The Walton County Commission will decide by vote Tuesday whether Charlotte County Public Works Director Robert Halfhill is to be Walton’s next county administrator.

“Mr. Halfhill has agreed to the contract offer” presented by a three-person committee appointed to negotiate with him, according to Dede Hinote, the county’s administrative services coordinator.

“We’re anticipating him reporting for duty March 1, if all goes well,” Hinote said.

Halfhill called his likely appointment “the pinnacle” of a career in government.

“I’ve been working for over 20 years to achieve this,” he said. “I’m really excited about the commission’s confidence in me and I’m ready to go to work.”

Halfhill, who served as an officer in the Marine Corps for 14 years, has been director of the Charlotte County Public Works Department since 2009, according to his résumé. In that role, he oversaw 140 people and controlled a $36 million budget.

Prior to his hiring in Charlotte County, the résumé said, Halfhill served as facilities management director and assistant public works director for the city of Miami Beach.

The job duties entailed supervision of more than 450 employees and “the maintenance and administration of over four million square feet of facilities,” the résumé said.

From 1999 until 2003, Halfhill worked in Escambia County.

He was the public works director from 1999 until 2001 and “had a taste” of county leadership when he served as interim county administrator from 2001 until 2003.

If the appointment is finalized, Halfhill said he intends to arrive in Walton County a few days ahead of his first work day to acclimate himself to the area, and on day one will begin meeting with department directors and commissioners.

“Then I’ll speak to people in adjacent agencies and make sure I know everybody involved in government in the area,” he said. “And then we’ll start administrating.”
 

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Tom McLaughlin at 850-315-4435 or tmclaughlin@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomMnwfdn.

DESTIN — Officially, Dan Dean is in the dry cleaning business. But that’s not how he sees it.

Dean, whose family has been in the business for four generations, says he’s really in the business of customer service.

To that end, the owner of Destin Cleaners knows his customers by name and teaches his employees to do the same.  

“In a business where I’m going to see you once a week for the rest of your life, it makes me feel so much better when I know them by name,” he said. “It gives them a place.”

He also pays attention to the major events in his customers’ lives, tracking them through the clothes they bring in for cleaning.

“I know your kid’s just gone off for college. I know when someone dies in your family. I know when you have a major job interview,” he said. “Anybody can clean clothes and anybody can iron clothes. It’s the extras.”

For Bonnie Lang, those “extras” included help with her car, when one of the tires was indicating low pressure. She asked to borrow Dean’s tire pressure gauge. He came out, checked the air and sent her to a mechanic.

“Long story short, the care he showed for his mechanically illiterate customer was exemplary,” Lang said. “He not only does an excellent job cleaning clothes, but he is really nice as well.”

Dean was pleased that Lang appreciated his help but said it’s all really part of his job.

“Whatever they need,” he said. “It’s my job to make everybody happy.

“The golden rule is to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
 

Editor's Note: This series recognizes people who make a difference in their communities.  To nominate someone, call Wendy Victora at 315-4478 or email wvictora@nwfdailynews.com

NAVARRE — The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office has identified that man pulled from the East River on Monday.

Justin Diel, 39, of Navarre was killed after his Ford pickup truck went to the bottom of the river. Rescue workers, including the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office dive team,  spent much of Monday working to pull the truck from about 16 feet of water where visibility was less than a foot.

Sheriff’s Office spokesman Rich Aloy confirmed that a call of “a vehicle going into the water” had come into the county dispatch center at shortly after noon.

View a photo gallery from the scene >>

“Somebody saw the vehicle speeding into the water,” Aloy said.

That somebody is believed to be a witness to what had happened. Aloy said the witness was removed by deputies from the scene of the incident and questioned at another location.

The truck, a larger model Ford, went in nose first, Aloy said.

By 3:30 p.m., dive team members, working in 65 degree water and against strong currents, had located the truck and attached a cable to it.

Efforts to pull the vehicle out with a conventional-sized tow truck failed a handful of times before it was decided to bring in a bigger truck.

By the time the second truck arrived, near sunset, a crowd of about 30 onlookers had gathered on the bridge over the East River to watch the rescue effort.

Two divers had to enter the water after the sun went down to reattach cables, but the second truck had no trouble dragging it off the mucky bottom.

Only after the truck was brought up, with visibility underwater having been so poor, could Aloy confirm a death had occurred.

“We have one fatality,” he said.

Although suicide was mentioned as a possible finding when the cause of death is eventually determined, that could not be confirmed until the death is thoroughly investigated.

“We’re just going to say unknown circumstances at this point,” Aloy said.
 

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Tom McLaughlin at 850-315-4435 or tmclaughlin@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomMnwfdn.

No matter the perspective, tonight’s regional semifinal round of the girls’ basketball playoffs holds unique possibilities for all four local teams that are still alive.

At Choctaw, the pursuit of perfection remains in tact for Don Brown’s Indians. At South Walton, head coach Kevin Craig and his Seahawks are trying to overcome a 10-day layoff. At Paxton, Steve Williams and his young squad are still gaining experience. And at Walton, head coach Jerry Hester has to figure out a way for his Braves to defend one of the top players in the country.

Four teams, four coaches, four distinct points of view.

But when the four area girls’ basketball teams still standing hit the court tonight for regional semifinal play, there will be one goal that all four have in common: Just win.

‘That was last year’
When the unbeaten Lady Indians take the court for tonight’s Region 1-6A semifinal game against Pine Forest, they’ll be looking at a team they defeated in a double overtime classic to open last year’s postseason run. But for their head coach, that win is mean-ingless once tonight’s showdown gets under way.

“That was last year,” said Brown. “They are a year older, we are a year older. It’s good to say that we won, but it really doesn’t matter as far as this game goes.”

Entering tonight at 29-0, Choctaw will have to beat a big, physical Pine Forest team to earn win No. 30. The Eagles (25-2) are cur-rently ranked No. 2 in Class 6A, one spot ahead of the undefeated Lady Indians.

“They have a lot of size, they’re very athletic,” said Brown. “We have to defend, box out….We have to hit our free throws and avoid turnovers. If we do those things, we’ll have a chance.”

Choctaw has already been tested in these playoffs, earning a hard-fought 59-56 win over Pensacola on Saturday night to earn a trip to tonight’s semifinal. Pensacola had beaten Choctaw twice last season and had been to five-straight final fours before watching that run end at Choctaw.

“We’ve stayed together all season,” said Brown. “And we had to do it against Pensacola. We really had to battle through it, and it took every single girl on this team.”

Pine Forest advanced to the semifinals by virtue of a home win over Fort Walton Beach.

With tonight’s top-5 showdown looming between a pair of teams that have combined for 54 wins this season, Brown noted the good fortune of getting Pine Forest at home.

“It’s always tough to go on the road, where it seems you have to play twice as good to win,” said Brown. “I’m glad we’ll be at home. Hopefully, we’ll have a whole bunch of people in green out there to support us.”

Choctaw and Pine Forest tip off at 7 p.m. tonight.

‘We’re just ready to play’
For South Walton’s Kevin Craig, tonight’s game could be as much of a battle against circumstances as it will be against visiting Cottondale. Craig’s Seahawks last played on Feb. 2 when they finished off a district tournament championship at home. That has given South Walton 10 days to think about tonight’s Class 1A semifinal.

