EC Children’s Advocacy Center Reopens in Niceville
The public is invited to attend and celebrate the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center’s (ECCAC) grand re-opening of its center in Okaloosa County with a ribbon cutting and the official re-naming to the Julie Sacco Porterfield Children’s Advocacy Center, 401 McEwen Drive, Niceville, at 10 a.m. Friday, May 5. This center experienced a fire and significant water damage last summer that flooded both floors of the 13,000-sq.-ft. building. The center had to be completely vacated with staff and services continuing to provide services for kids in various other donated locations in the area. With the help of many, the center has since undergone a recently completed major renovation and restoration. Guests can tour the center, meet the team and learn more about the programs and services offered to the children and families it helps. It will be a celebration with music, food and beverages.
Paddle at the Park
Grab your paddle board and head to the 11th Annual Paddle at the Park, sponsored by HCA Florida Destin Emergency. With a new location and date, this standup paddle board race will take place in the Gulf of Mexico behind The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island on Saturday, May 6. It features 1- and 3-mile recreational races, a 6-mile elite race and a kids’ fun out-and-back paddle, to be followed by awards. Kayaks and inflatables are welcome too. Registration is now open on Paddleguru.com. For details: destinchamber.com/paddle-at-the-porch.
Tequila and Tacos Anyone?
May 12-14, the Village of Baytowne Wharf will come alive with local restaurants and food trucks competing for the Best Taco on The Emerald Coast with a first-place prize of $2,500 – and you will have a say in the People’s Choice Award! Sample many types of Tequilas and Margaritas from Blancos, Resposados, Anjieos and even Mezcals while indulging in some of the area’s best tacos. For tickets: www.efestevents.com
Jeff Peters Becomes the new City of Fort Walton Beach City Manager
In a 4:3 vote, the Fort Walton Beach City Council voted in the recent April city council meeting to approve Peters as the new City Manager. He previously served as director of the Parks and Recreation Department for the last 17 years, and stepped into the role of Acting City Manager for the last five months after the departure of Michael Beedie, the former city manager.
Okaloosa County Breaks Ground on New FWB Recycling Plant
Waste Management (WM) recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new, roughly 45,000 sq. ft. materials recovery facility in Fort Walton Beach. The $30 million investment will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology and machinery. Currently, recyclables have been sent to Montgomery, Ala. So, this will allow for more Okaloosa County recycling options, create more jobs, help recycling the region’s recycling programs to expand and allow the processing of 120,000 tons per year of single-stream, source-separated recyclables with all plastics staying in North America. The facility is scheduled to be in operation in about one year.
Mosquito Spray Schedule
The Okaloosa County Mosquito Control division operates a county-wide program, excluding the Air Force Bases and all state parks, which provides surveillance and spraying services to control mosquitoes in both the larval and adult stages. Educational and abatement activities are also performed to control domestic mosquitoes to protect citizens from nuisance and health problems associated with large populations of mosquitoes. Broadcast treatment is conducted in the evening and is required by State Law to be justified. Justification is based on mosquito population surveillance data and other methods. Treatments will begin 1 hour before sunset. The schedule for the Fort Walton Beach area basically includes Tuesdays in Fort Walton Beach, Wednesdays in Fort Walton Beach from Brooks Bridge to Memorial Pkwy. and Thursdays in Shalimar and Ocean City.
Brooks Bridge Replacement Project Road Closure
The Business Access Road, located beneath Brooks Bridge on Okaloosa Island, is temporarily closed between the Adventure Marina and the Brooks Bridge Marina. This segment of the road will become part of the dedicated work zone for construction of the new Brooks Bridge and will remain closed for the duration of the project. U.S. 98 eastbound drivers will be detoured for access to the Brooks Bridge Marina and Alvin’s Island, located on the Business Access Road (north side of U.S. 98). These drivers will continue through the Santa Rosa Blvd. intersection, turn left onto the Convention Center Access Road (located to the west of the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center), proceed to the roundabout to exit onto Santa Rosa Blvd., then to the Business Access Road. Detour signage will be in place to help direct drivers.
