POLITICS

Okaloosa Commissioners object to proposed ‘critical habitat designation’ for Rice’s whale in Gulf

The Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved sending a letter objecting to a proposed federal critical habitat designation for the endangered Rice’s whale in the Gulf of Mexico at its meeting on Tuesday. 

• The National Marine Fisheries Service is proposing designating waters from 100 to 400 meters deep along the DeSoto Canyon in the northeastern Gulf as critical habitat for the recently recognized species. 
• This area is about 20 to 25 miles off the coast of Okaloosa County. 

Kerry Parsons, one of the County’s attorneys, said during the meeting that the designation could require additional review processes for military activities, commercial shipping, fishing and other industries in the affected waters. 

The designation of an area as critical habitat does not create a closed area, marine protected area, refuge, preservation, or other conservation area. Rather, once critical habitat is designated, other federal agencies must consult with NOAA fisheries to ensure actions they fund, authorize or undertake are not likely to destroy or adversely modify the critical habitat. 

• Actions funded, authorized or undertaken include, but are not limited to, activities such as in-water construction, energy development, commercial shipping, aquaculture, military activities and fisheries. 
• Once established as a critical habitat, additional rules may be proposed and put in place to protect the area.

The Rice’s whale was only recognized as a distinct species separate from Bryde’s whale in 2021. NOAA agreed to designate critical habitat this year as part of a legal settlement after not doing so when the whale was listed as endangered in 2019. 

Back in June, the Commissioners discussed the “Vessel Slowdown Zone,” a petition to protect Rice’s whales from collisions with vessels and noise pollution.

• The proposed measures include a year-round 10-knot speed restriction within waters ranging from approximately Pensacola, FL, to just south of Tampa, FL, covering an area from 87.5° W longitude to 27.5° N latitude. Read more.

The county alleges the habitat proposal relies on speculative assumptions and incomplete data not fully available for public review. Several industry organizations have also criticized the scientific basis and asked for an extended comment deadline, but NOAA denied the request.

• “When we looked at the data, the actual quotes from the proposed rule involve things like the federal government saying, ‘We don’t necessarily have the data available for us as it relates to the Rice’s whale, but we have like data on like species, so we’re going to try to base it on that,’” Parsons said.

Chairman Trey Goodwin said the habitat designation could negatively impact military testing and training, recreational and commercial fishing, tourism and other industries.

“It’s got the potential to, as others have said, substantially negatively impact our military mission. To me that’s something we have to fight for,” Goodwin said. “It’s too important for the military. It’s too important for our tourism. It’s too important for our fisheries.”

Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel made a motion to send the letter, saying, “I very much like the environment and care for the environment. Our most important effort is our military. We must have open Gulf waters for the testing that we do here.”

Commissioner Nathan Boyles said he supports balancing protection for whales with other interests in the area. 

• “Much like our military mission is able to coexist with our fishing fleet being out there in those waters, I have no doubt that targeted, thought out set of rules would allow for this population of whales to likewise coexist with the military’s use of those waters and our fishermen’s use of those waters,” Boyles said.

In addition to sending the letter before the Oct. 6 public comment deadline, the board directed the county attorney’s office to share it with other Gulf Coast counties and local economic development organizations. The commissioners hope amplifying objections will increase pressure on NOAA to reconsider the habitat proposal.

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THINGS TO DO

Okaloosa Public Schools Foundation to host 3rd annual ‘BBQ and Bingo’ for schools

The Okaloosa Public Schools Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit, will host its annual BBQ and Bingo fundraiser to support the Take Stock in Children scholarship program for local students.

• The event takes place October 24 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Clubhouse Grill in Fort Walton Beach.
• Tickets cost $30 per person.

Take Stock in Children provides two-year college scholarships and mentoring to academically deserving high school students from low-income families in Okaloosa County. The program currently serves 60 students but aims to increase that number to 100 over the next five years, as each scholarship is $3,900.

The Florida Prepaid Scholarship Program matches all local funds raised for the scholarships.

• The BBQ and Bingo event also raises money for the foundation’s teacher grant program and other student success initiatives.

