Local and State News

July 6, 2017 Montgomery, Ala – Three words for this year’s Fourth of July holiday travel period: no seat belts. Seat belts were available but not in use in seven of the eight deadly traffic crashes Alabama State Troopers are investigating from this year’s extended holiday weekend, which began at 6 p.m. Friday, June 30, and ran through midnight Tuesday, July 4. The eight fatal traffic crashes consisted ...

July 6, 2017 Santa Rosa Beach, Fla— A 6-year-old boy just a week away from competing in the Little League World Series in Louisiana will now have his championship ring back thanks to the quick work of Walton County Sheriff’s Office deputies. Thursday morning, around 8am deputies responded to a report of a car burglary on Magnolia Creek Road in ...

July 6, 2017 A seven-week-old baby who was found deceased after being left in a family vehicle for nearly eight hours July 2 nd is identified as Timothy Christopher McCoy of Romana Lane, Mary Esther. The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation and will release details at the appropriate time. The OCSO received a 9-1-1 call around 9:30 ...

July 5, 2017 Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. – An explosion occurred at the McKinley Climatic Lab shortly before 10:00 a.m. Wednesday morning. According to base officials a 1,000 foot cordon was established and the surrounding area was evacuated. The smoke that was visible did not pose a health hazard to the general public. Although base officials did at one ...

July 4, 2017 A 21 year old Rosemary Beach man lost his life in a fatal accident shortly after midnight Tuesday morning July 4, 2017. According to a Florida Highway Patrol news release, 21 YO Brennen L Johns of Rosemary Beach, FL was operating a black 2014 Honda Civic that was traveling east on US Highway 98 in the outside ...

Story by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Since 1998, 701 children have died due to heatstroke after being left or trapped in a hot vehicle. Think this tragedy can’t happen to you and your family? Ask Raelyn Balfour. Raelyn had heard about heatstroke’s dangers. Like many of us, she chalked it up to irresponsible parents leaving children behind in vehicles. Then ...

July 3, 2017 Mary Esther, FL – The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a seven week old baby was left in a family vehicle Sunday for approximately eight hours. The OCSO received a 9-1-1 call around 9:30 pm Sunday night when the baby was discovered dead inside a van at a family member’s home in Mary Esther. The ...

July 2, 2017 Destin, FL – Less than 48 hours after a transient was murdered in a small park, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Destin man in connection with the slaying. Investigators with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office were able to develop 36-year old William Joffre Reed of 547 Driftwood Lane as a suspect in the murder ...

July 2, 2017 Destin, FL – A murder victim whose body was discovered at Destin’s Harbor View Park Saturday morning has been identified. The victim is 31-year old Robert “Nick” Mayall, a transient believed to be from somewhere along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office is pursuing several leads in the case and at this time will ...

July 2, 2017 Pensacola, FL  – Anthony J. Atkins, 51, of Eufaula, Alabama, was sentenced Wednesday to 63 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $2.4 million in restitution for conspiracy to commit bank fraud, four counts of false statements to a federally insured financial institution, bank fraud, and mail fraud affecting a financial institution. Atkins was convicted ...