A number of Northwest Florida residents had Ashley Madison accounts when the dating service, which encourages cheating on a spouse, was hacked. 

North Okaloosa County communities were among those with account holders.

4.6 percent of Crestview's population, for instance, had an Ashley Madison account. 3.8 percent of Laurel Hill's population and 3.3 percent of Holt's were account holders.

Here is how other communities ranked. 

Read more from the Northwest Florida Daily News>>

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: This many Crestview area residents had Ashley Madison accounts

CRESTVIEW — In addition to hosting the first of three martial art tournaments the weekend of Feb. 2, Gordon Martial Arts has events with a local, regional, and international reach.

The first Gulf Coast Martial Art Championships tournament is 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 6 at Davidson Middle School, 6261 Old Bethel Road, Crestview. Tickets to watch the tournament are $5 for adults, $3 for children older than 5, and free for younger children.

Other events on the schedule are:

GMA SCHOOLWIDE TESTING: 3-8 p.m. Wednesday, March 30 and 31 at GMA, 130 W. Oakdale Ave., Crestview.

GMA PROMOTIONS CEREMONY: Awards, demonstrations, a community guest speaker and more are planned 6:30-8 p.m. Friday, April 8 at the Crestview Community Center, 1446 Commerce Drive. Gordon said, the event includes demonstrations by the students of what they have learned, certificates and belts are presented, and a featured Crestview guest speaker will address attendees. Previous speakers include CHS football coaches, Principal Dexter Day, Hub City Chevrolet's Chris Daggs, former Crestview Chamber president Wayne Harris, and other community leaders. The public is welcome to attend.

THE 10TH ANNUAL KOREAN MARTIAL ART FESTIVAL: 5:30-9 p.m. Friday, April 22, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, April 23 and 10 a.m. to noon Sunday, April 24 at GMA. Started in 2006, the event draws visitors regionally and worldwide, such as Australia, Canada, Scotland and the US. Black Belt magazine named the event one of "10 Must Do Events Of The Year." It includes the KMA Masters Hall of Fame ceremony Saturday evening with awards, demonstrations and more. Learn more at www.KMAF.info.

●The second GCMAC tournament is set from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 14 at Davidson Middle School. Schools from several states are set to attend.  

●A seminar with Aaron Gassor — "The Ginger Ninja," from the United Kingdom — is 6-8 p.m. Monday, May 16 at GMA. FOr more on Gassor, see http://www.gingerninjatrickster.com/.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Gordon Martial Arts schedule includes tournaments, international festival

CRESTVIEW — A local shopkeeper is pairing two beverages with perhaps surprisingly similar properties.

That’s not to say Baron’sTea.com’s owner Erica Teets actually mixes wine with her classic and seasonal tea blends. But she finds the similarities between tea leaves and wine grapes interesting.

It’s so interesting to her that, in October 2015, she started hosting monthly wine tastings at the former tea parlor with certified sommelier Nieves Pascual Ena.

“Wine and tea have similarities because of the tannins (bitter-tasting organic substances) in them,” Teets said. “When you pair the wine with food, there are all these things that occur that our sommelier talks about: how the tannins in the wine complement different food. It’s kind of the same with tea.”

Phytochemicals — natural compounds in plants that affect their color, aroma and taste — also affect our perception of how different foods taste when we couple them with wine and tea, Teets said.  

“We’re trying to teach people that pairing the right wine with the right food maximizes the taste of each,” Pascual Ena said. “This is educational. We’re not selling wine or representing distributors.”

WINE LOVES CHOCOLATE

For The Baron’s Valentine’s Day weekend tasting, Pascual Ena has been playing matchmaker between select wines and gourmet chocolates.

Sampling fare can also include select fruit, cheeses, meats and smoked salmon, she said.

“I’m constantly thinking, 'This might go well with that,'” Pascual Ena said. “There is a  lot of work involved but I love what I do.”

One thing attendees at the Feb. 12 event won’t know at first is which wines they’re sampling, though the sommelier will explain the covered bottles’ different properties.

“When you do a professional wine tasting, the bottles are covered so you are not guided by the label,” she said. “Other wine tastings are sponsored by a distributor, so they’re going to try to sell you that. Ours are completely educational.”

