Starting this month, people who try to pass off their pets as service dogs in Florida can be charged with a misdemeanor and could face up to 30 days in jail.

That’s good news for people like Brie Wieland of Destin and her sister Amber Norton of Mary Esther. Both women have a disability, and both utilize highly trained service dogs to help them with essential tasks.

Wieland, who uses a wheelchair, and her dog, Donkey, are constant companions. She says that without Donkey, she wouldn’t be able to navigate the outside world.

In recent years, however, going to a store or restaurant with Donkey has become a challenge.

“There are so many people who try to bring their pets into businesses, claiming they’re service dogs,” she said. “It makes it hard on those of us who are disabled and who rely on a trained service dog.”

At the root of the problem is the fact there is no single entity that certifies a dog as a “service animal.” Couple that with the fact that just about anyone can purchase an official looking “service dog” vest on the Internet, and you have a perfect storm of potential abuse.

“I frequently have problems when I go to places like Walmart in Destin,” Wieland said. “People will bring in their pets who are aggressive, and who come up to my dog and distract him — I’ve even had other dogs attempt to attack us.”

Amber Norton, who owns a training business called Archangel Service Dogs, said there are sev-eral signs a business owner should look for when someone claims their pet is a service dog.

“Under the law, a business owner or manager can ask three questions of someone who is trying to bring a dog into their business,” Norton said. “ ‘Is that a service animal? Are you disabled? What is one task that the service animal performs for you?’

“If the person can’t answer those questions, the owner has the right to ask the person to take the dog outside.”

Norton said a true service dog should be under the owner’s control at all times. A service dog will be focused on tasks, and should not bark or go to the bathroom inside the business.

“Because we’re such a sue-happy society, a lot of businesses are afraid to challenge people,” Norton added. “Ironically, it used to be the opposite problem. My sister and I worked really hard to educate business owners about the rights of people who use service dogs. Now these other folks are taking advantage of our hard work in order to sneak their pets inside.”

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

Jesse L. “Buddy” Gillman is a historian of sorts on Northwest Florida…. because he’s lived there for the better part of 100 years.

And he can still remember the details of that vibrant life.

Gillman was born in Munson, Florida, in 1915 and has many memories of the “horse and wagon” days and working on the family farm in Paxton from the age of 8.

“And I mean worked, picking cotton, plowing with a mule, all that,” he said.

He remembers the boom time of lumber near Lake Jackson, and how sawmills would use oxen to haul logs out of the forest.

Saturday nights in Florala were also memorable, with the whole town turning out to see a movie or just catch up over a meal. He remembers it was a time to wear his “good white overalls.”

But when the sawmills played out, it was a time of severe depression. At about the age of 19, he hitched a ride across the country by train, landing a job at the Santa Monica Swim Club.

“It was big money back then, $16 a week and meals included,” said Gillman.

But he was drawn back home again before moving to New York City in 1939.

“It was that or starve, there just wasn’t any work in Paxton.” he said.

He worked in a gold-plating shop for a Jewish man who had narrowly escaped from Nazi Germany.

He witnessed the flight of the Hindenburg, which exploded about 45 minutes after cruising past his office building.

He saw the transition of transportation from horses to trains to automobiles – all before he was 30.

Gillman married “Paxton girl” Alma Jackson in 1940.

“I thought Alma would have a hard time adjusting to New York, but she loved it,” he said. “Running water, the grocery store down the street… back home they were still milking cows and using wood-fire stoves.” 

But Gillman’s doctor was afraid he was developing tuberculosis and prescribed an immediate move back to Florida.

The couple had one son, Tommy, before Gillman was drafted into the Army for WWII.

In 1944, Gillman was stationed in New Guinea, where he helped build bridges and roads while dodging snipers and Japanese paratroopers.

“I saw McArthur once, walking across a long porch dictating to his secretary,” said Gillman.

After WWII, Gillman briefly realized his dream to farm again in Paxton, starting the first pou-try cage-layer operation in “extreme West Florida.”

But family health problems forced Gillman to return to the Naval Air Station to be near the Pensacola medical centers.

Now, he lives alone in Pensacola with “a little help” from caregivers and family members close by.

Gillman loves to share his memories, but admits that 100 is a hard age to be.

He misses the old days of Paxton, and would love to have another chance to farm, fish and hunt in that area.
 

Crowds didn't waiver Sunday even as sargassum seemed to take over much of the clear, shallow water on Navarre Beach.

Terry Wallace, utility supervisor for Navarre Beach and Santa Rosa County, said the dark, floating seaweed typically shows up around this time of year.

