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One killed in early morning crash

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CRESTVIEW - One person was killed and another was taken to a hospital in critical condition after a motorcycle crash early Saturday.

Brian Scott Overfield, 34, of Crestview, was driving north on Old Bethel Road about 2:50 a.m. when he lost control of his 1996 Harley-Davidson motorcycle, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The motorcycle hit a road sign and a utility pole before it overturned, the FHP reported.

Overfield’s passenger, 45-year-old Paula Ann Inman of Florala, Ala., was pronounced dead at North Okaloosa Medical Center in Crestview.

Overfield taken to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola in critical condition.

FHP was continuing to investigate the crash later Saturday.


Woman charged with theft, carrying stun gun

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FORT WALTON BEACH - A 35-year-old Fort Walton Beach woman is accused of taking items from Dollar General and then having a stun gun in her purse when she was caught.

A witness reported seeing Latonya Diane Moore take a dress, bracelet and deodorant from the store and put them in her purse, according to the arrest report. The witness said Moore then left, getting into a vehicle.

The witness gave Okaloosa County Sheriff's deputies a description of the vehicle, including the license plate number.

Deputies found the vehicle and performed a traffic stop, the report said. Moore allegedly admitted that she didn't have a license.

She said she'd taken the clothes because she didn't have a change of clothes and needed them, according to the report. A "Lava Stun taser" was found in her purse.

She is charged with felony petit theft as a third or subsequent offense, possession of a weapon by a convicted Florida felon and driving with a suspended license.

Her next scheduled court date is July 7.

Woman accused of taking relative's vehicle

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BAKER - A Baker woman is accused of taking a relative's vehicle from their garage without permission.

Okaloosa County Sheriff's deputies were called about the vehicle theft around 2 p.m. on May 18, according to the arrest report. The victim said that 47-year-old Pamela Brunson Dubose had taken her vehicle from her garage without permission.

The vehicle was equipped with Onstar and was located off of Possum Ridge Road in Crestview, the report said. Deputies found Dubose with the vehicle.

She admitted to taking the vehicle without permission, according to the report.

She is charged with felony grand theft of a vehicle.

Her next scheduled court date is July 7.

At odds over health care

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It’s a law that helped give rise to the Tea Party, spurred a Re-publican takeover of Congress and has been the subject of GOP-backed legal challenges that have gone all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

President Barack Obama’s health care reforms — commonly known as Obamacare — have roiled state and national politics for more than five years. Opposition to Obamacare has become a defining issue for Republicans, a test of how true party members are to conservative values.

So perhaps it was inevitable that a Senate plan to expand subsi-dized health insurance coverage for the state’s poor, an Obamacare-inspired concept, would divide a Republican-dominated Florida Legislature and cause the most heated legislative battle in decades.

“That’s the way to make it a bumper sticker issue, calling it Obamacare,” said state Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville.

Senators now find themselves at odds with the leadership of the state House and the governor. And in Gaetz’s particular case, he’s waging philosophical warfare against his own son, state Rep. Matt Gaetz.

“Gaetz family dinners have been tense,” Matt Gaetz said.

The problem for all of the Republicans is that Florida faces a major health care funding dilemma.

The federal money tied to coverage expansion would help make up for other federal health care dollars that are drying up. Whether or not to accept it has spurred a debate that many in the Florida GOP would rather not have.

That debate continues this week as lawmakers kick off a special legislative session.

Tensions are high after the issue sparked a legislative meltdown earlier this year.

A bill brought forward in the Republican-controlled Senate that included a proposal to expand Medicaid — the federal health insur-ance program for the poor — led the House to take the unprece-dented step of ending Florida’s annual 60-day legislative session three days early.

Don Gaetz said he and at least some fellow Senate Republicans would never have supported an expansion of Medicaid, even the short-term expansion proposed in the original Senate bill. But the House adjourned, he said, before amendments could be made.

Coming into the special session, the Senate has offered a dif-ferent proposal for expanding health care coverage.

The Florida Health Insurance Affordability Exchange, or FHIX — is being held up as a free-market approach that does not simply offer a handout.

The bill requires those who receive the health insurance vouch-ers to pay small monthly premiums and be working or in school.

“Some 820,000 working poor are not insured in Florida, and when they get sick they go to the emergency room,” Don Gaetz said. “When they do that their health care costs are shifted to us, small businesses and workers.”

Senators say the revised proposal doesn’t expand Medicaid but provides subsidies to help individuals shop around and choose among private health plans on the federal insurance exchange set up under Obamacare.

