PUBLIC SAFETY

Large brush fire near Destin Bridge on Okaloosa Island

A large brush fire was spotted Friday night on the south side of the Destin Bridge on Okaloosa Island. First responders worked to extinguish the blaze both on the ground and by boat.

“Great work with all trucks involved to get this under control,” the Destin Fire Control District wrote in a social media post.

The cause of the fire has not been released at this time.

Click here to watch the video

THINGS TO DO

City of Destin to host Fall Fest activities

The City of Destin’s Annual Fall Festival will be held at the Destin Community Center on Monday, October 30 from 5-8 p.m. There will be games and activities, a cakewalk, costume contest, and a Jack-O-Lantern contest.

All carved pumpkins are to be dropped off before 3 p.m. on the day of the festival and will be judged that same day. Categories for judging include “scariest”, “most funny”, and “most original”. The pumpkins will be lit and on display at the Community Center that evening.

• Registration for the costume contest is 5-6 p.m.
• Tickets for games and food will be on sale for 4/$1 or 20/$5.

For those attending the Fall Festival, please bring one non-perishable food item for admission.

For more information, please call 850-654-5184.

GIVING BACK

Local non-profits encouraged to apply for Cox Charities grants

Cox employees in the Gulf Coast Market are encouraging local non-profits to apply for a Cox Charities Community Investment grant of up to $5,000 to fund a special program benefiting residents in the area.

• Applications are being accepted until Friday, October 27, and can be found at www.CoxCharitiesSER.org.

Cox Charities is an internal giving campaign 100% funded by employees who set aside a portion of their paychecks to fund the local grants.  Money donated by employees in the Gulf Coast Market stays in the Gulf Coast Market.  A committee of 13 local employees will review applications and choose the grant recipients based on the amount of funding available.

In addition to the Community Investment Grant, the Cox Charities Innovation in Education Program provides grants of up to $2,500 each to schools to fund classroom programs and curriculum that encourage and promote students’ ingenuity and imagination through the innovative use of technology.

• Last spring, Cox employees awarded over $6,200 to six local schools.

Cox Charities was created to strengthen Cox markets through the support of programs that positively impact communities in the areas of education, technology, social issues, conservation and the arts.

Cox Charities does not replace, but rather increases Cox’s philanthropic giving in the community.  In 2022, Cox gave over $1.6 million in cash and in-kind services to nonprofits in the Gulf Coast Market.

The Cox Gulf Coast market includes parts of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties.

For more information about Cox Charities, visit www.CoxCharitiesSER.org.

SCHOOL

Okaloosa School District ranks 4th in the state, according to Niche

The Okaloosa County School District has been ranked the fourth best school district in the state of Florida, according to Niche.com’s most recent rankings report.

Niche, an online platform that provides data-driven reviews on schools, neighborhoods and cities, gave Okaloosa County Schools an overall A grade based on a number of factors.

With 32,340 students across dozens of schools, the district ranked fourth out of 69 districts evaluated by Niche. The top-ranked district was Sarasota, followed by St. Johns and Seminole county school districts.

Niche graded Okaloosa County Schools highly for its academics (A-), diversity (A), college preparation (A) and extracurricular activities (A-). The district ranked fifth in Florida specifically for athletics programs. Additional grades include:

• Clubs & Activities: A-
• Administration: A-
• Sports: A
• Teachers: B
• Food: B-
• Resources & Facilities: B-

Okaloosa County Schools Superintendent Marcus Chambers credited the district’s teachers, students and staff for the No. 4 ranking.

• “We are proud to be notified that the Okaloosa County School District has achieved the rank of #4 in Best School Districts in Florida by Niche,” stated Superintendent Marcus Chambers. “Niche evaluates school districts based on various factors, including academic performance, teacher quality, diversity, and parent and student reviews. This recognition is a tribute to our students, teachers, staff, and administrators.”

The new accolade comes shortly after Okaloosa STEMM Academy was honored as a National Blue Ribbon School for 2023, recognizing overall academic excellence.

On its website, Niche analyzed public data and reviews on factors like test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores and teacher quality to grade and rank school districts nationwide. Data also comes from dozens of public data sources including the Department of Education, U.S. Census, and FBI. 

