Sat, 12 May 2012
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Some Of The News Covered:Mother's Day is May 13th! The Emerald Coast has been in perfect form with beach conditions for mothers coming to the Emerald Coast. The Destin area offers many salon and spa options where mothers can get pampered. The Emerald Sanctuary in Sandestin is a great choice to get a massage. Many restuarants will offer Sunday brunches. Great Southern Cafe in Seaside and the Compass Rose in Niceville are two great places to take a mother for brunch. Seaside will host ArtsQuest. During Mother's Day weekend, ArtsQuest will take place in Seaside on 30-A. The festival will include lots of art and music. There will be 130 international artists displaying many different mediums. Artists in the categories of Best In Show, Best In Category, Awards of Excellence, Awards of Merit and Best Booth will have a chance at $10,000 in cash prizes! Visit www.artsquestflorida.com for festival details. Reservations are up for 2012! The Emerald Coast experienced record numbers in visitors and business for 2011. The expectations for 2012 look to exceed that of 2011. Reservations for summer months at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort are 15 percent over the same time last year! Sandestin Resort is offering savings up to 20 percent off rates for reservations booked 21 days in advance. Those planning to vacation on the Emerald Coast during the summer months should book in advance to secure accomodations and receive incentives. Flotation devices required for stand-up paddleboards. Stand-up paddleboards are a frequently seen on local waters. With the popularity growing in recreational paddling, the amount of SUP's on the water is becoming dangerous to both boaters and SUP's. The Coast Guard is enforcing that all SUP's have a personal flotation device and a whistle where boat traffic is present. SUP's that are on the water before sunrise or after sunset must have some kind of light. Hurricane season begins June 1st. Locals are never excited to know that hurricane season is about to begin. The predictions for 2012 are similar to that of 2011. The Colorado State University Tropical Meteorology Project predicts 10 tropical storms, of which four would become hurricanes. The reason for the less-than-active season include a cooling of the tropical Atlantic Ocean and a developing El Nino in the Pacific Ocean, both of which tend to suppress hurricane activity. Links From This Episode:Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this show possible. Please visit them at: Music selection for this episode is The Owsley Brothers of Freeport with their song Hot Mess Got a show comment or suggestion? Or, are you a local band/artist who would like us to play your music?
Email me at destinfloridapodcast@yahoo.com |
Sun, 15 April 2012
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Some Of The News Covered:Spring break has been great for 2012! From Panama City to Destin, the Emerald Coast has experienced a high number of spring breakers. Whales Tail on Old Highway 98 had thousands of spring breakers daily on the beach. Many locals have been amazed by the amount of spring breakers! Spring break is concentrated more in March this year due to Easter being early. Spring break will be over by the end of April. Norriego Point received emergency dredging. Many boat captains were becoming concerned with how narrow the mouth of the harbor was becoming. Sand from Norriego Point shifted by 70-80 feet into the mouth of the harbor. The city of Destin had to carry-out an emergency dredging project. More than 10,000-cubic yards of sand was dredged and placed back on to Norriego Point. The dredge project cost the city $142,350. The ALE Reef will be in place by August 2012. A new artificial reef will go into local waters this year. By August, a reef made of pre-fabircated concrete structures should be deployed 21 miles south of Destin. The reef will be about 3 miles from the reef laid around the Monica Lea tugboat in 2011. The name of the reef is the Aquatic Life Ecosystem Reef or the ALE Reef. The project is being funded by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and $3,000 from Okaloosa County. Vinnie Mcguire's is now