Local and State News

November 9, 2017 Shalimar, FL – In a recent round of lead testing that took place across the southern portion of Okaloosa County, a small number of homes were found to have a detectable level of lead that surpassed acceptable federal standards. Of thirty samples that were taken across unincorporated Ft. Walton Beach, unincorporated Mary Esther, Shalimar, and Okaloosa Island, twenty-six returned non-detectable results, ...

November 8, 2017 Baker, FL – Four teenagers from Crestview are now in custody after they attempted to kidnap a Baker teenager and hold her for ransom. According to reports, four teens armed with a knife, guns and a roll of tape planned to kidnap and rob members of a Baker family last night, but their plot didn’t go as ...

November 6, 2017 DeFunaik Springs, Fla— After a night of hunting a man comes home to find four of his dogs have been stolen. Deputies were called out to Myers Road Saturday morning regarding a report of a residential burglary. The victim told deputies he left his home to go hunting around 4AM and when he returned around noon four ...

November 4, 2017 DeFuniak Springs, FL – A Walton County man has been sentenced to prison following his plea to second degree murder. On Thursday, November 2, 2017, Judge Kelvin Wells sentenced Jefferson Charles Michael Helton, Jr. to 40 years in state prison following his plea of no contest to Second Degree Murder. Helton was also ordered to pay fines, court ...

November 4, 2017 DeFuniak Springs, Fla — A 19-year-old has been arrested following a shooting Saturday on Quebec Avenue. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Just before 1pm Saturday Walton County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a shots fired call where the suspect entered the adjoining property and fired one round towards a subject and then fled the scene on foot. A 9mm ...

November 4, 2017 Laurel Hill, FL – A teenager and his grandmother have been arrested in connection with an incident where shots fired from a pellet rifle frightened people on Old Ebenezer Road near Laurel Hill. The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office received reports Friday around 2:15 p.m. of a teen hanging out of the front passenger window of a dark colored ...

November 3, 2017 by Brian Hughes Crestview, FL — Investigators with the Crestview Police Department have made two arrests in conjunction with a shooting that occurred at a school bus stop at the intersection of Williams Avenue and Rayburn Street on Tuesday morning, October 31, 2017. A 13-year-old boy remains hospitalized in stable condition with gunshot wounds following the incident. Thursday night, November ...

November 1, 2017 Crestview, FL – A 13-year old Crestview girl is charged with grand theft auto and being a principle to grand theft auto after OCSO investigators say she stole her grandmother’s car and later attempted to take another vehicle left running in a driveway. Velta Chesser was arrested by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office October 31st. Deputies say Chesser ...

October 31, 2017 By Brian Hughes Crestview, FL  — A 13-year-old boy was shot several times around 6:10 this morning at a school bus stop at Rayburn Street and Williams Avenue and a juvenile suspect is in custody. Several schools, including Davidson, Crestview High School, Walker Elementary School and Southside Primary School, which is closest to the incident site, were placed in ...

October 27, 2017 The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office has charged a Fort Walton Beach registered sexual predator for a violation of sexual predator registration requirements and felony aggravated stalking. On October 24th the OCSO received a complaint that 61-year old Wilbert Scarver was following and talking with a 13-year old girl near her school bus stop close to his home on Shirley Drive over ...