NEWS

Dredging needed in Destin Harbor, council to move forward with survey

The Destin Harbor is in need of some maintenance dredging, according to discussion at a recent Destin City Council meeting. 

Concerns over the depth of a section of the channel have been raised over the past few weeks, including concerns from the captain of Buccaneer Pirate Cruise boat. 

• “That channel has gotten very shallow, and a lot of the larger boats are having difficulty getting back into the harbor,” said Councilmember Torey Geile, who brought up the topic during last Monday night’s meeting.

The city engineer, Ryan Scott, explained that the permit from the Army Corps of Engineers does allow periodic maintenance dredging in the harbor channel through 2030. To move forward, Scott says a survey is needed to determine the exact area and depth of dredging required, at an estimated cost of $15,000.

Captain Jim Green of the 92-foot American Spirit boat, and who is also a member of the Harbor CRA, provided insight during the meeting. “It is a small area, but it is very crucial,” he said, referring to the section in the channel near AJ’s Seafood restaurant. He noted the permitted depth is supposed to be 10-12 feet but is currently only 6.5 to 8 feet in areas. 

• “There are a lot of big boats in the harbor. If we’re outside of the navigable channel and something was to happen, we’re considered negligent,” Green added.

Ultimately, Councilmember Jim Bagby motioned to allocate $15,000 from the council contingency fund to pay for the survey as soon as possible. The motion passed unanimously. 

• Bagby further emphasized the need to budget for the full dredging project, likely to cost at a minimum $100,000, in next year’s budget.

The survey results will determine the final scope and cost of dredging needed to restore safe navigability through this important section of the Destin Harbor channel.

TRAVEL

3 new jet bridges coming to Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport

On Tuesday, August 15, 2023, the Okaloosa County Board of Commissioners approved a $4 million contract to replace aging jet bridges at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport. 

• The existing jet bridges at gates B1, B2, and B3 have reached the end of their 20-year lifespan and are in need of full equipment replacement, according to Airports Director Tracy Stage. 

An open bid process was conducted earlier this year, with JBT Aerotech LLC selected as the lowest bidder to complete the replacement project. The contract approved by commissioners on Tuesday includes removing the old jet bridges and installing:

• All new bridges
• Pre-conditioned air units
• 400Hz ground power stations
• Potable water cabinets
• Baggage lifts
• Cable hoists
• Visual docking guidance systems 
• And more

“These three new bridges will replace the bridge at B1, B2, and B3. That’s for Southwest, Delta and the swing gate at B3,” Stage explained. “Every single gate at the main terminal will have a jet bridge.”

Stage said the project is being fully funded through FAA and Florida Department of Transportation grants, along with passenger facility charges, without the need for any county budget funds. 

• An excess $3 million in grant funding will also allow the airport to install a fourth new jet bridge at gate A3 in the future.

Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel praised Stage for securing the outside funding and acknowledged that there have been issues with the current jet bridges. “Jet bridges are one of those things you take for granted until they don’t work. And ours have been problematic. So this is great news. Thank you so much,” she said.

The new boarding bridges will also be well-equipped to handle larger planes and passenger loads. Airport officials said some phasing of construction will be utilized to minimize daily operational impacts at Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport during the project.

POLICE BLOTTER

Niceville woman charged after leaving baby unattended in van for over 2 hours

A Niceville woman was arrested Wednesday after allegedly leaving her infant unattended in a running van for over two hours while she was inside a local Goodwill store in Fort Walton Beach.

31-year-old Chanice Eppinger reportedly left the baby strapped in a car seat in the back of an unlocked, running van around 10:15 a.m. while she went inside the Goodwill store at 913 Beal Parkway to complete court-ordered community service hours. 

• According to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, it wasn’t until 12:30 p.m. that a witness heard the baby crying and removed them from the van before calling 911.

“The child had been left alone in the vehicle for nearly two and a half hours before being discovered,” wrote the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office in a statement. “Thankfully, a good Samaritan heard the infant’s cries and immediately took action by safely removing them from the van and calling emergency services.”

The baby was evaluated by EMS at the scene and determined to be unharmed, despite the van providing minimal cooling on the hot August day. According to the police report, “the temperature was documented as 86 degrees, but felt like 94 degrees due to 69% humidity.”

When Eppinger exited the Goodwill store and returned to the van, she allegedly provided false information to deputies about how long the baby was left unattended, according to the OCSO. However, video surveillance from the parking lot confirmed the lengthy timeframe.

Eppinger was arrested and charged with child neglect without great bodily harm. The OCSO reminds citizens to never leave children or pets alone inside vehicles, which can quickly overheat even on mild weather days.

SCHOOL

Power pole fire causes early dismissal at Kenwood Elementary in Fort Walton Beach

A power pole fire has caused an early dismissal on Thursday at Kenwood Elementary in Fort Walton Beach. The Okaloosa County School District said the downed power pole was the main source of electricity for the school, requiring it to be replaced. 