“You know, we’re really just ready to get out there and play,” said Craig, whose team enters tonight at 21-5. “We have practiced and practiced against each other for more than a week. We worked out again today and it really seemed like we’re getting antsy. It will be good just to get out there and play a real game.”

South Walton will host a Cottondale team that put together a 12-12 regular-season mark, and it’s a team that Craig does not take lightly. Three years ago, when South Walton’s current seniors were freshmen, the heavily-favored Seahawks traveled to Cottondale in the opening round and were eliminated. It’s a game that Craig has used as a reminder that anything can happen at this time of the season.

“It just tells us that we have to be ready at all times,” said Craig. “Anybody can beat you and then before you know it, it’s all over.”

Cottondale will bring a quick, guard-oriented team to Santa Rosa Beach, and the Seahawks, behind the front line of Katie Trejo, Casey Perot and Mackenzie Perot, will enjoy a size-advantage.

“I think we will be bigger than them but they are a team with a lot of quickness,” said Craig. “I think we will have to be disci-plined, and keep their guards in front of us.”

South Walton and Cottondale tip at 7 p.m.

‘She’s an unbelievable talent’
For Walton’s Hester, success from tonight’s trip to Tallahassee could depend on one Small detail.

Ieshia Small, Florida High’s sensational senior guard, averages 24 points per game and is the key component of a team that stands in the way of Walton and a berth in the regional finals. So what’s the best course of action for Hester to take against a player that’s currently deciding on whether to play collegiate basketball at Rutgers or Baylor?

Stop everyone else.

“The key to beating them could be to make sure you stop everybody else,” said Hester, whose team enters tonight at 21-6 after a regional quarterfinal win over Godby. “She’s an unbelievable talent and she’s usually going to get her points. If we can keep the others in check and keep those post players off the boards, we should be OK.”

Walton has plenty of talent in its own right. Hester leans on the high-scoring trio of Taliah Moore, Deja Tucker and Krista McQueen, who all average double-figures in points. Since the Christmas break, the Braves are also averaging nearly 70 points per game as a team.

:We’ve been playing really well offensively,” said Hester. “Our girls play so hard and with so much intensity, I hope we can use that to our advantage.”

Walton and Florida High will tip off a 7 p.m. Eastern time in Tallahassee.

‘This team loves to play together’

So how did Paxton, a team that lost to Holmes County in the regional semifinals last season, get right back to the same point despite the loss of eight seniors?

According to head coach Steve Williams, the answer is chemistry.

“This team just loves to play together,” said Williams of the Bobcats, who enter tonight with just one senior. “We’re so young that these girls might not know any better. They just go out and play hard, they play together, and they usually just let the results take care of themselves.”

After posting a 20-7 regular-season mark, Paxton will meet a Holmes County team that earned a two-point playoff victory in Pax-ton a season ago. The two teams also played earlier this season, with Paxton earning a nine-point win at Freeport’s Christmas tournament. To Williams, neither of those games will have any bearing on tonight’s showdown.

“We’re so young that last year’s game really doesn’t mean much,” said Williams. “We only have two girls that really played a lot of minutes that game. But the community knows Holmes County beat us, so I hope we’ll have plenty of people in the stands tonight cheering for us.”

Holmes County-Paxton will get started at 7 p.m.
 

DUKE FIELD — The Air Force Special Operations Command has taken a step forward that is also a step back — in time.

At a ceremony Monday, they dissolved the long-standing Special Operations Training Center at Hurlburt Field, rolling its mission into a larger one: the Air Force Special Operations Air Warfare Center. The new center will combine training and education with weapons testing and evaluation, as well as preparing airmen to deploy for counter-insurgency operations.

The Special Operations Air Warfare Center was originally formed at Hurlburt Field in 1962 to train and deploy some of the first special operations airmen, including the elite Jungle Jim commandos, but was dissolved after the Vietnam War due to budget cuts.

As the Air Force has continued to expand its irregular warfare capability in recent years, they lacked an organization able to integrate the various efforts. The Air Warfare Center will help solve that, said Brigadier Gen. Jon Weeks, who took over command of the center at the ceremony Monday.

“This is a great opportunity to bring back those functions we started in 1962, to go back to that model of irregular warfare/building partnership capacity, testing and training all under a single commander,” Weeks said after the ceremony.

The Air Warfare Center will oversee the missions of all the units that fell under the former training center at Hurlburt, and add the 919th Air Reserves Special Operations Wing at Duke Field and two Air Guard units in Mississippi and Alabama. The move will streamline command of the various missions and could lead to some cost savings down the road, Weeks said.

Col. William Anderson, who had been the commander of the Special Operations Training Center, stepped down from his position Monday. He will be retiring from the military after serving more than 20 years.

He began working to re-create the Air Warfare Center last summer.

Since then, all the airmen involved have had to work to stand up the new center while continuing to train and educate new air commandos.

“It’s been an incredible honor to be your commander,” Anderson said to the special operations men and women gathered for the ceremony. “You can be justifiably proud of all your accomplishments in these few short months.”

He said the Air Warfare Center was an exciting place to be right now as they forge a new future for special operations command.

Lt. Gen. Eric Fiel, commander of Air Force Special Operations at Hurlburt, echoed the sentiment.

“These achievements will be felt through the special operations community for decades to come,” he said.

Among other duties, the Air Warfare Center will organize, train, educate and equip special operations forces; lead major command of counter-insurgency and irregular warfare missions; test and evaluate weapons programs; and develop tactics, techniques and guidelines for special operations missions.

Headquarters for the Air Warfare Center will be located at Hurlburt Field, with operating locations at Duke Field and Robins Air Force Base in Georgia, according to public affairs for the Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt.

About 850 active-duty and 900 reserve airmen will fall under the center’s command.

Weeks, who was previously a special assistant to the commander of Air Force Special Operations at Hurlburt, said now that the Air Warfare Center is officially up and running they can concentrate on their added responsibility of preparing airmen to deploy for counter-insurgency operations. In addition, they will be looking for ways to make the operation run better.

“Honestly, we’re going to have to look at some efficiencies and how we do business, particularly in training,” he said. “How can we possibly make this more efficient?”

He said he was honored, excited and humbled by the opportunity to command the Air Warfare Center.

“I couldn’t ask for a more professional group to serve with,” he said during the ceremony. “Today we start a new chapter of a full-force enterprise to be a model for the rest of the Air Force.”
 

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Lauren Sage Reinlie at 850-315-4443 or lreinlie@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @LaurenRnwfdn.

In this business, I never really know when a moment is about to reach out and grab me.

It happens from time to time. Once, I was at a basketball game and I jumped out of my seat because a player made a 75-foot shot. Another time, I was at a football game and a junior high student sang the national anthem so perfectly that it gave me chills.

Both of those moments have happened to me since I’ve been here in Northwest Florida, and both join a treasure trove of job-related memories that I’ll never forget.

Another such moment happened Friday night, and it caught me completely off-guard.

Actually, it was a series of events that happened on Friday and culminated in one perfect picture, which was taken at the All-Sports Association’s 44th Annual Banquet.

First, I need to give a little background information. Growing up in a small town in Mississippi in the ’80s and ’90s, I had a love-hate relationship with Deion Sanders. I loved him when he was playing out-field for the Atlanta Braves, and I hated him when he played defensive back for the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys.

