HEALTH

Fort Walton-Destin Hospital launches new midwifery program

HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital has launched a new midwifery program – the only one of its kind across Okaloosa, Walton and Santa Rosa counties in which midwives deliver in the hospital.

The program aims to meet the growing healthcare needs of the local community, as an increased number of women seek low-intervention options for a more natural birthing experience, according to the hospital.

HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital says their certified nurse midwives (CNMs) have extensive nursing and midwifery experience, and provide a wide range of women’s health services. This includes:

• Adolescent health care
• Birth control counseling and management
• Family planning
• Maternity services (including prenatal, childbirth and postnatal care)
• Menopause management
• Wellness education
• Well-woman exams
• Maternity services

“We’re thrilled to have such strong support from the women in our community to offer midwifery services in the Tri-Counties,” said HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital’s Chief Operating Officer, Caroline Burris.“Our dedicated and experienced midwives have a strong passion for educating moms, and we’re excited to be able to offer women the opportunity to deliver safely and close to home.”

HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital’s CNMs care for women experiencing routine or low-risk pregnancies – partnering with an OB-GYN as needed to offer support to expectant mothers during labor and delivery.

Women interested in scheduling an appointment or learning more about our maternity services can call (850) 863-7661.

TRAFFIC

Highway 98 to be closed to through traffic to reinstall Hurlburt Field pedestrian bridge

U.S. Highway 98 will be closed to through traffic on Oct. 29-30 to reinstall the Hurlburt Field pedestrian bridge.

• At 5 p.m. on Oct. 29, Highway 98 will be reduced to two lanes
• At 10 p.m. highway 98 will be closed.
• At 8 a.m., Oct. 30, Highway 98 will be reopened to two lanes
• At 10 a.m., Highway 98 will be fully reopened.

According to a press release, Non-DoD ID cardholder traffic will need to use I-10, from the east or from the west to bypass this area during the closure period. 

DoD ID Cardholder traffic will be allowed from the Hurlburt Soundside area on Cody Ave to the main base and back, through the Highway 98 underpass, during the entire time period. 

• Traffic on Cody will not be allowed to enter Highway 98, to the east or west, while Highway 98 is closed.  

DoD ID card holders will be able to use the temporary McMillian gate on Highway 98, west of the pedestrian bridge, and the Hurlburt Field East gate while Highway 98 is closed.  

The pedestrian bridge was removed Oct. 23, 2021, and underwent a year of maintenance to repair damage caused by flooding and erosion detected following Hurricane Sally in 2020. 

The original period of performance for the repair project was six months, but in the spring of 2022, the contractors performed ultrasonic testing on the bridge to provide further detailed analysis of the bridge and identified unforeseen repair requirements that were not previously included in the original wording of the contract. 

• The required contract completion date is 30 Jan 23, but may be completed sooner. 

Repairs include improvements to the storm drainage area near the bridge and strengthened bridge support with sheet piles to address erosion concerns. The repairs also addressed soil movement concerns around the bridge support. 

The bridge structure was reinforced with metal plates on the bottom span of the structure with similar strengthening efforts at the existing bolted splice connections. Furthermore, the entire structure was repainted, which will help with corrosion concerns from the environmental conditions in the area. 

According to Hurlburt Field officials, these repairs will strengthen the bridge, resulting in a more robust structure than the original design.

The bridge will not immediately be re-opened to pedestrian traffic, as there is still work to be done while the bridge is in place. Hurlburt leadership expects to re-open to pedestrian traffic prior to Christmas.

BUSINESS

Robin Donlon announced as SmartBank’s new Okaloosa market president

On Tuesday, October 18, 2022, SmartBank announced the promotion of Robin Donlon to Market President in Okaloosa County.  

“Robin is a leader in the market with an impressive track record here at SmartBank and at her previous institutions,” said Nate Sommer, Alabama and Florida Coastal Market Regional President. “We are set up for rapid growth in the market and I am confident with Robin’s experience and leadership along with a great team, SmartBank will continue to grow successfully in the market.” 

According to SmartBank, Donlon has built up a history of successful relationship management and guidance within the finance and banking sector. She began her career in banking at the Destin Wells Fargo as a Service Manager before becoming a Commercial Banking Relationship Manager at BBVA in Fort Walton Beach.

• Her career with SmartBank began in 2021 as the Corporate Relationship Manager for the Florida Panhandle, and she has been paramount in managing and maintaining the Northwest Florida team and helping clients reach their financial goals.  

“We are excited to see Robin grow the Northwest Florida market,” said Billy Carroll, President and CEO of SmartBank. “She is diligent and devoted to making SmartBank the best bank in Florida. We admire her drive and look forward to continuing our growth with her in this new role.” 

Donlon has over 14 years of experience in banking and management. She graduated from Northwest Florida State College with an associates degree in Business Administration and Management. 

“I’m looking forward to this new chapter with the SmartBank team in Northwest Florida,” said Donlon. “We have a great team that is dedicated to our clients, and we plan to continue to grow and improve every day. I look forward to seeing what new goals we can reach together.” 

Donlon is deeply involved in community outreach and volunteer work in the area. She was selected as a 40 under 40 honoree by United Way Emerald Coast and serves as the Treasurer for Impact 100 of Northwest Florida.

• In addition, she is on the board for the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce and Community Solutions of the Emerald Coast (One Hopeful Place) where she manages construction projects and expansions for the County’s homeless shelter.  

THINGS TO DO

BBQ & Bingo to raise money for local students and mini teacher grants

The Okaloosa Public Schools Foundation’s 2nd Annual BBQ and Bingo fundraising event is set for Tuesday, October 25th at the Clubhouse Grille at the FWB Golf Course.

