Northwest Florida Daily News (Fort Walton Beach, FL) articles from July 2011

Northwest Florida Daily News (Fort Walton Beach, FL) archives from July 2011

Explore the unseen beauty of the Emerald Coast through scuba diving.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Patrick Flynn July 31--Exploring the vast depths of the ocean is a treat that only a scuba diver can know. The ability to breath underwater is something people have taken advantage of from the days of Jacques Cousteau. That tradition...

What's in a name? Just ask locals Doris Day, Tom Cruise or John E. Cash.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Dusty Ricketts July 31--They're not famous. But if you heard their names, you would probably do a double take. Some people in Northwest Florida share names with some of the most famous people and fictional characters in America....

BRIEF: At least 17 mailboxes reported damaged along Holmes Avenue.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Lauren Sage Reinlie July 31--FORT WALTON BEACH -- At least 17 mailboxes were reported damaged along Holmes Boulevard Saturday. Reports of the damaged mailboxes began just before 6 a.m., said Mike Allshouse, communications officer...

Tea party picnic: Turnout increased at second annual rally in the park.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Lauren Sage Reinlie July 31--FORT WALTON BEACH -- Al Kauses, chairman of the Florida Panhandle Patriots, stood over a hot grill slinging about 400 hamburgers, hot dogs and bratwurst at the second annual tea party picnic Saturday...

Eglin gearing up for F-35 training.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Mona Moore July 31--EGLIN AFB -- The 33rd Fighter Wing may have received its first two F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighters, but it is in no hurry to take them for a spin. Eglin's F-35 Academic Training Center (ATC) is the...

Man breaks into restaurant steals alcohol and T-shirt.
July 31, 2011... July 31--DESTIN -- A man was arrested after video surveillance captured him breaking into a restaurant to take alcohol and a T-shirt. The video begins with Brandon A. Barrett, 19, going into the Boathouse Oyster Bar through a window, according...

Man said he doesn't remember theft, but likely committed it.
July 31, 2011... July 31--CRESTVIEW -- An already incarcerated man had additional charges brought against him after he admitted he probably had a role in a string of burglaries in the area. The burglaries in question were committed over a two month period at...

Okaloosa looks to use BP money for storm water work.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Kari C. Barlow July 31--Projects aimed at improving water quality are expected to have a better chance of getting funded with BP oil spill recovery money, Okaloosa County officials say. The county has adjusted its bid for a share...

Walton County eyeing saltwater fish hatchery.
July 31, 2011... Byline: Angel McCurdy July 31--SANTA ROSA BEACH -- Walton County commissioners are exploring a multi-million dollar idea of developing a saltwater fish hatchery. Commissioners will meet with officials with the Wildlife Foundation of...

Niceville's Russell commits to Southern Miss.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Travis Downey July 30--Since she was eight years old, Shelby Russell has dreamed of one day playing volleyball at the collegiate level. It was on an unofficial visit to the University of Southern Mississippi prior to her junior...

One Stop Shop: FWB chamber, home builders and realtors team up for trade show.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Dusty Ricketts July 30--FORT WALTON BEACH -- Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest decisions most people will make. An upcoming trade show is designed to make the process easier and less nerve-wracking by bringing...

Miller votes for debt-ceiling bill; Southerland opposes.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Tom McLaughlin July 30--U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller waited until the last minute Friday to announce his intention to vote for the debt-ceiling bill authored by Speaker John Boehner. Known as the Budget Control Act, the bill passed by a...

Housing authority to get 50 vouchers for homeless vets.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Katie Tammen July 30--FORT WALTON BEACH -- The local public housing agency will receive 50 rental vouchers for homeless veterans. The Fort Walton Beach Housing Authority was one of 11 such agencies in Florida chosen to get the...

BRIEF: Man tells deputies he found white powder behind toilet, gave it a try.
July 30, 2011... July 30--DESTIN -- A 27-year-old man was arrested July 16 on charges of possessing a controlled substance without prescription. Daniel E. Debernardi was seen inside Night Town in Destin with a white substance, according to an Okaloosa County...

BRIEF: 'Well, you might as well just lock me up'.
July 30, 2011... July 30--MARY ESTHER -- A 46-year-old man was arrested July 18 on charges of aggravated battery. David John Hellman was arguing with his daughter -- who was 6 weeks pregnant at the time -- when he grabbed her hair and pulled her off of his...

