CRESTVIEW — The Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce celebrated the Mr. Mattress store's new location with a ribbon cutting Sept. 19.

Owner Jeffery Douglas, who opened the store in October 2012, relocated it from the strip mall across from Walmart Supercenter.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 1-5 p.m. Sunday at 3045 Ferdon Blvd. S. in Crestview.

Douglas opened the first Mr. Mattress in 2011 in Enterprise, Alabama, and expanded it to three additional stores in Dothan, Troy and Andalusia, Alabama.

He has been a member of the Crestview chamber since 2012.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview chamber holds Mr. Mattress ribbon cutting

CRESTVIEW — Some Crestview writers and their colleagues will have a local book signing.

The free meet and greet is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 30 at the Crestview Public Library, 1445 Commerce Drive.

Attendees may get autographed copies of their favorite books from:

•Sheritta “Nikki” Bitioker; M.C. Brown; Devin Lee Carlson; Jocelyn Donahoo; Melita Gardner; Tammie Hunter; Delois Jackson; and Jeff Janes.

•Tami Kidd; Daniel McKnight; Terry B. Miles; and Bob Newkirk.

•Charles Williams; Ashley West; Donna Wilke; and D.V. Wilson.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview book signing to feature various authors

CRESTVEW — North Okaloosa County has received numerous road improvements, specifically in the North Crestview and Auburn areas.

According to Okaloosa County Public Works Director Jason Autrey, there are four projects the county is currently working on to improve the streets in Auburn.

On Locke Lane, the county public works department has repaired and improved culverts and applied dirt-to-surface stabilization, which is a way of improving the weight bearing capabilities and performance of dirt roads to strengthen road surfaces. According to Autrey, the work on Locke Lane is almost complete; the county just needs to return to clean up the materials and equipment.

On Adams Road, the county applied dirt-to-surface stabilization, repaired culverts and driveway pipes, and installed asphalt millings — recycled asphalt that is crushed to form gravel that is able to harden and bind together to fill holes. According to Autrey, the public works department plans to finish work on Adams Road this week.

In addition, the county has participated in pavement preservation projects on Main Street and Old Hickory Road in Auburn. The projects include overlay on both roads, where the county lays asphalt over existing pavement to reinforce the structure rather than totally replacing the road when there is only minor damage.

According to Autrey, the county has provided routine maintenance on many streets in North Crestview including mowing, ditch work and erosion control, which he said makes for a better product and requires less maintenance.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa County improves roads, drainage

CRESTVIEW — Shortly after 7 p.m. Sept. 20, the Crestview Police Department responded to the intersection of North Ferdon Boulevard and Beech Street in reference to a vehicle versus pedestrian traffic crash.

When officers arrived on scene, 35-year-old Antonio McLaughlin of Crestview was laying in the roadway with serious leg and head injuries after a vehicle hit him.

According to witnesses, McLaughlin was standing in the middle of the northbound turn lane of Ferdon Boulevard designated for vehicles turning left to drive westbound on U.S. Highway 90 (James Lee Boulevard). They said McLaughlin was standing in the middle of the turn lane waiting for other vehicles in other traffic lanes, when 26-year-old Kirkland Long of Crestview, driving a 2014 Dodge four-door, entered into the turn lane with intentions of turning on U.S. Highway 90.

Long advised officers that he was unable to see Mr. McLaughlin in the dark and didn’t expect anyone to be standing in the middle of the road when he struck him, according to a Crestview Police Department media release issued Sept. 21.

"Antonio McLaughlin was transported to North Okaloosa Medical Center with leg and head injuries and was listed in stable condition at the time of the [CPD media] release. "McLaughlin was not utilizing a cross walk which was available to him at the intersection of U.S. Highway 90 which is approximately 150 feet from the location where he was struck. There were no improper driving actions made by Mr. Kirkland and there are no charges pending in this accident," the release stated.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Pedestrian hit by car in Crestview

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview Fire Department is participating in National Child Passenger Safety Week through Sept. 24. The observance is an annual National Highway Traffic Safety Administration observance focused on keeping children and families safe in and around cars.

The fire department is providing free car seat safety checks from 4-6 p.m. at 321 Woodruff Ave. Sept. 20-22 as part of the observance. It is also having a safety day event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 23 at the Woodruff station.

