CRESTVIEW — A local Boy Scout troop with a remarkable track record for graduating its members to scouting's highest rank has added another Eagle Scout to its roster.

Click here for photos from the ceremony>>

Tayler Vest of Troop 773, chartered to the Knights of Columbus, was promoted to Eagle Scout on Saturday at his Court of Honor.

"This is a time for pride and joy as well as an occasion for serious reflection," Boy Scouts District Executive Kelly Carrico said.

The ceremony included traditions such as the lighting of the Eagle Trail, a series of candles that were a visual reminder of the ranks through which Tayler progressed to attain Eagle.

Tayler's proud parents, Kellie and Joe Vest, pinned their son's Eagle badge on his uniform, and in return received small Eagle pins from Tayler.

Then, as directed by Troop 773 Scout Master Daniel Behr, Tayler, following troop tradition, hugged and kissed his mom. Parental support is a cornerstone of the troop's success, Behr said.

After Behr and Carrico removed Tayler's red troop neckerchief and replaced it with the blue-and-white Eagle neckerchief, Tayler extinguished all but his Eagle candle, kneeled, prayed for God's guidance and thanked all his supporters.

"It's been a long trail," Tayler said.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview troop adds another Eagle Scout to its ranks (PHOTOS)

CRESTVIEW — Carol Brown, a secretary at Laurel Hill School, has found the owner of several mementos mistakenly donated last year to the school.  

"I couldn't just throw them away," she said, referring to items including a scrapbook of family photos, report cards and a birth certificate.

After investigating the box’s contents, searching the Internet and receiving help from school staffers, Brown found a Crestview address and phone number for Leslie Atkinson, whom she believed owned the items. She drove to his last known address, asked neighbors about Atkinson, and received the phone number for Vicki, Atkinson's wife.

"I was puzzled when she first called, but as she explained further, I was then flabbergasted," Atkinson said. "… I am amazed that someone would go through the trouble of doing that.”

Atkinson, who moved to Tuttle, Okla., with his wife last October, said he was donating several boxes of National Geographic and Reader’s Digest magazines to the school's library last summer when he accidentally included the mementos.

"It may have been another year until I would have noticed that it was missing," he said. "I would never have guessed it would have been located at Laurel Hill School."

Brown said she was glad to finally reach the mementos’ owner.

"(I was) so happy to find Mr. Atkinson," she said in an email. "It was a great feeling to be able to talk to him."

Atkinson works for the civil service in Oklahoma City. Previously, he worked at Eglin Air Force Base for 10 years.

He and Brown are making arrangements for Brown to mail the box of belongings to Oklahoma.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown at 850-682-6524 or matthewb@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbMatthew.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill School staffer finds Okla. man, will return lost mementos

A beloved local activist known for her drive and candor has passed away.

Bobbye Sikes Wicke died in her sleep Aug. 4 at her daughter’s home in Bendersville, Pa. She was 85.

“She had a good long life,” said Bettie Lehr, a longtime friend. “She held up like a trooper until the very end.”

Sikes Wicke, the oldest child of the late Congressman Bob Sikes, was born in Crestview. After moving around the country she returned to Okaloosa County in the mid-1990s. From the moment she arrived until her health declined, Sikes Wicke was involved in the community

  Almost immediately she joined a number of local organizations, including the Okaloosa County Democrats and the Okaloosa Citizens Alliance.

“She was what you might call one of the kingpins, or in her case queenpins,” said Judy Byrne Riley, who got to know Sikes Wicke best while they worked together the year that the Florida Democratic Women’s Club held its convention in Okaloosa County

Anytime she tackled a task she’d see it through to the end, Byrne Riley said.

The proof of her determination can be found in the books she wrote, including her father’s biography, and newsletters she helped publish and distribute. It’s also evident to anyone who walks into the local Democratic headquarters.

No less than five photos on the wall show Sikes Wicke.

“She was available almost anytime,” Lehr said. “She did everything from parades to the fair.”

Although a positive person by nature, Sikes Wicke never shied from the truth or from expressing her view.

“Classic Bobbye would be speaking her mind and telling you,   whether you wanted to hear it or not,” Lehr said with a laugh.

