CRESTVIEW — Here are upcoming and recent events in North Okaloosa County and surrounding areas.
Historian to present information on West Florida's early days
CRESTVIEW — Historian Hank Klein will speak on the topic "The Early Days of West Florida." The presentation starts at 10:30 a.m. Jan. 23 at the Crestview Public Library, 1445 Commerce Drive, Crestview.
Call 682-4432 to reserve a seat.
The remainder of his presentations are listed below.
•"The Old East Pass & Destin Lighthouse Keepers," 6 p.m. Jan. 25, Heritage Park and Cultural Center, 139 Miracle Strip Parkway SE, Fort Walton Beach. Call 833-9595 to RSVP.
•"Major Public Land Laws of the U.S.," during the Genealogical Society of Okaloosa County meeting, 10:30 a.m. Jan. 26, Fort Walton Beach Public Library, 185 Miracle Strip Parkway, Fort Walton Beach.
•"Miramar Beach was Once Shoals, Florida," 10 a.m. Jan. 30, Coastal Library of Walton County, 437 Greenway Trail, Santa Rosa Beach.
•"Destin Pioneer Settlers – A Land History of Destin from 1819-1940," during The Resurrection Snowbird Group meeting, 10 a.m. Jan. 31, Resurrection Catholic Church, 259 Miramar Beach Drive, Miramar Beach.
•"History Mystery Too," 7 a.m. Feb. 6, during the Mid-Bay Rotary Club meeting, American House at Bluewater Bay, fifth floor, 4595 U.S. Highway 20 East, Niceville.
•Second "Early Days of Northwest Florida" presentation during the Destin History and Fishing Museum membership and board meeting, 6 p.m. Feb. 13 at the museum, 108 Stahlman Ave., Destin.
•"How Did Destin Become Destin?" presentation is 5 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Destin museum, 108 Stahlman Ave.
Northwest Florida State foundation seeks Alumni Award nominations
The Northwest Florida State College Foundation is seeking nominations for its 2019 Alumni Awards. This is an opportunity to honor a deserving alumnus of Okaloosa-Walton Junior College, Okaloosa-Walton Community College, Okaloosa-Walton College or Northwest Florida State College.
There are four categories of awards:
Distinguished Alumni Award – for an alumnus who is a true success story in a state or national arena.
Against The Odds Award – for an alumnus who has achieved success despite adversity.
Rising Star Award – for an alumnus who is under 40 years of age and is a success story with potential for achievement in a state or national arena.
Hometown Hero – for an alumnus who has achieved success within the college’s district and demonstrated notable community involvement.
"I strongly encourage the community to nominate alumni who have made an impact," said NWFSC President Dr. Devin Stephenson. "We greatly depend on involvement from our community to help us recognize graduates who are making positive transformational changes."
Award recipients will be recognized at the Foundation’s Annual Scholars and Donors Luncheon in fall of 2019.
For complete descriptions of eligibility requirements and nomination information, visit www.nwfsc.edu/alumni. All nominations for the 2019 awards are due Feb. 1.
Call 729-5357 or email alumni@nwfsc.edu for more information.
Boston butt sale to benefit cancer Relay for Life
CRESTVIEW — The Duke it Out Relay For Life team is hosting a cooked Boston butt sale for the Feb. 3 Super Bowl game. Cost is $30 each, with pick up from 4-5 p.m. Feb. 2 at Winn-Dixie in north Crestview.
Contact Loney Whitley, 537-4654 o4 603-3500, to order.
Boyles to host Coffee with the Commissioner event
BAKER — Okaloosa County Commissioner Nathan Boyles will discuss issues relating to the services, programs and improvements provided by Okaloosa County.
Multiple members of the Board of County Commissioners may attend and participate in the discussion, which is open to the public.
"Coffee with the Commissioner" starts at 5 p.m. Feb. 19 at the Camp Retreat, 5493 U.S. Highway 4, Baker.
Florida State Association scholarship available
The Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections will award three $1,200 scholarships at their annual summer conference.
Applicants must be Political Science, Public or Business Administration, or Journalism/Mass Communication majors who completed or will have completed two years of college and be enrolled or accepted as a full-time student in a senior college or university in Florida.
Applicants must also have been bona fide residents of Florida for two years, and be registered to vote.
Obtain applications at www.GoVote-Okaloosa.com, or an Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections office.
One Okaloosa County nominee will be selected and forwarded to the FSASE Scholarship Committee to compete on the state level.
The deadline to return applications to an OCSOE office is March 29.
Deadline for return of applications to the Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections office is March 29.
Contact Katie Fults, voter education/PR coordinator, at 850-689-5600 or kfults@myokaloosa.com, for details or an application packet.
Law enforcement leaders graduate from leadership academy
TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Criminal Justice Executive Institute announces the recent graduation of 37 first-line supervisors from the Florida Leadership Academy. These graduates serve in leadership roles representing 29 criminal justice agencies throughout the state.
The graduates met for four week-long sessions at the St. Johns River State College in St. Augustine. They learned skills necessary to support the needs of their agencies and their communities as they prepare for future challenges.
The goal of the Florida Leadership Academy is to prepare first-line supervisors in criminal justice organizations to exemplify the character and integrity expected of criminal justice professionals and to examine the various components necessary to being an efficient leader.
Graduates include Jason Folley and Samantha Schill, of the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa Community Briefs