"We've noticed it in the last month or so," he said. "We haven't gotten a lot of complaints."

While it would seem that the clumps of sargassum could be netted out of the water — much like cleaning a pool — Wallace said it's meant to stay put until it washes out on its own.

"We do not pick up any grass, the DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) doesn't allow it," he said.

Sargassum, which is a type of brown seaweed, is actually beneficial to the beach habitat, explained Wallace.

"It's a natural fertilizer for the sea oats and other vegetation on the beach," he said.

Erica Navarre of Lake Charles, Georgia — her last name is purely a coincidence, she said — visits Navarre Beach with her family once a year.
Sunday, she opted to sit and talk with family in her beach chair.

"That's why I'm not in there," she said pointing to the seaweed. "I got in the water yesterday. It wasn't nearly as bad. Today, it's kind of funky."

As temps reached into the 90s, however, some found that a dip in the water necessary with or without seaweed.

"Yeah, it's gross, but not when you're hot," said Kaitlyn McInley who was visiting from Los Angeles. "You just roll with it."

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

Along with your towel, chair and sunscreen, don’t forget your smartphone when you head to the beach.
Not only can you capture memories by taking photos and videos to share, there are a multitude of apps that can give you surf conditions, predict the day’s weather and tell you how to avoid sunburns. Sometimes it’s worth it to stay connected. Here are a few apps you may want to stockpile before you head to the beach.

 WEATHER WATCHER
If you want to avoid being at the beach during a downpour (and schlepping your stuff in the soggy sand) make sure to have a few weather apps handy. For amateur meteorologists, WeatherPro doesn’t just tell you the temperature, but includes air pressure, precipitation and humidity (a must in Florida), as well as radar maps. The app is available for Windows Phone, iPhone, Android and BlackBerry. NOAA Weather Radar offers real-time radar images to give you up-to-date information. It is available for iPhone and Android for free. Those who are loyal to the Weather Channel can download its app for free and get weather info and alerts on iPhone and Android.

MAKING THE MOST
Technology is not typically part of a relaxation routine, but these apps might actually help you enjoy a quiet day at the beach.
Start with a peaceful meditation with The Mindfulness App for iPhone and Android. Guided meditations range from 3 to 30 minutes. Once you’ve reached your center, take in some reading. The Kindle is often chosen as a beach reader for its screen, but you can also download a book to your phone and listen along using the Audible app — no awkward tan lines from holding the book on your legs or straining to read in the sunlight.

CATCH THE WAVES
Conditions on the beach are crucial for surfers. Before you drag your longboard out, check these apps.
Shralp Tide is a free iPhone app that displays the current tide as well as the highs and low for the next four days. The best part is that it doesn’t require a network connection, so you can check the surf anytime, anywhere. MSW Surf Forecast is another free app for iPhone and Android users. It provides a seven-day forecast and live data along with swell, wind, period and pressure charts. Beach Safety for iPhone is an excellent guide to the latest safety tips such as what to do in when caught in rip current and how to treat jellyfish stings.

WHEN YOU MISS THE BEACH
If you’re just visiting the beach, there’s a good chance you’ll go through withdrawal when you get home.
You can still simulate a beach day by looking for live beach webcams (gulfcoastbeachcams.com) or see beaches around the world with the iBeach Cameras for iPhone.
 You can also turn your phone into a white noise machine and listen to the sound of waves crashing with Sleepmaker Waves on iPhone.
Or just pull out your favorite vacation home hunting app and plan your next beach trip.

SKIN SAVER
There’s a fine line between sun-kissed and burnt to a crisp. Even longtime beach bums sometimes head home with a sunburn.
Reapplying sunscreen and a high SPF is a good defense. There’s also technology. For iPhone users there’s iSunBurn , which gives you the predicted UV index for your location and lets you know which SPF is your best protector. Sunscreen Reapplying Reminder is pretty self-explanatory. Set manual or auto reminders for every one to six hours. Get it free on your iPhone or Android. If you want to avoid tan lines, download a tanning time, which tells you when to flip to the other side. For iPhone users, download Perfect Tan for Summer and for Android, check out Go Tanning Tan Timer and UV Index. You can also be old-school and just set a regular alarm on your phone.

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

Influential Walton County philanthropist and developer M.C. Davis passed away Saturday.

Davis was diagnosed with lung cancer last fall. He was 70 and leaves behind his wife, Stella, three daughters and five grandchildren.

He is best known for his conservation efforts and the creation of the E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center. The research and animal refuge was built on the 53,000-acre Nokuse Plantation in the Freeport area. His received a number of recognitions and awards for his work including a feature last month by NPR ».

