Bowl Picks

(New Orleans Bowl) Southern Miss V Arkansas State-------USM 41- Indians 14 W
(GMAC) UTEP V Toledo-----------Miners 24-Rockets 21 L
(Pioneer) BYU V California----------Bears 31 -Cougers 17 W
(San Diego Credit Union) Colorado State V Navy----Mid Shipmen 28-Rams 10 W
(Fort Worth) Kansas V Houston---------- UH 35-KU21 L
(Sheraton Hawaii) Nevada V UCF---------- Golden Knights 24- Nevada 21 L
(Motor City) Memphis V Akron------------Tigers 21-Zips 10 W
(Champs Sports) Clemson V Colorado-----------TIgers 49- Buffs 14 W
(Insight) ASU V Rutgers--------------Scarlet Knights 27 -ASU17 L
(MPC) Boise State V Boston College----------Catholics 31- Potatoes 24 W
(Mastercard Alamo) Michigan V Nebraska---------Wolverines 31-Huskers 10 L
(Emerald) GT V Utah----------Jackets 21-Utes 20 L
(Pacific Life) Oregon V Oklahoma---------- Sooners 24- Ducks 21 W
(Gaylords Music City) Minnesota V Virginia-----Gophers 17- Virginia 10 L
(Vitalis Sun) Northwestern V UCLA------ Wildcats 41 - Bruins 35 L
(Independence) Missouri V South Carolina-------- Cocks 28- Tigers 21 L
(Chick Fil-A Peach) Miami V LSU---------Canes 21-Tigers 17 L
(Meineke Car Care) USF V NC State-------------- Bulls 24 -Pack 14 L
(Liberty) Tulsa V Fresno State------------------Golden Hurricane 31 -FSU 17 W
(Houston) TCU V ISU----------------------Horned Frogs 41- Cyclones 14 W
(Cotton) Bama V Texas Tech---------Tide 24-Raiders 21 W
(Outback) Iowa V Florida--------------Crocs 31-Hawkeyes 21 W
(Gator) Louisville V Virginia Tech---------Hokies 24-Cardinals 21 W
(Capital One) Wisconsin V Auburn---------Tigers 41- Badgers 21 L
(Fiesta) ND V OSU---------------------Buckeyes 28-Irish 21 W
(Sugar) West Virginia V Georgia---------------Dawgs 24-Moutaineers 21 L
(Orange) Penn State V FSU-----------------Noles 24-PSU17 L
(rose) USC V Texas----------------------Trojans 35-Horns 21 L


Oh well I finished up 13-15. Its funny how certain teams dont show up for bowl games! (Miami, UGA, Auburn) Anyways, NASCAR season starts in a month!!! WHOOP WHOOP

some local tidbits!!!

I recently heard (still unconfirmed) that Eglin AFB is about to build a new headquarters for its entire special operations command. If you are leaving Shalimar heading north to Niceville and you come to the light just past the Air Force Armorment museum. The new operations center will be built on the left side of highway 85 from that stop light all the way north to the cut thru from 85 to Lewis Turner. Going to be quite a undertaking!!! Also hearing that on the right side of the road north of the stop light will be the new home of the F-35 joint strike fighter. ( again unconfirmed). Interesting times ahead for the FWB/Niceville area. On a side note hope everyone has a:

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Housing and Job Boom....AGAIN

An article in the http://www.nwfdailynews.com this morning indicates we in the Fort Walton Beach/Destin/Crestview/Niceville area are about to experience a second housing and job boom beginning as soon as first quarter 2006. The Haas Center for Business Research and Economic Development at the University of West Florida has recently completed a study and found that, "more than 5,700 military and civilian defense workers will be added to the local workforce, with members of their families potentially available for work in the community. The Haas Center foresees more than 14,000 jobs being created by 2011." That is a significant increase in sheer population numbers for our area. Local business leaders have stated that total increase in population over the next 3 years should be anywhere in the 15-18 thousand range. This is in large part to the Base Realignment and Closure Commissions (BRAC) decision to increase the number of missions and duties assigned to Hurlburt Field Air Force Base and Eglin Air Force Base. Recently we have experienced a relative slow down in the real estate market after a 2 year span of rapid increases in real estate values and purchases. However according to these new findings the current slow down is going to be short lived. Look for areas such as Crestview, Holt, Mossy Head, and Defuniak Springs to see rapid growth and expansion!!!

A joke to start your week!!!!

NEVER EVER EVER.....................

FART IN A WET SUIT!!!!

Jeesh......its Monday AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!

Wishing I was somewhere else....doing something else!!!!

Ummmmm.....OK then!!!

Teacher accused of drug use in classroom
JACKSONVILLE (AP) — A substitute teacher was arrested Thursday after students reported watching him use what appeared to be cocaine during a seventh-grade science class, authorities said. Terry John Kappila, 45, of Jacksonville, was charged with felony cocaine possession. He was being held at Duval County jail. Twenty-two students allegedly saw Kappila sniffing a white powder at a computer desk during class, police told The Florida Times-Union. Two of the students left the classroom to report the alleged drug use, Lake Shore Middle School Principal Iranetta Wright said.

If this in fact the truth...what in the heck was this person thinking????

www.nwfdailynews.com

"A date which will live in infamy"

Exactly 64 years ago today we were attacked at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. At that time the country rallied unlike ever before. Enlistments to the military went through the roof!!! The country was bound and determined to beat the Empire that was Japan and the Nazi's led by Hitler. During the 2 month Normandy campaign 210,000 allied troops were either killed, wounded, or captured....yet we never flinched. Every American soilders life is precious and so far in Iraq we have lost in excess of 2000. It sickens me today when certain politicians of a certain left leaning party wish to run from our responsibilities in Iraq and they use the US troop casulities as an excuse. We are the United States...we don't run and hide. On this Pearl Harbor day please remember those troops protecting our freedoms around the world and remember the ones that have sacrificed all for our protection and freedoms!!!

