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Report: Men have no mechanical tools, but do have spice

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NICEVILLE - Two men were arrested for possessing a controlled substance without a prescription after they were stopped for a traffic infraction and lawmen found spice in their car.

On Dec. 28 a Niceville Police officer saw a car driven by Maxwell Edward Ryals, 58, of Niceville, make an improper lane change at an intersection and pulled him over.

A records check indicated Ryals' license was restricted to work driving only. Ryals allegedly told the officer he was picking up a car part for a friend, 32-year-old James Edwin Chadwick, who was paying him, and they were headed back to fix Chadwick's car.

The officer searched the car and found woodworking tools, but no mechanical tools. Ryals was arrested.

During a second search of the car the officer found a bag of Green Lotus Spice in the glove box.

Ryals was charged with violating a driver's license restriction and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. Chadwick was charged with possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.

Their court dates are Feb. 12.


Man accused of stabbing man with boxcutter

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FORT WALTON BEACH - An argument between two men resulted in one stabbing the other with a boxcutter knife, lawmen say.

On Jan. 5 the two got into an argument at a Navy Street address, according to an Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office arrest report.

The defendant, Arnold William Bonilla-Gonzalez, 26, no address listed, received a blow to the right eye and responded by stabbing his attacker in the abdomen with a small boxcutter-style knife.

The victim had to be airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola.

Bonilla-Gonzalez was charged felony level aggravated battery and will report to court on Feb. 26.

Woman has meth, meth-making equipment in her truck

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FORT WALTON BEACH - A woman was arrested after an Okaloosa County Sheriff's deputy searched her truck and found methamphetamines, according to an arrest report.

On Jan. 5 the woman was spotted at the Gap Creek Center on Beal Parkway and consented to a search of the truck she was in. The deputy found a small blue plastic container that held methamphetamines in the woman's pocket, and a small red container with methamphetamines in the driver's seat.

The woman, 25-year-old Victoria Lynn Patton, no address listed, said items used in the manufacture of meth were located in the truck.

Members of the Multi-Agency Drug Task Force arrived and found a suspected one-pot meth cook, an HCI gas generator, solvent, lithium batteries, amonium nitrate, lye, coffee filters and aluminum foil. 

Patton was charged with amphetamine distribution Schedule II or III or IV, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, and possessing listed chemicals with the intent of manufacturing controlled substances.

Her court date is Feb. 26.

'I do things from my heart'

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FORT WALTON BEACH — Julie Nutter changes flat tires, chases runaway dogs and brings food to the hungry — but none of those tasks is in her job description.

The Southern Express 16 manager has been deemed a Good Samaritan by customers and co-workers.

“(Being recognized) is strange to me because I do things from my heart — not to get noticed,” Nutter said.

Nutter’s co-worker, Donna Wiley, recalls the time Nutter drove an older woman home after she had driven an unfamiliar route and come into the store, lost. She also can tell you about the time an elderly man on oxygen came into the store and asked for someone to call roadside assistance for a flat tire. While Wiley was on the phone, though, Nutter took action.

“Julie jumps up and she says, ‘I got this,’ and she came out here and changed those people’s tire for them,” Wiley said. “She’s a fun person to work with.”

Nutter says she only does what she thinks is right.

“How many people passed them and didn’t help?” Nutter asked.

She said she thinks people should do things from their heart and more people need to do what they think is right. People claiming they don’t have time to stop and help is not enough as far as Nutter is concerned.

David Crawford, another co-worker, said Nutter takes every customer’s request seriously and works hard to communicate with every person who comes into the store.

“What would it look like if everybody did that?” he said. “It would be a better world to live in, that’s for sure.”

 

Editor's Note: This series recognizes people who make a difference in their communities.  To nominate someone, call Wendy Victora at 315-4478 or email wvictora@nwfdailynews.com

OASIS still facing funding crisis

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FORT WALTON BEACH — Supporters have pledged more than $20,000 in donations to the struggling Okaloosa AIDS Support and Informational Service.

The agency, which has served local AIDS and HIV patients since 1991, announced Dec. 24 that dwindling revenue might force it to close in the coming months.