“M.C. Davis can best be described as a force of nature,” said Meg Nelson, who was the first project manager at Nokuse. “...You could al-most see people catch his fire as he talked to them.”

He started making local headlines about the environment in the late 1990s. Along with some other investors, he purchased about 30,000 acres in Lafayette County and then in 2002 he bought the bulk of what would become Nokuse.

“I believe in stewardship,” he told the Daily News at the time. “It will be a wilderness once again.”

He didn’t just purchase the land and hope future generations would follow his lead. Instead he focused much of his attention on educating children about the environment through hands-on activities and experiences in nature.

“I’d like to see them have a wonderful planet like I’ve enjoyed in my lifetime,” he told the Daily News in 2006, about a year before con-struction started at the Biophilia Center.

According to his biography on the Biophilia Center’s website, he considered the Nokuse Plantation “his biggest and probably most impor-tant project.”
Christy Scally, who was the first director of the Biophilia Center, met Davis 20 years ago and found his passion to be unparalleled. He didn’t just talk about protecting the environment, he lived it.

“He knew what needed to happen and tried to make sure things were done to make these things happen,” she said.

Davis was also the CEO of Fountain Investment, Inc. in Miramar Beach. It is a land a timber trading company. He’s recently sold property to the Walton County School District for a new school and to the county for a new sports complex.

He was self-made man, according to longtime friend Charles Rigdon.

Davis grew up poor in Milton under the care of a single mother, but she built a solid foundation for him. Davis was constantly reading and well-versed in business, the environment and history.

Once he’d made it, Davis never hesitated to reach out a hand to someone else, including Rigdon, who described Davis as a mentor.

“He wanted you to excel,” Rigdon said. “He wanted you to do well and he didn’t mind helping you.”

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

Note to readers: This series recognizes people who make a difference in their communities. To nominate someone, call Kari Barlow at 315-4438 or email kbarlow@nwfdailynews.com

It might be mid-July, but Craig Allen can already hear Christmas music.

That’s because the 98.1 FM disc jockey has four months to go before kicking off his fifth annual Bikes or Bust event. Every year, on the first Thursday following Thanksgiving, he spends 98 hours living in the bucket of a bucket truck high above the ground to spur donations to Toys for Tots.

“Kids are important,” said Allen, who is equipped with an air mattress and a tent inside the bucket. “I gravitate toward any charity that has anything to do with kids.”

Bikes or Bust last only four days but takes an entire year to coordinate.

“From the day I get down, we start planning,” Allen said. “There are just countless people involved. The staff at the radio station has to work longer hours. My wife has to adjust her schedule, and the businesses donate things.”

This year, Allen wants to top his 2014 results – a record 587 bicycles.

“The way I look at it is making sure a kid has a good Christmas is about the most positive thing you can do,” he said. “... If anything good has happened to you in the past year, this is a great way to pay it forward.”

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

8:10 p.m. UPDATE

DESTIN—The body of a missing swimmer was found Monday evening near Crab Island by officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Divers with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office recovered the body of a 24-year-old man just after 5 p.m. from about 8 feet of water north of the Destin bridge. The man found close to the area where he was last seen, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release.

The man’s identity is being withheld pending the notification of family.

The Sheriff’s Office, Coast Guard, Florida Fish and Wildlife and Okaloosa Island Fire Department assisted in the search from the water and from the bridge.

The Sheriff’s Office began searching for the man after receiving a 911 call just before 2:30 p.m. about two swimmers in distress at Crab Island, said Michele Nicholson, spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Office.

A boater reported hearing a distressed swimmer yelling for help on the east side of Crab Island. The boater threw the man a flotation device and then riders on a personal watercraft pulled him to safety.

A second individual spotted in the water went under and did not resurface, the news release said.

Earlier coverage:

DESTIN — Law enforcement, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and U.S. Coast Guard officials are searching for a missing swimmer at Crab Island, according to Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office Spokeswoman Michele Nicholson.

The Sheriff's Office received a 911 call at 2:26 p.m. Monday about two swimmers in distress near the east side of Crab Island approximately 100 yards from the Destin bridge. One individual was reportedly rescued by someone on a personal watercraft. The second individual has not been located. Nicholson said the individual — a black male in his 20s — was last seen approximatley 100-yards north of the Marler Bridge.

The Sheriff's Office marine unit, other deputies and the Coast Guard  are on scene actively searching for the swimmer from boats as well as the bridge, Nicholson said.

