His is the first and only comprehensive book about the March 21, 1917, double murder that shook the Crestview area.
Collins will visit the Crestview History Museum on Saturday for “Books on the Porch,” a celebration of all things literary, where he will sign copies of his exhaustively researched history of the robbery gone wrong, which led to Crestview’s first public hanging. The museum is housed in the historic Bush House on South Wilson Street.
“Books on the Porch” will also offer lovingly read books to plop down and read during your visit and for sale by the bag. Proceeds benefit the non-profit Crestview Historic Preservation Board.
Readers of all ages are invited to bring the book in which they’re currently engrossed or feel free to select one they’ll find around the museum. Then settle down on the porch or in the parlor (if it’s too hot on the porch) and enjoy a nice glass of free cold lemonade as they delve into the delights of book reading.
Pull up a rocker or relax on the Bush House porch swing with a good book during “Books on the Porch” on Saturday, featuring author and historian Ronald Collins. (Photo by Brian Hughes)
During Collins’s remarks, visitors will learn that researching “Mystery at Green Pond” was sometimes arduous.
“I walked the railroad tracks from Milton to Crestview taking photos along the way,” he said. “I used maps, a compass (yes, I’m a stubborn old Marine) and satellite imagery to traverse swamps and thick forest growth to capture some of the photos included in this book.”
Collins drew an overflow crowd to his recent book signing at the Baker Block Museum and his “Mystery at Green Pond” is thrilling readers throughout the area. At the book signing, copies were flying off the table.
“Books on the Porch” is another great opportunity to buy a copy before they’re sold out. The hardcover book costs $39 plus tax.
“Books on the Porch” is the Crestview History Museum’s Second Saturday event for August and runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Collins will visit from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will offer remarks around 11:30 a.m. Admission is free. The History Museum is at 198 S. Wilson St.
Editor’s note: Brian Hughes is the city of Crestview’s cultural services specialist.
Located off State Road 189, about eight miles north of Baker and two miles south of Blackman, Karick Lake is a 65-acre artificial impoundment created by an earthen dam built across Deadfall Creek, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The FWC built the lake in 1965. To provide sportfishing opportunities, the lake is stocked with fish such as largemouth bass.
Karick Lake stands about two miles south of Blackman.
I wrote about a project to remove muck from Karick Lake in 2019 but, until this past Sunday, had never hiked the 3.8-mile Karick Lake Loop Trail.
A brown rabbit was the first animal I saw on my latest visit. It scurried across North Karick Lake Road after I crossed a one-vehicle-wide bridge on the way to the trailhead.
One of the two narrow bridges on North Karick Lake Road. (Photo by Tony Judnich)
After enjoying views of fragrant water lilies and many small fish from the pier next to the rec area’s north campground, I hit the white-blazed trail. Mourning-dove coos and the drilling sound from a woodpecker’s beak filled the humid air. Dew on the grassy path wet my shoes and cooled my ankles beneath towering longleaf pines.
A fragrant water lily on Karick Lake (Photo by Tony Judnich)Sunshine breaking through. (Photo by Tony Judnich)
After an hour of hiking, filled with pauses to photograph wildflowers, I stopped for a swig of water at 9:30 a.m. The scent of drying pine needles rose from the forest floor, and the plastic lid of my metal water bottle squeaked when I opened it. I remember hoping the sound could somehow attract a deer, or at least not bother one that might be nearby.
Pale meadow beauties. (Photo by Tony Judnich)
After walking around a few bends in the trail, I came to a slope and saw the tail and rear-end of a deer about 50 feet ahead of me, on the left. Yes!
Shrubs and trees blocked the view of the rest of the deer. I moved closer, trying not to step on any sticks, and raised my camera.
I fired a few camera shots while inching closer. The deer finally realized my presence, turned to the right, sprung forward and then bailed into the woods to the left of the trail. It issued a series of startled screams as it quickly disappeared.
A startled deer along the trail. (Photo by Tony Judnich)
I continued past another one of the several benches lining the trail. The path also includes several boardwalks over streams and wetlands. Squadrons of dragonflies hung around these waters but, unfortunately, I didn’t spot any snakes.
