CRESTVIEW — While Crestview High School’s Bulldogs and Baker School’s Gators aren’t in the same town, they are each other’s closest neighbors, with just 11 miles and the Yellow River separating them.

In fact, both stadiums are practically on the exact same latitude.

However, they don’t play in a rival game watched by Okaloosa County’s entire north end; neither school pranks on each other’s home field or has pep rallies with creative disparaging remarks about the other’s mascot.

Baker and Crestview are on opposite ends of the FHSAA spectrum.

Crestview, with a school population nearly quadruple that of Baker’s, has a much deeper program — so deep that the Bulldogs can field a freshman team.

Baker is a K through 12 school, with middle school players conditioned for the Gator Junior Varsity when they reach ninth grade.

Baker and Crestview are two different fish that play in two different ponds. Therein lies the rub. The Bulldogs are trying to improve on a 5-5 record from the 2015 season, something Coach Tim Hatten isn’t used to.

“It’s mediocrity, and that’s what we’re trying to battle,” he said. “We want to make sure that we’re better than that.”

With a group of seniors who started under Hatten their freshman year, the Bulldogs’ coach is optimistic about improvement. “We’re excited about the opportunities that we have,” he said.

West of the Yellow River, the Gators have been chomping away at their district competition, winning three consecutive district titles and going all the way to the Class 1A state semi-finals last season.

“Our goals haven’t lessened,” says Baker coach Matt Brunson, who wants to take his team to Orlando for a state title.

Baker faces Jay and Northview in its district, whose challenges include a two-hour bus ride in either direction. Baker also takes on bigger teams, holding its own last year in a loss against a tough Walton Braves team that eventually went undefeated in its regular season.

In Crestview’s district, the bus rides are much shorter, but the fish are much bigger — as big as they get — on the other side of Eglin Reservation. That’s the reality of being in Class 6A.

The Bulldogs want to land the big three to the south — Choctaw, Fort Walton Beach and Niceville — while the Gators are biting down on what they have, their district title, and are hungry for more: namely, taking state.

This season will have two compelling stories to watch unfold.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview & Baker: different classes, different destinies

CRESTVIEW — Trey Duncan moved his family to Crestview in the early 2000s to be close to his parents. While the Duncans embraced their new community, one thing jumped out at them.

“Nobody knows how to use their blinkers,” Duncan said, laughing. “Nobody!”

Turn signal use — or perhaps, the lack of it — is something residents may take for granted. No particular group is more guilty than another when it comes to not signaling, Duncan said.

“It’s kind of Crestview’s great social unifier,” he said. “Moms, dads, grandmas, black, white, student drivers: nobody uses them.”

Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Larry Ward, commander of the agency’s Crestview office, agreed.

“Every person driving a car — and I find myself sometimes being guilty of it — sometimes forgets to use them,” he said.

However, turn signal violations aren’t a reason to pull a motorist over, Ward said.

“It’s more of an annoyance than anything else,” he said. “It’s not something we issue citations for. If we wrote citations, we’d spend all day on a 12-hour shift stopping cars for not using them.”

So when should drivers use turn signals? Here are five main uses and procedures specified in the “Florida Driver’s License Handbook”:

●“You must use hand signals or directional signals to show you are about to turn.”

●“Turn signals are required by law when changing lanes.”

●“Turn signals are required by law when overtaking (passing) a vehicle.”

●“Give a turn signal for at least the last 100 feet before you make your turn …. Be sure that the drivers around you have time to see your signal before you move.”

●When making a turnabout, or “three-point turn,” “move as far right as possible, check traffic and signal a left turn.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview's turn signal problem (PHOTOS)

LAUREL HILL — Trecia and Robert Chedister have many nice things to say about their neighbor, Don Bland.

The Chedisters, who live in woods outside Laurel Hill, met Bland, 47, a U.S. Air Force Reserve major, when they moved next door to him in May of 2006.

In addition to describing him as the "best neighbor in the world,"  "awesome," and "lucky to have him," they can now add the word "lifesaver."

Bland's quick thinking and actions saved Robert Chedister's life on Aug. 11, when about 15 minutes of yard work led to near tragedy.

‘STUNG THREE TIMES IN FIVE SECONDS’

Robert Chedister and Bland were going to use Bland's tractor to move concrete construction gravel to a driveway for the Chedisters' portable garage.

"I had come home from work and I was there by myself with my four dogs, and I went over to see if he was ready," Chedister said.

They began to place boards at the bottom of the driveway so the gravel wouldn't wash out.

That's when trouble started.

"We disturbed a yellow jacket nest (in the ground) and were swarmed by them," Robert Chedister, 66, a retired U.S. Air Force major general, said. "I got stung three times in five seconds."

"They missed me by inches," Bland said. "I was standing right there and was able to move away in time."

While yellow jacket stings are a painful annoyance to some, in Chedister's case, they were life-threatening.

While he's not officially allergic to insect stings, Chedister said, "About a week and a half before this, I was cleaning our garden and got bit about 15 times by fire ants. I didn't think anything about it."

He said he thinks the combination of fire ant bites that previous week, plus the yellow jacket stings, caused the medical emergency.

