CRESTVIEW — The 2nd Annual Emerald Coast Breast Cancer Awareness Poker Run will benefit the American Cancer Society.

The run begins at 9 a.m., Oct. 8, starting at Helen Back of Crestview, 5206 S. Ferdon Blvd. The cost is a $20 donation and $10 per extra hand. There will  be a 50-50 raffle, door prizes, and best and worst hand cash prizes.

The run has five stops:

• Helen Back, Crestview (9-11 a.m.)
• KC's Bar and Grille (12-1 p.m.)
• AMVETS (2-3 p.m.)
• American Legion (3-4 p.m.)
• Wingmen Clubhouse at 160 Cayson Ave (6 p.m. draw)

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Poker run to benefit American Cancer Society

CRESTVIEW — Two families attended a vigil on Sunday for their missing loved ones. One family’s beloved member has been missing for 32 years. The other family’s loved one has been missing for six months.

Linda Kay Carroll has been missing since Sept. 25, 1984. Her sisters, Donna Stephens and Cheryl Penrod, organized the vigil at the Livingston Center in Crestview. Their goal? To raise awareness about missing persons.

“People always said to me, ‘Maybe she ran away,’” Stephens said. “My response now is, ‘What if it was your daughter or family member?’ We hope to help other families so that they won’t be standing here 32 years from now.”

Marsha Ankeney, Linda Kay Carroll’s aunt, was 29 when Linda went missing in Crestview.

“She is five years younger than me, but we were very close,” Ankeney said. “She was fun-loving, loved her children and animals, and was always cheerful. We had a lot of fun together.” She said that Linda has three grandchildren now.

Penrod, of Milton, recently shared this history of Carroll's disappearance with the Santa Rosa Press Gazette:

• In 1984, Linda, 24 at the time, and her husband, Dennis Carroll, were separated. He took the children, Melissa and Jason, to Tennessee. Linda lived at the house they started to purchase. "She never had a license or a job … She had babies right out of high school,” Penrod said.
• Linda got a job at Showell Farms in DeFuniak Springs and had a regular ride to work. Weeks after she started working there, the man giving her a ride came to the house of Linda's mother, Irene Heller, to see if Linda was there because she wasn't at her home.
• An investigation began shortly thereafter and passed through police and then cold case investigators. Dennis was in the process of moving his mother from Mississippi to Tennessee, so Linda's remains or any evidence or witnesses could be anywhere between the three states, the sisters said.
• While Dennis was the prime suspect, Penrod said all evidence was circumstantial so police couldn't charge him. The only physical evidence was a clump of hair wedged into a door strike plate, but it wasn't enough.

Sunday, Ankeney expressed thanks on behalf of Linda’s family to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Department of Law Enforcement for their support and hard work on Linda’s cold case.

“We particularly want to thank OCSO Investigators Nolan Weeks and Anthony Kelly for their help in keeping Linda from becoming just another missing person," Ankeney said.

Chip Campbell, 36, has been missing since March 8. His sister, Donna Lowery, and cousins, Pam and Brittany Flores of Milton, attended the vigil. Campbell had recently been diagnosed with diabetic seizures.

“He has six siblings and is the baby of the family,” Pam Flores said. “He never married. He was last seen on a video taken at the Circle K on Stuart Street in Milton.”

Detective Deron Wilson of the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office is handling Chip’s case.

Brad Dennis, head of the KlaasKids Foundation's Pensacola chapter, was another speaker during the ceremony. In 1993, he ran the search in California for 12-year-old Polly Klaas, who was kidnapped and later murdered. Her father started the foundation in 1994 in honor of Polly. Its Pensacola chapter focuses on the Northwest corridor of Florida, but will help anywhere in the country.

As for Sunday’s ceremony, “Vigils are important,” Dennis said. “They bring the missing persons back in front of the media so they can get the information out to the public.”

“Two thousand people disappear every day and their families are left behind seeking answers,” he said. “If you have a loved one that is missing, you live in a state of limbo. Now is the time for the good people of Crestview to come forward to allow Linda Kay Carroll’s family to grieve. To Linda and Chip’s families, you are not alone.”

Campbell’s sister and cousins spoke to the crowd toward the end of the vigil.

“I can’t imagine standing here 32 years from now,” Pam Flores said. “Someone out there knows something.”

Santa Rosa Press Gazette Assistant Editor Aaron Little contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: ‘You are not alone’

CRESTVIEW — Act4Murder's performance of "Mayhem at the Monster Bash," a Halloween costume party murder mystery, is set for Oct. 22.

Seating starts at 6:30 p.m., with the dinner and show at 7 p.m. at Samuel's Roadhouse, 114 John King Road.

The general cost is $38 for the dinner, show, tax and tip. RSVP and see VIP packages online at www.act4murder.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Act4Murder dinner presentation set

Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Okaloosa and Walton counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.

Okaloosa County

U.S. 98 Bridge Maintenance- Eastbound outside, the right lane will be closed across the East Pass Bridge from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27 and Wednesday, Sept. 28 as crews perform bridge maintenance work.  Law enforcement will be on-site to assist with traffic control. 

Walton County

• Interstate 10 Resurfacing-  Intermittent and alternating lane closures between mile marker 66, west of the State Road (S.R.) 285 (Niceville/Exit 70) and mile marker 78, west of Boy Scout Road.  Lane restrictions will take place from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 25 through Friday, Sept. 30.
• Interstate 10 Maintenance- The westbound inside, left lane near mile marker 80, five miles west of U.S. 331 (DeFuniak Springs/Exit 85), will be closed Monday, Sept. 26 through Friday, Sept. Sept 30 as crews repair damaged guardrail.
• S.R. 83 (U.S. 331)- Intermittent lane restrictions north and southbound between Orange Avenue and north of Interstate 10 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Fridays until Friday, Sept. 30 as crews perform video inspections of drainage pipes.

