COMMUNITY

Meet the nine women to be inducted into 2022 Okaloosa County Women’s Hall of Fame

The Okaloosa County Commission on the State of Women has announced the nine local women who will be inducted into the Women’s Hall of Fame for 2022. 

• 125 women have been inducted into the Hall of Fame since it was created in 1995. 

The Hall of Fame was created to honor women of Okaloosa County — past and present — whose contributions have been of great value to our community’s development. Induction into the Hall of Fame is the Commission’s oldest and most prestigious award. 

The 2022 Okaloosa County Women’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held at 6:00 pm on Monday, August 22 at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center. 

Ted Corcoran from the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce will emcee the event, and Ken Nielson from Crestview Community TV will be there to film the event and livestream it on the Crestview TV Facebook page.

Here are the nine women being inducted this year:

• Gloria Frazier, Business Leader Inductee
• Gloria Battle, Community Service Inductee
• Dr. Elvira Chiccarelli, DDS, Professional Leader Inductee
• Stacey Darhower, Contemporary Inductee  
• Sybil Smith Lebherz, Posthumous Mattie Kelly Cultural Arts Inductee
• Dolores Noechel, Education Inductee
• Julie Porterfield, Carolyn Spencer Humanitarian Inductee
• Col. Jocelyn Schermerhorn, Military Inductee 
• Cissy Wyninegar, Pioneer Inductee

The Okaloosa County Women’s Hall of Fame is sponsored by the OCCSW and the annual induction ceremony is held in conjunction with Women’s Equality Day.  

The women inducted into the Hall of Fame are honored in permanent displays at the Okaloosa County Administration Annex, the Crestview Court House and the Niceville City Council Chambers. 

“The Hall of Fame displays are a monument to some of the exceptional women in our county’s history, as well as a tribute that grows annually with each induction ceremony where we learn to appreciate more about the wonderful contributions that women make to our community,” wrote the OCCSW in a statement.

Click here to read the short bios of these amazing local women!

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.) 20 (John Sims Parkway) Resurfacing Project – Drivers will encounter the following traffic impacts through Thursday, Aug. 18, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.:
  • Intermittent inside east and westbound lane closures on S.R. 20, from Edge Avenue to west of the Rocky Bayou Bridge, to begin median widening construction activities.
  • Intermittent outside westbound lane closures on S.R. 20, from Edge Avenue to west of the Rocky Bayou Bridge for sidewalk construction activities.
• Brooks Bridge Replacement Project – Drivers will experience the following traffic impacts through Thursday, Aug. 18, from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. as crews perform geotechnical surveys and utility work.
  • 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.
• S.R. 85 Improvements from S.R. 123 to Hospital Drive- Drivers will encounter intermittent, temporary northbound lane closures between the Shoal River Bridge and Hospital Drive from 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. for paving operations. One travel lane will remain open at all times 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.
• S.R. 85 Improvements from S.R. 10 to Commerce Drive – Crews will be constructing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant ramps at various locations. This work will require intermittent, temporary lane closures of the S.R. 85 outside turn lanes. During the closures, drivers will be able to access the side streets from the outside travel lane.
• U.S. 98 Turn Lane Construction at West Casa Loma Drive in Florosa – Motorists will encounter intermittent lane closures through Wednesday, Aug. 17 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. for paving operations.
• S.R. 85 (Government Avenue) Routine Utility Maintenance Between Wolverine Avenue and Edge Avenue in Niceville – Motorists will encounter intermittent lane closures through Thursday, Aug. 18 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for utility maintenance.

Walton County:

• U.S. 98 Widening from Emerald Bay Drive to Tang-O-Mar Drive – Drivers will encounter intermittent and alternating lane closures on U.S. 98 east and westbound between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. These closures are required for asphalt paving, cutting traffic signal detection loops, and additional work list items. One travel lane in each direction will remain open at all times. Additionally, paving work on County Road 2378 (Scenic Gulf Drive) at U.S. 98 will require flagmen to direct drivers through the work zone.
• U.S. 98 Resurfacing Project from Village Road to east of U.S. 331– Construction continues for the new U.S. 98 westbound turn lane at Don Bishop Road may require intermittent closure of the outside shoulder and a speed limit reduction to 35 mph. The turn lane construction is expected to continue through September 2022.

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.

BUSINESS GROWTH

Eglin Federal Credit Union to add a location in Gulf Breeze

Eglin Federal Credit Union has announced that it will start developing a property located on the corner of Tiger Lake Drive and Highway 98 in Gulf Breeze. The short-term plan is to install two drive-thru ATM/Video Tellers in 2023.

• This will look similar to the drive-thrus currently being constructed near Niceville High School as well as the site at Jonquil Avenue NW and Mary Esther Cutoff NW in Fort Walton Beach, and the recently-announced location in DeFuniak Springs.
• Construction of a full-service branch in Gulf Breeze is expected to begin in 2024. 

“The Credit Union is expanding our footprint to provide convenient and affordable products and services, and financial wellness to a growing membership,” Eglin Federal Credit Union President/CEO Jerry Williams said. “We opened the Navarre Branch in 2007, the Pace Branch is under construction, and we are looking forward to adding Gulf Breeze as a third location in Santa Rosa County for members.”

