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.
 

A 23-year-old Fort Walton Beach man died early Tuesday after being shot outside a house on Maples Street.

He is the third victim of a homicide in a recent string of fatal crimes in the city. The shootings are unrelated, said Fort Walton Beach Police Chief Ted Litschauer.

According to FWBPD, officers arrived at 23 Maples Street at approximately 1 a.m. and found Keyontray Damar Henry lying on the sidewalk in front of the home.

A friend was administering first aid to Henry, who was shot in the forearm and abdomen.

Officers were told Henry had been shot by an unknown person or persons, the news release said.

Fort Walton Beach Fire Department and Okaloosa County EMS responded to the shooting, and Henry was flown by helicopter to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola where he later died.

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

The fatal shooting is the third homicide in Fort Walton Beach this year. In 2014, there were none.

Police Chief Ted Litschauer has been with the city’s police department for nine years. He said this is the first time since he has been with the department the city has had three homicides in one year — not to mention two within a week of each other in June.

The first occurred on the evening of June 11 when a man heard a gunshot outside his residence on Cape Drive. When he looked out the window, he saw Randy Campbell dead on the ground.

Less than a week later, on June 17, 89-year-old Freddie Cason was shot and killed outside the home he lived in for more than 40 years.

Litschauer said there does not appear to be any links between the three homicides.

Investigations into all three shootings are ongoing.

At this time, the only common factor is that all three victims were shot to death. None of the victims were shot with the same caliber gun, Litschauer said.

“The purpose or motives we believe is different in all three,” he said. “The persons involved have all been different.”

Despite the increase in homicides, Litschauer said, the community does not have to live in fear.

“Fort Walton Beach is a safe place,” he said. “None of these incidents appear to be a random selection. These were predetermined victims. The general population doesn’t need to be worried.”

Homicide investigations can stress the resources of a police department of any size, Litschauer said.

The cases will remain a top priority for the department, he added.

“These incidents are always disconcerting,” Litschauer said. “They make people uneasy. But we have a good success rate of identifying perpetrators and making arrests.”

POLICE SEEKING INFORMATION:

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

Citizens can contact Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers at 863-TIPS (8477) or submit a web tip at www.emeraldcoastcrimestoppers.com or text “TIP214” plus your message to CRIMES (274637).

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

FORT WALTON BEACH - A 28-year-old Fort Walton Beach man is facing drug charges after a search warrant was served at his home.

Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office members served the warrant on June 26, according to the arrest report. Surveillance had been done before the warrant service to ensure that Michael Vonkee Carson was at the home.

Just before the Special Response Team arrived, Carson left through the back of the home, got into a vehicle and tried to leave, the report said. As he was backing out, the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office armored vehicle approached with emergency lights activated.

When he saw the vehicle, he accelerated in reverse and tried to flee, but instead struck a second Sheriff's Office vehicle, according to the report. At that point, a third vehicle was able to push Carson's vehicle off the roadway and deputies took him into custody.

After being detained, Carson said he wasn't aware the deputies were trying to stop him, the report said. He allegedly admitted to having 15 to 20 baggies of cocaine in the his vehicle, packaged in .2 gram bags.

Investigators found the bags, which weighed a total of seven grams, according to the report. A search of the home reportedly revealed an additional 17 grams of cocaine, a digital scale with cocaine residue and four grams of marijuana.

Carson admitted to being a "cocaine dealer" and said he had around 10 people he sold to, the report said. He allegedly told investigators he had "re-upped" the day before and purchased 21 grams for $900.

He said the marijuana was for personal use and not to be sold, according to the report.

He is charged with fleeing police, possession of cocaine with the intent to sell, possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 4.

FORT WALTON BEACH - A 22-year-old woman is charged with leaving five children between the ages of 1 and 5 home alone.

Okaloosa County Sheriff's deputies were called around 12:30 a.m. by a neighbor who said she saw a small child out on the second story walkway, according to the arrest report. She said she'd knocked on the apartment door for "a while" before calling the Sheriff's Office.

Deputies knocked for about 10 minutes before entering the home for a welfare check, the report said. Inside they found four additional children between 1 and 5 years old and no adults.