NEWS

Here’s what is happening at the Okaloosa County Commissioners meeting today

The Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners will hold a regular meeting today beginning at 8:30am at the Crestview Courthouse. Here’s a look at a few key items on this morning’s agenda.

Public Hearings:

• Request for plan amendment, rezoning, and land development code amendment for 125-acre Willow Creek Plantation overlay district. This involves creating a new zoning district and development standards for a large property in Crestview.

Department Business:

• Request to issue an RFP for a North Planning Study to evaluate growth and infrastructure needs.
• Discussion of Okaloosa’s legislative priorities and funding requests for 2024 at the state level, such as transportation and infrastructure projects.
• Request to approve interlocal agreement with other counties for an artificial reef project.
• Requests to approve conveyance of two Crestview roads to the city and an agreement to design improvements to Mirage Ave.

Old Business:

• Request to authorize submission of comments objecting to proposed critical habitat designation for the Rice’s whale.

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, Oct. 1 through Thursday, Oct. 5, between 9 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. for utility work in the following locations:
  • U.S. 98 east and westbound alternating and intermittent lane closures between Ferry Road and Pier Road. 
  • Intermittent shoulder closures on Brooks Street, between Perry Avenue and Florida Blanca Place, and on Business Access Road. 
  • Santa Rosa Boulevard east and westbound alternating lane closures from east of Amberjack Drive to Ross Marler Park.

• U.S. 98 Bridge Rehabilitation over East Pass Bridge – Drivers may encounter intermittent single-lane closures on U.S. 98 over East Pass (Marler) Bridge, eastbound structure (Fort Walton Beach to Destin) Sunday, Oct. 1 through Thursday, Oct. 5, between 9 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. for striping operations. 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 the following impacts Sunday, Oct. 1 through Thursday, Oct. 5, between 8 p.m. and 5:30 a.m.:
  • Temporary U.S. 98 east and westbound lane closures, from Mary Esther Boulevard to Florida Place Southeast, to allow crews to adjust manholes and for roadway reconstruction activities.
  • Intermittent U.S. 98 east and westbound lane closures, between Josie Road and Mary Esther Boulevard, for milling and paving operations.

• State Road (S.R.) 20 Turn Lane Operations near the Okaloosa County Line – Drivers will encounter intermittent lane closures Monday, Oct. 2 through Friday, Oct. 6 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. for turn lane operations.

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, Oct. 1:
  • Nighttime intermittent U.S. 98 east and westbound lane closures, Sunday, Oct. 1 through Thursday, Oct. 5, from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. for paving operations and signalization work.
  • Daytime intermittent U.S. 98 inside shoulder closures, Monday, Oct. 2 through Friday, Oct. 6, between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. as crews place sod in the median.

• Interstate 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, Oct. 2 through Thursday, Oct. 5 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. for paving operations.

GIVING BACK

ERA American’s “trick-or-treating” food drive happening all of October

Residents across Northwest Florida can help brighten the holiday season for those facing food insecurity by donating to ERA American Real Estate’s food drive now through Oct. 31.

ERA American agents and staff will collect canned goods, dry goods, cooking oils, peanut butter, jelly, bottled water and juice to distribute to organizations across the communities they serve. No glass containers accepted.

“For some members of our community, the most frightening thing they face is food insecurity,” said Catherine Gauthier, ERA American Real Estate. “Now through October 31, ERA American Real Estate will be “Trick-or-Treating” to make the start of the holiday season a bit less scary by gathering non-perishable food items.”

Most needed items include:

• Canned goods like vegetables, fruits, soups, tuna and chicken
• Dry goods such as pasta, rice, cereal, granola bars, stuffing and mashed potatoes
• Cooking oils
• Peanut butter and jelly
• Bottled water and juices

Local residents can arrange pickup of donations by connecting with their ERA American Real Estate advisor or drop off items at any ERA American offices. Donations will be gathered through Oct. 31 to maximize impact during the holidays.

Join ERA American Real Estate in their effort to spread holiday cheer by donating to local families in need this season. Even small donations make a difference in the lives of our neighbors.