With no power, Kenwood Elementary had to stagger student dismissals starting at 10:36am yesterday. “We are releasing students on a staggered schedule for pickup by approved individuals with proper identification,” wrote the Okaloosa County School District.

• Kindergarteners and 3rd graders were dismissed first at 10:36am. 
• Second and 5th grade students followed at 11am, with 1st and 4th graders released last at 11:30am. 
• Parents were instructed to follow signs on campus to the correct pickup locations.  

The school district said supervision was provided for students who could not be picked up right away. Lunch was also still served.

However, the power outage did force the cancellation of all after school activities and child care programs at Kenwood Elementary. School officials said they hope to have power restored and classes back in session today. 

“We appreciate your patience as we work as quickly as possible to get your students to you safely,” the district said in a statement.

SPORTS

Vikings’ Swim Team gears up for a memorable season with experienced roster

With the high school swim season in full swing, Fort Walton Beach High School Head Swim Coach Will Breehl is optimistic about the upcoming year. The girls’ and boys’ swim teams have been back in the pool at the Bernie Lefebvre Aquatic Center, focusing on technique and getting back into peak physical shape. 

“I’ve been doing a lot of video recordings so we can go over technique and iron some of the technique flaws out,” said Breehl about the team’s early season training regimen. 

This year’s girls’ team will have around 15-16 swimmers, while the boys’ side expects to carry a similar number or slightly more. The boys lost only one graduating senior from last year’s squad that went 12th at State, and the girls narrowly missed out on qualifying.

“The more work you put in the better that usually turns out,” Breehl noted about the team’s practices. He expects performance to dip slightly early on as conditioning ramps up, but says he typically sees better times from the athletes as the season tapers ahead of the championship meets.

The teams officially kick off their competitive schedules on August 30th with a meet at the Navarre YMCA, the first of six regular season dual meets that will take place about once a week through October. 

• Postseason district and regional championships run from late October through early November, culminating with the state meet November 10-11 in Ocala.

Breehl is enthusiastic about the experienced rosters coming back this fall. “We’re bringing that whole crew back, better than when they ended last year. So I think we’re starting off pretty good,” he said. 

Top returning swimmers include senior Ciara Lang, who missed qualifying for State by just 0.01 seconds last season, along with standouts Jazmyn Velez and new transfer Cher Patrick, who was third overall in the 500 last year. The boys bring back nearly their entire state-qualifying contingent from 2022. 

When asked about his message to the team so far, Breehl emphasized self-care and teamwork. “I want them to take care of themselves. Get to practice, take care of the responsibilities in the classroom, and then they have to be able to take care of each other, hold each other accountable,” he stated. 

• Breehl is looking forward to seeing his athletes push each other and continue to improve throughout the 2023 season. “The way they bring each other up. I think we’ve been doing a really good job of that, and I think it’s showing. If they continue to do that, we’re going to keep doing what we’re doing, which is improve.”

The Vikings open up their season at Navarre YMCA on August 30th. Coach Breehl says that swim fans can expect fast times and fierce competition from the Vikings girls’ and boys’ squads this fall.

COASTAL RESOURCES

67 loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings make their way to the Gulf from Destin beach

Dozens of tiny loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings began to emerge from their nest on a Destin beach late last week and made their way safely to the Gulf of Mexico waters.

• According to Okaloosa County Coastal Resource Coordinator Jessica Valek, 67 hatchlings from a monitored nest hatched on Friday night and managed to crawl unassisted from their nest to the water.

When Valek came back to evaluate the nest this past Tuesday night, she found three additional live hatchlings remaining in the nest. She used the three turtles and the empty eggs as an educational opportunity for a crowd of onlookers before releasing the hatchlings into the Gulf.

• In an announcement post on social media, Okaloosa County wrote, “Witnessing sea turtle hatchlings making their way from the nest to the shoreline is a gift but remember to keep your distance. It doesn’t take much to hamper their chances of survival.”

In total, Valek’s team counted 133 eggs in the nest.

According to her, this is just one of 11 monitored loggerhead nests currently on Destin and Okaloosa Island beaches. Valek and the county’s Coastal Resource Team work diligently to protect sea turtles and educate the public.

“This has been an exciting season for us. We have double the number of nests that we had last year,” said Valek. “And we still have 11 nests that we are monitoring on our beaches so hopefully we will still have continued hatching success!

If you are fortunate enough to witness hatchlings emerging, it’s important not to interfere and give them space. The County offered these tips:

• Watch from a distance. 
• Allow them to crawl to the water on their own. 
• Leave them in their nest. 
• Keep all lights off: this includes phone flashlights and flash photography or videos.

Disoriented hatchlings should be reported immediately to the FWC by calling 1-888-404-FWCC.