“I’m opposed to the expansion of Medicaid. I think we should provide some coverage options and make people work for them,” Don Gaetz said.

The Senators hope their brethren in the House will find their second plan more palatable. Matt Gaetz said FHIX still looks to him like a plan to expand Medicaid.

“To call it by another name, I think, would be inaccurate,” he said.

He argues the way the federal act is designed, those who would be eligible for draw down dollars must meet “every Medicaid requirement.”

“If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck ....,” he said.

Senate leaders say they are ratcheting down the drama surround-ing the coverage expansion issue by no longer tying it to passing a state budget. They’re saying now the health care debate and budget debate can move on “parallel” tracks.

“You could have a scenario where no health care bills get done and you do a budget and go home,” said Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando.

That makes the possibility of a state government shutdown — a prospect Scott has been warning about – seem remote.

Legislative logjam
All the passion and momentum within the GOP continues to be on the side of expansion opponents. Senators have little leverage unless they are willing to force a shutdown.

“It’s going to be an uphill battle because the governor’s dug in,” Don Gaetz said.

Some of the fiscal urgency that initially drove the Senate has been removed since the regular session adjourned in April. Federal officials announced a preliminary offer to provide a portion of the health care funds that were in doubt for next year.

But the Obama administration also made it clear that it plans to continue tapering down Florida’s $2.1 billion low-income pool — a program that reimburses hospitals for charity care — in the coming years, leaving the state with a growing budget hole.

For that reason, senators argue that coverage expansion should remain on the table. Extending health insurance coverage to more than 800,000 low-income Floridians who currently do not qualify for premium subsidies under Obamacare could significantly reduce the need for charity care.

The governor and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli remain skeptical of the Senate plan. Crisafulli said it would be ineffective. Scott said it will “inevitably raise taxes in order to implement Obamacare and grow government.”

Senators say they would like to at least test the waters in the House and have the issue debated. The elder Gaetz said debate is important if anything is to be accomplished.
“For the House to get its issues considered by the Senate they’re going to have to take a few steps in our direction,” Don Gaetz said. “Both sides need to step towards the middle.”

He said the governor could be the biggest obstacle lawmakers face in getting meaningful health care legislation accomplished.

Don Gaetz said the governor has lately become an advocating a proposal through which well managed hospitals would share revenues with hospitals that are struggling and/or poorly managed.

No one in either chamber of the Florida Legislature is voicing support for that idea, Don Gaetz said.

“It’s really a strange proposal from a man who made millions buying and selling hospitals,” he said. “Maybe he’s being generous and intends for his proposal to be retroactive, and he’s willing to cut a check.”
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Gov. Rick Scott’s views on expanding the Medicaid health insurance program for the poor have shifted over the years. A summary of his positions:

l A former hospital company executive, Scott got his start in politics as a critic of government-run health care, forming a group called Conservatives for Patients Rights to oppose President Barack Obama’s health care reforms.

After becoming governor in 2010, he continued to criticize the reforms and express opposition to expanding Medicaid, one of Obama’s strategies for achieving universal coverage.

l Following Obama’s re-election and in the run-up to Scott’s own re-election bid in 2013, the governor changed course and spoke in favor of accepting the Medicaid expansion money.

Scott acknowledged that a repeal of Obama’s health care law seemed unlikely and said “our options are either having Floridians pay to fund this program in other states while denying health care to our citizens — or — using federal funding to help some of the poorest in our state with the Medicaid program.”

Scott reflected on the “struggles” his mother faced “to get my little brother the care he needed with very little money” and said: “I cannot, in good conscience, deny the uninsured access to care.”

l With the Florida Senate now pushing to draw down Medicaid expansion money and use it to subsidize the purchase of private health insurance plans for more than 800,000 Floridians, Scott, said to be considering a U.S. Senate bid, again reversed himself and now opposes taking the money.

Scott made his position on Medicaid expansion clear earlier this month, saying: “I’m not going to support it. It’s not a program that has worked.”

Last week, after the Senate revised its plan, Scott remained critical. “The Senate’s plan to expand Medicaid under Obamacare will cost Florida taxpayers $5 billion over 10 years,” he said, adding it will: “Inevitably raise taxes in order to implement Obamacare and grow government.”  

— Zac Anderson

Water safety a priority during Bowlegs weekend

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FORT WALTON BEACH — Although the annual Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival takes place on land, thousands of locals and tourists choose to celebrate on the water.

That makes for a crowded Santa Rosa Sound and puts area law enforcement on high alert.

This year’s festival, which will be held June 4 to June 6 at Fort Walton Landing, is no different.

