CRESTVIEW — The Okaloosa County Mosquito Control Program is spot spraying this month. In a few weeks, the standard evening broadcast spray schedule will begin, weather permitting.

North Okaloosa routes are as follows:

Mondays

●Baker: John Riley Barnhill Road to Escambia Farms; Vinson Ray Road; Beaver Creek to north Baker

●Crestview and Holt: Rattlesnake Bluff and Little Silver Road, from Aplin Road south to Live Oak Church Road; US Highway 90 east from Shoal River to County Line Road and north to Poverty Creek Road

Tuesdays

●Laurel Hill: East side of US Highway 189 to US Highway 602; Four Flags area

●Baker and Holt: South of US 90

●Crestview: Aplin Road north to US 90; Old Bethel Road past Sioux Circle, Old Antioch Road to US 90 west of US Highway 85

Wednesdays

●Holt: north of US 90

●Baker: west of Galliver Cutoff

●Laurel Hill to County Line, US Highway 393 N, Steel Mill Road

●Crestview: Old Bethel Road to Airport Road, US 90 from Fairchild Road to US 85, north to Airport Road

Thursdays

●Crestview: Poverty Creek Road, US 393 to Campton

●Baker: from Galliver Cutoff to Old River Road

●Crestview: Lake Silver Road to Airport Road to Auburn area

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa releases mosquito spray schedule

CRESTVIEW — After vowing, "I'm gonna try to walk all night," Hayden Graham is currently hoofing laps around the Crestview High School track.

The seven-year-old, a member of First Presbyterian Church of Crestview team, is among nearly 300 people signed up for the annual American Cancer Society Relay for Life.

Like many walkers, Hayden is making his laps in honor of a loved one who survived the disease.

"My grandma, Carla Graham, had cancer," he said.

With a steady rain falling as the relay's 7 p.m. starting time drew closer, some walkers feared the event might be cancelled. But as blue skies peeked through from the north, by 7:15 umbrellas were furled and a giant rainbow formed over Jack Foster Stadium.

"It's great!" Christina Elliot of the Refit Sisters Christian fitness class team said. "It's a sign, I tell ya."

Russ Chamberlain, a volunteer with the Duke It Out team of Duke Airfield veterans, was pragmatic as he waited for skies to clear up over his 17th Relay for Life.

"This kind of thing, car shows, the Triple B–the weather can do it in," he said. "But it looks like it's going to clear up."

As she and fellow cancer survivors gathered in the stands in preparation for their victory lap, Dianne Love, proudly wearing her survivor's purple shirt, smiled broadly.

"It's good to be sitting up here," she said. "It's good to be seen and not viewed."

As the survivors set off on their lap to the tune of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" and other "survivor" themed music, members of the Triple Threat Dance and Cheer school cheered them on with a specially choreographed performance.

"It feels good to support the cause," team member Seth  Dockstrader, 12, said.

"They've been working hard on this dance," Triple Threat coach Alana Sanchez said. "We're cheering on the survivors."

And as the clouds continued to drift away, so were more and more supporters who slowly streamed back to the track.

Relay For Life will continue all night until 7 a.m. Saturday morning. Admission and parking are free, and food is available from several participants to support the fight against cancer.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview Relay for Life kicks off after rain delay (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

FORT WALTON BEACH — The Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County commends the efforts of the Northwest Florida State College Student Government Association to make campuses smoke free.

On April 6, SGA voted to implement a tobacco-free policy at the college. SGA will now take their proposed policy to the college president, who will then take it to the Board of Trustees.

“In Florida, 29 colleges and universities have taken the bold step to enact 100 percent tobacco free campus policies,” Dr. Karen A. Chapman, DOH-Okaloosa director said.

“Tobacco has dangerous and harmful effects on an individual’s’ health and the well-being of the public. We need more of these environmental and policy changes throughout our communities to lessen the prevalence of tobacco-related illnesses and deaths in Okaloosa County.”

A 100 percent tobacco-free policy bans the use of all tobacco on campus grounds, parking lots, college-sponsored off campus events, and campus-owned vehicles. The policy applies to students, faculty, employees, and visitors.

Throughout the year, the task force surveyed 407 students, staff, and faculty. Over 80 percent of them supported a campus-wide tobacco free policy—with 14 percent feeling neutral about the proposed policy.