One of the boardwalks along the trail. (Photo by Tony Judnich)
While I didn’t rest on any of the benches, I did stop for several minutes to watch two black-morph female Eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies dance around and snack on a sweet pepperbush.
A black-morph female Eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly. (Photo by Tony Judnich)
The cries of a red-shouldered hawk filled the air near the 2.2-mile mark, where the Karick Lake Loop Trail meets the Jackson Trail. I never saw the noisy hawk.
Moments later, I was hiking on a grassy strip along the shore of the lake, then briefly back in the woods before crossing the dam over Deadfall Creek and returning to the starting point.
A primrose willow. (Photo by Tony Judnich)A Gulf fritillary butterfly. (Photo by Tony Judnich)
Gasoline-powered boats are not permitted on the lake and, because of alligators, swimming is not allowed there.
I look forward to hiking some of the Jackson Trail and camping at either the south or north campground next to Karick Lake.
Want to hike on the Karick Lake Loop Trail? The required $2 Florida State Forest day-use pass can be purchased at floridastateforests.reserveamerica.com.
The center, which is operated by the Okaloosa County Tourism Development Department, opened in the spring of 2024. The facility stands in a 6,260-square-foot former bank building at 5131 S. Ferdon Blvd., on the east side of the P.J. Adams Parkway-Ferdon Boulevard intersection.
The center’s atrium. (Photo by Tony Judnich)
This afternoon, Kelly Carrico, a visitor information specialist at the center, showed a guest the various types of marine life living in the facility’s two 300-gallon aquariums. Besides different kinds of fish species, the saltwater creatures include a spiny lobster, a slipper lobster, a hermit crab, an eel, a decorator crab, and five highly invasive lionfish – all of which were caught in Gulf waters.
“When he climbs up the rock, he’s hard to see,” Carrico said of the decorator crab.
A decorator crab explores an aquarium it shares with other marine life at the center. (Photo by Tony Judnich)
Carrico, 61, grew up in Okaloosa County, explored much of it as a Boy Scout and continues to enjoy the area’s many outdoor adventure opportunities. He was a Florida Highway Patrol trooper for 34 years and also worked for the Niceville Police Department. He and his wife live in Crestview.
“My inside knowledge of the area gives me an edge” while assisting guests at the Welcome and Adventure Center, Carrico said.
Kelly Carrico, a visitor information specialist at the center, stands next to the facility’s interactive fishing rodeo display. (Photo by Tony Judnich)
A big part of his job is sharing information on adventure spots, the best places to go for food and drinks, and countywide attractions. The center also is a good spot for beachbound visitors to receive updates on Mid-Bay Bridge traffic and check the status of their rental vacation units.
All visitors to the center are welcome to pick up a fishing rod at the facility’s interactive fishing rodeo display that mimics the feel and action from the Okaloosa Island Pier, located 25 miles south of the center. The species of saltwater fish they can “catch” consist of a tarpon, a sailfish, a marlin and a mako shark, each of which is shown in accompanying video footage.
“Reeling in” a marlin at the interactive fishing rodeo display. (Photo by Tony Judnich)
At an adjacent interactive display, guests can use crayons to color a drawing of a fish and scan it in before seeing it swim with other marine life above a depiction of one of the county’s actual artificial reefs. They also can color and scan in a drawing of a diver and then help the diver spear cool-looking but invasive lionfish.
One of the lionfish at the center. (Photo by Tony Judnich)
To further boost the fun vibe at the center, county officials plan to convert a room off the center’s atrium into a 360-degree panoramic room. While the concept for this room has not been finalized, it will provide “an immersive experience” that “brings the destination to life,” according to county TDD officials.
The 360-degree panoramic room could be unveiled sometime next summer.
The Crestview Welcome and Adventure Center is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
The center stands at 5131 S. Ferdon Blvd. (Photo by Tony Judnich)
After stepping outside to wash the ice cream shop’s windows, Shutt was almost hit by an e-bike that was whizzing by. Shutt recently told the Crestview News Bulletin that he was able to avoid a collision, but he’s concerned about the safety of his customers.
“We’ve had some complaints about that,” Crestview Police Chief Steve McCosker said on Tuesday about e-bikes being ridden on Main Street’s recently widened sidewalks.