Judge: Portion of police video cannot be used during Chavers' trial.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Tom McLaughlin July 30--SHALIMAR -- The jury will not be allowed to hear a taped conversation between murder suspect Timothy Chavers and his mother at his trial next week. Okaloosa County Circuit Judge William Stone ruled Friday...

Escape to Northwest Florida: New vacation rental business aims to give visitors options.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Dusty Ricketts July 30--MIRAMAR BEACH -- Having worked at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort and Seaside, Amy Wise-Coble has been part of the vacation rental scene for 20 years. When she decided to start her own business this year,...

Northwest Florida Daily News, Fort Walton Beach, Wendy Victora column.(Column)
July 30, 2011... Byline: Wendy Victora July 30--If I'd been keeping track of Vision Airlines' destinations with pushpins and a map, I'd be looking at quite a few empty holes by now. And I'd still be confused, even with a visual reminder of it all. The...

Rescuers pull more than 100 swimmers from surf as storm churns the Gulf.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Kari C. Barlow July 30--Tropical Storm Don has been blamed for dangerous rip currents up and down the Emerald Coast, which led to about 100 swimmers being pulled from the surf in the past two days. Red flags were flying Friday...

BRIEF: Pretend kicking can still get you arrested.
July 30, 2011... July 30--A karate kid wannabe went to jail recently when his pretend kick actually landed. Anderson Gregory, "Blueboy" to his friends and associates, was arrested for felony battery after he kicked his girlfriend in the chest, an Okaloosa...

BRIEF: Intoxicated and stealthy don't mix.
July 30, 2011... July 30--One downside to the state of intoxication -- it hinders one's stealthiness. And a clumsy drunk often winds up an incarcerated drunk. Take for example what happened one night recently at Nightown, when an off duty Okaloosa county...

Sign removed from bay, FWC says it doesn't meet requirements.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Angel McCurdy July 30--OKALOOSA ISLAND -- A sign that caught the attention of commuters has been removed, but its owner hopes it won't be gone forever. "What do you do to stand out? Think outside the box," said Cassandra Lombardo,...

Fort Walton police officers must pass obstacle course to be on the force.
July 30, 2011... Byline: Angel McCurdy July 30--FORT WALTON BEACH -- Keep your hands on the steering wheel until the timer starts, then move. Eight Fort Walton Beach police officer candidates suffered the sweltering heat Friday morning with one mission:...

Area wrestlers train under Mizzou's Smith.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Travis Downey July 29--SHALIMAR -- When Choctawhatchee junior Michael Lee first heard the news that Brian Smith, the head wrestling coach at the University of Missouri, would be conducting a three-day mini-camp at Meigs Elementary, it...

'Not the type to get off my butt and start running': Airman made a hobby of charity marathons.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Mona Moore July 29--SHALIMAR -- If anyone had told Tech. Sgt. Adonis Cabarle last fall that he would be running his first marathon in less than a year, he would not have believed them. "I would have been like, 'No way. I can...

Chavers' attorney wants videotape dismissed in Pitcock murder trial.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Angel McCurdy July 29--SHALIMAR -- Okaloosa County Circuit Judge William Stone is expected to rule Friday on whether a videotaped police interview of Timothy Chavers can be used during his murder trial next week. Chavers' attorney,...

Lawyers negotiate settlement in Richburg termination case.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Tom McLaughlin July 29--Lawyers representing Northwest Florida State College and Bob Richburg, its former president, have negotiated a settlement they hope will resolve a breach of contract complaint Richburg filed more than two years...

BRIEF: Man spits in wheelchair bound woman's face.
July 29, 2011... July 29--FORT WALTON BEACH -- A 46-year-old man was arrested June 12 on charges of battery and assault on a person over 65. Stephen Joseph Wardencki was arguing with an 81-year-old woman in a wheelchair when he hit her in the face and spit...

BRIEF: 'Tootie' points gun at couple, attempts to escape on bicycle.
July 29, 2011... July 29--FORT WALTON BEACH -- An 18-year-old man was arrested June 9 on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and narcotic equipment possession. Gregory Duan "Tootie" Spears allegedly rode up to a couple on his bicycle, opened his backpack...