Deputies stayed at the home for nearly 40 minutes before the mother of four of the children arrived, according to the report. She is not being named to protect the identities of the victims.

She said she'd gone out with friends about 20 minutes away and her teenage sister was supposed to be watching the children, the report said. The sister was not in the residence.

A neighbor said the children's mother left around 11 p.m.  and the sister was not at the apartment, according to the report. Another resident of the apartment was out, but said she had been unaware the children's mother planned to leave the home, because the woman was supposed to be watching the children.

The woman is charged with neglect of a child without great bodily harm.

She is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 4.

MARY ESTHER - A 27-year-old Mary Esther man is charged with fleeing Okaloosa County Sheriff's deputies after being called in as a possible drunken driver on a motorcycle.

Deputies spotted the motorcycle going at a "high rate of speed" on Miracle Strip Parkway around 3:15 a.m. on June 27, according to the arrest report. When a deputy tried to perform a traffic stop near Mary Esther Cutoff, the motorcyclist allegedly sped up from 60 mph to 70 mph.

As the deputy was following the motorcyclist, other vehicles on the road were pulling over to the side of the road, the report said. The motorcycle allegedly actively went around the stopped vehicles.

The motorcyclist eventually pulled over halfway down in front of the Hurlburt Field flightline, according to the report. The driver, identified as Andrew Wayne Hanks, was detained and deputies found he did not have a motorcycle endorsement.

Hanks said he was "practicing" on a relative's motorcycle, the report said. He admitted to speeding, but said he was trying to get home and didn't notice the lights and sirens behind him.

He is charged with fleeing an officer and operating a motorcycle without a motorcycle endorsement.

He is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 4.

FORT WALTON BEACH - A 36-year-old Fort Walton Beach man is accused of taking an acquaintance's truck without permission and crashing it.

Okaloosa County Sheriff's deputies responded to the crash at Beal Parkway and Green Acres Road on June 28 around 1:30 p.m., according to the arrest report. Witnesses said the driver of the truck had fled into nearby woods, but gave a description of the man's clothing.

Deputies began searching for the driver, and the owner of the vehicle pulled up, the report said. The owner said the truck had been stolen by a guest in his home the night before.

The owner of the truck requested charges be filed.

The driver, identified as Elvin Rodriguez, was found in the wooded area, where he led deputies on a short foot chase before being taken into custody, according to the report. Deputies allegedly found a small amount of marijuana on his person.

He is charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle, resisting an officer without violence and possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana.

He is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 4

DESTIN - A Florala, Alabama, teen is accused of removing the bumper from a truck in an apartment complex parking lot and driving away with it.

Okaloosa County Sheriff's deputies were called about the theft just after 2 a.m. on June 28, according to the arrest report. A witness reported seeing a man, later identified as 18-year-old Chris Hunter Fountain, underneath a truck loosening the bolts to the rear bumper.

When he noticed the witness watching him, Fountain stopped and told her that the truck belonged to his uncle, who was waiting on him, the report said. He allegedly continued removing the bumper and then left in another truck of the same make and similar color.

The owner of the vehicle said that his truck had been intact when he'd parked in the parking lot at 11 p.m., according to the report. He said he hadn't give anyone permission to remove any parts from his truck.

Another deputy saw the truck that Fountain had left in after a description had been broadcasted and pulled the vehicle over, the report said. Fountain allegedly admitted to stealing the bumper.

The witness positively identified Fountain as the man who had taken the bumper, according to the report.

He is charged with burglary of a conveyance and theft of more than $300 and less than $5,000.

He is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 4.

FORT WALTON BEACH — Authorities are investigating yet another shooting in Okaloosa County.

Emergency responders were called out to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard around 10:20 a.m. Wednesday after a man said the vehicle he was riding in was shot at, according to a news release from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

The caller, who is from Fort Walton Beach, was airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola with a head injury, according to Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Michele Nicholson.

He was shot, but Nicholson did not clarify where on his body. She said he was in stable condition by mid-afternoon Wednesday. 

The driver of the vehicle was uninjured, but mutiple shots were fired, Nicholson added.

