NICEVILLE — The Okaloosa County Tax Collector’s Niceville branch on Highway 85 soon will move to a new location.

The current Niceville branch will close at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21 and will reopen on Monday, Oct. 26 at its new location, 701 John Sims Parkway.

Other branches will remain open and fully staffed. The Crestview branch is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 302 N. Wilson St., Suite 101.

Call 651-7300 for more information or questions.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa County Tax Collector office relocates

SANTA ROSA BEACH — The Walton County Republican Executive Committee's annual Lincoln Day Dinner on Oct. 22 will feature guest of honor and keynote speaker James E. O’Keefe III.

O’Keefe, the New York Times bestselling author of "Breakthrough: Our Guerilla War to Expose Fraud and Save Democracy" and the 2011 recipient of the Robert Novak Award for Journalist Excellence, was twice-named Fox News’ “Power Player of the Week” and listed as one of Forbes' “30 Under 30” for media moguls.

O’Keefe and his colleagues at Project Veritas are responsible for exposes that include:

●Voter fraud reports that inspired several states to reform election laws, forced resignations in Washington, and pushed FBI and Department of Justice officials to defend themselves before federal lawmakers.

●An investigation into the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, which led to the group’s collapse.

●Investigations that caused the dismissal of a Planned Parenthood vice president; dismissal of National Public Radio executives; an Enroll America director to be fired; Medicaid worker re-trainings, an investigation into Battleground Texas; and Congressional field hearings into Obamacare navigator fraud.

●A 2014 investigation that transformed the discussion on national security. Dressed as Osama bin Laden, O’Keefe crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico into the United States.

Tickets for the 2015 Lincoln Day Dinner — 6:30 p.m. Oct. 22 at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Miramar Beach — are $75 per person and can be purchased by mailing a check, made payable to WCREC, to P.O. Box 2283, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 or by credit card at http://lincolndaydinner2015.eventzilla.net.

See more information on the website.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Guerrilla journalist to highlight Walton County Republican dinner

UPDATE: The Crestview Police Department has changed the venue for this event. It will now be held at Tropical Palm restaurant, 286 Main Street N., Crestview.

CRESTVIEW — Members of the Crestview Police Department will meet informally soon with Crestview residents through their Coffee with a Cop program.

The next meeting is 8-10 a.m. Oct. 14.

Join your neighbors and CPD officers for coffee and conversation. No agendas or speeches are scheduled. Feel free to ask questions, voice concerns and get to know the officers in your neighborhood.

For more information, contact CPD Officer Wanda Hulion, 305-2905.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Coffee with a Cop Oct. 14 venue changes

FORT WALTON BEACH — The  Okaloosa County Republican Executive Committee's seminar, “How to Fight the Tragedy of Common Core,” is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Ramada Plaza Beach Resort, 1500 Miracle Strip Parkway SE.

Keynote speaker Donna Hearne, the Constitutional Coalition's executive director, received three presidential appointments by President Reagan in the U.S. Department of Education and one by former U.S. Secretary of Education William Bennett. For 32 years, she has hosted a weekly radio talk show, "Encounter," on KSIV Radio in St. Louis. In addition, she has authored numerous publications and several books, including "The Long War and Common Core."

Karen Effrem, the Florida Stop Common Core Coalition's executive director, is a pediatrician, researcher, conference speaker and author of "Florida Common Core Standards Policy Analysis." She has been interviewed by Fox News and interviewed by or quoted in the Wall Street Journal, the British Medical Journal, National Journal, Bloomberg News, Politico, WorldNetDaily, NewsMax, CNSNews.com, newspapers, radio and television stations across the country.

MerryLynn Gerstenschlager, the Texas Eagle Forum's vice president, is a recipient of the Texas Federation of Republican Women’s Tribute to Women Award. During the past four years, she has lectured on the Turkish-run Harmony Charter Schools. She has advocated for legislation that would require charter school operators to be American citizens, as is required for their counterparts, local elected school board trustees.

Tickets — $40; which covers the event and a box lunch — are available at OkaloosaGOP.com. Contact Laurie Bartlett, OCREC vice chairman, 512-584-4589, for more details.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa Republican group sets anti-Common Core seminar

DESTIN — The Okaloosa-Walton Transportation Planning Organization will meet Oct. 8 at the Destin City Hall Annex, 4100 Indian Bayou Trail.

The TPO will meet at 3 p.m. The Citizens’ and Technical Coordinating Advisory Committees will meet at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., respectively.

The TPO will consider:

●Accepting the Florida Department of Transportation 17-21 Tentative Work Program

●Amending project priorities for congestion mitigation and air quality improvement program projects

●Authorizing the TPO transportation director to accept the General Planning Consultant contract

●Supporting Florida Greenways and Trails’ Great Northwest Coastal Connector

●Offering a citizens’ advisory committee application

See a full agenda at www.wfrpc.org.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa-Walton Transportation Planning Organization to meet Oct. 8

CRESTVIEW — Pre-filed candidates for the 2016 primary are as follows:

●Clerk of the circuit court and comptroller:

JD Peacock, Shalimar

●Sheriff : Larry Ashley, Shalimar

●Tax collector: Ben Anderson, Shalimar

●Superintendent of Schools: Marline Sue Van Dyke, Niceville; Mary Beth Jackson, Baker

●County Commission, District 1: Graham Fountain,  Crestview

●County Commission, District 5: Kelly Windes, Destin

●School board, District 4: Charles E. Cawthon, Crestview; Tim Bryant, Crestview

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Current prefiled candidates for Okaloosa offices announced

CRESTVIEW — Okaloosa County's Public Works Department has earned American Public Works Association's re-accreditation.