The community’s response was a welcome surprise, said Butch McKay, executive director of the organization.

“It felt good. It was encouraging,” he said. “I’m a lot more hopeful than I was on Christmas Eve.”

Since going public with its funding woes, OASIS has received about $6,000 in small, private donations as well as a $10,000 commitment from an anonymous donor in Tallahassee.

The organization also received a pledge for $5,000 from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, a national and international AIDS outreach group that has a location in Pensacola.

“Then we’ve got another $25,000 in additional prevention funds from the state (Department of Health),” McKay said. “So that’s going to help.”

OASIS also closed one of its two Pensacola offices and eliminated two positions.

OASIS assists people living with HIV and AIDS with medications, treatments, insurance challenges and counseling. In 2012, OASIS provided more than 900 free HIV tests and helped more than 200 people manage their HIV/AIDS diagnosis.

OASIS also hosts the annual Positive Living Conference, which is considered the oldest and largest conference for HIV-positive people in the nation. The event draws participants from across the nation.

The organizers of the conference learned of OASIS’ funding situation and also decided to help out.

“They’re going to start doing little fundraisers all over the country with people who usually attend the conference,” said McKay, who has been talking with supporters in Alabama, Tennessee, Texas and other parts of Florida.

The conference, which is usually held in March, has been moved to September, he added.

 OASIS also has received money from the  Red Ribbon Foundation to pay a consulting firm to help reorganize the nonprofit’s administrative structure.

McKay said OASIS lost a large piece of its funding when the federal government decreased the revenue going to smaller, more rural communities.

“When the national AIDS strategy came out, it really hurt rural communities because there were no new pots of money,” he said. “They just did this redistribution where they put most of the money into primarily your major cities.”

OASIS immediately saw its operating revenue drop by $208,000 a year, McKay said.

“And our caseload hasn’t dropped any,” he said. “We’re doing a good job of serving our clients; it’s just more difficult when you don’t have the funds to do it.”

 

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Kari C. Barlow at 850-315-4438 or kbarlow@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KariBnwfdn.

 

 

Parade celebrates the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

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FORT WALTON BEACH —Elaine Anderson can still remember hearing the voice of Martin Luther King Jr. on her television. She still recalls how she felt in 1969 when she was integrated into an all-white school.

She still remembers the reason she celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day each year.

“It was tough growing up in that time,” Anderson said with one of King’s speeches playing in the background as she made her way to the annual parade in his honor. “It’s amazing how far we’ve come. That’s why it’s such an honor to be a part of this. It’s important for us to move forward, but we still should remember what he and others did.”

The streets were filled early Monday morning as crowds marched through Fort Walton Beach from the municipal building to Fort Walton Beach High School. Along the way, marchers waved, threw candy and even hugged those standing on the sidelines.

Click here to see a slideshow of the parade »

Shantone Davenport drove from Navarre to bring her three young children to the parade.

“It’s important that I teach them about Martin Luther King and the history of what he did for us as a people,” Davenport said as she pushed her youngest, 1-year-old Joey, in a stroller, and watched her daughters eyeing the colorful parade as it made its way down Miracle Strip Parkway.

Davenport’s middle daughter, 5-year-old Mariah, said parades are fun but added there was something special about Monday’s event.

“You get candy and beads and things and we get to know about the King,” Mariah said, smiling.

Tommye Walker, chair of the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, said this year’s attendance is on par with previous years, despite conflicting with the presidential inauguration.

Walker said the parade is to celebrate the legacy of a great man and to help younger generations understand the importance of King’s dedication to ending segregation.

“He was a man who did some outstanding things when it came to equal rights and opportunities,” Walker said. “As a young man growing up in Mississippi, we did see him on the TV all the other things he was doing.

“Back then I never could have imagined we would be celebrating him like this today, but there was hope of one day seeing this.”

 

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Angel McCurdy at 850-315-4432 or amccurdy@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @AngelMnwfdn.

Daily News editor selected to serve on state arts council

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FORT WALTON BEACH— The entertainment editor at the Daily News will help encourage arts appreciation on a whole new level beginning in March.