BRIEF: Woman 'clearly showed she was disturbed by this incident'.
July 29, 2011... July 29--NICEVILLE -- A 53-year-old man was arrested June 7 on charges of battery with a prior conviction after inappropriately touching a woman. William Earnest Downey allegedly trespassed on a woman's property, according to an Okaloosa...

Rally calls for dignity: TSA screening violates citizens' rights, speakers say.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Lauren Sage Reinlie July 29--OKALOOSA ISLAND --Following a wave of press coverage of the 95-year-old woman who was asked to remove an adult diaper in order to board a plane at Northwest Florida Regional Airport last month, radio host...

Dozens rescued from rip currents Thursday: 'It will be busier today'.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Wendy Victora July 29--Tropical Storm Don is being blamed for dangerous rip currents up and down the Emerald Coast, which led to dozens of swimmers being pulled from the surf. Most of the rescues were in Destin, where 45 people...

BRIEF: 'Little Bit' arms herself against husband 'just in case'.
July 29, 2011... July 29--SHALIMAR -- A 42-year-old woman was arrested July 6 on charges of domestic battery. Pasqualina Sabrina "Little Bit" Blackmon told deputies she had armed herself "just in case" before going to talk to her husband of 17 years,...

Escape to Northwest Florida: New vacation rental business aims to give visitors options.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Dusty Ricketts July 29--MIRAMAR BEACH -- Having worked at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort and Seaside, Amy Wise-Coble has been part of the vacation rental scene for 20 years. When she decided to start her own business this year,...

Northwest Florida Daily News, Fort Walton Beach, Wendy Victora column.(Column)
July 29, 2011... Byline: Wendy Victora July 29--If I'd been keeping track of Vision Airlines' destinations with pushpins and a map, I'd be looking at quite a few empty holes by now. And I'd still be confused, even with a visual reminder of it all. The...

Men arrested after one shoots into neighbor's home; Guns, drugs seized.
July 29, 2011... Byline: Lauren Sage Reinlie July 29--SANTA ROSA BEACH -- Two men have been arrested after one of them shot a gun into a neighbor's home on Hunters Road, according to the Walton County Sheriff's Office. Westin Thomas Wagstaff, 23, shot...

KC's Sandbar owners lose pet, belongings in house fire.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Angel McCurdy July 28--FORT WALTON BEACH -- Mike and Bev Parker aren't asking for handouts but that hasn't kept the community from reaching out to them. The Parkers, owners of KC's Sandbar and Grille in downtown Fort Walton Beach,...

Walton County cuts staff to balance budget.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Angel McCurdy July 28--DEFUNIAK SPRINGS -- The Walton County Commission has solved its $4 million shortfall in part by cutting more than $1 million in staffing costs rather than raising the millage rate for fiscal 2011-12. "We are...

790 North offers flavors of Louisiana.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Tom McLaughlin July 28--FORT WALTON BEACH -- Such a simple idea this, naming a restaurant after the address at which it finds itself. That's what they did at 790 North and the idea has really worked for them. Tell anybody in Fort...

BRIEF: Man suffers serious injuries in Winn Dixie parking lot wreck.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Angel McCurdy July 28--NAVARRE -- A 19-year-old Navarre resident is in serious condition after an accident Wednesday night in the Winn Dixie parking lot. Brawdy Davidson Crawford was driving westbound on Navarre Parkway in the...

BRIEF: Family pet killed in house fire.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Angel McCurdy July 28--FORT WALTON BEACH -- A house fire Wednesday evening killed the family pet and resulted in significant damage to the structure. Battalion Chief Shannon Stone with the Fort Walton Beach Fire Department said...

BRIEF: Man caught stealing makeup, school supplies, alarm clock.
July 28, 2011... July 28--NICEVILLE -- A 26-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman were arrested July 9 on charges of retail theft and possessing a controlled substance without a prescription. Larry Shane Patrick and Kaitlin Michelle McSweeney were spotted...

BRIEF: Woman choked until she turns blue; refuses to turn in boyfriend.
July 28, 2011... July 28--FORT WALTON BEACH -- A 48-year-old man was arrested June 24 on charges of domestic battery even though his girlfriend attempted to hide his identity because he had just gotten out of jail. A witness told deputies that Lonnie Rodney...