This is a developing story. Please check back later for more information.

DeFUNIAK SPRINGS — The monument to the Confederate dead of Walton County, erected in 1871 by the county’s Female Memorial Association, is said to be the state’s oldest such memorial.

It stands outside the Walton County Courthouse, beneath a Confederate battle flag.

The flag hasn’t always been there. Records indicate it was erected in 1964, at a time when governments in many Southern communities were reacting with anger to federal Civil Rights legislation.

After Tuesday, the monument may stand alone once again.

The Walton County Commission will be asked to consider removing the controversial and divisive battle flag from county grounds.

A debate heard often since a June 17 racially-motivated massacre in Charleston has made its way to Walton County’s doorstep.

“It shouldn’t be on public property,” said Michelle Uhlfelder, who with her husband, Daniel, will put forth the argument to remove the flag. “It really does hurt a lot of people to see it there.”

County Administrator Larry Jones said he expects discussion on both sides of the flag issue.

He said it will be his advice that county commissioners take comments but not immediately act either to remove the flag or decree that it should stay it where stands.

“Our recommendation to commissioners would be ‘hear what you want to hear’ and take some time to review all that has been presented,” Jones said.

Michelle Uhlfelder said she would prefer the commissioners act immediately by taking the same action communities all over the country are taking, and remove the flag.

“They need to make a decision,” she said. “It should not go on any longer.”

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

An election to determine two members of a Personnel Standards and Review Board at the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office has been rescheduled for July 28.

The election – open only to Sheriff’s Office employees – had previously been scheduled for Tuesday.

The board’s job is to hear the appeals of three former deputies – Rick Hord, John Lee and Jon Bush – who were fired in 2010. Attorneys on both sides of the case recently filed motions objecting to the election process and the ballot, but Circuit Court Judge William Stone ruled that the ballot can stand.

“The ballot proceeds, but we had to push the election back two weeks,” Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections Paul Lux said.

Lux will offer early voting from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 20 to July 24 in his offices in Crestview and Fort Walton Beach.

On the day of the election, OCSO employees can cast their votes from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at both offices.

Lux said the election results will be released July 29.

The 10 local residents who qualified to appear on the ballot are: Bill Byerley of Shalimar; Johnny M. Eubanks of Crestview; Christoffer Hyden of Laurel Hill; Becky Lynn Jones of Valparaiso; Steven Menchel of Destin; Howard Oaks of Niceville; Joseph A. Sharpe of Niceville; Martin White of Niceville; Joseph A. Winkeler of Destin; and Noble C. Wyninegar of Fort Walton Beach.

The two elected members will serve alongside two members appointed by Sheriff Larry Ashley and a fifth member chosen by the four.

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

Located in the center of DeFuniak Springs, Chipley Park is the perfect place to spend an afternoon outside with plenty of things to see and do. One of the more popular things to do is walk around the nearly 40 acre Lake DeFuniak to get a 360-degree view of the park. And if you get too hot, you can always venture inside the Walton DeFuniak Library for cool air conditioning and R&R (reading and relaxation).

Park it here: Chipley Park is equipped with recreational must-haves including picnic tables (some are even shaded), grills and more than 40 acres of land so you can spread out.

Be a good sport: There’s plenty of space for a game of catch or whatever sport you choose. Take a walk around Lake DeFuniak and gawk at the historical buildings surrounding the body of water. Anglers can also take advantage of two fishing piers. The lake is open to boat fishing as well for electric motors with one horsepower or less.

Wanna play? Kids can burn energy in the playground area, which includes a slide, swings, merry-go-round and sand box.

Tip: As you walk around the lake, take time for pit stops at the Chautauqua Building and the Walton DeFuniak library. Regular events are held in the open amphitheater, located by the restrooms. Bring a camera for photo ops as you’ll regularly see ducks and turtles hanging out by the water’s edge.

Parks Checklist

• Bathrooms: Yes
• Benches: Several
• Picnic tables: Several, some located in the three gazebos at the park
• Plentiful parking: Yes
• Hours: No posted hours
• Location: Circle Drive, DeFuniak Springs.

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

DeFUNIAK SPRINGS — A grand jury was impaneled Monday to take a hard look at the Walton County Planning Department and the way it has been managed for the last 15 years.

State Attorney Bill Eddins said he will present evidence the week of Aug. 24.

“They’ll be looking at areas of concern I have regarding the Planning Department of Walton County and the management of the Planning Department over the last several years,” Eddins said.

The State Attorneys Office and the Walton County Sheriff’s Office have been investigating the county Planning Department since February, Eddins said.