Brenda Shoffner was appointed Friday by Sen. Don Gaetz to serve on the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, which was established to support and promote artistic and cultural programs in the state.

 “This came as a complete surprise,” Shoffner said. “I’m really grateful to Senator Gaetz for giving me this opportunity to take my service to the arts community to the next level.”

Gaetz said he was allowed to select four people to join the 15-person council as the president of the Senate and knew immediately he would ask Shoffner to be one of them.

Read the letter about her appointment »

“She’s the first person I thought of,” he said. “There are a lot of people who are advocates for one particular (arts) organization … the advantage that Brenda Shoffner brings to the arts council is that she is an advocate for the arts in the broadest sense.”

The Niceville resident said he’s always enjoyed reading Shoffner’s columns in Showcase, a weekly arts and entertainment magazine in the Daily News. Shoffner has overseen the publication since the early 1990s, and Gaetz said he knew skills she honed on the job would be invaluable in the new role.

“The purpose of the arts council is to make decisions about which organization gets arts funding, and as a journalist Brenda is able to look at all of the facts and all of the contingencies … and make a more unbiased recommendation for funding,” he said.

Shoffner, who has held a variety of positions at the newspaper, said she’s always had a passion for the arts and looks forward to helping advance it statewide.

“It enriches everyone’s life from the performer to the observers,” she said. “It provides depth to our experience.”

Throughout her childhood she dabbled in a variety of artistic ventures, she said.

In sixth grade she co-wrote and acted in a play, and in seventh grade she did a little more acting before giving that up to focus more on playwriting and poetry.

While those are her personal strong suits, Shoffner said she welcomes opportunities to explore and experience all art forms.

 “I like everything — I like painting. I like plays. I like music,” she said, and added with a laugh, “I’m an easy audience; I always say that about myself.”

Shoffner will hold her position on the council for two years and will attend her first meeting on March 21 in Tallahassee.  

 

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Katie Tammen at 850-315-4440 or ktammen@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KatieTnwfdn.

Walton commissioners may choose county administrator on Tuesday

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The last time Walton County commissioners selected a county administrator, their pick made it just over a year before being shown the door.

 On Tuesday the county commission will try again, and its staff has recommended changes in the way the selection process is handled.

Those alterations will be debated and voted on before the actual decision is made regarding who will replace ousted former administrator Greg Kisela.

Commissioner Cindy Meadows, for one, isn’t sure she likes the selection process the staff has come up with. And County Commission chairman Ken Pridgen said, ultimately, it will be the elected officials who decide how best to choose their new administrator.

“They can decide to vote however they want to do it,” Pridgen said.

The new selection procedure would have each of the five county commissioners choose their top candidate for the administrator’s job, according to a draft version sent out Jan. 15 by assistant county administrator Dede Hinote.

Read tax association email on voting change »

 If, on the first ballot, one candidate receives three or more votes, the board would be asked to select that candidate to receive an offer for the position.

“If no candidate receives three or more votes, then another vote will need to occur,” Hinote said in her email, “with the candidate with the least number of votes not considered.”

The process will be repeated until there is a single candidate with three votes, according to the Hinote email.

Meadows requested the voting instructions county commissioners would receive Tuesday.

“You can’t take anything for granted,” she said. “I want to know before I go in what’s going to happen.”

She said she was surprised by the way the selection process had been altered.

“I thought we were going to rank the top three choices,” she said. “Then if our top choice doesn’t take the job for some reason we would have a number two.”

When Kisela was selected in 2011, the four candidates were ranked and the candidate receiving the most votes was offered the job.

This year, the candidates include two Walton County residents and four men with county government experience in other Florida communities.

lGeorge “Parrish” Barwick has been the county coordinator for Jefferson County since last July.

lLyndon Bonner was city manager for North Miami Beach from 2011 until his contract expired last September.

lTed Lakey has been county administrator for Jackson County since 2003.  

lRobert Halfhill has been public works director for Charlotte County since 2009.

lWalton County resident Larry Jones spent 12 years on the County Commission and worked as a governmental liaison for Waste Management.

lWalton County resident Corey Godwin has served as Walton County’s chief deputy tax collector since Jan. 4, 2005.