open! Mcguire's Irish Pub is known for their great food and beer. The local favorite has branched out to add a little Italian flavor. Mcguire's in Destin took over neighboring Ciao Bella to open Vinnie Mcguire's Pizza. The pizza comes in a small for $10 or a large for $16. There are many great toppings and sauces to choose from to create a one of a kind. The Vinnie Mcguire's is open 7 days a week from 11-11. Sea turtles may nest early this year. Unseasonably warm temperatures have the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission thinking sea turtles may start nesting early. The early nesting could be in jeopardy with spring break taking place. Beachgoers are urged to keep a distance and leave nesting turtles alone. Beachfront properties should keep lights to a minimum to avoid disturbing both nesting and hatching turtles. If sea turtles are spotted report the siting to the FFWCC at 1-888-404-FWCC or by text Tip@MyFWC.com Links From This Episode:Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this show possible. Please visit them at: Got a show comment or suggestion? Or, are you a local band/artist who would like us to play your music? Email me at destinfloridapodcast@yahoo.com |
Sat, 11 February 2012
How To Listen:
Some Of The News Covered:The Emerald Coast offers romance! With breathtaking sunsets and menus to satisfy every taste bud, the Emerald Coast is a great place to celebrate Valentine's Day. Many restaurants will offer specials for the romantic evening. The Solaris will offer a Valentine's Day dinner cruise on the Choctawhatchee Bay on February 11th and 14th. The cruise will include a four course meal, live music and great views of the bay. Reservations are required! Visit www.sunquestcruises.com for details. The Destin 50 Beach Ultra Marathon is soon! A weekend event on Destin beaches and surrounding areas will offer running enthusiasts a lot to run for. The event will take place February 18-20. The event will include a 5-mile run on Saturday, 50-mile and 50k Ultra Running Races and a 50-mile relay on Sunday. Monday will consist of a runner's social. The benefit will support the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. Visit www.destin50.com for details. Gumbo contest in the Baytowne Wharf! The Annual Sandestin Gumbo Cook-Off will take place February 18th at noon in the Village of Baytowne Wharf. Gumbo lover's will get the chance to taste the best gumbo on the Emerald Coast. Local businesses and restaurants will compete to when the cook-off. Tickets will cost $15 in advance and $25 the day of. Visit www.sandestingumbofestival.com for tickets and event info. Vision Airlines discontinues flights. Vision Airlines will no longer offer air service out of Northwest Florida Regional Airport. February 29th will be the last day of flights. Travelers have till February 26th to book flights. Vision Airlines had a positive impact on the local economy. The Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council spent more than $485,000 in advertising the Emerald Coast in the 22 cities Vision offered service to last spring and summer. An estimated $139 million impacted the local economy from more than 155,000 total passengers on Vision Airlines. It is not determined yet if Vision Airlines will continue service out of Northwest Florida Regional Airport. Alternative energy systems in Destin! The Destin City Council recently voted in favor of alternative energy systems. A proposal ordinance would allow for the use of smallscale energy generation systems such as solar panels and wind turbines as an accessory use in all zoning districts. Destin currently has no regulations. The city defined small-scale solar systems as, a solar collection system consisting of one or more roof or ground mounted solar collector devices and solar related equipment. The system is considered small-scale if it supplies electrical and thermal power solely for onsite use. Links From This Episode:Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this show possible. Please visit them at: Music selection for this episode is Homemadesoul of the Emerald Coast with their song With My Lady Got a show comment or suggestion? Or, are you a local band/artist who would like us to play your music?