Officials are already urging the public to obey marine laws and adhere to basic water safety rules.

“Slow down, keep your head on a swivel and slow down on the al-cohol consumption,” said Michele Nicholson, spokesman for the Oka-loosa County Sheriff’s Office. “If people do those things, that will have a major impact on everyone’s enjoyment and safety.”

Like many law enforcement agencies, the Sheriff’s Office will have marine units patrolling the sound during the festivities.

Also on the water will be the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conser-vation Commission.

“Our special operation command team will be patrolling the inte-rior areas,” spokeswoman Bekah Nelson said. “That’s where the heavy crowds are. ... People want to make sure they have a sober (boat) driver.”

Although the Billy Bowlegs Festival happens at the downtown landing, many revelers boat to the area and party on the water for hours. Some also boat in for the fireworks on Friday night after Capt. Billy Bowlegs captures the city.

On land the Fort Walton Beach Police Department will deploy ex-tra officers to deal with the increased number of visitors to downtown, said Sgt. Tracy Hart.

“It’s summertime and it’s extra people who don’t often visit the area,” he said. “And we want to make sure everyone is safe.”

Officers also will support the Sheriff’s Office and FWC as it deals with medical calls, boating under the influence and other incidents.

“What happens on the water comes on land,” Hart said. “We’ll be there to assist with that.”

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

 


 

STORIES FROM THE STREET: Man accused of distributing narcotics

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Man accused of disturbance at Applebee's

CRESTVIEW - A 32-year-old Bronson man is accused of yelling and causing a disturbance at Applebee's, 215 Raspberry Road.

Crestview Police officers were called around 7 p.m. on May 16, according to the arrest report. The caller said that the man came into the restaurant and began yelling and cursing at customers and employees.

The man was asked to leave several times before he did, the report said. He then allegedly started opening car doors in the parking lot, throwing money on a random driver who was sitting in one of the cars.

He refused to leave the property, so officers were called, according to the report. Officers wrote that the man was "sweating profusely" and appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance.

He is charged with disorderly conduct.

Man accused of attack with shower curtain rod

FORT WALTON BEACH - An 18-year-old man is charged with using a shower curtain rod while attacking two people who lived with him, one of whom was his mother.

Fort Walton Beach Police officers were called for a family disturbance on May 16 around 3 p.m., according to the arrest report. They arrived to find that the people were reporting that the Fort Walton Beach teen had physically attacked his mother and a man.

The victims and a witness reported the teen had grabbed a shower curtain rod and started striking the man with it for no apparent reason, the report said. When his mother tried to intervene and step between the two, the teen allegedly punched her in the face twice.

They reported that the teen continued to fight with the man, kicking and striking him, according to the report. The man had abrasions on his legs and the teen's mother had abrasions on both sides of her face.

The teen is charged with simple battery.

Man accused of distributing narcotics

FORT WALTON BEACH - A 23-year-old man was arrested on drug charges more than a year after a search warrant was executed at his home.

Walter Vance Roberts was arrested on May 17, according to the arrest report. Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office executed the search warrant at the Birch Street home on Mary 4, 2014.

In the home, they found more than 170 alprazolam pills, 65 grams of marijuana, oxycodone and oxycontin and miscellaneous drug paraphernalia, the report said. A search warrant for Roberts phone was obtained and text messages indicating the sale of drugs were allegedly found.

He is charged with distribution of marijuana, possession of hallucinogens with the intent to sell, possession of drug paraphernalia, tampering with or destroying evidence and two counts of possession of a controlled substance.

Peacock visits Navarre family

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NAVARRE — After coming home from her daughter's horse-themed birthday, Claudia Huckabee had another animal encounter.

A bright, iridescent blue peacock was standing in the driveway of her home off East Bay Boulevard.

“We had just had this big party with horse rides and there it was,” she said. “It was like the cherry on the birthday cake.”

The Huckabee family is no stranger to fowl because they keep a handful of chickens in the backyard.

“I follow a few chicken groups on Facebook and I'll occasionally see someone post about a missing peacock, but I never saw one until now,” she said.

Susan Leveille of the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge said there is a large group of peacocks in the Santa Rosa County area.

Leveille said she believes the peacocks were once domestic pets.

“You are permitted to own peacocks,” she said. “In the earlier days of Navarre, residents had fairly large plots of land ad kept all sorts of birds. I think they're the ancestors of domestic birds.”

Peacocks, the male birds, feature the colorful feathers, while peahens are generally a dull brown color. They do not pose much of a threat to neighborhoods except for their loud squawking.