McCosker
Many of the street’s sidewalks were broadened during the city’s nearly $5.7 million Main Street renovation project that was completed this past spring. The overall renovated area spans a six-block portion of Main, generally between Industrial Drive and U.S. Highway 90, and includes parts of adjacent streets.
E-bikes, which have an electric motor that assists with pedaling, have “definitely increased in popularity” in Crestview in recent months, McCosker said.
An electric bicycle that costs $379 at Walmart.com. (Photo courtesy of Walmart)
When asked whether some e-bike drivers had lost their license to drive a car because of a DUI, the chief said, “I don’t know, but I would not rule that out.”
With increased safety in mind, McCosker said he is working with city staff to develop a proposed ordinance that, with City Council approval, would limit the use of e-bikes on Main Street and elsewhere.
Florida Senate Bill 462, which allows cities and counties to set their own rules on regulating e-bikes, took effect on July 1 as a new state law. It allows local governments to set a minimum age for e-bike riders, require riders to carry a government-issued ID, and offer or require safety training classes.
Amy Koger, who is the executive director of the nonprofit Main Street Crestview Association and the owner of Baby and Me Boutique on Main, said today that she has seen standard bicycles being ridden on Main Street sidewalks but has not seen, or heard any complaints about, e-bikes being ridden on them.
Newton is a retired longtime plumber who has lived in Crestview for about a decade. For a brief part of each of the past five or six summers, he has sold large Jubilee watermelons from his truck that’s shaded by trees and is parked off of Industrial Drive, east of the Hammock Road-State Road 85 intersection and kitty-corner to Little Caesars in north Crestview.
Newton’s roadside spot on Industrial Drive. (Photo by Tony Judnich)
“See those black spots?” Newton asked a customer while pointing to a watermelon. “Those are sugar spots: They’ll be good and sweet.”
He added that his load of melons “just came out of the field yesterday.”
The field Newton was referring to belongs to a buddy of his in Grand Ridge, which stands in Jackson County and is about 100 miles east of downtown Crestview.
A Jubilee watermelon reportedly is known for its sweet, bright red flesh and large size, typically weighing between 20 to 50 pounds. Each of Newton’s truckloads contains more than 80 melons. He charges $10 per watermelon and accepts payment by cash or via Cash App.
“I probably set up here a couple of times a week,” he said of his roadside spot in Crestview. “I start selling them usually just before July begins. This might be my last time for the season, I’m not sure. I might have some more toward the end of the week.”
His work shift typically runs from about 6:30-7 a.m. until around 1-2 p.m.
“I can’t sit at home,” Newton said. “I have to do something.”
The current sales tax in Okaloosa County is 7%: It consists of the 6% state sales tax plus the county’s 1% local option sales tax.
According to the Florida Department of Revenue, sales tax is not due during the sales tax holiday period on the retail sale of:
Clothing, footwear, wallets, bags, handbags, backpacks, fanny packs, and diaper bags with a sales price of $100 or less per item
Certain school supplies with a sales price of $50 or less per item. Examples include binders, colored pencils, composition books, construction paper, crayons, erasers, and folders.
Learning aids and jigsaw puzzles with a sales price of $30 or less. Examples of exempt learning aid items include electronic books, flashcards, learning cards and matching games.
Personal computers and certain computer-related accessories with a sales price of $1,500 or less, when purchased for non-commercial home or personal use.
The sales tax holiday does not apply to:
Briefcases, suitcases, or garment bags
Watches, watchbands, jewelry, umbrellas, and handkerchiefs
Skis, swim fins, roller blades, and skates
Clothing items with a sales price of more than $100
Any school supply item with a sales price of more than $50
Books that are not otherwise exempt
Computers and computer-related accessories with a sales price of more than $1,500
Cellular telephones, video game consoles, digital media receivers, or devices that are not primarily designed to process data
Computers and computer-related accessories purchased for commercial purposes
Rentals of any eligible items
Repairs or alterations of any eligible items
Sales of any eligible items within a theme park or entertainment complex, public lodging establishment, or airport.
At the council’s July 8 budget meeting, at which the board discussed the city’s overall proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, councilors learned that making the long-proposed sports complex a reality could cost up to $118 million, plus many millions more in finance expenses.