It wasn’t real hate, of course, but it was the kind of friendly sports-hate you can develop when you hang on every move of professional athletes. I guess I was put off by the over-the-top personality of Sanders, and the teenage version of me viewed him as a spoiled, me-first pro-fessional athlete.

Flash forward to this past Friday.

I was lucky enough to be a part of the All Sports banquet, the one where Sanders would be the keynote speaker. So here I was, scheduled to have a brief sit-down interview with Sanders a few hours before that evening’s banquet. I don’t know what I expected, but if Sanders had rolled into the room with sunglasses on and a big entourage in tow, I wouldn’t have been shocked.

Instead, he was the complete opposite of everything I expected. Sanders was humble, gracious even, and he was appearing here in Northwest Florida despite being affected by the flu for much of the week. He posed for every picture, signed every autograph. In short, he went above and beyond the call of duty.

But this column isn’t about Deion Sanders.

Instead, it’s about a friendship, however brief it was, that absolutely lit up the room at the Emerald Coast Convention Center Friday night.

You see, across the room from Sanders at the 4 p.m. press event was a shy, effervescent man who was also being honored that night. Pat Oravetz, who was featured in this newspaper for his athletic achievements not long ago, was on hand because he was named the All Sports Association’s Special Olympian of the Year. So everywhere Sanders went on Friday, Pat went, too.

At the press event, Sanders was in front of cameras, in front of micro-phones, playing his part. He was “Prime Time,” no matter how sick he might have been. But in the shadows of the event, behind the camera, there was Oravetz, flashing that 100-watt grin to anyone who walked by. His smile, which is present at all times, was infectious.

So when the press event was over and everyone made their way into Harry T’s for the VIP meet-and-greet, Oravetz and his smile came along. That’s when Oravetz and Sanders crossed paths.

Upstairs at Harry T’s, a long table was set aside and each individual award-winner was present. The table was a receiving line where fans could walk through and get the autographs of guys like Sanders, USC quarterback Matt Barkley, and Heisman winner Danny Wuerffel. Sanders was seated in the second spot at the table, and who was first? There was Oravetz with that smile again.

Gradually, as people began to flow through the line, Sanders and Oravetz struck up a conversation. Sanders was amused at the way Oravetz had his autograph down to a science, and Oravetz was amused with pretty much everything else.

“What sports do you play?” Sanders asked Oravetz.

“Everything, what sports do you play?” replied Oravetz.

If the exchange had stopped there, it would have been a nice, feel-good moment. But it didn’t.

Later on, at the banquet with several hundred in attendance, Oravetz was introduced as the All Sports Association’s Special Olympian winner for 2013. So Oravetz walked to the stage to get his picture taken with association president Chad Hamilton. But Hamilton wasn’t enough for Oravetz, who pointed at Sanders and said, “Come on, buddy.”

Like he was sitting on a spring, Sanders leapt out of his seat and wrapped Oravetz in a bear hug, which was caught in a picture printed in Sunday’s edition. It’s all there in the picture: An NFL Fall of Famer who’s still one of the most famous names in his sport despite having retired seven years ago embracing a special Olympian who wanted to be pictured with Sanders simply because he enjoyed his company.

Later, in his speech about the power of big dreams, Sanders looked down the head table and said to Oravetz, “Pat O … I know you’re down there dreaming … You are what dreams are made of be-cause you have gone be-yond belief. Just seeing what you have accom-plished, it provokes us and causes us to dream.”

There at the end of the table, hanging on every word, was Oravetz, smiling the entire time.

That’s it, really. This moment wasn’t a game-winning home run or a buzzer-beater, but it still hit me hard. Sitting there and watching it unfold, I couldn’t help but think of the image I had of Sanders, and how completely off-base it looked in retrospect.

Then I looked at Oravetz, and how much fun he was having with the whole experience.

And it hit me. I just had to smile.

Brandon Walker is the Sports Editor of the Northwest Florida Daily News. He can be reached at bwalker@nwfdailynews.com or by phone at 315-4476.
 

MILTON — Local and state authorities are investigating a third employee at the Milton Girls Facility following the center’s closing in December, according to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office.

Mental health technician Ernest L. Parker, 52, is accused of sexually assaulting several juvenile girls at the facility in Milton, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release.

He has been charged with four counts of battery, seven counts of sexual assault on a juvenile with special conditions, three counts of lewd and lascivious on a child between 12 and 16 years old, one count of lewd and lascivious on a person 18 or older and six counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

The Milton Girls Facility contracted with the Department of Juvenile Justice to provide life skills, psychological and behavioral counseling and schooling to juvenile girls ordered there by the court.

The facility was shut down in December 2012 when the center requested to end its contract with the Department of Juvenile Justice. The 60 girls there were moved to other centers.

The request to shut down came shortly after another employee, 33-year-old Shannon Abbott was charged with felony battery. Surveillance video showed Abbott pushing a teenage girl against a wall then pinning her to the floor.

Carol Andrus, the program director, also is under investigation for excessive use of force and improper conduct for grabbing the neck of a 15-year-old girl.

Several girls reported in December that Parker touched them in sexual ways. The girls told investigators they were afraid to speak out for fear that their sentences would be lengthened.

Parker is in the Santa Rosa County Jail on a $1.01 million bond, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office, Department of Juvenile Justice, state Department of Children and Families and the state attorney’s office are investigating.

Officials are looking for girls who stayed at the facility between April and December 2012 who were victims or witnesses to the incidents, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 850-437-STOP.

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Angel McCurdy at 850-315-4432 or amccurdy@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @AngelMnwfdn.

A 45-year-old Mary Esther man won $500,000 on a scratch-off ticket, according to a press release from the Florida Lottery.

Robert Bolinski purchased the ticket from the Tom Thumb at 1209 East Miracle Strip Parkway in Fort Walton Beach.

Bolinski had recently won $5,000 on another scratch-off ticket, the release said.

"I couldn't believe I won again," he told Lottery officials. "I haven't taken my eyes off the ticket since I realized it was worth $500,000.

He won by playing the MONOPOLY Scratch-Off game.

Florida lawmakers are making progress in putting necessary limitations on law-enforcement uses of drones.

The unmanned aircraft are becoming popular methods of surveillance. Not only are they cheaper to operate than manned helicopters, their small size and minimal sound make them effectively stealthy.

There is opportunity for abuses that infringe upon Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights. The domestic law-enforcement uses of drones must be clearly delineated.

The Legislature is considering two bills that restrict police drones. A measure sponsored by Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, last week passed its second committee by unanimous consent. A companion bill in the House passed its first committee, also unanimously, last week. Both face several other committees before they reach the floor for a vote.

Negron’s bill — which originally banned drones for surveillance — already has been amended to allow police to employ the craft if they first obtain a search warrant or cite a hostage situation, a terrorist threat or other “exigent” circumstances.

The warrant is an acceptable, justifiable condition, as it provides a measure of accountability and due process.

However, the other provision rests on police asserting they have “reasonable suspicion” that “swift action” is necessary to “prevent imminent danger to life or serious damage to property, or to forestall the imminent escape of a suspect or the destruction of evidence.” That could prove to be very elastic.

Negron is getting pushback from law enforcement and fellow senators. At a Senate panel hearing Wednesday, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said it wants to use drones for surveilling crowds.

Negron, though, said, he’d vote against his own bill if it allowed the use of drones for crowd control. He suggested that helicopters remain the better method because they can be easily seen and heard.

