CRESTVIEW — City building officials are evaluating Starbucks after a truck hit a door at the South Ferdon Boulevard location. 

Crestview Code Enforcement Board supervisor Teresa Gaillard said a building inspector and the Crestview Fire Department are determining what's required to repair the damage. 

Code Enforcement was at the scene today to photograph the building at the inspector's and CFD's request.

Crestview Fire and Police Department and Starbucks representatives are not currently available for comment on possible charges and on-site injuries.

This story is developing. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Truck hits Crestview Starbucks

MILTON — National Estuary Week is Sept. 17-24. To celebrate the week, attorney Dan Stewart and the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences will present a demonstration rain garden.

The event is 5:30-6:30 pm. Sept. 21 at 6708 Beaudry Lane in Milton. Families are welcome to visit and learn about rain gardens, local estuaries and how to help protect these resources.

 "I believe we can all do a part in protecting estuaries. Anyone can choose how they can help protect and clean local estuaries," Stewart said.

"It is as simple as placing an oyster shell in the water or a plant in the ground."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Learn about rain gardens Sept. 21

1. SATISFY YOUR NEED FOR SPEED. Watch the Six Shooter No. 6 championship racing series. Gates open at 4 p.m., hot laps are at 7:30 p.m., and racing is 8:30 p.m. to midnight Sept. 17 at 7186 U.S. Highway 189 in Baker. General admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children, and free for children 5 and younger. Pit admission costs $25 for adults, $10 for children ages 6-11, and free for younger children. Car entries are $10; special races may have a higher entry fee posted at the site. See http://nwflspeedway.com/ or call 665-4755 for more information.

2. GET A 'BIKER'S BLAST FOR THE PAST' at a poker run benefiting Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida. Participants will visit participating motorcycle shops, restaurants and bars, choosing from two routes. Four-wheel vehicles are welcome, too. Registration is 9 a.m. Sept. 17 at the museum, 115 Westview Ave., Valparaiso. The first bike goes out at 10 a.m., and the last bike comes in for the poker run party at ClubLA in Destin from 3-5 p.m. Party attendance is free. Cost is $10 per poker hand and participant. All participants have a chance to win door prizes and are eligible to win a spot at the final poker table. There, they could win grand prizes including a one-year gym membership, weekend getaways, tattoos, massages and much more. There is also a photo contest.

3. GEAR UP FOR GREATNESS AT THE GRILL. The Fort Walton Beach BBQ Festival continues 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Landing, 139 Brooks St. S.E. Food vendors, live music and family fun are part of the festivities. Attendance is free; purchase Beer Olympics tickets for Saturday competition at http://bit.ly/2cR906C.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 3 things to do this week in Northwest Florida

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE — Northwest Florida residents will commemorate America’s prisoners of war and service members still missing in action with a ceremony.

The National POW/MIA Day ceremony is 9 a.m. Sept. 16 at the Air Force Armament Museum, 100 Museum Drive, outside the main gate of Eglin Air Force Base on Highway 85 and State Road 189.

Retired U.S. Army Col. John E. Bircher III, Purple Heart recipient, and Chris Morgan, former World War II prisoner of war, will be guest speakers. The event will also feature a rifle volley and a flyover.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Eglin sets National POW/MIA Day ceremony

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE — The Eglin Spouses’ Club has scheduled its inaugural Football Bunco game.

The event is 6:30 p.m. Sept. 21 at the Warrior Landing Community Center on Eglin Air Force Base. Admission is $7 and includes tailgate appetizers and prizes.

"Bunco is a fun game that is sure to make you squeal with glee as you roll a 'bunco' and sigh when you roll 'snake eyes,’” an event media release states. “Don’t know what that means? Then you need to put on your favorite team jersey, come join us, play and find out what all the excitement is about."

Eglin Spouses’ Club membership is open to military spouses from all branches of service on active duty; widowed spouses; spouses of retired armed forces members; spouses of part-time Guard and Reserve members; and spouses of active or retired Civil Service employees. Membership is $10 for the year and can be paid the night of the event.

See the group's Facebook page or email eglinspousesclub@gmail.com for details. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Eglin Spouses Club schedules Football Bunco

CRESTVIEW — While many locals used Labor Day weekend to relax, tend their yards or cook out with family and friends, Mary Valdez went for a run.

A 100-mile run, which she did in slightly over 25 hours, beating everybody else except for three men and trimming almost four hours off her previous time.

The third annual Wildcat 100 Ultramarathon at the Escambia County Equestrian Center in Pensacola started Sept. 3, with 17 finishers out of 49 who began the race completing the run over the next two days.

“It’s hard to believe she ran 100 miles in just over 25 hours,” her boss, Gordon Martial Arts owner Tom Gordon, said. “The next female came in over eight hours later. So Mary didn’t just win, she dominated!”

“She did quite a number there,” race director Ben Pangie said.