Agents have pored over hundreds of documents, many of which have raised questions, he said.

The areas of concern go back “many years,” Eddins said, to before a 2005 “mistake” resulted in the department’s failure to collect the great majority of a $600,000 recreational fee from developers of Lakeside at Blue Mountain Beach.

The grand jury will examine evidence from 2000 right up to the present day, Eddins said.

A document discussing the uncollected $600,000 was included in a batch of evidence that prompted the Sheriff’s Office and State Attorney’s Office to open their investigation, Eddins said.

He declined to provide details of findings other than the unaccounted for $600,000.

Eddins said his office will not be seeking indictments when it goes to the grand jury, but added that the investigation continues.

It’s even possible the grand jury will take the initial information it receives and decide to expand the scope of the inquiry, Eddins said.

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

Twelve people escaped injury Monday morning in four wrecks involving 10 vehicles on State Road 85.

The four separate rear-end collisions occurred at 6:30 a.m. near mile marker 18 when traffic began to slow, according to a Florida Highway Patrol report.

In the first crash, a 2007 Ford Ranger ran into the back of a 2013 Honda Accord. Next, a 2004 Toyota Avalon struck the rear of a 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe.

In the third crash, a 2001 Honda Civic rear ended a 2004 Infinity G35, a 2010 Scion and a 2013 Chevrolet Camaro. In the fourth crash, a 2006 Triumph motorcycle struck the rear of a 2008 Toyota, the report said.

The drivers of the Ford Ranger pickup truck, Toyota Avalon, Honda Civic and Triumph motorcycle were cited for careless driving.
 

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

DeFUNIAK SPRINGS — The juvenile allegedly punched in the face by an NFL coach on a Walton County beach this weekend had visible injuries to his face, making it more than a baseless allegation to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.

Aaron Kromer, an offensive linemen coach for the Buffalo Bills, was arrested early Sunday morning on a misdemeanor battery charge for an incident behind a residence in Inlet Beach. The 48-year-old coach was released on a $1,000 bond about two hours later.

Walton County Sheriff’s Office public affairs coordinator Corey Dobridnia said Monday during a press conference at the Sheriff’s Office that the boy punched allegedly had “some swelling and some bruising” to the left side of his face when deputies responded to a battery complaint.

Dobridnia said additional charges are possible.

“We’re hoping to have the investigation done by the end of (Monday) or early Tuesday morning,” she said.

The arrest report released Monday morning did not include the ages of the three boys involved – Dobridnia said the ages won’t be released until the case goes to court and “becomes public knowledge” – but it included a few more details about the incident.

According to the arrest report, the incident started when Kromer and his son, Zachery Kromer, confronted three boys fishing behind a residence. One victim told deputies Kromer was upset about the use of their beach chairs left by the beach access. The arrest report states Kromer grabbed a fishing pole, threw it into the water, pushed one of the boys to the ground and punched him in the face.

The boy told deputies that Kromer told him if he reported the incident to police that Kromer would kill the boy’s family. After Kromer returned to his residence, his son Zachery discussed the incident with the victims and helped try to find the fishing pole, according to the arrest report.

Dobridnia said deputies were told the boys and Kromer have been “friendly” in the past and Kromer previously has allowed them to use his beach chairs. Dobridnia said investigators are unable to tell if alcohol played a role in the incident.

The arrest report redacted the three boys’ information but mentioned Dan Imbornone, the complainant, and Steven Slaton, the father of the boy allegedly punched.

Kromer’s listed address is in Orchard Park, N.Y., home of the Bills organization. Zachery Kromer, 21, has not been charged as of 3:30 p.m. Monday, but is listed on the arrest report as “other suspect.” He lives in Norman, Oklahoma.

Dobridnia said the first court appearance is up to the state’s attorney and Kromer, who could request a speedy trial. Dobridnia said he requested a lawyer and has not made a statement to police regarding the incident.

A FOX Sports report cites a source claiming Kromer acted in self defense after his beach chairs were stolen and he was threatened. According to the report, the source also claimed it was too dark for Kromer to tell who it was.

Dobridnia said the Buffalo Bills organization has not contacted her directly regarding the incident, but she was contacted by the head of NFL security for the southeast region.

Kromer previously was an offensive line coach for the New Orleans Saints and served as interim head coach for six games in 2012, when Sean Payton was suspended. Kromer also was offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears for two seasons.

DeFUNIAK SPRINGS — Chipley Police Officer Tyler Brannon and his wife Amanda came to the rescue of a baby left in a hot car Saturday.

