The Playground Amateur Radio Club will host an Amateur Radio Field Day at Hurlburt Field Picnic Grounds this weekend to promote the use of ham radios.

“We’re trying to preserve the hobby,” said Mo Hodgdon, chairman of the event. “I believe winds of 90 miles per hour can take down cell phone and landlines. Without them how do you communicate?”

Hodgdon pointed out during Hurricane Katrina emergency crews communicated through amateur and CB radios.

During the field day, all ages can participate using radios provided by the club to make contacts with other radios along North America as other clubs will be participating with similar events.

While ham radios may seem to be an archaic piece of technology, they have more capability than most think. Some of the more expensive models can be hooked to a computer and send emails, photos and chat.

Hodgdon said he hopes kids will attend to learn more about amateur radios and perhaps even gain interest in obtaining a radio license.

“After 9/11 a 10-year-old girl with a handheld radio did communications between a shelter and New York City Emergency Operation Center for eight hours,” he said.

In the local area, Hodgdon and his wife volunteer to provide communications during disasters.

“We want people to see what we can do,” he said. “Radios can help in any emergency situation.”

The PARC Field Day is from 1 p.m. Saturday until 10 a.m. Sunday at the Hurlburt Field Picnic Grounds, located at the south side of U.S. Highway 98. For more information, visit w4zbb.org. 

The Panhandle Animal Welfare Society is hoping to find out what happened to an 8-week-old kitten that was found in the Navarre area with severe burns earlier this week.

“She’s been in pain and she’s very vocal like any other kitten,” said Chloe Finley, a PAWS employee who is also fostering the kitten. “She’s sweet. There’s not anything bad I can say about her.”

Krystal Martel found the kitten in her Midway neighborhood on Maverick Lane Sunday and later brought the cat to Navarre resident Melanie Oberlander, who took her to PAWS. She and her kids named the kitten Disco.

“You could smell the infection and see the bones of her feet,” she said. “I took her in overnight and gave her some antiseptic and got in touch with Melanie.”

Martel said her neighborhood has a number of stray cats. In the past, she’s heard of other animal abuse stories.

“We seem to be a place were people drop off their litters,” she said.

Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Rich Aloy said deputies took a report a few days after the kitten was found, but that they are not investigating.

Dee Thompson, executive director of PAWS, said her agency couldn’t investigate the case because it likely didn’t occur in Okaloosa County, which is where PAWS has jurisdiction.

What PAWS can do is to take care of the kitten and share any information they receive with officials in Santa Rosa County.

“We’re trying to figure out if the burns are chemical or thermal, since she doesn’t have singed hair,” Thompson said. “That’s why we want to know if anybody has seen something...this is felony level cruelty.”

Thompson said Disco wears bandages on her paws that have to be changed throughout the day. She is on a high calorie/high protein diet and uses shredded paper instead of cat litter to avoid anything interfering with the bandages.

“It will definitely be a little bit before they adopt her out,” Thompson said.

DONATE TO DISCO: You can donate to Disco by bringing in a/d Hill brand canned cat food or make a monetary donation. More information about PAWS is available at paws-shelter.com.

Anyone with information about what happened to Disco, can anonymously report it by calling the Santa Rosa County Crime Stoppers at 850-437-STOP.

NICEVILLE — A leatherback turtle took up temporary residence at Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park Thursday after stranding itself in Niceville.

The 5-foot, 5-inch, 382-pound female sea turtle was found around 9 a.m. in Niecy Cooper's backyard, which is located at the north end of Rocky Bayou.

She immediately contacted Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, who asked the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge and Gulfarium to respond to the scene.

PHOTOS from the scene.

VIDEO of the stranding.

“I’ve never been that close to a leatherback,” Cooper said. “It’s amazing actually.”

Leatherbacks are the largest sea turtle in the world and typically weigh between 500 and 1,500 pounds when fully grown. The endangered species are rarely spotted locally.

It’s the second call FWC received this week about a stranded leatherback turtle. On Sunday morning, people spotted one stuck on a sandbar in Tom’s Bayou in Valparaiso. They pushed it back into the water with the help of an FWC officer.

“It’s most likely the same one, but I can’t 100 percent say that it is,” said FWC spokeswoman Bekah Nelson.

In spite of criticism, Nelson said FWC handled the first stranding appropriately.