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

CRESTVIEW — A Crestview resident has received an award for her art.

Okaloosa Public Arts presented Sharon James with an honorable mention for her piece "Yankee Doodle," which she entered in the Sept. 16 Okaloosa Public Arts juried show.

James' piece, along with many others, will be on display in the Okaloosa Administration Building in Shalimar for one year.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview artist wins award

CRESTVIEW — A Sept. 16 wreck resulted in minor injuries.

Alexander Parker, 23, of Eglin Air Force Base, and Kara Payne, 32, of Crestview, were driving northbound on State Road 123 around 6:30 a.m., according to a Florida Highway Patrol media release. Payne stopped for traffic ahead, and Parker, also stopping for traffic, reportedly couldn’t stop in time and hit Payne's vehicle.

Parker's vehicle veered left into the southbound lane, striking a third vehicle with driver Stephen Thrash, 49, and passenger Adrien Thrash, 6, both of Crestview, according to the release.

Parker; Payne and her passenger, Jesse Payne, 32, of Crestview; Stephen Thrash and Adrien Thrash received minor injuries. Parker and Stephen Thrash were the only two people transported to a hospital.

Damage to the 2005 Chevrolet Colorado that Parker was driving is estimated at $8,000; damage to the 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe Kara Payne was driving is estimated at $3,000; and damage to the 2007 Ford F250 Stephen Thrash was driving is $8,000.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 5 injured in State Road 123 accident

CRESTVIEW — Gordon Martial Arts has set these events for remainder of 2016:

• Promotions — 6:30-8 p.m. Sept. 30 at Crestview Community Center, 1446 Commerce Drive. This event is free for the public to attend.
• Tournament — 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 1, Davidson Middle School, 6261 Old Bethel Road, Crestview. This is the first of three GMA martial arts tournaments scheduled.

  "We host three tournaments a year and crown about 30 competitors with 'GCMAC Champion' at the May tournament,” GMA owner Thomas Gordon said. “Each tournament has 120-180 competitors and 300-550 in attendance. So for those three tournament dates, we have a pretty good impact on the city.”

• Testing — 3-8 p.m. Dec. 14 and 15, GMA, 130 Oakdale Ave. W., Crestview

See www.gma.com for more information on GMA events.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Gordon Martial Arts sets year-end events

The 2016 Okaloosa Public Arts “Tribute to Music” Art Show winners are as follows:

• 1st Place: Elia Saxer, “Jazz Man Eubie”
• 2nd Place: Joe Harper, “Flamenco”
• 3rd Place: Autry Dye, “I Hear the Music”

Honorable mentions include:

• Sue Tarkin, “Broken Heart Strings”; Thalia Newton, “Grand Music”
• Toni Dineen, “Louis Armstrong — It’s a Wonderful World”
• Sharon James, “Yankee Doodle”; Theresia McInnis, “Dock Bullie Blues”
• Anne Forester, “Rollin’ on the River”

Suzanne Robbert of Pensacola judged the show, according to Okaloosa Public Arts.

These artists’ work was juried into the show; the works are currently on display at the Okaloosa County Administration Building in Shalimar through September 2017:

Linda Kernick, Colby Detwiler, Rita Benz, Helen Blair, Joe Harper, Anne Johnston, Pat Roberts, Joan Langham, Thalia Newton, Theresia McInnis, Bernadette Simms, Kimberly Heartsong, Patti Gillespie, Wally Ratcliffe, Sharon James, Theresia Barker, Ann Forester, Elia Saxer, Autry Dye, Sue Tarkin, Sandra Harrison, Toni Dineen and Tappi Schilling.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Saxer, Harper and Dye place in art show

As summer changes to fall, plants in our landscapes change too. Shorter day length and cooler weather bring on changes in our shrubs, trees and lawns.

Azaleas may lose a few leaves now. These are the older leaves on branches near the center of the plant. There is no need for alarm by the loss of a few older azalea leaves from now until spring.

However, if younger leaves, those nearest the tip of the shoot, turn yellow or brown there is cause for concern. Poor drainage, lack of water or alkaline soils may cause this.

Other plants such as gardenias, hollies, camellias and cherry laurel may have yellowing leaves now. But as with azaleas, these are the older leaves on the stem near the center of the plant. Mature leaves will drop from the plant from now until spring. This is the normal aging of older leaves. Be careful to not confuse this normal process with spider mites, scale, lace bugs, nutrient deficiencies, poor growing conditions, salt injury, etc. Just keep in mind that this normal change in leaf color and leaf drop occurs on older leaves during cooler weather – it’s a seasonal change.

Leaves of sycamore trees have changed from green to brown by now. Although sycamore is a deciduous tree, this phenomenon is not caused by a change in day length or temperature and is not considered a true seasonal change. It is the result of insects feeding on the leaves. By the time the damage is visible, there is little that can be done to correct the problem, which is caused by the sycamore lace bug. This problem will take care of itself since sycamore trees will soon be dropping their leaves.

Our lawns also experience some seasonal changes. Growth rate of lawn grasses decreases during fall. This slowdown means less mowing is required and it means that lawns will be less attractive than they were during spring and summer. Weak, thinning and damaged areas of the lawn will show little to no improvement during this time because of this slowdown in growth.

Bermudagrass, zoysiagrass and centipedegrass will turn brown with the arrival of the first frost. Expect some St. Augustinegrass blades to turn reddish purple as a result of cool temperatures and light frost. With freezing temperatures, St. Augustinegrass will turn brown in unprotected areas.

Larry Williams is an agent at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension office in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Autumn creates changes in our landscapes