The bill also stipulates that illegal drone-gathered evidence is not admissible in court, and that a law enforcement agency in violation could be sued by the injured party.

Negron is correct — the drone law must have “teeth” to discourage their illegal use. Otherwise it becomes too easy for police to act first and request forgiveness later.

Professional football is the most popular spectator sport in America. With its famous athletes, storied franchises and lucrative TV contracts, it’s an industry whose future appears limitless.

But football has a problem: the specter of mass brain damage among current and former players. So far, the steady trickle of disturbing revelations has had no apparent effect on ticket sales or TV ratings. What it has done, though, is more ominous: It has invited lawsuits.

If football falls into decline, it may not be the result of fans turning away, athletes avoiding it or parents forbidding it. It may be from lawyers representing players who sustained chronic traumatic encephalopathy and expect to be compensated for the damage.

Already, more than 4,000 former players are suing the NFL, claiming it failed to warn them of the hazards. The family of San Diego Chargers great Junior Seau, whose autopsy revealed CTE after his suicide last year, has filed a wrongful death suit against the league. The Seaus are also accusing Riddell Inc. of making unsafe helmets.

Walter Olson, a Cato Institute fellow, blogger and author of several books on liability, knows well how a tide of litigation can transform a landscape. And he has a bold prediction: “If we were to apply the same legal principles to football as we do to other industries, it would have to become extremely different, if not go out of business.”

“Seriously?” you may ask. A guy who made a good living engaging in high-speed collisions with 300-pound blocks of granite can say he didn’t understand the risks involved? It may seem that case will be laughed out of court.

But Olson thinks not. “Courts have not been very friendly to this argument, particularly when something as grave as permanent brain damage is involved,” he told me.

And it’s become apparent that while players were aware of the possibility of mangled knees, broken bones and concussions, they didn’t grasp that repeated blows to the head could produce debilitating and irreversible mental harms.

Exposure to asbestos was long known to be unhealthy, but that didn’t stop sick workers from succeeding in court. More than 730,000 people have sued some 8,000 companies, and dozens of firms connected to asbestos in some way have been driven into bankruptcy.

The NFL has a weak hand in other ways as well. Professional football players, notes Olson, make particularly appealing litigants, since they tend to be well-known and widely liked. Their cases will get a lot of sympathetic publicity.

These athletes are handsomely paid, which means that brain trauma may deprive them of years of high earnings while requiring them to get expensive care for decades — all of which the league and other parties (stadium owners, equipment makers and so on) may be forced to pay for.

On the other side are owners, many of whom are resented for charging high prices, fielding losing teams year after year or simply being insufferable. (Jerry Jones, I’m looking at you.)

Next in the line of fire are the soulless corporations that make or sell helmets, facemasks and other gear that failed to prevent these injuries — and may even have contributed to them. Doctors and trainers who cleared players to return to action after a fog-inducing tackle will get close scrutiny to determine whether they put the team’s needs above the patient’s.

The NFL and other defendants can argue that they too were surprised to find out how much brain damage can result from the game and therefore should not be blamed for it. But as Olson notes, the game is still being played in pretty much the same way as it was before. Lawyers for the plaintiffs, he says, can ask: “How much difference would that knowledge have made if you’re still letting this happen?”

It’s always possible, of course, for lawmakers to pass legislation exempting organized football from the usual liability standards. But if one state or 10 states do so, attorneys can find excuses to file the lawsuits in states that don’t — since the NFL is an interstate business.

A federal law might take the issue out of state courts. But how many senators will want to vote to deprive ravaged gridiron legends of their day in court?
The NFL has a lot of experience with blitzes. But it’s never seen anything like the one that’s coming.

Steve Chapman blogs daily at newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/steve—chapman.
 

In response to “Rethink the 2nd” (letter, Feb. 9), I don’t think the writer focused on the whole amendment, only the portion that forwarded his agenda. He ignored “the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed” portion. The “militia” is the free people of this country, not the military and their leaders that could one day be led by a tyrant.

The abundance of guns in this country also acts as a deterrent to hostile invasions from internal and external enemies; the Japanese during World War II knew that invading the U.S. was not an option because of our armed citizens.

The Founding Fathers were fully aware of what they were doing and weren’t just focused on the issue or problems of their times. They weren’t just legislating to win the next election; they were ensuring that the country so many died for would carry on for hundreds of years.

I disagree with the assertion that the Second Amendment is outdated; it’s the ignorance and short-sightedness of the people that is at issue here. With the lack of moral character and personal discipline and the ever-increasing criminal elements of this modern era, armed personal protection is the only way to protect our property and families. The only safe citizen is an armed citizen.

Repealing the Second Amendment will not solve the violence in this country and will not decrease the crimes committed with guns. It would only leave law-abiding Americans at the hands of the criminal.

— TOM MANNING
Navarre

 

I support the Second Amendment.

Inanimate objects cannot kill. To kill a human being, another human being must initiate the action. Guns are a tool, as is an automobile, a hammer, a knife or a baseball bat. These objects do not kill people. People using these objects kill people by the way they use these objects. A car cannot be used until a person starts the engine and gets behind the wheel. Likewise, a gun, a hammer, a knife or a baseball bat cannot kill unless a person decides to use it for that purpose.

Are we going to stop making cars and ban them from the roads so that people won’t die? Are we going to ban hammers, knives and baseball bats so they cannot be misused? I don’t think so.

The Second Amendment is not and has never been the problem. People with evil or harmful intent are the problem.

— GLORIA MILLER
Niceville
 

Reading the discussion about having a law enforcement officer in every school and thinking of the cost of such a program, I couldn’t help but think back to my 22 years as a police officer in a large city in Texas.

There were more than 15 independent school districts in the city and each had its own police department. However, the cost of a full-time officer in each school made no sense at all. Each hired off-duty local officers to be in the schools. Each officer worked part-time as an “extra job” one or two half-days a week. The districts saved money by not hiring full-time employees and paying all the costs associated with full-timers.

Pay part-time, help the officers by providing consistent extra-duty employment, and accomplish the same thing at a much lower cost. Pay one full-time person to coordinate these part-time employees and you save a lot of money.

Also, I do not believe it is necessary to have an officer in each school all the time. Rotate on a random basis and the effect is much greater at much less cost.
Just a thought. It worked in the seventh-largest city in the United States, so why not here?

— TEDDY STEWART
Freeport
 

Destin developer Jay Odom pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to one count of causing a presidential campaign committee to make a false statement to the Federal Election Commission.

He will be sentenced April 23 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Odom was charged with soliciting — either directly or indirectly — employees, their family members and employees and family members of an associate to make contributions to what probably was the 2008 presidential campaign of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

According to documents filed with an indictment made public in January, Odom reimbursed 10 employees, associates or family members for making contributions of $2,300, the maximum allowed by law.

"Odom admitted to both knowing that this activity was illegal and intending to conceal the true source and amount of the campaign contributions,” according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Pensacola.

Odom did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Odom’s actions violated the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, according to the charging documents.

The documents state that Odom “knowingly and willfully” made a fraudulent statement when “federal candidate A” filed a campaign finance report with the FEC in January bearing the names of the 10 unnamed contributors as $2,300 donors.

The documents do not specifically indicate the contributions went to Huckabee, but all 10 of the Odom-funded contributions were made on or around Dec. 27, 2007.
Odom, his wife Haley, his son J.G. Odom and his son’s wife, Becky, made $2,300 donations on Dec. 28, 2007, to Huckabee for President Inc., according to the website FEC.gov.

