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Arson suspect arrested Friday

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SEAGROVE BEACH - A 19-year-old DeFuniak Springs man was arrested Friday after Walton County sheriff’s deputies say he set fire to his ex-girlfriend’s family’s home in Seagrove Beach on Jan. 7.

Angus Bishop Anderson admitted to lighting the fire at the home on San Pedro Avenue after he was questioned by deputies, according to news release from the Sheriff’s Office.

He was charged with arson, burglary, grand theft and criminal mischief, and taken to the county jail.


Three arrested after meth lab found

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DEFUNIAK SPRINGS - Three people have been charged after deputies found a methamphetamine lab in a home on Cat Island Road on Friday, according to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies found meth being cooked, 200 grams of meth oil, a few grams of finished meth, a small amount of marijuana and items used to cook and take the drugs, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

Rachel Beth Parker, 27,  Ryan Marshall Phillips, 38,  and David Peterson, 54, were charged with manufacturing methamphetamine, trafficking methamphetamine in excess of 200 grams, possession of less than 200 grams of marijuana and possession of narcotics equipment.

They were taken to Walton County Jail. Bond had not been set yet as of Saturday.

Boats to be used for jet targeting in bay

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EGLIN AFB - Eglin Air Force Base will deploy boats in Choctawhatchee Bay again this week to conduct tests.

The 96th Operations Group’s 53rd Wing’s Weapon System Evaluation Program will place boats between the Mid-Bay Bridge and the Clyde B. Wells Bridge to serve as visual targets for F-15 and F-16s, according to a news release from the base. No weapons will be fired during the training. 

Similar missions also will be conducted in the Gulf of Mexico just south of Destin.

The tests will be between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day.

A similar mission was conducted last week.

Sewer work to close Rocky Bayou Drive

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NICEVILLE - Rocky Bayou Drive will be closed intermittently Wednesday and Thursday while a sewer line is laid in the area.

The closures will be from 10 p.m. to about 4 a.m. both days, according to the Okaloosa County Water and Sewer Department.

The work schedule depends on the weather.

Man found hiding under bush

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After a series of calls reporting a suspicious man outside a number of homes in a Crestview neighborhood, a Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office deputy found the man hiding under a bush, according to a Sheriff's arrest report.

The man was seen on a woman's front porch, in a man's backyard, and running between two homes.

The man told the deputy he was out jogging when he heard people yelling so he ran, his arrest report stated. He could not explain why he was hiding.

He was charged with loitering and prowling.

Man with suspended license tries to switch seats when caught

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A man who did not have a valid driver's license to trick an Niceville police officer by switching seats with his passenger was instead arrested, along with the passenger on Feb. 2, according to his arrest report.

The officer watched the man, who he's dealt with before, driving east on State Road 20, and was advised by dispatch the man still had a suspended license, the arrest report said. The man pulled over at a gas station and after a minute, came out of the passenger side of the vehicle. He told the officer his female companion had been driving.

After the officer asked him to be honest, the man admitted to the switch, the arrest report said..

The pair admitted to having straws to snort drugs and needles in the vehicle. According to the arrest report, the officer also found a prescription drug in the vehicle.

Both were charged with a traffic violation, possessing a controlled substance without a prescription, and possession or use of drug equipment.

 

Laurel Hill requests county’s help to repair two roads

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LAUREL HILL— The City Council will ask Okaloosa County for help to repave portions of Sunnyside Avenue and Steel Mill Creek Road.

Councilman Larry Hendren announced last week that the county responded favorably to his letter requesting road repair assistance.

“The county said the letter was fine with them, with the exception that they wanted us to add specific streets for the fiscal year,” Hendren said. “Then every year after that we simply redo the letter simply by adding different streets.”

Laurel Hill has proposed that it will cover the cost of materials while the county provides equipment and labor.

Sunnyside Avenue from State Road 85 to Third Street was the first road requested for repairs. The council then agreed to add a portion of Steel Mill Creek Road.

The council last month discussed using $83,000 from a reserve fund for the work.

Council members also voted last week to advertise for proposals from engineers to help write a request for a $600,000 Community Development Block Grant to be used for road repairs.

The city lost out on the grant last year.

Finalists for the job will make presentations to the council April 4.

In other business, the council voted to change its meeting to 6 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month. The council had been meeting on the first Tuesday.
 