Both Meadows and Pridgen said they were encouraged by the quality of the candidate pool from which they will select their next county commissioner.

“It’s going to be a difficult decision. We have some people who are really qualified,” Meadows said. “I was impressed by their knowledge and their time spent in county government.” 

 

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Tom McLaughlin at 850-315-4435 or tmclaughlin@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomMnwfdn.


FWB Council to discuss Landmark Center

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FORT WALTON BEACH —The developers of the upscale Landmark Center might have their last chance to seek approval for the project at today’s City Council meeting, and already it’s off to a bad start.

Ft. Walton Development Partners, the company behind the proposed mixed-use project planned for the intersection of Perry Avenue and U.S. Highway 98, will ask the City Council to approve a new development agreement that would allow the project to move toward construction.

The Landmark Center discussion will be a quasi-judicial hearing, which is similar to a court case with opening statements, questions and closing statements.

City staff is recommending the City Council not approve the agreement.

“After a complete review of the submitted Development Agreement, all related documents, and applicable laws, Staff finds that the Development Agreement as submitted is not consistent with the conditions of the approved Development Order,” city staff wrote.

“Staff further finds that the proposed Development Agreement requires the City to pledge CRA revenue that may or may not be available at times required in the Development Agreement.”

Read the proposed development agreement »

The City Council does not have to follow the city staff’s recommendation. If it decides to move forward with the development agreement, the issue would come back to the council for a second and final quasi-judicial hearing next month.

Based on the original development order from August 2007, the city would lease land to the developers to build a parking garage with a minimum of 343 spaces. The city would later purchase the parking garage for $3.66 million but allow the developers to retain exclusive use of 36 parking spaces. The city would have the authority to decide if it wanted to charge users to park there.

However, the application for a new development agreement asks the city to transfer the city-owned land needed for the parking garage to the developers. The land has an estimated value of $80,683, but a final appraisal would have to be completed before the land could be turned over.

Ft. Walton Development Partners also proposes that the city lease 220 parking spaces from the garage for a 30-year period at a cost of $4 million, to be paid over eight years, as well as pay a portion of the utilities, taxes, insurance, management and security fees for the parking garage during the 30-year lease.

The Landmark Center is a 122,000-square-foot mixed-use project that would include 90 hotel rooms, 15 corporate apartments, a swimming pool, 31,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space, and a 343-space parking garage.

Today’s meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Fort Walton Beach City Hall.

 

Contact Daily News Business Editor Dusty Ricketts at 850-315-4448 or dricketts@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @DustyRnwfdn.

UPDATE: Woman still missing, car found on bridge

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NICEVILLE — As of Tuesday morning, the 60-year-old woman reported missing has not be found and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help in locating her.

Shigeko M. Freeman was last seen at her home at 10:30 p.m. Jan. 5, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

Her 2002 red Honda sedan was found early Jan. 6 in the northbound lane of Mid-Bay Bridge with its emergency lights activated, according to a news release.

The car was not broken down. Inside was a note to call 911, her identification and her husband’s phone number, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The Coast Guard, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and Sheriff’s Office have searched the Choctawhatchee Bay to no avail. They will continue searching as weather permits, said Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Michele Nicholson.

Freeman is 4 feet, 10 inches tall, about 106 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with any information can contact Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers anonymously at 863-TIPS (8477), online at www.emeraldcoastcrimestoppers.com.comor text TIP214 plus your message to C-R-I-M-E-S (274637).

 

Daily News Staff Writer Lauren Delgado can be reached at 850-315-4445 or ldelgado@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @LaurenDnwfdn.

School bus involved in morning wreck

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MILTON — A school bus with students on board was involved in a wreck Tuesday morning on Interstate 10.

Frances L. Davis was driving a 1995 Honda Accord heading eastbound on I-10 just before Ward Basin Road, according to the Florida Highway Patrol press release.

Davis told officials she became distracted by a cup of coffee, causing her to rear end a 2010 Collins school bus, the release said. At the time, the school bus driven by 47-year-old Bobbie T. Green of Milton was headed to Capstone Academy in Milton.

