Latest news with #OkaloosaCounty
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Early voting underway in District 3 state House special election
Early voting has gotten underway and the countdown to the June 10 general election to fill the District 3 state House seat vacated last year by Navarre physician Joel Rudman has begun. Voters were given the green light to cast ballots on Saturday and vote early in both Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. every day through June 7. Holt resident and former Okaloosa County Commissioner Nathan Boyles, running as the GOP candidate in an overwhelmingly Republican district that encompasses most of Santa Rosa County and a large section of rural Okaloosa County, is a heavy favorite to win the seat. Boyles said that in a special election, held as the Summer season heats up, turnout will be crucial to helping guarantee his success. "We're excited and hoping one more time to earn the support of the folks in District 3," he said. "We're just asking folks to turn out one more time and go vote." Boyles is opposed by Dondre Wise, a Democrat who moved from Escambia County to Navarre a month ago and hopes to pull off a monumental upset. "I know it's an uphill battle, but it's a closer race than people think," he said. In early April Boyles defeated Jay Mayor Shon Owens and a field of six others to secure the GOP nomination. With voter turn out at about 28% in both counties Boyles secured 8,232 total votes to 7,765 for Owens. Wise did not field competition on the Democratic side of the ticket. District 3 is comprised of all of Santa Rosa County except the southwestern tip that includes the city of Gulf Breeze, the Midway communities and Navarre Beach. State Rep. Alex Andrade represents that portion of the county. Rudman announced in November of 2024 that he was resigning his state House seat to which he had just been elected for a second term. He stepped down to run for the congressional seat left vacant by the departure of Matt Gaetz. Gaetz had resigned to pursue an appointment to the United States Attorney General's job, a position President Donald Trump had nominated him to fill. His nomination was later withdrawn. Jimmy Patronis, who was serving as Florida's Chief Financial Officer when Gaetz's first congressional district seat came open, won the special election to replace the outgoing U.S. House member. Boyles, whose company, Adams Sanitation, serves as the garbage service provider for thousands in Santa Rosa County and employs 75 county residents, campaigned on the message that even as a resident of Okaloosa County he would be better positioned than anyone in the District 3 race to serve as the representative. "Santa Rosa County's success is very important to me. Just as important as Okaloosa County is to me," he said. Wise said whether he wins or loses June 10, he's happy he has made the move to Santa Rosa County and he believes he's opened some eyes to the message he jumped into the statehouse race to communicate. "I most wanted to make people aware of the election process and advocate for voter registration. I want real change and I believe this community does too," he said. "Regardless of the election outcome, I think people are starting to understand." The winner of the special election general election will not be afforded the opportunity to participate in the 2025 legislative session, which was extended into the week of June 2 to resolve disputes between the House, Senate and Governor's Office and pass a balanced budget. Gov. Ron DeSantis waited until Jan. 21 to schedule special elections to replace Rudman and outgoing state Sen. Randy Fine. At that time he issued executive orders setting special primary elections on April 1 and special general elections for June 10. This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: District 3 Florida race: Nathan Boyles and Dondre Wise face off
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Okaloosa County School District joins Summer Food Service Program
OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Okaloosa County School District proudly announced its participation in the Summer Food Service Program through Summer Break Spot. According to an Okaloosa County School District Facebook post, this summer, children 18 and under may enjoy nutritious breakfast and lunch at no cost at select schools across the district. Some sites begin service as soon as Monday, June 2. Holmes County offering free meals to students during summer break Following USDA/FDACS guidelines, meals must be eaten on site, meaning grab-and-go options are not available. Additionally, no meals will be served on weekends or on July 4, district officials wrote. Families are encouraged to check back on the Okaloosa County School District Facebook often, as site times and availability may change based on participation. Locations, dates, and service times can be found by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
23-05-2025
- New York Times
18 Soldiers Are Suspended After Blanks Were Fired at a Crowded Florida Beach
Eighteen Rangers have been suspended after one or more of them fired blanks into the air at a crowded beach and boating area along Florida's Emerald Coast, the authorities said this week. The Rangers were in the area of Fort Walton Beach for the Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival, an annual pirate-themed festival that draws residents and tourists to the region. They participated in a mock sea battle, firing blanks as a pirate boat approached the city landing, on the evening of May 16. But that event was the only festival activity in which the Rangers were approved to fire their weapons, the City of Fort Walton Beach said in a statement. Earlier that day, the Rangers had gone to a popular boating area several miles away, Crab Island, which is in Choctawhatchee Bay, and some fired blanks there, too, according to city officials. Video posted on social media showed two small boats with uniformed military personnel in a crowded area near other vessels carrying passengers as well as bathers in the water. In the video, at least one of the personnel fires into the air. At least five calls reporting the gunfire came in to the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office just before 3:30 p.m. on May 16, a spokeswoman said. Michael Ingram, a charter boat captain, told Task & Purpose, a news outlet that covers the military, that when the firing began, he heard screaming, and his clients and many other boaters took cover. 