NewsBriefs

Jaws Coming to Destin!

The Destin Shark fishing tournament, which was canceled due to over fishing of Sharks 10 years ago will be reintroduced to the community this September.

The Destin Fishing Museum Board voted to return the once popular fishing tournament after studies have shown a repopulation of sharks in the Gulf of Mexico waters off Destin. The tournament was one of the most popular fishing tournaments in the nation when it was canceled.

"We had thousands of people everyday coming to see the Sharks, especially if we got word that a big shark was coming in," said Jean Melvin of the Destin Fishing Museum.

The return of the Shark tournament in mid-September is sure to attract big crowds again.

Beach Battle Goes Supreme

The Destin and South Walton County beach re-nourishment battle headed for The Florida Supreme Court.

The State's highest court will decide if the First District Court of Appeals ruled correctly when it ruled that six property owners would not stand in the way of beach re-nourishment. The six waterfront owners claim they were denied their constitutional rights when the court ruled that Destin's beaches should be replenished with sand following beach erosion caused by hurricanes.

The property owners held up beach re-nourishment with their lawsuit until the Destin City Council decided to restart re-nourishment of the area's beaches. The waterfront property owners contend the new sand will be public land and will damage their property rights.

Many Destin waterfront properties suffered severe damage in the wake of Hurricane Dennis and a series of other storms last year.

The date the Supreme Court takes up the case has not been set, but could be delayed until October, the end of the annual tourist season.

Panhandle Gets New Law to Preserve More Wetlands

The Florida panhandle, which includes Destin and South Walton is getting a new state environmental resource program for the first time intended to preserve more wetlands, control flooding more effectively and manage storm water better.

The new law providing the commitments was signed into law by Governor Jeb Bush. Similar controls have long been enacted in other parts of the state. The new controls will be adopted next year, and are expected to be implemented by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

"Including the Panhandle in the statewide program will preserve more wetlands...and better protect some of the most pristine rivers, estuaries and streams in Florida," said Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Colleen Castill.