Crestview News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown can be reached at 850-682-6524 or matthewb@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbMatthew.

Okaloosa to bid on water, wastewater contract for Eglin

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Okaloosa County’s Water and Sewer Department is seeking to win a 50-year contract to operate the water distribution and wastewater collection systems at Eglin Air Force Base.

County commissioners last week approved submitting the bid by the Feb. 19 deadline.

“This is probably the most massive, most complex project I’ve been involved with,” Water and Sewer Director Jeff Littrell told the board.

Littrell and his staff are working with Constantine Engineering and Environmental Services Group to draft the proposal.

Okaloosa already handles wastewater treatment for Eglin. 

Still, the scope of the latest proposal is huge, and is expected to come with multiple volumes of documents.

“Eglin Air Force Base is a very large base. It occupies a lot of land,” Littrell said.

If it wins the contract over other bidders, the county would provide water and wastewater service to the main base, Santa Rosa Island, Duke Field, Camp Rudder, the Poquito Bayou Housing Area, Camp Pinchot, the Gunter Recreation Area on White Point Road, the Army 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and numerous test sites and ranges.

The water system would include more than 652,000 feet of pipe, 747 fire hydrants, 82 water wells and 17 elevated tanks.

The wastewater collection system would include more than 398,000 feet of pipe, 1,058 manholes and 83 pumping stations.

Littrell said his department will submit three proposals — one to provide water distribution, one to provide wastewater collection and a third to provide both services.

County Commissioner Nathan Boyles praised Littrell’s team for its work on the proposal.

“I really see you guys looking big picture, and I appreciate that … You’re ultimately saving our rate payers down the road.”

Commissioner Kelly Windes agreed. He said he initially was “worried about the largeness” of the project but was reassured after speaking with the project engineers.

Commission Chairman Don Amunds said he likes the economic development aspect.

“It’s back to creating jobs and it’s a public-private partnership,” he said. “I think this is a step in the right direction.”
 

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


Forum will allow voters to compare candidates

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CRESTVIEW— Candidates for city clerk and three council seats will take prepared questions from residents at a political forum before the March 12 election.

The hopefuls will meet at Warriors Hall on Feb. 26. A meet-and-greet begins at 5 p.m. followed by the forum from 6 to 8 p.m.

The event is sponsored by the Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce’s Government Issues Committee.

The News Bulletin in Crestview is accepting questions from residents to be put to the candidates. 

You may email questions to news@crestviewbulletin.com, or drop questions off in person or by mail at 705 Ashley Drive, Crestview, FL 32536-9231.

The deadline for submissions is Feb. 15.

Pets on Parade: Hundreds gather for Mardi Gras tradition (SLIDESHOW)

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SANDESTIN — People paraded through Baytowne Wharf Sunday afternoon to celebrate Mardi Gras, but the real stars of the show were the costumed, feathered and bejeweled dogs.

The 10th annual Mardi Gras Dog Parade drew hundreds of people to the village square. Proceeds benefited Alaqua Animal Refuge in Freeport.

Gracie, a tiny teacup dog, wore a tutu as she strutted by the judge's stand. Buster, a pug, was outfitted in a Mardi Gras cap and hat and feather boa.

This year's parade featured a football theme. Roux, a large brown long-haired mutt, donned a referee shirt and cap.

View a slideshow from the parade.

His owner, veterinarian Jami Swift, 35, had borrowed the clothes from her neighbor in Santa Rosa Beach. Swift and her husband, their children and her  parents walked in the parade. They've done it for the past six years.

"It's fun and it makes everyone smile," Swift said. "Everyone loves the dogs and its for a good cause."

She said her five-year-old daughter enjoyed handing out strands of beads to the crowd.

Layla, a large long-haired four-year-old white dog, wore an LSU jersey and walked with a group representing H.E.A.R.T. Animal Rescue in Niceville.

"She really enjoys it," said Layla's owner Kristal Roberts, 32 of Destin. "All the kids want to pet her; she loves it."

In addition to pets and floats the Bay City Brass Band marched in the parade, performing Professor Longhair's "Go to the Mardi Gras" and the hymn "When the Saints Go Marching In" among other songs of the season.

More than 45 groups entered the parade, a similar turnout to last year, said Lanier Motes, event manager for Baytowne Wharf.

Although entrants came from across Northwest Florida, she said Baytowne homeowners really get into the event and some have participated every year since it started.