Politics wasn’t her only love. She raised five children while trying her hand at several careers, from starting a medical publishing business to running a horse farm in Pennsylvania to selling real estate.

She remained in Okaloosa County until last year when she decided to move to Pennsylvania so her daughter could help take care of her.

Rather than hold any sort of local ceremony, Sikes Wicke asked people to make a donation to the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in honor of her dog, Bella, whom she adopted there several years ago.

Lehr last talked to Sikes Wicke about two weeks ago. She said that while her friend was “ready to go,” her death will be felt keenly by many.

“We loved her dearly,” she said.

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Katie Tammen at 850-315-4440 or ktammen@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KatieTnwfdn.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview native, Okaloosa activist Bobbye Sikes Wicke dies

CRESTVIEW — Attendees of the Crestview Public Library’s First Tuesday series now know more about amateur radio.

 The North Okaloosa Amateur Radio Club, or NOARC, explained how someone can get started as a so-called ham operator.

 Ron Mahn, a training expert with the club, hosted the event.

Watch children communicate on amateur radio for the first time >>

"My hobby is amateur radio," he said. "I love the opportunity to talk to people around the world."

 Attendees had the opportunity to use the ham technology, which was one reason Andrew Moore, 12, showed up.

 "I wanted to come out here and listen to and talk into the radio," he said.

 Moore was one of three children who communicated with a Fort Myers-based operator.

"At first I was a little nervous about talking to other people from around the world, but then I (realized) that there was nothing to be worried about," he said.

  Later, attendees went outside the library, where club members made contact via satellite with a radio operator in Cleveland, Ohio.

Ham operators must pass a test to be a licensed amateur radio operator, Mahn said, adding that NOARC serves our area numerous ways, particularly as a backup communication mode for hurricane evacuation shelters.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown at 850-682-6524 or matthewb@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbMatthew.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview residents get to be ham operators for a day (VIDEO)

CRESTVIEW — When AMVETS Post 35 members post and retire service flags in front of their headquarters, they will have a local Boy Scout to thank for the new walkway down the center of the flag array.

Click here to see Tayler Vest's Eagle Scout Court of Honor photos>>

On Saturday, Tayler Vest of Troop 773 in Crestview will receive scouting's highest rank at his Eagle Court of Honor. The walkway was his Eagle project that qualified him for the rank.

Tayler, a June Crestview High School graduate, said he got the idea for the walkway as den chief of Cub Scouts Pack 535's Webelos; he took his younger charges to the post several times and always felt that something was missing.

"When it came time to do an Eagle project, I decided I would do a walkway for the AMVETS," he said.

Tayler brought the idea to AMVETS post commander Craig Sarrasin, who readily gave his consent.

"He loved the idea," Tayler said. "Where they have all the flagpoles, it was just barren. It didn't look right."

Getting to work

A 15-person crew of Boy Scouts from Tayler's troop and adult volunteers got to work at 7:30 a.m. on a rainy May 11 at the AMVETS post on John King Road.

By 11 a.m., they had dug a shallow trench, lined it, put sand in place, installed red paving stones and tamped them down. They then stood back to admire the results of their labor.

Tayler had designed the project and overseen its completion. Per Eagle candidate rules, he was not allowed to actively participate in the actual construction except in a supervisory position.

In designing the project, which will include a stone bench at the end of the walk, Tayler turned to his family's home library.

"We had a home improvement book and I referenced a couple pages out of it for the whole project," he said.

Sarrasin said his organization is grateful for Tayler and fellow scouts’ hard work.

"They did a real good job on it. It's a great project,” Sarrasin said.

Proud parents

Saturday, Tayler will receive the Eagle Scout neckerchief and patch at his Court of Honor at the American Legion post on U.S. Highway 90.

This fall, Tayler will begin studying electrical engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautics University in Daytona Beach. In June, he received the university's Outstanding Senior Aviation Student award for his studies under Crestview High's CHOICE Aviation Institute.

His parents, Kellie and Joe Vest, are proud of their son's accomplishments.