Since it is baby season, give peacocks (and peahens) space and don't try to feed them. You'll likely see them on the ground, since they do not fly long distances.

“They can flush up to the tree or roof, which is where they sleep,” Leveille said.

Luckily, Huckabee said the peacock at her house was just a tem-porary visitor. He quietly came and went.

“The girls tried to pet him, but he wasn't having it — he just flew to the roof and hung out there for an hour before he left,” she said.

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Jennie McKeon at 850-315-4434 or jmckeon@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @JennieMnwfdn.

Five alternatives to the Beach

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When school's out and summer's in, it's only natural for locals and visitors alike to slap on some sunscreen and head to the beach. Problem is, that idea is mirrored by thousands of other people, which is why you're stuck in traffic and lugging your beach gear as you search for a spot to claim.

There may be days when you don't feel like braving the crowds at the beach, but don't worry. There are other ways to splash in the water and soak up some sun on the Emerald Coast.

1. Park it soundside
In Navarre and on Okaloosa Island, you can opt for calm waters and less crowds soundside. Take your paddleboards for a spin, sit close to the water's edge and watch the kids. Or just lay out on your towel and take a nap undisturbed. In Santa Rosa Sound, which covers Gulf Breeze to Fort Walton Beach, you have your pick of spots to choose from.

2. Have a splash
When you promised the kids a trip to the beach but don't feel up to it, head to a nearby splash pad. The Navarre Park and City of Niceville Children's Park have excellent, fenced in facilities that seem more like a water park attraction. Kids can also burn energy while you shop at the splash pads at Uptown Station and Destin Commons.

3. Map out rivers and lakes
Explore the local area by seeking out rivers and lakes nearby. You might be surprised at the number of non-beach local watering holes. A popular spot is the 58-mile long Blackwater River that flows from Okaloosa County to Santa Rosa County, where you can rent kayaks and canoes for a leisurely afternoon in the water. In Crestview, head to the Shoal River for a 10-mile paddle through wetland hardwood forests.

4. Find a cool pool
If you're visiting the area there's no shame in skipping the beach one day to relax by your resort pool. There's no sand, no weird sea creatures and no searching for a parking spot. And if you're a local with a pool in your back yard, expect your friends to come knocking.

5. Go to your own back yard
No matter how advanced water activities become, there's no denying the simple pleasures of a sprinkler in the back yard. Make your home base its own water park by filling up water balloons and water guns, turning the sprinkler on and letting the neighborhood kids run wild. Even adults can take part in the fun.


Senior plans to use her experience to guide her career (PHOTOS)

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CRESTVIEW — Ariel Thweatt is still working out the finer points of her dream for the future, but she knows it will involve never shying away from the tough topics.

The Crestview High School senior is considering a career in broadcast journalism with some inspirational speaking gigs mixed in.

Right now, she’s channeling her energy into YouTube videos for other teenage girls.

PHOTOS of CHS's Class of 2015.

“Before I actually made videos, I watched them a lot and I got inspired,” Ariel said.

To date she’s focused on giving out advice on lighter issues like makeup and acne treatment.

Sometime soon, after people get to know her, she plans to talk cancer. Specifically her experience with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma when she was 7 years old.

“I don’t usually tell people right out about it because they feel sorry for me,” the 18-year-old said.

The first time she talked about it was in a gym class when she was in second grade. Other students were teasing her about her lack of hair.

When she started to cry, her teacher asked if she wanted to explain to her classmates about the successful chemotherapy and radiation.

She did.

Then she was invited to speak at a Relay for Life event.

The next time she talked about beating cancer publically, she was in fifth grade. It was a Commander’s Call at Eglin Air Force Base.

“That’s when I was like, ‘OK, that was well-received,’ ” Ariel said.

In sixth grade, she received an award for her courage. By high school, everyone seemed to know about her cancer.

In the years since, she’s used it to help work her way through bullying and to educate others about courage in the face of adversity.

“When people say I’m an inspiration, that feeling, it’s unparalleled,” Ariel said. “It really is.”

She will be attending the University of Central Florida. When she’s finished, she like to work stateside for awhile, and then focus on field journalism overseas.

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

Woman accused of leading lawmen on 100 mph-plus chase

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DeFUNIAK SPRINGS — A 23-year-old Panama City woman is facing multiple charges after leading police on a high-speed chase through Walton County on Monday morning.

According to a Walton County Sheriff's Office press release, a deputy on an off-duty detail about 6 a.m. was dispatched to pursue a suspected stolen vehicle traveling west on U.S. Highway 90 near Kings Lake Boulevard. The driver of the vehicle was thought to be armed.

