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Escambia County deputies are working a standoff on Le Ruth Drive in Ferry Pass Thursday afternoon. Deputies answered a criminal mischief call late in the morning for a man hitting a stop sign with a baseball bat. When officers arrived, the man ran inside a home and is now refusing to come out, according to the sheriff's office. He has reportedly fired fireworks at the deputies. At this time, SWAT is not involved. The man's identity has not been released.
Santa Rosa County, FL (Newsradio 92.3) -- Santa Rosa County commissioners took no action on a proposal to pave Kern Street in the Florida Town subdivision. Commissioners took no action on the item at Tuesday's BOCC committee meeting, and do not plan to discuss the item at their regular meeting this Thursday.
Developer Thomas Cornelius requested that the county pave the currently unpaved road and be reimbursed by his development. The arrangement would have enabled construction of affordable homes priced between $250,000 and $290,000 in the area.
Board members raised concerns about the project's environmental impact, particularly its location within the Florida Town watershed. One commissioner noted the area is flagged in the watershed analysis as a potential problem zone for stormwater drainage.
Engineering questions also emerged about whether the existing road surface could be simply resurfaced or would require full reconstruction to county standards.
Staff will complete a full watershed impact analysis and stormwater engineering review. The developer can resubmit the proposal once that analysis is complete.
If approved at that time, the agreement would require Cornelius to obtain all state environmental permits and construct the road to county standards, with specific payment deadlines and penalties for late reimbursement.
Okaloosa County, FL (Newsradio 92.3) -- An Okaloosa County cold case is closed after more than half a century. The body of nineteen-year-old college student Debra Espey was found in a wooded area in Niceville on March 12th, 1973. She was beaten to death and buried in a shallow grave. The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office confirms the case is now solved. Dennis Murphy was the sole suspect in Espey's murder. A witness claimed to have seen Espey with Murphy the day she went missing. Murphy died in an Alabama traffic crash in February 2023. Espey's family says they're grateful for the closure and thanked investigators for their work over the years.