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Two Crestview men arrested after domestic violence related incident

Written by Staff Reporters on . Posted in local, News.

Deputies arrested Delairius Leshaun Watts, 45, for allegedly grabbing a woman and trying to take her phone, according to the victims. Two family members, including an 80-year-old woman, tried to intervene and were attacked as well, according to deputies.

Deputies said Watts struck the first woman, which led a family member to intervene before Watts began to “slam” her into the furniture. The first woman’s mother, 80, told deputies he struck both women before striking her in the chest, causing her to fall to the floor.

Deputies recorded injuries on all three women consistent with their accounts of the incident.

Watts said the first woman held him down after an argument and the second woman struck him multiple times with a baseball bat and that he did not fight back. Deputies did not find injuries or marks consistent with his account.

Watts was charged with battery on a person 65 or older, as well as two counts of battery, including one domestic violence-related charge.

Deputies said Watts tried to escape but was located and is being held on $25,000 bail.

During a search of the home for Watts, deputies found Charles Tucker, 48, in possession of a short-barreled shotgun with a defaced serial number, ammunition, methamphetamine, cocaine and oxycodone after he allowed a search of his room. Deputies said Tucker was found to have 11 felony convictions.

Tucker

Tucker was charged with possession of a short-barreled gun and ammunition by a felon, removal of a serial number from a weapon and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. He is being held on $76,000 bail.

Crestview Community Redevelopment Agency approves $1.2 million budget

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City Manager Jessica Leavins presented the budget to the board and highlighted major projects within the budget, which were discussed at budget workshops over the summer.

The board consists of Director Barry Henderson, who has been on paid administrative leave since July, the five City Council members and occasional ad hoc members, such as District 3 County Commissioner Sherri Cox. It is tasked with the development and revitalization of downtown Crestview around Main Street, Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Twin Hills Park.

It was the CRA behind the yearlong revitalization project on Main Street, as well as last year’s improvements to Twin Hills Park. Thousands of dollars have been allocated to continue those improvements in 2027.

Included in the 2027 budget is $50,000 to continue resurfacing the walking track at Twin Hills Park and $150,000 for drain repairs in the park. It also allocates $50,000 for streetlights on Main Street, almost $82,000 for sidewalk construction and almost $315,000 in grants for awning repairs, which is part of a recurring program offered by the CRA.

Also included in the budget is a $90,000 allocation for dumpster enclosures along the business corridors of Main Street and Wilson Street, which Leavins said should improve both the look and the trash handling in the area.

Council Member Shannon Hayes moved to approve the budget, and Council Member Sylvester Echols seconded the motion.

The CRA’s plans, according to the Strategic Plan approved in 2020, include implementing improved wayfinding signage to Crestview’s historic district, developing green space and other public spaces to encourage community gathering, enhancing the State Road 85 bridge downtown and encouraging mixed-use development along Main Street.

Until then, Leavins encouraged residents to look out for events on Main Street, particularly those partnerships hosted by the recently opened Eglin Federal Credit Union Arts & Education Center, as well as Main Street Crestview Association events, like Oktoberfest.

Flock cameras are coming down in Crestview, Okaloosa County

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The city, in line with the policy of OCSO, made the decision in response to the state-wide order to remove all license plate readers (LPRs) from state rights-of-way.

The Florida Department of Transportation issued an order Aug. 31 revoking all permits to place LPRs along the “State Highway System.” The order requires that all LPRs be removed from state roads by the end of September.

The memo states that “the recent exponential increase in deployments [of LPR systems] along our roadways, coupled with concerning reports of misuse, data privacy concerns, and surveillance schemes merit immediate action to preserve Floridians’ sovereignty and quality of life.”

There are dozens of Flock cameras along State Road 85 and Highway 90, spanning from Auburn to Shoal River, though only ten are in the jurisdiction of the city. The remainder are operated by the county.

The language in the memo feasibly allows for the repositioning of cameras along city and county roads, but Leavins said that the city did not consider repositioning them, despite the company offering the option.