CFD Public Information Officer Corey Winkler said the department's technicians will talk residents through installing car seats at the event, and distribute new Evenflo car seats for cash or money order donations ($25 minimum required). All proceeds will be used to promote and purchase items for the department's car seat safety program.

Safety day activities also include a blow-up fire prevention smokehouse kids can explore; fire truck tours; and fingerprinting for identification kits by the Crestview Police Department.  Free food from Subway will also be served.

See https://www.nhtsa.gov/Safety/CPS  for more about the NHTSA safety week.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview Fire Department observance includes car seats, safety checks

Here are upcoming Crestview Public Library-related events. The library's address is 1445 Commerce Drive.

FAMILY LIBRARY TIME: for ages 4 and up. Visit the library for details as the date nears. Here are other FLT Crestview library events.

• 6:30-7:15 p.m. Sept. 22 — The Library Run is a tour. Learn to use the catalog and race to find items.
• 5 or 6 p.m. Oct. 17 — Escape Room, 10 people per session. Register at the library to solve puzzles together.
• 6:30-7:15 p.m. Nov. 21 — Wild Things. Guess which wild animal left the waste. Dissect owl pellets.
• 6-7:30 p.m. Dec. 19 — Noel Night. Music, makings and munchies.

AGES 3-5 LIBRARY CLASS: 10:15 a.m. Tuesdays, Crestview library. Topics: Sept. 26 and Oct. 3, Hats Off to You (wear a favorite hat); Oct. 10, airport field trip at Bob Sikes Airport (www.emeraldcoastaviation.com); Oct. 24 and 31, Autumn and Halloween (wear a non-scary costume on Oct. 31); Nov. 7 and 14, Giving Thanks; Nov. 28, On the Road, Dec. 5 and 12, Wrap It Up.

AGES 0-2 LIBRARY CLASS: 9:15 a.m. Tuesdays, Crestview library. Topics: Sept. 29, Mice; Oct. 6 and 13, Piggies; Oct. 20 and 27, Autumn and Halloween (wear non-scary costume if you like); Nov. 3 and 17, Thanksgiving; Dec. 1, On the Go; Dec. 8 and 15, Christmas.

FIRST TUESDAY TALKS: 10:30 a.m. first Tuesdays at the library. Topics are: Oct. 3, Seniors and Fraud, by JB Whitten, Seniors vs. Crime spokesman and city councilman; and Nov. 7, How to Love Your Wardrobe, by Anna Maria Garza, fashion designer and stylist.

READ TO DOZER: First Saturdays, 10-11 a.m.; for children ages 4 and up.

COFFEE & CRAFT: 10 a.m. second Saturdays, Crestview library. Call 682-4432 to reserve your spot.

TEEN TIME: 2-4 p.m. Fridays in the meeting room, Crestview library. Wii and virtual reality games, etc. For grades 6-12.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: UPCOMING

CRESTVIEW — Damonie Johnson, a 14-year-old Crestview author, will attend a free Teen Boss magazine and book signing.

The signing is 1-4 p.m. Sept. 23 at Barnes & Noble, 34904 Emerald Coast Parkway, Destin. Johnson and her co-author, Laila Turner, 10, will attend and sign copies of their journal and the magazine featuring it for the public. 

The two published their first journal, "A Girl’s World," where they penned their coming-of-age experiences, according to a previous Crestview News Bulletin article.

“When I wrote 'A Girl’s World,' I was hoping that it would help girls get a better understanding. I think we all feel like we all have to be a certain way, have to look a certain way and have a certain body type; there’s always this expectation," Johnson said.

In addition to the journal, Johnson and Turner have created “vision/dream boards” and a coloring book for purchase on their company’s website, www.true2youpub.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview teen to sign books at 'Teen Boss' event

Here it is, into the fourth week of the season and already we have two colleges looking for new coaches: Tennessee and LSU.

And with their schedules it’s looking as if it may be all downhill from here until Nov. 18, when they play each other. Bowl games for either one is out of the question

Alabama and Clemson are still at the top but keep an eye out for Duke, Mississippi State, Georgia and Virginia Tech. And who would have ever thought of Wake Forest and Kentucky in the same breath at the top of the SEC/ACC.

Here are your 10 picks for the week plus a tiebreaker for Sept. 23.

1. Boston College Eagles vs. Clemson Tigers; this game will be the house of slaughter for the Eagles. Clemson by 21 plus.