Sponsorship levels range from $175 to $450. For tickets or sponsorship information, contact Debbie Tate at tated@okaloosaschools.com or 850-833-5879.

The Okaloosa Public Schools Foundation is a nonprofit that supports educational opportunities for Okaloosa County students. More information is available at www.okaloosaschoolsfoundation.org.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Local officials launch ‘Pedestrian Safety Month’ in Okaloosa County

Improving pedestrian safety is front and center in Okaloosa County during October’s designation as Pedestrian Safety Month. 

• At a press conference Monday at the county commission building, local government and law enforcement officials formally kicked off a coordinated campaign to promote better pedestrian safety awareness and habits in the county.

Crestview Mayor JB Whitten said 31 pedestrian and cyclist deaths occurred in Okaloosa County from 2020 to 2022. Statewide in 2021, there were 998 pedestrian and cyclist fatalities from vehicle crashes. 

“It’s time we do something about these tragedies, and that is why today we’re kicking off October as Pedestrian Safety Month,” Whitten said.

The pedestrian safety initiatives are being organized by the Okaloosa County Health Improvement Partnership (OCHIP), which brings together government agencies, law enforcement, schools, health organizations and other community stakeholders to improve public health in the county.

Whitten said a key goal is to educate citizens that Florida has the highest pedestrian fatality rate per capita in the entire country. 

• “Here in Okaloosa County between 2020 and 2022, there have been 31 pedestrian cyclist deaths. During the same time, there were 479 crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists, of which 65 resulted in serious injuries,” the mayor noted.

Fort Walton Beach Police Chief Robert Bage, co-chair of OCHIP’s Healthy Communities working group, said the Pedestrian Safety Month campaign includes a student poster contest, release of public safety videos and a “walk, roll, ride to school” event on Oct. 4.

“Various schools throughout the county will coordinate separate events, and prior to school, parents, teachers, students, law enforcement, community members will all walk or bike or roll to a school,” explained Bage. “It’s really to build awareness and best practices on how you get to school, how you cross the street, how you arrive at school safely.”

The deadline for the poster contest aimed at elementary, middle and high school students is this Thursday, Oct. 6. Winners will have their posters displayed in local government buildings and receive certificates signed by mayors across the county.

• Bage emphasized that pedestrian safety is a two-way street requiring caution and attention by both drivers and pedestrians. He said engineering improvements like sidewalks, crosswalks and signals are most effective for safety, followed by education of the public.

Okaloosa County Commissioner Trey Goodwin highlighted several planned sidewalk and road improvement projects intended to aid pedestrian and bicyclist safety. 

One key initiative is a proposed multimodal path along Highway 98 running from the Brooks Bridge to Marler Bridge on Okaloosa Island. The path would provide an alternative to walking or biking along the busy highway.

Goodwin noted pedestrian safety is critical in the heavily visited tourist county. 

• “As a high impact tourism destination, pedestrian safety is a top issue for us here in Okaloosa as we make sure that we’re friendly and safe for our tourists,” Goodwin said.

The first of three pedestrian safety videos produced by local government public information staff was unveiled at Monday’s press conference. The other videos will be released throughout October on social media pages of the sheriff’s office, cities and county.

County Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel, who lost her brother in a fatal bicycle accident when he was a teenager, read a proclamation passed Sept. 19 by Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners formally recognizing October as Pedestrian Safety Month.

• In the proclamation, commissioners highlighted the personal, environmental and safety benefits of walking. They also noted tips for improving pedestrian and driver safety habits.

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A MESSAGE FROM BIT-WIZARDS

Poor password practices can cost your local business big bucks. Here’s how to help prevent that.

Poor password practices are rampant across businesses of all sizes, leaving companies vulnerable to costly data breaches. This concerning trend rings true for many local companies as well, says Jason Monroe, Director of Solution Consulting at Bit-Wizards, a leading managed IT services provider in Fort Walton Beach. 

• “If you’re not taking password protection seriously, you’re leaving your business completely exposed,” Monroe said. “With just one bad password, a hacker could gain access to your entire network and view sensitive information like financial data and bank account numbers.”