The deputy spotted the vehicle – a Buick rental car from Hertz with Tennessee tags being driven by Mahogny Ina Sharde Patrick – being driven by a female near the Blackstone Golf Course. The deputy began pursuit with lights and sirens activated, the press release said.

The deputy pursued the car at speeds exceeding 100 mph until the driver lost control of the vehicle near Rainbow Drive, the Sheriff's Office said. Deputies discovered that Patrick did not have a valid driver’s license and that the vehicle was confirmed stolen.

Patrick was booked on charges of fleeing and eluding, grand theft auto and diving while license suspend. The DeFuniak Springs Police Department has additional charges pending.

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Kelly Humphrey at 850-315-4443 or khumphrey@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @kellyhnwfdn.

Sand Sculpture Festival canceled due to cost

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NAVARRE BEACH — Santa Rosa County Tourism Development board of directors are looking for a new vision for the annual Navarre Beach Sand Sculpture Festival.

“For now, it’s canceled,” said Director Julie Morgan.

The festival, which was originally set for a weekend in September, was under fire by some of the Navarre community when they heard of the event’s $80,000 price tag.

In previous years, the festival was funded by BP grant funds, which have been used up. The money for the 2015 festival was set to come out of Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Reserves, which by Florida statute can only be used to promote tourism in the county.

The County Commission met earlier this month to evaluate the weekend festival’s impact. Morgan said the event could possibly be weaved into the annual Fun Fest, which occurs around April.

That means, there will not be a sand sculpture festival in 2015, Morgan said.

“There’s no other options that we’re exactly looking at, but we’ll be taking some time to talk, plan and organize,” she added.

Some Navarre residents criticized the festival for its lack of attendance and attractions. Morgan said collaborating between the Fun Fest and the Sand Sculpture Festival could meet the expectations of community.

“The Fun Fest has fireworks, vendors and live music,” she said. “It would be a combined win-win for an even greater event.”
 

What Navarre Wants

The Daily News asked Navarre residents what kind of event they’d like to see in place of the Sand Sculpture Festival

  • Papi McLeod Something family oriented, maybe some kind of fair for kids that where the money goes towards helping the community.
  • Megs Page A seafood fest, arts fest, something for families... Could also do a save the beach/wildlife and have music and festivities and give proceeds to the marine center and towards beach improvements.
  • Robert Low Music festival, seafood festival, bike race, Christian concert on the beach, bathtub boat races. No need to recreate the wheel with so many successful events elsewhere to take ideas from.
  • Laura L. Bausch-Melendez A Special Dog’s Allowed On The Beach Day would be awesome! Section off as section of the beach and charge admission per dog! The dogs would be required to be on-leash and with their owner.
  • Greg Prater Military appreciation weekend for our local Air Force community.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Jennie McKeon at 850-315-4432 or jmckeon@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @JennieMnwfdn.

Happy ending to country singer's lost dog story

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DESTIN — If you’re going to lose a dog, it seems that the Crystal Beach neighborhood is the best place to do it.

When country singer Justin Moore was finishing up his Destin vacation this weekend, he had to leave without his West Highland/Scottish terrier mix, Hank, who ran away Saturday morning.

“We searched all day for him with no success,” he wrote in the message. “Needless to say, we are bummed out.”

Moore and his family couldn’t wait for Hank’s return since the singer had a concert to play Saturday night in Georgia. In the message, he left an email address and photos of Hank in hopes that the dog would find a way home.

Fans of the country singer wasted no time sharing his post on Facebook and Twitter.

Saturday afternoon, Rick Scali, who owns East Street Vacation Rentals, found a “cute, little dog” on Shirah Street, just a few streets away from Moore’s vacation home.

“Actually, my housekeeper found him,” he recalled. “I have two schnauzers and she thought the dog was mine.”

Scali scooped up the dog — whose tag read “Hank” — up in his car and drove around for nearly three hours looking for the owners.

Around 5:30 that evening, he took Hank home and fed him and even shared the foot of his bed at bedtime.

“He’s an adorable little dog,” Scali said. “I didn’t want to take him to a shelter. I could tell a good family owned him.”

Sunday morning, while sitting down for breakfast, he was scrolling Facebook and found Moore’s post shared on a local page.

“I took a picture of the dog and said ‘I found Hank’ and left my number,” Scali said. “Within 30 minutes, my phone started blowing up.”

Brian, a friend of Moore’s, confirmed the dog was indeed Hank and went to pick him up.