“The officer was there,” she said. “He looked over the turtle.”

Before freeing it from the sandbar, the officer checked the turtle’s eyes, flippers and shell and found no signs of illness or trauma, Nelson said.

Amanda Wilkerson, who oversees ECWR, said they were en-route to the stranding Sunday and expressed concern it was released that day.

The turtle’s location in the bayou was a red flag for her agency, she said.

“We predicted that she would re-strand, and she did,” Wilkerson said.

While waiting for Gulfarium crew to arrive, ECWR staff kept the turtle cool and wet with moist towels.

An evaluation at the scene didn’t reveal any clear reasons for the stranding, so they opted to move her to Gulfarium on Okaloosa Island, according to Allen McDowell, who is the director of the sea turtle care program there.

Leatherbacks do not do as well in rehabilitation programs as other species of turtle, but the turtle’s proximity to fresh water and distance from the Gulf combined with the likelihood it had twice stranded itself, prompted the decision, McDowell said.

“The turtle is alert and moving, but again, we’re not comfortable just releasing it,” he said.

Once at the facility, staff took blood tests, an ultrasound and X-rays.

It’s only the third time in the last decade a leatherback has beached itself along local shores. In both the other cases, the turtles died on the beach.

Gulfarium officials said they will share updates on the turtle as they get back test results. If no issues are found, staff will release turtle in the Gulf of Mexico.

A small loggerhead turtle was also rescued by wildlife officials Thursday morning.

The Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge was contacted around 9:30 a.m. about the sea turtle stuck in a fishing net along a beach on Eglin Air Force Base, said director Amanda Wilkerson.

It was taken to Gulf World for rehabilitation and is expected to make a full recovery.

The push to stop flying the Confederate flag over government buildings – and other public areas – has reached Northwest Florida.

Two petitions, started on www.change.org, are urging the removal of the Confederate flag from the Walton County Courthouse lawn and from the William “Uncle Bill” Lundy memorial in Crestview.

The Okaloosa County NAACP launched its petition Tuesday, asking Crestview Mayor David Cadle and the City Council to remove the rebel flag from the Lundy monument, which sits at the intersection of E. First Avenue and State Road 85.

“I am sure that the City Council will look at this very closely,” Cadle said.

He said he has received two phone calls from local citizens on the issue.

The NAACP has attempted in years past to remove the flag from the Lundy monument. The group tried most recently in December 2013, but the City Council refused to vote on the issue.

Lundy, believed by some to be the last surviving Confederate veteran, died in 1957. The Crestview Lions Club built the memorial the following year.

The petition calling for the removal of the Confederate flag from the Walton County Courthouse lawn in Defuniak Springs was launched Tuesday by Santa Rosa Beach resident Michelle Uhlfelder.

As of Thursday evening, almost 300 people had signed the petition, which is directed at the Walton County Board of Commissioners.

Uhlfelder said she took the initiative after hearing the pastor at her church talk about the mass shooting in Charleston, South Carolina.

“He said, “It’s a time to be bold about things like this,’” she said. “... I would love to get 1,000 people. A thousand people wins an election down here.”

Uhlfelder said it’s past time for the controversial flag to come down.

“It has such a soiled history,” she said. “... It’s of a confederacy of rebels that tried to rise up and lost. Now we’re flying the losers’ flag, essentially, on our property.”

Walton County NAACP President Raymond Jackson said he supports the removal of the flag.

“It’s time for it to happen,” said Jackson, who lives in DeFuniak Springs. “ ... The Spanish were here. The British were here. And we don’t fly their flags at the courthouse.”

The rebel flag has flown over Walton County’s Confederate Monument since it was first erected in 1871. The monument is Florida’s first memorial to Confederate war dead. In 2002, the local chapter of the NAACP lobbied to have the flag removed, but commissioners voted down the measure.

Uhlfelder, who grew up in Atlanta and Memphis and has lived in Santa Rosa Beach for seven years, also is rallying other residents to attend the July 14 commission meeting. The item has been placed on the board’s agenda for discussion.

County Commission Chairman Bill Imfeld said the issue is a timely one and that he is interested in reaching a compromise.

“(The flag) can mean different things to different people, and I think we should try to be judicious ... and achieve a decorum that will diffuse harsh feelings and bring the community together.”