LIKE TEA, LIKE WINE

Although tea leaves are the basic part of tea, and grapes are the basic part of wine, both plants have many varieties, Teets said. Those variations make for different flavors and characteristics.

“They produce similar things but there is so much complexity to each one,” she said.

There’s too much complexity for her, so though there is the tea equivalent of a wine sommelier, but "that’s not me,” Teets said, laughing.

“There are people who are getting into a new craft, pairing tea with food,” she said. “Just like with wine, in the tea industry there are people who study teas. But I’m not certified.”

But Teets, who has lectured on tea's properties and culture, will gladly share her expertise, and offers samplings at her Ferdon Boulevard shop.

“All of the phytochemicals in tea — and each type has a different range — that’s what makes teas taste different,” she said.

“It’s like different wines have different types of grape.”

Nieves Pascual Ena is a wine authority who is internationally certified in Berlucchi, Italy through the Associazione Italiana Sommelier.

“We teach people to pair the right wine with the right food. That’s what a sommelier does,” she said. “If you go to a good restaurant, the sommelier wants to make sure you choose the right wine to go with your food.

“I have the best job in the world. I love it.”

WHAT IS A SOMMELIER?

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview tea shop finds similarities in traditional beverages (PHOTOS)

CRESTVIEW — An art show featuring the the works of Michael D. Frabott is on exhibit throughout February at the Niceville Public Library.

Frabott's abstract and pop art wood sculptures will be on display 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays at 206 Partin Drive N.

Frabott, a retired Crestview High School drafting teacher, used to make furniture. But he said he "got tired of making stuff that was just useful, so I decided to get into making artwork because it was enjoyable, relaxing and something to do. 'Everybody's gotta have a hobby!'" he said.

His favorite original pieces include two items: "The wall piece, I enjoyed gathering the stuff for it because that's a lot of found pieces, and the other one (a standalone artwork with a metal chain) was a little challenging to get the design right for it. I enjoyed the challenge of designing them."

The only thing not made of wood for the standalone project was the chain.

Contact Frabott,  689-2199, for more information about his work.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview artist's works on display in Niceville

CRESTVIEW — Ryan Jones enjoys traveling, teaching, playing sports and mowing his lawn, despite being visually impaired.

“With the right mindset, you can overcome your challenges to do what you want to do," the 1999 Crestview High School alumnus said.

He's been proving that his whole life.

GROWING UP

Ryan's dad, Bob Jones, former principal of Crestview High and Shoal River Middle Schools, said his son’s visual deterioration began as a toddler. So they adapted to the situation.

“He could read large-print books," Bob said. "As he got into middle school, he was carrying around these textbooks that were the size of an atlas.”

At CHS, Ryan used computer technology that enhanced scanned images and helped him learn. He joined the football team as a wide receiver, and played drums in the band, rising to section leader.

“He won the Louis Armstrong Jazz Musician Of The Year award his senior year," Bob said.

In addition, he won an Okaloosa County School District award for students who triumphed over disabilities or personal challenges.

HELPING OTHERS

As an adult, Ryan travels the country teaching visually impaired people how to use assistive technology developed by Freedom Scientific of St. Petersburg.

"We develop computer technology for people who are visually impaired," Ryan said. "We make software that reads everything on the screen out loud, and software that makes it possible to read on the screen.

"We make devices that translate print into Braille. We make magnifying systems for people who are have no vision or people who need just a little bit of help."

During his travels, he met blind singer Stevie Wonder, who has invited Ryan to his concerts.

Along the way, Ryan shares a message of hope: “Each of us have our own burdens to bear,” he said. “Mine is vision loss, but there are so many technologies to overcome people’s challenges."

A CHANCE ENCOUNTER

While traveling, Ryan met a Kentucky middle school teacher at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. She had a visually impaired student and, noticing Ryan’s cane, asked for advice on helping her student.

“She was sitting at the gate and she said she felt God telling her to speak to me, so we just struck up a conversation,” Ryan said. “We thought it was all about helping that student, but it was about God orchestrating ways for us to get married.”