The bus had six students on it at the time of the crash. No one on the bus was injured.

Davis, 61, suffered minor injuries, but the Pensacola woman was not taken anywhere for treatment.

The wreck caused $10,000 in damages to Davis vehicle and an estimated $2,000 in damages.

Davis was cited with careless driving.

Seaside School could add elementary, high school grades

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SEASIDE — High school students in Walton County soon might have another educational option.

Seaside Neighborhood School is considering adding grades 10, 11 and 12,according to Cathy Brubaker, director of program development for the charter school.

“Each year our parents always ask us to add a high school, but we’ve never felt like we could do it financially,” she said. “(But now) it’s all moving quickly and positively. I feel really good about it.”

The school now has sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth grades.

If all goes according to plan, Seaside would open a collegiate high school in August with grades nine and 10. Eleventh and 12th grades would be added the following two years, she said.

Assuming the Seaside School Board gives the concept the green light, Northwest Florida State College tentatively has agreed to lease classrooms at its South Walton campus for the new school.

Northwest Florida State President Ty Handy said he has been speaking with Seaside School officials since last fall about the proposal, and a draft lease agreement exists.

Right now, the college is using only about five classrooms during the day at its campus on U.S. Highway 331 just north of U.S. Highway 98, so leasing some others to Seaside doesn’t look to be a big issue. Most college classes are held at the campus in the evening, Tandy said.

When all is said and done, each grade level would have 40 students, Brubaker said.

Ideally, freshmen and sophomores will be able to take advanced placement courses offered at nearby South Walton High School. Juniors and seniors would be provided transportation to Northwest Florida State’s main campus in Niceville to take college courses.

Brubaker said Seaside School also hopes to forge relationships with other universities and colleges across Florida to provide special summer educational programs.

“We feel like we could really do something different where we have everybody working together,” Brubaker said. “I’m just really excited about the possibilities.”

Students now enrolled at Seaside seem equally enthusiastic, she said.

In a recent survey, more than 90 percent of the school’s 133 students said they would attend the proposed high school.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for kids who are focused” academically, Brubaker said.  “(And) I think there’s going to be more and more needs for educational opportunities in Walton (County).”

In addition to the high school grades, Seaside also is considering adding kindergarten through fifth grades.

Those grades would be established at another campus in about two years, and would keep the small class sizes the school is known for, Brubaker said.

Seaside Neighborhood School opened in 1996 and operated out of trailers with donated supplies and furniture.  The existing school was built after residents opted to give it money Seaside received from the movie “The Truman Show” being filmed there.

The Seaside School Board is set to vote Thursday on whether or not to go forward with the additional grades, Brubaker said.

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Katie Tammen at 850-315-4440 or ktammen@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KatieTnwfdn.

Charlotte official first choice for Walton County administrator

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DeFUNIAK SPRINGS — Robert Halfhill, the public works director for Charlotte County, is Walton County’s first choice to serve as county administrator.

Halfhill, a retired Marine who worked in Escambia County, has been in his current job since 2009. He was the last of six candidates standing when the County Commission wrapped up a selection process it made up as it went along.

“I didn’t think it went very smoothly,” Commissioner Cindy Meadows said after the decision to hire Halfhill. “The idea of quibbling over how we were going to do it was kind of cumbersome. I kind of think that should have been decided at another meeting.”

Meadows, who had Halfhill first on her list of applicants, said, “I liked everything about him.”

“I really liked Mr. Halfhill’s experience, qualifications and personality,” she said. “We’re getting somebody from outside who is familiar with the area. I look forward to working with him.”

It took three elimination votes and one more for the commission to decide to negotiate a contract with Halfhill.

Ted Lakey, county administrator for Jackson County, was the commission’s second choice. Officials will meet with him if they cannot reach a deal with Halfhill.

Former Walton County Commissioner Larry Jones was the third choice.

Commissioner Bill Chapman, who favored Lakey, said the commission could not have gone wrong with any of the six candidates.

“All six applicants were good,” he said. “All brought something new or different to the table for consideration. All of them could probably step in. I was looking for a background in economic development.”

