Show Notes for Thursday, September 3, 2026

Thursday, September 3, 2026

What We're Talking About

The news we couldn't ignore if we tried

FWB Man Gets 15 Years For Intent To Distribute Meth

WEAR TV3— A Fort Walton Beach man, Elliot Maurice Bell, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl with the intent to distribute. According to court records, Bell fled from the Florida Highway Patrol during a traffic stop on April 28, 2024, prompting officers to use a PIT maneuver to stop his vehicle. After his arrest, authorities searched the vehicle and discovered the drugs. The case and resulting conviction were part of a joint investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Florida Highway Patrol.

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Chief Bage Says FWBPD Will Continue With License Plate Reader Usage In City Limits

WEAR TV3— The Fort Walton Beach Police Department plans to continue using some license plate reader cameras even as several other law enforcement agencies across Northwest Florida suspend their use. The state directive requires cameras located on state road rights-of-way to be removed, but it does not prohibit license plate readers mounted on patrol vehicles or installed on city and county property. Fort Walton Beach Police Chief Robert Bage says the technology remains an important tool for solving crimes and locating stolen vehicles, missing people, and suspects. While supporters emphasize its law-enforcement benefits, privacy advocates are concerned that the technology can track people’s movements even when they are not suspected of wrongdoing. Meanwhile, agencies in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, along with police departments in Pensacola and Gulf Breeze, have paused their programs while awaiting further guidance and possible statewide regulations.

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Okaloosa Co. Waiting For Permit Approval To Sink SS United States

WEAR TV3— Okaloosa County is nearing the completion of plans to sink the historic SS United States in the Gulf of Mexico, where it is expected to become the world’s largest artificial reef. The ship has been fully cleaned and prepared for deployment, including the removal of its smokestacks and 100 fuel tanks, making it environmentally safe for the project. County officials are now waiting for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to approve a permit amendment related to the artificial reef site. Once the permit is approved, officials expect the ship could be deployed within about 30 days, although weather conditions could affect the schedule. The project is expected to support tourism and attract divers, anglers, and historians, with funding coming from tourism revenue and project partners rather than taxpayer dollars.

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Man Arrested In Destin For Damaging Flock Camera

WEAR TV3— A person has been arrested after a Flock license plate reader camera at the intersection of Airport Road and Main Street in Destin was damaged on August 16. The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said the individual faces a felony criminal mischief charge and was booked into the county jail. A second person suspected of being involved has a warrant pending, while another damaged Flock camera near the Walton County line remains under investigation. Although the Sheriff’s Office deactivated all of its Flock cameras on September 1, officials emphasized that destroying privately owned equipment is still a crime and that the deactivation does not affect ongoing criminal investigations. Sheriff Eric Aden said people have the right to oppose the technology but cannot damage or destroy the property.

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Mary Esther To Hold Public Hearing On The 2027 Budget

City Of Mary Esther— The Mary Esther City Council will hold its first public hearing on the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget on September 8, 2026, at 6 p.m. during its regular meeting at City Hall. The council will review the tentative budget and property tax rate, which is proposed to remain at 5.0261 mills, the same rate used since 2020. The $12.57 million capital improvement plan focuses heavily on infrastructure, including replacing water lines, repairing sewer systems, repaving roads, and improving curbs in the Azalea neighborhood, as well as engineering work for the first phase of a Highway 98 water main replacement. Residents are encouraged to attend the hearing and provide feedback, with the final budget and millage rate scheduled for consideration at a second public hearing on September 21.

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Gun Display Call At Shell Gas Station Leads To Arrest

WEAR TV3— 24-year-old Fort Walton Beach man was arrested after police responded to a report of someone displaying a firearm inside a Shell gas station on Beal Parkway. Investigators said cellphone video showed Tiquan Ballard placing a handgun on the store counter, and officers later stopped a rideshare vehicle he was riding in. With consent to search the vehicle, officers reportedly found a loaded 9mm handgun, an extended magazine, about 51.8 grams of suspected marijuana, and a digital scale. Police also determined that Ballard is a convicted felon who was on felony probation. He was taken into custody without incident and faces charges including possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during a criminal offense, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

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Ask Uncle Bobby

Bad advice for good people.

As heard on the B-Team Morning Show

Each weekday, some poor soul writes in for help. Uncle Bobby gives them the worst advice we can legally put on the air.

September 3 · Today's Letter

Dear Uncle Bobby,

Is it okay to pay my friends to leave me alone for a while? I feel guilty, but I am overwhelmed and I just want some quiet.

Overwhelmed By Constant Friend Noise
Exhausted Calendar Vulture

Want to hear what Bobby actually told them?

Read Today's Bad Advice →

Today's Holidays

Celebrate the weird stuff. We do.

Holiday #1 of 4

National Skyscraper Day

National Skyscraper Day is that annual moment when we all pretend it’s normal to celebrate buildings so tall they make clouds feel self-conscious and pigeons file complaints. It’s a tribute to steel, ambition, and the kind of confidence that says, “Sure, let’s stack offices a thousand feet in the air and call it progress.” People post skyline photos, architects get misty-eyed, and the rest of us crane our necks like we’re trying to spot our rent money evaporating. Don’t worry—this isn’t the punchline, it’s just the warm-up stretch before we talk about why humans keep building vertical monuments to ego and then acting surprised when the elevator breaks.

Hear this bit on the show