Traffic in the northbound lanes of MLK remained shut down in front of Commando Village for close to two hours while authorities processed the crime scene. Canines and metal detectors were used. Hurlburt Field also shut down back gate traffic until MLK reopened around 12:20 p.m.

Deputies did identify a vehicle of interest shortly after the shooting was reported, but no arrests have been made.  

No arrests have been made to date, but deputies made contact with a vehicle that matched the description given by witnesses, Nicholson said.

The vehicle was stopped on Earl Drive, off of Lovejoy Road in Fort Walton Beach.  

“I think there’s a theory, I don’t know as far as connecting all the dots,” she said.

This is the eighth shooting incident reported in Okaloosa County in the last eight months, including a fatal one on Tuesday.

Anyone with information should contact Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers at 850-863-TIPS.

FREEPORT - A Freeport woman was seriously injured in a single vehicle crash Wednesday morning.

Jennifer T. Nick was in the U.S. Post Office Parking lot at 77 Breckyn Loop when she “became incoherent” and her vehicle jumped a curb and struck a pine tree, according to a report from the Florida Highway Patrol.

Upon impact, the tree fell and caused Nick’s 2012 Chevrolet Suburban to roll onto its roof around 10:25 a.m., the report stated.

Nick was airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola.

The post office is located along U.S. Highway 331 just north of the State Road 20 intersection.

No charges will be filed, the report stated.

CRESTVIEW — City workers last week quietly removed the rebel flag from its East First Avenue post at the William “Bill” Lundy Memorial.

It had fluttered in the city, though not always in the same location, since 1958 when the Crestview Lions Club established a memorial to honor a man believed to be Florida’s last surviving Civil War veteran.

Mayor David Cadle initially stated in a media release that the flag would relocate.

“The proposal includes the Lundy family taking possession of the memorial and moving it to private land,” he said.

Since then, several members of the Lundy family have questioned the statement.

“The family did not make a deal,” Martha F. Lundy said on the News Bulletin’s Facebook page. “One member of the family took it upon themselves to make this offer without consulting anyone else.”

“The mayor’s office was flooded with phone calls from the rest of the Lundy family (Thursday) to inform the mayor that this person does not speak for the entire family,” Reba Cobb Lundy said.

Family members also raised concerns about the rebel flag being replaced with an American flag.

“I’m pretty sure any Confederate soldier that fought, bled or died fighting a war over taxes for the Confederacy would consider that a slap in the face,” Martha Lundy said. “No other flag should fly above a Confederate memorial other than a Confederate flag.”

Rebel flags on public property have been targeted nationwide since Dylann Roof, a white man, killed nine black people in mid-June at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C. But Okaloosa County’s NAACP chapter has called for the Crestview flag’s removal for many years.

Sabu Williams, among the flag’s critics, expressed relief and concern after word spread about the removal.

“An action long overdue but welcomed nonetheless,” he said on Facebook. “My only regret is the fact that the flag was not lowered in dignity, folded in honor, and presented in respect to a surviving member of the Lundy family.”

On Monday, former Crestview City Councilwoman Robyn Helt also criticized how the flag removal was handled.

“Our council members have an obligation and responsibility to make hard decisions for the citizens of Crestview,” she said, addressing city leaders. “You have that responsibility to do that in a public forum that gives citizens an opportunity to participate.

“With respect to the Lundy memorial, the process should have involved the public’s input and it should’ve occurred in a format that appeared in the Sunshine instead of appearing to have occurred in a process where decisions were made without the citizens being consulted.”

BAKER -- Some residents of North Okaloosa County fear there’s a ring of thieves stealing their pets.

“We are having a major problem in our area, and we desperately need your help. There are currently many missing/stolen pets from Baker, Crestview and the Laurel Hill area,” a Facebook post by the Akers of Strawberries business in Baker says.

The post features photos of a hand full of dogs, including a pit bull named “Harley.”

Harley is no longer among the missing, and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office has charged Myra Ellen King, 21, with stealing him from a home in Laurel Hill.

A witness to the alleged dog theft said she was giving King a ride in her truck when King asked her to stop in front of the home where Harley lived.

“She entered the gated front yard and ... put him in the cab of the truck,” a Sheriff’s Office news release said.

