TRAFFIC

TODAY: State Roads 85, 123 to close for test mission on Tuesday, August 8

The 96th Test Wing is scheduled to conduct testing on the Eglin Air Force Base range complex on August 8, which will require the closure of State Roads 85 and  123. 

• The roads will be closed between 9 a.m. and noon today. The roads will not be closed for more than 90-minute periods within the time frame, according to Eglin.

In the event testing is cancelled, a backup mission is scheduled for Aug. 11 between 9 a.m. and noon. Please plan accordingly today.

COASTAL RESOURCES

Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center successfully releases two more rehabilitated sea turtles

The Gulfarium’s C.A.R.E. Center successfully released two more rehabilitated sea turtle patients on Monday, August 7th, 2023 at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.

It continues to be a busy year at the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center. Since January, they have taken in 99 sea turtles due to strandings and have released 81 of them.

• Yesterday, two Loggerhead sea turtles were returned to the Gulf of Mexico. The turtles’ homecoming to the Gulf was celebrated by the C.A.R.E. Center staff team, Topsail Park Rangers, and a large crowd of beachgoers and locals.

“Lime,” a 117-pound subadult Loggerhead, was accidentally foul-hooked at Navarre Beach Fishing Pier on June 23rd, 2023. Lime had one large hook in his left front flipper which was easily removed, and radiographs revealed a large hook in his esophagus and body cavity, according to the CARE Center.

• In his time at the C.A.R.E. Center, Lime received squid with cotton balls and mineral oil in attempt to help him pass the hooks naturally. Though the internal hooks were never expelled, Lime had been eating well and showed good energy levels, and was medically cleared by the Gulfarium staff veterinarian for release.

“Ellie,” a 109-pound subadult Loggerhead, was accidentally caught off the Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier on May 31st, 2023. Ellie had fishing line trailing behind her that a fisherman had hooked onto. She was immediately brought into the C.A.R.E. Center and was acting lethargic, so she received fluids and a vitamin C injection to help her start her recovery.

• The C.A.R.E. Center staff also carefully monitored her weight and eating habits. After a two-month rehabilitation period, Ellie’s energy levels were back up and she even gained nine pounds, according to the CARE Center.

“It was super rewarding watching Ellie make her way back to the Gulf,” says C.A.R.E. Center Stranding Coordinator, Tabitha Siegfried. “When we got the call about an accidentally hooked turtle from Okaloosa Island, we responded immediately. Ellie was very lethargic and did not put up a fight during the rescue, so I was a bit worried there was something more serious wrong with her. Being a part of her recovery and watching her get back out there is just a great feeling.”

It’s still nesting season! Please remember to do your part in taking care of our local nesting and hatching sea turtles by keeping the beaches clean, dark, and flat. If you see a sea turtle in distress, injured, or deceased please report it to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission immediately at 1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922). 

TRAFFIC

Okaloosa and Walton Counties 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:                                  

• Brooks Bridge Replacement Project – Drivers may experience traffic disruptions Sunday, Aug. 6 through Thursday, Aug. 10, between 9 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. for utility relocation work in the following locations:
  • U.S. 98 east and westbound alternating and intermittent lane closures between Perry Avenue and Pier Road. 
  • Santa Rosa Boulevard east and westbound alternating lane closures from east of Amberjack Drive to Ross Marler Park. 
  • Intermittent shoulder closures on Brooks Street, between Perry Avenue and Florida Blanca Place, and on Business Access Road.

• State Road (S.R.) 188 (Racetrack Road) at Delton Boulevard – Drivers may encounter intermittent lane closures between Racetrack Road and Bob Sikes Boulevard. These closures will remain in place, except to local traffic, through Saturday, Aug. 5 to complete the installation of drainage systems.  Drivers will also encounter alternating day and nighttime lane closures on Racetrack Road between Beal Parkway and Eglin Parkway through Wednesday, Aug. 9.  Crews will be working to install drainage improvements and left turn lanes.

• U.S. 98 Bridge Rehabilitation over East Pass Bridge – Drivers may encounter intermittent single-lane closures on U.S. 98 over the Destin (Marler) Bridge, eastbound structure (Fort Walton Beach to Destin) Sunday, Aug. 6 through Thursday, Aug. 10, between 9 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. The existing 35 mph speed limit will be maintained during construction.

• U.S. 98 Improvements from Josie Road to Florida Place Southeast- Drivers may encounter temporary U.S. 98 east and westbound lane closures from Josie Road to Mary Esther Boulevard, Sunday, Aug. 6 through Thursday, Aug. 10, between 8 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. for roadway reconstruction.

• S.R. 285 Resurfacing from S.R. 20 to S.R. 293 – Drivers may encounter intermittent, outside lane closures on southbound S.R. 285, from East College Boulevard to Adams Street, Sunday, Aug. 6 through Saturday, Aug. 12, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., for sidewalk work.

Walton County:

• U.S. 98 Resurfacing from east of U.S. 331 to Peach Creek – Drivers may experience the following traffic disruptions the week of Sunday, Aug. 6:
  • Nighttime intermittent U.S. 98 east and westbound lane closures, between U.S. 331 and Peach Creek, Sunday, Aug. 6 through Thursday, Aug. 10, from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. for paving operations.
  • Daytime intermittent turn lane and shoulder closures Monday, Aug. 7 through Friday, Aug. 11, between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., to construct a new right-turn lane to access Blakely Drew Boulevard and widen existing turn lanes between U.S. 331 and Peach Creek.

