Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Cybercrimes investigators have charged a Crestview man with 30 counts of possession of child pornography, as well as three counts of possession of bestiality, all felonies.
Zeplinn Burrow, 27, of the 600 block of Industrial Drive, was arrested on July 21 following an investigation that began in February 2022 when the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children received a tip in reference to an individual uploading a suspected sexual child abuse video.
At a special meeting on July 24, the Okaloosa County Commission unanimously approved setting a tentative countywide millage rate of 3.83 mills for fiscal year 2023-24.
Going forward, the commission cannot increase the tentative rate but can lower it before the board’s two public budget hearings in September.
As more housing units are built in and near fast-growing Crestview, the construction of more stores and other businesses follows.
“Supply and demand is the direct connection between residential (project) approvals and commercial approvals,” Crestview City Manager Tim Bolduc said at the City Council’s budget retreat workshop at the Robert L.F. Sikes Public Library on July 6. “It is not a chicken and the egg question. It’s: Without the chicken, you ain’t getting the egg. So, without the residential, you’re not getting the commercial.”
The Okaloosa County Department of Public Safety’s Emergency Medical Services Division was recently recognized by the America Heart Association on achieving Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold status for 2023.
This is the ninth consecutive Mission Lifeline Gold award and 10th year with Mission Lifeline recognition. Okaloosa EMS achieved Silver status in 2014.
A new data management system in the works for all public safety and judicial service agencies in Okaloosa County is a much-needed project, county Clerk of Court and Comptroller JD Peacock said at the County Commission’s July 18 meeting.
Almost $13 million worth of upgrades are in the works for a portion of County Road 2 in north Okaloosa County.
On July 18, the County Commission approved a contract with Marianna-based Anderson Columbia Co. Inc. to improve the 9.4-mile stretch of CR 2 between State Road 85 near Laurel Hill and SR 189 in Blackman and upgrade the Big Horse Creek and Yellow River (Mack Tyner) bridges.
Crestview resident Andre Cooper, who says he has “been blessed by great folks in the community,” plans to soon show his appreciation in a big way.
“I want to give back to the kids in this community,” Cooper said on July 17.
