Okaloosa County voters will head back to the polls in early March to vote in a number of municipal elections.
A total of 10 municipal seats across Fort Walton Beach, Laurel Hill and Shalimar are on the ballot March 9, although in many instances the candidates who qualified for the seats are running unopposed.
Also on the ballot are a pair of local referendums: One will ask whether Laurel Hill voters favor dissolving the city to become an unincorporated part of Okaloosa County. The other would amend Destin s charter to prevent the city from conveying, selling, leasing or otherwise transferring its interest in any city park without a supermajority vote of the City Council.
LAUREL HILL Laurel Hill is a small city with a lot of big decisions to make.
On March 9, voters will head to the polls to choose a mayor and to decide whether they want to dissolve their town and became an unincorporated part of Okaloosa County.
Incorporated in 1905, the 3-square-mile Laurel Hill is the county’s oldest city. Residents have long expressed concerns with issues such as poor road conditions, insufficient stormwater management and other woes. More than 50 of its 600 or so residents had signed petitions seeking a referendum on whether the city should be dissolved, with many people positing the community would be managed better by the county government.
Tom Lounges
• Mush Music Productions of Northwest Indiana brings Chicago rapper Twista (twista.com) to the Hobart Art Theatre (230 Main St.) in downtown Hobart Saturday. Twista has a new EP, Lifetime, now available on all music platforms. The show has a 9 p.m. start time and is stacked with a trio of support acts Groppo, Angel Da Demon and No Coastal. Tickets for the 18 & older performance range from $27.50 to $50. More: brickartlive.com.
⢠The weekly Open Mic hosted by multi-instrumentalist Marc Adrian (of Groovatron fame) happens tonight from 8-11 p.m. at The Flat Rock Tap (6732 Calumet Ave.) in Hammond. The stage is open to not only musicians, but comedians, spoken word artists and more. Admission is free. More: 219- 852-5262.
LAUREL HILL A smaller property tax bill might be the only sure change realized by residents if in early March they decide their little city should be dissolved and become another unincorporated part of Okaloosa County.
Incorporated in 1905, the 3-square-mile Laurel Hill is the county’s oldest city. But with lingering poor road conditions and other troubles on their mind, more than 50 of its 600 or so residents have signed petitions seeking a referendum on whether the city should be dissolved.
That type of quest has happened before, but without reaching the referendum stage and voting booth in the home of the Laurel Hill School Hoboes and Laurel Hill Hobo Festival. With the current City Council’s approval, a referendum was placed on the March 9 ballot asking voters whether to dissolve Laurel Hill.
HOBART â The Hometown Country Jam music festival at the historic Brickie Bowl will operate at only 25% capacity this summer because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Organizer Flight Levelz Entertainment is only releasing 3,000 more tickets for the daylong music festival headlined by country music star Lee Brice, who has had seven No. 1 Billboard Country hits.
The second annual music festival will take place in the legendary former high school football stadium on June 5. After what seems like the longest year in history, we are excited to announce that the Hometown Country Jam is a go this summer,  organizer Tyrus Joseforsky of Flight Levelz Entertainment said. We will be restricting our capacity to 25% for the show and only releasing 3,000 tickets. Over half of those 3,000 tickets have already been sold to folks who held onto their tickets from last year, so we anticipate the remaining tickets to go quick. The festival will feature the same great lineup and same amazin