The witness said after picking up the dog she dropped King and Harley off at the boat ramp in Milligan where King had been camping, an incident report said.

King told investigators she found Harley wandering the streets and thought he was a stray, the report said.

A neighbor of the dog’s owner, however, took a photo of the witness’ truck in the victim’s driveway.

King was charged with theft of property worth more than $300.

Allison Broxon of Baker said too many animals have gone missing for it to be coincidence, “unless it’s national dog run away month.”

She said many of the dogs that have disappeared are “the bulldog type” and she, like others, fears that dog fighting might be at the root of the thefts.
“It really needs to be investigated thoroughly,” she said. “It’s evident something shady is going on.”

Another of North Okaloosa’s missing dogs is a bulldog named Buddy that belongs to state Sen. Greg Evers. Evers said he’s convinced his dog was stolen because Buddy rarely leaves the vicinity of the house.

Michele Nicholson, spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Office, said she was familiar with the social media discussion about missing dogs.

But she said Harley’s owner has thus far been the only person who has filed a police report and she’d also been informed some of the missing North Okaloosa dogs have returned home.

“Glad to say there’s no solid information at this point of any dognappers in North Okaloosa,” Nicholson said.

Evers said he plans to report his dog as stolen and encouraged others to do the same.

“We need to verify the number of dogs that have gone missing,” he said.

Nicholson advised residents who believe their dogs have been stolen to file a police report, but said reports won’t likely be taken in the case of a missing pet.

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

The Walton County Sheriff’s Office released the age of the teenager punched by NFL coach Aaron Kromer Wednesday, the same day the coach’s son was also charged with misdemeanor battery.

Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson Jr. said Wednesday that Aaron Kromer allegedly punched a 14-year-old boy around 5 feet, 7 inches and around 140 pounds last weekend during an incident at Inlet Beach.

Zachery Kromer, the coach’s son, received a misdemeanor battery charge Wednesday for allegedly “putting his hands on” another juvenile, a 15-year-old, during the incident. He was not injured, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Walton County Sheriff’s Office public affairs coordinator Corey Dobridnia said the State Attorney’s Office issued a criminal summons for Zachery Kromer, 21. She said the State Attorney’s Office decided to issue a criminal summons instead of a warrant.

A criminal summons means Zachery Kromer, who was listed as “other suspect” in the arrest report, must arrive to court and turn himself in for the charge but will not be physically arrested. Dobridnia said the date of his appearance in court is up to the judge assigned and the State Attorney’s Office.

Aaron Kromer, an offensive line coach for the Buffalo Bills, received a misdemeanor battery charge Sunday. According to the arrest report released Monday, the incident involved three juveniles and a dispute about usage of beach chairs left near a beach access.

The report states the 48-year-old coach 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 Aaron Kromer told him if he reported the incident to police that Aaron Kromer would kill the boy’s family.

After the coach returned to his residence, Zachery Kromer discussed the incident with the victims and helped try to find the fishing pole, according to the arrest report.

A third juvenile who was with the two teenagers but was not directly involved in either alleged altercation is 15 years old.

A new contract or another expansion to the deadline in Humana and HCA’s contract negotiations had been reached Wednesday, but details of the deal have not been released.

A spokesperson for the Fort Walton Beach Medical Center confirmed Wednesday morning that the hospital was accepting Humana insurance and that a joint press release from HCA and Humana was expected to be released. The deadline for the two parties to reach a new agreement was midnight Tuesday.

No press release had been issued as of press time Wednesday.

DESTIN — Sometimes a day at the office isn’t so bad.

Especially when the office sends you down the newest slide at Big Kahuna’s Water & Adventure Park.

Wednesday morning, local leaders celebrated the opening of the park’s newest slide, the Kowabunga, with a friendly race to raise money for charity.

Race winners Jaime Hall of HarborWalk Village, Andrew Smith of the U.S. Air Force, Doug Rainer of the city of Destin and Jeff Peters from the city of Fort Walton Beach each won $250 for charities of their choice including Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (ASPCA), United Way of Okaloosa County and Shelter House.