“The Sheriff’s Department made the announcement that they were going to mirror the state’s decision, and so we’d already made the decision to act in accordance—to make the decision consistent across the board,” Leavins said.

OCSO confirmed that county-operated cameras and their search functions have been deactivated since Sept. 1, as it was the most immediate action the agency could take in accordance with the FDOT memo. Because the cameras are the property of Flock Safety, OCSO is prohibited from removing or tampering with them or the attached solar panels.

The sheriff’s office also confirmed that Flock Safety began removing the cameras in mid-September and that OCSO will continue to follow up with their removal.

Major Brian McCallum with the Crestview Police Department said that there is no penalty for the city’s early termination of the contract with Flock Safety and that the department has notified the company that it would like the cameras removed.

The order to remove the cameras by the end of September, which notes that any remaining cameras would be removed by FDOT, only applies to those on state roads, and as of now, Leavins said the company has not provided a timeline for their removal.

Crestview man arrested for domestic violence, drug possession

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Chance Phillips was charged with violation of a protective order, a second or subsequent battery offense and possession of methamphetamine.

Deputies responded to a woman calling about Phillips, who had arrived at her residence with a gunshot wound in his leg following an altercation with his wife.

According to the report, Phillips arrived at his wife’s residence in violation of a protective order before an argument started, during which Phillips threw and held his wife on the floor. After getting out from under him, she grabbed a firearm and shot him in the leg while he wrestled for the weapon.

He left in his truck, arriving at the caller’s residence before being taken by ambulance to Fort Walton Destin Hospital for medical treatment. A K-9 search of his truck revealed a bag with 5 grams of methamphetamine.

Phillips’ pretrial bond of $12,500 was revoked.

Three things to look out for ahead of Crestview’s Sept. 28 council meeting

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  1. Final hearing on Crestview’s data center ban

Ordinance 2033, which would ban the development of large load centers from all land use categories in Crestview’s city limits, is up for its second reading, a public hearing and approval at Monday’s meeting.

The ordinance echoes concerns heard from residents in both Crestview City Council and Okaloosa County Commission meetings in past months about the ethics of data centers, the burden they may impose upon local electrical and water resources and community well-being.

It follows the Okaloosa County Commission affirming its decision to implement more permanent legislation governing the development of data centers in the county at its Sept. 15 meeting, voting down a 12-month moratorium backed by Commissioners Paul Mixon and Sherri Cox.

Although no data centers have been proposed in Crestview, Ordinance 2033 would prevent their future development within the city. It would not impact those proposed just outside the city.

  1. The consent agenda

The consent agenda, which bundles noncontroversial issues for collective approval, includes annual renewals of the library’s interlocal agreement and a mutual aid agreement between the Crestview Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The interlocal agreement allows the Crestview Public Library to share information and materials with other libraries in the county through the Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative. The agreement also allocates over $145,000 in funding to the library for operations, staff salaries and new materials.

The memorandum of agreement between CPD and the DEA underlines a partnership in which CPD has an officer who is also deputized by the DEA. According to Police Chief Stephen McCosker, the program has allocated over $75,000 in seized drug money to CPD’s drug enforcement operations.

  1. Mayor Whitten proclaims breast cancer awareness week

Mayor JB Whitten will approve a proclamation that the week of Oct. 11 will be “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Week” in Crestview, in recognition of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of the Emerald Coast.

The proclamation also encourages residents to wear pink and participate in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk on Oct. 17 at the Northwest Florida State College Niceville campus.

Crestview musician wins 2026 Artist of the Year at Grand Ole Opry

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The Josie Music Awards, which have been awarded in Nashville since 2015, recognize independent musicians across the world. It marks the second year in a row that Davis has been awarded the honor.

He also received the inaugural Honor & Harmony Award, which recognizes veteran musicians.