• U.S. 331 Routine Maintenance Between Clyde B. Wells Bridge and Chat Holley Road – Drivers will encounter intermittent southbound lane closures Monday, Aug. 7 through Thursday, Aug. 17 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. for sidewalk repair.

• I-10 Resurfacing from east of U.S. 331 to east of County Road 183 Overpass – Drivers will encounter intermittent westbound and eastbound daytime lane closures Monday, Aug. 7 through Thursday, Aug. 10 for paving operations.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Coast Guard, OCSO cracks down on illegal charters near Destin

The Coast Guard led a series of operations from July 29-30 to stop illegal passenger vessel charters near Destin. Working alongside the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office as part of the Gulf Coast Illegal Charter Task Force, the Coast Guard conducted multiple boardings of suspected illegal charter vessels over the two-day period.

On July 29, the task force boarded a pontoon vessel carrying 10 passengers. The vessel did not have the required Coast Guard certification and the operator lacked proper licensing and failed to enroll in a chemical testing program, according to the Coast Guard.

• Later that day, the task force stopped another voyage with 41 passengers, including 11 children. That vessel also lacked the required Coast Guard certificate onboard and failed to have enough life jackets for all passengers.

The crackdown continued the next day with three more illegal charters shut down. The boarded vessels exceeded passenger limits, masters who were not properly credentialed, and lacked required safety inspections, according to the report. The Coast Guard says the operators were breaking the law by carrying more than six passengers without a Certificate of Inspection, lacking properly licensed crew, and failing to comply with chemical testing rules.

The Gulf Coast Illegal Charter Task Force has over 15 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies working together to investigate and stop illegal charters across Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. Since March, the task force has opened 20 investigations into suspected illegal operators.

“We remain fully committed to protecting the public by stopping these dangerous illegal charters,” said Capt. Ulysses Mullins, commander of Coast Guard Sector Mobile. “We strongly advise the public to verify licenses and credentials before boarding any charter vessel. The task force will continue holding illegal operators accountable.”

Violators face civil penalties up to $60,000 for illegal passenger operations. Charters violating Coast Guard orders can be fined over $100,000 per violation. Specific penalties can include over $9,000 for lack of chemical testing, nearly $20,000 for lack of vessel documentation, and over $14,000 for operating without a required stability letter.

Anyone suspecting an illegal passenger vessel operation is urged to immediately contact the Coast Guard’s Sector Mobile by radio, phone or email.

SPORTS

Big shoutout to our Niceville-area athletes

It’s been a big Summer for Niceville-area athletes.

Niceville High School Alumni Blake Orr, who currently throws for the Florida International University, was 1 of 2 Javelin men in the nation in the U20 division to qualify for the the 2023 Pan Am Championships meet.

• Orr was the 2022 State Runner up in the boys javelin throw with a PR of 182’ and was also on both the 2021 and 2022 boys state title team.

Orr has continued to excel at FIU, throwing 204 feet in his first collegiate season which landed him on team USA.

On Monday, Orr took home the bronze medal at the 2023 Pan Am games with a throw of 65.12m (PR).

In softball, the Niceville Valparaiso Junior League Softball Team took 3rd place at the Little League World Series. The girls had an incredibly impressive run and it was awesome to watch their games televised on ESPN+ all week long.

We are very proud of all of these local athletes!

COASTAL RESOURCES

Scuba divers remove nearly 170lbs of debris from the Okaloosa Island Pier

On Saturday, August 5, over 90 scuba divers took part in a cleanup event at the Okaloosa Island Pier, making it the second largest turnout since the event opened to the public. The event, organized by Visit Destin-Fort Walton Beach, The Gulfarium, and the Okaloosa Island Pier, aimed to remove debris from the pier pilings and seafloor.

• Divers spent the morning removing various items, including lots of fishing line, lures, masks, bait knives, a pair of jeans, and a drone.
• The total amount of debris collected was around 170 lbs.

“Every time we do these dive cleanups, it seems to get better and better each season,” said Jessica Valek, Okaloosa Coastal Resource Coordinator. “However, it’s still important that we remove as much debris as we can from the pilings because that is what poses such a big threat to a lot of our marine life.”

Valek explains that there was a lot of fishing line that was hanging off of the Pier pilings on Saturday. “That’s also what our sea turtles can get caught on too, so maintenance is necessary,” she added.

Pier Manager Eric Brown shared his satisfaction with the results of the event. “Our second annual pier cleanup dive is all wrapped up! 93 divers entered the water and removed 169.8 lbs of debris,” he said.

• He also mentioned the improvement compared to the previous cleanups. “When we started this adventure, we were at nearly 1,000 lbs. With each dive, it gets to be less and less.”

Brown attributed the success to both the effectiveness of the cleanup dives and the growing adoption of the “leave no trace” initiative by locals and visitors.

“Events like these show what happens when multiple different businesses and organizations come together and pull off something absolutely amazing for our environment,” added Brown. “This was a phenomenal turnout, and we are extremely grateful to the dive community for joining us on this hot Saturday morning!”