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

Hundreds gathered Wednesday night for a local vigil honoring the nine victims of last week’s shooting at a Charleston, S.C., church.

The vigil was held at Gregg Chapel AME Church on Carson Drive in Fort Walton Beach.

More than 20 pastors from churches across the community led the crowd in prayer.

“It was a coming together in the city that was really positive,” said Pastor Cecil Williams of Gregg Chapel. “It was a true prayer vigil.

“It was a city in love.”

Contact Daily News Managing Editor Wendy Victora at 850-315-4478 or wvictora@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @WendyVnwfdn.

FORT WALTON BEACH - A 29-year-old man is accused of stomping on his wife's chest after an argument over leftovers.

Fort Walton Beach Police officers were called to the home around 12:30 a.m. on June 8, according to the arrest report. The man and his wife had been drinking and got into an argument.

The wife said that her husband had been eating her leftover food in the kitchen and she got upset, the report said. She said she went into the kitchen and threw the food on to the floor.

At that point, she said they started arguing and her husband "pushed" her "to the ground" and "stomped on her chest," according to the report. She had redness on her sternum.

The man said the argument was only verbal and denied any physical altercation, the report said.

He is charged with misdemeanor battery.

His next scheduled court date is June 30.

FORT WALTON BEACH - A 46-year-old Fort Walton Beach man is charged with taking a 12-pack of Corona Light from a Circle K.

The man went into the store at around 3 p.m. on June 8, according to the arrest report. He picked up a 12-pack of beer and allegedly walked out of the store without paying.

He was caught on security footage and was identified by a witness, the report said.

He is charged with petit theft.

His next scheduled court date is June 30.

NICEVILLE - A 21-year-old Niceville woman is in custody after a warrant was issued due to charges that she attacked her boyfriend with a stiletto.

The woman, who is not being named to attack the victim's identity, was arrested on June 7.

The attack occurred on March 28, around 6:30 p.m., according to the arrest report. She and her boyfriend were reportedly living together in a room at Tisa's Friendly Inn.

The woman hit her boyfriend in the head with the heel of a four-inch stiletto shoe, the report said. He was treated for a three-inch wound to his head.

The wound went through the skin stopping at the skull (approximately three centimeters deep) and required six staples to close, a doctor reported to Niceville Police officers. A witness told police that the woman repeatedly said, "I did not mean to hurt him."

She is charged with aggravated battery causing great bodily harm.

Her next scheduled court date is July 27.

WASHINGTON — Same-sex couples won the right to marry nationwide Friday as a divided Supreme Court handed a crowning victory to the gay rights movement, setting off a jubilant cascade of long-delayed weddings in states where they had been forbidden.

"No longer may this liberty be denied," said Justice Anthony Kennedy.

The vote was narrow — 5-4 — but Kennedy's majority opinion was clear and firm: "The court now holds that same-sex couples may exercise the fundamental right to marry."

The ruling will put an end to same-sex marriage bans in the 14 states that still maintain them, and provide an exclamation point for breathtaking changes in the nation's social norms in recent years. As recently as last October, just over one-third of the states permitted gay marriages.

Kennedy's reading of the ruling elicited tears in the courtroom, euphoria outside and the immediate issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples in at least eight states. In Dallas, Kenneth Denson said he and Gabriel Mendez had been legally married in 2013 in California but "we're Texans; we want to get married in Texas."

In praise of the decision, President Barack Obama called it "justice that arrives like a thunderbolt."

Four of the court's justices weren't cheering. The dissenters accused their colleagues of usurping power that belongs to the states and to voters, and short-circuiting a national debate about same-sex marriage.

"This court is not a legislature. Whether same-sex marriage is a good idea should be of no concern to us," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in dissent. Roberts read a summary of his dissent from the bench, the first time he has done so in nearly 10 years as chief justice.

"If you are among the many Americans — of whatever sexual orientation — who favor expanding same-sex marriage, by all means celebrate today's decision," Roberts said. "But do not celebrate the Constitution. It had nothing to do with it."

Justice Antonin Scalia said he was not concerned so much about same-sex marriage as "this court's threat to American democracy." He termed the decision a "judicial putsch." Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas also dissented.

Several religious organizations criticized the decision.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said it was "profoundly immoral and unjust for the government to declare that two people of the same sex can constitute a marriage."

