The Wayne Harris campaign office has the endorsement of Pete Smith, who has served as Okaloosa County property appraiser since 1992.

Harris, R-Crestview, seeks the District 4 seat in the Florida House of Representatives.

“As Okaloosa County property appraiser, I have had the pleasure of working with Commissioner Wayne Harris for a number of years,” Smith stated in a media release. “He has been a strong community leader, not only as a commissioner, but as a chamber (of commerce) director. I have admired and appreciated his unwavering conservative convictions, and I have no doubt that he will continue that stellar record of strong leadership in the Florida House. He’s exactly the person we need representing us in Tallahassee.”

—

Editor's Note: This article is corrected to include the intended story. 

A computer glitch resulted in the initial post displaying a Catholic Charities report. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CAMPAIGN TRAIL: Okaloosa County property appraiser endorses Harris for House seat

CRESTVIEW — With an election year’s first round of voting completed, Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections Paul Lux and his staff are focusing on the next balloting.

The News Bulletin chatted with Lux to see how the March 15 presidential primary went, and what voters face next.

How did last week’s voting go?

The primary we just had was the presidential primary. We had a 44 percent turnout. We had some polls where they still had people in line to vote by 7 (p.m.), so that was encouraging.

Were there any issues during the recent primary?

We had well over 270 people cast provisional ballots, and the vast majority of those were people who disagreed with their party’s candidates, and unfortunately, most of those we had to discard. As many people discovered, we are still a closed primary state. For people who don’t spend a lot of time in elections, some of the subtle nuances can sometimes be lost on people, especially given the mobility of our population and that many are coming here from other states that have open primaries.

How did the machines perform?

We had all new equipment, both for checking in voters and for tabulating the votes, and with just five months for getting it all in place and getting the poll workers trained, our poll workers did an absolutely exemplary performance. We didn’t have any machines fail, but we had a couple issues of poll worker errors issuing the ballot wrong, but that was quickly corrected.

Did the machines simplify voting or tabulating?

The difference for the average voter is kind of lost because it does function the same way as what they’ve been used to seeing. But on election night, when we were closing the polls down, the poll workers could close each polling place by hitting a single button, and it was a very quick time to transmit (results to Lux’s office). The new technology has cellular modems inside. There’s no more waiting for people to drive machinery in to produce the results. We had like 36 or 39 of the 43 polling locations reported by 7:20.

What are the new machines’ features?

With the old equipment, they had analogue modems in them, which we used to use regularly when we first got them. But then we had to stop using them to transmit the results. If you try to put an analogue modem on a digital phone line, it burns out the modem. In the south end of the county, they had to drive the equipment to a transmit center where they had an analogue phone line. I told all of the groups we trained with the equipment, this is a work in progress. I told them what we’re doing is laying the groundwork for tweaking the training so that, by the time the November election gets here, we’ll all be pros with it.

What’s next this election season?

The next thing coming is the actual August primary. We still have qualifying for the five constitutional officer seats, three county commission seats, two school board seats, and all the fire district seats. All those people file the week of June 20-24. Then we’ll have an identified slate of candidates.

Aug. 1: Registration books close for August primary election

Aug. 20-27: Early voting

Aug. 30: Primary election

Oct. 11: Registration books close for November general election

Nov. 8: General Election

WHAT'S NEXT?

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Q&A with Okaloosa's elections supervisor: How the primaries went, and what's next

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Four new cases of the Zika virus were reported in Florida yesterday: three in Alachua and one in Brevard. To help curb the spread of the virus, late last night the Senate approved a measure to speed up the development of vaccines and treatments for the disease.

 The legislation, introduced by U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and others, would add the Zika virus to the Food and Drug Administration’s Tropical Disease Priority Review Voucher Program.

When a company develops an FDA-approved treatment for one of the diseases on the priority list, it receives a voucher to fast-track the approval process for another drug of its choice. 