Those details were provided to the city by a bond consulting firm and the Midway-based Ajax Building Co., the latter of which provides the city with various “total project management” services.
‘Too excessive’
The up to $118 million figure includes the cost of developing amenities such as baseball/softball fields and an indoor recreational facility but not a swimming pool, which would have boosted the total price tag much higher. Other project expenses include design and other preconstruction costs, furnishings and equipment, and up to almost $5 million to buy at least 100 acres of land for the complex, according to information from Ajax.
Earlier this year, city officials had considered possibly purchasing at least 100 acres of land for a sports complex from the owners of several hundred acres of land north of the Antioch Road-U.S. Highway 90 intersection.
However, “We never got that far into negotiations” on buying land at that location, Crestview City Manager Jessica Leavins said on Wednesday.
Leavins
City officials would, with voter approval via a referendum, have to borrow money to pay for an up to $118 million sports complex. According to information provided by the city, the total debt on a 20-year municipal bond to pay for such a complex would be over $179 million, with average annual debt payments amounting to almost $9 million.
To pay the total debt, city officials said, they would have to increase the city’s millage rate by 4.4 mills. The rate of 4.4 mills per $1,000 of taxable property is equal to $440 per $100,000 of property value, which means many Crestview property owners would face greatly higher property tax bills just to pay for the sports complex.
The required millage rate increase, however, is not tenable, council members said at the July 8 budget meeting.
“That, in my opinion, is too excessive an amount to put on the citizens,” Councilor Shannon Hayes said. “There’s no way you can get me to support that millage rate for anything. The people I associate and talk with wouldn’t support it, either.”
Hayes
Mayor Pro Tem Doug Capps said he is “absolutely” against any kind of property tax rate increase to pay for a sports complex.
Capps
After more discussion, the council agreed to focus on having an indoor recreation facility – to include basketball courts and, possibly, pickleball courts – built somewhere in Crestview, rather than establishing a major sports complex.
“The primary goal is to meet the needs of our kids,” Leavins said at the meeting.
A city-owned site
Leavins noted at the budget session that the Twin Hills Park gym, which received roof upgrades and other structural repairs in recent years, is many decades old and no longer a viable structure. She added that city officials learned relatively recently that the gym does not have a humidity-controlling vapor barrier, which makes installing a new HVAC system at the facility futile.
One possible location for a new indoor rec center, city officials said, is the city-owned Spanish Trail Park. About half of the property at this almost 24-acre park on Stillwell Boulevard is unutilized.
The park currently includes two ballfields, the Senior Activity Center, and an amphitheater. During the budget meeting, city officials talked about the possibility of demolishing the amphitheater to provide space for an indoor rec facility.
Leavins on Wednesday said Ajax will later be asked to create a master plan for the entire Spanish Trail Park. The plan will include information on whether an indoor rec facility at the park is feasible. The city does not yet have an estimated timeline on when the plan will be made, Leavins said.
She and some city councilors have pointed out that the overall cost of developing an indoor rec center would be much lower if it’s built on land the city already owns.
During the budget meeting, the council approved setting the city’s proposed FY ’26 millage rate at 6.65. With final council approval in September, the 6.65 rate would mark the second consecutive of the millage rate being decreased by one-tenth of a percent.
While standing in front of the American check-in counter this morning, Okaloosa County Airports Director Tracy Stage announced the new daily direct service to the Magic City.
Stage said he was “ecstatic” to announce, with American, “that we finally secured intrastate service direct to Miami.”
Okaloosa County Airports Director Tracy Stage shares American Airlines’ big news at VPS. (Photo by Tony Judnich)
American Airlines has operated at VPS for nearly two decades, he said. Among other passengers, Stage said the direct flights to Miami “will greatly benefit business travelers from Okaloosa County” and “connect businesses to global markets.”
He said MIA holds a unique and vital position as the premier gateway between the United States to the Caribbean and Latin America.
A traveler is dropped off this morning at Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport. (Photo by Tony Judnich)
Stage also announced that American will extend its service to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) year-round at VPS. Flights to Chicago on American, which currently are offered daily in the summer seasons, will now be offered through the winter seasons as well.