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Tom McLaughlin at 850-315-4435 or tmclaughlin@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomMnwfdn.

Jay Odom indicted for campaign contribution violations

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A federal grand jury has indicted developer and Destin resident Jay Odom on two counts of violating campaign contribution laws.

Odom is charged with “providing campaign contributions in the name of another” and “causing another to make a false statement to the Federal Election Commission,” according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

He has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial March 4 in U.S. District Court in Pensacola, the news release said.

Odom did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

He faces a maximum of seven years in prison if convicted on both counts.

Charging documents state that in December 2007 Odom used employees, their family members and associates to funnel thousands of dollars of his money into the campaign of “Federal candidate A, a candidate for President of the United States.”

The candidate was not named in the indictment. 

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Tom McLaughlin at 850-315-4435 or tmclaughlin@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomMnwfdn.

Man's elbow to woman's face gets him arrested

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CRESTVIEW - A Holt man faces a battery charge after he allegedly elbowed his ex-girlfriend in the face.

On Jan. 7 the man was moving out of the girl's mother's residence after they ended their six-month relationship. 

The girl told an Okaloosa County Sheriff's deputy her ex was moving items that did not belong to him, so she offered to help so the property wouldn't be damaged. 

At that point he intentionally swung his elbow back and struck her in the face, she said.

The woman's mother and grandmother corroborated the story.

The man's court date is Jan. 29.


Lawmen believe son, not Christmas decorations, caused woman's black eye

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DESTIN - A 20-year-old man was arrested after he allegedly struck his mother in the eye, lawmen say.

On Jan. 7 a deputy went to a Paradise Isle residence to check out a report of a disturbance. He encountered a husband and wife, who said they'd been arguing. The deputy noticed the woman had a bruised eye and asked what had happened. She told him a box of Christmas decorations fell on her face.

But the deputy later learned the woman and her son had been arguing two or three days ago and during the argument, he struck her in the face.

The son said he threw a shoe at his mother, striking her in the face.

He was arrested for battery and has a Jan. 29 court date.

Woman 'prodding' at dad with knife gets her a trip to jail

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NICEVILLE - A woman who was angry because her father wouldn't let her see her boyfriend was charged with battery after she threatened her father with a butcher knife, according to an arrest report.

On Jan. 6 the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office was summoned to a Capri Cove residence about a family disturbance.

A man at the residence said his 27-year-old daughter entered his room and asked to go to her boyfriend's house. When he said no, his daughter became irate and started arguing with him.

During the argument the daughter picked up a knife and began "prodding the knife towards him," the deputy wrote in the arrest report.

The man grabbed the knife and took it away from her, receiving a small cut in the process.

A witness said the daughter began "screaming violently and went to the kitchen to get a butcher knife. She began "prodding" toward her father's torso, the deputy wrote.

The daughter said she was struck by her father, four times in the stomach and five times in the face. The deputy didn't  see any injuries.

She was charged with aggravated assault. Her court date is Feb. 26.

Santa Rosa approves arena (DOCUMENT)

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MILTON — After years of planning and months of discussion, Santa Rosa County Commissioner Bob Cole did not want to wait two days a covered arena in his district to be approved.

After a 40-minute discussion Tuesday that included comments from the public and Escambia County officials, county commissioners voted 3-2 to approved a contract with A.E. New Jr. Inc. to build the arena.

“I think most of my questions have been answered,” Commissioner Don Salter said. “I’ve heard a lot over the last week or two from the agricultural community in the north end of the county … I’m going to support the project and I just hope it does everything that it’s supposed to do.”

See details about the bids. >>

Commissioners Jim Williamson and Jim Melvin voted no. Melvin said his decision was based on concerns he still has about the ongoing insurance cost associated with the arena.

The vote at Tuesday’s meeting was unusual. The commission usually meets twice a week every other week. The first meeting of the week on Tuesday usually consists of discussions and questions. The board then votes at its Thursday meetings.

Cole said the arena has been discussed enough over the years and in recent months, and he wanted the vote taken while dozens of supporters were in the audience.

The at the intersection of U.S. Highway 90 and Bobby Brown Road would feature a 200-foot-by-300-foot covered pavilion, a judges’ booth, meeting room and restrooms.

