Drivers will encounter these traffic disruptions as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.

Okaloosa County

State Road 189 (Beal Parkway) between Pelham Road and Mary Esther Cutoff maintenance activities: Drivers may encounter intermittent lane restrictions between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday until Thursday, Nov. 3 as crews perform striping operations. Slow-moving vehicles will be used to perform the work.

S.R. 85 at S.R. 123 intersection maintenance activities: Drivers may encounter intermittent lane restrictions south of Crestview on S.R. 85 and S.R. 123 between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday until Thursday, Nov. 3 as crews perform striping operations. Slow-moving vehicles will be used to perform the work. 

Walton County

U.S. 98 from east of County Road 393 to C.R. 30A West maintenance activities: Intermittent outside lane closures from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24 through Friday, Nov. 11 as crews replace curb inlets and sidewalk.

U.S. 98 at Seascape Drive traffic operations: East and westbound intermittent lane closures from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 24 through Thursday, Nov. 3 as crews install an overhead traffic signal. Law enforcement will be on site to assist with traffic control. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 4 traffic changes to expect in Okaloosa and Walton counties

PACE — Santa Rosa County planners and the West Florida Regional Planning Council will develop a bicycle-pedestrian plan for Pace and Pea Ridge.

The overall objective is to determine area needs and wants regarding non-motorized transportation alternatives or bicycle-pedestrian facilities.

These meetings on the matter are open to all: 

• Oct. 25, 10 a.m. at Benny Russell Park, 5417 West Spencer Field Road in Pace
• Nov. 2, 12 p.m. at Santa Rosa County Development Services, 6051 Old Bagdad Highway in Milton
• Nov. 3, 6 p.m. at Pace Fire Rescue, 4773 Pace Patriot Boulevard in Pace

Each meeting will include a presentation on built and planned infrastructure, health and crash statistics, and economic and health benefits of the "complete streets" concept.

Staff will be available to hear ideas and concerns as well as answer questions. Attendees are encouraged to mark up large maps of the project area, identifying needed projects and safety concerns.

The team has surveyed existing bike-ped facilities and researched crash data in the project area. The plan will encompass communities from Luther Fowler Road on the north to Sterling Way on the south and the county boundary on the west to Tanglewood Road, Suwane Road, Creek Lane and Shell Road to the east.

A survey is available at www.PacePeaRidgeBikePedPlan.org for the public to provide feedback. An opportunity to see updates and comment on posts is available on Facebook @PacePeaRidgeBikePedPlan.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Input sought on Pace, Pea Ridge bicycle-pedestrian plan

CRESTVIEW — Guardian ad Litem officials are hosting  the My Forever Home 5K Run/Walk to benefit children in the state program's Okaloosa County First Judicial Circuit.

All proceeds from the run — set for 7:30 a.m. Oct. 22 at Old Spanish Trail Park Pavilion, Stillwell Boulevard, Crestview — will be used to purchase items requested by children in the circuit's foster care program. Items include clothes, shoes, summer camp fees and athletic gear.

The race route begins on Industrial, goes down the U.S. Post office, to Commerce Drive, Farmer Street, and then back to Stillwell and Industrial Drive.

Cost starts at $25 per person and will increase to $30 the day of the event. To register, go to www.active.com.

Sponsors are also needed.

For more information or to make a donation, call 609-5483.

The Guardian ad Litem Program advocates for the best interests of children who have been abused, abandoned, and neglected, giving them a voice when they may not otherwise have one.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview 5K benefits foster children

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Homeless advocates set annual meeting

CRESTVIEW — The News Bulletin is compiling a list of fall and Halloween activities in Crestview, Baker, Laurel Hill, Holt and Milligan.

To share an event, email the typed information — with the time, date, street address and cost per person — in a text-based document to news@crestviewbulletin.com.

So far, here is what’s coming up:

• Trick or Treat meet and greet for kids is 3-4 p.m. Oct. 28 and 31 at Okaloosa Ophthalmology, 1299 Industrial Drive, Crestview. Dr. Tiffany Kruger and her staff will have candy and treats for all; attendees may wear their costumes.
• Annual Fall Festival, presented by the Main Street Crestview Association and the city of Crestview, is 1-6 p.m. Oct. 29 on Main Street. The event is free to the public and includes a costume contest for people and pets. In addition, there will be booths, vendors and games. See www.mainstreetcrestview.org for a vendor application.
• Halloween trick-or-treating is 6-8 p.m. Oct. 31 in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Trick-or-treating among North Okaloosa fall activities

CRESTVIEW — Aromas of teriyaki and garlic rub chicken fill the air when you enter Pounders Hawaiian Grill in the Winn-Dixie Plaza on North Ferdon Boulevard.

The restaurant is the brainchild of 2003 Crestview High graduate Kakela Peters and his wife, Skylar. The couple co-owns the new restaurant, which is a family affair.