Email me at destinfloridapodcast@yahoo.com |
Sat, 14 January 2012
How To Listen:
Some Of The News Covered:The 30-A Songwriter's Festival is back! The beautiful beach route of 30-A hosts the Songwriter's Festival that is growing in popularity. The festival will take place January 13-15. The three day event will feature more than 125 musicians and over 250 performances in venues ranging from small intimate rooms to outdoor amphitheaters. For 2012 the lineup will include the Indigo Girls, Rodney Crowell, The Bangles, Shawn Mullins, Sam Bush Band, Matthew Sweet and many local favorites! To find tickets, music lineups, venues and accomodations visit www.30asongwritersfestival.com Snowbirds are on the Emerald Coast! The winter visitors are increasing in numbers this month. The Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce will host the 2012 Winter Guest Fest on January 13th at the Emerald Coast Convention Center. The annual trade show is sponsored by ResortQuest and will take place from 8 a.m. till noon. There will be hundreds of vendors along with entertainment and food from local restaurants. More than 2,000 people have attended in past years. Casino may come to Sandestin. Recently, members of the Sandestin Owners Association attended a meeting at the Sandestin Town Hall to hear the idea of a casino in Sandestin. Tom Becnel, owner of Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, presented his ideas to the homeowners to determine whether or not a small entertainment-based gaming facility along Hwy 98 west of the Marriot Courtyard would be supported. Currently, there is a bill before the Florida Legislature to create a State Gaming Commission with a possibility of licensing up to five gambling casinos. Miramar Beach local publishes cookbook. Robert Medina is a Miramar local whose roots stretch to New Orleans. Medina once worked as a firefighter in New Orleans where he would often cook for the firehouse. Medina's father, brother and uncle were also firefighters that carried out the cooking for the same firehouse. The cooking experience Medina picked up at the firehouse later inspired his recent cookbook titled, If You Can't Stand The Heat... a New Orleans Firefighters Cookbook. The book is on sale at local bookstores along the Emerald Coast. Visit www.Fireitup.tateauthor.com for more info. Beach restoration to resume on Okaloosa Island. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has issued a final order to approve the permit to restore the beach on Okaloosa Island. Okaloosa County now has permission to complete the $12 million restoration of 2.9 miles of public beach. The project would add about 913,000 cubic yards of sand dredged from the Gulf of Mexico to the beach. The permit is good for five years. County commissioners will decide to move ahead with the project on January 17th. Links From This Episode:Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this show possible. Please visit them at: Music selection for this episode is Reed Waddle of Destin with their song The Beast Within Got a show comment or suggestion? Or, are you a local band/artist who would like us to play your music? Email me at destinfloridapodcast@yahoo.com |
Sat, 31 December 2011
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Links From This Episode:Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this show possible. Please visit them at: Music selection for this episode is Mean Street Riders of Miramar Beach with their song High on the Hog. Got a show comment or suggestion? Or, are you a local band/artist who would like us to play your music? Email me at destinfloridapodcast@yahoo.com |
Sat, 24 December 2011
How To Listen:
Some Of The News Covered:Some local favorites will be open for Christmas! On big holidays when most prefer to cook a big dinner, there are still some people that prefer to dine out. There will be several restaurants open in Destin for Christmas. Local favorites like, Beach Walk Cafe, La Famiglia, Marlin Grill, Sandcastles Restaurant, Hog's Breath and Ocean Club will be open! Harbor Docks will not be open for Christmas for 2011, which will be the first time in many years. An anonymous man payed off layaways at Destin Wal-Mart. All over the U.S. there have been stories of generous people paying off presents that are on layaway. In Destin, a man called up to the Destin Wal-Mart asking how much it would cost to pay off all the layaway items. The gentlemen came in to the store with a check for $2,700. The check covered layaway items for 20 different customers. The man remains anonymous except to a few Wal-Mart employees. Christmas Eve may see good beach weather! The forecast for the Emerald Coast is looking mild throughout the holidays. Christmas Eve is forecasted to be sunny with a high temperature of 68*F. Christmas Day is not looking to bright with showers in the forecast. Locals and visitors may have a few opportunities over the holidays to soak up some rays of sunshine. Bonita have been seen schooling off the beaches along with Sheepshead. The jetties are best spot for beach fishing. Destin is up for Best Beach in Florida! U.S. News and World Report is giving voters the opportunity to select Florida's Best Beach. Destin is in the running against Sanibel Is., Naples, Miami Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Key West and Ft. Myers. Destin is in the lead with 3,178 votes. Ft. Lauderdale is in second with only 593 votes. Go to http://travel.usnews.com/Rankings/Best_Florida_Beaches/ and vote for Destin! Okaloosa Gas prices decrease in 2012 Okaloosa Gas customers may start saving on gas bills come January 1st. Currently, gas customers pay $0.475 per therm for the cost of gas, and the new rate will be $0.45. The delivery rate for residential use of $0.4898 per therm and customer charge of $10.80 remains the same. The typical customer can expect an average monthly svings of $0.88 based on an average use of 35 therms per month. Links From This Episode:Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this show possible. Please visit them at: Music selection for this episode is Forrest Williams Band of Destin with their song Touched By Your Grace
Got a show comment or suggestion? Or, are you a local band/artist who would like us to play your music? Email me at destinfloridapodcast@yahoo.com |
Sun, 11 December 2011
How To Listen:
Links From This Episode:Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this show possible. Please visit them at: Music selection for this episode is Michael J. Thomas of Destin with their song City Beat.