"You see how elaborate and creative they get," she said.

Brody, a small white Westie, drove the float from parade entrants, Sandestin Bound.

The dog sat behind the steering wheel of a cardboard RV, about the size of a golf cart. The real conductor of the vehicle was hidden from sight.

The spectacle excited five-year-old Angelina Beck-Sterling, who stood along the parade route catching beads and stockpiling candy.

"Well, I saw a dog driving," she exclaimed. "It's really cool because I didn't even know dogs could drive!"

Angelina did know how to score loot from the passersby. She held up her small hand in a wave and called out to them: "Happy Mardi Gras! Happy Mardi Gras!"

People couldn't help but stop to adorn her with plastic jewels.

"You want this pretty purple one right here?" a man wearing another LSU jersey said to her. "Oh here, just have all of them."

Angelina and her mother, who grew up in Louisiana,  have come to the parade from Bluewater Bay for three years. 

They attend all the local Mardi Gras parades each year and on Fat Tuesday they always eat a King Cake, the traditional cinnamon-roll type cake that often has a small plastic baby baked inside. The person who gets the slice with the baby is said to have good luck for the next year.

This year Angelina's family will also attend the 11th annual Fat Tuesday parade at Baytowne Wharf. It starts at 5 p.m.

"We really get into Mardi Gras here," Motes said of Baytowne Wharf. "We have different groups of people that participate in Tuesday's parade. It's great to see what people come up with and to have such a community-supported event."
 

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Lauren Sage Reinlie at 850-315-4443 or lreinlie@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @LaurenRnwfdn.

Runway work at Destin Airport nears completion

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DESTIN — Runway 14-32 is closed to planes, but there is plenty of action at Destin Airport.

“We’ve got crews working 24 hours a day,” said project manager Heather Weigel, an aviation construction inspector with RS&H, an engineering service company. “It’s a mill and overlay project where between 1½ and 2 inches of the existing asphalt were removed for a full resurfacing of the runway.”

Crews have been working on the 5,000-foot long, 100-foot wide runway for about a month. Work began with a 9 p.m.-6 a.m. construction cycle before the runway was closed completely to air traffic Feb. 4.

Since then, the sky above Destin has been quiet as planes are rerouted to other airports in Northwest Florida.

As part of the roughly $5 million project, the airport’s electronic runway navigation system will see updates to the “hold short” taxiway signs and directional signs, as well as a complete replacement of the runway signs. Modern, cost-efficient LED lights will be installed.

The milling work took 12 hours last week. The runway now is being paved in 1,000-foot segments.

“Brand new pavement is always nice,” Weigel said. “It’s like having the road in front of your house paved; it’s a headache at first but you appreciate it when it’s done.”

Weigel said a typical airport runway, depending on the traffic, lasts 20 to 40 years. Destin’s has lived well beyond that; the work under way is the first major overhaul since it was built in 1963.

The runway is expected to reopen at 6 a.m. Tuesday. If the work hasn’t wrapped up by then, the job will be finished on an overnight schedule.

The right-hand northbound lane of Airport Road from Commons Drive and continuing about 1,500 feet will remain closed until 7 a.m. Tuesday while the contractor uses the lane to move trucks to and from the construction site.

Crews will also be back 30 days after the job is completed to put down permanent striping to replace temporary striping.

“We are doing everything we can to be ready for Tuesday’s opening,” Weigel said.
 

Destin Log Staff Writer Matt Algarin can be reached at 850-654-8446 or malgarin@thedestinlog.com. Follow him on Twitter @DestinLogMatt.

Woman stabbed twice Sunday at Sound Park

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FORT WALTON BEACH — Officers were called to Sound Park at 108 Miracle Strip Parkway SW on Sunday in reference to a stabbing.

Earnestine Allen told officials she was at Sound Park with Charles Ferribee II when the pair got into an argument, according to the Fort Walton Beach Police news release.

During the argument, Ferribee pulled out a knife and allegedly stabbed Allen twice, once on the left side of her face and again on the left side of her neck.

Allen was taken to Fort Walton Beach Medical Center Emergency Room by Okaloosa County EMS where she was treated for her injuries and later released.

Ferribee was located near the intersection of Miracle Strip Parkway and Cedar Avenue. He was arrested without incident and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

Ferribee was transported and released to the Okaloosa County Jail.

