CRESTVIEW — The American Cancer Society seeks volunteers to be a part of the annual Relay For Life event scheduled for April 28.

“Community volunteers are the backbone of this movement, and you can be part of it right here in Crestview,” an event spokesperson said. “The Relay For Life movement is the world’s largest fundraising event to save lives from cancer.

“Uniting communities across the globe, we celebrate people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and take action for lifesaving change. Help us make Crestview’s 20th year of Relay the best year possible!”

Funds raised help ACS provide free information and support for people facing the disease, and fund cancer research that will help protect future generations.

During Relay For Life events, each team’s members take turns walking or running around a track or path. Teams participate in fundraising in the months leading up to the event.

If you would like to join the Relay For Life of Crestview as a volunteer or team participant, visit RelayForLife.org/CrestviewFL or call 850-244-3813.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Volunteers needed for Crestview Relay For Life

CRESTVIEW — Relay For Life of Crestview's Duke it Out team will sell cooked Boston butts for Christmas and New Year's Eve.

The butts cost $30; 40 orders per pick-up date are available. Deliveries are set for 4-5 p.m. Dec. 24 and 31 at Crestview's Publix on S. Ferdon Blvd.

Call Loney Whitley, 537-4654 or 603-3500, and leave a message to place an order.

Proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society's April 2017 Relay for Life. North Okaloosa County residents will walk Crestview High School's track for 12 hours to reflect on a cancer patient's longest night: when he or she receives the diagnosis.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview Relay for Life team plans Boston butt fundraiser

CRESTVIEW — Dr. J.D. Bailey and his wife, Penny, moved to Crestview about a year ago hoping to open a medical clinic here.

Both are retired from the Air Force after serving 30 and 24 years, respectively, and both worked at the Pentagon. Bailey has 18 years’ experience as a family physician.

Shortly after they arrived in the area, a friend contacted them about becoming board members of Crossroads Medical and Dental Clinic, a Valparaiso free clinic.

Soon, Central Baptist Church in Crestview raised interest in a Crossroads satellite free clinic. The church owned an empty building at 951 S. Ferdon Blvd., that could support the cause.

“This was the vision of Paul Mixon, pastor of Central Baptist Church, who wanted a medical outreach in the community,” Penny Bailey said. “He has worked tirelessly with the city of Crestview for the past six months to get Crossroads Clinic to Crestview.”

Now, that vision is a reality.

“We just received word Monday morning that the license has been approved by the city,” Penny Bailey said.

Crossroads, a non-profit organization, provides free medical care for those who have no medical insurance and meet Florida criteria for receiving this service. It began 12 years ago and, in that time, reportedly has provided millions of dollars of medical, dental, and pharmaceutical care for its patients. 

Cindy Bray, the Valparaiso clinic’s administrator, and Mixon did not immediately return calls for this article, but Crestview’s Crossroads satellite location will open in about two weeks, with regular office hours on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, the Baileys said.

“My wife and I are thrilled about the opening of the Crestview Crossroads location,” said Dr. Bailey, the medical clinic’s primary physician. “We have been serving our country for a combined 54 years and have the desire to serve our community. North Okaloosa County and Walton County are underserved as far as medical care is concerned.

“We want to provide medical care to those who need it.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Free clinic to serve uninsured, 'underserved'

National Steak and Poultry, an Owasso, Okla., establishment, is recalling approximately 1,976,089 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken products due to adulteration because of possible undercooking, resulting in the potential survival of bacterial pathogens in the products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The scope of this recall expansion now includes a variety of ready-to-eat chicken products that were produced on various dates from August 20, 2016 through November 30, 2016. A list of the additional products subject to recall is listed here.

The cases containing the products subject to recall bear establishment number “P-6010T” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to food service locations nationwide and were sold directly to retail consumers at the establishments’ monthly dock sale.

The basis for recalling additional product was discovered on Nov. 28, 2016, when a food service customer complained to the establishment that product appeared to be undercooked.

Below are the details of the originally recalled product:

On November 23, 2016 – National Steak and Poultry recalled approximately 17,439 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken products produced Oct. 4, 2016. The products were packaged on Oct. 4 and Oct. 5, 2016. The following products are subject to recall:

5 lb. bags packed 2 bags per case; product labeled “Distributed by National Steak and Poultry, Owasso, OK Fully Cooked, Diced, Grilled Boneless Chicken Breast Meat with Rib Meat” with Lot code 100416, and Case Code: 70020.

5 lb. bags packed 2 bags per case; product labeled “Hormel Natural Choice 100% Natural No Preservatives Fully Cooked Roasted Chicken Breast Strips with Rib Meat Natural Smoke Flavor Added” with Lot code 100416, and Case code 702113.