Destin Decision!!

Convicted sex offenders can no longer live within two-thousand feet of schools and day-care centers in Destin. The city council unanimously voted to implement an ordinance that extends the state standard of one-thousand feet. The council also voted to allow the sheriff to hire an investigator that will make monitoring sex offenders in Destin a priority. Several other Florida cities have already extended buffer zones around schools and other protected sites.

courtesy of http://www.wear3.com

Sex offenders have no business being anywhere near our kids. I realize it is sometimes unfair to lump all offenders into one group (i.e. the 19 yo male that gets busted for fooling around with the 15 year old female) but it is a crime none the less! Here is a SITE to let you know where the sex offenders are living in your neck of the word!!!

Santa Rosa goes WET!!!

It appears that SantaRosa county in the Florida Panhandle will begin this week allowing for the sale of hard liquor. Back in September Santa Rosa residents voted to become a wet county. For years the county had held out and only allowed the sale of beer and wine! The licenses will be given out in a lottery and it appears the county has been awarded 17 licenses in total. The license lottery will not be until sometime next year, however certain restaurant's will begin selling liquor this week with a special temporary license.

I personally cant believe the county held out as long as it did Here is a history of the past wet/dry referendums!!!

Justice finally served!!!

courtesy of http://www.wear3.com

Pensacola Police officer Stephen Taylor was just 26 years old when he was shot and killed in the line of duty in 1982.Now, some 23 years later the news that his killer, Clarence Hill, will finally be executed brings peace of mind to his fellow officers."I just think it's time for the sentence to be carried out," said Pensacola Police Chief John Mathis.Mathis went to the academy with Taylor.Taylor had just gotten married and been on the force for three years when he was gunned down."It's kind of one of those things you never forget what you were doing and where you were at when it happened you know and we heard a bunch of running and people getting out of the buildings taking off," said Mathis.They were taking off to 201 North Palafox Street, where at the time, Liberty Bank, had just been robbed and two officers were shot."The one individual, Clarence Hill, had already exited the bank out of another entrance and they were out the front entrance on the Palafox Street side and the second individual came out they took him down, had him down on the ground you know holding the guns on him, when Clarence Hill, who this is the part that really gets me, he was already gone and escaped but he came back and walked up behind Steve Taylor and stuck the gun up underneath his rib cage from behind and shot him where the vest didn't cover and Steve of course immediately fell and Larry Bailly he also shot Larry a couple of times in the neck as well."Officer Larry Bailly who recently retired didn't want to comment on camera, but says he's glad the final chapter in the tragic story is coming to an end.Bailly was invited to attend Hill's January 24th execution, but declined the offer.He and the rest of the police force want to move on, but will never forget what happened."It's tough, it really is. It's something you think about every day you're concerned about the health of the officers everyday," said Mathis.

I have seen first hand the quick response and self sacrifice law enforcement makes trying to stop a bank robbery...justice WAS served!!

This weeks Championship game picks...plus 1

UCF/Tulsa - Conference USA - ........24-17 Knights
UGA/LSU - SEC - .........24-14 Tigers
VTECH/FSU - ACC - ..........21-17 FSU (upset special)
TEXAS/COLORADO - Big 12 - ...........41-14 Horns

USC/UCLA - .........35-31 Trojans!!

hope everyone has a good weekend!!!

Final record for the regular season is 29-16 thats about 64% straight up. I realize there is not much risk in picking straight if you simply pick the favored team but I tried to give some reasoning behind my selections and went against the favored team on quite a few occasions!! I will be back with some bowl predictions later in the month.!!!

Local sports news!!

Just wanted to pass along that the Niceville Eagls 5-A and the Pace Patriots 4-A football teams have both made it to the state Semi-finals this Friday night. Niceville 11-1 will host the Lakeland Druadnaughts 13-0. Lakeland is ranked #1 in the nation by USAToday in their prep football poll. Pace is unbeaten and will host Nease (Lakeland) in Pace on Friday. Nease QB is Tim Teabow and is the number #1 ranked QB prospect in the nation!!

Boy injured in pump fire!!

story courtesy of the www.nwfdailynews.com

Boy, 3, is burned at gas station
PENSACOLA (AP) — A 3-year-old Florida boy was flown to a Texas hospital with serious burns after a fire ignited while his father was pumping gasoline at a convenience store station. Elijah Seth Roberts was in serious condition Wednesday at Shriners Hospital for Children in Galveston, Texas, a hospital operator said. He suffered second- and third-degree burns on his upper thighs and hands. Elijah’s father, Daniel Roberts, was pumping fuel at a Tom Thumb convenience store Tuesday evening when the fire began, a Pensacola fire marshal said. The young boy had asked to swipe a credit card and was running back to the minivan he was riding in when a fire started.

Reading the story I am pretty sure this could have happened to anyone and was not exclusive to just a child. It's tragic but hopefully the child will the proper care at the Shriners hospital!!

Blog to take new direction!!!

With the college football season winding down and NASCAR and MLB done until spring I have decided to give the blog a more local feel. I will still be posting about the upcoming bowl games and my thoughts on the upcoming recruiting season but I have decided to give those that are no longer local a venue for local information. Things such as local politics, real estate, and any local news that I think would strike up interest in the blog. So get ready for the hottest news from the www.nwfdailynews.com and the www.pensacolanewsjournal.com . If you see anything that you think should be posted send it to me and I will be glad to post it. Hope everyone enjoys this new format!!