'What happened at Crab Island was not part of the Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival, nor was it approved by either the City of Fort Walton Beach or the Billy Bowlegs organization,' the city said in a statement. The incident on May 16 was reported by Task & Purpose earlier this week. The 18 soldiers involved were suspended from their duties as instructors while the Army investigates, according to Jennifer K. Dolsen, a spokeswoman for the Army Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning in Georgia. The soldiers were with the 6th Ranger Training Battalion assigned as instructors in the swamp phase of the Rangers course at Camp Rudder in Florida. 'We take this situation seriously and are investigating,' Ms. Dolsen said in a statement. 'The Army will ensure accountability based on the outcome of the investigation.' There were no reports of injuries. The pirate festival, which the city has celebrated for 69 years, ran from May 15 through May 19 this year, with mock battles, skirmishes, fireworks and entertainment.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Campaigners call on Donald Trump to save historic liner with links to Southampton
A campaign group has appealed to US President Donald Trump to save a historic steam liner with links to Southampton that is due to be sunk. The New York Coalition to Save the SS United States has appealed to the federal courts and President Trump to try and stop the vessel being sunk off the coast of Florida. Owner of the SS United States, Okaloosa County, plan to sink the vessel and create the world's largest artificial reef. Campaign group, the New York Coalition was created last October - just two months after Okaloosa County bought the vessel. The Coalition argues the SS United States has 'inestimable historic value to which the people of the United States have a sovereign interest from being sunk dismembered or destroyed." In letters sent to the office of Attorney General, Pam Bondi and President Trump, the Coalition asked whether the ship should be taken for public use with just compensation paid to the county. READ MORE: Pictures show inside SS United states before ship is sunk Okaloosa County have dismissed the legal appeal launched by the Coalition and said that the organisation was only "involved itself for the sole purpose of preventing the county from following through on its plans." It also added that so far, the Trump administration is yet to confirm it is aware of the action being taken by the New York Coalition to save the SS United States. For 17 years the liner powered through the Atlantic making constant journeys between Southampton and New York, and was met crowds of almost 70,000 when she first came to Hampshire in 1952. The SS United States was also the fastest ship in the world at the time. Before being passed into the hands of Okaloosa County, the vessel's last owner, the SS United States Conservancy planned to turn the liner into a floating hotel venue - but these plans never got off the ground. It is so far unclear if the legal motion by the New York Coalition will affect Okaloosa County's plans for the SS United States.
CNN
06-05-2025
- CNN
Civil rights lawsuit filed in Florida deputy's killing of US Airman Roger Fortson
AP — The family of a US airman who was fatally shot by a Florida sheriff's deputy inside his own home in 2024 filed a federal civil rights lawsuit Tuesday over his killing. The complaint filed in a Pensacola courthouse alleges Deputy Eddie Duran used excessive and unconstitutional deadly force when he shot Senior Airman Roger Fortson just seconds after the Black 23-year-old opened his apartment door on May 3, 2024. Duran identifies as Hispanic, according to his voter registration. Fortson's family is represented by Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney who has been involved in a number of cases involving law enforcement killings of Black people, including those of Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor, Tyre Nichols and George Floyd. Duran has pleaded not guilty to a charge of manslaughter with a firearm. The complaint also details alleged failures by the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office in training and supervision and claims staff at the apartment complex where Fortson lived provided misleading information that led to the fatal law enforcement response. Duran came to Fortson's door in Fort Walton Beach in response to a report of a physical fight inside an apartment. A worker there identified Fortson's apartment as the location of a loud argument, according to sheriff's investigators. Fortson, who was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, was alone at the time, talking with his girlfriend on a FaceTime video call. Duran's body camera video showed what happened next. The deputy pounded at the door repeatedly and yelled, 'Sheriff's office — open the door!' Fortson opened the door with his legally purchased gun in his right hand, pointed to the ground. The deputy said, 'Step back,' then immediately began firing. Fortson fell backward onto the floor. Only then did the deputy yell, 'Drop the gun!' Deputies had never been called to Fortson's apartment before, 911 records show, but they had been called to a nearby unit 10 times in the previous eight months, including once for a domestic disturbance. The fatal shooting renewed debate on police killings and race, and occurred against a wider backdrop of increased attention by the military to racial issues in its ranks. It is highly unusual for Florida law enforcement officers to be charged for an on-duty killing. Convictions in such cases are even rarer.