A 12-WEEK SCARE

"I have a 10-year history of being ill after bug bites and stings, and spent time in an Atlanta hospital getting 12 weeks of treatment in 2006," Chedister said.

Ten years ago, he had been showing dinner guests around when two fire ants bit him on his left foot.

"Immediately my arm started itching and I told my wife, 'I have to get some Benadryl.' He told her he didn't feel right, and he was going to lie down.

Instead of lying down, he fainted and hit his head. That led to complications including brain injury, a coma, and being clinically dead at least four times, he said.

His wife spent over 12 weeks advocating for his life and continual medical care, making doctors send him to the Shepherd Center for brain and spinal cord injury in Atlanta.

During that hospital stay, doctors exposed him to fire ants — he'd been bitten by two that day — to verify an allergy diagnosis.

Next, "they loaded me up with EpiPens," Chedister said, referring to a device that injects adrenaline. The couple keep some in the house, and Chedister’s coworkers at Bevilacqua Research Corporation in Niceville “have one at every desk.”

While he was in the hospital, Bland "looked after our house for that whole three months," Robert Chedister said. That included mowing their lawn and taking care of other tasks.

"I just made sure everything was secure," Bland said of that time.

After the yellow jackets stung Chedister Wednesday,  he said his neighbor once again came to the rescue.

THANKING HIS LUCKY STARS

After the bee stings, Bland asked Chedister to go indoors and take some Benadryl, "and he said we should just sit down and relax for awhile," Chedister said.

Bland said he'd been around when Chedister had issues, and it was better to discontinue the driveway work in case anything else happened.

"I would say within 10 minutes after (the stings), he started having symptoms, and about 20 minutes later it got more severe and I started looking for the epis," Bland said.

"Don asked for my blood pressure cuff. He could not find it, but he found my EpiPens,” Chedister said. “When he came back to the front room, I tried to move to the bathroom and fell into a chair. A few minutes later I awoke with Don having hit me with an EpiPen and he had called (an) ambulance.

"Two ambulances showed up, and with Don's help they moved me 18 miles down to the Crestview hospital.

"After two hours of testing and Don explaining everything he had done, the doctors told me to go home and thank my (lucky) stars I had a neighbor who knew what to do in an emergency," Chedister said.

‘HE SAVED MY LIFE’

Bland had a plan, and that made all the difference, Chedister said.

"Don knew to get me to take some Benadryl," Chedister stated in a letter to the News Bulletin. "He knew to get me to sit down and rest. He knew what to do with the EpiPen, when it was the only thing that got my heart and lungs started again — when I went into anaphylactic shock.

“In short, he saved my life on 11 Aug 2016.”

Preparedness is the best thing a person can do during crises, Bland said Thursday.

"Basically, all I tried to do was manage the symptoms as they were happening,” Bland said. “When he crashed, which is how I refer to it, he started having a severe breathing difficulty almost immediately.

"The only thing I'd like to say is that you really have to be ready. Situations can evolve into a crisis without warning, and being prepared for the crisis — that's what you have to pay attention to.”

Chedister said Bland also contacted his wife, who was in Arkansas at the time, and his sister, a Valparaiso resident, to let them know what had happened.

For his part, Robert Chedister would like to do the same.

"There are many things our great military folks do every day to keep this country free,” he said.

“I feel like this story may help you recognize one of our heroes for just saving his neighbor's life.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill man saves neighbor's life after bee attack

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Waste Pro USA Inc. are teaming up to help reduce human-bear conflicts in northwest Florida.

Representatives from the two agencies met this week in Tallahassee to sign a Memorandum of Understanding that will solidify this partnership.

The agreement establishes a partnership between the waste service company and the FWC to make it easier for residents to secure their trash from bears.

“With the signing of this agreement, Waste Pro is stepping up and acknowledging the important role of providing the necessary equipment to help conserve bears and keep their customers safe,” said FWC Commission Chairman Brian Yablonski.

“Waste Pro’s leadership in northwest Florida will serve as an example for other service providers throughout the state. We hope that more waste management companies will follow their lead.”

Black bears are attracted to unsecured trash found at Florida residences and businesses.

By properly securing trash, communities can reduce human-bear conflicts, including the risk of serious injuries to people. This partnership will help ensure that bear-resistant garbage containers are more widely available to residents and businesses in northwest Florida, according to an FWC media release.

Waste Pro provides solid waste and recycling services to the Crestview area, along with more than 30 municipalities in northwest Florida, including Leon and Calhoun counties.

“We are proud to partner with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission,” said Waste Pro of Tallahassee Division Manager, Loyd Childree. “Safety and customized service programs are the hallmarks of our operations, and we are excited to continue providing solutions to the needs of our northwest Florida customers.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Waste Pro, FWC team up to reduce human-bear conflicts

DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, Florida — A four-person scramble golf tournament to benefit the Crestview Lady Bulldogs volleyball team is scheduled.

The tournament starts at 8 a.m. Aug. 27 at Blackstone Golf Course, 108 Blackstone Ln, DeFuniak Springs. The shotgun start is at 9 a.m.

