A family from Quitman, Arkansas, participated July 4 in the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park’s newest animal encounter, “Discover Reptiles.” Rob and Alicia Hicks and their eight-year-old son Kyle Williamson got to go behind the scenes with Senior Aquarist Graham Northrup from Navarre and Gulfarium’s curator of fish and invertebrates Allen McDowell.

Based on the budget, the July 4 fireworks display on Navarre Beach should have lasted about 12 minutes, but fireworks company representatives had planned to stage the show in such a way that spectators would get at least 20 minutes of “oohs and aahs.” But due to a firing mishap during the show, crews continued to send shells skyward nearly 90 minutes after the show began at 9 p.m.

Born in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Norm Crowder, an only, and, spoiled child – ask his wife – grew up in Woodridge, Virginia where he attended Garfield High School;