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Let’s get to the spooky news you need to know this morning…👻
EVENTS
Fort Walton Beach Woman’s Club launches ‘Holiday Tree Trek’ to support local businesses
The Fort Walton Beach Woman’s Club announced its upcoming Holiday Tree Trek event, combining holiday spirit with community engagement while raising funds for local initiatives.
- Running December 1-16, the “Magic Around Every Corner” festival invites area businesses to create branded holiday tree displays between 5-7 feet tall within their stores.
Residents are encouraged to tour participating locations, take photos of the displays, and submit them through GetTheCoast.com for a chance to win $500 in a random drawing.
Participating businesses will compete for several distinctions, including the Mayor’s Choice Award, People’s Choice Award, Downtown Business Association Award, and the Woman’s Club President’s Award. Displays must be visible from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, with businesses encouraged to maintain their displays through January 1, 2025.
The $100 entry donations support the Woman’s Club’s community projects, including scholarship programs for high school senior girls. Last year, the organization provided $4,000 in scholarships and aims to increase that amount.
- The club also funds 10 local schools through its Safe, Secure, and Successful (S3) program, providing essential items like clothing, food, supplies, and housing for students in need.
Founded by Liza Jackson in 1921 with 26 charter members, the Woman’s Club has been serving the community for over a century. The organization’s legacy includes establishing the city’s first public library and continues to support various community initiatives.
Businesses interested in participating must submit their entries by November 8, 2024. For more information, contact Whitney Cramer at 850-830-8582 or Peggy Mitchell at 850-225-0179.
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BUSINESS
FPL seeks temporary surcharge to cover costs of four hurricanes that hit Florida
Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) filed a petition Tuesday with the Florida Public Service Commission requesting approval for a temporary surcharge that would add $8.07 to typical Northwest Florida residential customers’ monthly bills in 2025. In FPL’s main service territory, the surcharge would add $12.02 to typical residential bills.
- The proposed surcharge aims to recover costs from Hurricanes Idalia (2023) and Debby, Helene, and Milton (2024), which caused more than 3 million combined outages. The petition also seeks $150 million to replenish the company’s depleted storm reserve.
“FPL worked relentlessly to quickly restore power to our customers in the aftermath of each of these hurricanes,” said Armando Pimentel, FPL President and CEO. “We’re mindful that customers pay these restoration costs, which is why we continue to invest in storm hardening and smart grid technology.”
The series of storms began with Category 3 Hurricane Idalia in August 2023, followed by Category 1 Debby in August 2024, Category 4 Helene and Category 3 Milton in September and October 2024. Milton notably produced dozens of powerful, long-track tornadoes.
While our area of Northwest Florida largely avoided major impacts from the recent hurricanes, local FPL customers will see bill increases as part of the company-wide recovery effort.
- “FPL always works around the clock to restore power safely and as quickly as possible to our customers in the aftermath of hurricanes and extreme weather,” said J.T. Young, vice president and general manager, FPL – Northwest Florida region. “We’re mindful that customers pay for the cost of responding to storms — which is why, in order to avoid many outages, speed restoration and reduce restoration costs, we continue to invest in storm hardening and smart grid technology, across Northwest Florida and throughout our entire service area.”
If approved by regulators, Northwest Florida customers would see their typical 1,000-kWh residential bills increase from $135.38 to $143.45 starting in January 2025.
FPL deployed more than 52,000 restoration workers across all four storms. The company reports its grid investments helped avoid nearly 900,000 outages during these events. Restoration times ranged from one day for Idalia and Debby to five days for Milton.
If approved, the surcharge would be applied over 12 months to reduce the risk of overlapping charges if more storms hit in 2025. According to FPL, rather than including storm response costs in regular electric bills, Florida utilities typically recover these expenses through temporary surcharges after storms occur.
SCHOOL
Silver Sands School to host fish fry this Friday before FWBHS vs. Crestview game
Students at Silver Sands School, a special day school in Fort Walton Beach serving approximately 100 students with disabilities, participated in the school’s third annual fishing rodeo earlier this school year, harvesting tilapia from the school’s aquaponic greenhouse.
- The greenhouse, funded by a grant several years ago, is the only aquaponic system in the district. It uses fish waste to nourish plants, creating a sustainable ecosystem that produces faster-growing crops while teaching students valuable life and job skills.
“Our kids are working on life and job skills,” said Marian Gilmore, the school’s science teacher. “They come in and they check all of our pipes, making sure everything’s running, that the hoses are running, that the fish are getting their air in there.”