The singer personally called Scali as well to thank him for taking care of Hank. He said this wasn’t the first time Hank had run away. In fact, he was late for his own wedding because of the runaway dog.

“Hank hasn’t been neutered, so he was likely looking for love,” Scali said with a laugh.

Scali refused a reward, but Moore said when he comes back to town, he would take the Good Samaritan out to lunch.

“I only did exactly what I would want someone else to do for my dogs,” Scali said.

“We are so thankful to the fine folks who found, and took care of him,” said Moore in an email statement. “He is a huge part of our family. We feel so blessed to have him back home.”

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Jennie McKeon at 850-315-4432 or jmckeon@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @JennieMnwfdn.

Listing ranks FWB as one of nation's most livable cities

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Fort Walton Beach is among the “Top 100 Best Small Towns” in the country, according to Livability.com.

The city was ranked 83rd, just after River Falls, Wisconsin.

Ted Corcoran, CEO and president of the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce, said he wasn’t surprised by the ranking.

“It’s obviously something we can’t campaign for ... but for those of us who live here and those of us who vacation here, it certainly makes sense,” he said.

City Manager Michael Beedie said the city offers its citizens more amenities than any other in the area.

“With our parks, downtown area, events and services, we are definitely geared towards a live-work-play atmosphere.”

Livability.com is a web-based marketing company that publishes annual and monthly lists identifying the best places to live, work and visit across America.

The top five cities on the list are Lebanon, New Hampshire; Los Alamos, New Mexico; Durango, Colorado; St. Augustine, Florida; and Bar Harbor, Maine.

Corcoran said Fort Walton Beach has a wide range of appeal.

“You have the great schools,” he said. “You have the patriotism of the military. You have the wonderfulness of the tourists. It’s all combined in this small-town feel.

“Next year we’ll have to figure out how we can get higher.”

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

Graduation Photos: CHOICE High School and Technical Center

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FORT WALTON BEACH —The CHOICE High School and Technical Center held its graduation-certification ceremony on June 1, 2015 at Choctawhatchee High School. Over 100 certification were given out and 37 high school seniors graduated.

PHOTOS: View photos from the ceremony.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact Daily News Photographer Nick Tomecek at 850-315-4426 or ntomecek@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickTnwfdn.

Special election details coming into focus

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A Sheriff’s Office-only election that will select two representatives to sit on a Personnel Standards and Review Board has been penciled in for mid-July.

The two will be elected to sit alongside two appointees from Sheriff Larry Ashley and a fifth board member, who will be selected by the other four, to hear the appeals of three deputies fired in 2010.

Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections Paul Lux has roughed out an election schedule that he will present to Ashley this week.

It will be Ashley’s job, Lux said, to share it with his attorney and the attorney representing former deputies Rick Hord, John Lee and Jon Bush.

Lux said his schedule calls for conducting the Sheriff’s Office vote “the way a special election would be held.”

But there are some things unique to this one-time-only election that must be ironed out before anything is finalized, he said.

Lux said he’ll need the sheriff to provide a definitive list of employees eligible to vote and provide input on how best to ensure voting opportunities for an agency that has people working 24 hours a day.

He said he’d suggested allowing a seven-day early voting period with one 12-hour day set aside as “election day,” and is leaning toward an option of winners being selected by plurality rather than majority vote.

Everything will start with a qualifying period for candidates, who cannot work for the Sheriff’s Office.

It is the date Lux thinks might be best to hold the election, July 15 or 16, that could prove most problematic.

Circuit Judge John Brown has said that the five-member board, which was eliminated by legislation in 2011, should be reconstituted and hear Hord, Bush and Lee’s appeals before the civil cases each man has brought against the sheriff is heard.

Lee’s civil case had been scheduled for July 6.

But Erick Mead, the attorney representing Lee, Hord and Bush, said Sheriff’s Office attorney R. Wayne Evans had filed a motion to continue the Lee case until after the board has been resurrected and the appeals heard.

Evans has also motioned, Mead said, for Brown to recuse himself.

The motion for recusal may be have to be heard before any other progress can be made in the lawsuit, which was filed in 2011.

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


Florida legislators return with plan to end budget stalemate

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TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Legislature kicked off a 20-day special session Monday, with legislative leaders sounding more open to compromise as they race against the clock to pass a new state budget.

The conciliatory tone espoused by House Speaker Steve Crisafulli and Senate President Andy Gardiner was different than it was just a few weeks ago when the Republican-controlled Legislature ended in its session amid finger-pointing and lawsuits.