Odom also was to host a campaign visit by Huckabee to Destin in January 2008. The event was called off because of scheduling difficulties.

Odom, who owns Crystal Beach Development, has developed a number of large properties in Okaloosa and Walton counties, including Uptown Station shopping center in Fort Walton Beach and Hammock Bay subdivision in Freeport. He also owns Destin Jet at Destin Airport.

A Leon County grand jury indicted Odom in May 2009 on charges of official misconduct.

He was accused of conspiring with then-state House Speaker Ray Sansom and then-Northwest Florida State College President Bob Richburg to use $6 million illegally funneled from the state budget to build a hangar at Destin Airport for his business.

The charges were amended to grand theft and conspiracy to commit grand theft, but were thrown out at trial in March 2011.

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Tom McLaughlin at 850-315-4435 or tmclaughlin@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomMnwfdn.

FORT WALTON BEACH — A 38-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison Tuesday following his conviction Dec. 18 of robbery with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault on a person over 65.

Okaloosa County Circuit Judge John T. Brown sentenced Tush-ee Lewis Hunter to a mandatory life sentence for the robbery on May 1, 2011, according to the state attorney’s office.

Hunter held a knife to an 84-year-old man while he and his family were visiting the Indian Temple Mound Museum in downtown Fort Walton Beach. Hunter took the man’s wallet.

Hunter, also known as White Eagle Hunter, was arrested two days later and was identified by the man’s son in a lineup.

Hunter was sentenced as a prison release offender and a habitual violent felony offender. He previously was imprisoned for conspiracy to commit murder and aggravated stalking.

He was released from prison five months before he robbed the man.

Fort Walton Beach police investigated the case.

Assistant State Attorney Clifton Drake prosecuted Hunter.

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Angel McCurdy at 850-315-4432 or amccurdy@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @AngelMnwfdn.

A 33-year-old Navarre man is the latest scratch-off game winner, according to a press release from the Florida Lottery. Han Cho claimed a $1 million prize in the 25th Anniversary Edition Millionaire Scratch-Off game.

He chose to take his winnings in a one-time, lump-sum payment of more than $800,000, the release said.

He bought the winning ticket at the Tom Thumb at 101 Beal Parkway in Fort Walton Beach.

Northwest Florida State College recognized the superior scholastic achievement of students completing the Fall 2012 term by naming them to the President's List and Dean's List. The President's List names those students with nine or more credits in the term who earned a grade point average of 3.8 to 4.0 during the semester. The Dean's List names students with nine or more credits in the term who earned a GPA of 3.5 to 3.79. Some 1145 NWFSC students were named as honors students for the Fall Term.

President’s List:
Baker: Samantha Arvin, Jennifer Borsi, Sophia Chaitha, Darren Jernigan, Zachary Kelley, Kameron Legg, Jordan Linzy, Tiffany Mathews, Alicia Morris, Gabriella Reber, Adrian Smith, Haley Wagner.

Crestview: Kenneth Adams, Tammy Albers, Robin Andrews, Rachel Babine, Alexis Beard, Ishshah Bell, Teresa Benthal, Audrey Berberena, Nicole Bielenin, Terrin Bond, Thomas Bortner, Ronald Bouchard, Melissa Boyd, Tara Brady, Pamela Brooks, Joshua Burgess, Savannah Bush, Wauneka Cameron, Naomi Campagne, Stormie Carlson, Cheryl Chisolm, Stephen Chiu, Lilah Cisneros, Katelyn Collazo, Anna Cortez, Paige Cromer, Mikel Currie, Amanda Davis, Joshua Deason, Jason Dennis, Sean Drummer, Shawn Eckert, Amanda Eidem, Justin Eldridge, Xin Fang, Gracie Flores-Broome, Kristen Forehand, Robin Garcia, Gabriella Geier-Dureitz, Alisha Gennaro, Veronica Graham, Jacob Haines, Michelle Hamilton, Jacqueline Hanners, Robert Harms, Nicole Hart, Alexis Hawthrone, Destiny Hicks, Patricia Hipwell, George Hollingsworth, Sheila Hollyday, Jace Howard, Aaron Jacobs, James Jentzen, Kayla Jines, Celeste Jones, John Jones, Kenneth King, Amanda Lane, Scott Lee, Francis Locicero, Foster Lux, Latara Matthews, Donald McCombs, Emily McKinion, Anne Melia, Hazem Mohamad, Josiah Molyneux, Adam Mooers, Cody Moser, Angela Norris, Kristelle Odom, Jennifer Oliphant, Maria Olsavsky, Tracy Palmer, Emily Parker, Jenna Paylor, Oliver Pikcilingis, Thatsanee Polzin, Jennah Portillo, Casey Posada, Nicole Powers, Joseph Printy, Catherine Ramos, Tiffany Riffe, Daniel Rivera, Casie Rose, David Rose, Allison Schneider, Jessica Silvia, Turner Sinopoli, Jody Smallwood, Andrew Stanley, Tiffany Stout, Charles Taylor, Teresita Teck, Cydney Terryn, Cynthia Turnage, Steven Turner, Cassandra Twist, John Tyler, Stacey Van Houten, Eric Vincent, Jennifer Wardrip, Jessica Watts, Ronald Weinstein, Robert Wells, Shaun Williams.

DeFuniak Springs: David Amason, Alexandrea Andersen, Terrance Atlow, Brittany Baynard, Aubry Bell, Angela Coleman, Jason Cook, Michael Duel, Jamie Ellis, Benjamin Ely, Misty Ely, Joshua Ervin, Zachery Forehand, Jamie Kingsley, Ravyn Kring, Maryse Leigh, Marian Lindsey, Kristina Lynn, Jeffrey Mason, Sheila Masonbrink, Robert Meyers, Megan Mikita, Adrienna Miller, Shaun Myers, Rita Ramsey, James Reams, Edward Scanlan, Sashus Sconiers, Aisha Scott, Samantha Scott, Doug Simons, Jesse Spaid, Elizabeth Trotman, Shelby Truett, Joseph Wheeler, Tara Kayla Wright.

Destin: Jenny Armstrong, Katherine Baker, Blair Brown, Denis Cecan, Catherine Denev, Orla Ericksen, Heidi Faulk, John Fischer, Maria Galati, Veronica Grozav, Jessica Harrison, Amanda Haselden, Christian Holland, Angela Kelley, Nathan Kight, Ian Kinzer, Kristina Lorrain, Maribeth Magtanong, Robert McCullough, Katherine Mitchell, Katie Moore, Adrian Muresan, Elizabeth Nissley, Jay Patel, Brenda Petersen, Kelsey Reinhardt, Adam Robinson, Ryan Seymour, Hannah Shepherd, Miles Sims, Sonata Valaitis.

Eglin Air Force Base: Thomas Paolo Espino, Samantha Glendenning, Katherine Houghton, Makiya King, Matthew North, Ken Wantanasombut, Christopher Westgate.

