SO FRESH, SO CLEAN

Keep Crestview Beautiful clean-up initiative

The City of Crestview has announced the 2nd annual Keep Crestview Beautiful clean-up initiative. The initiative will run from April 18 to April 30.

• Like last year, the city will be providing manned dumpsters around the city for our citizens to use for free.
• They will also have volunteer opportunities for members of our community looking to join us in the clean-up effort.

“Even though last year was our first, we had a fantastic turnout from the community,” Mayor JB Whitten said. “It speaks to our citizens’ love for our city, and I know we will have an even greater turnout this year.”

Last year’s effort produced 52 volunteers giving 144.5 hours of labor and 50 tons of garbage collected at the dumpster sites. A considerable part of that included over 1000 tires, many abandoned mattresses, and large amounts of varying types of plastics.

“Reducing blight is an important step in crime reduction,” Police Chief Stephen McCosker said. “When criminals see that our community is cared for, they know that our citizens will not tolerate crime or the perception of crime.”

The dumpster locations will be Old Spanish Trail Park on Stillwell Blvd, Allen Park, located at 895 McClelland St., and Wildhorse Dr. between 114 and 122 Wildhorse. Employees will be stationed at these locations from 9 am to 7 pm each day.

This year, the city says that they will be more selective on what people can bring to the dumpsites. Mattresses, tires, general household items, small appliances, and electronics are the types of items we will be accepting.

• Crestview will not be taking hazardous materials like paint, fluorescent lighting, chemicals, car batteries, construction debris, or yard waste.

“We want to remind citizens that large appliance disposal, furniture disposal, and yard waste pick-up are part of the weekly garbage service provided by Waste Pro,” wrote Chance Leavins, Public Information Manager, City of Crestview.

If citizens need to dispose of hazardous waste such as paint, chemicals, or car batteries, they can do so at Okaloosa County’s drop-off site located at 1759 S. Ferdon Blvd.

For those interested in volunteering or if you know of individuals that could use assistance, please get in touch with the Crestview Police Department at 850.682.3544 ext. 7.

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PUBLIC SAFETY

Kidnapping in Fort Walton Beach, 6-year-old rescued within 15 minutes

On April 11, 2022, at approximately 4:56am, Fort Walton Beach Police Officers responded to a report of a burglary in progress on Graham Ct NE. 

• Prior to officers arriving, a male suspect kicked in the back door to the residence, grabbed a 6-year-old child from his bedroom and fled on foot.

Within 15 minutes, Fort Walton Beach Police Officers located the suspect and the child near Uptown Station. The child appeared to be unharmed and was returned to his mother on Graham Ct.

The suspect, of Niceville, was arrested and charged with burglary to an occupied dwelling, resisting without violence, and kidnapping. It was determined that the suspect is known to the family but has no relation to the child.

PARKS & REC

City of Destin Parks and Recreation Department launches online registration portal

The City of Destin recently launched a new online registration portal for the Parks and Recreation Department.

The new tool will allow citizens greater visibility into activities, classes, sports, and youth leagues, and more convenient online registration and payment.

• It will also allow citizens to search for and reserve the city’s facilities and get annual passes to include Henderson Beach, Joe’s Bayou Boat Launch and Resident parking passes all conveniently online.

“This program will vastly improve our communication efforts meanwhile providing service excellence to our year-round residents and visitors,” stated Destin City Manager Lance Johnson.

According to Johnson, the solution is designed to be intuitive to navigate and easy for citizens to use. Additionally, it is mobile-friendly, allowing citizens to search for community activities and events, register, and remit payment even from a smartphone or tablet.

Click here to use

CRESTVIEW

Fishermen discover partially decomposed human body in Shoal River, east of Crestview

On Monday afternoon, fishermen out on the Shoal River, east of Crestview, discovered a partially decomposed human body tangled in a tree south of the Shoal River bridge, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. 

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office received a 9-1-1 call around 3 p.m. and deputies had to travel to the scene by boat to investigate.

• The unidentified remains have been recovered and an autopsy will be conducted.

Investigators say there are no obvious indicators of cause of death, so it is unknown at this point if foul play is a factor.

Also, due to the condition of the body, the race, sex, and approximate age of the deceased are not yet able to be determined.

GIVING

Destin Charity Wine Auction is back!

The Destin Charity Wine Auction begins Friday, April 22 and features exclusive wines and food from a variety of celebrity chefs.

Each year, guest dinners are hosted in some of the most exquisite homes and restaurants throughout South Walton and the Emerald Coast. Each dinner features a nationally recognized chef paired with world-class vintners.

• Each dinner benefits one of Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation’s 15 partner children’s charities.

The Destin Charity Wine Auction is the main event of the weekend, beginning at 1pm on Saturday, April 23. The Reserve Tasting and Live Auction will be held once again under an air-conditioned tent at Grand Boulevard Sandestin Town Center.