Davis enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1997 before returning to college and commissioning as an officer in the U.S. Army in 2006. He served as an infantry officer until a deployment to Sadr City, Iraq, left him with combat-related injuries and led him to medically retire in 2017.

Alongside his service in the armed forces, Davis said he’s always been a musician. He was born and raised in New Orleans, where he learned to play drums and guitar.

Inspired by the likes of Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings and the storytelling of Gordon Lightfoot, he said he channels the weight of his service and experiences into the deep, gritty sound of outlaw country music.

Outlaw country came about in the 1970s, pioneered by artists like Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and David Allan Coe, with a raw, rock ’n’ roll sound that rivaled the clean-cut sound of contemporary Nashville.

“My background growing up – I played heavy metal and hard rock and all that, so the transition was kind of natural,” he said. “I also like the fact that its more geared towards storytelling – just kind of speaking the truth that people need to hear and really just portraying life like it’s supposed to be.”

Davis has been a full-time singer-songwriter for the last four years, playing shows across the Gulf Coast. He was notified that he’d been nominated for six awards over the summer, and despite winning Outlaw Country Artist of the Year in 2025, he said he had only gone to Nashville expecting a fun trip with friends.

“It’s really phenomenal, like I’m still shocked and kind of processing everything,” he said. “You know, now I’m a two-time Josie Music Award winner.”

As of now, Davis said he plans to put his head down and get back into the studio, write new songs and continue performing in Crestview and beyond.

Okaloosa Lane project moves forward

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Okaloosa Lane is a collector road east of Twin Hills Park, connecting subdivisions along East Redstone Avenue to U.S. Highway 90. Traveling north on Okaloosa Lane as it stands requires drivers to turn left onto East Chestnut Avenue and perform a harsh, greater-than-90-degree right turn to continue north.

According to the report from Public Works Director Scott Bitterman, “the configuration is not ideal as it introduces a safety issue as well as multiple stops at intersections.”
Bitterman requested approval for a task order not to exceed $181,986 for HDR Engineering Inc., which is already under contract for surveying and design services for the project, to perform CEI services.

District 1 Commissioner Paul Mixon motioned to approve the task order with a comment, and District 3 Commissioner Sherri Cox seconded.

“This is primarily a residential area; however, we have had traffic fatalities there,” Mixon said. “It’s a very peculiar intersection, so thank you Commissioners for agreeing with this.”

At Mixon’s request for a timeline, Bitterman estimated that the department is aiming to have the project up for bid by the end of the year, but that the development is queued behind improvements on PJ Adams Parkway and John King Road.

The project, which has been in progress since 2023, aims to straighten the road and construct stormwater improvements. It is funded by a county infrastructure surtax allocation of $1.6 million, which was approved in January 2024.

Crestview council approves raise for Leavins

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The raise, which would be standard for general city employees, includes a 2 percent cost-of-living increase and a 4.5 percent merit bonus based on her reviews from staff and council members. She earned $175,000 in her first year as city manager.

Appointed officials, such as the city manager, do not have guidelines for raises and are typically not eligible for cost-of-living or merit-based increases, but her contract gives the council discretion regarding her salary. Mayor JB Whitten, though not voting on the raise, said that Leavins should be treated as any other city employee and recommended the 6.5 percent increase.

Leavins took up the role in August 2025, following Crestview’s first-ever city manager, Tim Bolduc, after serving both as deputy and interim city manager since January 2025 and in other city roles in the five years prior.

“We just changed city managers in the last year for the first time ever,” Mayor Pro Tem Doug Capps said of the transition. “It’s just been seamless; there were no bumps, no hiccups.”

She received an overall score of 2.81 out of 3, which correlates with “exceeds expectations” for typical city employee evaluations. She was evaluated based on the city of Crestview’s core values, receiving a 2.8 in adaptability and communication, 2.7 in knowledge, 2.9 in respect and 2.85 in teamwork.

“The thing that I really admire about your performance is you being proactive and always working for a solution, and finding those solutions,” Council Member Sylvester Echols said to Leavins at the meeting.