The two Republican leaders gaveled in the session Monday and repeated promises to pass a final budget before the end of the month. State government could be forced to partially shut down without a budget.

Deep divisions between the House and Senate over health care led to the regular session's early end without a new budget, and that divide remains.

Crisafulli said the House would vote later this week on a Senate proposal to draw down billions in federal money to expand health care coverage to potentially as many as 800,000 Floridians.

But the Merritt Island Republican made clear that he and other top GOP members in the House remain opposed to the proposal that is part of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.

Gardiner appeared to concede that the insurance plan was unlikely to be adopted this year, but he predicted it would remain an issue that legislators would need to deal with as the federal government begins to curtail supplemental money to hospitals that now treat the uninsured.

"This is just kind of the future," Gardiner said. "Whether you like Obamacare or not, it's changed the dynamics of how health care will be delivered in this country."

Gardiner and other Senate Republicans continued to insist their proposal is a "free market" and "conservative" approach because it relies on private insurance and even forces enrollees to sign a statement that points out it is not an entitlement program.

"This is not your father's Medicaid expansion," said Sen. Aaron Bean, a Nassau Beach Republican.

But Crisafulli said the Senate proposal is still a form of Medicaid expansion. And with the prospect of Medicaid expansion for this year fading, the question remains how legislators will balance the rest of the state budget and how much state money will be available for tax cuts and for boosting money on public schools.

Senators first pushed for expansion after it became apparent that $1.3 billion now going to hospitals would expire this summer.

Federal officials told Florida that they wanted the state to consider expanding Medicaid insurance as part of the agreement to extend the hospital funds. Last month, the Obama administration offered to extend Florida's hospital funds for another two years, but at only about half the amount the state received last year, saying it would not approve hospital funding for costs that that would be covered by expansion.

The administration of Gov. Rick Scott maintained that there was a way to draw down the same amount of federal money this year - but that formula requires cutting the amount of money going to public hospitals, including large ones in South Florida.

Crisafulli said it did not appear there was support for Scott's proposals. Instead he said that the House would agree to cut back the size of its tax cut package to shift state money to hospitals. The House had initially proposed cutting taxes by nearly $700 million.

"The reality is that $690 million certainly isn't there," Crisafulli said. "We're going to work and try to do as much as we can to give as much back to Floridians as we possibly can. Negotiations are all about compromise. ... Our job is to work with the Senate and try to find common ground."
 

Okaloosa to launch ‘pre-emptive strike’ against spring break

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Now that Panama City Beach has outlawed drinking on its beaches, Okaloosa County Commissioners are worried the party will migrate a little too far to the west.

Commissioner Kelly Windes raised the subject Tuesday at the board’s meeting in Crestview.

“There’s been a lot of controversy, a lot of events that ... we don’t want to take place (here),” he said.

PHOTOS from this year's spring break.

VIDEO from this year's spring break arrests in Panama City.

Windes asked county staff to research the measures Okaloosa can take to make “a pre-emptive strike against something that is going to be detrimental to our community.”

The rest of the commissioners supported his proposal, and County Attorney Greg Stewart is scheduled to offer recommendations at the board’s June 16 meeting.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Commissioner Wayne Harris said. “We don’t want that reputation.”

At present, Okaloosa County tourism officials don’t market the area to college-age spring breakers, but some observers have speculated more of those visitors will end up in Destin and Okaloosa Island.

During this year’s spring break in Panama City Beach, crime was at an all-time high. At least two incidents – a shooting spree and an alleged gang rape – drew national attention. City officials argued that widespread underage drinking was at the heart of most of the trouble.

Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel said the board should consult with the Sheriff’s Office about dealing with spring break.

“We need to have a dialogue with Larry Ashley and really take a strong stand on it,” she said. “This is coming toward us, I’m afraid.”

Commissioner Trey Goodwin said he wants to explore using bed tax dollars to fund the initiatives if possible.

Commission Chairman Nathan Boyles urged caution.

“I don’t want us to go too far, too fast, but now is the time to be looking at some options,” he said.

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

Judge asked to recuse himself over familiarity with reporter

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Judge John T. Brown has recused himself from a case four years in the making after it became apparent that he was familiar with a reporter who was likely to be called as a witness.

The case of Sheriff Larry Ashley versus former sergeants William Hord, Jonathan Bush and John Lee was filed in May 2011. The three said that on Nov. 9, 2010, they were told they were no longer needed at the sheriff's office.

A Daily News article by Tom McLaughlin from Dec. 1, 2010, quoted Ashley as criticizing the men as “selfish and self-centered,” which Ashley disputes saying.