Adding the Zika virus to FDA’s priority list creates an incentive for drug makers to accelerate their search for a cure.

Once awarded, a fast-track voucher can either be used to cut the time it takes the FDA to approve another drug that the company has developed from 10 months to 6, or be sold to another drug maker. In 2014, a fast-track voucher reportedly sold for $

The legislation passed late yesterday in the Senate now heads to the House for consideration.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Senate approves bill to speed up search for Zika virus cure

SHALIMAR — The Okaloosa County Tax Collectors Office deadline for paying real estate and tangible personal property taxes is approaching.

In a media release, Tax Collector Ben Anderson stated the deadline is March 31 for 2015. Taxes are delinquent if not paid by the deadline, and become subject to interest and advertising fees.

An installment payment plan is available through April 30.

Payment options include:

●Using an Echeck at www.OkaloosaTax.com

●Visiting 302 N. Wilson St. Suite 101 Crestview. Call 651-7300 for hours. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa tax payments due — or face delinquency

CRESTVIEW — When city leaders look to the future, their eyes land on Old Bethel Road.

Following the city’s growth spurt south of Interstate 10 beginning in the early 2000s, city planners and consultants believe northwest Crestview will be the next area of growth.

And the Crestview Fire Department wants to be ready.

“We know we're going to have growth on the north end of town,” Fire Chief Joe Traylor told the City Council at its March 14 meeting. “It's prime real estate for development.”

With the economy recovered from the late 2000s downturn, real estate agents are seeing new interest in Old Bethel Road.

“It is a popular area,” Re/Max Realtor Dino Sinopoli said. “There’s new homes being built in Liberty Oaks, and right across from them is a new subdivision Adams Homes is finishing off now.”

That’s good for the real estate industry and the city’s tax coffers, but it worries Traylor.

NEW TRUCKS, NEW STATION

To keep residents’ fire insurance rates low, Crestview Fire Department responders must arrive at a structure fire within five minutes of the call. The current average response is four minutes, Traylor said.

But with the closest firehouse being the Woodruff Avenue main station, the Old Bethel area is outside that critical window.

“One minute can make the difference between saving a house and losing a house,” Almarante Fire District commissioner Mack Wilkins said March 10.

To bring future Old Bethel development into the four- to five-minute response window, Traylor has called for a new fire station in north Crestview and fire trucks to equip it.

With passage of the fire department’s 2015-16 budget, the city took the first steps toward meeting that goal by creating what Traylor called a “trust fund” that, like North Okaloosa Fire District’s similar arrangement, lets the agency set money aside for cash equipment purchases.

Meanwhile, the fire department must replace some equipment. Its oldest truck is a 1985 model, “that costs more to fix than run,” City Clerk Betsy Roy said.

LEASE VS. BUY

Roy and Traylor have brainstormed alternatives to purchasing new fire engines, which each can cost a quarter of a million dollars. Financing the equipment can add tens of thousands of dollars to the taxpayers’ bill.

For example, the department’s two newest trucks, purchased in 2007, would have cost $450,000 if the city paid cash. With finance charges, they cost $575,000, Traylor stated in a March 8 memo to the City Council.

Plus, the city pays annual maintenance costs on the vehicles, which, as they age, will continue to rise. The department recently had to replace one truck’s motor, for example, Traylor said.

Traylor and Deputy Chief Tony Holland, who researched leasing and lease-purchase options, learned that two new trucks could be leased for seven years for $767,120, including maintenance costs.

COUNCIL APPROVAL

“At end of lease, we have the option to pay $135,000 and the title is transferred to us, or we tell them, ‘Come get these two trucks and bring us two new ones,’ so we don't end up in the situation where we’re operating 30-year-old pieces of equipment,” Traylor said.

“With the cost benefit of leasing compared to direct purchase, we would save $135,000,” Traylor said. “Over the seven-year period, we would save in the finance charges.”