Fort Walton Beach: Christina Adkins, Roger Ballard, Charity Barger, Jennifer Benedict, Tanya Billeaud, James Bodison, Skye Bressler, Jeremiah Butcher, Kandiss Campbell, Henry Castro, John Chapman, Crystal Cheeseman, Alicia Colas, Elizabeth Cole, Christina Cornutt, Terry Cowan, Elizabeth Cox, Mary Crabtree, Matthew Crabtree, Lauren Craig, John Davis, Veronica Davis, Taegan Dennis, Nathan Diercks, William Dunn, Sarah Durlauf, Amador Escatel, Tyler Fendlason, Jeremy Fisher, Dayana Forte, Jeniffer Fuller, Tyler Gansen, Matthew Garner, Candice Gartman, Theodor Gonzalez, Brian Greer, Leasa Greer, Sean Grosvenor, Cody Guthrie, Crystal Harrison, Amy Hume, Shari Knowlton, Matthew Lambrecht, Samantha Lampe, Ashley Larranaga, Lance Larson, Crystal Leslie, Molly Little, Brooke Lowe, Hannah Martin, Marelle Martin, Marilyn Mason, Paige McArdle, Erin McBride, Nicole McGee, Krista McNabb, Jeremy Miller, Emily Mills, Lori Mills, Lauren Moore, Taryn Morgan, Nachaat Mounla, Xaviera Murdock, Yasmine Nabulsi, Karol Pittsenberger, Alisa Ramos, Christopher Ramos, Jenna Reeder, Rebecca Reedy, Chris Reilly, Kristen Richard, Krisha Salazar, Jacquelin Schlageter, John Seagle, Saby Selph, Dallis Shipe, Ashley Slee, Colin Smith, Lisa Spikes, Rachel Stanford, Rachel Stinson, Kassandra Suggs, Joshua Swanson, Alecia Szafranski, Burcu Taskan, Jonathan Thomas, Lindsey Thornell, Jasmine Thornton, Catherine Thurman, Ronald Toole, Tatiana Voropay, Amanda Warner, Christina Waywell, Kalen Weigel, Samantha Westfall, Rashad Westry, Charles Whatley, Angela Wilson, Katelyn Winthurst, Ryanne Woodin.

Freeport: Carli Alteri, Katelyn Beaty, Jennifer Christensen, Michael Eggie, Tanya Floyd, Morgan Goodwin, William Hallman, Elizabeth Haney, Pamela Hill, Cheryl Maxwell, Kristin Meredith, Morgan Mondragon, Matthew Phaneuf, Brian Seymour, Dalton Shost, Jessica Stabile, Grace Wells.

Holt: Jessica Henry, Tracy Palmateer, April White.

Hurlburt Field: Laura Densford, Tyler Jenkins.

Laurel Hill: Hannah Day, Christie Dixon, Steven Strickland, Logan Williams.

Mary Esther: Jeffrey Appling, George Butler, Michelle Capik, Nilo Carino, Ronald Davenport, Caitlin Duffey, Charles Edwards, Reggie Fain, Shelby Fike, Dawnlee Kennedy, Alexandria Llewellyn, Lorie Marlar, Jennifer Muscato, Danielle Nelson, Tony Olson, Lisa Parker, Aaron Pitman, Emily Radomski, Jessica Thomas, Susan Torres, Jocelyn Turzak, Diana Wonch.

Miramar Beach: Denis Belevitin, Michael Brucato, Brandon Crowther, Jamie Geannaris, Manuel Henao Pena, Jessica Lanning, Kellie Littlefield, Stephen Mika, Alysha Neidert, Greta Niemela, Brittney Rann, Antonio Sandevski, Maiia Stegnii, Alina Ursachi, Victor Vaggalis, Tanya Vardazhieva.

Navarre: Tamara Cothran, Justice Cox, Lindsay Fawcett, Vini Febus, Nicholas Feltman, Allison Freer, Olivia Gagnon, Lidia Gradinaru, Ashley Keaton, Magdalena Lotze, Sheldon Mair, Sean Martin, Kevin Miller, Anna Morey, Melanie Morgan, Gary Nitsch, Dallas Pepper, Megan Reaster, John Towns, Nathanial Tucker, Madison Walker, Kimberly Winckler.

Niceville: Evan Adler, Lance Adler, Luiana Airosa Livulo, Gloryanne Allen, Jonathan Allen, Martha Allen, Loretta Aubert, Adrian Banegas, Aaron Barniv, Michaela Bass, Elizabeth Berry, Victoria Bishop, Maria Bosch, Steven Bowman, Jeffery Braget, Julie Brooks, Katie Brown, Angela Buchanan, Brendan Burke, Christine Campbell, Michaela Campbell, Rebecca Cathey, Mark Cordeiro, David De Vos, Victoria Dejesus, Mary Dickerson, Rudiane Eduardo, Kathryn Ferris, Kimberly Fisher, Trystan Flegal, Travis Ford, Codey Friesen, Zachary Gadzinski, Talina Garcia, Alanah Gardner, Ciarra Garza, James George, Emerie Germ, Katherine Gillette, Gaynell Graff, Daniel Gurley, Matthew Halladay, Lisa Heintzleman, Jorden Holland, Richard Jackson, Katrina Jammer, Mariah Jammer, Emmett Jesse, Mark Jordan, Matthew Jordan, Jessica Keel, Alicia King, Melissa Lambert, Tangella Landry, Morgan Lewellen, Gabriel McDonald, William McNair, Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Haleigh Mooney, Andrew Moore, Stirling Naber, Jami Nespoli, Hannah Nowers, Mark Penner, Amber Phillips, Tibor Pollak, Vikhana Rao, Sierra Riddle, Luis Rivera, T.Roni Roberson, Jamie Roberts, Arden Robertson, James Rood, Michael Rosenbleeth, Alexander Russ, Amanda Rutherford, Janet Santner, Cullen Schmitz, Jeremy Schultz, Melanie Schultz, Aubrey Schwartz, Kelly Scott, Tyler Shenk, Anastasia Shipman, Haley Smith, Joshua Spradlin, Summer Stuckey, Linda Tierney, Travis Topolski, Emily Triplett, Alexander Wagner, Katherine Whalen, Rebecca Wheeler, Sydnee White, Olivia Wilder, Christine Wilkinson, Caitlyn Williams, Frans Wollnik, Daniel Zappulla, Nicholas Zins.

Paxton: Dustin Geoghagan.

Santa Rosa Beach: Alexandra Bakane, Susan Breed, Skyler Coetzee, Quinn Duprey, Kristine Faulk, Emma Fretts, Michelle Hooker, Alexandra McDuffie, Taylor Moberly, Jessica Nguyen, Ashley Redmond, Kristin Spargo, Michael Swiercz, Samuel Vernon, Jessica Yates.

Shalimar: Cassidy Beaulieu, Rachel Bonck, Sara Carrillo, Ryan Casburn, Emily Collins, Olivia Dempcy, Rachel Dovin, Eric Ellison, Carrie Etienne-McCollum, John Green, Savannah Judkins, Julia Kahle, Kyle Kennedy, Kyra Lenox, Daniel Lucey, Hillary MacDonald, Aimee Martell, Jaime Phillips, Ashley Quackenbush, Michelle Riggs, Alyna Segura-Sanchez, Katie Watts.

Valparaiso: Joy Armbrester, Jeremy Burke, Julia Denney, Joshua Estep, Stephanie Fitzgerald, Christian Geci, Alex Hencinski, Rhoda Lazo, Tara Lord, Stephen Rogers, Michelle Sinicrope, Laura Vitullo.

Westville: Justin Ellis, Makala Hicks.