Members will have the ability to speak with a live teller over two-way video during our regular business hours. Video Teller ITMs also operate as ATMs 24/7 using an EFCU ATM or Debit card.

• Additional drive-thru Video Teller ITMs are located at most of their branches.
• Find other nearby surcharge-free ATMs at eglinfcu.org/locations/.

VP Membership and Community Development Neko Stubblefield added, “Membership is now open to those who live, work, worship, attend school and volunteer in specific geographic locations within Santa Rosa and Escambia Counties, Florida and Escambia County, Alabama. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Santa Rosa County residents and businesses as well as forming partnerships with nearby communities.”

Learn how you are Eligible to Become an EFCU Member (eglinfcu.org/join/).

ELECTION

Superintendent Chambers addresses accusations, supports the 3 incumbents in upcoming election

On Saturday, August 13, 2022, Okaloosa Superintendent of Schools Marcus Chambers posted a lengthy letter addressing school district accusations and why he is publicly supporting the 3 incumbents: 

• Dr. Diane Kelley
• Linda Evanchyk
• Dr. Lamar White

“Over the course of the last month or so, people throughout our county have asked me my opinion as it pertains to the upcoming School Board Elections,” wrote Chambers. “They have asked me about the accusations being made against the current School Board Members who are running for re-election, myself, the teachers, staff and administrators of our district as well as the school district as a whole and whether these accusations are true.”

“I have often stated publicly that we are not perfect as a school district; however, much, if not most, of what the three challenging school board candidates and the YES 4 Okaloosa Schools group are saying is simply not true,” he added. “For that and the fact that I believe our current Board Members are doing an outstanding job, I support Dr. Lamar White, Dr. Diane Kelley and Linda Evanchyk for re-election to the Okaloosa County School Board.”

We have published Superintendent Chambers’ full letter, where he discusses matters such as:

• Opposing candidates
• Discipline in schools
• Plan for new school construction and the replacement of aging school buildings
• The A+ rating
• Being “too positive”

Click here to read the full letter

WEATHER

Large waterspout spotted off Destin coast Tuesday morning

On Tuesday morning, a large waterspout was spotted offshore near Henderson Beach State Park in Destin, Florida.

The waterspout did not move onshore.

Click here to watch and see pics

BEACHES

Destin & Okaloosa look to purchase 336-feet of Tarpon Beach property to become public beach access

During Monday night’s City Council meeting, the council voted 6-1 to move forward with an interlocal agreement between the City of Destin and Okaloosa County to purchase nearly 340-feet of beachfront property at Tarpon Beach.

• If this sounds familiar, that’s because it has been done before for the Shore at Crystal Beach expansion project.

On Tuesday morning, the Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners also approved the new agreement. The opportunity to acquire 336 linear feet of gulf-front property in Tarpon Beach is through the City’s partnership with the Trust for Public Land. 

• The purchase price of the Tarpon Beach parcels would be $14,050,000 with an option to purchase in October (Closing in November).
• The total cost to begin operation of a park would be $16,750,000. 

This parcel is centrally located in the Crystal Beach area between James Lee Park and the Shore of Crystal Beach. The Tarpon Beach parcels have one owner, as opposed to the three owners involved with the Shore at Crystal Beach project. 

According to the city, a park in this location would provide a geographically balanced set of public beach parks throughout the Crystal Beach area. It would also provide walkability as well as increased accessibility of waterfront amenities throughout Crystal Beach.

A new Interlocal Agreement

To assist with the potential acquisition of Tarpon Beach as well as to finish the Shore at Crystal Beach Park project, Okaloosa County and the city proposed a new interlocal agreement for $32,500,000. 

• Beach Purchase #1: Shore at Crystal Beach has been revised to include park construction, design, demolition and the final middle parcel acquisition to an estimated $15,750,000 (increased from the original estimate of $10.6 million) to be completed with the original agreed-upon 41% City and 59% County (TDD) funding allocation. 
• Beach Purchase #2: Tarpon Beach acquisition and development is estimated to be $16,750,000 and is to be completed with a 50/50 split of expenditures between the City and the TDD. 

In addition, the County will front nearly $10 million to the City from the TDD’s beach renourishment reserves, to be repaid to the TDD in the amount of $1 million per year until fully repaid. The loan will be interest-free, unless the county has to get a loan in the event of a major storm, in which the city would pay for the interest on their portion of the land acquisition. 

One potential source of funding for waterfront park maintenance could be a portion of the $1.6 million from the annual municipal share of the TDD funding. If that funding source is used for maintenance, then the municipal share of the TDD revenue stream will be almost fully encumbered for the next 10 years by these expenditures, according to the city.

Overall, beach and water related activities continue to remain the county’s top tourism assets, including the Destin area which is estimated to generate over 60% of the county’s tourism revenues. 

“Beach access continues to be a major tourism issue for the County and the City of Destin,” said Craig Coffey, Deputy County Administrator for Okaloosa. “As tourism has grown and the demand on these water/beach resources has likewise increased, our visitor feedback indicates this can often be a source of friction during their visit.  This insight has highlighted the need to address public beach access capacity and visitor experiences related to this tourism asset.”

Moving forward, the city and county are hopeful that the Phase II project design and permitting can catch up with the Phase I Project, with both projects being bid out together to gain some economies of scale. They hope to have a contract in October and close in November 2022.

Go deeper: Click here to read the full story.