• Social hour begins at 5:00pm.
• Bingo is from 5:30 – 8pm.
• There will also be a silent auction and a 50/50 raffle.

The Okaloosa Public Schools Foundation is a non-profit wholly dedicated to supporting students and teachers in Okaloosa County. It has been in existence since 1996.

“One of its major programs is the Take Stock in Children (TSIC) scholarship program,” explains Steve Horton, Deputy Superintendent of the Okaloosa County School District. 

• TSIC currently provides two-year tuition scholarships to deserving students who may not be able to attend college because of a family situation or other risk factors. 
• They are selected through an application process during their 8th grade year. 

Horton explains that selected students are matched with a mentor who meets with them regularly during their four years in high school to assist with goal-setting, positive reinforcement, and college applications, among many other things.

• “The mentorship is a big thing and one of the reasons that TSIC students have higher high school and college graduation rates than other similar students,” he says. 

Students can use the scholarships for not only traditional college courses, but also career/technical classes that lead to certifications and higher wages.

Sixty high school students are currently TSIC scholarship recipients. The Foundation’s goal is to grow the program to be able to support 100 students at a time in grades 9-12, or twenty-five students per year. 

With the cost of a two-year tuition scholarship currently at $3,900, that amounts to a fundraising need of $97,500 per year. The cost would be greater, but all scholarship funds raised by the Public Schools Foundation are matched through Florida Prepaid Program, which means that donations go twice as far.

“Caneisaya Matthews is a perfect example of what can be accomplished when a quality student is given the support and tools needed to be successful,” says Horton. “She did all the work, but TSIC helped her lay a strong foundation.”

• Matthews went to Choctawhatchee High School and, because of the TSIC program, she went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Biological Science and a Master’s degree in Biomedical Science from Florida State University as a first-generation student.

“Much of my scholarly success was a result of the support and mentorship of TSIC,” explains Matthews. “The high school weekly meetings with my mentor helped me set realistic educational goals and strategize ways to achieve those goals.” 

Without the financial assistance of the TSIC scholarship, Matthews may not have been able to afford to attend a four-year university. “To the TSIC community, donors, and supporters, I am forever grateful and honored to have been chosen to be a part of such a terrific program,” she says.

Additionally, this event helps the Okaloosa Public Schools Foundation provide mini-grants to local teachers for extra projects they may want to do inside their classroom.

“These teachers might want to put together some kind of special experiment, but they need a few hundred dollars to make it happen,” said Linda Evanchyk, Okaloosa School Board Member & Foundation board member. “It’s not some huge grant amount that you would send off for, but it’s a lot of money for a teacher to have to come out of their pocket.”

Evanchyk added that money the Foundation raises from BBQ & Bingo goes directly to helping teachers and their classroom needs. It also helps keep costs down for students too, as these mini grants don’t require students to pay additional for potential classroom projects.

• “It’s a fun evening where we bring a lot of people together to play a little bingo, win prizes and have fun, and all of the money is going to support activities in the classroom,” she added.

General Admission tickets to BBQ and Bingo are $25 each and can be purchased by clicking here.

THINGS TO DO

Free country music festival coming to The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island

A free country music festival is debuting at The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island on Friday, November 4 and continuing on into Saturday, November 5. 

• The 2-day Boardwalk Country Music Beach Festival will feature performances from country music stars. 
• The event anticipates at least 3,000 visitors.

​The event is organized by Matthew McKinnon and Tripp Tolbert of MT Productions. McKinnon is a Fort Walton Beach native with experience in producing music festivals and concerts around the country. Tolbert is a local developer and entrepreneur. 

“We don’t have any entertainment here, which was the biggest reason we wanted to do this,” says McKinnon. “We’ve got the best beaches, hotels, and restaurants. We just didn’t have any entertainment.”

Tolbert agrees.  

“To the west, the Hangout Fest in Orange Beach has been a great success,” Tolbert says. “To the east, in Panama City, they have the Gulf Coast Jam, also a great success, but we have nothing here.”

Tolbert says the reason we do not have music festivals here is because there is concern about the lack of infrastructure and planning in order to host this type of event.  

• “We want to show the citizens that we can have good, quality entertainment in this area, and that it can be done in a safe manner, that we can handle the infrastructure,” he says.

Scheduled the week before Veteran’s Day, the festival will celebrate with a military theme to recognize active military members and honor fallen soldiers. The event will kick off Friday, Nov 5, with a salute to the veterans from 4-5 pm.

“We’ll have a soldier singing the national anthem, and we’re going to recognize and honor some of our local soldiers,” says McKinnon. “After that, the concerts start.”

Friday night’s lineup:

• Walker Montgomery
• Dew Pendleton
• Below Alabama

On Saturday, the concerts start at noon and will go on all day until 10 pm.

• Mitchell Tenpenny
• Locash
• Dillon Carmichael
• Parker Willingham

The concert will be held on the beach right behind The Boardwalk with the stage just west of the venue, facing the beach. McKinnon says that if you’re on any of the restaurant decks, along the beach, or even out on your boat, you can see the stage.

Concertgoers will be able to park at the public parks, and there will be shuttle service to take people to the event. The parking layout will be on the website.

A few things to know before heading to the beach: You may bring beach towels and blankets, but no chairs, tents or coolers.

• Outside food and beverage are not permitted in the venue and the surrounding festival area; however, Boardwalk restaurants will offer quick service concessions with various options of food and non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages.

This festival is for all ages; children under the age of 18 are welcome with adult supervision.

Check out the website for more details and to register to win VIP passes, which will include access to upper deck areas of restaurants and heavy hors d’oeuvres from 3:00-6:00pm.

“We really want people to come out and have fun,” adds Tolbert. “We want to give back to our community.”