FWB's Duval stands out at AAU nationals.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Travis Downey July 28--Fort Walton Beach senior Zach Duval's immersion into the world of competitive diving reached another level last weekend. Duval, last year's Daily News' Diver of the Year, won the 3-meter synchronized diving...

BRIEF: One patient flown to hospital after wreck on Hwy. 98.
July 28, 2011... July 28--NAVARRE -- One man was flown to the hospital Wednesday night after a wreck on U.S. Highway 98 near Pullum Street. The man was in a Jeep Cherokee that collided with a Ford F-150 pickup truck just after 7 p.m., said Lt. Dan Davidson...

Steven Cozzie requests new public defender for murder charges.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Lauren Sage Reinlie July 28--DEFUNIAK SPRINGS -- Steven Cozzie, the Seagrove Beach man charged with the murder of 15-year-old Courtney Wilkes, has requested a new court-appointed attorney. Cozzie, 22, sent a handwritten request to...

'To continue my daughter's legacy': Terresa Tuetenberg's family to keep children's academy open.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Mona Moore July 28--BLUEWATER BAY -- The business that meant so much to Terresa Teutenberg will not die with her. The extended family of her and her husband Fred have decided to keep the Discovery Learning Academy open. The...

Officials suspect foul play in infant's death.(Clinical report)
July 28, 2011... Byline: Angel McCurdy July 28--MILTON -- Injuries found on the body of a 5-month-old infant have led investigators to suspect foul play in her death. Lilliana Jean Sutherland was discovered not breathing in her crib early last Friday. Efforts...

River Academy wants to build indoor playground in Niceville.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Angel McCurdy July 28--NICEVILLE -- The River Academy is about to make local children's dreams come true. A 7,500-square-foot indoor playground is in the works and representatives of the center hope to have it open by the end of...

'This is definitely better': Rain expected to continue through end of week.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Wendy Victora July 28--Northwest Florida residents should plan to keep their umbrellas handy through the end of the week. Rainy conditions are expected to continue into Friday, further relieving the drought that has gripped the...

BRIEF: Drugs found inside white, heart-shaped purse.
July 28, 2011... July 28--NICEVILLE -- A 22-year-old woman was arrested June 20 on drug possession charges. Keiko Marie Kopp, along with 18-year-old Alyssa R. McGinnis and a 16-year-old girl who was not named, was pulled over for speeding, according to a...

FWB band director reaches a high note with induction into Hall of Fame.
July 28, 2011... Byline: Katie Tammen July 28--FORT WALTON BEACH -- When Ernest Hebson hired Randy Folsom as the assistant band director at Fort Walton Beach High School, he knew Folsom was good. Fourteen years after hiring him, Hebson didn't worry about...

BRIEF: Video surveillance records man burglarizing bingo hall.
July 27, 2011... Byline: Angel McCurdy July 27--FORT WALTON BEACH -- Deputies are investigating the burglary of Gulf Coast Bingo this past weekend. The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office was called Saturday morning to the facility after a woman who cleans...

Northwest Florida Daily News, Fort Walton Beach, Linda Murchison column.
July 27, 2011... Byline: Linda Murchison July 27--A basic Chicken a la King recipe is nothing more than cubed chicken in white sauce with mushrooms and pimento. Sounds good, right? Not necessarily. I haven't eaten it for years because of what they...

Teen sentenced to life in prison without parole.
July 27, 2011... Byline: Angel McCurdy July 27--SHALIMAR -- Kyle Walling's family waved goodbye Tuesday afternoon as he was escorted out of court after he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. The 17-year-old Walling was found guilty in June of...

BRIEF: 'I smoke it'.
July 27, 2011... July 27--FORT WALTON BEACH -- An 18-year-old man was arrested July 8 on charges of possessing drugs with intent to distribute. Johnnie Carlos Robinson was stopped during a security check at a residence on Willow Grove Lane, according to an...

BRIEF: Man beats wife of 32 years, slams face into ground.
July 27, 2011... July 27--FORT WALTON BEACH -- A 53-year-old man was arrested July 6 on charges of aggravated battery. Danny Lenon Tate was arguing with his wife of 32 years after he had allegedly been drinking, according to an Okaloosa County Sheriff's...