Got a show comment or suggestion? Or, are you a local band/artist who would like us to play your music? Email me at destinfloridapodcast@yahoo.com |
Tue, 11 October 2011
How To Listen:
Some Of The News Covered:The Destin Seafood Fest was a success! The Destin Seafood Fest had a record turnout this year. Festivalgoers got to experience great weather, food, art, music and scenery. The festival was free to the public this year, which may have been the result for the great turnout along with the harbor as the venue. The seafood festival kicked off the fishing rodeo that takes place the entire month of October! The Destin Fishing Rodeo is on! The Destin Fishing Rodeo takes place from October 1st through the 31st. The festival has many events like the mullet toss, an exotic car show and a bike rally that take place. There is over $100k in cash prizes for 2011! The first and second place winners on the board of each division at the end of the rodeo will be entered in a drawing for $15k! Visit www.destinfishingrodeo.org Baby J's is now in the Gulf of Mexico. Baby J's was once a popular bar among locals on the Destin Harbor. The vessel had to relocate when it did not might building codes. Owner Alan Laird looked for a new location for Baby J's, but could not find a new home. The 75-foot, two-story boat is now on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. Laird thought it would make a great artificial reef for marine life. The site of the reef will be called Rick's Memorial Reef, in memory of Kerry Rick who recently passed. Deluna Fest is coming up! The oil spill in 2010 brought a lot of attention to the coastline. There were many beach concerts that took place. Deluna was the largest that attracted thousands from all over! For 2011, the festival is back on Pensacola Beach with a great lineup. The bands performing include, Jane's Addiction, Weezer, The Shins, Cake, Big Boi, Mutemath, The Dirty Heads, Cut Copy and many more. Tickets are still on sale! Visit www.delunafest.com for tickets and event information. Destin Festival of the Arts is soon! The 16th Annual Destin Festival of the Arts will take place at Henderson Beach State Park October 29th and 30th. There will be over a 100 juried artists from around the U.S. competing for $8,200 in cash prizes. Many different styles and mediums will be present. The festival will also have strolling performers, a bistro food court, continuous entertainment and festival merch. Visit www.mattiekellyartsfoundation.org for more information. Links From This Episode:Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this show possible. Please visit them at: Music selection for this episode is Long Reef of Emerald Coast/Australia with their song Can't Live Without Got a show comment or suggestion? Or, are you a local band/artist who would like us to play your music? Email me at destinfloridapodcast@yahoo.com |
Sat, 1 October 2011
How To Listen:
Some Of The News Covered:The Destin Fishing Rodeo takes place all of October! Fall weather brings cooler temperatures that spike up the fishing along the Emerald Coast. There are many different fishing divisions that range from inshore species like flounder to amberjack and other large offshore fish. Shark Saturday will take place every weekend. The largest shark caught each weekend will receive prize money. The stand-up paddle board division is new addition to the rodeo for 2011. The Destin Seafood Festival is at HarborWalk Village. The festival is back in its original location for 2011 and is free to the public! There will be arts and crafts, 21 food vendors and 15 music stages. Many local bands will perform as well as 15 songwriters from Nashville. Along with the music stages, there will be a chef stage where area chefs will show off local flavor. Visit www.destinseafoodfestival.org for more details. Thunder Beach Bike Rally in Panama City Beach! From Sept. 28th- Oct. 2nd, bikers from all over will be on the Emerald Coast. Thunder Beach will have several venues that will have a variety of vendors that will offer products and services to motorcycle enthusiasts. The bike rally will include live music, a poker run, stunt shows, miss thunder beach pageant and a bike parade. Visit www.thunderbeachproductions.com for event information. Derelict boats are increasing in local waters. The economy has forced many people to give up boats they can no longer afford. In Okaloosa County, there are 15 boats labeled derelict. There is a total of 30 in