Pope resigning on Feb. 28, conclave in March

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VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI announced Monday he would resign Feb. 28, the first pontiff to do so in nearly 600 years. The decision sets the stage for a conclave to elect a new pope before the end of March.

The 85-year-old pope announced his decision in Latin during a meeting of Vatican cardinals Monday morning.

"After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths due to an advanced age are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry," he told the cardinals. "I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only by words and deeds but no less with prayer and suffering.

However, in today's world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of St. Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary — strengths which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately the ministry entrusted to me."

The last pope to resign was Pope Gregory XII, who stepped down in 1415 in a deal to end the Great Western Schism among competing papal claimants.

Benedict called his choice "a decision of great importance for the life of the church."

The move sets the stage for the Vatican to hold a conclave to elect a new pope by mid-March, since the traditional mourning time that would follow the death of a pope doesn't have to be observed.

There are several papal contenders in the wings, but no obvious front-runner as was the case when Benedict was elected pontiff in 2005 after the death of Pope John Paul II.

Eglin to use boats on bay for training

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Eglin Air Force Base will have a number of boats and aircraft out and about in the local area through February.

The 96th Operations Group’s 53rd Wing’s Weapon System Evaluation Program will be using about 30 boats as “visual targets” for F-15s and F-16s throughout the week, according to a news release from public affairs.

The boats will be in Choctawhatchee Bay between the Mid-Bay Bridge in Okaloosa County and the State Road 331 bridge in Walton County, the release stated.

Operations will be working in the Gulf of Mexico just south of Destin.

Testing will occur between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day.

Second-grader brings in grenade for show and tell

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SANTA ROSA BEACH — A bomb squad was called to a local elementary school Monday morning after a student brought a silver-painted grenade to class for show and tell.

The bomb squad confirmed what Bay Elementary School officials suspected — the grenade wasn’t live, according to Wendy Ammons with the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.

“The grenade had a huge hole in the bottom of it,” said Carlene Anderson, Walton County superintendent. “The school resource officer examined it and thought it was best we brought in experts.

“We do have to take all precautions and do it right by the book,” she said.

The second-grader had bought the grenade when he went to a gun show over the weekend with his parents.

They told him not to bring it to school, Anderson said.

After the boy showed his teacher, the principal was called to the classroom. She called the resource officer, who put the device in a Dumpster more than 50 feet from the building.

All outside activities were halted, although students were not evacuated. After examining the device, regular school activities resumed and the bomb squad took possession of the young boy’s grenade.

Dianne Hicks, Bay Elementary principal, said this is the first time since she’s been principal that an incident like this has occurred.

Anderson said the incident will not bring about any policy changes.

“We had a student who went against his parents’ wishes. It’s a one-time thing,” Anderson said.

“You don’t want to take a bucket of water to blow out a match. We’re not going to overreact.”
 

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


State orders audit of Okaloosa finances, clerk's office

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TALLAHASSEE — The state’s Joint Legislative Auditing Committee on Monday ordered a countywide audit of all Okaloosa County finances as well as an audit of the Clerk of Court’s Office.

The action came during a hearing in Tallahassee attended by four of Okaloosa County’s five commissioners as well as Clerk of Court Don Howard.

Commissioner Wayne Harris did not attend the hearing and will be subpoenaed to appear before the committee next week, members indicated. Also facing subpoenas are a majority of the county’s Tourist Development Council members, none of whom attended Monday’s hearing despite being requested to by the Auditing Committee.

Auditing Committee Chairman Sen. Joseph Abruzzo told the county that on Wednesday it would finalize a list of people who are to be subpoenaed to appear before the committee next week.

County Commission Chairman Don Amunds told the committee that four of the TDC members likely did not attend because they were asked by the county to resign Feb. 5 and are no longer on the council. 

Abruzzo, D-Wellington, said he was skeptical of the county’s timing and questioned why the board waited until last week to ask for the TDC members’ resignations.

“It seems like a deliberate attempt by your board to ensure they didn’t have to come up and (testify) today. … To me, it looks extremely disingenuous.” Abruzzo said.

Amunds disagreed.

“It was not a deliberate attempt at all,” he answered.

The audits of the county government and clerk’s office will be conducted by the state Auditor General’s Office, the same entity that documented mismanagement of millions of dollars in TDC bed taxes and BP oil spill grants. The Auditing Committee, composed of six state representatives and five senators, has direct oversight of the Auditor General’s Office.