Dean’s List:
Baker: Chelsie Burgess, Kelly Lafferty, Miranda Sargent, Lydia Williamson.

Crestview: Victoria Anderson, Alycia Berry, Britanie Bing, Stacie Bonilla, Brendon Brien, Mary Brown, Sarah Brown, John Bullard, Saradabai Burgess, Shelby Burns, Cody Bush, Michael Caldwell, Shelly Campbell, Taylor Carlisle, Amy Caron, Cory Carte, Tyler Carter, Tiffany Carter-Nubern, Andrew Cawthon, Caige Chapman, Shai Chavez, Won Hee Chong, Dakota Corbin, Savannah Czarnecki, Kelsie Dardon, Ricardo Dardon, Justin Darr, Dwight Eddings, Christina Edens, Autum Edgerton, Lori Ethridge, Patrick Fitzgerald, Reginald Floyd, Mallory Foy, Valeria Gamboa, Nancy Garcia, Emily Gennaro, Elpidtha Gibson, Cierra Goldsmith, Alicia Gonzales, Heather Gouveia, Sheena Guthrie, Montrell Harrington, Andrew Helt, Lisa Hernandez, Danielle Hindel, Matthew Hogg, Meghan Hohman, Keith Holland, Katerina Huff, Timothy Hulme, Solene Hurd, Oliver Jordan, Kenneth Kania, Jessica Karlesky, Bettye Keefer, Melanie Kennedy, Megan King, Samantha Leatherwood, Kenneth Lewis, Kevin Lewis, Eric Litton, Katie Lowrey, Courtney Luke, Karan MacDonald, Dennis Martinez, Derik Martinez, Jason Masters, Kyra McCallister-Schwartz, Alexis Miller, Samantha Millhouse, Kelley Moss, Sheila Mottor, Michael Mullins, Jennifer Nieves, Karen Norris, Angela O'Neill, Jordan Orlando, Krissy Parham, Jose Pereira, William Plummer, Michael Reckoff, Elena Rivera, Jennifer Rolling, Robert Salazar, Rosa Sanchez, Bobbie Schneider, Jessica Schwartz, Charles Scroggins, Matthew Self, Sarah Shaffer, Lindsay Shimek, Robert Shimmel, Kayla Siler, Christina Spinks, Elisha Swanner, Ashly Thomas, Jeffrey Thompson, Antoine Tillman, Cody Vann, Steven Wagner, Amanda Wahl, Brett West, Heather White, Jennah White, Robin Whiteted, Kaelan Whittington, Blake Williams, Clarence Williams, Seth Williams, Melinda Workman.

DeFuniak Springs: Andrea Andrews, William Bishop, Devero Bogart, Jennifer Davenport-Groves, Dacia Day, Andrew Ferrell, Tiffany Graham, Holley Hester, Alexandra Infinger, Angela Jeffery, John McCullough, Kasey McKee, Thomas Molinets, Brandy Odom, Peggy Oliver, Brian Oreglia, Amanda Paulk, Leslie Peterson, Brittany Picon, Charles Pyle, Jordan Sparks, Anni Trotman, Melissa Ward, Sara Wilkins, Nyssa Williams, Crystal York, Chad Zessin.

Destin: Kevan Adams, Amanda Berrios, Csilla Borbely, Lilly Cheney, Katarina Chouri, Summer Derry, Kaleigh Dunn, Hadley Fenn, Tony Fretts, Cameron Gilley, Christopher Goins, Lee Guerrera, Chloe Hagle, Savannah Henry, Bethany Keller, Marisa Kirby, Melody Mathews, Loren Mikulski, Taylor Murphy, Anthony Nelson, Dillon Patel, Jhoely Posayco, Cody Sanders, Elizabeth Steele, Emily Thomas, Jeff Tratt, Paige Turner, Tatiana Volcov.

Eglin Air Force Base: Kevin Conrad, Christin Cothran, Courtney Cruson, Nicole Dunn, Laura Henry, Anthony Johnson, Heather Nieves.

Fort Walton Beach: Steven Adams, Lorena Anderson, Brendan Beard, Melissa Becker, Jennifer Bell, Tracy Blackshear, Randy Block, Bridgette Bradley, Malcolm Brodie, Trisha Buckley, Jessey Burroughs, Caroline Burton, Kristopher Callamaras, Simone Campbell, Lucian Capliar, Chelsea Cason, Tanner Chau, Bryan Chavez, Timur Cherkezov, Maegan Collins, Andrew Cummins, David Danner, Kristen Davis, Nathanael Davis, Misty Dean, Kim Dekorver, Melina Diaz, Nika Donnelly, Laura Duncan, Diane Dunn, Kenny Edwards, Ashley Enzer, Charlie Filson-Dineen, Daniel Fuentes, Anthony Fuller, Michael Gambert, Nicole Gorrell, Ericka Greenlee, Ashley Gregory, Shannon Guthrie, Caitlyn Hackney, Joshua Hart, Tracy Hedtkamp, Lori Henretty, Ashley Hoard, Tiffany Horan, Rebecca Howell, Sara Howerton, Jennifer Hunt, Laurie Jackson, Joshua Jay, Barbara Jernigan, Roger Johnson, Jan Juarez-Jimenez, Brandon Justice, Kristina Killingsworth, Amy Kom, Nicole Krejci, Andrea Kurth, John Lemire, Marissa Lewis, Jaymee Litscher, Sophia Luong, Myla Martinez, Mallory Maughon, Christina McBride, Deanna McDevitt, Michael McMullen, Julia Merritt, Timothy Messer, Keilah Michael, Preston Miller, Connor Mills, Heather Mims, Andrea Moore, Tiffany Moore, Alisa Neal, Michael Neau, Christine Nunnery, Julie O'Born, Lauren Osborn, Garry Page, Haleigh Pascoe, Connor Perrett, Samantha Prevatt, Ian Pryor, Rebbecca Quinlisk, Jonathan Rasch, David Rebholz, Hannah Reece, Casey Reyes, Paige Richard, Sarah Rippert, Hailey Roach, Cassandra Rojas, Israel Rosa, Dubner Saintilus, Cesar Salgado, Rik Sargent, Mark Shelton, Gabrielle Smith, Gail Speed, Andrea Stobbe, Crystal Swanson, Helena Tavarez, Scottie Thurwanger, Chelsea Tondreau, Alfred Trevino, Bruno Trillo, Francisca Unger, Karina Unger, Douglas Vachon, Tina Valentine, Kristi Varner, Jackie Vermillion, Emma Vincent, Haley Warren, Crystal Weatherly, Jennifer White, Cassey Williams, John Williams, Caroline Willis, Christopher Wright, Jonathan Yubi.

Freeport: Anthony Abdo, Rachel Anderson, Darryl Frazier, Michelle Hebert, Lila Lennon, Susannah Lennon, Jesse Moon, Briana Ross, Caley Stewart, Rebekah Thorgaard, Candace Tousignant, Brittany Umble, Madeline Wells, Olivia Wells, Iia Wolak.

Holt: Jillian Barton, Nickolas Nicoll.

Hurlburt Field: Kayla Deatherage, Cleotis Rozier.

Laurel Hill: Chloe Collinsworth, Rebekah Linton, Madeline Toannon.

