CRESTVIEW — RESTORE Direct Component Draft Multi-Year Implementation Plan documents are now on Okaloosa County's website.

The documents — describing projects to be funded with a first round of funding — are available at http://www.co.okaloosa.fl.us/restore/home for a public comment period through Feb. 1.

The plan draft meets U.S. Treasury requirements and includes all projects the Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners selected, according to a spokesperson.

The United States Congress enacted the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities and Revived Economies, or RESTORE, Act in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

See the website for more information.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Public comment period for Okaloosa oil spill plan nears end

FORT WALTON BEACH — The "Impact of Refugee Resettlement: Economic, Social, Cultural," is 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 9 at Ramada Plaza Beach Resort, 1500 Miracle Strip Parkway Southeast.

Guest speakers — including Dave Gaubatz, Don Barnett, Randy Osborne and Doug Layton — will discuss, from their point of view:

 ●The differences of Islam, Muslim, radical Islam, radical Muslim, terrorism and immigrant

●How federal refugee resettlement programs operate, their true costs and who pays

●Refugee resettlement and the 10th Amendment

●Perceived fraud, secrecy and security, social and cultural dangers

●Local, state and federal security concerns

●The program's direction, and current legislation

"It is crucial that voters understand refugee resettlement programs and know clearly what elected officials must think about as America debates them," an event spokesperson said. "Every area of your life, as well as the health and wealth of our nation, will be affected by these refugees."

The free event is at 1500 Miracle Strip Parkway, Fort Walton Beach.

Attendees must register at www.eventbrite.com/e/understanding-refugee-resettlement-economically-socially-culturally-tickets-19923792600.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Refugee resettlement presentation set for Northwest Florida residents

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview City Council will not meet Monday, Dec. 28.

The council usually meets the second and fourth Monday each month, but due to holidays, the city altered the schedule.   

The next regular council meeting is set for 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 11 at city hall.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview council meetings return in January

CRESTVIEW — The City Council unanimously rejected a developer’s plan for a 28-home subdivision off Live Oak Church Road for having no recreation facility.

A provision in the city code requires developers to provide 4 percent of a development for recreation. But no recreation area was indicated in Seaside Engineering and Surveying Inc.'s plans for a planned Camille Cove subdivision.

Growth Management Director Teresa Gaillard said that many developers pay an additional fee toward city recreation rather than give up space in their subdivision.

During the council’s Dec. 14 meeting, Councilman JB Whitten said the code clearly states that any subdivision over more than 10 units “shall” provide a park.

“I think our people deserve what our ordinance says they should get,” Whitten said.

The council directed Gaillard and her staff to return the plans to SEAS to provide a neighborhood park in the development.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview council sends subdivision plans back to developers

A friend of mine related an incident that happened to her and her son while traveling south on Highway 85 between Crestview and the cutoff.

Two males pulled next to her vehicle, one of them in a mask, brandishing what appeared to be a rifle. He pointed the firearm at her — and she did what any teacher would do, and waggled her finger telling him “no, no." 

He then removed his covering and made slicing motions with his finger.

Thankfully, traffic allowed her to slow her vehicle and she contacted law enforcement from a discreet distance. She did not panic and she was armed herself.

Obviously, an unsettling experience — but what was more upsetting occurred when she relayed her story to her sister. The sister had nothing negative to say about the perpetrators, only disdain for the fact that my friend carried her own weapon.

She questioned my friend’s competency, wisdom, and lamented the proliferation of weapons in America.

She denied my friend’s self-evident right.

Actor Kurt Russell recently criticized gun control measures in an interview with Hollywood blogger and film critic Jeffrey Wells.

“… The problem that we’re having right now to turn it around … you may think you’ve got me worried about you’re gonna do? Dude, you’re about to find out what I’m gonna do, and that’s gonna worry you a lot more. And that’s what we need … I’m not concerned about what he’s gonna do — I’m gonna make him concerned about what I’m gonna do."

Not eloquent, but captures the right idea.

The sister would have my friend and family “shelter in place” or find the nearest “gun-free zone” and wait for someone else to defend them.

She would have my friend surrender her advantage, her right to self-defense, the “advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation…(where)…the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms” as James Madison wrote.

My friend takes liberty seriously — freedom with responsibility.

God and her gun stood between her family and the threat posed by the two men shadowing her vehicle. The same God and weapon will stand between her and her sister’s ilk if and when that liberty is threatened.

Patrick Henry once said that “if we wish to be free — if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending … we must fight!”

Whether it is some radical Islamic reject, masked assailant or misguided statist serf, we need to "turn it around," as Russell says, and make them worry about what we’re gonna do.

The man in the mask should worry that my friend is a better shot and willing to defend herself when he terrorizes. 

Her sister should turn around and learn from her example to be responsible for her own liberty.

An over-reaching government should hesitate before making any attempt to remove my friend’s weapon. After all, that is the “strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms.”

George Washington indicated “it should be the highest ambition of every American to extend his views beyond himself, and to bear in mind that his conduct will not only affect himself, his country, and his immediate posterity; but that its influence may be co-extensive with the world, and stamp political happiness or misery on ages yet unborn." 

My friend should be proud to proclaim this part of her American heritage, not out of fear or anger, but with the resolve that she is preserving liberty and the spirit of resistance.

It is time for her and all Americans to turn it around.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: DORSEY: 'Turn it around' regarding gun control

CRESTVIEW — Okaloosa County Commissioners Kelly Windes and Carolyn Ketchel will serve as the board's 2016 chairman and vice chairman, respectively, beginning in January.

Windes, elected to the commission in 2012, served as the board's chairman in 2014. Ketchel is finishing her first year on the board.