Kennedy said nothing in the court's ruling would force religions to condone, much less perform, weddings to which they object. And he said the couples seeking the right to marry should not have to wait for the political branches of government to act.

The 14th Amendment to the Constitution requires states to allow same-sex couples to marry on the same basis as heterosexuals, he said

"The dynamic of our constitutional system is that individuals need not await legislative action before asserting a fundamental right. The nation's courts are open to injured individuals who come to them to vindicate their own direct, personal stake in our basic charter," Kennedy wrote in his fourth major opinion in support of gay rights since 1996. It came on the anniversary of two of those earlier decisions.

"No union is more profound than marriage," Kennedy wrote, joined by the court's four more liberal justices.

The stories of the people asking for the right to marry "reveal that they seek not to denigrate marriage but rather to live their lives, or honor their spouses' memory, joined by its bond," Kennedy said.

As he read his opinion, spectators in the courtroom wiped away tears when the import of the decision became clear. One of those in the audience was James Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in the Supreme Court fight.

Outside, Obergefell held up a photo of his late spouse, John Arthur, and said the ruling establishes that "our love is equal." He added, "This is for you, John."

Obama placed a congratulatory phone call to Obergefell, which he took amid a throng of reporters outside the courthouse.

Speaking a few minutes later at the White House, Obama praised the decision as an affirmation of the principle that "all Americans are created equal."

The crowd in front of the courthouse at the top of Capitol Hill grew in the minutes following the ruling. The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, D.C., sang the "Star-Spangled Banner." Motorists honked their horns in support as they passed by the crowd, which included a smattering of same-sex marriage opponents.

The ruling will not take effect immediately because the court gives the losing side roughly three weeks to ask for reconsideration. But county clerks in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas began issuing licenses to same-sex couples within hours of the decision.

The cases before the court involved laws from Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee that define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Those states have not allowed same-sex couples to marry within their borders, and they also have refused to recognize valid marriages from elsewhere.

Just two years ago, the Supreme Court struck down part of the federal anti-gay marriage law that denied a range of government benefits to legally married same-sex couples.

Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor formed the majority with Kennedy on Friday, the same lineup as two years ago.

The earlier decision in United States v. Windsor did not address the validity of state marriage bans, but courts across the country, with few exceptions, said its logic compelled them to invalidate state laws that prohibited gay and lesbian couples from marrying.

There are an estimated 390,000 married same-sex couples in the United States, according to UCLA's Williams Institute, which tracks the demographics of gay and lesbian Americans. Another 70,000 couples living in states that do not currently permit them to wed would get married in the next three years, the institute says. Roughly 1 million same-sex couples, married and unmarried, live together in the United States, the institute says.

The Obama administration backed the right of same-sex couples to marry. The Justice Department's decision to stop defending the federal anti-marriage law in 2011 was an important moment for gay rights, and Obama declared his support for same-sex marriage in 2012.

The states affected by Friday's ruling are Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, most of Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas.
 

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court declared Friday that same-sex couples have a right to marry anywhere in the United States.

Gay and lesbian couples already could marry in 36 states and the District of Columbia. The court's 5-4 ruling means the remaining 14 states, in the South and Midwest, will have to stop enforcing their bans on same-sex marriage.

The outcome is the culmination of two decades of Supreme Court litigation over marriage, and gay rights generally.

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion, just as he did in the court's previous three major gay rights cases dating back to 1996. It came on the anniversary of two of those earlier decisions.

"No union is more profound than marriage," Kennedy wrote, joined by the court's four more liberal justices.

The four dissenting justices each filed a separate opinion explaining their views.

"But this court is not a legislature. Whether same-sex marriage is a good idea should be of no concern to us," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in dissent. Roberts read a summary of his dissent from the bench, the first time he has done so in nearly 10 years as chief justice.

Justice Antonin Scalia said he is not concerned so much about same-sex marriage, but about "this court's threat to American democracy." Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas also dissented.

The ruling will not take effect immediately because the court gives the losing side roughly three weeks to ask for reconsideration. But some state officials and county clerks might decide there is little risk in issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

The cases before the court involved laws from Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee that define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Those states have not allowed same-sex couples to marry within their borders and they also have refused to recognize valid marriages from elsewhere.

Just two years ago, the Supreme Court struck down part of the federal anti-gay marriage law that denied a range of government benefits to legally married same-sex couples.

