A MESSAGE FROM OKALOOSA GAS

Niceville Valparaiso Chamber gearing up for ‘Sequins & Suits Auction,’ highlighting local businesses

The Niceville Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce will host their Sequins & Suits Auction in the Raider Café at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville on Thursday, December 1, 2022, from 7-9:30 pm.

• Tickets start at $100.
• Proceeds from the event benefit the Niceville Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce.

“Sequins & Suits is our annual auction, and it’s a fundraiser for the Chamber,” explains Tricia Brunson, CEO of the Niceville-Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce. “We do it as a way to kick off the holiday season and make people aware of items they can buy locally.  You can take care of all your holiday shopping right here in town and keep the money in our county.”

• Attire is black tie optional.  “It’s just a lot of fun,” says Brunson. “Some people get really dressed up, some not so dressed up.”

Brunson explains that local businesses donate auction items, and there will be both a live and silent auction. Okaloosa Gas has stepped up as this year’s signature presenting sponsor once again.

“As we kick off another holiday season, it’s our pleasure to sponsor this exciting community event,” said Eddie Springle, VP of Marketing & Customer Service at Okaloosa Gas District. “We value our strong partnership with the Niceville Valparaiso Chamber and they do a stellar job hosting this annual event.”

The Chamber says so far, they have between 50 to 60 silent auction items and about 10 live auction items. “We’ll have designer bags, jewelry, restaurant gift certificates, and boutique items – all from local businesses,” says Brunson. 

• There will also be experience-type items – for example, a virtual reality afternoon with one of the businesses in Niceville that develops software for military pilots.

Guests will be welcomed with champagne at the door.  The event will also feature small plates, a sponsored bar, a photo booth, and a wine pull. 

“We’ve done the wine pull every year and people love it. Wine makes nice holiday gifts or stocks your own bar at home,” says Brunson. 

• For $25, pull a random number that coincides to a bottle of wine, which is guaranteed to be at least a $30 value up to over $100. There will be a limited number of wine bottles available for the wine pull.

All attendees who come in at a sponsorship level will receive a unique Local Influencer box. 

• This box includes items from local businesses, such as a pint from Third Planet, an etched wine glass with the Niceville name and coordinates, chocolates, a mini bag of flavored Salty Pop Popcorn, a mini bottle of wine, and more.

The Chamber hosts two events each year to raise funds outside of membership dues: a golf tournament in the spring, and this auction event in the winter.  

“This Sequins & Suits Auction is a significant fundraiser for the Chamber and allows us to highlight area businesses,” says Brunson. “Let’s celebrate that we have another year and help support each other in a local way.”

Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.

SCHOOL

Ponder tapped to be NWFSC keynote speaker for Fall Commencement Ceremony

Earlier this week, Northwest Florida State College announced that Okaloosa Commissioner Mel Ponder will be the keynote speaker for the college’s Fall 2022 Commencement ceremony.

Since November 2020, Ponder has served as an Okaloosa County Commissioner for District 5.  He is also the association executive for the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors and the founder and president of Business Empowered (BE).  

• Previously, Ponder served as mayor of the City of Destin as well as in the Florida House of Representatives, District 4, before coming back home to serve the citizens of Okaloosa County.  

In addition to his various positions in public office, Ponder has over 10 years of banking, mortgage, and financial services experience and at one point reached the top 1% in the nation in mortgage origination.  

Some of Ponder’s elected leadership roles include serving as chair of the Children, Families, and Seniors Subcommittee, vice-chair of the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee, chair of the Legislative Prayer Caucus, and deputy whip within the House Majority Office.  He now serves as chairman of the Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners.

He is also on the statewide board for CareerSource Florida, the Florida Association of Counties, and the Florida Faith-Based and Community-Based Advisory Council.  Locally, he serves on the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance, the Transportation Planning Organization, and as an ex officio board member for the Niceville-Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce.

“We look forward to welcoming Mel Ponder to Northwest Florida State College as we host our inaugural Fall 2022 Commencement Ceremony,” said NWFSC President Dr. Devin Stephenson. “As our graduates prepare to make a difference in the world, I have no doubt they will find inspiration in his words and in his story.”