2. Duke Blue Devils vs. North Carolina Tar Heels; a virtual who who’s in the state of North Carolina. Blue Devils by 18.

3. North Carolina State Wolfpack vs. Florida State Seminoles; just getting over the hurricane and postponing one game make the Seminoles very rusty but still stand up to the challenge of the Wolfpack. Florida State by 13.

4. Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets; this game just might be the game of the week to watch in the ACC. Yellow Jackets by 10.

5. Syracuse Orangemen vs. LSU Tigers; should be a very easy game for the LSU Tigers, and they’ll need it because they can only win one more, then it’s all losses until Nov. 18. LSU by 7.

6. Massachusetts Minutemen vs. Tennessee Vols.; why would a team have in their playbook a pre-vent defense to stop a team from scoring by dropping back 20 yards and say let her rip? Tennessee does and it never works. Tennessee win their last game of the season. Tenn. by 21.  

7. Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Georgia Dawgs. In this SEC game of the week, can the Bulldogs keep rolling as they have been or will the real Dawgs show who’s boss? Georgia by 13 but a very good game — look for an upset.

8. Florida Gators vs. Kentucky Wildcats; Gators take it down to the wire but Wildcats of Kentucky will pull it out by 1.

9. Alabama Train vs. Vanderbilt Commodores; all aboard — can’t stop the Train of the Crimson Tide by 21 plus.

10. Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Texas A&M Aggies; the Razorbacks have been licking their wounds for the past week. Could have been a mistake but that’s OK — they get to do it again. Texas A&M Aggies get 20.

TIE BREAKER: Florida Atlantic Owls vs. Buffalo Bulls; two teams with the same record, 1-2. This is an evenly matched game, with one of our up and down favorite coaches, Lane Kiffin. Why, you remember him from Tennessee; wait, no, USC; no, wait, from Alabama as offensive coach, and his new job is head coach of the Owls. They win by 3.

’Tis too soon to even talk about National Title, but as always Alabama is the front-runner.

Clemson is the front runner for the ACC but is not looking as it did a year ago.

Oklahoma is looking like years before and could be the team to beat; Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan, you need to let them beat each other up before you can count any of them in the top bracket.

As for the sleeper, look at Wisconsin, TCU, Iowa and the real sleeper is USC.

Bill Everett is a member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart and lives in the Baker area.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: College football picks, week 4

NICEVILLE — A Layon Gray play depicting the story of the first all-black basketball team formed in the 1920s is part of the Mattie Kelly Arts Center season.

"Kings of Harlem" is the about the Harlem Rens and their struggles against the overt racism and discrimination encountered in establishing their legitimacy as a professional team.

The members eventually broke through barriers. They began to play against white teams and went on a historic winning streak of 112 games and only seven losses in one season.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'Kings of Harlem'

LAUREL HILL — The city of Laurel Hill has entered an agreement with the Laurel Hill RC Flyers, a club for radio-controlled model aircraft enthusiasts.

Laurel Hill's RC Flyers club began in 2008, but took a roughly three-year hiatus before its 2014 revival. The club eventually dissolved, but residents are trying to establish a new organization with the same theme.

Larry Pitts saw the need for an RC Flyers club in the North Okaloosa County area, so he began the paperwork. Approximately seven prospective members and the City Council have unanimously agreed to allow the club to use a portion of the Laurel Hill Industrial Park for flying radio-controlled aircraft.

According to the agreement, the club needs to maintain the area of the park they use by mowing grass and cleaning litter or debris generated by club members, guests or visitors. The Laurel Hill Industrial Park is 35 acres located two miles west of Highway 85 in Laurel Hill near the Florida-Alabama state line.

“We just enjoy flying," Pitts said. "The facility here is in a zone where there are no problems with the (Federal Aviation Administration).”

According to Pitts, the FAA limits areas like Crestview and Fort Walton Beach when it comes to flying radio-controlled aircraft, so some residents of these towns will come to Laurel Hill to join the club and enjoy the hobby. The Laurel Hill RC Flyers will only fly quiet electric planes, Pitts said.

Pitts is working to get the club chartered and filling out paperwork through the Academy of Model Aeronautics to receive insurance for their club. According to Pitts, the insurance will be for $2.5 million and will cover bodily injury and property damage for accidents.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill reestablishes radio controlled aircraft club