The decision in United States v. Windsor did not address the validity of state marriage bans, but courts across the country, with few exceptions, said its logic compelled them to invalidate state laws that prohibited gay and lesbian couples from marrying.

The number of states allowing same-sex marriage has grown rapidly. As recently as October, just over one-third of the states permitted same-sex marriage.

There are an estimated 390,000 married same-sex couples in the United States, according to UCLA's Williams Institute, which tracks the demographics of gay and lesbian Americans. Another 70,000 couples living in states that do not currently permit them to wed would get married in the next three years, the institute says. Roughly 1 million same-sex couples, married and unmarried, live together in the United States, the institute says.

The Obama administration backed the right of same-sex couples to marry. The Justice Department's decision to stop defending the federal anti-marriage law in 2011 was an important moment for gay rights and President Barack Obama declared his support for same-sex marriage in 2012.

10:15 a.m.

The Supreme Court has declared that same-sex couples have a right to marry anywhere in the United States.

Gay and lesbian couples already can marry in 36 states and the District of Columbia. The court's ruling on Friday means the remaining 14 states, in the South and Midwest, will have to stop enforcing their bans on same-sex marriage.

The outcome is the culmination of two decades of Supreme Court litigation over marriage, and gay rights generally.

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion, just as he did in the court's previous three major gay rights cases dating back to 1996.
 

EGLIN AFB — For two years researchers at Google have been working on a project using balloons to send wireless signals to underserved corners of the world.

Google describes it's "Project Loon" as "a network of balloons traveling on the edge of space, designed to connect people in rural and remote areas, help fill coverage gaps, and bring people back online after disasters."

The project marked the second anniversary of its inception by moving into the massive McKinley Climatic Laboratory.

VIDEO: See a Google video of the balloon concept.

"The McKinley Climatic Lab provides testing for commercial companies throughout the year," base spokeswoman Sara Vidoni said. "This testing ensures our engineers, machinists and staff remain well-equipped and prepared for when a military test needs to be accomplished. While in the facility, the customer sets the parameters needed to test the limits of their item and our team creates the weather conditions that will make that happen."

Vidoni added that while the main chamber at the McKinley Climatic Lab routinely tests items down to -65 degrees Fahrenheit, for the Google balloon test the chamber was lowered down to -83 degrees.

In an interview with Wired magazine, Google engineer Mahesh Krishnaswamy described the lab as a "giant refrigerator in Florida."

The lab's ability to produce sub-zero temperatures, high winds, rain and other challenging weather allows Google to simulate the conditions that its balloons might encounter while flying through the stratosphere.

"Our earliest tests started back in 2011, using a weather balloon and basic, off-the-shelf radio parts," a post on the company's Google+ page explained.

"These tests showed that balloon-powered Internet might just work, but the team knew that weather balloons wouldn’t be a long term solution since they aren’t built to last in the stratosphere."

The Internet giant waited two years to get access to the McKinley lab. According to Krishnaswamy, the wait was worth it.

“We’ve never been able to look at the balloon in the cold,” he told Wired. “This allows us to get up close and personal at these temperatures … . The idea is to try and get a good understanding of how the materials behave.”

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

FORT WALTON BEACH — Richard Whittington fell asleep Thursday night in a small camper parked at what will become the area’s first permanent cold night shelter.

Whittington, who has been living in his van since 2012, was the first official resident of the facility that will become One Hopeful Place.

The 61-year-old stayed at the plant, which is at the end of North Beal Extension, at the request of Community Solutions, the nonprofit developing the shelter.

The Community Development Corporation had stipulated in its grant that someone had to stay on site before the end of June to verify the site’s worthiness and to make sure organizers were on pace.

Whittington was selected by local homeless advocates in the community.

“I think it’s marvelous,” said Whittington, who moved onto the streets after his mother died and he lost her home. “The only drawback I see is it’s so out of the way.

“Transportation can be such a fragile thing,” he added. “It can come and go on a whim.”

The first phase of the shelter — a cold night shelter — is expected to be complete by the end of October. Subsequent phases will expand the facility.

Whittington works as a telemarketer, which helps him keep his car and pays for his basic needs. He doesn’t make enough to get off the streets and hasn’t had luck getting more substantial employment.