REST TIME

Pangie said some of the runners who originally planned to complete the 100 miles “dropped down” during the race and placed in the weekend’s 100- or 50-kilometer races.

Some runners took time to rest during the race, which involved 40 laps around the 5-kilometer, or 2.5-mile, course. But not Valdez.

“You’re allowed 40 hours to do it,” she said. “You could rest if you wanted to, but that would reflect on your time.”

Valdez said she started running more than six years ago.

“I ran my first marathon in March 2010 and I hated it,” she said. “I said I never wanted to do that again. But that didn’t last very long.”

When not running marathons, Valdez is a probationary hapkido black belt, anticipating receiving the belt in December. She trains at Gordon Martial Arts, where she also serves as a receptionist.

FITNESS FIRST

Running and martial arts are part of Valdez's physical fitness regimen, which she plans to share with kids. She currently studies elementary education at Northwest Florida State College, aiming for a fall 2018 graduation.

“I plan to get my physical education certificate so I can teach PE,” she said.

Next, Valdez has her sights set on the January 2017 Bear Bait Ultra in Milton. Last year she finished that 50-mile race in nine hours, 59 minutes, coming in fourth overall and first in the women’s division.

For new runners interested in marathons, Valdez offered advice based on her personal experience.

“Stick with it, it gets easier,” she said. “A lot of time people think, ‘I just can’t run.’ Start slowly. You can do it.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview runner ‘dominated’ 100-mile run

CRESTVIEW — While widening State Road 85 between Shoal River and Walmart is unlikely for decades to come, a new Florida Department of Transportation study offers ideas for alleviating some of the stretch’s notorious congestion at minimal expense.

Now, balancing budgets and time, state and county officials say the possibilities to a seemingly hopeless problem aren't so futile after all. 

“It doesn’t make anything bigger,” Okaloosa County Commissioner Nathan Boyles said, referring to the study's effect and potential improvements. “It says, ‘what do we have and can we use it more efficiently?’”

Like just extending the turn lane from southbound S.R. 85 to John King Road in 2013, which alleviated some backups into the left lane—called “spillback” in traffic engineering jargon—some of the ideas are simple.

But unlike major road construction projects, which can take decades, recommendations will begin almost immediately, FDOT public information specialist Donna Green said.

‘A COOL STUDY’

“It’s a cool study,” Boyles said. “Many of the solutions are very pragmatic and inexpensive. If you stack them all together it can make a significant impact.”

For instance, FDOT officials' recommendations include:

Live Oak Church Road/Antioch Road: reconstruct the northbound and southbound S.R. 85 left turn lanes;  extend the northbound left turn lane by 300 feet to 485 feet to prevent spillback into northbound S.R. 85

P.J. Adams Parkway: FDOT notes heavy morning traffic from P.J. Adams’ two right-turn lanes onto S.R. 85, but makes no recommendations for improvements at the intersection.

John King Road: This is one of FDOT's major problem intersections, with four improvements recommended:

●Reconstruct the southbound S.R. 85 turn lane to provide two left-turn lanes onto John King and implement a protected-only turn signal.

●Work with Okaloosa County to construct dual receiving lanes on John King.

●Separate east and westbound John King lanes by concrete barriers to better control access at the south Tom Thumb driveway.

●Extend the westbound John King turn lane to 300 feet.

Cracker Barrel Road: FDOT officials note the intersection has no turn signal because it “does not meet the traffic signal spacing requirements” of Florida code and an analysis “indicates that the signalization of this location would create gridlock condition.”

FDOT officials instead recommend four corrections:

1. Construct a directional median at the intersection that will prohibit Cracker Barrel Road traffic from turning north onto S.R. 85 and Southcrest Drive traffic coming from Wendy’s and two hotels behind it from turning south onto S.R. 85.

2. Construct a northbound S.R. 85 turn lane 400 feet north of Cracker Barrel Road.

3. “Channelize” the southbound S.R. 85 turn lane serving Cracker Barrel Road to keep motorists from using it as a thru-lane to businesses south of the intersection.

4. Create an alternate access from Southcrest Drive onto John King Road.

Interstate 10 eastbound ramp: FDOT officials offer no recommendations for this intersection.

Interstate 10 westbound ramp: Though peak afternoon traffic occasionally spills into the left S.R. 85 northbound travel lane, the report states the primary cause is a large vehicle, such as a tractor-trailer, being unable to fit into the turn lane when it’s crowded. The report stated the combination “permissive” and protected left turn onto the westbound I-10 ramp works well. The intersection’s loss-of-service rating is a B, so the report made no recommendations for changes.

Mirage Avenue (Walmart access road): State officials recommend the city restripe the westbound approach to S.R. 85 from Walmart to allow a dedicated left turn lane, a thru lane and the dedicated right turn lane. Currently thru traffic crossing S.R. 85 and right turn traffic share the same lane.

STARTING SOON

As a final recommendation, FDOT officials say “implementation of an adaptive signal system” in the two-mile stretch, in which traffic signals adapt according to traffic volume.