The city is at least two years away from buying new fire trucks, but wants to lay the groundwork for a purchase when it becomes necessary, Roy said.

Roy and Traylor now have the council’s approval to continue researching leasing and purchase options.

“I believe we will be able to fund these two vehicles and still be able to put money in a trust fund for the construction of a fourth fire station,” Traylor said.

And that’s good, because, as Sinopoli said, “North Crestview has the most amount of land to develop in the county.”

—

LEASE VS. FINANCE

With the City Council’s unanimous approval March 14, the Crestview Fire Department will research acquisition of two new fire trucks.

Two Pierce Custom Saber Pumpers:

Cash purchase: $902,880 (excludes finance charges and maintenance costs)

Seven-year lease: $109,590 per year, $767,120 total (includes maintenance costs)

Savings: $135,760 (plus cost of purchase finance charges)

Purchase option at end of lease: $135,000

—

PRESENT EQUIPMENT

The Crestview Fire Department currently has:

Fire stations: three

Fire engines: four (including one back-up), 75-foot ladder with pump

Command/rescue vehicle: one

Source: Crestview Fire Dept.

LEASE VS. FINANCE

With the City Council’s unanimous approval March 14, the Crestview Fire Department will research acquisition of two new fire trucks.

Two Pierce Custom Saber Pumpers:

Cash purchase: $902,880 (excludes finance charges and maintenance costs)

Seven-year lease: $109,590 per year, $767,120 total (includes maintenance costs)

Savings: $135,760 (plus cost of purchase finance charges)

Purchase option at end of lease: $135,000

—

PRESENT EQUIPMENT

The Crestview Fire Department currently has:

Fire stations: three

Fire engines: four (including one back-up), 75-foot ladder with pump

Command/rescue vehicle: one

Source: Crestview Fire Dept.

LEASE VS. FINANCE; PRESENT EQUIPMENT

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview fire department eyes new station, engines to meet demand

CRESTVIEW — The Wayne Harris campaign office announced that its total amount raised exceeds $102,400.

In February, Harris raised $15,735 in the race for House District 4, a campaign media release stated.

“Our campaign’s momentum continues to grow, and we are so grateful for the folks who want to be a part of taking our conservative values to Tallahassee,” Harris said in the release.

“I look forward to working to roll back excessive regulations and unleashing the power of entrepreneurs to create more jobs in our area.” 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Harris' House campaign reaches fundraising milestone

CRESTVIEW — Janet Fugate, of Baker, has entered the race to replace Pete Smith as Okaloosa County’s property appraiser. Fugate, Smith’s director of administration, intends to succeed her retiring boss.

Fugate served 13 years as chief deputy of the Sumter County Tax Collector’s Office and spent 13 as chief deputy in the Okaloosa County Tax Collector’s Office, a campaign media release said.

A senior manager in the Okaloosa County’s Property Appraiser’s Office since 2009, she has served as chairperson of numerous state task forces, studying tax revision, and was a certified training instructor for the Florida Department of Revenue’s professional certification program, the release stated.

Fugate joins a Republican field including John Holguin, chief of operations at the Okaloosa County Tax Collector’s Office, and Mack Busbee, a senior manager under Smith for more than 15 years.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Fugate enters race for Okaloosa property appraiser

CRESTVIEW — The city and Okaloosa County will jointly research creating a connector road to relieve State Road 85 traffic in one of its most congested areas.

The City Council on Monday unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding previously approved by the Board of County Commissioners. County Commissioner Nathan Boyles said the MOU does not commit the city to any funding, but formalizes both entities’ desire to further explore the Rasberry Road-Arena Road connector concept.

“All this MOU does is show the city of Crestview is willing to work with the county,” Mayor David Cadle said. “I think it shows the citizens we know what the problem is and we're willing to work together to find solutions.”