He says he hopes he doesn’t have to use One Hopeful Place when it opens, but guesses he might still be on the streets.

The location is remote, he said, but beautiful

“It was quiet,” he said. “It cooled off and was marvelous. You could hear the frogs and crickets. The rainfall on the roof put me to sleep. It was great.”

Contact Daily News Managing Editor Wendy Victora at 850-315-4478 or wvictora@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @WendyVnwfdn.

All she wanted was a bloom from her plant.

Unfortunately for Mickey Patterson, those blooms stood at least 20 feet in the air atop a century plant that she had placed in her yard in 1972. After years of waiting, the plant started putting up its massive stalk in March as it began its first and only blooming.

“I thought if that thing had limbs I could climb up and cut a bloom,” said the 94-year-old Fort Walton Beach resident.

But it didn’t. Instead she called the Ocean City-Wright Fire Department, who brought out a fire truck equipped with a bucket, and lifted Patterson high enough up to cut a bloom herself.

“I’ve waited to pick that bloom for 43 years,” remarked Patterson Thursday, as she showed off the large and unusual looking bloom to family and friends for photographs. “It was worth it all.”

Contact Daily News Photographer Devon Ravine at 850-315-4427 or dravine@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @DevonRnwfdn.

DEVON RAVINE | Daily News

Mickey Patterson, center, gazes up at the century plant in her Stewart Circle home Thursday afternoon. Patterson planted the cactus in 1972 and it finally started to bloom this year.
 

MALONE, N.Y. — One of two convicted killers who staged a brazen escape from an upstate maximum-security prison and had been hunted for three weeks was shot and killed Friday, but the other is still on the run.

An official with knowledge of the manhunt said Richard Matt was killed and David Sweat is still on the run. The official wasn't authorized to talk about the development publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says Matt and Sweat used power tools to saw through a steel cell wall and several steel steam pipes, bashed a hole through a 2-foot-thick brick wall, squirmed through pipes and escaped early on June 6 from Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, near the Canadian border.

Sweat was serving a sentence of life without parole in the killing of a sheriff's deputy in Broome County in 2002. Matt was serving 25 years to life for the killing and dismembering of his former boss.

A civilian worker at the prison was charged with helping the killers flee by giving them hacksaw blades, chisels and other tools.

Prosecutors said Joyce Mitchell, a prison tailoring shop instructor who got close to the men while working with them, had agreed to be their getaway driver but backed out because she felt guilty for participating. Mitchell pleaded not guilty on June 15 to charges including felony promoting prison contraband.

Authorities said the men had filled their beds in their adjacent cells with clothes to make it appear they were sleeping when guards made overnight rounds. On a cut steam pipe, the prisoners left a taunting note containing a crude caricature of an Asian face and the words "Have a nice day."

Clinton County District Attorney Andrew Wylie said they apparently used tools stored by prison contractors, taking care to return them to their toolboxes after each night's work.

Authorities also said Mitchell had discussed killing her husband, Lyle Mitchell, as part of the plot.

"Joyce Mitchell tells us that was discussed between her and Matt and that upon their escape they were going to return back to Joyce Mitchell's home at which time Matt and Sweat were going to kill her husband," Wylie said.

Lyle Mitchell's lawyer, Peter Dumas, said June 18 that his client was shocked by word of the plot and that Joyce Mitchell had told her husband she couldn't go through with it and the inmates threatened to harm him.

"Toward the end, Joyce had told Lyle — and we have no reason to doubt it — that she told Sweat and Matt that she wasn't going to go through with it," he said. "At that point, they threatened her by threatening Lyle, saying they were going to have someone on the outside do something to him or someone on the inside when he was back at work do something to him, so I think it was a point of control."

Lyle Mitchell was cooperating with authorities and wasn't facing charges.

On June 24, authorities charged Clinton correction officer Gene Palmer with promoting prison contraband, tampering with physical evidence and official misconduct. Officials said he gave the two prisoners the frozen hamburger meat Joyce Mitchell had used to hide the tools she smuggled to Sweat and Matt. Palmer's attorney said he had no knowledge that the meat contained hacksaw blades, a bit and a screwdriver.

Dannemora, built in 1845, occupies just over 1 square mile within the northern reaches of the Adirondack Forest Preserve and is surrounded by forest and farmland. The stark white perimeter wall of the prison, topped with guard towers, borders a main street in the village's business district.

