Ripped From the Headlines - July 26
Woman trampled by deer still in ICU with head injuries
Walton Sun
A woman who was trampled by a deer inside the Tops’l Beach and Racquet Resort on the morning of July 22 is still in ICU at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola recovering from extensive trauma to her head. Sheila Potts, 68, of Memphis was reportedly walking back to her rental unit near the tennis courts when a deer that was crossing from one area of woods to another struck her. According to Potts’ son-in-law Dr. Eugene Scobby, Potts is recovering from serious bleeding in the brain. “They (doctors) are still trying to determine if she is going to need surgery (for the bleeding),” he said. “She suffered a subdural hematoma and cerebral hemorrhage. We still have to see if they will have to drain blood from the brain.” Scobby said she also broke five vertebrae, a pulmonary contusion to the lung, a laceration to the scalp and several broken ribs. MORE...
BRAND DESTIN: A regional identity crisis?
For many tourists, wherever you go, it’s Destin. This presents challenges and opportunities
Fraser Sherman | The Destin Log
In the eyes of some people, Destin’s boundaries reach from Okaloosa Island to somewhere in Walton County. “There is a Destin brand and it extends beyond the geographical limits of the city,” Destin City Councilor Jim Bagby told The Log. “If you go out all the way to 30-A, probably, people will tell you they’re in Destin.” Freedom Communications interviewed several vacationers on C.R. 30-A, and sure enough, one in three said that when they went home, they’d probably tell people they’d been to Destin. “I would say Destin,” tourist Eamonn McCabe said. For some people, the blurred boundaries are a problem: They don’t find out they’re outside Destin city limits until they apply at City Hall for the free passes available to city residents for Henderson Beach State Park or the Joe’s Bayou Boat Ramps. MORE...
Starbucks at Rosemary Beach and Watercolor scheduled to close after Labor Day
Nate Kelly | Walton Sun
Taking a morning walk down to the local Starbucks will no longer be an option for residents of Rosemary Beach and Watercolor. The two Starbucks locations are scheduled to close as part of the nationwide downsizing of 600 stores by the company. They are scheduled to close some time after Labor Day, although no firm date is set, according to Quinn Petterson, an employee at the Watercolor location. "I'm disappointed," said Petterson, who has worked at the location for nine months. MORE...
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Head lifeguard off to Hawaii for ride of his life
Walton Sun
South Walton Fire District Beach Safety Coordinator Gary Wise is no stranger to water competition. Just this year, the Australian native has won several paddleboard surfing events in the state as a YOLO (You Only Live Once) Board LLC representative from South Walton – including the Florida Paddleboarding Championship in March and the East Coast Paddleboarding title last month in Key West. But even with his vast knowledge of the sport, Wise admits his next challenge at the Quiksilver Edition Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race this Sunday in Hawaii will be completely different than anything he’s done before. MORE...
New preschool to open in South Walton next month
Sean Boone | Walton Sun
The Santa Rosa Beach Community Church on U.S. Highway 98 will soon be teaching tykes in its fellowship hall. On Aug. 19, the church will begin a three-day a week preschool program for 3-year-old to pre-kindergarten age children. “The academics will be taught through playing,” said Community Church Education Deacon Jean Rice. There will be games, songs and stories (to be taught through).” According to the program brochure, the curriculum will be based around each individual child’s needs and learning level. Each teacher involved with the program has a background in education and holds a masters degree. Congregation members helped remodel three rooms of the fellowship hall for classroom use. MORE...
No tax-free holiday for back-to-school shopping
Rachel Kyler, Florida Freedom Newspapers
Fortunately for area businesses, back-to-school shopping is a necessity, not a luxury. But it's a necessity that will leave local parents digging deeper in their pockets this school year. Florida's state legislature never authorized a back-to-school sales-tax holiday last legislative session. "Of all the years, this is the year they should have had it," said Destin resident Paul Sisamis, who has friends that come in from Mississippi to take advantage of the holiday. "With the high price of gas I thought that would be a break for everybody." Since 1998, the popular holiday gave parents a little break when buying clothing. School supplies were added to the list in 2001. Last year's savings amounted to more than $46 million. MORE...
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