• The event will feature distinctive wines from internationally acclaimed vintners, poured and paired with cuisine created by a selection of the area’s top local restaurants.
• The event culminates with a high-energy, live auction, which includes rare and distinctive wines, spectacular trips, and other one-of-a-kind items. 

The Auction is hosted each year in conjunction with the South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival, which also takes place in Grand Boulevard Sandestin Town Center the same weekend.

South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival will showcase hundreds of premium wines along with a diverse selection of culinary creations. Proceeds from the festival benefit DCWAF.

TRAFFIC

Okaloosa and Walton County traffic advisory

Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Okaloosa and Walton counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.

Okaloosa County:

• State Road (S.R.) 85 Improvements from S.R. 123 to Hospital Drive – There will be temporary southbound lane closures between S.R. 123 and Shoal River Bridge from 10 a.m. and 5 a.m. for asphalt paving. One travel lane will always remain open and access to private property and driveways will be maintained. Signage and traffic flaggers will be on-site to direct traffic through the work zone.
• Miracle Strip Parkway (U.S. 98) Routine Utility Maintenance East of Andalusia Street in Mary Esther – Drivers may encounter intermittent lane closures from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday, April 13 as crews perform utility operations.
• Airport Road Turn Lane Construction at Mattie Kelley Boulevard – Drivers may encounter intermittent lane closures from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Tuesday, April 12 and Wednesday, April 13 as crews perform paving operations.

Walton County:

• U.S. 98 Widening from Emerald Bay Drive to Tang-O-Mar Drive – The week of Sunday, April 10 drivers will encounter intermittent east and westbound single-lane closures between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. to place asphalt in the center travel lane. This work is in preparation to place the U.S. 98 travel lanes in a new traffic pattern, between Emerald Bay Drive and Tang-O-Mar Drive. All traffic will be shifted to inside and center travel lanes, with a dedicated work zone delineated by orange traffic barrels on the outside of the roadway. This configuration is expected to be in place throughout the spring.
• U.S. 98 Widening from Mack Bayou Road to County Road (C.R.) 30A – The week of Sunday, April 10 drivers will encounter intermittent lane closures from Mack Bayou Road to C.R. 30A from 8:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. as crews continue the installation of drilled shafts.

All activities are weather-dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather. Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling through a work zone and to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Coast Guard terminates “illegal charter” operation near Destin, captain arrested

On Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard and Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office terminated an “illegal passenger-for-hire” charter boat operation near Destin.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the termination came after determining the vessel was carrying more than 6 passengers without a valid Certificate of Inspection. 

• The Captain was arrested by the Okaloosa County Deputies after suspicion of Boating Under the Influence (BUI) and failing the Field Sobriety Test. 

“Both vessels operated by Paradise Pontoon and Captain Services, the FL9085SS and FL1161PS, have active Captain of the Port Orders restricting them from operating with more than six passengers-for-hire,” wrote the Coast Guard. 

Violations include:

• Failure to have a valid Certificate of Documentation endorsement for Coastwise Trade
• Failure to have a valid Certificate of Inspection
• Failure to have Type 1 flotation devices for all persons aboard while operating as a small passenger vessel
• Failure to have a Drug & Alcohol program
• Failure to employ an appropriately credentialed mariner
• Failure to have an appropriate merchant mariner credential while operating as a small passenger vessel

According to the Coast Guard, owners and operators can face maximum civil penalties of $60,000. Charters violating a Captain of the Port Order can face a maximum penalty of $95,881.

The name of the captain was not released.

Just last week, Lt. Steve Browning, U.S. Coast Guard, gave an almost-hour-long presentation to the Destin City Council on Charter and Passenger vessels, where he discussed illegal operations as well. 

• “It’s scary stuff,” he told the council last Monday. “You have illegal charters out there. Mariners that are just going to make a buck and don’t really care about the safety and they’re hurting folks.”

View this portion of the meeting on YouTube

“Public safety is a top priority for the City of Destin,” said Catherine Card, Public Information Manager for the city. “The City appreciates the presentation the United States Coast Guard (USCG) provided the Destin City Council and public on April 4th. In that presentation, the USCG outlined what constituted illegal charter operations. This recent arrest demonstrates the Coast Guard and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office continued commitment to public safety.”

Following the announcement of the termination, the Okaloosa County Watersport Operators Coalition issued the following statement:

“We are very happy to hear that illegal charters are under careful watch by the Coast Guard and law enforcement,” said Greg Fisher. “This is a high priority for the coalition as we head into the Summer boating season.”

• The Okaloosa County Watersport Operators Coalition was formed in January of 2021 by a group of concerned rental operators that want to see a safe and sustainable future for commercial boating activities in Okaloosa County.