The escape was the first in history from Clinton Correctional's maximum-security portion. In July 2003, two convicted murderers used tools from a carpentry shop at Elmira Correctional Facility to dig a hole in the roof of their cell and a rope of bedsheets to go over the wall. They were captured within three days, and a subsequent state investigation cited lax inmate supervision, poor tool control and incomplete cell searches.
 

NICEVILLE - Niceville Police officers responded to a series of vehicle burglaries on July 8.

A woman called at 6:06 a.m. to report she and her neighbor on Nathey Avenue had both had their vehicles broken into overnight.

A woman called at 7:27 a.m. to report her vehicle had been broken into while in her driveway on Nathey Avenue. An inverter, GPS and a Gameboy were taken. They were reportedly found around the corner broken.

A woman called at 8 a.m. to report her vehicle had been broken into at her home on St. Charles Street. Change and a bottle of rum were missing from the vehicle.

A woman called at 11:02 a.m. to report her vehicle had been broken into at her home on Judith Avenue. Three pairs of sunglasses and other miscellaneous items were reported stolen.

A man called at 1:42 p.m. to report his vehicle had been broken into at his Florida Street home.

A man called police at 2:05 p.m. to report his vehicle had been rummaged through while parked at his Nathey Avenue home. Nothing was reported taken.

A woman called police at 5:34 p.m. to report her vehicle was burglarized overnight on Big Oaks Lane, but she had needed to drive it to work. She wanted to file a report. An iPod, two pairs of headphones and a pair of gloves were reported missing. There were no signs of forced entry.

A woman called at 5:55 p.m. to report her vehicle had been burglarized overnight on Azalea Drive. Nothing was stolen, but her center console had been and things taken out.

A woman called at 6:15 p.m. to report her vehicle had been burglarized overnight on Azalea Drive. She just wanted police to be aware that someone had gone through the center console.

NICEVILLE - A 31-year-old Niceville man facing drug paraphernalia charges reportedly told officers that it belonged to his "hooker girlfriend."

The man was pulled over for a faulty tag light around 11:15 p.m. on June 10, according to the arrest report. He was allegedly "shaking a lot" and "was so shaky he threw" his license "out the window."

Niceville Police officers asked the man if there was anything in his car that would get him into trouble, because he seemed nervous, the report said. The man said there wasn't.

Police asked for permission to search the vehicle and the man agreed, telling officers that he kept his car "immaculate," and had just finished vacuuming it, according to the report. Police found a spoon with white and green powder and a cotton ball that was "saturated with powder"  under the driver's seat.

When the man saw the spoon, he told officers it belonged to his "hooker girlfriend" and that she'd left it in his car, the report said. He also allegedly told officers that he'd told her not to leave the rest of the pill on the spoon and to lick if off the spoon instead.

He is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.

His next scheduled court date is June 30.

NICEVILLE - Police were called for a fight at Tom Thumb between two women during a custody exchange.

Niceville Police officers were called around June 10 for a disturbance at Tom Thumb, according to the call log. The disturbance started out as a verbal argument during a child exchange.

The man's ex wife and his current wife had an argument that became physical in the parking lot, the log said. The current wife put her arm up to "keep the ex wife out of her face" and the ex wife grabbed her arm and scratched her.

The man left both women at Tom Thumb and took the children home before going to the police department, according to the log. No charges were filed because both women were found to have an equal part in the fight.

DeFUNIAK SPRINGS — Twenty people were taken to area hospitals Friday after authorities say a church school bus traveling on Interstate 10 veered off the highway and hit a tree.

The crash was reported at 3:10 p.m. just west of State Road 331 near DeFuniak Springs, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The bus was one of three vehicles from a church in Louisiana that were heading east on I-10, said Bryan Pierce, a battalion chief from Walton County Fire Rescue. He was not sure why the bus left the road.

Twenty people were taken to hospitals, although none of them suffered life-threatening injuries, Pierce said.

Seven were taken to Healthmark Regional Medical Center in DeFuniak Springs; one was taken to Twin Cities Hospital in Niceville; seven were taken to Sacred Heart on the Emerald Coast in Miramar Beach; and five were taken to North Okaloosa Medical Center in Crestview.