"My son has come so far," Kellie Vest stated in an email. "He started scouting in first grade at Holloman AFB in New Mexico and has been involved since.

"In fourth grade, Tayler was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. He overcame what some call a disability and turned it into an ability."

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview Boy Scout builds walkway for AMVETS post

CRESTVIEW — Michael Ayers’ family seeks the community’s support for the 29-year-old recently diagnosed with leukemia.

A benefit fish fry and auction is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Old Spanish Trail Park. Proceeds will benefit costs of medical treatments and medications.

 Michael, who lacks health insurance, is receiving six weeks of chemotherapy treatment at Baptist Hospital in Pensacola.

 "The chemo has recently kicked (the leukemia) out of his bloodstream," event organizer Andrea Lauren David, Michael’s ex-wife, said. "Right now, he is awaiting results on his bone marrow."

Family life

Michael has four children, Elizabeth, 12, and Kyle, 10, with Andrea; Memphis, 5 months, with his girlfriend, Victoria; and Alexandra Brooke, 13, from a prior relationship.

He attends all his children's activities and sporting events, like Kyle's inner-city football games or Elizabeth’s horse riding, and he regularly calls Alexandra, who lives with other family members in Omaha, Neb., Andrea said.

"His kids are his world; nothing is more important to him," she said.

Financial strain

Michael was working in construction before his diagnosis; his current unemployment and lack of insurance have made it difficult to support his family and cover health care costs.

Meanwhile, Victoria, a stay-at-home mom, spends $70 on gas, taking trips from Crestview to Pensacola to spend time with him, Andrea said.

"Something had to be done," she said.

Fish fry for a cause

Family members hope proceeds from a fish fry and auction on Saturday will significantly offset Michael’s medical bills. Patrons can feast on fried mullet and hush puppies, a side of coleslaw, and baked beans with a beverage.

Activities include a yard sale; children’s pony rides, courtesy of Ropin’ the Truth; an inflatable bounce house; live music from local musicians; and an auction.

Organizers have collected gift certificates and items from local restaurants and businesses including Wayne's Catfish House and Publix Grocery in Crestview, Andrea said.

She and other family members seek additional support.

"We are still going from business to business," she said. 

Want to go?

WHAT: Fish fry and auction benefiting Michael Ayers

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10

WHERE: Old Spanish Trail Park on Stillwell Boulevard, Crestview

COST: $5, adults; $3, children ages 10 and younger

DETAILS: Andrea Ayers, 603-3381 or Ayer25@hotmail.com, or Alisha Kyser, 902-1045 or kysermom@gmail.com

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown at 850-682-6524 or matthewb@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbMatthew.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Fish fry, auction to benefit Crestview man with leukemia

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview Fire Department responded to residential fire at 578 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., after midnight Aug. 7.

Investigators determined a faulty gas water heater caused the fire.

No one was injured or killed, but property damage was estimated at $50,000 for the house and $15,000 for its contents.

North Okaloosa Fire District also responded to the scene.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview fire causes $65,000 in damage

CRESTVIEW — George Whitehurst will be honored as the Mae Reatha Coleman Citizen of the Year at 5 p.m. Aug. 13 at City Hall, Wilson St., Crestview.

Coleman invites everyone to attend and share their appreciation of the former Crestview mayor.

Whitehurst is credited with procuring funding for two fire department substations and the Crestview Public Safety Building; initiating a drive and raising funds for the Okaloosa County Veterans Memorial; securing 15 acres at no cost to the city for the Crestview Public Library and the community center, and more.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Citizen of the Year presentation Aug. 13 at Crestview City Hall

Shelter House Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence Center, formerly Shelter House, now offers 24-7 sexual assault advocacy and support to sexual assault survivors.

After learning that Okaloosa and Walton counties’ rape crisis services were ending this spring, Shelter House leadership filed a letter of intent with the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence to become a certified rape crisis center.

Following the organization’s name change, an on-call team will soon respond to all hospitals and police departments for sexual assault survivors and those involved with forensic rape examinations.

Survivors seeking services may call the Crestview outreach office, 290 Martin Luther King Blvd., at 850-683-0845.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Shelter House now serving sexual violence survivors