“One of your primary pinch-points is the intersection at John King Road,” Boyles said. “You can take a traveler who lives in Countryview Estates or Holt or Milligan or Baker and wants to go to Publix or Lowe's, and get them there without ever having to touch … that very most clogged section of 85.”

Referencing an overturned fuel truck that blocked S.R. 85 in the busy Interstate 10 interchange area for hours several years ago, Boyles noted the connector “would also serve as an emergency route.”

Funding could be available primarily through state sources, and the road could be completed ahead of the full P.J. Adams Parkway/Antioch Road corridor four-laning, without drawing resources from that long-planned project, Boyles said.

“I would not support any project that would divert the funding from P.J. Adams to Rasberry Road,” Boyles said.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview, Okaloosa officials to research Rasberry, Arena connector

CRESTVIEW — The Independence Day fireworks display will light skies over Twin Hills Park as usual following two unanimous City Council votes.

The council on Monday unanimously approved Main Street Crestview Association President Paul Lowrey's request to begin fundraising for the display, which City Clerk Betsy Roy said could cost as much as $16,000.

The Community Redevelopment Agency's new master plan omitted budgeting for Fourth of July fireworks, which had in recent years fallen under CRA funding.

Lowrey said Main Street would put up $2,000 toward the display, and said Allen Turner Chevrolet will match the funds, plus provide a new Chevy that would appear at public events and serve “as a large piggy bank for people to shove donations through the windows.”

Roy sought a third vote to assure the fireworks display will be completely funded.

"I'm sure Paul and his crew are going to overdo the funding, but just in case, we need the council to approve city money to cover the difference," Roy said.

Councilman Doug Faircloth asked Roy to obtain bids for the fireworks show before the council agreed to cover any shortfall in Main Street's fundraising.

The Crestview Centennial Committee is planning an old-fashioned family picnic for Twin Hills Park beginning 2 p.m. July 4.

The agency suggested moving the display to Spanish Trail Park, but Fire Chief Joe Traylor and Public Works Director Wayne Steele — whose office oversees city parks — opposed the idea for safety and logistical reasons.

"Ending the event at the park and asking citizens to move to Spanish Trail for the fireworks would, at the very least, be inconvenient for the citizens," Roy stated in a council brief.

The council approved keeping the fireworks display at Twin Hills Park.

In preparation for the Independence Day celebration, Steele said his department would create a better walking path from Main Street to Twin Hills Park to add more parking, hoping to avoid a dangerous situation from previous years in which people parked on U.S. Highway 90 and crossed the busy four-lane road to the park.

"You can park anywhere on Main Street and still see the fireworks if you don't want to go to Twin Hills," Roy said.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: No move for Crestview Fourth of July fireworks display (VIDEO)

CRESTVIEW — A Crestview High School alumna is among 105 researchers receiving Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers.

President Barack Obama will recognize Dr. Michele Manuel — who researches self-healing metals at the University of Florida, Gainesville — and others earning the honor later this year during a Washington, D.C. ceremony.

“The PECASE awards represent the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on scientists and engineers who are beginning their research careers,” a NASA media release stated. “The award recognizes recipients' exceptional potential for leadership at the frontiers of scientific knowledge, as well as their commitment to community service as demonstrated through professional leadership, education or community outreach.”

Award recipients “are leading the way in our efforts to confront and understand challenges from climate change to our health and wellness,” Obama said in a media release. “We congratulate these accomplished individuals and encourage them to continue to serve as an example of the incredible promise and ingenuity of the American people.”

The awards, which President Bill Clinton established in 1996, are coordinated by the Office of Science and Technology Policy within the Executive Office of the President.

This year’s recipients are employed or funded by the Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Education, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of the Interior, Department of Veterans Affairs, Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation, and the Intelligence Community.

Manuel is a 1997 Crestview High School graduate who attended Richbourg Middle School, and Bob Sikes and Walker elementary schools.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: President Obama is recognizing 105 researchers — including this Crestview High alumna