CRESTVIEW — Instead of working, unscrupulous people dream up scams to part the unsuspecting from their money.

Here are some scams — some old, and some new — that are currently making the rounds. I experienced the first one last week.

I received five text messages supposedly from Hancock-Whitney Bank that said: "FRM: Hancock-Whitney Bank-ALERTS. SUBJ: Call: (858)751-7636 #Now ID: 848. MSG: Your card is restricted! srnp."

Now this is all very interesting, except for one major flaw — we don't have any type of card with Hancock-Whitney Bank.

Please don't ever call a number from an unsolicited text message as this is a scam and someone is looking to steal your hard earned money.

If you suspect there is a problem with your debit or credit card, call the bank or credit card company from a printed statement you received from them.

The second scam is for a "free" pair of Apple Air Pods. You receive a text message  stating you just won a free pair of Air Pods from Amazon, and just click on the link embedded in the text message or call the phone number.

Of course, on the other end of the phone is a demand for your Amazon account information and password. In some instances, they request your credit card number. If you click instead of call, your device may be infected with malware.

When something appears to be too good to be true, unfortunately, it is.

We have also personally received this scam. You receive an email or text stating that the company (it could be UPS, the post office, Amazon, Wal-Mart, etc.) is holding your delivery until you verify your purchase. Again, it will come by either a text message with an embedded link to click or an email with a phone number.

The embedded link will take you to a fake website and ask for all sorts of personal information, such as your credit card number, password, address and so on and may infect your device with malware. If you call the fraudulent phone number in the email, it will undoubtedly be a person that wants all of your personal information, including your home address, credit card number, password, etc.

This could potentially set one up for a home invasion, as well as credit card fraud.

Please don't fall for these scams. Don't click links in emails or text messages.

If you feel the message may be legitimate, please look on your statement from the store or financial institution and call that phone number.

To be safe, never give out your credit card number over the phone unless you initiated the call and are entirely certain you have reached the bank or credit card company. No one needs the aggravation of credit card fraud or identity theft.

Please stay safe and be discerning so you can thwart these would-be thieves!

Janice Lynn Crose, a former accountant, lives in Crestview with her husband, Jim; her two rescue collies, Shane and Jasmine; and two cats, Kathryn and Prince Valiant.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: HAPPENINGS: Protect yourself, your personal information from scammers

CRESTVIEW — Peanut butter is often thought of as a simple staple for a kitchen pantry, something always to have on hand to make a PB&J for the kids when you need a quick meal, a delicious treat applied to celery, or a yummy addition to a breakfast smoothie.

Peanut butter can be taken for granted. This tasty spread provides a load of nutrition to the consumer of this shelf-stable staple.

Just one ounce of peanut butter, about 1 tablespoon, is packed with about 7 grams of protein. Protein helps our bodies in too many ways to list. Still, just a few include building muscle, keeping your bodily systems functioning (such as your immune system) and providing energy. In addition to being a good source of protein, peanut butter also contains vitamin E, antioxidants, potassium, magnesium, and monounsaturated (good) fats. 

With all these benefits, one may think that eating a large amount of peanut butter may benefit their regular meal plan. Peanut butter is also high in saturated fat and calories, so moderation is key.

Because of the versatility, overall nutritional value, cost, and ease of storage, peanut butter can be especially beneficial to people who struggle with food insecurity. These people may need assistance keeping their homes stocked with food for themselves and their families.

To help fight food insecurity in our own community, the University of Florida/Institute of Fool and Agricultural  Sciences Extension is once again hosting the annual Peanut Butter Challenge now through Nov. 24.

We ask that those able donate new (unopened) and unexpired jars of peanut butter to the Okaloosa County Extension office at 3098 Airport Road. Crestview. An additional collection site is the Florida Farm Bureau, 921 W James Lee Blvd. Crestview.

After the challenge end date, our partnering agency, the Florida Peanut Producers Association (FPPA), will match the total amount of donated peanut butter. All donations and matched products collected in Okaloosa will be distributed to food pantries and events held within the county to provide a nutritious food option to residents in need.

In 2020, the challenge collected 1,243 jars totaling 1542.7 pounds for Okaloosa County; this year, we are hungry for more! On your next shopping trip, please consider helping out by grabbing an extra jar.

Contact Jill Breslawski, Family and Consumer Science Agent, or Jennifer Bearden, Agriculture Agent with the UF/IFAS Okaloosa County Extension at 850-689-5850 for more information about the Peanut Butter Challenge or donation arrangements.

Jill Breslawski is an agent at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension office in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: EXTENSION CONNECTION: We're accepting Peanut Butter Challenge donations

NOIRMOUTIER-EN-L’ÎLE, France — The 19 French students who will visit Crestview in April 2022 recently held a successful flea market in one of Noirmoutier-en-l’Île’s central downtown parking lots and netted more than $2,500 toward their travel expenses.