DOH-Okaloosa assisted SGA with the establishment of the NWFSC Tobacco Free Task Force that led this initiative. The task force consisted of students, faculty, staff, and community partners like the West Florida Area Health Education Center, who are committed to the health and well-being of those on campus. The task force partnered with DOH-Okaloosa to educate their fellow peers on the dangers of tobacco through events for Through with Chew Week, Kick Butts Day, and the Great American Smoke Out.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa health department commends college students’ tobacco-free campus efforts

FORT WALTON BEACH — The Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County has announced water quality test results for local parks.

Three have potentially hazardous bathing water, the FDOH stated April 18.

Garniers Park, Fort Walton Beach; Gulf Islands National Seashore, Okaloosa Island; and East Pass, Okaloosa Island failed tests based on EPA-recommended enterococci standards. Enteric bacteria's presence indicates fecal pollution from stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife or human sewage.

Parks with moderate ratings for the week are Poquito Park, Shalimar and Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park, Niceville. The rest received good ratings.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa health department releases April 18 water quality results

CRESTVIEW — In honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month, Covenant Care is spotlighting some of its volunteers.

Crestview resident Anna Keown, "is one of our amazing Covenant Care volunteers," a spokesperson stated in a media release.

“Anna brings so much each week to Covenant Care,” Carol Haws, Covenant Care Volunteer Manager, stated. “She is always there when we need her, giving her time and sharing her admirable skills of organization and sharing so much of herself with our patients”.   

WHAT SHE DOES

Anna fills many different roles as a volunteer with Covenant Care. She takes care of the weekly “Tuck In” calls in the Crestview area making sure that patients and families have everything they need for the weekend.

In addition, Anna makes monthly check in calls to CC patients in assisted living facilities, visits those patients in the facilities and takes part in activities at the facility such as calling bingo. In the office Anna helps with all the mail outs, works the reception desk, goes to chamber meetings with the organization's volunteer community manager and helps with all events, including, Blue Jean Ball, Thrive Music Fest, Dance for Life, Miles of Memories, and more.  

Giving is a part of who Anna is since retiring from the US Navy. "She has become an integral part in Covenant Care’s We Honor Veterans Program," the release stated.

“Volunteering for Covenant means giving back to people that I served to protect. Learning how to truly be brave and to face uncertainty,” said Anna. “I believe that my life improves with each volunteer action and I am a better person.”

Anna recently adopted her niece’s 2-year-old son and her volunteering hasn’t skipped a beat. She is bringing her son up in an environment of community and of giving of oneself.

VOLUNTEERING AT COVENANT

Are you looking for a volunteer opportunity that will give you a sense of purpose and worthwhile work? Do you want to know that you make a real difference? Are you willing to use your unique skills and experiences on the job or to gain new ones? Do you hope to make new friends and serve as part of a team? Covenant Care promises these things and more to our volunteers. They'll help you find the place that is just right for you.

Learn more about volunteer opportunities and register for an upcoming volunteer training class by calling 1-855-2273, emailing volunteer@choosecovenant.org, or visiting the Covenant website at www.choosecovenant.org.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: This Crestview resident is one of Covenant Care's 'amazing' volunteers

CRESTVIEW — According to their website, Crestview Relay for Life teams have already raised more than $58,000, and that's before they even get to the actual event.

Want to take part? The annual walk benefiting North Okaloosa recipients through the American Cancer Society kicks off at 7 p.m. April 22 at Crestview High School, 1250 Ferdon Blvd. N, Crestview.

From then to the relay's end at 7 a.m. April 23, attendees will celebrate survivors, those currently being treated for the disease, and  loved ones lost to it.

The event includes survivor and caregiver laps, a luminaria ceremony and more. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Relay for Life is April 22-23 in Crestview

PANAMA CITY — Dermatology Specialists of Florida has joined the fight against skin cancer by offering free and potentially life-saving skin cancer screenings May 2-6 at eight of its Florida locations.

The screening is offered to any adult who has not had their skin screened in the past 12 months. Florida locations include 550 Redstone Ave. W, Suite 390, Crestview, Gulf Breeze, Milton, Santa Rosa Beach, Panama City Beach,  Panama City, Tallahassee and Jacksonville. 

To schedule an appointment at the nearest participating location, call 877-231-3376.

The signs of sun-damaged skin are not always immediately obvious, but the effects of sun damage can accumulate and worsen over time. Dermatology Specialists of Florida stresses the importance of regular skin exams by a board-certified dermatologist, as well as self-exams and daily sun-safe behaviors.

This includes applying a golf ball-sized amount of SPF 30 (or higher) sunscreen every day, throughout the day, based on your time spent outdoors. Sunscreen has an expiration date typically 3 years from its manufactured date.