BRIEF: Man throws woman into water.
July 27, 2011... July 27--DESTIN -- A 36-year-old man was arrested July 9 on charges of battery and drug possession. Shane Michael Gause was fighting with the mother of his child on the dock behind Fisherman's Wharf in Destin, according to an Okaloosa County...

BRIEF: Woman gets 30 years in prison for construction worker's death.
July 27, 2011... Byline: Angel McCurdy July 27--PENSACOLA -- A 50-year-old Gulf Breeze woman was sentenced to 30 years in state prison for charges of DUI manslaughter/failure to render aid, driving with a suspended license and violating a restricted license....

BRIEF: Woman killed in two-vehicle accident; charges pending investigation.
July 27, 2011... Byline: Angel McCurdy July 27--WOODLAWN BEACH -- A 56-year-old woman was killed Tuesday after a two-car accident. Christopher Conner, 18, of Franktown, Colo., was driving eastbound on State Road 30 near Nantahala Beach Road around 3:35...

Col. David Hicks takes command of 53rd Wing.
July 27, 2011... Byline: Mona Moore July 27--EGLIN AFB -- The 53rd Wing on Tuesday welcomed new commander Col. David Hicks, who assumed command from Col. Michael Gantt. Hicks spent the last year at Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan as commander of the 451st...

Man charged with breaking onto boat, eating pistachio nuts.
July 27, 2011... Byline: Lauren Sage Reinlie July 27--FREEPORT -- A 20-year-old man was charged Tuesday with burglarizing three boats at the Fisherman's Boatyard. David Lowell Miller, of Freeport, allegedly broke into the boats on June 27 between 2 and 8...

McCoy pleads guilty to murder of former co-worker.
July 27, 2011... Byline: Mona Moore July 27--DEFUNIAK SPRINGS -- Thomas Ford McCoy Jr. pleaded guilty to first-degree murder Tuesday in the fatal shooting of former co-worker Curtis Brown in 2009. He entered the plea before Walton County Circuit Judge...

'More meek and skinny': Choctaw grad worked on Captain America's visual effects.
July 27, 2011... Byline: Angel McCurdy July 27--Clark Parkhurst said his story is similar to many in Hollywood. The 1998 graduate of Choctawhatchee High School has worked on major motion pictures such as "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2," "Iron...

Santa Rosa plans to cut more than $28 million from budget.
July 27, 2011... Byline: Katie Tammen July 27--MILTON -- Faced with yet another lean budget year, the Santa Rosa County School District is looking at more than $28 million in cuts. The proposed budget puts the district's overall spending plan at about...

Walton tabs Mckie as softball coach.
July 27, 2011... Byline: Travis Downey July 27--Hoping to point the school's softball program in "a new direction," Walton principal Russell Hughes announced the hiring of Randi Anne Mckie as the Braves' new head coach. Mckie, who spent last season on both...

Local Big 10 Tires stores will be replaced by Pep Boys over the next year.
July 27, 2011... Byline: Dusty Ricketts July 27--Plans to convert local Big 10 Tires and Automotive stores to Pep Boys are expected to be completed in the next year. Philadelphia-based Pep Boys purchased Big 10 Tires in May. At the time of the purchase there...

'This is definitely better': Rain expected to continue through end of week.
July 27, 2011... Byline: Wendy Victora July 27--Northwest Florida residents should plan to keep their umbrellas handy through the end of the week. Rainy conditions are expected to continue into Friday, further relieving the drought that has gripped the...

Preliminary reports on Eglin plane crash: Aircraft destroyed in post-crash fire.
July 27, 2011... Byline: Wendy Victora July 27--EGLIN AFB -- The National Transportation Safety Board has released a preliminary report on the Aero Club Beechcraft that that crashed June 23 near the flight line. David A. Miles of Shalimar and Thomas E....

BRIEF: Woman accused of hitting boy in the face with a brush, arrested on child abuse charges.
July 27, 2011... July 27--NICEVILLE -- A 26-year-old woman was arrested June 10 on charges of child abuse. Victoria Vanessa Bain is accused of hitting a 4-year-old boy in the face with a hairbrush while spanking him, according to a Niceville Police report....