The two had stopped at the Tractor Supply store in DeFuniak Springs to pick up dog food when they heard a noise in the parking lot.

“At first, it sort of sounded like a screaming cat, and I thought, ‘I hope that's not a baby’ because I couldn't hearing any vehicles running,” Brannon told a Chipley newspaper.

The baby, about 10 months old, was located about 3 p.m. inside a rapidly warming van, according to DeFuniak Springs Police Capt. Mike Lolley. The little girl had been inside for about 10 to 15 minutes when the Brannons arrived.

Lolley said the child’s babysitter was located inside the tractor store. She told officers she and a friend had been shopping and had forgotten the baby was inside the van.

Police determined the babysitter had left the child behind accidentally, so no charges were filed Lolley said.

He said the child was treated on the scene and taken to a hospital for evaluation, but seemed to be OK. She was later released to her mother.

Brannon told the Chipley newspaper it was lucky he and his wife came along when they did.

“She was soaked as though I had pulled her out of a swimming pool and was showing signs of dehydration,” he said.

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

DESTIN — The body of a missing swimmer was found Monday evening near Crab Island by officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Divers with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office recovered the body of a 24-year-old man just after 5 p.m. from about 8 feet of water north of the Destin bridge. The man found close to the area where he was last seen, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release.

The man’s identity is being withheld pending the notification of family.

The Sheriff’s Office, Coast Guard, Florida Fish and Wildlife and Okaloosa Island Fire Department assisted in the search from the water and from the bridge.

The Sheriff’s Office began searching for the man after receiving a 911 call just before 2:30 p.m. about two swimmers in distress at Crab Island, said Michele Nicholson, spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Office.

A boater reported hearing a distressed swimmer yelling for help on the east side of Crab Island. The boater threw the man a flotation device and then riders on a personal watercraft pulled him to safety.

A second individual spotted in the water went under and did not resurface, the news release said.

A 23-year-old Fort Walton Beach man has died after being shot outside his residence Monday night.

According to the Fort Walton Beach Police Department, officers arrived at 23 Maples Street at approximately 1 a.m. where Keyontray Damar Henry was lying on the sidewalk in front of his home.

A friend was providing first aid.

Officers were told that Henry had been shot by an unknown person or persons. He had gunshot wounds in the forearm and abdomen.

Fort Walton Beach Fire Department and Okaloosa County EMS provided medical treatment.

Henry was taken by helicopter to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola where he was later pronounced dead.

Witnesses at the residence told officers they heard gunshots. When they went outside, they found Henry outside.

This is the third homicide in the City of Fort Walton Beach this year. There were none in 2014, said FWBPD Captain William Royal.

The Fort Walton Beach Police Department is currently investigating the incident. If you or someone you know may have information, please contact Sgt. Matthew Holt or Det. Andrew Washburn at 833-9900.

You can also contact Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers at 863-TIPS (8477). You can submit a web tip at www.emeraldcoastcrimestoppers.com or you can now text a tip. Text "TIP214 plus your message" to CRIMES (274637).
 

NICEVILLE — Northwest Florida State College’s overall budget will remain largely unchanged in the upcoming budget year.

After delaying the final approval because the state was slow to pass its budget, the Board of Trustees approved a $33.6 million budget Tuesday morning.

“It’s a snug budget, it’s not a crippling budget,” said NWF State President Ty Handy. “... Every budget year gets a little tighter.”

It remains largely unchanged despite even less state funding for facility maintenance. Expense cuts were made in areas like travel and equipment to make it happen, according to Randy White, the newly selected Vice President of Administration and the school’s chief financial officer.

See the full budget packet »

As a rule of thumb, if employees can’t drive to meetings or conferences, the college won’t pay for them to go.

The approved budget does include a 1 percent pay increase for employees.

“It probably doesn’t keep up with inflation, but it’s something,” Handy said.

If NWF States sees enough of a fall enrollment increase, Handy said he might approach the trustees about adding a little more for staff.

Tuition rates and student fees were approved last month. Overall tuition decreased slightly, but some fees increased – the college is now going to charge $25 per semester for parking privileges.

Initially it looked like the college was going to lose $342,000 worth of performance funding, but it is working with state officials to ensure they don’t lose any of it, White said.

The potential loss came after the legislature changed the performance criteria from nine measures to four: job placement, wages, retention and graduation rates.

The trick is, in order to get full points for graduation rates, students pursuing a two-year degree must complete it in three years. At NWF State, the majority of students are part-time, so that time table is often not a reality, White said.