We will get to that later. First, here is how it all began.

LEARNING THE BUSINESS

Kakela Peters moved to Logan, Utah, when he was 22 and attended Utah State, where he majored in business. While there, he worked as a cook for a restaurant also named Pounders. After that restaurant closed, he worked at a Hawaiian restaurant where he was the general manager for four years. 

“I learned a lot about the restaurant business as general manager and finished my degree at Utah State, which ended up being in interdisciplinary studies.” Kakela said.

He married Skylar in 2012 and the couple soon had a son; they also have a 14-month-old daughter.

The family moved to Crestview in February of 2015 and, inspired by the first restaurant that Kakela worked at in Utah, started serving food from a Pounders Hawaiian Grill food truck.

That’s where the family affair comes in.

‘GRANDPA BELIEVED IN ME’

Returning to Crestview marked a return to Kakela’s roots. His father was Hawaiian and his mother was raised in Crestview.

When the idea to open a food truck arose, Kakela said he had his family’s support.

“My grandparents helped raise me here in Crestview and my grandpa believed in me and my idea from the start,” Kakela said. “My grandpa initially loaned us the money to start the food truck. He loved the food! Unfortunately, he passed away about six months ago.”

Word of mouth boosted the little food truck that could’s popularity, and soon the Peterses made another decision: to open a restaurant.

A SWELLING STAFF

Pounders’ menu includes four meats and three plate sizes. Meats include teriyaki chicken, teriyaki steak, garlic rub chicken and Kalua Pig, which is pork. Plate sizes include a one-meat dish called the Small Kine, the two-meat Regular or the three-meat choice called the Pounders, along with sides of rice and macaroni or green salad. 

“The key ingredient is Aloha Soy Sauce, which has to be specially ordered,” Kakela said.

With the restaurant, the logo for which Kakela’s sister designed, Pounders’ staff rose from six to 18.

“The first day we opened we were just going to take it slow and train our employees.  However, business was so good that day that we had a line out the door,” Kakela said.

So, what’s next for the restaurant?

“Eventually we will have catering, but for now business is great.” Peters said.

WHAT: Pounders Hawaiian Grill

WHEN: Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

WHERE: 1338 N. Ferdon Blvd., Crestview

WANT TO GO?

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: ‘Business is great’

DESTIN — Crestview was well represented during the Destin Charity Cornhole Tournament this past weekend at Destin Commons.

Spartans, the team of Steve Preble and James Dufour from Crestview, ranked third during the sporting event. Twenty-eight teams competed for a $500 cash prize and trophies.

Proceeds of over $4,000 from the event and a silent auction of five cornhole board sets — custom painted by area artists — benefited the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Centers in Okaloosa and Walton counties.

Participants and spectators enjoyed visiting the Beer Garden sponsored by World of Beer, complete with free bottomless craft beer, bloody Marys, mimosas and snacks.

The Cumulus radio stations Z96, 99Rock, Coast 93.3, NASH FM 105.5 and NewsTalk 1260 co-hosted the event with Destin Commons, along with the support of major sponsor MedSpa of Destin and Sandestin.

“We were so pleased with the success of the first year for the Destin Charity Cornhole Tournament,” Julie Hurst, CEO of both ECCAC facilities, said. “And, most important, the monies raised will benefit our kids who are dealing with abusive situations in their young lives.

“We’re looking forward to the second annual (event) next year.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Destin Charity Cornhole Tournament features Crestview winners

LAUREL HILL — A Laurel Hill teenager’s friends seek the community’s help to pay for his final expenses.

Benny Lee Howell, 19, of Laurel Hill, died in an early Sunday morning traffic accident just off Steele Mill Creek Road.

Both he and the driver, Chase James Paul Locke, 19, attended Laurel Hill School, according to an Okaloosa County Schools spokesperson.

The district sent grief counselors to LHS on Monday to help Hoboes during this difficult time. Meanwhile, Howell’s friends set up a GoFundMe account to collect funds for his funeral. So far, they’ve raised $2,115 of a $7,500 goal.

The site, itself a memorial, features fond remembrances of a beloved young man who died too soon.

“Benny never met a stranger and everyone who knew him, loved him,” the site states. “He was a kind hearted, well mannered, hard working young man.

“Benny would literally give you the shirt off his back if he thought you needed it. He never missed an opportunity to help someone and never turned away from hard work.”

The site also features a look back on lighthearted times, with a poster of “Benny-isms with English translations.”

Friends keep Howell’s memory alive with the teenager’s signature expressions such as “Slang me one nem,” “Swang on em” and “Aww hex naw.”

Loved ones will celebrate Howell’s life 2 p.m. Oct. 22 at the Chapel of Whitehurst-Powell Funeral Home. The Rev. Mike McVay will officiate. 