BRIEF: Man threatens brother's children: 'You have two kids, I'll take them'.
July 27, 2011... July 27--DESTIN -- A 35-year-old man was arrested July 13 on charges of aggravated assault after threatening to kill his brother and his children, according to an Okaloosa County Sheriff's report. Kevin John McGinnis was fighting with his...

BRIEF: Okaloosa County School Board adopts tentative budget.
July 26, 2011... Byline: Katie Tammen July 26--CRESTVIEW -- The Okaloosa County School Board on Monday voted to adopt a tentative $339.8 million budget for the 2011-2012 school year. The board gave district employees the green light to continue working...

BRIEF: Woman bites boyfriend.
July 26, 2011... July 26--FORT WALTON BEACH -- A 29-year-old woman was arrested after biting another person. The woman was returning home from a party with her boyfriend of four years when she bit him on the finger, according to an Okaloosa County Sheriff's...

'Band of Brothers' soldier turns 90.
July 26, 2011... Byline: Wendy Victora July 26--SANTA ROSA BEACH -- On Monday, Roy Gates wore his Easy Company cap commemorating his role with the 101st Airborne Division during World War II. He also wore a T-shirt made for him by the staff of Grand...

Former telecom exec applies to be Okaloosa's tax collector.
July 26, 2011... Byline: Tom McLaughlin July 26--Local businessman Jim Cook has requested Gov. Rick Scott consider him for appointment to the job of Okaloosa County Tax Collector. He is the 13th person to submit an application to Scott's Appointment Office...

BRIEF: Man refuses to let deputies in, flushes suspect items down toilet.
July 26, 2011... July 26--DESTIN -- A 40-year-old man was arrested May 10 on charges of possessing drug paraphernalia and controlled substances. Carl Anthony McDavid had an arrest warrant from Escambia County out on him when he was spotted at a hotel in...

BRIEF: Man sells stolen surfboard to owner's friend.
July 26, 2011... July 26--FORT WALTON BEACH -- A 21-year-old man was arrested July 11 on charges of dealing in stolen property. Samuel David Petty is accused of selling a surf board to Fluid Surf Shop for $275, according to an Okaloosa County Sheriff's...

BRIEF: Man threatens brother's children: 'You have two kids, I'll take them'.
July 26, 2011... July 26--DESTIN -- A 35-year-old man was arrested July 13 on charges of aggravated assault after threatening to kill his brother and his children, according to an Okaloosa County Sheriff's report. Kevin John McGinnis was fighting with his...

BRIEF: Waste Management plans expansion.
July 26, 2011... Byline: Dusty Ricketts July 26--FORT WALTON BEACH -- Waste Management is eying future growth and moving ahead with plans to expand its local operations. Waste Management purchased a 13.69-acre lot at the intersection of Ready Avenue and...

It may be coming to a mailbox near you: higher water and sewer bills.
July 26, 2011... Byline: Kari C. Barlow July 26--Four months after Okaloosa County commissioners rejected a bid to increase water and sewer rates, another five-year rate hike is on the table. Commissioners will consider the new proposal at a public hearing...

Walling sentenced to life in prison for teen's murder.
July 26, 2011... Byline: Angel McCurdy July 26--SHALIMAR -- Kyle Walling's family waved goodbye Tuesday afternoon as he was escorted out of court after he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. The 17-year-old Walling was found guilty in June of...

BRIEF: While in handcuffs teen tells deputy he smoked a lot of pot and wishes he had more.
July 25, 2011... July 25--DESTIN -- A 17-year-old boy was arrested for resisting arrest June 28. About 11:30 p.m. deputies responded to a call of a disturbance, according to an arrest report from the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office. Deputies reported that...

BRIEF: Woman robbed by knife-wielding man at Walmart.
July 25, 2011... July 25--CRESTVIEW -- A man with a knife robbed a woman at the Walmart Supercenter Sunday afternoon. The armed robbery, which happened at 4:30 p.m., is under investigation by the Crestview Police Departments Criminal Investigations Division....

Sacred Heart Cancer Center expansion progressing.
July 25, 2011... Byline: Dusty Ricketts July 25--SANTA ROSA BEACH -- Construction of Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast's new MD Anderson-affiliated Cancer Center is expected to be completed next spring. The new building will nearly triple the size...