SCHOOL

Elliott Point Elementary celebrates 8 new classrooms, bus ramp and increased parking

On a rainy Tuesday morning, Okaloosa County School District held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the new additions at Elliott Point Elementary School in Fort Walton Beach.

• The school, located at 301 Hughes St., now boasts an eight-classroom addition, expanded bus ramp, and increased parking thanks to voter approval of the Half-Cent Sales Tax. 

Despite the weather, attendees gathered inside the school’s media center to hear remarks from Principal Scott Nuss and Superintendent Marcus Chambers before venturing outside for the official ribbon-cutting.

In his speech, Nuss emphasized how the new classrooms are “more than just walls and desks” and mark the progress the school has made. He explained the previous setup with portable classrooms separated from the main building by the bus ramp posed both safety and instructional challenges. Students lost upwards of 20 minutes per day of instructional time transitioning to and from the portables before and after the buses arrived.

• “The thought process was it’s nice to have a shiny new building, but it was 100% for the students,” Nuss said.

The principal shared that just moving into the new building immediately boosted teacher and student morale. One teacher told him her students walked into the classroom “beaming” and have been more attentive ever since. 

• The classrooms feature flexible seating, 86-inch interactive flat screens, and whiteboard tables to encourage collaboration and engagement.

Nuss told the crowd about the school’s past attempts to creatively brand the portable classrooms in a positive light. “We called them ‘learning cottages’,” he said. 

When the school realized they would be getting the new additions, the portables had to be moved out to the PE field, which gave the ‘cottages’ an update. ‘There are learning cottages, but now they’re in a gated community,’ said Nuss. “With a circular driveway because they’re on the track. We really got creative to make it look nice.”

While the administration did the best with what they had in terms of portables, Nuss emphasized the staff is thrilled to be able to vacate them and offer students a modern learning environment.

Nuss also touched on how the project ties into the district’s six pillars: academic excellence, community engagement, continuous learning, student focused, safer schools, and modern innovation. From gaining back instructional time to fostering student pride, the new addition embodies these pillars, according to Nuss.

• “With this ribbon cutting it doesn’t just symbolize the physical expansion of our education here in facilities, but it also is our commitment to shaping the minds of our kids for tomorrow,” Nuss said.

In his remarks, Superintendent Chambers praised the half-cent sales tax for allowing long overdue facility improvements across the district. Elliott Point is one of 15 schools seeing 19 different construction projects, from new classroom wings to paved roads and parking lots.

• “For me, it goes back to what Mr. Nuss was saying when you heard him talk about this school, and where did he bring it back to almost every single time? The students. It’s providing our students the type of atmosphere that they deserve and that they should have,” Chambers said.

Chambers explained the half-cent sales tax has generated over $30 million more than originally anticipated, allowing the district to expedite projects. In addition to the classroom and infrastructure upgrades, the funds are also facilitating new school construction for the first time in over a decade.

“So much is happening across our school district,” he said. “When you’re here at Elliott Point, you see the classroom additions, but you can also see the smile on Mr. Nuss’s face and as well as the teachers, and especially the students.”

After the remarks, attendees ventured outside for the official ribbon-cutting on the covered walkway between the new fourth and fifth grade classroom wings. 

• Despite the rain, the ceremony marked a proud day for Elliott Point, the school district and the construction team.

Click here to see pics

THINGS TO DO

Sinfonia Gulf Coast plans 7 family-friendly holiday concerts

Sinfonia Gulf Coast has announced its December concert lineup featuring seven family-friendly holiday performances.

The Grammy Award-winning string trio Time For Three will kick off the festivities during Sinfonia’s new “Toast ‘n Jam” brunch series on Sunday, Dec. 3 at 10:30 a.m. at the Henderson Beach Resort in Destin. Tickets are $95 per person.

Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell will headline Sinfonia’s Holiday Pops concert on Friday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center.

• Mitchell has won two Tony Awards for his work in musicals like “Kiss Me, Kate” and “Ragtime.” Tickets range from $30 to $75.

The orchestra will perform a free outdoor Seaside Pops concert on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 5 p.m. in Seaside’s Central Square. Audience members are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets.

Sinfonia’s youth orchestras will play four free concerts in Destin and at Destin High School on Dec. 10 and 17. The Sinfonia Youth Orchestra will perform at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Dec. 10 at HarborWalk Village.

• The Before & After School ensemble will play at 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 17 at the high school, followed by the youth orchestra at 5 p.m.

“What better time of year to come together to celebrate live music than during the holidays?” asks Sinfonia Gulf Coast Music & Artistic Director Demetrius Fuller. “This festive December concert lineup is our season’s greetings to the community that supports us all year. We look forward to seeing you there!”

Proceeds from ticketed events will support Sinfonia Gulf Coast’s music education programs. Tickets can be purchased at SinfoniaGulfCoast.org or by calling 850-460-8800.

SCHOOL

Bruner Middle School bookkeeper dismissed following alleged misappropriation of funds

April Briggs, a bookkeeper at Max Bruner Jr. Middle School, has been dismissed from her position by the Okaloosa County School District following allegations of financial misconduct. 

• The dismissal, effective as of November 13, 2023, came after a thorough investigation into multiple violations of internal fund accounting procedures and the alleged misappropriation of the school’s internal funds, according to the Okaloosa County School District.