Want to donate? Here's the GoFundMe site. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Funds needed for Laurel Hill teen's funeral

CRESTVIEW — Pamella Dunbar just wants her dog back home and unharmed.

"Our Delilah has been missing since Sept. 27 near Northwood (Arts and Science Academy) in Crestview, Florida,” Dunbar stated in a message to the News Bulletin. "Delilah was sitting on our porch the last time I saw her.”

Dunbar can’t share some characteristics to identify the dog, but that’s only because Delilah came around later in life, and that information simply isn’t available.

"We took Delilah in after finding her covered in fleas and pregnant,” Dunbar said. “I found the owner who stated she couldn't keep her because she is elderly and the dog is too much, so I agreed to keep her.

“I'm not sure how old Delilah is. She is pure black and very sweet.”

Dunbar is sure of one other thing: Just before Delilah disappeared, the dog was enjoying her favorite pastime.

“She loves soaking in the sun rays but when I walked outside to get her to come in, she was gone,” Dunbar said.

Dunbar said she grew close to Delilah after seeing her through pregnancy.

"We helped her through labor and delivery and helped find homes for her babies,” she said.

Anyone with information on Delilah's whereabouts should call Dunbar at 902-7554.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview dog missing since Sept. 27

CRESTVIEW — Starting Panhandle Animal Lovers was an easy decision for Crestview resident Hanne Berg.

"My husband (the late Bob Berg) and I started out being failed fosters for dogs,” she said. “We got them to foster and wound up being theirs.”

The story hasn’t changed much since she’s opened PAL, a private no-kill dog shelter.

"That has happened here a lot also,” Berg said. “I keep the ones that are not adoptable too."

Berg shelters and cares for the dogs herself until PAL finds a suitable home for them. The biggest need is shelter, but PAL always seeks donations: food, towels and foster homes.

There are no employees at PAL; "I have a couple of friends that help and that's it,” Berg said. “They basically help with the emailing and that kind of stuff, and fostering also. We're always looking for foster homes. When you have foster homes you can save more animals.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF FOSTERING

According to the PAL website, http://awos.petfinder.com/shelters/FL638.html, early canine training from foster parents socializes dogs and makes them easier to place in permanent homes.

Berg said she appreciates a dedicated group of friends who help with fostering.

One such friend, Christy Barrentine, has duties that range from taking photos and videos of dogs for the PAL website to fostering them.

The Barrentine family originally had two dogs. "(Berg) asked me to foster a dog and we wound up falling in love with that dog and kept it. We wound up fostering eight, but we kept four," Barrentine said.

Janice Speaker's relationship with PAL began similarly.

"I've been with them about nine years,” Speaker said. “It started with a dog that I found in the woods that was really wild and (Berg) helped me find her a home.

"It's a wonderful group. Hanne dedicates her whole life to it and gets dogs adopted. She does find them homes. She is strictly no kill."

INVESTING THE NECESSARY TIME

Fostering a dog is just like any relationship, Barrentine said: "You have to give it time,” she said. “If you already have a dog (and foster one), if the dogs don’t immediately get along, that's to be expected. Give them time to work out their issues."

It also takes time for dogs to "get their bearings" in a house new to them.

"If they have an accident in the house, don't jump to conclusions that they're a bad dog,” Barrentine said. “Just be patient."

That patience has its rewards.

"My life's not boring, thanks to them. They keep me on my toes and we have a good  time in here. And just the amount of love they give back to you," Barrentine said.

"One of ours was abused before we got her and a couple of them were found on the streets half-starved to death and covered in fungus. They're just super grateful and it makes you feel good that it's made a difference in their life."

HOW TO SAVE A LIFE

Jennifer Brown, whose family has fostered PAL dogs and adopted two with lifetime medical issues, said another benefit of adoption from a shelter — whether PAL or another site — is that it saves two lives: that of the animal adopted and the one the adoption makes room for in the shelter.

"I just wish people would realize the good family dogs and cats that are put down because there are not enough homes for them,” Brown said.

People who adopt animals from Berg are charged a small fee to cover associated costs: spaying, neutering, heartworm tests, microchipping and other necessities.

However, "We don't just adopt out to anybody,” Berg said. “You have to fill out an adoption application and we kind of use our gut instinct also." That level of consideration means a happy, permanent home for the dog and the dog owner.

MICROCHIP NOW, SAVE HEARTACHE LATER

Another necessity for pet parents, Berg said, is microchipping and putting an identification tag around the pet's neck.

"They need to microchip their animals. They need to always have a collar on their dogs with an ID tag or a rabies tag," Berg said. "And also, if they have a microchip, it's easier to have the dog (reunited) with their owners. It doesn’t cost many dollars to get an ID tag. There are so many lost dogs around here.”

To view, adopt or see which dogs are available from PAL, go to the PAL website or contact Berg at 683-4104. The shelter is at full capacity and cannot accept dropped off animals.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'It's made a difference in their life'