Okaloosa County Commission Chairman Paul Mixon praised the new intrastate route to Miami and the expanded service to Chicago, the latter of which he said, “is a really important market for us in tourist development.”
American Airlines’ planes at Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport. (Photo courtesy of Okaloosa County)
“Our flights to Miami and year-round service to Chicago will complement American’s existing flights to Charlotte (North Carolina), Dallas-Fort Worth, and Washington D.C.,” Jason Reisinger, American’s managing director of global network planning, said today in a news release. “With seamless connections to the Caribbean, Europe, Australia and everything in between, American is ready to welcome travelers on their next seamless journey from Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport.”
Tickets to Miami, and to Chicago during the winter months, will be available for purchase starting on Monday at aa.com or through American’s mobile app.
“Looking to get the most out of your $1,800 Social Security check while enjoying sunny beaches and mild winters at the same time? If you’re from an area with a high cost of living, you can make your funds stretch a lot further by moving to Florida in retirement,” according to the article from last Friday.
“Plus, Florida doesn’t have state income tax. Of course, to have a stress-free retirement, you’ll need to balance affordability with other concerns such as safety, healthcare, and cultural life.”
In Crestview, the average monthly rent is $940 and the average home value is $294,162, according to pricing data pulled from Zillow for the article.
“Crestview, the seat of Okaloosa County in the Florida panhandle, is a good option if you enjoy small-town living, with 27,000 residents,” according to the article. “Nicknamed the ‘Hub City,’ Crestview is located at the junction of three highways, with easy access to Pensacola, Tallahassee, and the beach.
“The city is quiet and family-friendly, and the nearby Eglin Air Force Base provides a military presence.”
In Milton, the average monthly rent is $1,050 and the average home value is $283,342, according to cited pricing data from Zillow.
The Blackwater River next to downtown Milton. (Photo courtesy of financebuzz.com)
“Milton is a city of just 10,000 people close to Pensacola, so it offers nature and small-town living with a big city nearby,” according to the article. “Residents enjoy canoeing, fishing, and hiking in Blackwater River State Park. They also have access to Pensacola’s white sand beaches.”
The article does not mention the white sand beaches of Navarre Beach.
The other cities listed in the article consist of Bartow, Edgewater, Gainesville, Homosassa Springs, Lake Wales, Lakeland, Panama City, Pensacola, Tallahassee, Titusville, and Winter Haven.
The public is invited to celebrate a groundbreaking ceremony for Tarpon Beach Gulf Front Park at 9 a.m. Monday, July 7 at 3310 Scenic Highway 98.
This new beachfront park will offer 340 feet of additional public beach access, free parking with 49 standard spaces, three ADA-accessible spaces, and 29 low-speed vehicle spaces, as well as restrooms, four pavilions and breathtaking views of the Gulf.
“This is a great example of how partnerships can benefit the public,” District 5 County Commissioner Drew Palmer said in a news release. “Our beaches are an amazing asset that should be enjoyed by both our locals and visitors. We are fortunate to continue to expand beach access to the public as a vital part of our efforts to create opportunities for families to make memories in the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area.”
Palmer
Destin Mayor Bobby Wagner said, “Through initiatives like Tarpon Beach Park, we’re safeguarding our coastal ecosystems, ensuring that the natural beauty and biodiversity of our shores remain intact for future generations to experience and cherish.”
Wagner
The Tarpon Beach Gulf Front Park project is Phase II of a dedicated effort by the city of Destin and the County Commission to effectively use tourism revenue and expand public beach access for residents and visitors with a total investment of $26.5 million shared between the city and county.
Phase I includes expanded public beach access at nearby Crystal Beach, with a total project cost of $9.75 million. The total project cost for the Phase II Tarpon Beach Gulf Front Park project is $16.75 million.
The Trust for Public Land was the lead agency that helped negotiate the purchase of the properties for both Crystal Beach and Tarpon Beach projects.
“Tarpon Beach Gulf Front Park is the result of years of collaboration to ensure that everyone can enjoy walkable access to Florida’s iconic shoreline,” Doug Hattaway, the Trust’s land conservation director, said. “This park not only reconnects the community with a beautiful stretch of waterfront and long-closed amenities, but also reinforces our shared commitment to protecting public access to nature and preserving the unique coastal character that makes Destin so special.”