About 40 people were in a second bus and a passenger van that were traveling with the bus that wrecked. They were taken to DeFuniak Springs Community Center for the night, according to Pierce and the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.

Many of the people who were hurt were youths. The bus driver and chaperones were adults, Pierce said.

The wreck closed one eastbound lane of I-10.

“We did back up traffic for miles, I’m afraid,” Pierce said. 

FHP was investigating the crash, but had released no details Friday night.

Walton County sheriff’s deputies and DeFuniak Springs police and firefighters assisted at the scene.

The headlines about the "flesh-eating" bacteria that waits for you at the beach are over-hyped.

"There's a few misnomers," said Ryan Mims, public information officer for the Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County. "Those headlines cause a lot of panic, but if you're a healthy individual and practice good hygiene there's a low risk of you contracting vibrio vulnificus."

Here's the facts about vibrio:

First, what is vibrio vulnificus?

Vibrio Vulnificus, or vibrio, is a bacterium that is normally found in warm saltwater. Coastlines throughout the U.S. can be a host for vibrio. There's two ways to contract vibrio, said Mims. First, by entering saltwater with open wounds and second, by ingesting undercooked shellfish and oysters. So far this year, Santa Rosa County has had one case of vibrio. Walton and Okaloosa County have not any cases.

How do I know if I have vibrio?

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms of vibrio is acute illness, which can begin one to three days after exposure or as late as seven days in a small percentage of cases. If exposed by an open wound, you may see increased swelling, redness and pain at the site of the wound. You may also notice swelling and redness on arms and legs with blood-tinged blisters and low blood pressure or shock.

"It's not a flesh-eating bacteria," Mims said.

There is a chance of amputation in severe cases, but if treated in a timely and effective manner , those who recover should see no long-term effects, Mims added.

How do I prevent vibrio?

Don't immediately fret if you get a paper cut at the beach. Vibrio is preventable.

"It can be a serious disease and even lead to death, but if you take proper care, your risk should be minimal," said Dr. Carina Blackmore,  deputy state epidemiologist in a video on the DOH-Okaloosa website.

With that being said, those with underlying health conditions and compromised immune deficiencies, especially those with chronic liver disease, have a higher risk of contracting vibro, said Blackmore. Perform first aid before wounds become infected and keep wounds covered with dry, clean bandages. And cook your shellfish thoroughly. Oysters can also be carriers if the bacteria is present in their environment, but can only legally be harvested in from waters free from contamination.

Safety and oysters

Follow these tips from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration when cooking at home for safe meals

●When you purchase oysters the shells should be closed. Throw away any oysters with shells already opened.

●In the shell: After the shells open, boil live oysters for another 3-5 minutes. (Use small pots to boil or steam oysters. Do not cook too many oysters in the same pot because the ones in the middle may not get fully cooked. Discard any oysters that do not open during cooking).

●In a steamer: Add oysters to water that is already steaming and cook live oysters for another 4-9 minutes.

●Shucked Oysters:

Boil or simmer shucked oysters for at least 3 minutes or until the edges curl.

Fry at 375 degrees for at least 3 minutes.

Broil 3 inches from heat for 3 minutes.

Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.

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

MARY ESTHER - A 36-year-old woman is charged with striking a deputy after a fight with another woman.

Okaloosa County Sheriff's deputies were called for a disturbance between two women around 2 p.m. on June 10, according to the arrest report. When deputies arrived, they broke up the two women.

Chesney Leigh Anderson turned away from the other woman and started a verbal argument with a deputy, the report said. She allegedly hit the deputy's shoulder in an attempt to avoid being detained.

She was restrained and taken to a chair, showing signs of being under the influence of a narcotic, according to the report. Deputies reportedly noticed a small amount of white powder around her mouth.

Anderson is charged with battery on an officer.

Her next scheduled court date is July 21.

NICEVILLE - A man finished a shopping trip with his son to find a strange man sitting in his car.

The man called Niceville Police officers on June 15 around 10 p.m. to report that he'd come out of Walmart with his son and found a man sitting in his front seat, according to the call log. He said the man appeared to be trying to start his car.

The caller said he confronted the man, the man apologized, the log said. The caller waited to see if the other man would get in to a similar vehicle, but the man got into a blue van and drove off.

The caller drove a Ford Fusion, according to the log. The man requested officers make contact with the man and find out why he was in another vehicle.