While a regular skin exam by a dermatologist is the best option, you can still perform a self-exam if you can’t schedule an appointment.

For moles that are asymmetrical, have an irregular border, are larger than a pencil eraser or are evolving, multiple colors and bleeding or itching, schedule an  immediate screening appointment with a dermatologist.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Free skin cancer screenings are available May 2-6 in Crestview

CRESTVIEW — Seralyn Welch’s mom is matter-of-fact. Within 15 years, the 7-year-old will develop so many polyps in her colon that treating the malignant ones will be difficult.

Soon thereafter, her lower intestine will have to be removed.

“She will wind up with a colostomy bag at 30,” Christy Welch said.

Which is better than the alternative should the cancerous polyps not be detected.

“If they’re not caught, she will be dead by 20,” Welch said.

But Seralyn, whose rare hepatoblastoma was diagnosed at 8 months old, is a fighter.

“I’m a survivor,” she says in a video on her Girl Scout troop’s Relay for Life page. “I roar against cancer. ROAR!”

She can’t wait to take to the Crestview High School track for Friday’s 12-hour relay, which commemorates the longest night of a cancer patient’s life: when he or she receives the diagnosis.

“She is 7 and active and loves everything and thinks Relay for Life is the best birthday party,” Welch said. “She tickled everybody last year because she kept saying, ‘This is the best party I ever had.’ 

EARLY DETECTION

Welch said she and her husband, Okaloosa EMS paramedic William Welch, noticed the first sign of Seralyn’s cancer when she was 2 days old.

“We were rubbing her back and found bumps on her back,” Christy Welch said. “She was my fifth baby, so I am quite experienced with babies and this was not normal.”

A battery of tests began, beginning with an ultra sound, which proved inconclusive, so doctors followed up with an MRI.

“They found pocket masses, one at the top of her neck at her spine, one underneath her right shoulder blade and one on her spine at her lower back,” Welch said.

William’s paramedic partner’s  sister lost a child to hepatoblastoma, so the disorder was on their radar.

“The odds of someone actually knowing someone whose baby was lost to this thing are so huge,” Christy said. “We kept pushing the doctors to test for it. ‘Can we test for it? Can we test for it?’ They said it was so rare it was impossible.”

‘GOD GUIDED OUR HANDS’                     

Biopsy results on one of the masses were inconclusive. Then the oncologist found something while examining Seralyn.

“He grabbed the MRI and realized it was on her liver,” Welch said.

He found a 2-by-2-centimeter mass.

“In seven weeks, it grew to about the size of a golf ball,” Welch said. “Because of the rapid growth they were very concerned.”

The family took Seralyn to have the mass removed, and that’s when the hepatoblastoma cancer was discovered.

“They didn’t even let us go home,” Welch said. “It was supposed to be a minor surgery. We decided to do chemo that night because it’s a very aggressive.”

Seralyn’s hepatoblastoma is a symptom of Gardner’s syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes usually benign tumors to form in various organs. She currently has about 70 polyps in her colon and 30 in her stomach, and has annual colonoscopies to assure none are cancerous.

However, neither Christy or William carry the gene.

“Hers was a mutation, which is 1 in 7 million chance,” Christy said.

When it came time to have Seralyn’s liver resectioned when she was 5 months old, the family believe God led them to the University of Florida’s Shands Cancer Hospital in Gainesville.

“We found the most amazing surgeon,” Christy said. “God guided our hands. The doctor was beyond fabulous.”

‘SHE IS STILL FIGHTING’

Seralyn has hearing loss and some vision loss from the chemo treatment, “and some developmental issues,” Christy said. “At school she’ll hit little bumps, and we have to figure out what’s happening. It is very normal for infants with this.”

Seralyn’s Crestview Girl Scout Troop 1318 looks forward to the Relay for Life and supporting their friend, Christy said.

Because Girl Scout rules prohibit troops from raising money for other causes, Christy said the girls are treating their It’s a Girl Thing team’s participation as a community service.

“But that doesn’t mean they can’t donate,” she said.

Seralyn will march around the track Friday night just as eagerly as her troopmates.

“Her journey is not over,” Christy said. “She is still fighting cancer. It’s a crazy story. We really believe she has a special purpose to be here.”

—

WANT TO GO?

WHAT: Crestview Relay for Life

WHEN: 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., April 22-23

WHERE:  Crestview High School, 1250 Ferdon Blvd. N.

Notes: 38 teams with 303 participants will walk the high school track in the annual American Cancer Society fundraiser. Visit http://bit.ly/1Ve5Z2B for information on volunteering, walking or donating.