“A community college exists to serve whatever the community wants,” he said.

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

SANTA ROSA BEACH – This civil war will rage on for two more weeks.

Walton County Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday evening to hold off voting until their next meeting to decide whether they’ll order removal of a Confederate battle flag that has flown since 1964 on county courthouse property.

Those calling for the flag to come down called it a symbol of hate, erected 93 years after the memorial to Confederate dead it stands beside in protest to the passage of Civil Rights legislation.

“If we do not remove it now we will be one of the last courthouses in the entire country to remove it. Do we want to be the last flag standing?” asked Daniel Uhlfelder, who had petitioned the commission to remove the flag. 

Uhlfelder’s rhetorical question drew applause from a healthy pro-flag contingent, which was also were given an opportunity to plead its case Tuesday.

Wayne McCloud, representing the Sons of Confederate Veterans, shared with commissioners his knowledge of Civil War sacrifices of Southern soldiers and the brutal treatment they’d received at the hands of Union Soldiers. He told board members that the 81 Confederate soldiers from Walton County who died and are memorialized at the county courthouse weren’t fighting for slavery, but against an invading army bent on destruction and mayhem.

Raymond Jackson, president of the Northwest Florida Branch of the NAACP, called the flag “a symbol of hate, separation, superiority and injustice.”

“If you remove this flag it will be a step in the right direction to bring unity to this county,” Jackson said.

But Danny Glidewell, a former Walton County deputy and jail director, said the request to remove the flag was a poorly disguised effort to divide Walton County’s citizenry and, more ominously, part of a bigger conspiracy to impose an unsavory agenda.

“This is the beginning of political correctness run amok,” Glidewell said. “Next they’ll want to take down the memorial, next the 10 Commandments and next the manger scene.”

When the time allotted for debate was spent, Commissioner Sara Comander jumped quickly on the opportunity to make a motion that a vote on the flag issue be put off until July 26, when the meeting location will rotate from South Walton County to DeFuniak Springs, the location where the controversial flag flies.

The pro-flag group cheered that proposal, which was seconded by Commissioner Bill Chapman and subsequently passed. 

Jackson, the NAACP leader, was one of several who had urged the commission to act Tuesday. He said he believes the county’s leaders had their reasons for delaying the vote.

“They’ve known what was coming for a long time,” he said. “I feel like they’re trying to hold off to get reaction of people that suggest their ideas. The south county is more liberal than the north county.”

DeFuniak Springs resident Rick Roberts said it will be good to hear debate on the issue from residents on both ends of the county.

“It’s not a north county or south county decision,” he said.

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

The Okaloosa County branch of the Florida State Conference of the NAACP is hosting a town hall meeting at 1 p.m. Saturday at New Life Missionary Baptist Church in Crestview.

Dale Landry, the organization’s vice president, said the meeting was prompted by a situation involving a military family in Baker who reported numerous instances of what they determined to be racial harassment and intimidation of their teenage sons at Baker School.

“We want to give other community members, especially our military families, the opportunity to speak out and share information if they have had similar experiences,” he said.

According to Landry, during the past school year, the boys were subjected to physical assaults, racial name calling and a threat in which one boy was shown a photo of a Ku Klux Klan member holding a noose.

“The child was told, ‘This is what is going to happen to you,’” Landry said. “There is a sickness in the Okaloosa County School District, and it’s our children who are suffering.”

Efforts to meet with school district officials concerning the problem were not effective, Landry said.

“If anything, it made things worse,” he stated. “This first came to our attention back in November. Since then, the family’s home has been burglarized, and the father has been followed in a threatening manner by an unknown person driving a large pickup truck.”

The latest incident, which Landry said happened about two weeks ago, prompted NAACP officials to contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tallahassee on Friday.

Landry said they have also contacted the FBI.

Henry Kelley, a spokesperson for the Okaloosa County School District, responded to the NAACP’s charges by stating the district does not tolerate harassment or discrimination among students or employees.

“There are School Board policies and procedures in place to provide protection and to deal with these issues,” he said.  “The OCSD cannot comment on specific student issues, but each and every incident this family has brought to our attention was handled in a timely manner and in accordance with School Board policies and procedures.”

Kelley said Mary Beth Jackson, the school district superintendent, has participated at two recent NAACP town hall meetings, and the district will be represented at Saturday’s event.

Complaints of racial bias against the school district are not unprecedented. In 2012, the Southern Poverty Law Center filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights after investigating allegations of discriminatory disciplinary practices against black students.

Landry indicated that representatives from the service member’s command attended one of the meetings with the school district.