Brown disclosed in an email on April 7, 2015, that he and McLaughlin saw each other out on occasion and Brown performed McLaughlin's wedding, according to Ashley's motion to disqualify Brown, filed on May 26.

At that time, it had become clear that McLaughlin could be called as a witness regarding the 2010 article.

“Nobody made any bones about it then,” said attorney Erick Mead of Moore, Hill & Westmoreland, P.A., of Pensacola.

Mead is one of the attorneys representing Hord, Bush and Lee.

Ashley said in the motion that he did not realize the extent of their relationship until after a May 13 hearing.

As a result, a trial that had been planned for July has been continued, Mead said.

The delay would allow more time for a long dormant review board to be formed and decide on whether the men were unjustly terminated.

“We have an absolute right to have these issues decided by a jury,” Mead said.

Calls to Robert Wayne Evans, one of the attorneys representing Ashley, went unanswered Tuesday.

Judge William Stone has been assigned to replace Brown, according to the Clerk of Courts website.

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Trista Pruett at 850-315-4445 or tpruett@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @TristaPnwfdn.

Date set for start of Navarre Beach hotel construction

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NAVARRE BEACH — The long-awaited Navarre Beach hotel will be breaking ground June 15, said Santa Rosa County Commissioner Rob Williamson.

The construction start is just a week shy of the six-month extension deadline Holi Corp was given during a commissioner meeting Jan. 22.

“Brighter days are ahead,” Williamson said.

The $30 million, 161-room Marriot SpringHill Suites will replace the Holiday Inn that was destroyed during Hurricane Ivan, leaving Navarre Beach without a hotel for more than a decade.

Casey Bobe, project manager for Holi Corp. and its corporate office, American Fidelity Life Insurance Company, said construction should be completed in 15 months.

Without a hotel, Navarre Beach has still seen growth in tourism thanks to BP funds used for advertising. The county received $500,000 from 2012-2014, which were earmarked for advertising and marketing.

“It doubled the advertising budget,” Williamson said. “Good decisions were made and the funds were used to penetrate new markets, which have really paid off.”

The map of visitors to Navarre Beach has expanded to include Little Rock, Arkansas, and parts of Tennessee. Without the extra funds, a brand-new hotel should maintain tourism growth to the area.

“It will increase bed tax collections and present more diverse options to visitors,” Williamson said.

The SpringHill Suites hotel will feature amenities such as a workout facility, conference room, hot tub, lazy river and indoor pool. A restaurant independent of the hotel building will add another dining option to the beach.

“We all thought the lazy river looked really cool,” said Leslie Statler of the Santa Rosa County Development Services.

The hotel will also bring 75 jobs to the area, with an estimated $1.6 to $1.8 million pay roll, said Bobe.

“It’s a best in class hotel for a best in class beach,” Williamson said.

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Jennie McKeon at 850-315-4432 or jmckeon@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @JennieMnwfdn.

Teen survives near-drowning, graduates on time (PHOTOS)

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FORT WALTON BEACH — Arkido Bunkley might have one of the best attended graduation parties in Northwest Florida later this week.

The Fort Walton Beach High School senior’s mother has invited his former teachers, his friends, her friends, people she meets at the store and the emergency medical workers who helped save her son’s life.

“It’s amazing for me,” Miriam Lujano said of her son’s upcoming graduation. “I’ve just gone crazy, invited just everybody!”

PHOTOS from Fort Walton Beach High School's Class of 2015.

Six years ago, Miriam pulled an unconscious Arkido from a pool and performed CPR for the first time in her life.

In the agonizing days that followed, doctors told her the odds were not in Arkido’s favor. He’d been without air for too long.

Four days after the accident, the then-Bruner Middle School student opened his eyes and started his long recovery.

“We were all in awe,” recalled John Spolski, who was his principal at Bruner then and now at FWBHS. “Everyone wanted him back.”

Arkido had to relearn how to walk and talk, but Miriam never gave up on him and he was determined to get better.

“I wanted to be Arkido again, I wanted to be me,” the now 19-year-old said. “Every time I thought about giving up, I would think about my little sisters and my little brother.”

Over and over, he told himself, “Finish strong, with no regrets.”

He’s not the same person he was before the accident, and some days are difficult, Miriam said, but she’s thankful he’s still here.

Arkido currently works at Cici’s Pizza, and they’re not sure what he’ll do in the future.

He’d like to play football, but his injuries make it a dangerous proposition. Miriam is thinking about letting him, but for now they’re focused on Thursday and all the living he gets to do in the years to come.

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

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