Community Archive

Laurel Hill — Thirteen is a lucky number for North Okaloosa County residents. That’s the number of Laurel Hill Arts and Heritage Festivals hosted by the historic Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church — so far. Held on the spacious grounds of the historic 1902 carpenter gothic style church, Okaloosa County’s northernmost municipality’s annual spring festival is a showcase of regional arts, crafts, history, traditions, food and music.

More than a dozen people were on hand Tuesday afternoon, May 2, as the Greater Federation Women’s Club of Crestview celebrated the opening of its new mobile pantry, plant library and book library with a ribbon cutting.

The ceremony took place at the organization’s clubhouse at 150 Woodlawn Dr.

Life on the street is never easy but is even more difficult without outside resources.

Even those with some sort of shelter face problems with food insecurity or finding work and health care. This is where the Crestview Area Shelter for the Homeless provides help.

Many accomplishments and achievements have been made in the City of Crestview. The entire team led by the City Council, Mayor JB Whitten and City Manager Tim Bolduc have made the city into a place where families want to raise their children.

We Reign Sickle Cell Corporation will host a community blood drive with the American Red Cross from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 15 at the Crestview Community Center, 1446 Commerce Drive in Crestview.

For more information or to make an appointment to donate, call 850-774-7084 or sign up online at redcrossblood.org with sponsor code WEREIGN.

The Crestview History Museum’s May monthly Saturday opening celebrates Cinco de Mayo, though just a day late.

The 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 6 event at the historic Bush House features Latino and Filipino culture, music, food, crafts and heritage.

A lot can happen in a couple of days.

On March 27, a group of residents who lived around Shortwell Avenue attended the Crestview City Council meeting to discuss the deplorable living conditions in their neighborhood brought on by one problem residence where they owner had passed away and squatters had begun living there.

Water is everywhere along the Emerald Coast, from the Gulf of Mexico, bays and bayous along the coast to ponds, rivers and creeks in the north end.

Swim lessons can be harder to find.

The City of Crestview is a growing community. But its growth isn’t just fueled by people moving into the city limits of the Hub City.

In recent years, the city leadership has made annexing property into the city limits, and growing the boundaries of the city, a priority. Soon after being hired as Crestview’s first city manager in February 2019, Tim Bolduc worked with the City Council to get a moratorium on annexation fees approved. The moratorium has been renewed every six months since then.

Housing Trust Group (HTG), one of the nation’s largest developers of affordable housing, and AM Affordable Housing, a non-profit founded by NBA Hall of Famer and Miami Heat legend Alonzo Mourning, have closed on financing and commenced construction on a new Crestview project.