What does this all mean? Boyles said the answer is something Crestview residents have wanted for decades. 

“The study provides improved traffic flow between Walmart and the Shoal River Bridge,” Boyles said. “It focuses on small-expense improvements.”

However, the time table could be concerning. 

Green said the Antioch and Live Oak Church Roads intersection will be the first to receive attention.

Still, it's a long way off. 

“The design for John King and Southcrest will be done sometime around fiscal year 2018,” she said. Those projects will be closely followed by right-of-way acquisition and actual construction by 2020 or 2021.

In the meantime, Boyles said Crestview residents can look forward to not-so-apparent changes. 

“There's a lot happening right now behind the scenes on the notion of a western bypass around Crestview,” Boyles said. “We're actively in the design phase and we're actively in the property acquisition phase from (State Road) 85 to I-10.”

He said residents may not realize it, but it's already happening. 

“This is one of those things where there's a lot happening but nobody sees it because there's no asphalt going down yet,” Boyles said.

Live Oak Church Road/Antioch Road:

Vehicles per day: 38,241

Crashes in 2012-14: 32

Crashes with property damage: 14

Crashes with injuries: 16

Crashes with fatalities: 1*

*Fatality was a motorcyclist with narcotics in his system who ran a red light

P.J. ADAMS PARKWAY:

Vehicles per day: 44,342

Crashes in 2012-14: 53

Crashes with property damage: 47

Crashes with injuries: 6

Crashes with fatalities: 0

John King Road:

Vehicles per day: 38,529

Crashes in 2012-14: 55

Crashes with property damage: 46

Crashes with injuries: 9

Crashes with fatalities: 0

Cracker Barrel Road/Southcrest Drive:

Vehicles per day: 48,309

Crashes in 2012-14: 58

Crashes with property damage: 47

Crashes with injuries: 11

Crashes with fatalities: 0

Interstate 10 eastbound ramp:

Vehicles per day: 50,844

Crashes in 2012-14: 51

Crashes with property damage: 41

Crashes with injuries: 10

Crashes with fatalities: 0

Interstate 10 westbound ramp:

Vehicles per day: 47,913

Crashes in 2012-14: 33

Crashes with property damage: 25

Crashes with injuries: 8

Crashes with fatalities: 0

Mirage Avenue (Walmart entrance):

Vehicles per day: 51,183

Crashes in 2012-14: 50

Crashes with property damage: 39

Crashes with injuries: 11

Crashes with fatalities: 0

—

PROBLEM AREAS

A new Florida Department of Transportation study of a two-mile stretch of State Road 85 from Live Oak Church Road to Mirage Avenue, which includes six intersections controlled by traffic signals, noted these issues:

●46,000 vehicles travel the two-mile stretch per day

●The stretch’s level of service is rated F

●In the last three years, 316 collisions were reported

●70 of the collisions resulted in an injury requiring transportation to a hospital

●The crashes at each of the intersections was greater than the average of similar roads in the district

● John King Road and Cracker Barrel Road are two of the biggest problem intersections.

INTERSECTIONS BY THE NUMBERS

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Easy fixes eyed for some S.R. 85 issues

GULF BREEZE — International Coastal Cleanup is among Gulf Islands National Seashore’s September ranger programs.

The cleanup — 8-11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 17 — helps keep Gulf Islands National Seashore’s beaches and waterways clean and healthy. Email guis_information@nps.gov for more information or to sign up to volunteer. Attendees can meet at the Battery Langdon Pavilion.

Other events include:

• Bird walk: 8-10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24,; meet at the Battery Worth Picnic Area in the Fort Pickens Area of the park.
• National Public Lands Day: 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 24,; meet at the Battery Worth Picnic Area. Volunteers can help remove invasive plant species that threaten native plants and animals along the Florida National Scenic Trail. Work will be performed on packed gravel trails. For more information or to sign up to volunteer, email guis_information@nps.gov.

Regular events are as follows:

• Legacy in Brick and Mortar: Saturdays and Sundays at 12:30 p.m.; meet at the entrance to Advanced Redoubt.
• Guardian of the Gulf: Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.; meet at the Fort Barrancas Visitor Center.
• Life on a Barrier Island: Saturdays and Sundays at 12:30 p.m.; meet at the Fort Pickens Museum
• Garrison for Freedom: Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.; meet at the entrance to Fort Pickens.
•  “Totally Turtles!” Saturdays and Sundays at 3:30 p.m.; meet at the Fort Pickens Museum
• Kayaking 101: Saturdays and Sundays; reservations are required; call 916-5670
• Underwater Snorkel Adventure: Fridays and Saturdays at 1 p.m.; meet outside park headquarters at Naval Live Oaks Area; program limited to  25 visitors. 
• There is an entrance fee to the Fort Pickens, Fort Barrancas and Perdido Key Areas. Contact the national seashore, 934-2600, for additional information.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Coastal cleanup leads ranger programs