An Okaloosa County grand jury has indicted 17-year-old Jeremiah Murphy for first-degree murder with a firearm. State Attorney Bill Eddins has announced that Murphy will be prosecuted as an adult for the murder 69-year-old Nancy Williams last month during a burglary of her home in Crestview on May 26th. Murphy was arrested May 29th and…… MORE
Yearly Archives: 2018
AMBER ALERT UPGRADE
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is upgrading its AMBER and missing child alert public notification system. Citizens can now receive AMBER and Missing Child Alerts through text messages as well as email. In the coming months, citizens will also be able to sign up to receive alerts through voice calls, messaging, and through mobile…… MORE
CHILD DROWNING
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a small child in a swimming pool Tuesday night in Milton. Deputies were called to a home on the 7400 block of Forestwood Drive and found the toddler unresponsive in the backyard pool. The child was airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital and later pronounced…… MORE
OKALOOSA COUNTY GRAND JURY REPORT
The grand jury convened to investigate the Okaloosa County School District has concluded its work. A written report has been issued, but it will remain sealed until it is released by the court. Jurors met in February to review School District operations, policies and procedures following an investigation of allegations and complaints of child abuse…… MORE
BRIAN SPENCER WILL NOT SEEK REELECTION
Pensacola City Councilman Brian Spencer will not seek re-election. Spencer, who has represented District 6 since 2010, said he is confident there will be viable new candidates willing to serve District 6 and the City of Pensacola. Two candidates have filed to run for Spencer’s seat – Pensacola resident Ann Hill and City Council budget…… MORE
PENSACOLA FERRY
The owner of the company selected to operate the Pensacola’s new ferry service says that service will not begin until at least June 22nd. George Aswad, owner of Gulf Coast Maritime, said his company is in the process of signing contracts with the National Park Service and should be able to announce ticket prices and…… MORE
FLORIDA CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
A poll taken by the Florida Chamber of Commerce indicates only four of the 13 state constitutional amendments on the November ballot have enough voter support to pass. They are: Amendment 1, which would expand the homestead property-tax exemption – Amendment 3, which would require voter approval of gambling expansions in the state, including allowing…… MORE
SUSPICIOUS PACKAGE CLOSES I-10 REST AREA
A rest area on I-10 was closed for a time yesterday after a suspicious package was discovered. The Florida Highway Patrol, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad assisted in the investigation, which began about 10:30 a.m. while the package was investigated. The rest…… MORE
CHARTER BOAT STRUCK BY LIGHTNING
A 50-foot charter boat on a fishing trip in the Gulf was struck by lightning about 14 miles south of Destin. Captain Bud Miller said the boat lost all power and they were too far out for cell phones. He said deckhand Nick Bulger managed to get one engine started and they headed back to…… MORE
DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT
The Okaloosa County School District has agreed to settle a race discrimination lawsuit for $500,000. The board voted 5-1 in a closed meeting on March 17th to approve the settlement recommended by its insurance carrier. The family of Tyrone and Lakisha Adams filed the lawsuit, accusing about 40 students and teachers at Baker School of…… MORE