Students made their way from their classrooms in small groups to the greenhouse, where they took turns catching fish with fishing poles. Tilapia that were too small to be harvested were placed back into their tank.
The harvested fish will be used in an upcoming fundraising campaign and fish fry on Nov. 1. Dewey Destin’s Seafood Restaurant will host the event ahead of the Fort Walton Beach High School vs. Crestview High School football game. The crew from Dewey Destin’s Restaurant will be frying fish, hush puppies, and french fries at the event.
Parker Destin, recently elected to the Okaloosa County School Board, emphasized his family’s continued support for Silver Sands School. “We’ve always tried to support Silver Sands School because of the remarkable mission and work and the special students and their families that go there,” Destin said.
HALLOWEEN
The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island to host family-friendly Halloween event on Oct. 31
The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island is set to become a Halloween hotspot again this year, offering a family-friendly celebration packed with activities for all ages.
- The event, scheduled for Thursday, October 31, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM, promises an evening of trick-or-treating, live entertainment, carnival games, and costume contests.
Visitors will start their adventure at The Boardwalk’s Main Entrance, where they’ll receive a Treasure Map and a Kids Eat Free voucher. The map will guide participants to various merchants, each offering a unique “X” mark. Once completed, maps can be turned in at The Crab Trap for a special treat.
The celebration will conclude with a Grand Finale Fireworks Show at 8:00 PM, capping off the night’s festivities. The event is free and open to the public, offering a wide range of activities designed to include and entertain visitors of all ages.
SCHOOL
Plew Elementary’s ‘GRANDreaders’ program transforms retirees into reading champions for Niceville students
At Plew Elementary School in Niceville, a simple observation about aging and purpose has blossomed into an educational initiative that’s changing lives across generations.
- Three years ago, Media Specialist & Librarian Shawna Crist noticed something during her weekly conversations with her 92-year-old mother and fellow Sunday school members: many seniors struggled to find purpose in their later years. That realization sparked an idea that would transform her school’s approach to reading education.
“My mom is 92, and I take her to appointments and all that kind of stuff,” Crist said. “When you get to that age, many start to wonder about their purpose.”
That’s when she had the idea to bring grandparents into the library to help with reading.
Today, the “GRANDreaders” program brings together retirees and students for one-on-one reading sessions, creating meaningful connections while improving literacy skills. The program has grown from a small experiment to include 29 volunteer readers last year, each dedicating time weekly to help students develop their reading abilities.
- “They have the time, they have the patience, and they have the gifts,” Crist said. “I’m all about building relationships in the library, and what better way to cross generational gaps?”
The program’s impact extends beyond reading scores. In its first quarter this school year, Plew students read 3,898 books, despite the library not opening until September 4. Last year, students in the GRANDreader program read over 1,600 books and completed accompanying Accelerated Reader (AR) tests through the program.
Bruce Duncan, a third-year GRANDreader whose granddaughter attends Plew, has witnessed the program’s benefits firsthand. “I love the one-on-one with the kids,” Duncan said. “They love to read. They love to show you how good they can read. Some of them are great readers, some are average readers, some need a little help, but I just love their attitude.”
The program has become particularly valuable for students learning English as a second language. With students speaking various languages from Spanish to Norwegian to Portuguese, the consistent exposure to English through reading helps bridge linguistic gaps. The school is now working to expand its collection of bilingual books to better serve these families.
Carole Achtien, a former Chicago-area reading teacher and second-year volunteer, found the program through social media. Despite having no grandchildren in the area, she’s found a new purpose in the program.
- “I volunteer at many places around the area, and here at Plew you can’t help but just sit there and smile,” Achtien said. “The kids love it.”
The program’s structure allows for consistency while maintaining flexibility. Volunteers are paired with specific teachers’ classrooms, working with students for about 15 minutes each. After reading, students take AR tests to measure comprehension. The program has expanded beyond just reading – some volunteers now help with multiplication facts and other academic skills.
For teachers, the program has become indispensable. “I had three teachers in my office yesterday asking for more GRANDreaders,’” Crist said. The dedication of the volunteers has impressed staff, with most arriving 10-15 minutes early for their sessions.
The benefits flow both ways. Volunteers find purpose and joy in their service, often arriving early and rarely missing sessions. When they do need to be absent, many arrange their own substitutes from within the program. Their commitment has created a reliable support system for both teachers and students.
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