Commissioners took two additional votes on the arena Tuesday. They voted unanimously to rename the facility the June Ates Arena.

The Ates family has lived in Santa Rosa County for generations, and June Ates has been very active in promoting equestrian activities even after she was severely injured when a tree fell on her years ago.

The board also voted to hold a large ribbon-cutting event after the arena is completed to bring in community groups to see it.

The audience applauded loudly after the final vote on the arena.

Plans started in 2003, but were disrupted following the hurricanes in 2004 and 2005. The project was restarted in 2009.

Cole started saving money through his District 2 recreation funds for the project back in 2003. With the project approved Tuesday, Cole hopes construction can start on the $1.2 million arena in about 30 days.

Possible uses include gun shows, car shows, food festivals, bluegrass music festivals, farm shows, heavy equipment shows, short-term disaster recovery, 4H events and competitions, truck or tractor pulls and archery competitions.

Contact Daily News Business Editor Dusty Ricketts at 850-315-4448 or dricketts@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @DustyRnwfdn.

Okaloosa approves extra funding for deputies (SLIDESHOW)

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FORT WALTON BEACH — Okaloosa County commissioners have agreed to help Sheriff Larry Ashley fill vacancies created when he pulled 26 deputies from other units and placed them in local elementary schools.

The board voted unanimously Tuesday to provide the Sheriff’s Office with up to $44,200 on a month-to-month basis as needed. As he fills the slots, Ashley must formally request the money, which will be pulled from the county’s general fund reserves.

Ashley placed deputies in every school following the Dec. 14 shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

See a photo gallery of a resource officer on duty. >>

On Jan. 8, Ashley requested that commissioners contribute $265,000 — or at least commit to the idea of the funding — to help replenish the force.

The request initially rankled a few commissioners, who labeled it a knee-jerk and costly decision. On Tuesday, only Commission Chairman Don Amunds and Commissioner Dave Parisot continued to question the need for the funding.

Commissioner Kelly Windes said it was risky to operate the Sheriff’s Office with fewer deputies on the street.

“I agree with the sheriff,” Windes said. “My concern is partly the void on the street that we’re creating when we take these officers and put them in the schools. We can’t let the whole suffer because of the special needs that have just come up.”

Windes said “the stakes are too high” for the county not to make the funding of school resource officers a priority.

Commissioner Wayne Harris agreed, adding that “public safety and security is paramount.”

Parisot questioned whether the Sheriff’s Office must fill every position it has vacated. He suggested it could do without a marine unit or operate with reduced courthouse security.

He also noted that county reserves had been decreased “well below” his comfort level and that Okaloosa might need the reserves to get through a weather emergency.

Although Parisot wanted the board to take more time to study the issue, he eventually agreed to provide Ashley with up to $44,200 as needed on a monthly basis.

Ashley told commissioners he is in the best position to know how many deputies he needs to protect the county.

“It gets down to, ‘Do you trust me?’ ” he said. “Do you trust me to give you the right numbers? I know the previous sheriff has certainly made our county a very difficult place to operate.”

Ashley said all the units from which he pulled deputies are essential services. Because of the manpower shift, the Sheriff’s Office is operating without a street crimes unit, beach and marine patrol and a traffic enforcement unit. The areas of civil processing, court security, and detention and booking have been significantly reduced.

Keeping deputies in all of the district’s schools will cost an estimated $3.5 million a year.

Commissioners agreed that would be a main point of discussion during 2014 budget deliberations in the spring and summer.

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Kari Barlow at 850-315-4438 or kbarlow@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KariBnwfdn.

Man arrested after impregnating 13-year-old

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DeFuniak Springs - A 19-year-old man has been arrested after a 13-year-old girl gave birth to his child, according to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.

The girl gave birth to the child in June 2012, according to the man’s arrest report. A paternity test taken in October 2012 identified Alexander Morgan Girvin of Hollywood, Ala., as the father.

He was charged Monday with the lewd or lascivious battery on a victim between 12 to 16 years old. He was released from Walton County Jail on $10,000 bond.

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