The cost of being driven in an Okaloosa County ambulance to a hospital is going up this fall. To help meet rising costs of staffing and medical supplies, the county plans to implement a 2.5% ambulance service fee increase for each of the next three fiscal years.

LAUREL HILL – During the June 1 City Council meeting, freshman District 3 state Rep. Joel Rudman, R-Navarre, broke down in tears after summarizing his first legislative session.

Smiling customers have been synonymous with Rainbow Snow Cones during its almost quarter of a century in business. Since 1999, the family-owned snack stand has served tasty frozen treats from its spot on the northwest corner of State Road 85 and PJ Adams Parkway, across from Tom Thumb.

To help meet an Okaloosa County requirement, the developer of the massive Patriot Ridge subdivision is donating 186 acres of land by the Shoal River to the county for a proposed public park.

The closing of Okaloosa County’s sale of 48 acres of Shoal River Ranch industrial park land to a manufacturing company is targeted for mid-July, said Nathan Sparks, executive director of the One Okaloosa Economic Development Council. The company, the name of which has not yet been publicly revealed, aims to use the land for a 300,000-square-foot facility that would have 350 employees.

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.

The community gathered in the Laurel Hill School gym last Thursday to celebrate the Class of 2023 on graduation night. By the numbers there were 28 graduates, five honor graduates and a countless number of memories.

Happy Star Wars Day! Many accomplishments and achievements have been made in the City of Crestview. The entire team led by the City Council, Mayor JB Whitten and City Manager Tim Bolduc have made the city into a place where families want to raise their children. Let’s take a look at recent examples of the Force in Crestview:

The City of Crestview recently announced the third annual Keep Crestview Beautiful clean-up initiative will run from April 12 to April 26. As with previous years, the city will provide manned dumpsters around the city for citizens to use for free. The city will also have volunteer opportunities for community members to join city staff in the clean-up effort.

Businesses at the long-awaited Crestview Commons development could begin opening as early as late April, according to the City of Crestview. “We are hoping for late April/early May (openings for the first business openings),” said Chance Leavins, public information manager for the City of Crestview.