“The weather was nice, sunny but not too hot, perfect for this event,” Noirmoutier Sister City Committee President Stéphanie Gallais reported.

Many of the island’s 10,000 summer visitors were still at their summer homes or campers, assuring a steady flow of browsers at the event, she said.

The students, who will stay with Crestview High School student hosts when they visit, did most of the work, Gallais said.

“It was a long day for us, arriving at 6:30 and finishing at 19:30 (7:30 p.m.),” she said.

Because last year’s COVID-19 outbreak on Noirmoutier island was largely attributed to an influx of visitors from Paris and other cities who fled to their summer homes as the country went into lockdown, the organizers took plenty of health precautions at their flea market.

“We organized social distancing and created pathways (between booths) to avoid problems between visitors, and we wore masks, had bottles of hand sanitizer, and put up health safety information signs,” Gallais, who is a nurse, said.

As vendors hawked arts, crafts and flea market wares, the students prepared and sold crêpes and accompanying soft drinks, tea and coffee.

For the signature French pancakes, students Louna Tourneux and Aurane Bidaud melted a dab of butter in a pan, swirled a ladle of batter around then flipped each crêpe to lightly brown the bottom. Then their classmate Hugo Bugeon put a healthy smear of Nutella on each, rolled it up and presented it to the customers. At times, lines formed for the delicacies.

“We had more than 3 kilograms of batter,” Gallais said, which was nearly 7 pounds. “But the results were good! Selling the (booth) places to exhibitors raised 1,330 euros (about $1,565), plus sales of drinks and crêpes brought 800 euros (about $941).”

The successful event meant a lot of hard work, but the results made it all worthwhile, she said.

“Our students were happy to work,” Gallais said. “They know that the money collected will be used to help us for the Easter trip to Crestview.”

ABOUT CRESTVIEW’S SISTER CITY PROGRAM

Through Sister Cities International, Crestview has partnered with the French island community of Noirmoutier, located off the west coast of France, since 1995.

Periodic exchanges between the communities include group travels (the next trip for Crestview residents is planned for May or June 2022), individual visits, student exchanges and performances on the island by Northwest Florida State College’s student show choirs. College level academic partnerships include student internships and a year of study through NWFSC’s business program.

Crestview’s program was selected by Sister Cities International as the best in its population category for 2020.

For information, contact program president Brian Hughes, 850-398-5459, hughesb@cityofcrestview.org.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Noirmoutrin flea market nets more than $2,500 for Crestview visit

A man walked into a doctor’s office and the receptionist asked him what he had. He said, “Shingles.” So, she took down his name, address, medical insurance number, and told him to have a seat.

Fifteen minutes later a nurse’s aide came out and asked him what he had. He said, “Shingles.” So, she took down his height, weight, a complete medical history and told him to wait in an examining room.

A half-hour later, a nurse came in and asked him what he had. He said, “Shingles.” So, she gave him a blood test, a blood pressure test, an electrocardiogram, told him to take off all his clothes, and wait for the doctor.

An hour later the doctor came in and asked him what he had. He said, “Shingles.” The doctor said, “Where?” He said, “Outside in the truck. Where do you want them?”

It seems as though there are times people are in such a hurry that time isn’t made to listen carefully to what someone is saying. Instead, assumptions are quickly made, and actions and responses are made on those assumptions. Unfortunately, those assumptions can be very harmful to our relationships with one another.

Most are aware that email and texting are now used most frequently to convey messages. Whereas texting and emails do have their place, I believe we are now two generations deep in people losing the art of verbal conversation, communication, and conflict resolution.

Because of the ease and anonymity of texting or using social media, people freely type out whatever is on their minds without any kind of filter. Facts are not taken into consideration. Human dignity is not respected. Much interaction is based on an emotional knee-jerk reaction. And once a person’s mind is made up, it becomes set in concrete.

This all comes about because we are losing the ability and willingness to listen, to think, to entertain different ideas, and to converse with civility.

I believe God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason – so we can listen twice as much as we speak. And to show how important it is to listen, the word “listen” is used almost 300 times in the Bible.

Our ears, minds, and hearts need to be open with the loving grace of God so we can truly listen to what another is saying to us. We need to be able to speak in such a way that the other will be able to listen to us, too.

The letter of James (1:19-20) says, “Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness.”

Are you listening carefully to what is being said? Are you asking questions for clarification? Be slow to anger, slow to speak, and quick to listen.

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is pastor at Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FROM THE PULPIT: Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview Library now has self-checkout! It’s almost like having another librarian. 