Public Works originally gained accreditation, among 68 other agencies, in 2011, and was re-accredited after a review this summer, which also added Facilities Maintenance to the Public Works review process and met accreditation requirements.

"The awarding of the APWA re-accreditation shows we have dedicated ourselves to concepts of improvement and in-depth self-assessment of department policies, procedures and practices," Public Works Director Jason Autrey said.

"The heroes of this prestigious APWA award are the public works staff whose mission is to provide public works services and programs that contribute to making Okaloosa County a great community."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa Public Works earns re-accreditation

CRESTVIEW — Jonathan Tallman, a businessman and financial adviser, has announced his intentions to run for State Representative District 4. Tallman, 28, is a Republican and fiscal conservative.

"I am a true conservative and champion for limited government and lower taxes," he said. "I will use my experience in business and finance to keep taxes down, and to create an environment that encourages economic growth and new jobs."

Tallman, a financial adviser at The Tallman Group LLC, also serves on the Okaloosa Restore Act Advisory Committee, and the Bluewater Bay Municipal Services Benefit Unit board.

He was named 40 under 40 by 850 Magazine, Top 12 People You Should Know by Emerald Coast Magazine, and Top Rising Star for 2015 by National Underwriter Magazine. Tallman is a past president of the Emerald Coast Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors.

The Okaloosa native is a member of the Niceville-Valparaiso Rotary Club, and Crosspoint Church, where he has served as a coach, Sunday school teacher, administrative board member, and on the Crosspoint Crestview building committee.

Tallman is a board member of Friends of Children Everywhere Inc., which works with an orphanage in Guatemala.

He and his wife, Jennifer, have one son.

Tallman will lay out a plan for Crestview in the coming weeks to help reduce traffic issues and attract additional business and industry to the Crestview area. 

"We encourage everyone to like our Facebook page facebook.com/votetallman," he said.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Tallman to run for state representative

CRESTVIEW — The City Council will meet 6 p.m. Sept. 28 at city hall, 198 Wilson St., N.

Here is the meeting's agenda.

1. Call to order

2. Invocation: Bob Hollingshead, Destiny Worship Center, pledge of allegiance

3. Open policy-making and legislative session

4. Special presentations to Evan Reynolds – 5 years (Police Department); Betty Mathis – 10 years (Growth Management); and Samuel Kimmons – 10 years (Police Department)

5. Approval of minutes from the Aug. 27 budget workshop

6. Public hearings:

a. Ordinance 1590: City of Crestview 2015 Community Redevelopment Plan second reading

7. Public opportunity on council propositions

8. Consent agenda

a. Approval of Allen, Norton and Blue invoice for $1,886.50.

b. Approval of Sungard contract/financing for software.

c. Approval of Amendment for WWTP contract with CH2MHill.

d. Approval of Agreement with Ben Holley for City Attorney Services.

e. Approval of PAWS contract for fiscal 2016

9. Resolutions

a. Resolution 15-26. amending Resolution 15-23 public improvement bond refinancing

b. Resolution 15-27, amending Resolution 15-24 water and sewer bond refinancing

10. Committee reports

11. Scheduled presentations from the public

a. Crestview Housing Authority

12. Project reports and comments from mayor and council

a. Opening of city council member applications

13. Staff reports and recommendations

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 Sept. 28

Citizens of Crestview, 

Tuesday night, the Crestview City Council voted 3-1 to increase the millage rate by 1.1 mills, and approved the proposed, tentative $29.5 million budget that drove the increase.

Councilmen Shannon Hayes, Joe Blocker and Bill Cox voted in favor of the increase; Councilman JB Whitten dissented on both votes.

There were a half-dozen citizens in the audience, and only three of us spoke — all against the increased property tax.

Maybe the reason for the poor showing is that the public hearing was held at 5 p.m.; maybe not. As citizens, we need to be involved and hold our elected officials accountable.

Our ad valorem taxes are already the highest in the county. 

Some points to consider:

●This budget includes an across-the-board 5 percent pay raise for city employees

●It includes an $800,000 operating system for the police department to improve reporting (about $145,000 in the fiscal year '16 budget)

●The fuel line item was only decreased by two departments (Police and Inspections) even though the cost of fuel has decreased significantly (this year's fuel budget is $37,000 more than actually spent in fiscal year '14)

●Retirement contributions and life/health insurance costs were reduced by over $500,000. (Where did this money go?).

I'm sure there are some other line items that need to be discussed and should have been earlier in the process.

The increase is all but in the bag, but it's not set in stone.

The final hearing is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28 at City Hall. If you are not in favor of your taxes being raised, show up and be heard.

If you can't make the meeting, call or email the council; their contact info can be found on the city website, http://www.cityofcrestview.org/citycouncil/citycouncil_overview.php.

Better yet, contact them and show up at the hearing.

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet us.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LETTER: Don't want higher taxes, Crestview? Attend this meeting