Holy mackerel - man dumps fish in water to escape scrutiny
DESTIN – A man who was catching and keeping Spanish mackerel without measuring them was cited after he dumped them in the water to escape scrutiny, according to a report. During the week of April...
View ArticleSpeed kills; it also gets you arrested for drug possession
CRESTVIEW – A woman who was clocked driving 68 mph in a 35 mph zone was arrested after lawmen found drugs in her vehicle. On April 15 an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s deputy determined the woman,...
View ArticleScott pushing for freeze in student fees
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Rick Scott is putting pressure on Florida's public universities to hold down fees charged to students, making it a condition for two universities seeking state approval for...
View ArticleLocal officials fight for control of BP money (DOCUMENTS)
A contingent from the eight Northwest Florida counties that stand to gain the most when BP money starts flowing through the federal RESTORE Act traveled to Tallahassee on Tuesday to tell state...
View ArticleBluewater Bay to close Magnolia golf course
BLUEWATER BAY — The owners of Bluewater Bay’s golf courses have decided to close the Magnolia course rather than shorten four of its holes and sell the extra land for housing. Bluewater Bay Resort LLC...
View ArticleShots fired at Gulf Breeze home
GULF BREEZE - Sheriff‘s deputies are investigating bullet holes discovered by a resident in the front of his home on Venetian Way on Saturday, according to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff‘s Office. The...
View ArticleMan faces charges after traffic stop last month
FORT WALTON BEACH - A man was arrested on drug and driving charges Tuesday stemming from an incident March 10, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff‘s Office. Mardrico Jarrelle Campbell, 26, of...
View ArticleGALLERY: HazMat exercise tests response teams
The State of Florida's District 1 Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and the West Florida Regional Planning Council, sponsored a HazMat Exercise on April 23 at Northwest Florida State College's...
View ArticleOkaloosa schools looking to expand Chinese classes (VIDEO)
Last August, the Okaloosa County School district introduced a new foreign language class at three high schools Eight months later, students enrolled in Chinese I with teacher Ching-Ching Shen at...
View ArticleTarget expanding grocery section
MARY ESTHER — Wednesday morning, Lalainya Steele pushed her cart down the aisles of Target, keeping a close eye on her busy 2-year-old son. With a second child on the way, she is trying to encourage...
View ArticleAshley urges tax increases (DOCUMENT)
Okaloosa County Sheriff Larry Ashley said Wednesday that county commissioners should consider increasing taxes to fund the rising cost of public safety. Ashley expressed frustration at commissioners’...
View ArticleSheriff’s deputies remembered (GALLERY)
Four years ago Thursday, Michelle Lopez said goodbye to her husband, expecting to see him a few hours later like every other day. “That was a really nice day,” Lopez said. “He came home for lunch and...
View ArticleLegislation could help FWB Medical Center receive trauma patients (DOCUMENT)
The sheer volume of multiple-injury events in recent months points to the need for a more strategic placement of hospital trauma centers than what Northwest Florida has now, says Mitch Mongell,...
View ArticleWoman says man choked her over missing $500
FORT WALTON BEACH – A local man was arrested after he choked his girlfriend, according to an arrest report. On April 15 a Fort Walton Beach Police officer went to a Cape Drive residence after being...
View ArticleWoman dares officers to make her step outside
FORT WALTON BEACH – A woman was arrested after she dared a police officer to make her step outside a residence, then actively resisted and cursed lawmen. On April 14 Fort Walton Beach Police officers...
View ArticleFugitive congratulates deputy for catching her
DESTIN – A woman who was wanted on a New York warrant and escaped custody of Bay County lawmen congratulated an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s deputy who spotted her at a local fast food restaurant. On...
View ArticleFuel barges explode, causing large fire in Ala.
MOBILE, Ala. — Firefighters on Thursday extinguished a huge blaze that erupted hours earlier when two fuel barges exploded, leaving three people with critical burns and forcing the evacuation of crew...
View ArticleInvestigation continues; community mourns local killed
DESTIN — Law officers say it likely will take weeks to investigate Tuesday’s fatal crash on U.S. Highway 98 and Danny Wuerffel Way. The accident that killed 23-year-old Joseph “Joey” Tyrell III of...
View ArticleMan runs from deputies, school locked down
FORT WALTON BEACH - A man was arrested Thursday afternoon after he ran from a home on Powell Drive in the Kenwood area when sheriff's deputies tried to serve him warrants for criminal mischief and...
View ArticleOne dead in house fire on Pecos Pass
GULF BREEZE - A man died in a house fire on the 5300 block of Pecos Pass on Thursday afternoon, according to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office. Evidence of methamphetamine production was found in...
View Article