BY THE NUMBERS

2 days: Serlayn Welch’s age when parents discovered abnormal bumps on her back

5 months: Age when she had a liver resection

8 months: Age when she was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma

150: Total cases of hepatoblastoma annually diagnosed in the U.S.

300: Total cases of hepatoblastoma annually diagnosed in the world

1 in 7 million: Chances of a child having hepatoblastoma when neither parent carries the gene

WHAT IS HEPATOBLASTOMA?

Hepatoblastoma is a rare tumor (an abnormal tissue growth) that originates in cells in the liver. It is the most common cancerous liver tumor in early childhood.

Hepatoblastoma cancer cells also can spread (metastasize) to other areas of the body. The most common site of metastasis is the lungs.

Hepatoblastoma primarily affects children from infancy to about 5 years of age. Most cases appear during the first 18 months of life.

Hepatoblastoma affects white children more frequently than black children, and is more common in boys than girls up to about age 5, when the gender difference disappears. It occurs more frequently in children who were born very prematurely (early) with very low birth weights.

Source: The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

WANT TO GO?

WHAT: Crestview Relay for Life

WHEN: 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., April 22-23

WHERE:  Crestview High School, 1250 Ferdon Blvd. N.

Notes: 38 teams with 303 participants will walk the high school track in the annual American Cancer Society fundraiser. Visit http://bit.ly/1Ve5Z2B for information on volunteering, walking or donating.

BY THE NUMBERS

2 days: Serlayn Welch’s age when parents discovered abnormal bumps on her back

5 months: Age when she had a liver resection

8 months: Age when she was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma

150: Total cases of hepatoblastoma annually diagnosed in the U.S.

300: Total cases of hepatoblastoma annually diagnosed in the world

1 in 7 million: Chances of a child having hepatoblastoma when neither parent carries the gene

WHAT IS HEPATOBLASTOMA?

Hepatoblastoma is a rare tumor (an abnormal tissue growth) that originates in cells in the liver. It is the most common cancerous liver tumor in early childhood.

Hepatoblastoma cancer cells also can spread (metastasize) to other areas of the body. The most common site of metastasis is the lungs.

Hepatoblastoma primarily affects children from infancy to about 5 years of age. Most cases appear during the first 18 months of life.

Hepatoblastoma affects white children more frequently than black children, and is more common in boys than girls up to about age 5, when the gender difference disappears. It occurs more frequently in children who were born very prematurely (early) with very low birth weights.

Source: The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Want to Go, By the Numbers and more on hepatoblastoma

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Girl Scouts walking in Crestview Relay for troop-mate with cancer

FORT WALTON BEACH — The Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County (DOH-Okaloosa) is observing April 16-23 as National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW). Babies need immunizations to protect against dangerous diseases like measles, whooping cough, and polio.

“National Infant Immunization Week is an opportunity for us to highlight the importance of immunizations to protect the public’s health,” Dr. Karen A. Chapman, DOH-Okaloosa director, stated. “Through immunization, we can now protect infants and children from 14 vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States.”

One example of the seriousness of vaccine preventable diseases is an increase in measles cases or outbreaks that were reported in 2014. The United States experienced a record number of measles cases, with 667 cases from 27 states. This was the greatest number of cases in the U.S. since measles was eliminated in 2000.

“It's easy to think of these as diseases of the past, but the truth is they still exist,” continued Dr. Chapman. “Children in the United States can—and do—still get some of these diseases.”

Communication between parents and health care professionals is critical. If parents or caregivers have any questions about the safety of immunizations, they should talk to their health care provider. Parents and caregivers can also learn more about immunizations at www.FloridaHealth.gov or http://www.CDC.gov/vaccines.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa health department observes Infant Immunization Week April 16-23

BAKER —  Low-income families may participate in a free mobile dental clinic sponsored by the Baker Area Ministerial Association and the Baker Lion's Club.

Local dentists and their assistants will provide fillings or extractions to those who qualify after screenings.

The screenings are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 6 at the Baker Area Recreation Center, 5503 Highway 4. Appointments will then be set for the week of May 9-13.

Qualifications are:

●Patients must be age 6 or older.

●Patients must attend the May 6 screening to schedule an appointment.

●Family income is at or below 200 percent poverty guideline.

The van is provided by the Florida Baptist Convention.

For more information, contact Project Director Mary Ann Henley, 865-3144.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Baker groups plan free mobile dental clinic with May 6 screenings