“We’re hoping in the future to make this an annual event and bring in a larger sum,” said Greg Abel, sales and marketing manager for Big Kahuna’s.

Peters, recreation and services director for Fort Walton Beach, was the last man standing after the races and raised an extra $1,000 and was named “King Kowabunga.” Overall, he raised $1,250 for Shelter House.

“I’m going to place my trophy at City Hall — right next to the city manager’s office,” he said joking about his opponents.

State Representative Matt Gaetz may not have taken a trophy home, but was just happy to make it down.

“I’m mostly pleased that no emergency responders were necessary for me to complete the race,” he said.

Although it may have a been a bit awkward to compete against co-workers, Rainer, Destin’s public information officer, rose above the competition to take third place.

“I felt a little guilty about beating the mayor and my boss, but I guess the fastest usually win,” he said.

As for the nearly-five story high slide, Rainer said its a thrilling, and fast, ride.

“If you can get over the climb up the stairs, it’s a pretty good trip down,” he said.

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

FORT WALTON BEACH — Authorities are investigating yet another shooting in Okaloosa County.

Emergency responders were called out to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard at about 10:20 a.m. Wednesday after a man said the vehicle he was a passenger in was shot at, according to a news release from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

The caller, who is from Fort Walton Beach, was airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola with a head injury, according to Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Michele Nicholson.

He was shot, but Nicholson did not clarify where on his body. She said he was in stable condition by mid-afternoon Wednesday.

The driver was uninjured, but multiple shots were fired, Nicholson added.

Traffic in the northbound lanes of MLK remained shut down in front of Commando Village for close to two hours as authorities processed the crime scene.

Canines and metal detectors were used. Hurlburt Field also shut down its back gate until MLK reopened around 12:20 p.m.

Deputies did identify a vehicle of interest shortly after the shooting was reported, but no arrests had been made as of Wednesday evening.

Deputies made contact with a vehicle that matched the description given by witnesses Wednesday, Nicholson said. The vehicle was stopped on Earl Drive, off of Lovejoy Road in Fort Walton Beach.

This is the eighth shooting incident reported in Okaloosa County in the last eight months, including a fatal one on Tuesday.

Here’s a look at the shooting-related incidents in Okaloosa County over the last eight months:

Dec. 1, 2014
Jonha Campbell’s body washed ashore at the Eglin Beach Park on Okaloosa Island. Investigators have not ruled the 18-year-old’s death homicide, but confirmed he died of a gunshot wound. It’s unclear where and when he was shot. The Destin resident’s family last saw him Nov. 20, 2014.

Jan. 22, 2015
Mark Anthony Williams’ body was found along State Road 85 just south of Duke Field near Crestview. The Crestview resident’s death has been ruled a homicide. The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said the 18-year-old was not killed where he was found. No additional details on where he was shot have been released.

June 11, 2015
Randy “Shareef Ali” Campbell, 58, was shot in the street outside his home on Cape Drive in Fort Walton Beach. A witness reported to hearing a single gunshot around 11 p.m.

June 17, 2015
Freddie Cason was shot and killed inside his home sometime before 5:30 a.m. The 89-year-old had lived in his Hollywood Boulevard home for more than 40 years. A person of interest has been identified in this case, but the person’s identity has not been released by the Fort Walton Beach Police Department.

June 18, 2015
Timothy Acoff shot two men at 12:20 p.m. during an attempted burglary of his home on Carmel Drive in Fort Walton Beach. Acoff was uninjured, but two brothers showed up to Fort Walton Beach Medical Center shortly after for treatment of bullet wounds. No charges have been filed, but the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office identified the men shot as Talal Donaldson and Christopher Donaldson.

June 24, 2015
Jimmy Lee Dodd was shot and killed outside a mobile home on Marty Lane in the Wright area of Fort Walton Beach. He was 39-years-old.

July 14, 2015
Keyontray Damar Henry, 23, was found lying on a sidewalk on Maples Street in Fort Walton Beach around 1 a.m. He was shot in the abdomen and arm and died after he was taken to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola.

Reporter Tom McLaughlin contributed to this report.

Anyone with information on the shootings is asked to contact the Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers at 850-863-TIPS.