News Archive

As the strawberry season wraps up, farmer Kathy Brooks is gearing up for a bumper crop of summer produce such as tomatoes and watermelons.

Along with her older brother, Gerald Brooks, Kathy Brooks owns and operates Brooks Farm Produce and Strawberry Patch. Their produce stand is at 1301 Lee Ave. in Baker and the strawberry patch, which has a U-pick season early each year, is at 5760 Griffith Mill Road in Baker.

Shalimar – Because of the use of a new and different type of appraisal, Okaloosa County will pay more than $1 million for about 60 acres of vacant land needed for the Southwest Crestview Bypass project.

The new price tag, which was the main part of a consent agenda item unanimously approved without discussion by the County Commission on May 16, reflects a more than 900% increase over the county’s initial land appraisal of $110,350.

The Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners is continuing its tradition of celebrating veterans with a Women Veterans Day event and wreath laying at 8 a.m. June 12.

An indoor ceremony will take place inside the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the base of the Margaret Corbin statue at Women Veterans Monuments at Veterans’ Park.

Shalimar – Okaloosa County officials hope to secure a $10 million federal grant to help pay for the county’s proposed Shoal River Ranch Water Reclamation Facility.

Shoal River Ranch is a more than 10,500-acre industrial gigasite seven miles east of downtown Crestview and just south of U.S. Highway 90. The county owns a total of 750 acres of the overall site, which extends south of Interstate 10.

The 122 graduates who represent the Baker School Class of 2023 received their diplomas on the evening of May 19 at Doug Griffith Memorial Stadium.

Across northwest Florida, Circle K locations will offer 40 cents off per gallon as part of “Fuel Day.” The savings event will run between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday, May 25. Fuel Day is also taking place at Circle K locations across the United States. According to Circle K, customers can receive the deal directly at the pump. Here are a list of participating locations in Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties:

The renovation of Crestview’s old post office on Main Street could be finished by the end of June, according to city Project Manager Jayce Vanderford. The revitalized and city-owned, 1,700-square-foot building will then provide office space for the Crestview Redevelopment Agency and the Main Street Crestview Association.

Laurel Hill – Businessman Shane Cannon plans to instill new life in the iconic and long-vacant former 1905 Gallery building, as well as the old Cash’s Liquor Store building. Cannon is the registered agent for Cannon/Sullivan Properties LLC of Destin. He and his business partner, Jerry Sullivan, bought the former Gallery property at 3927 2nd Ave. in March 2022 and the former Cash’s site at 8195 State Road 85 last May, according to Okaloosa County Property Appraiser’s Office records.

A developer has proposed building a 102-room Staybridge Suites hotel at 117 John King Road. The proposed 2.4-acre and currently wooded project site stands just east of Amvets Post 35 and across John King Road from Samuel’s Roadhouse and Bayou Mechanical. The property is owned by Grandeur Hospitality Investments LLC of Crestview.

Adams Sanitation will take over as Crestview’s new solid waste collector this fall. While Adams Sanitation will provide monthly service rates that are lower than two competing companies, Crestview customers will, starting this fall, begin being charged more than they currently pay for trash collection.