Construction of a roundabout on busy Mirage Avenue just west of Chick-fil-A and State Road 85 might begin around autumn 2024.
The roundabout, which is planned to stand in the general area of the existing three-way intersection of Mirage Avenue, Malibu Street and Crosson Street, is expected to help traffic flow better. The overall project calls for realigning Malibu Street so it matches up with Crosson Street.

To address the overcapacity of traditional elementary and middle schools in Crestview, the Okaloosa County School District plans to open a new K-8 school next to the Southwest Crestview Bypass in the fall of 2026.

Currently, while design work continues on that future school, construction is progressing on many other district projects, including classroom additions at Crestview High School and the K-12 Laurel Hill School.

It’s fine that some people elsewhere spent this year’s Juneteenth holiday enjoying barbecues and basketball tournaments, local educator Vaneesa Harrington said.

“But it’s important to put the educational aspect in this event,” Harrington, the assistant principal of Richbourg School and a member of Crestview’s Juneteenth Committee, said on June 19 at the Hub City’s second-annual Juneteenth Celebration.

The recent city-hosted Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce networking breakfast included the showing of a video of people talking about their favorite park in Crestview.

After the video ended, City Manager Tim Bolduc told attendees of the June 1 breakfast at the Crestview Community Center that his favorite city park “is the next one.”

LAUREL HILL – Officials from Okaloosa County’s oldest and northernmost city plan to use tourist development tax money to pay for two new welcome signs.
The monument-style signs will stand on the north and south ends of the city along State Road 85. Each sign will contain the words, “Welcome to Laurel Hill, Okaloosa County’s oldest city.”

By the spring or summer of 2024, the historic Fox Theater building might begin serving as a top area destination, with phased openings of three full-menu restaurants, a tapas and cocktail bar and a live-music venue with an 800-standing person capacity.

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.