The committee questioned County Administrator Jim Curry, Commission Chairman Don Amunds and Commissioner Dave Parisot about the misuse of the bed tax money and BP oil spill grants for more than two hours during Monday’s hearing. The county officials who spoke at the hearing were sworn in before they were questioned.


Two members of the Northwest Florida legislative delegation — Rep. Matt Gaetz and Rep. Doug Broxson — also attended the hearing and participated in the questioning.

Amunds summarized for the committee the timeline of events that have occurred in Okaloosa County since May 2012, when officials discovered the fraud scheme put in place by former TDC head Mark Bellinger. But his presentation, which included a list of policy changes commissioners have implemented in the past nine months, was interrupted by Abruzzo, who began taking questions from lawmakers.

Many of the committee members questioned county officials about which specific county employees and attorneys approved various expenditures, checks and other payments that later turned out to be illegal or unauthorized. They expressed surprise and frustration when Curry confirmed that no employees have been fired or suspended in connection with the fraud scandal.

“How could this happen? It’s just incomprehensible to me,” said Rep. Gayle B. Harrell, R-Stuart.

In response, Curry said there had been “a catastrophic failure of controls at all levels, across the board” within Okaloosa County government, allowing Bellinger’s fraud to take place.

Gaetz told the committee that the county’s response to the scandal — especially the corrective action plan it submitted to the auditor general — has been inadequate.

“It’s inadequate to the people in my community and to me as a legislator,” Gaetz said.

He said he and Okaloosa County residents have been left to wonder if the fraud is the result of “complete and utter incompetence” or if it indicates “criminal culpability.”

Abruzzo and other committee members said they wanted to understand the broader impact of the scandal on Okaloosa taxpayers.

“We would like to get an overall economic impact of what this cost the residents of Okaloosa County,” he said.

Gaetz questioned Amunds and Curry about the $1 million in promotional debit cards provided to the county by BP after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

“What human being made the decision to give Mr. Bellinger (the debit cards)?” he asked.

When Amunds referred the question to Curry, Gaetz said he found it “somewhat disconcerting” that Amunds didn’t have an answer.

Curry told the committee that he believed the Clerk of Court’s Office received the debit cards and gave them to Bellinger.

“That may have been the route,” he said.

Gaetz asked Amunds about a debit card that was provided to the Special Olympics as a prize for a golf tournament fundraiser. Amunds works part-time for the Special Olympics. He said he didn’t direct Bellinger to give the organization a debit card and didn’t find out about it until after the Sheriff’s Office began investigating Bellinger’s tenure at the TDC.

Gaetz also asked Amunds to explain what he thinks his responsibility should be in the fraud scandal.

Amunds said he and the rest of the board have a responsibility to “oversee Okaloosa County.”

“If you see an issue and you believe it’s wrong, you come up with an action plan, as we have done,” he said.

Abruzzo ended the committee meeting with a harsh rebuke of Okaloosa County leaders, telling them they had an obligation not to take advantage of the “national tragedy” that was the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of April 2010.

“What has occurred here is really a travesty,” Abruzzo said.
 

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

Locals react to news of pope’s resignation

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FORT WALTON BEACH — The small group of attendees to Monday morning’s Mass at Saint Mary Catholic Church said a special prayer for the next man to step into the role of pope.

Members of the Catholic church were stunned when the announcement of Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation was made. He is the first pope in 600 years to step down from the position.

“I was surprised when I heard the news,” said Elia Saxer. “I thought he was a good leader because he upheld the teachings of the Catholic church.”

Gloria Conrad said the announcement of the resignation was initially a shock, but she said Pope Benedict always had intentions of stepping down should he not be able to fulfill the duties of the pope.

“In many ways, I think it was wise,” Conrad said. “I hope the successor isn’t someone extremely conservative, but I don’t have anyone in particular in mind.”

Mass attendees on Monday morning said they trust the process to elect a successor to Pope Benedict XVI. The resignation will call for a conclave to elect a new pope by mid-March.

“I pray we will get a great successor. We need a person who is equipped to handle the position,” said Lancy Colaco. “What (God) does he does best, so we now pray for our Pope Benedict and his successor.”
 