The cases containing the products subject to recall bear establishment number “P-6010T” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to food service locations nationwide and should not be in consumers’ possession. No other Hormel product is impacted. The original problem was discovered on Nov. 14, 2016, when a food service customer complained to the establishment that product appeared to be undercooked.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse health effects or illnesses due to consumption of any of the recalled products. Anyone concerned about a health effect should contact a healthcare provider.

Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: RECALLED: Avoid these ready-to-eat chicken products

CRESTVIEW —  U.S. Gold Gymnastics' annual competition fundraiser, the 2016 Pink & White Invite, is scheduled. Crestview Manager Nicolette Buddles said all proceeds from the event will go to Jennifer King, a former U.S. Gold coach who has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.

Approximately 85 US Gold gymnasts will compete in two sessions: noon to 2 p.m. and 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Dec. 4, at US Gold's 2118 Third Ave. office in Crestview.

Admission is free; donations will be accepted during the meet. "All donations will be matched by U.S. Gold and donated to the King family," Buddles said. It has a meet every year in Crestview and Destin to benefit a local resident or organization.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: U.S. Gold sets Crestview gymnastics fundraiser

CRESTVIEW — U.S. Gold Gymnastics' 2016 Pink & White Invite is scheduled.

Approximately 85 U.S. Gold gymnasts will compete in two sessions: noon to 2 p.m. and 2:30-4:30 p.m. Dec. 4, at U.S. Gold's 2118 Third Ave. office in Crestview.

Admission is free; donations will be accepted during the meet. Event proceeds will go to Jennifer King, a former U.S. Gold coach who has stage 4 breast cancer, Crestview Manager Nicolette Buddles said.

"All donations will be matched by U.S. Gold and donated to the King family," Buddles said.

U.S. Gold Gymnastics has a meet every year in Crestview and Destin that benefits a resident or organization.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Gymnastics meet to benefit woman with breast cancer

Editor’s Note: November is National CRPS Awareness Month. Complex regional pain syndrome is a chronic, little-known condition. In this story, a Laurel Hill woman shares her experience.

CRESTVIEW — For Brandi Fickling, pain is a part of everyday life. The Laurel Hill resident said she’s had complex regional pain syndrome since 2013.

"I had basically overextended the nerves and tendons in my arms and my shoulder," she said.

Afterward, she developed symptoms including extreme pain, clawing in her right hand, redness and warmth and swelling in the injured area.

Fickling didn’t get a CRPS diagnosis until six months after the incident.

"They had no idea what was going on,” she said. “They bounced me from neurosurgeons to orthopedists to rheumatologists. I actually have a disorder called Ehlers-Danlos (syndrome). They thought it had something to do with that. Technically, it is related, so they figured it had something to do with my tendons," she said.

According to the American RSD Hope website at http://www.rsdhope.org/, CRPS is a progressive disease of the autonomic nervous system. The pain it causes "is characterized as a constant, extremely intense, and out of proportion to the original injury," the website states. Swelling, skin changes, excessive sweating in the limbs, and extreme pain are among the usual symptoms.

The results can affect someone’s lifestyle. Before CRPS, Fickling said, "I used to do a lot of activities with my kids and now I can't really do that much — a field trip here and there. So I'm pretty much at home all the time and going to a doctor's appointment.”

Treatment, in Fickling's case, is a combination of relaxation, physical therapy and pain medication. She also sees a pain management specialist and a neurologist.

For now, she wants to spread awareness.

"This can start just from getting a hang nail or getting a cut on your hand,” Fickling said. “It doesn't usually come from anything major. It really doesn't take much.

“So if you continue to have excessive pain from (an) injury, it's time to get it looked at by a doctor.”

Here are some links for more information on Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, also referred to as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome (RSD).

•http://www.rsdhope.org/ – one of the first websites published by a person with CRPS

•http://rsds.org/telltale-signs-and-symptoms-of-crpsrsd/ – telltale signs and symptoms of CRPS/RSD

•https://www.facebook.com/pg/RSD.CRPS.Awareness/about/?ref=page_internal

•https://www.facebook.com/RSDCRPSFriendsinPain/

Some CRSP online resources

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'They had no idea'

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22, 2016 – H.J. Heinz Co., a Muscatine, Iowa, establishment, initiated a recall on Nov. 19, 2016, of approximately 5,022 pounds of bistro au jus gravy product that is incorrectly labeled as pork gravy due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The au jus gravy product contains milk and soy, known allergens, which are not declared on the incorrect labeling for pork gravy.

The au jus gravy labeled incorrectly as pork gravy was produced on June 4, 2016. The following products are subject to recall:

558 cases containing 12 – 12-oz. jars (per case) of “HEINZ HOMESTYLE BISTRO AU JUS GRAVY” that is mislabeled with Homestyle Pork Gravy labels with “Best By 12/28/2017 MU6F04” on the jar cap and “Case Best By 12/28/17 MU6F04” on the cases.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “M2041” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to a distributor and to retail locations nationwide.

