tell you, she’d do anything for you.”

Jennifer passed on April 1.

GROWTH

The Landing renovations are one step closer to beginning in Fort Walton Beach

At last Tuesday’s Fort Walton Beach city council meeting, Council-member Travis Smith asked City Manager Michael Beedie for any update he might have on the status of the much-anticipated renovations set to happen at The Landing Park. 

In October 2021, the Fort Walton Beach City Council unanimously voted to execute a Memorandum of Agreement with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Landing improvements. 

According to Beedie, the Memorandum of Agreement has now been signed by all parties. Now, it is just a matter of drafting the permit, which Beedie says will take a matter of weeks. 

• “The archeologist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has to put in some conditions because normally they require all of the archeological work to be done first, before they issue the permit,” said Beedie. 

Beedie says that because this process has been taken so long, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will make an exception for city. 

“We’re getting a task order from our archeologists to do the work during the project so we’ll have everything ready to go,” he added. “All of the bid packages are being updated and prepared for issuance once we’ve received the permit.”

Once the city has the permit, construction should start within 6 month, according to Beedie. 

Since August 2017, the city has been working with Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to permit the Landing Improvement Project. 

• While it didn’t take as long to get the DEP permits, the permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been the major hold-up.
• The USACOE permit has been held up in historical review by the State of Florida due to the presence of historical artifacts in the area of the proposed improvements.

In 2020, the city spent roughly $15,000 to hire an archeologists to drill some pilot holes throughout the park. This was done in order to submit a report to the Army Corps based on comments the city received from the Seminole Tribe, according Beedie. 

• Due to the presence of historical artifacts in the area of the proposed improvements, the City will be required to employ an archaeologist during the Landing Improvements in the areas identified in the MOA.

Go Deeper:

• The much-anticipated FWB Landing renovations are one step closer to becoming reality
• After 2.5 years, “The Landing” renovations remain in historical and cultural review
• The gazebo at The Landing in Fort Walton Beach has been demolished
• The new playground at The Landing is now open
• Venture Hive demolition has started at The Landing (Photos)
• Dead trees and Venture Hive building to be removed from The Landing