Northwest Florida State College’s Fall 2022 Commencement Ceremony will be held on December 16, 2022.

Never heard Mel speak or give a prayer? Click here to watch his powerful 3-minute prayer at the Joint Session back in January,

A MESSAGE FROM WM

Waste containers should not be used as shelter from Winter conditions

With cold weather making appearances in our local area, Waste Management is reminding the community that waste containers should not be used as shelter from winter conditions.

“Waste Management requests that the community please stay out of waste containers, for your safety, and for the safety of our drivers,” said Tony Franco, area safety manager. “We understand individuals may go to great lengths to seek cover from severe weather. However, if someone is inside a waste container when it is emptied, there is a significant risk of injury or death. By working with our customers and exercising additional vigilance, we hope to reduce this risk.”

In a statement from the company, they said that although people may look at a waste container as providing options for more than just the disposal of trash, waste containers are pieces of heavy industrial equipment, serviced by heavy collection trucks with hydraulic crushing equipment.

• “Tragedy can result when people climb into waste containers,” they wrote.

In July of last year, we reported on an individual that had been dumped from a dumpster into a city dump truck making its routine trash stops. 

The homeless woman was hiding in the dumpster at the Repeat Thrift Store on Walter Martin Road to get away from her boyfriend. According to the woman, she then fell asleep.

The driver of the dump truck said he heard a woman yelling for help when he pulled over near the corner of Nicholson Street and Mallard Avenue and called 911. The driver then climbed on top of his truck and was able to help the victim from the hopper onto the top of the truck.

• FWBFD as well as OCEMS were able to safely remove the woman from the top of the truck. 

THINGS TO DO

Destin’s Christmas Parade and Harbor Boat Parade

The 38th annual “Elf on the Shelf” Christmas Parade will be held on Saturday, December 10th, 2022, at 10 a.m., and the 36th Annual Destin Boat Parade will take place on December 11th, 2022 at 6 p.m.

Christmas Parade

The floats will begin at the Downtown Destin Shopping Center and travel west along Harbor Boulevard (Hwy 98) to Stahlman Avenue. Spectators are asked to stand on the north side of Harbor Boulevard to watch the parade. 

For those who wish to participate in the parade, the application is available online. Applications must be received no later than Thursday, December 1st, and can be dropped off in person at the Destin Community Center (101 Stahlman Ave), faxed to 850-654-8998, or emailed to recreation@cityofdestin.com.

• Instead of an entry fee, each applicant must donate a toy, which will be given to a local charity. All donations can be dropped off at the Destin Community Center.

Destin Harbor Christmas Boat Parade

The annual Destin Christmas Boat Parade will light up the Destin Harbor in celebration of the upcoming Holiday season. Boats taking part in the parade will make their way from the east side of the harbor to the west side, ending near the Destin Bridge and East Pass area.

Trophies and prizes will be awarded in each category and there will be a fireworks finale at the end. Public viewing is available from the docks and restaurants west of Grand Harbor Condominiums.

• Entry fee is $25 per boat. Anyone interested can register by dropping by Destin History and Fishing Museum at 108 Stahlman Ave.

SPORTS

Choctaw High School will battle for regional championship tonight!

On Friday night (tonight), Choctawhatchee High School will take on Columbia High School in the Regional Championship in Lake City, FL beginning at 7pm EST.

• The Indians are sitting at a 7-5 record, while the Tigers are sitting at 8-3.

The Indians are coming off an impressive win against the Pine Forest Eagles on November 18, with a final score of 30-29.

Good luck to the Indians!

PUBLIC SAFETY

Texas man dies after tragic accident at Crab Island

On Wednesday, November 23, 2022, a Texas tourist died after going down a rental pontoon boat slide head first and striking his head on the bottom at Crab Island.

Family members say the 63-year old victim went down into three to four feet of water around 3:35pm on Wednesday, but then didn’t resurface. They jumped in to try to save him, along with receiving aid from from the Coast Guard, Okaloosa Island and Destin firefighters, as well as EMS.

• According to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the victim was transported to the HCA Fort Walton Beach – Destin Hospital where he was pronounced dead.