Mary Esther: Desirae Austin, Hannah Boutwell, Ashley Compton, Adam Cool, Lana Dahl, Madeline Dent, John Edwards, Danielle Flynn, Kristen Genrich, Rebekah Glover, Sara Higgs, Robert Hildebrand, Douglas Ingram, Angel Jordan, Kristen Kelley, Leslie Lilly, Andrew Mack, Cheri Medrano, Shawn Moore, Yeidy Mundo Perez, Sarah O'Gallagher, Christopher Palacios, Summer Parsons, Zachariah Pauls, Brenda Penn, Mark Reeves, Sarah Reeves, Sean Renshaw, Russell Richardson, Sarah Sendy, Allison Story, Shirley Taylor, Tracy Wujciak.

Miramar Beach: Anthony Aponte Acosta, Jonathan Chee, Roy Craft, Maxim Hoehn, Hannah Wardlaw.

Navarre: Marlene Acevedo, Nicole Banister, Eddie Beasley, Brittany Blower, Luke Bray, Sara Bruner, Michael Buckley, Mark Chelette, Raquel Corkill, Anthony Davis, Tamara Deputy, Mitchell Harvey, Steven Hersom, Jonathan Kauble, Robin Kuldas, Christopher Lynch, Kandee Matthews, Lee Mills, Cody Olson, Alberto Porras, Miranda Poynter, Jamieson Ross, Christine Rowe, Destinee Sanders, Justyn Stevens, Reanna Stoops, Christopher Waldron, John Williams, Mark Wilson, Deneb Wright.

Niceville: Stevie Adams, Amber Adkins, Rachel Agin, Esther Alldredge, Jennifer Barsky, Lauren Barsky, Brandon Beauchamp, Nakara Beliveau, Paige Bennett, Alexandria Bikker, Alexa Birmingham, Kala Blackmon, Kimberly Bridges, Mikayla Bristol, Justin Broaderick, Elizabeth Brown, Kayla Buchanan, Stephen Buchanan, Catilina Caballero, Aaron Cain, Alejandro Cano, Fletcher Cary, William Coleman, Meghan Connelly, Nicholas Corbin, James Corkum, Brian Cunningham, Lauren Day, Shantelle Deleon-Rustin, Hector Delgado, Kayra Donahoo, Jackson Duchock, Sebastian Duckworth, Mary Eichler, Brandon Farlough, Cameron Fisher, Jeremy Fleischmann, Ginger Foster, Rachel Fuller, Susan Galati, Alison Henna, Dylan Hoover, Jonathan Hudson, Maegan Hughes, Abigail Johnson, Kyrsten Johnson, Ana Johnston, Shaya Karpowich, Chloe Keicher, Ashley Kempton, Jessica King, Jacob Knight, Deanna Lajeunesse, Melanie Lane, Brennen Leon, Justyn Lewis-Washington, Sarah Lopez, Melony Malone, Madeleine Mancera, Ken Martin, Leticia Matsuoka, Tessa Mayhew, Shelley McDonald, Kyle McDorman, Joel McDuffie, David McKiever, Shane Melancon, Christian Merrill, Madeline Merts, Rachel Miller, Phillip Mitchell, John Montague, Jared Nieves, Veronica Ojeda, Kristen O'Neal, Luke Papanicolaou, Jason Peterson, Zachary Phillips, Wayne Reed, Shane Reeves, Quinn Ritter, Maryann Rivas, Meredith Roberts, Zach Rodgers, Christy Rodriguez, Vincent Ryder, Stacey Sanders, Sivu Schlegel, Gabrielle Schlink, Casey See, Joseph Settle, Tyler Shiltz, Hannah Simerly, Joseph Sparks, Jonathon Spillman, John Steele, Jesse Taylor, Lindsey Telles, Sandra Tierney, Charlotte Traver, Zachary Underwood, Andrew Washburn, Kurtis Watson, Lauren Welton, Emmett White.

Paxton: Kristyn Geiselman, Abby Hamilton, Katherine Hamilton.

Ponce De Leon: Desiree Rushing, Megan Salzlein, Jamie Vanwagoner, Kegan Vaughan.

Santa Rosa Beach: Jeannine Abadie, Jarison Carter, Brianna Cryar, Shelbe Disler, Sonia Fenik, Kelsey Gibbs, Crystal Heberlee, Mark Huynh, Keeley Ignasiak, Christopher Jayne, Rafaella Ledo-Massey, Chase Lee, Chelsea Lindaas, Adrian Lovell, Ashley MacDougall, Melanie Pietenpol, Christina Roland, James Ryan, Collin Sanders, Jeremy Skinner, Samantha Snider, Carson Tolbert.

Shalimar: Rhianna Bergquist, Katie Berry, Chelsea Boyer, Irina Brooks, Henry Brunson, Brandon Burrows, Kristian Colon-Bruno, Colby Crye, Ashley Foster, Larissa Gough, William Harden, Brittany Harkins, Toni Hodson, Matthew Hovatter, Keith Hubbard, Brandon Jennings, Allyson Johnson, David Kalin, Bonnie Kern, Mikko Kononen, Laura Maney, Jessica Means, Sharon Morris, Samantha Newman, Hannah O'Day, Taylor Oldaker, Lonelle Ordway, Jennifer Phillips, Rachel Phillips, Julien Pugh, Joshua Revere, Jenise Russell, Christine Shelingoski, Krystal Steele, Heather Tatum, Merissa Vargas, Hayden Veech, Ashleigh Vinson, Stefan Wheeless.

Valparaiso: Tracee Ankoviak, Aaron Bockover, Aaron Broaddus, Brendan McBeth, Marissa Milligan, Correen Smith, Hope Wells, Stephanie Wilbur.

Westville: Sophia Centanni, Veronica Davidson, Amber Hayden, Christopher Wilczewski.

NICEVILLE – A man is looking for his Bug shell.

Niceville Police received a call on Feb. 3 about the theft. A man who lives on Government Avenue called lawmen after discovering his Volkswagen Beetle shell had vanished from his property.

He added the shell had no value, and he had no paperwork on it, but if he came across any he would file a report.

He simply wanted to let them know, he said.

No other information was available.
 

NICEVILLE – A man’s gun is missing, and Niceville Police officers are looking into the theft.

On Feb. 3 the Niceville man called lawmen to report the theft of the firearm, which had taken place sometime over the last three months.

He described it as a 1911 Colt .45 Korean-era pistol with wooden handle grips.

He said there were only three people who knew where the gun was located – his son, his grandson, and a man who works with his son’s wife and had been to the house to look into purchasing another firearm.

The man said he kept the gun under his bed and took it out only every three months to clean it. He’d been keeping the door open so their dog could come and go, since their landlord wouldn’t let him install a dog door.

Three magazines for the gun were also missing.

Total value of the theft is $900.

NICEVILLE – A woman who argued with her husband via text messages traded the virtual for the real world when she kicked open his bedroom door and walloped him, lawmen say.

On Jan. 7 the two began a text-message argument from different rooms at their Niceville residence, according to a Niceville Police Department arrest report. The spat grew out of an issue of unfaithfulness, and escalated into a physical confrontation.

The 23-year-old woman is said to have kicked her husband’s door open, ripped off his covers and began kicking, punching, and scratching him. At one point she threw a lit cigarette on him.

Officers noted both parties sustained injuries “consistent with both being mutual combatants,” according to the arrest report.

The arrest report didn’t indicate if the husband faced similar charges.

The woman was charged with domestic violence and faces a Feb. 21 court date.