Use it to check out items and pay for copies and print jobs. It accepts coins, $1 bills and $5 bills. 

If you have a bill higher than $5 or don’t have your library card, your friendly librarians will be glad to help you at the front desk (which is brand new and beautiful!).

Heather Nitzel is the Youth Services Librarian at the Crestview Public Library.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CHECK IT OUT: Crestview Library now has self-checkout station

CRESTVIEW — There's no doubt about it, drones are fun!

It makes sense that kids would jump at the opportunity to fly one. But like many things, adults use drones to teach kids life skills. I like to say we sneak in the education while they are having fun.

Of course, kids will learn STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) while learning to fly a drone. That’s just intrinsic in the flying experience. Kids are wired for technology these days and we can use that to inspire a deep love of STEM. STEM is vital to our future as a society, and we have to do what we can to build up our new workforce.

Drones also can be used to develop life skills such as problem solving, creativity, and critical thinking. The future of drones in our lives is wide open. Allowing kids to experience drones and find unique ways to use them is critical to the growth of the drone industry. Creativity leads to innovation.

Teamwork is also an important skill that kids can learn while flying drones. It takes a team to fly successful missions, especially complicated missions. Drones also get kids moving physically and motivate them to get outside and explore the world around them.

Youth drone program

I’m so excited to offer a youth drone program starting in October. This program will be a part of the Hsu Educational Foundation’s Drone Team Challenge.

We will teach kids the skills necessary to compete in the Drone Team Challenge. We will have fun learning to fly drones, but we will also focus on developing those other very important skills!

The 4-H Drone Club will be open to youth ages 8-18. We will have an organizational meeting at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 7 at the Okaloosa County Extension Office, 3098 Airport Road, Crestview.

For more information, contact Jennifer Bearden at bearden@ufl.edu or 850-689-5850.

Jennifer Bearden is an agent at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension office in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: EXTENSION CONNECTION: New youth drones program begins in October

CRESTVIEW —While I realize that not everyone in Crestview is a Christian, most of the residents are kind, compassionate and caring people. We do have many believers in our town and this column is written to them.

When you meet someone, or someone shares a concern with you and you state that you will pray for them, do you? Do you follow up right then and pray with them, do you pray for them at home, or do you forget that you promised to pray for them and their specific needs?

My memory isn't as sharp as it was when I was in my 20s, so I now have white boards and an Excel spreadsheet for my prayer requests. I can easily add requests to the spreadsheet and date them when they are answered. One of the saddest things I can think of in this life is to promise to pray for someone and then never actually do it.

We need to be sensitive to the needs of others and offer kindness when we can. A smile, a kind word, and for those we may not see very often, a cheerful card mailed to them works wonders. It only costs a little over one dollar to buy and mail a card these days. One can find very nice cards at the Dollar General or Dollar Tree. Two cost a dollar and then a stamp is 55 cents. It takes some time and effort, but it is well worth it for the smile it will bring to someone's face.

In these days when it is difficult to visit others because of COVID-19, a sweet card or note is very welcome to those who can't get out much. My mother-in-law was also a sender of cards. She had a computer program and made cards on the computer and sent them. They were beautiful and it was very special to get a card from her.

Don't forget birthdays and holidays when sending cards. I send cards for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, and I think most people appreciate the thought and effort put into them. Get well and sympathy cards are also appreciated.

Let's fill our corner of the world with love, kindness and prayer for others. Have a wonderful week!

Janice Lynn Crose, a former accountant, lives in Crestview with her husband, Jim; her two rescue collies, Shane and Jasmine; and two cats, Kathryn and Prince Valiant.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: HAPPENINGS: Being kind and praying for others

CRESTVIEW — The years 2020 and 2021 have been interesting, to say the least. However, during this pandemic we have put technology to good use. We now have many meetings and services available by telephone or the internet.

Meetings are now regularly held by way of Zoom and connect people all over the world. Churches now broadcast their services online, by Zoom, Facebook, YouTube or other technologies.

I attended Bible study on Zoom last year and it saved me almost two hours of driving each Wednesday. I now am leading a Bible study on Zoom with ladies from as far away as the United Kingdom and in many different states here in the US. How fortunate we are to have this technology at our fingertips.

I realize children, teens and young adults are much better with technology than I am, and I find it interesting to see how much the world has progressed technologically.

Back in the late 1990s, when I worked for the school district in California, we had meetings by satellite. We would reserve the conference room, invite attendees to our school district and when it was time, we'd dial to the correct frequency and pray it would work correctly.

If it was a windy day or there were sunspots or rain, the conference was cut short due to technical difficulties. Now with Wi-Fi, we can have Zoom up and running and the outside elements don't affect it much. I remember many conferences being cut short because of difficulties.