The problem was discovered by the company on Nov. 17, 2016, after they were notified by a customer that a jar labeled as “Heinz Homestyle Pork Gravy” looked darker than expected. The company determined the mislabeling incident occurred on June 4, 2016, when a box of labels for the company’s “Heinz Homestyle Pork Gravy” product was brought to the processing line and used during the production and packaging of the au jus gravy. When the company initiated the recall, they contacted all of their customers that may have received the mislabeled gravy product (including more than 1,000 retail stores) informing them to remove the products from their store shelves. The company also provided a press release about the incident and initiation of a voluntary recall of incorrectly labeled products to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FSIS was notified of the issue by a FDA representative on Nov. 21, 2016 and, out an abundance of caution, FSIS is issuing its own press release.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about a reaction should contact a healthcare provider.

Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: RECALLED: Avoid this incorrectly labeled pork gravy

Ten years ago, Floridians voted in support of a state constitutional amendment to fund a tobacco education and use prevention program, now known as Tobacco Free Florida. The program has resulted in a significant decrease in smoking rates among adults and teens in the state, according to the Florida Department of Health.

“With voter support, this program was launched a decade ago and Tobacco Free Florida has had a tremendous impact on improving the health of Floridians,” State Surgeon General and Secretary Dr. Celeste Philip said. “While Tobacco Free Florida is a national leader in tobacco control, there is still more work to be done. The tobacco industry is constantly finding new ways to target vulnerable populations, and more of our youth are experimenting with a range of new options rather than using traditional products such as cigarettes."

In 2006, the smoking rate was flattening and the state was spending billions of dollars on health care costs. Florida was receiving money from its lawsuit settlement with tobacco companies, but only a small percentage was being spent on a tobacco control program.

By mandating Tobacco Free Florida’s creation, Florida voters ensured that a comprehensive program benefiting Floridians’ health and the state’s finances would be funded by 15 percent of the annual settlement amount.

Since Tobacco Free Florida’s advertising launched, quit attempts across the state have increased and the campaign has been linked to reducing relapses among those who quit.

Over the past 10 years, Tobacco Free Florida has helped more than 159,000 Floridians quit tobacco. 

• In 2006, Florida’s adult smoking rate was 21 percent. In 2015, it was 15.8 percent — the lowest it has ever been.
• Fewer young people have started smoking since Tobacco Free Florida began. The youth smoking rate has decreased from 10.6 percent in 2006 to 3 percent in 2016 — a 71 percent decrease. Data by county: Escambia, 3.9 percent; Okaloosa, 4.5 percent; and Santa Rosa, 4.8 percent.
• The program saved the state $3.2 billion in health care costs in 2015. Annual smoking-related health care costs in Florida decreased 15 percent from 2006 to 2015 because of fewer adults smoking.

  Source: Florida Department of Health

FAST FACTS

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Report: Florida adult, teen smoking rates hit record low

CRESTVIEW — A Nov. 19 yard sale's proceeds will benefit a Crestview native who has stage four cancer.

The sale is 7 a.m. to noon at Re/Max Agency One, 301 S. Ferdon Blvd., Crestview, with all proceeds going to Jake Taylor and his family for medical costs.

Jake and his wife, Jennifer, met with doctors Nov. 15 and got details about his treatments for clear cell renal carcinoma.

Jennifer said while the cancer is incurable, they got the best news they could hope for as far as treatment. The treatment will consist of chemotherapy pills that should help control the cancer's spread. "Right now the hurdle is getting insurance to cover the meds. Without insurance, they cost $10,000 a month. (We're) waiting on the pharmacy to call me back with our cost," Jennifer Taylor said. Depending on pharmacy access, Jake will start taking the pills Nov. 21 or shortly afterward.

"Right now the hurdle is getting insurance to cover the meds. Without insurance, they cost $10,000 a month. (We're) waiting on the pharmacy to call me back with our cost," Jennifer Taylor said. Depending on pharmacy access, Jake will start taking the pills Nov. 21 or shortly afterward.

"The pills should work for a while and when/if they stop, there are other options," she said. A follow-up appointment is Dec. 6, when doctors will see if there are any major side effects from the treatment. If all goes well there, Jake Taylor will undergo scans every three months to check for spreading.

Friends of the Taylors, some of whom are his fellow Crestview High School Class of 1993 graduates, are planning a series of fundraisers like the yard sale to help with finances and treatment as long as necessary.

A YouCaring account page set up in Jake's name at http://bit.ly/2eDV6oB.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Yard sale to benefit Crestview High alumnus with cancer