CRESTVIEW — The recreational harvest season for snook reopens March 1 in Florida’s Gulf of Mexico, and in state and adjacent federal waters, including Everglades National Park and Monroe County.

The season will remain open through April 30.

In the Gulf, anglers daily may keep one snook between 28 and 33 inches long. A snook permit is required, along with a saltwater fishing license, unless exempt from the license requirements. Only hook-and-line gear is allowed when targeting or harvesting snook, and it is illegal to buy or sell snook.

Researchers ask anglers who harvest the fish to save the carcasses after the meat is filleted and provide them to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission by dropping them off at a participating bait and tackle store. These donations allow researchers to better determine the age groups being harvested, which makes stock assessments more precise.

Click here, and tap “Saltwater,” “Recreational Regulations” and “Snook" for more information. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Snook to reopen in Gulf state waters

NICEVILLE — Flying Needles Quilt Guild Inc. will present a show Feb. 27 and 28 at Northwest Florida State College's Student Services Center.

The show — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at 100 E. College Blvd. — features vendors, demonstrations, a Quilter's Walk and a boutique. Lunch will be available in the cafeteria.

Call 729-7772 for more details.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: THIS WEEKEND: Quilt show scheduled in Niceville

CRESTVIEW — Measles is making a comeback.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 102 cases of measles were diagnosed in 14 states in January.

Most of these cases are linked to a measles outbreak at an amusement park in California.

In 2014, the U.S. experienced the greatest number of measles cases — 644 cases in 27 states — since the virus was declared eliminated here 14 years ago, according to the CDC.

Most of these cases were in people who were not vaccinated.

“Vaccination is an important tool in preventing the spread of measles,” said Lida Deonarine, North Okaloosa Medical Center's director of Infection Control and Employee Health. “CDC research shows that one dose of the measles vaccine is about 93 percent effective at preventing measles if someone is exposed to the virus, and two doses are about 97 percent effective.”

Measles is still common in other countries, and travelers with measles continue to bring the virus to the U.S. An outbreak can occur when the disease reaches a community where groups of people are unvaccinated.

The CDC recommends that every child receive a first dose of the measles vaccination after reaching the age of 12 months. A second dose is recommended for 4- to 6- year-olds.

Vaccination is also recommended for adults who do not have evidence of immunity to the measles. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: NOMC: Vaccination key to prevent spread of measles

As we get closer to the April 15 tax-filing deadline, you may be wondering about how your actions can affect the amount of taxes you pay.

Of course, you don’t have total command of some key tax-related components, such as your earned income. But one area in which you do have a degree of control is your investment-related taxes.

And since 2014 was a decent year for the financial markets, you may have some gains.

If you decide to sell some of your investments to “lock in” those gains, what would be the tax consequences?

Essentially, the answer depends on two variables: your tax bracket and how long you’ve held the investments.

Our tax code rewards investors who hold their investments for longer than one year. Consequently, short-term capital gains — earned on investments held for less than one year before being sold for a profit — are taxed at an individual’s ordinary income tax rate, which for 2014 can be as high as 39.6 percent.

However, long-term capital gains, earned on investments held one year or longer, are taxed at just 15 percent for most taxpayers and 20 percent for those in the 39.6 percent bracket. (At this tax bracket, a 3.8 percent Medicare contribution tax may also apply to long-term gains, so the top capital gains rate would be 23.8 percent.) You’ll need to check with your tax adviser on your specific situation.

From a tax standpoint, you may be better off keeping your profitable investments at least one year before selling them. But are there other reasons to hold investments for the long term?

In a word, yes. For one thing, if you are constantly buying and selling investments, you won’t just incur taxes; you’ll rack up commissions and fees that can eat into your investments’ real rate of return.

Also, if you are always buying and selling, you may be doing so for the wrong reasons.

You might be chasing after “hot” investments, even though by the time you buy them, they may already be cooling off. They may not even be right for your needs. Or you might decide you need to “shake things up” in your portfolio because you haven’t liked what you’ve seen on your investment statements for a particular time stretch. But if the overall market is down, it tends to drag everything down with it — even quality vehicles that still have good prospects.

Rather than chasing after hot stocks or reacting to short-term price movements, you may be better off by following a “buy-and-hold” strategy in which you purchase investments appropriate for your needs and then hold those investments for the long term.

Of course, “buy and hold” does not mean “buy and forget.” You may still need to make transactions, but only if it’s really necessary — such as when an investment is no longer appropriate for your investment goals.

If you want to cut down on your capital gains taxes, holding quality investments for the long term makes sense.

As for an investment strategy, a buy-and-hold approach can work well for you — long after tax season has ended.

This article was written by Edward Jones on behalf of your Edward Jones financial adviser. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FINANCIAL FOCUS: Holding investments long term can be less 'taxing'