The issue first came to light on May 4, 2023, when Heather Williams, the principal of Bruner Middle School, cited concerns about financial information she was not receiving from from Briggs. 

Subsequent investigations led by Williams and the District’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) unveiled questionable accounting practices related to the school’s internal funds, according to the OCSD.

Briggs was promptly placed on administrative leave pending further action. The gravity of the situation prompted the involvement of law enforcement, and Superintendent Marcus Chambers directed the CFO to engage Carr, Riggs & Ingram, a certified public accounting firm, to perform a forensic audit. 

• The findings from this audit were shared with both the Okaloosa County School District and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

Based on the results of the forensic audit and the District’s internal investigation, Superintendent Chambers recommended Briggs’s termination, a decision that was subsequently ratified by the Okaloosa County School Board on Tuesday.

“We expect all of our employees to perform their jobs with the highest level of professionalism, and to blatantly disregard that expectation in any form is unacceptable,” stated Superintendent Marcus Chambers. “As I have stated previously, individuals will be held accountable if they fail to meet the standards we’ve set. I want to thank Carr, Riggs & Ingram, and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this matter.”

A criminal investigation is ongoing by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. At this time, no additional details into the alleged misappropriation of school funds has been released.

A MESSAGE FROM FWB CHIRO

FWB Chiropractic uses Spinal Decompression Therapy to relieve back and neck pain

According to Dr. Scott Smith of Fort Walton Beach Chiropractic, spinal decompression therapy is an effective treatment option for patients suffering from back and neck pain.

In a recent interview, Dr. Smith explained how spinal decompression works to relieve pain and improve function. “As the person is laid down on the table, strapped in by their torso and pelvis, then the machine will gently pull and decompress the spine that is compressed,” he said.

Dr. Smith went on to explain that compressed vertebrae and decreased disc space between bones pinches nerves, causing pain. 

• “The whole point is to relieve the pain by opening the space up and opening the joints up so that you have decreased pain and more opportunity for the neurological aspects, and the nerves, to transmit information back and forth to the brain with less pain and have more function,” he stated.

The decompression machine straps the patient down by their torso and pelvis. It is programmed to gently pull and relax the spine repeatedly, taking pressure off compressed discs and nerves. 

“It’ll pull, relax, pull, relax, and oscillate. If you can envision the spine pulling open, taking the pressure off the discs, the nerves, and the bones,” Dr. Smith described.

The same technology can be used to decompress the cervical spine in the neck to relieve headaches, neck pain, and numbness or tingling in the arms and hands, according to Dr. Smith.

• “Just remember, headaches, neck pain, back pain, numbness and tingling down the arms or hands, numbness and tingling down the legs or feet, spinal decompression therapy may be an option for you,” Dr. Smith concluded.

For more details on how Fort Walton Beach Chiropractic can help you, contact their office today!

REAL ESTATE

Crestview city council discusses proposed 94-unit townhome development for military members

The Crestview City Council held a regular meeting Monday night and discussed two ordinances related to a proposed 94-unit townhome development on North Avenue East.

• The council held the first reading of Ordinance 1955, which would amend the city’s comprehensive plan and change the future land use designation from Public Lands to Mixed Use for the 5.45-acre property. 
• They also held the first reading of Ordinance 1956, which would rezone the property to Planned Unit Development (PUD).

The proposed development, a collaborative effort between the city, Eglin Air Force Base, and a private developer, aims to provide affordable housing for military members.

City Manager Tim Bolduc explained how the unique partnership will work. Eglin Air Force Base has an agreement with the developer to send rent payments directly from the military’s housing allowance to the property owner. This allows military members to rent the townhomes at the military’s Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates, covering rent and utilities with no additional out-of-pocket expenses (such as deposits).

Bolduc said this will prevent situations where airmen pay inflated rental rates in the private market due to their guaranteed housing stipends. By renting at cost through the BAH program, the townhomes will offer nicer accommodations without service members having to spend more than their allowance.

• “If I can take any number of those tenants with the ability to inflate the market, if I can take them out of the market, then hopefully that will, in some way, begin to help the market right itself,” Bolduc said.

The city manager said Eglin leadership was excited for the opportunity to provide incoming airmen with housing, rather than send them unassisted into the local market. He said the development benefits the community without requiring government subsidies, as the developer is privately financing construction.

The city’s role was working to enable the needed housing density through its comprehensive plan and zoning approval process. Bolduc said this allows the developer to make the project financially viable as affordable units.

The Planning and Development Board recommended approval of the comprehensive plan amendment on Nov. 6. The PUD zoning would limit the property to the proposed townhomes.

Two residents spoke against the development during public comment, citing concerns about increased traffic and infrastructure impacts. Councilman Ryan Bullard shared those concerns, saying the additional 150-200 vehicles would overload the two-lane roads in the area.

“I can’t support it based on that,” Bullard said.

Other council members argued the area could accommodate the development, pointing to multiple entry and exit routes. Traffic studies would also be conducted as part of the approval process.

Bolduc said the development furthers the city’s initiative to partner with Eglin Air Force Base and address community issues like housing and childcare availability. This project would take airmen off the private rental market, opening up housing stock for civilians and reducing upward pressure on prices, Bolduc said. 

The developer agreement requires military personnel to be given priority access to the new units, according to the city.

• The ordinances passed first reading, with Bullard dissenting. They will come back for a second reading on December 11. If approved, the developer could begin construction.