Leavins thanked the council, the city department heads and city staff for their support and said she looks forward to the upcoming year.

Council approves city utility and fee increases for 2027

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The Comprehensive Fee Schedule amendment, read by Strategic Initiatives Director Nick Schwendt, includes the annual, across-the-board 12 percent increase to water and sewer rates, as well as an increase in connection fees.

Included within the amendment is Ordinance 2034, which applies a 1.3 rate multiplier to 349 sewer-only customers served by the city. The increase, which is expected to add $171,000 to the general fund in 2027, is intended to fund upgrades to and maintenance of the city’s sewer services.

Also at the meeting, the council approved Ordinance 2019 on first reading, which amends the language in city code regarding taxes paid by city water customers. The ordinance would levy a 6 percent service tax on all water service customers within Crestview city limits.

Previously, customers within city limits who did not purchase water services from the city, namely Auburn Water Service customers, did not pay the city’s standard service tax. City Manager Jessica Leavins said the average affected customer can expect to pay an extra $2.50 per month as a result. The second reading and approval of Ordinance 2019 is scheduled for the next City Council meeting Sept. 28.

Also included in the amendment are increases in planning review fees for new subdivisions, rental rates for the Senior Center, Community Center and Warrior’s Hall, vendor fees for events and festivals and youth sports registration fees.

Schwendt explained that the amendment is a cautionary measure, partially to cover ever-rising costs and partially to hedge against the possible passage of Amendment 3 in the November election. Crestview, like local governments across the state, is looking to bolster the general fund against the property tax revenue it would lose should Florida voters pass Amendment 3 in November.

The increases go into effect Oct. 1, with the start of fiscal 2027 and the new city budget, which is scheduled to be approved at the City Council’s final budget hearing Sept. 21.

Eglin Federal Credit Union Arts and Education Center opens on Main Street

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Attendees watched, “Choose the View” fans in hand to beat the heat, as Mayor JB Whitten and EFCU’s senior vice president of membership and community development Neko Stubblefield welcomed them and introduced the Arts and Education Center.

A look inside reveals a large multipurpose room, which will host local nonprofit organizations, as well as auxiliary spaces for classes and activities.

Stubblefield hopes the Arts and Education Center will become a “hub of activity,” gesturing toward the children already enjoying the new space after the ribbon cutting. She said the space will have a stage for after-school theater productions and tutoring offered by Stage Crafters Community Theatre.

“I go back to this space being an opportunity for kids, and it’s unlike anything that we have in the tri-county area,” she said. “And the beautiful part of it is it’s going to be free.”

The classroom spaces will host STEM, arts and financial classes offered by the Emerald Coast Science Center, the Panhandle Rebels robotics group and Grow Your Gift Music School, among others in the future. Programming and registration will be available on the city’s website when the space is fully furnished and running.

City and Eglin Federal Credit Union officials cut the ribbon at the Arts and Education Center.

The space, formerly a flower shop, underwent a $170,000 renovation authorized by the Crestview City Council to repair structural issues and revitalize the interior. The process began last spring when the city sought to lease the building for an arts center.

Eglin Federal Credit Union stepped in to pay the first three years of the building’s lease on the city’s behalf, with Stubblefield describing the sponsorship as the next logical step in the company’s partnership with Crestview, following the Eglin Federal Credit Union Skate Park in 2021.

Mayor JB Whitten speaks ahead of the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The Arts and Education Center gives many nonprofits based in south Okaloosa County, especially Fort Walton Beach, a foothold in the north of the county, extending new opportunities to children in Crestview.

City Manager Jessica Leavins believes the Eglin Federal Credit Union Arts and Education Center will provide welcome activities for children and families in Crestview and welcomes ideas about how to use the space.

“Help us to bring more opportunities to these kids for things to do – let us know what your creative ideas are,” she said. “Right now, the space is kind of a blank canvas, so we’re looking to see what we can do next.”

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