In 2022 alone, the average cost of a data breach for U.S. businesses was $9.44 million, with stolen credentials being the primary cause in 81% of incidents, according to Bit-Wizards. Major companies like PayPal, Reddit, and Activision have already been impacted by password-related breaches this year. And while larger corporations take the biggest financial hits, small local businesses are equally at risk.

To help local companies avoid becoming the next victims, Bit-Wizards outlines password security best practices that every business should have in place:

• Require Password Complexity – Using upper/lowercase letters, numbers, symbols, and long passphrases makes passwords difficult to crack. 
• Change Passwords Regularly – Cyber experts recommend changing important passwords every 3 months, especially after a breach.
• Avoid Redundancy – Reusing the same passwords is extremely risky but done by 66% of people. Unique passwords should be required across all employee logins.
• Get a Password Manager – These services generate and store strong credentials for every login, taking the memory burden off employees.
• Use Multifactor Authentication – Requiring multiple authentication methods like texts or tokens prevents unauthorized access with just a password.

“A managed service provider like Bit-Wizards can help implement and enforce these best practices company-wide through a password management policy,” said Monroe. “We offer the paid version of LastPass already included with our services, so clients get an enterprise-grade password manager without added costs. Overall, our goal is to fully handle IT security so businesses can focus on their operations and growth.”

With data breaches on the rise, now is the time for local companies to evaluate their password habits before paying the price. Implementing proper password protocols with help from experts like Bit-Wizards can prevent compromised logins from ever occurring in the first place.

Ready to stop wasting money on bad IT and get started with our Managed IT Services? Contact Bit-Wizards today.

EVENTS

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• After that, you can add your event and we will automatically include it in the newsletter leading up to the date. 

PUBLIC SAFETY

Woman identified as Okaloosa County victim of ‘Happy Face Killer’ 29 years later

After nearly 30 years, authorities have identified the last remaining Jane Doe victim of Keith Hunter Jesperson, known as the “Happy Face Killer,” Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden announced at a press conference Tuesday.

• The victim was identified as 34-year-old Suzanne Kjellenberg of Wisconsin through advanced DNA analysis by Othram, a Texas-based company specializing in forensic genealogy.

Jesperson, who is currently serving seven consecutive life sentences in Oregon for murder, confessed to killing Kjellenberg (Jane Doe at the time) in February 1996 but authorities had been unable to identify her until this March. At the time, he told OCSO Investigator Glen Barbaree that he believed the woman’s name was “Susan” or Suzette.”

Kjellenberg’s remains were found Sept. 14, 1994 by an inmate work crew along Interstate 10 in Holt, Florida. She was previously determined through analysis by the University of Florida to be a white woman aged 35-55.

• Multiple attempts were made over the years to identify Kjellenberg, including DNA analysis by the FBI and facial reconstructions. The break in the case came when the District One Medical Examiner’s Office in Florida sent samples to Othram earlier this year.

On Sept. 29, nearly 29 years after Kjellenberg’s body was found, OCSO Investigators Kelly Henderson and Aaron Pitman, along with Mark Zagar from the FDLE, and Assistant State Attorney Michelle Sandler, traveled to Oregon State Penitentiary for an unannounced interview with Jesperson. He confessed again to the murder and provided details.

According to Sheriff Aden, Jesperson said he picked up Kjellenberg at a truck stop in Tampa and killed her at a rest area when she began screaming as he tried to assault her. He used zip ties to strangle her and then dumped her body along I-10.

Kjellenberg is believed to be Jesperson’s sixth victim out of the eight total he confessed to killing between 1990 and 1995 during his time as a long-haul trucker. The murders occurred in six states including California, Nebraska, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington and Florida.

Jesperson was known in media as the “Happy Face Killer” because he would sign letters confessing to the murders with a smiley face. He was caught and convicted in 1995 for his first victim’s murder in Oregon.

“Suzanne deserves a voice and we’re that voice for her today,” Sheriff Aden said. He credited the “relentless tenacity” of investigators for solving the decades-old case.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, FDLE, State Attorney’s Office and District One Medical Examiner’s Office collaborated to finally identify Kjellenberg and charge Jesperson.

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