“Our military needs to step up to protect our service members’ families,” he said. “How can we expect them to deploy to fight the enemy, when their families are fighting their own enemy at home?”

Want to go?

New Life Missionary Baptist Church is located at 285 Duggan Ave. in Crestview.

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

CAPE CANAVERAL — In a day of both jubilation and tension, scientists waited anxiously Tuesday for NASA's New Horizons spacecraft to send word across 3 billion miles and confirm it got humanity's first up-close look at Pluto.

All indications were that the craft successfully made its flyby, and a cheering, flag-waving celebration swept over the mission operations center in Maryland. But confirmation was not expected to reach Earth from the edge of the solar system for another 13 hours, or about 9 p.m. EDT.

The unprecedented encounter was the last stop on NASA's grand tour of the planets over the past half-century. New Horizons arrived at the small icy world after an epic journey that began 9½ years ago, back when Pluto was still considered a full-fledged planet.

"This is truly a hallmark in human history," said John Grunsfeld, NASA's science mission chief. "It's been an incredible voyage."

According to NASA's best calculations, the spacecraft the size of a baby grand piano swept to within 7,700 miles of Pluto at 31,000 mph. It was programmed to then go past the dwarf planet and begin studying its far side.

To commemorate the moment of closest approach, scientists released the best picture yet of Pluto, taken on the eve of the flyby.

Even better images will start "raining" down on Earth beginning Wednesday, promised principal scientist Alan Stern. But he cautioned everyone to "stay tuned" until New Horizons contacted home.

It takes 4½ hours for signals to travel one-way between New Horizons and Earth. The I've-arrived message was due to go out late in the afternoon during a brief break in the spacecraft's data-gathering frenzy.

"We're counting" on good news, said Stern, a Southwest Research Institute planetary scientist. "But there's a little bit of drama because this is true exploration. New Horizons is flying into the unknown."

Jim Green, NASA's planetary science director, admitted to being "on pins and needles" while waiting for New Horizons to tell flight controllers, "I made it!"

Among the possible dangers: cosmic debris that could destroy the mission. But with the chances of a problem considered extremely low, scientists assembled at Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory erupted in jubilation when the moment of closest approach occurred at 7:49 a.m. EDT. The lab is the spacecraft's developer and manager.

Joining in the hoopla were the two children of the American astronomer who discovered Pluto in 1930, Clyde Tombaugh. (Some of his ashes are aboard the spacecraft.)

The White House and Congress offered congratulations, and physicist Stephen Hawking was among the scientists weighing in.

"Hey, people of the world! Are you paying attention?" planetary scientist Carolyn Porco, part of the New Horizons' imaging team, said on Twitter. "We have reached Pluto. We are exploring the hinterlands of the solar system. Rejoice!"

The U.S. is now the only nation to visit every planet in the solar system. Pluto was No. 9 in the lineup when New Horizons left Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Jan. 19, 2006, but was demoted seven months later to dwarf status.

Scientists in charge of the $720 million mission hope the new observations will restore Pluto's honor.

Stern and other so-called plutophiles posed for the cameras giving nine-fingers-up "Pluto Salute."

The picture of Pluto taken on Monday showed a frozen, pockmarked world, peach-colored with a heart-shaped bright spot and darker areas around the equator. It drew oohs and aahs.

"To see Pluto be revealed just before our eyes, it's just fantastic," said mission operations manager Alice Bowman.

The Hubble Space Telescope had offered up the best pre-New Horizons pictures of Pluto, but they were essentially pixelated blobs of light.

Flight controllers held off on having New Horizons send back flyby photos until well after the maneuver was complete; they wanted the seven science instruments to take full advantage of the encounter.

New Horizons is also expected to beam back photos of Pluto's big moon, Charon, and observe its four little moons. It will take 16 months, or until late 2016, for all the data to reach Earth.

On the eve of the encounter, NASA confirmed that Pluto is, indeed, the King of the Kuiper Belt. New measurements made by the spacecraft show that Pluto is 1,473 miles in diameter, or about 50 miles bigger than estimated.

That's still puny by solar-system standards. Pluto is just two-thirds the size of Earth's moon. But it is big enough to be the largest object in the Kuiper Belt, a zone rife with comets and tens of thousands of other small bodies.

Stern and his colleagues wasted no time pressing the U.S. Postal Service for a new stamp of Pluto.

The last one, issued in 1991, consisted of an artist's rendering of the faraway world and the words: "Pluto Not Yet Explored." The words "not yet" were crossed out in a poster held high Tuesday for the cameras.