The Okaloosa County Republican Executive Committee and the Northwest Florida Daily News will present a political forums series featuring Northwest Florida candidates.

The schedule is as follows:

•County Commissioner Forum: 6-8 p.m. June 16, Niceville City Hall, 208 N. Partin Drive, Niceville. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

•Clerk of Circuit Court Forum: 6-8 p.m. June 18, Niceville City Hall, 208 N. Partin Drive, Niceville. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

•School Board Forum: 6-8 p.m. June 25, Destin City Hall Annex, 4100 Indian Bayou Trail, Destin. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Questions for the candidates may be submitted to elections@nwfdailynews.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Commissioner, circuit court clerk and school board forums scheduled

Fort Walton Beach Medical Center, which last year took on sole responsibility of mental health crisis management in Okaloosa County, has received $1 million from the state to bolster its crisis stabilization unit.

The project is one of hundreds secured for Northwest Florida this year during the legislative session.

Almost $2 billion flowed west from Tallahassee this year to positively affect the region, outgoing state Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, said.

Among projects that made the cut was $3.8 million to dredge the East Pass at Destin Harbor, $79,890 for the Northwest Florida Ballet and $60,174 for the Sinfonia symphony organization.

Gaetz said he helped secure $125,000 to construct the Bud and Doris Day Patriots Trail in Okaloosa County and $150,000 for the county’s Veterans Court initiative.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Northwest Florida projects get priority in budget

State Senate President Don Gaetz sought unsuccessfully last year to obtain money for local crisis care. But this year, he got it.

Following the Bridgeway Center crisis stabilization unit's March 2013 closing, Fort Walton Beach Medical Center became the only Okaloosa County facility processing Baker Act patients, according to Medical Center spokesman Josh Snellgrove.

At that time, the hospital spent $500,000 on security upgrades, which included adding security cameras and reinforcing receiving areas, Snellgrove said.

Securing holding and treatment facilities for mentally ill Baker Act patients has been a priority for Gaetz since 2008, when a deeply disturbed Mark Rohlman escaped the hospital’s custody and killed deputy Anthony Forgione before taking his own life.

Crisis care was also funded in the state budget in the form of $350,000 in construction and start up funding to get a Children’s Advocacy Center facility built in Walton County.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crisis care survives state budget cuts

Okaloosa County commissioners have voted to make beach cleaning a permanent in-house service.

Commissioners also authorized Public Works Director John Hofstad to purchase beach sifters and other equipment when the county’s current rentals expire in July.

Hofstad said he’s been pleased with his workers’ performance on the public beaches in Destin and on Okaloosa Island.

Commissioner Nathan Boyles, who had strongly opposed the county providing the service, said the transition has gone “smoothly by all accounts.”

The board’s decision follows a recent judge’s ruling that Okaloosa County does not have to award a long-term beach cleaning contract to Sandman LLC.

Ward, who held the beach cleaning contract for more than 10 years, sued the county in October, accusing it of showing favoritism toward a competing company during the bidding process.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Commission OKs permanent, in-house beach cleaning

Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton county schools received nearly $440 million in total Florida Education Finance Program dollars, with each county’s percentage increase being above the state average.

An additional $30 million was also added to the budget to advance career technical education.

While Gov. Rick Scott vetoed just over $247,000 for the Northwest Florida Ballet Academie in Fort Walton Beach, he approved $250,000 for the Okaloosa County STEMM Middle School in Niceville.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa schools benefit from budget

FEMA's Disaster Recovery Centers, which assist Northwest Florida residents with flood-related claims, have received plenty of activity, according to officials.

There have been 11,016 registrations across Escambia, Jackson, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties — 857, Okaloosa County and 247, Walton — according to a news release.

FEMA has committed $1.3 million and $363,900 in claims assistance to Okaloosa and Walton, respectively.  

Residents who need help can call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or register at www.disasterassistance.gov or on mobile devices at m.fema.gov.

The Senior Center in Crestview, 205 Stillwell Blvd., is open for claims assistance 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: More than 800 Okaloosa residents register for FEMA aid

From 2009 to 2013, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice overcharged Okaloosa and dozens of other counties millions for housing prisoners. During that same period, DJJ returned more than $78 million in unused funds to state coffers, Okaloosa County Attorney Greg Stewart said.

 “Counties as a whole were found to be overpaying approximately $40 million a year,” Stewart said during a presentation to Okaloosa County Commissioners. “Now during this same period of time, DJJ was reverting money back to the state.”

Stewart updated the board on the county’s ongoing litigation with DJJ over $3.1 million in overcharges. County officials had hoped the state Legislature would step in and fund a reimbursement of counties, but no compromise was reached during the spring session.

County Commissioner Nathan Boyles said he wants the county to continue pursuing some kind of judgment by the courts on reimbursement of the overcharges. County Administrator Ernie Padgett agreed and said DJJ intentionally “calculated on how they can skew things around and put the undue burden on county governments.”

Padgett and Stewart will attend a June 6 hearing in Tallahassee, during which the DJJ will rewrite its rules to conform to the governor’s new budget, which calls for counties to pay 57 percent of juvenile detention costs and the state to pay 43 percent.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa County continues fight with Juvenile Justice dept.