County to Timberview: Cease and desist: Airport says helicopters can’t tow...
After operating at the Destin Airport for a number of years, Timberview Helicopters owner Justin Johnson says county officials have basically issued him a cease and desist order. "They are saying I...
View ArticleHunting for Jaws - Movie fan visits Emerald Coast to collect items for book
With the countdown to Shark Week just days away, Aug. 4-10, Destin has its own claim to fame with a little shark movie, Jaws 2. Many scenes for the 1978 film, as well as extras, came from the World’s...
View ArticleMinistry in a backpack: Destiny Worship Center to deliver school supplies to...
With bags stacked upon bags, and buckets filled with everything from notebooks to glue sticks, volunteers were adding the last item to the 1,250 student backpacks Thursday morning — tennis shoes. For...
View ArticlePOLICE BLOTTER: Two injured in boating related incidents at Crab Island
Girl loses finger when she jumps from boat An 8-year-old Georgia girl vacationing with her family lost a finger July 27 when she jumped from a pontoon boat anchored in near Crab Island. The Florida...
View ArticleHALL: PAWS IN PRISON: “Men training dogs, dogs teaching men”
I’m on my way to graduation ceremonies of some four footed critters who have been in intensive training for the past 10 weeks. I am on my way to Bay Correctional Facility in Panama City, Florida. At...
View ArticleThis week in Destin history: Noisy nights
Aug. 4 - 10 35 years ago — 1978 Most Destin motel and condominium operators told The Log the proposed 2-percent bed tax would hurt tourism rather than help it, because tourists couldn’t afford an...
View ArticleStar-gazing event slated for Aug. 9 in Destin
The Department of Environmental Protection and Henderson Beach State Park will host a star gazing program 5:30-10 p.m. Aug. 9. Volunteers from the Northwest Florida Astronomy Association will set up...
View ArticleBrown water bums beachgoers
In recent weeks, local waterways have lost that sparkly blue-green magic that draws thousands of tourists each year. The bayous and bays are a murky brown, and the waves rolling in from the Gulf of...
View ArticleTwo motorists report possible law officer impersonation
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office is investigating two reports of motorists being pulled over by someone possibly impersonating a law officer. A woman told deputies that she was stopped about 10:30...
View ArticleOlin Marler Charters started as just a weekend venture
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of stories profiling some local businesses that have endured the Test of Time to be part of our community for decades. DESTIN — For nearly 50 years, Olin...
View ArticleLightning strike causes brush fire at Indian Bayou Golf Course
First responders from the Destin Fire Control District responded to a brush fire on Indian Bayou Golf Course property Sunday night. Battalion Chief Jimmy Taylor told The Log that fire was caused by a...
View ArticleReinventing the wheel: Becnel, homeowners disagree on Ferris wheel
When it comes to the proposed Ferris wheel for The Village of Baytowne Wharf, it "should have been a less-than-minor development," says Sandestin owner Tom Becnel. It's been almost a year since The...
View ArticleH.O.G. rally promises fall tourism boost (DOCUMENT, GALLERY)
OKALOOSA ISLAND — Vacation bookings are already on the rise for the 2013 Florida State H.O.G. Rally, which will showcase many of its activities at The Boardwalk in late October. The event, which...
View ArticlePredicting the future of local tolls for Mid-Bay Bridge, Niceville Corridor
Jim Vest has heard the rumors of tolls jumping to $7.50 next year. He has fielded pointed questions from people wanting to know how his agency can, in good conscience, continue to charge travelers to...
View ArticleCity, county draft letters to Army Corps of Engineers opposing Timberview...
City and county leaders unanimously voted to send letters to the Army Corps of Engineers voicing their concern about helicopter tourism flights in Destin. "We now have a company that is requesting...
View ArticleBanner, cable fall on top of Okaloosa Island Elk's Lodge
Just days before city leaders and county officials were slated to discuss Timberview Helicopters tourism flights, a banner from owner Justin Johnson's other company, Emerald Coast Helicopters, fell on...
View ArticleHarbor pump 'fired up' after repairs (PHOTOS)
Repairs to the city's harbor pump have been completed after nearly five months. "We fired it up this past Friday," said Tim Pietenpol, the city's acting public services director. "It's been running...
View ArticleFSU fan in fast-food fisticuffs
A Fort Walton Beach man is in trouble after he allegedly slugged another man in the eye at a fast food restaurant. On July 20 an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s deputy was dispatched to Whataburger on...
View ArticleDestin's bike lanes: unsafe at any speed
Just recovering from a minor bicycle accident in Destin, where my bike slipped on what appeared to be gravel in the bike lane. Turns out it was gravel and broken glass likely swept there by the city....
View ArticleCoast Guard issues safety alert for parasail operators
In the last seven years, parasailing accidents in the U.S. have caused 11 passenger deaths and 52 injuries, the most recent of which occurred last month in Panama City Beach. The high number of...
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