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

Making a difference: In the business of customer service

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DESTIN — Officially, Dan Dean is in the dry cleaning business. But that’s not how he sees it.

Dean, whose family has been in the business for four generations, says he’s really in the business of customer service.

To that end, the owner of Destin Cleaners knows his customers by name and teaches his employees to do the same.  

“In a business where I’m going to see you once a week for the rest of your life, it makes me feel so much better when I know them by name,” he said. “It gives them a place.”

He also pays attention to the major events in his customers’ lives, tracking them through the clothes they bring in for cleaning.

“I know your kid’s just gone off for college. I know when someone dies in your family. I know when you have a major job interview,” he said. “Anybody can clean clothes and anybody can iron clothes. It’s the extras.”

For Bonnie Lang, those “extras” included help with her car, when one of the tires was indicating low pressure. She asked to borrow Dean’s tire pressure gauge. He came out, checked the air and sent her to a mechanic.

“Long story short, the care he showed for his mechanically illiterate customer was exemplary,” Lang said. “He not only does an excellent job cleaning clothes, but he is really nice as well.”

Dean was pleased that Lang appreciated his help but said it’s all really part of his job.

“Whatever they need,” he said. “It’s my job to make everybody happy.

“The golden rule is to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
 

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

FWBHS cheerleaders repeat national title

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Fort Walton Beach High School cheerleaders successfully defended their national title at a competition over the weekend.

The 29-person squad won the top spot in large non-tumbling division at the National High School Cheerleading Competition in Orlando after landing in second place at state competition a week ago.

“It’s an amazing feeling being back-to-back national champions,” said Jordyn Hoffmann, one of the team captains. “Being second (at the state competition) definitely helped up our game.”

The group was in first place against the 14 other teams after preliminaries and concluded six points above the next closest team in the division, Hoffmann said.

They also went on to win second place at a world championship competition against teams from Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica.

Hoffmann, who is graduating this year, said they had high hopes that the winning trend at nationals would continue.

“Definitely the third is going to be tough, but I think we can do it,” she said.

Choctawhatchee High School’s squad might not have won their division as they did at state last week, but Coach Hailey Buchanan said they were pleased with a third-place finish after placing seventh the previous year.

View photos of both teams »

Read more about the state competition »

“The kids were very, very excited,” Buchanan said. “The teams that we competed against were very good.”

The squad went up against 20 other co-ed teams in a new division this year. In spite of having far fewer males on their team than other squads, they were able to secure one of the top 10 spots in the finals, she said.

An imperfect routine landed them in third rather than first or second, but Buchanan said she was still proud of the team especially since it was only the second time they’d competed in a national co-ed division.  

“We were very unsure of how the competition was going to look when we actually got to nationals,” Buchanan said. “They really pulled through and made sure we did what we needed to do.”         
 

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

Walton likely to choose new administrator Tuesday

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The Walton County Commission will decide by vote Tuesday whether Charlotte County Public Works Director Robert Halfhill is to be Walton’s next county administrator.

“Mr. Halfhill has agreed to the contract offer” presented by a three-person committee appointed to negotiate with him, according to Dede Hinote, the county’s administrative services coordinator.

“We’re anticipating him reporting for duty March 1, if all goes well,” Hinote said.

Halfhill called his likely appointment “the pinnacle” of a career in government.

“I’ve been working for over 20 years to achieve this,” he said. “I’m really excited about the commission’s confidence in me and I’m ready to go to work.”

Halfhill, who served as an officer in the Marine Corps for 14 years, has been director of the Charlotte County Public Works Department since 2009, according to his résumé. In that role, he oversaw 140 people and controlled a $36 million budget.

Prior to his hiring in Charlotte County, the résumé said, Halfhill served as facilities management director and assistant public works director for the city of Miami Beach.

The job duties entailed supervision of more than 450 employees and “the maintenance and administration of over four million square feet of facilities,” the résumé said.

From 1999 until 2003, Halfhill worked in Escambia County.

He was the public works director from 1999 until 2001 and “had a taste” of county leadership when he served as interim county administrator from 2001 until 2003.

If the appointment is finalized, Halfhill said he intends to arrive in Walton County a few days ahead of his first work day to acclimate himself to the area, and on day one will begin meeting with department directors and commissioners.

“Then I’ll speak to people in adjacent agencies and make sure I know everybody involved in government in the area,” he said. “And then we’ll start administrating.”
 

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

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