They wed two years later, and will celebrate their sixth anniversary in April.

THE FIRST STEP

Ryan and Kayla Jones now live in Lexington, Ky., and their faith carries them through life.

“I focus on my church time just to talk about overcoming obstacles, to live by faith and not by sight, to encourage other people,” he said. “… It’s not a ministry, per se, but I get to use my faith to illustrate for other people, which is really good.”

“He’s my Christian role model and my work ethic and perseverance role model,” Bob said. “Ryan has vision that goes beyond sight."

“Sometimes people get stuck on dealing with what’s right in front of them instead of looking at the bigger picture and overcoming those things,” Ryan said.

“The first step is being real about your situation, and not trying to hide it.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview High School alumnus inspires others who are blind

Here's a list of upcoming events for Crestview, Okaloosa and Northwest Florida residents.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 3 things to do this weekend in Northwest Florida

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting, sponsored by North Okaloosa Medical Center, is set for 7:30 a.m. Feb. 4 at the Crestview Community Center.

The entry fee is $3. Networking begins at 7 a.m. and the program follows. 

Any chamber member can bring business cards, brochures or offer member discounts. The meeting will feature a table for displaying them.  

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: NOMC to host Crestview chamber breakfast meeting

FORT WALTON BEACH — The Allstate Foundation recently awarded Shelter House a $30,625 grant to continue its economic empowerment program.

Shelter House — a state-certified domestic and sexual violence shelter serving Okaloosa and Walton counties — first received this grant in 2009, and has since earned recognition and offered training to other domestic violence centers on its innovative programs.

Tactics that abusers use to exert control include restricting the victim’s access to money, ruining the victim’s credit, forbidding her to work or harassing her on the job, causing a spotty work history.

Shelter House advocates in the WAM! (Women and Money) program work with survivors on budgeting, building savings, repairing credit scores and more through economic empowerment courses.

The nonprofit organization also works with children of abuse survivors so they learn early in life how to handle their own finances.

The agency will hold public workshops on April 4 and June 25. Call 243-1201 for more information.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Shelter House receives economic empowerment grant, sets workshops

FORT WALTON BEACH — Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast will soon enroll for summer youth development programming.

Registration opens to all current club members on Feb. 16; to 2015 summer members on Feb. 29; and to the general public on March 7. Registration is on a first come, first served basis until each club has reached capacity. 

Summer programming will be offered at these clubs: DeFuniak Springs and Crestview, Pensacola, Destin Elementary, Fort Walton Beach Youth, Fort Walton Beach Teen, and South Walton.

Membership rates cost $350 for the entire summer programming with a one-time $25 registration fee. Payment plans are available as follows:

●Registration fee and one-third of summer program paid on day of registration

●April 11: Second payment due

●May 9: Final payment due

Other program fee rates are available based on free or reduced-lunch eligibility.

See www.EmeraldCoastBGC.org for more details. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Boys and Girls Clubs set summer program registration

CRESTVIEW — Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on these state roads as crews perform construction activities:

I-10 resurfacing, Okaloosa County: Intermittent and alternating east and westbound lane closures from the Santa Rosa County line to east of County Road 189 (Holt Exit) between  8 p.m. and  6 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 31 through Thursday, Feb. 4. The speed limit will be reduced to 60 mph in the active work zone.

I-10 Resurfacing, Walton County: Intermittent and alternating east and westbound lane closures from just west of Boy Scout Road to just east of U.S. 331, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31 through Thursday, Feb. 4.

I-10, Walton County: Alternating east and westbound lane closures between exit 85 (DeFuniak Springs/Exit 85) and exit 96 (Ponce deLeon/ State Road 81), 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 1 through Thursday, Feb. 4 as crews trim trees near the roadway.

U.S. 331 Choctawhatchee Bay Bridge, Walton County: Alternating lane closures across the Clyde B. Wells Bridge from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2 and Friday, Feb. 5 as crews place concrete for the new bridge. 

In addition, there will be alternating lane closures between the Relief Bridge and the Clyde B. Wells Bridge, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3. to 6 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 4 as crews perform paving operations.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 4 Okaloosa and Walton County traffic disruptions this week