Raffle prizes, an auction and awards — including longest drive and closest to pin — will be presented. 

Registration costs $55 per person ($45 for students), and $210 for four-person team ($180 for students). It includes a cart and lunch.

To register, contact Coach Ligia Willis or Assistant Coach Matt Potts, crestviewvolleyball@gmail.com or 360-550-5277.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview High golf benefit registration ends soon

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — The Department of Veterans Affairs Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System has scheduled a town hall for veterans who receive VA health care services.

Veterans receiving care from any GCVHCS facilities (Biloxi, Mississippi; Mobile, Alabama, Pensacola, Eglin, and Panama City, Florida) are welcome to attend this open forum.

The forum is 5 p.m. Aug. 30 in the clinic's lobby, 100 Veterans Way, Eglin AFB.

VA’s goal is to ensure veterans, their families, and beneficiaries have the opportunity to be heard and have their health care concerns addressed by senior GCVHCS officials and/or subject-matter experts.

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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Eglin Veterans Affairs town hall set

CRESTVIEW — Citing the need to continue to invest in the long-term reliability of Northwest Florida’s energy infrastructure, Gulf Power has notified the Florida Public Service Commission that it may seek approval later this year for a price increase that would begin summer 2017.

“Securing our customers’ energy future requires a balanced energy mix that includes renewables and 24-7 energy sources like natural gas and low-cost coal that’s cleaner than ever,” said Stan Connally, Gulf Power chairman, president and CEO. “Energy security also includes reliability — since 2010, Gulf Power has improved its reliability by 40 percent and we must continue that trend of improvement.”

Gulf Power last requested an increase in 2013. In 2012, Gulf Power customers saw the largest price decrease in Gulf Power’s history, a decrease of nearly $10 per month for the typical customer. In January 2016, customers received a decrease that lowered the bill $3.71 per month.

“As we continue to secure future energy needs for our customers, we have to make sure our systems are resilient so that we can continue to deliver safe, clean and reliable energy and continue to meet the energy needs of our customers today, tomorrow and into the future,” Connally said. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Gulf Power rate increases possible

CRESTVIEW — It’s a hot summer in the Common Ground Community Garden, but thanks to an Okaloosa County commissioner, a caterer and a California manufacturer of shade sails, there’s a place in the garden to duck out of the sun.

The project started with a fall 2014 celebrity chef fundraiser dinner sponsored by Commissioner Nathan and Crystal Boyles, community garden founder Dr. Cathy Ward said.

The event, held at the family’s home west of Baker, featured cooking demonstrations by A Grand Elegance owner and chef Mary Richard.

While the fundraiser brought in enough to hoist two sails in the Main Street garden, the third came through a grant from the equipment’s San Marcos, California, manufacturer.

“The third shade sail was donated by Shazeebo’s ‘Stay in the Shade’ program, which selects one community non-profit nationally each   month for a free shade sail and hardware,” Ward said. 

“They were so pleasant to deal with,” she said. “When I saw about their program, I called them and they said, ‘Yeah, we can do this.’ Here we are in little Crestview and they did it for us. We are just so thankful for them.”

To help the community gardeners mount their new shade sails, Richard Eldridge of We Can Shade It in Fort Walton Beach drew up a set of technical plans.

This spring, team leader John Bouton and his able assistants Tray Shuford, Bob Benson and Joe Phelps felt like sailors as they hoisted masts into place and hauled lines to raise the sails.

“It’s made a huge difference to the people who work in the garden because they can finally get out of the sun,” Ward said.

And, as an added benefit, “The sails almost look like art!” she said.

Common Ground Community Garden welcomes new gardeners. Plots cost $50 per year. Financial assistance is available. Visit www.crestviewcommunitygarden.org for an application and information, or call Dr. Cathy Ward, 758-8481.

The community garden’s farmers’ market is every third Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 157 S. Main St. Produce and craft vendors and entertainers are welcome. There is no charge for vendor space.

WANT TO GARDEN?

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview community garden in the shade after fundraiser

PENSACOLA — NAS Pensacola Fleet and Family Support Center, with the National Naval Aviation Museum, will conduct the Bells Across America for Fallen Service Members ceremony.

The event — 11 a.m. Sept. 22 at the aviation museum — is a national program that celebrates the lives of fallen service members. The ceremony, conducted simultaneously across the nation, features the names of fallen heroes read aloud. For each name, a bell is struck one time. 

Guest speaker and filmmaker Jill Hubbs recently produced the documentary, “They Were Our Fathers,” in which she shares experiences of those whose dads died in Vietnam as well as her personal experience of losing her father. 

The Navy Gold Star Program serves families of all who died on active duty, regardless of branch of service or cause of death. The program serves survivors by providing support, information and services as long as they desire.

FFSC asks all Gold Star survivors to participate in the event and is actively soliciting names of those in the local area whose survivors wish them to be recognized during the ceremony. 

Anyone whose family member died while on active duty can contact Kathy Sims, 452-4277 or Kathy.sims@navy.mil. Provide the name, rank and date of death of the decedent and the Gold Star family relationship.

A photograph will also be requested, to be respectfully displayed during the event.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Gold Star survivors sought for memorial