WALTON COUNTY — A pedestrian died Tuesday morning after a hit-and-run crash on the Clyde B. Wells bridge.

Lindsey Batchelor, spokeswoman for the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, said the vehicle-versus-pedestrian crash happened about 5:45 a.m. Tuesday. Both lanes of the bridge are open, but traffic is moving slowly, she said.

The pedestrian’s name has not been released pending next of kin notification. The condition of the driver, or if there were any passengers, is unknown.

Cary Hurst, spokesperson for Florida Highway Patrol, said the crash is under investigation. It is being looked at as a criminal hit-and-run, he said.

The Daily News will update this story as more information becomes available.

The Okaloosa County Commission on Monday unanimously approved spending $2 million in half-cent sales tax revenue on the southwest Crestview bypass project.

The money will be spent on updates to a Triumph Gulf Coast funding application and on initial construction-phase engineering services, alignment alternatives’ analysis and design of Rasberry Road.

County officials plan to eventually spend a total of $25 million to $30 million on the bypass project, the overall cost of which is close to $200 million.

MARY ESTHER — A woman was transported to Fort Walton Beach Medical Center after her vehicle struck a power pole Tuesday morning.

She was traveling on Freedom Way and drove through the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard intersection across a median into a power pole located in a ditch on the east side of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., according to Capt. Curtis Dison with the Mary Esther Fire Department.

NICEVILLE ―A 3-year-old boy was killed in an apparent domestic violence-related attack followed by a suicide attempt by his father, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday.

Deputies were dispatched to 1476 Rawlins Court in Bluewater Bay around 4:30 p.m. Friday after receiving a 9-1-1 call.

The child’s mother arrived home from work to find the boy and her husband, 61-year-old Frederick Franken, lying on the floor.

The boy, 3-year-old Frederick Franken Jr., was pronounced dead at the scene.

An out-of-state visitor died after falling from the balcony of an upper floor at a Destin condominium complex on Saturday, lawmen say.

The man’s body was found at 970 U.S. Highway 98 shortly after 5 a.m. Pelican Beach Resort is listed at that address.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office was called to the scene after the man’s body was found on a pool deck.

CRESTVIEW — Animal control officers assisted by law enforcement are investigating the death and possible abuse of more than two dozen pets at a home in unincorporated Okaloosa County, just north of Crestview.

They were called to the scene after an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputy noticed the smell and saw dead animals while checking on the welfare of a woman believed to be living there.

He did not find the woman, but called the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society for animal control assistance.

Her father, who had called for the welfare check, was at the home when officers arrived. He said he didn’t live there but all of the mail in the house was addressed to him, according to Panhandle Animal Welfare Society Animal Control Officer Ashley Lacey.

Since the man operates a boarding facility in Niceville, PAWS officials asked for the Niceville Police Department’s assistance in obtaining a search warrant for the boarding facility. PAWS Director Dee Thompson said that officers could see the animals standing in a “week’s worth of feces,” but were told that there wasn’t enough evidence to gain a warrant.

The man told officers exactly how many animals they would find.

Nine dogs, six cats and two rabbits were found in the garbage can in various stages of decomposition. Another four dead dogs were found wrapped in blankets in the treeline. 

They were placed in the trash in the last 48 hours, she said. The cats and rabbits had been placed in storage containers.

Listen to recent interviews with unnamed high school students in Okaloosa County talking about the popularity of vaping.

CRESTVIEW — The long-awaited opening of Popeyes finally arrived.

The restaurant, located off Ferdon Boulevard just south of the Interstate 10 overpass in Crestview, opened Wednesday morning.

When doors swung open at 10 a.m., dozens of people were waiting to get inside. 

Smiling employees greeted customers with a resounding “Welcome to Popeyes!”

MILTON— A pedestrian was killed after being hit by a 17-year-old driver Wednesday morning.

According to a press release from the Florida Highway Patrol, Christian Clemons of Milton was driving a Dodge pickup truck north on State Road 87 about 8:35 a.m. with Jayden Cooper, 17 of Milton, as a passenger.

Here is a portion of an interview between Chief Bage and Daily News reporter Kaylin Parker at the Fort Walton Beach police Department.