Think of the many ways that technology makes our lives easier. With computers we can now bank online with services available from paying our bills, checking our balance and making account transfers. We can send instant emails to others around the world and even have the ability to chat with others instantaneously. This type of technology was not available to the general public in the 1980s and 1990s.

We have "smart" technology for our cell phones, our door bells and home security cameras, as well as "smart" watches that do almost anything our cell phones can do. You can set alarms, answer your cell phone, set up apps and more with a smart watch.

My paternal grandmother was born in 1896 and lived to be 99 years old. The changes she saw in her lifetime were phenomenal.

She saw electricity installed in most people's houses, indoor plumbing, heaters and electric stoves being used rather than wood stoves and ovens. There was also the telephone, which was installed in many homes, the rise of vehicles for the common household as well as air travel.

When she was born, her family's mode of transportation was by horse and buggy. In 1895 streetcars were introduced in Los Angeles, where she was born. Going from streetcars to rockets in one's lifetime is amazing.

We can now throw a load of laundry in our automatic washing machine, attend a Zoom meeting and after the meeting throw the clean clothes into the dryer. Years ago, it took an entire day to wash the laundry and hang it out to dry, then another day to iron it all. Now we have permanent press fabrics and clothes dryers that sense how dry the clothes are getting and turn themselves off so the clothes don't wrinkle.

We are truly living in an interesting era. Never have we had the amount of gadgets to help us with so many of our everyday tasks and never have we had our privacy so exposed to others.

Guard your privacy and your passwords and stay safe!

Janice Lynn Crose, a former accountant, lives in Crestview with her husband, Jim; her two rescue collies, Shane and Jasmine; and two cats, Kathryn and Prince Valiant.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: HAPPENINGS: How technology has changed our lives

Once again: You asked. The Crestview Public Library listened.

Need a library activity for your school-aged child? In addition to our evening Family Library Times, we are now offering a 4 p.m. Flash Craft for ages 3-11 if we have enough leftover crafts from Storytime. It will usually be on Mondays.

Watch our Facebook page or calendar to see them pop up. Preregistration is not required.

Crafts will be first come, first served. Adults, plan to stay in the Meeting Room to help your children who are ages 3-5. Plan to stay in the library if your children who are ages 6-11 and are comfortable completing their craft on their own.

If you are not able to make it to the Flash Craft, look for craft kits in front of the Story Room in the days that follow.

Please call 850-682-4432 with questions. The library is located at 1445 Commerce Driv, Crestview.

Heather Nitzel is the Youth Services Librarian at the Crestview Public Library.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CHECK IT OUT: You asked, and librarians listened

Ruby is the mother of six and grandmother of 13. She is the embodiment of gentleness, patience, and love.

One Christmas, all the children and grandchildren were gathered as usual at Ruby’s home. Just the month before, Ruby had bought beautiful new white carpeting after living with the “same old carpet” for over 25 years. She was overjoyed with the new look it gave her home.

Ruby’s son, Arnie, had just distributed his gifts for all the nieces and nephews – prized homemade honey from his beehives. They were excited. But as fate would have it, 8-year-old Sheena spilled her tub of honey on Grandma’s new carpeting and trailed it throughout the entire downstairs of the house.

Crying, Sheena ran into the kitchen and into Grandma Ruby’s arms. “Grandma, I’ve spilled my honey all over your brand-new carpet.”

If this had happened to you, what would your reaction have been? Would you have been furious and caused a scene? Would you have berated Sheena for ruining the brand new carpet? Many people would.

But Grandma Ruby knelt down, looked tenderly into Sheena’s tearful eyes, and said, “Don’t worry sweetheart, we can get you more honey.”

What was Ruby’s first concern? To comfort Sheena. Ruby didn’t rant and rave about the carpet and the floor. In wisdom, she knew her granddaughter knew her terrible mistake. It was an accident. Sheena was very sorry for what happened. So why make a fuss over a carpet when so much more was at stake?

Ruby saw the emotional long-term effect her first response would have. And she wisely took the road of not making a fuss over the carpet, but rather assured her granddaughter that she was still loved way more than a piece of fabric.

Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

A soft answer in the midst of chaos or unsettling times goes a long way toward bringing peace and comfort. Giving a soft answer shows a great deal of wisdom and a maturity in faith.

We are to ask God for his wisdom. The letter of James (1:6–7) says we are to ask for God’s wisdom in this way, “Ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” You are to ask, knowing and believing God will give it to you.

Be sure to allow your responses to challenging or difficult situations to be guided by God’s wisdom, uttered with soft words.

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is pastor at Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FROM THE PULPIT: A soft answer brings comfort, turns away wrath