Call Windes and Ketchel at 651-7105. Email Windes at kwindes@co.okaloosa.fl.us and Ketchel at cketchel@co.okaloosa.fl.us. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa County Commission chair, vice chair named

CRESTVIEW — The City Council has unanimously accepted several bids in connection with the city’s website, auditing services, and storm damage repair.

Website design and maintenance: Redoing and upgrading the city’s website received funding for the 2015-16 budget year.

Requests for proposals were issued, and bids were opened Nov. 23, reviewed and graded. By the council’s vote, CivicPlus, the recommended vendor, received the project.

“Goals…were to improve the overall website capabilities while relieving some of the burden on city employees to maintain the upkeep,” City Clerk Betsy Roy stated in a council brief.

Bidding for the job, which was budgeted at $20,000, were:

●CivicPlus: $14,593, annual fee of $2,974

●Revise: $19,800, annual fee of $4,900

●Civic Live: $26,500, annual fee of $4,600

●CMS Website: $60,000, annual fee of $5,000

●Amees: $78,857, no annual fee

Auditing services: After extending its contract with Carr, Riggs and Ingram for one year, Roy’s office sought bids, including from CRI, to assure the city is receiving the best price for auditing services.

Responses to this RFP were also opened Nov. 23. The 2015-16 budget contained $45,000 for audits for the 2015, ’16 and ’17 fiscal years. The council accepted Saltmarsh Financial Advisors’ bid.

Bids included:

●Warren Averitt: 2015, $43,665; 2016, $44,538; and 2017, $45,429

●CRI: $45,200 for each of the three years

●Saltmarsh: 2015, $41,600; 2016, $42,700; and 2017, $43,800

Gil-Ava Street drainage restoration: With receipt of U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service grant money, Crestview Public Works solicited bids to repair washout damage on Gil-Ava Street that occurred during the April 29-30, 2014, storm.

The council accepted consultants CH2MHill’s recommendation to award the project to Carter’s Contracting Services, which offered the lowest bid.

Submitted bids included:

●Carter’s: $828,015.92

●Gulf Coast Utility Contractors: $1,185,997.40

●H&T Contractors: $1,318,141

●C.W. Roberts Contracting: $1,427,501.77

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview City Council accepts $971K in project bids

CRESTVIEW — The Building Industry Association of Okaloosa and Walton Counties is endorsing Republican candidate Wayne Harris for the Florida House of Representatives' District 4 seat.

The BIA — which has over 500 Northwest Florida members — is a professional organization of builders, developers, and associates affiliated with the Florida Home Builders Association and the National Association of Home Builders. Its key objective is to promote and protect Northwest Florida home ownership opportunities.

“Our board of directors passed a motion in support of Wayne Harris because of his experience and involvement in our community,” BIA President Chris Taylor said. “As a county commissioner, a 27-year veteran of the Air Force, and former executive director of the Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce, he knows what our area needs."

Harris, who seeks to serve the seat of Matt Gaetz, who is running for the Florida Senate, said he appreciates the support.

“I look forward to working with them to fight for state policies that will help the construction industry continue to create the jobs and business growth that make such an impact in our community," he said.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Building Industry Association endorses Harris' House campaign

FORT WALTON BEACH — The Democratic Women's Club of Okaloosa County  has selected its new officers. They also presented donations to three Northwest Florida organizations.

The club's new officers are Linda Johnson, second vice president; Linda Lee, first vice president; Debra Baker-Rian, president; Ellen Holt, past president;  Beth Blankenship Campbell, treasurer, and Jane Park, secretary. 

Evalyn Narramore, Democratic Women's Club of Florida Region II chair, oversaw the installation ceremony.

Sharing and Caring of Niceville,  Shelter House and Opportunity Place, Inc., a shelter for homeless women and families, got donations to assist their efforts.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa County Democratic Women install officers, support local organizations

CRESTVIEW — The City Council will meet 6 p.m. Dec. 14 for a workshop at city hall, 198 Wilson St., N.

Here is the meeting's agenda.

1. Call to Order

2. Invocation, Chaplain Edwin Stallworth Pledge of Allegiance

3. Open Policy making and legislative session

4. Special Presentations

Joseph Lambert – 10 Year Service Award – Fire Department (31 Dec 2005 – 31 Dec 2015)

5. Approval of Minutes

Approval of the minutes from the November 9, 2015 Workshop, the November 9, 2015 Council meeting and the November 30, 2015 council meeting.

6. Public Hearings:

a. Ordinance 1596 – Traffic Impact Fee Waiver – second reading.

7. Public Opportunity on Council propositions

8. Consent Agenda

a. Approval of invoice from Mr. Ben Holley – $3500

b. Approval of invoice from Ard, Shirley and Rudolph – $367.50

c. Approval of Plat for Camille Cove Subdivision – Growth Mgt – Paul Cassady

9. Resolutions

10. Committee Reports

a. Quarterly Report from EDC – Nathan Sparks.

11. Scheduled Presentations from the Public

a. Presentation of architectural renderings for the new Courthouse.

b. Code Enforcement questions – Craig Shaw

12. Project Reports and Comments from Mayor and Council

13. Staff Reports and Recommendations

a. Acceptance of Bid for Website design– City Clerk

b. Acceptance of Bid for Auditing Services – City Clerk

c. Discussion/approval of MOU with County for PJ Adams Dispatch Center- City clerk.

d. Approval of Bid for Gil Ava Project – Public Services

e. Request for Workshop and CRA Meetings — Growth Management

f. Discussion of Interlocal Agreement with County for Courthouse construction.

g. Board vacancies and candidates – Admin Assistant

14. Comments from the Audience

15. Adjournment

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Here's what the Crestview City Council will meet about Dec. 14