the area that are just sitting. Removing derelict boats is expensive and not easy. Officials try to track down owners of abandoned boats first before charging them with a simple misdemeanor or a serious offense such as felony dumping. The Santa Rosa Sound is where most boats are being left. The Emerald Coast still has many foreclosures for sale. The area market does not look to be changing in the near future. Distressed homes are at high numbers still. From January 1st to September 22nd of 2011, 4,610 properties were sold in the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors coverage area of Okaloosa and Walton counties and parts of Navarre. Of the 4,610 properties, 1,967 properties were distressed. Currently there are 1,304 distressed properties on the market. Now is a great time to look for deals on the market. Justin Myers is a local realtor with a lot of experience with the foreclosure process. Links From This Episode:Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this show possible. Please visit them at: Music selection for this episode is Nothing Short of Pure of Panama City Beach with their song Beachside Got a show comment or suggestion? Or, are you a local band/artist who would like us to play your music? Email me at destinfloridapodcast@yahoo.com |
Mon, 19 September 2011
How To Listen:
Some Of The News Covered:Labor Day weekend was a rain out. Tropical Storm Lee came ashore during the last busy weekend for the Emerald Coast. Lee brought lots of rain and wind to the area that flickered lights and shook signs. Area bars, restaurants and shops were still very busy! Many beachgoers occupied beachfront restaurants to observe the stormy conditions in the Gulf of Mexico. The coastline did experience a lot of beach erosion due to the high surf. Lobster Fest at Schooners on Panama City Beach! The 22nd Annual Lobster Festival and Tournament will take place at Schooners on Panama City Beach Sept. 15th-18th. Divers will compete to bring in the largest lobsters that include the Spiny Lobster, Shovelnose Lobster and Big 6. Lobster lovers will be able to enjoy lobster prepared in a variety of ways. The festival will also include live music, raffles and sandcastle sculpting contests. Lobster weigh-ins will be from 3-6 p.m. Visit www.schooners.com for event details. Marine Life Center on Okaloosa Island. AquaGreen is a non profit group looking to build a marine life center on a portion of the old Island Golf Center on Okaloosa Island. AquaGreen will make a presentation to the Okaloosa County commissioners Sept. 20th. The proposa calls for 30,000-square-foot interactive aquarium that focuses on aquaculture and the concepts of conservation and restoration. The Okaloosa County Marine Life Center would also include 50,000 square feet of hatcheries, nurseries, classrooms and labs. There are leading aquaculture experts helping to the develop the project. Dancin' Iguana and Lucky Snapper close The HarborWalk Village has had many restaurants close over the past two years. Recently, both the Dancin' Iguana and Lucky Snapper closed. The Dancin' Iguana closed due to lack of business. Owner A.J. Tuso, was not hitting numbers like his other restaurants. The Lucky Snapper was up this year in sales by 25 percent. The closure was due to the lease expiring. Bed tax collections are up! Tourist development agencies in Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton Counties all have recorded their highest bed tax collections in July. In Okaloosa County, bed tax collections were up 85 percent compared to 2010. Okaloosa County collected $1.1 million in taxes on short-term rentals in July. Fishermen are a possible threat to sea turtle populations. Fishing nets and hooks claim a lot of sea turtle lives. Federal estimates show such deaths fell 90 percent from 1990-2007. Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Coast shrimp trawls account for up to 98 percent of all sea turtles caught by people fishing for other species. Scientists say that fewer than 1 percent of trawlers carried observers to count turtles "by catch". Calculations conclude that more data is needed to show just how much sea turtles are being affected by trawlers. Music selection for this episode is Destiny Reggae of Destin with their song Hail Him. Got a show comment or suggestion? Or, are you a local band/artist who would like us to play your music?
Email me at destinfloridapodcast@yahoo.com |
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