PENSACOLA — While much of the East Coast braces for the impact of Winter Storm Jonas, Gulf Power employees are getting ready to deploy storm crews to North Carolina to prepare for possible widespread outages due to the storm that is expected to dump anywhere from 18-24 inches of snow from Virginia to Washington D.C.

Crews and support staff from Gulf Power will leave to help Duke Energy should their customers experience outages due to ice and heavy snow. The crews will strike out from various locations including Pine Forest, Milton, Crestview and Panama City.

“This is a monster storm with power crews along the Mid-Atlantic states already preparing for ice by cutting limbs down over power lines,” said Rick DelaHaya, Gulf Power spokesperson.

“Our crews are very experienced at storm restoration and we are always happy to help other utilities in the face of a major storm. While we don’t train in the cold weather and snow, our customers benefit as our crews are able to hone their skills should anything happen back here at home. This is what we do — restore power and hope, whether right here at home or for our neighbors.”

The last time Gulf Power storm crews deployed was in July 2015 to help sister company Alabama Power after severe storms swept through the area leaving more than 35,000 customers without power in the state, including 23,000 in the Birmingham metro area.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview storm crews travel to East Coast in preparation for Winter Storm Jonas

CRESTVIEW — Cold weather shelters in Crestview will be open.

The shelters listed below will open today, Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 22-24 from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m., if the temperature drops below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

•Fridays: First Presbyterian Church

•Saturdays: First United Methodist Church

•Sundays: Lifepoint Church

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview cold weather shelters set to open

CHIPLEY — Travelers approaching the State Road 85 North-State Road 123 intersection south of Crestview will experience a two-phase traffic shift.

During the first phase, scheduled for Sunday night, Jan. 24, southbound S.R. 85 traffic merging onto S.R. 123 will shift onto the newly constructed S.R. 123 roadway. Drivers may experience minor delays while the contractor completes the traffic shift. 

The traffic shift's second phase will occur Monday afternoon, Jan. 25, when northbound S.R. 123 traffic will shift onto the newly constructed southbound roadway north of Turkey Creek and then transitioned back to the existing intersection. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Traffic shift scheduled for State Road 123

DESTIN — David Seering's annual Children in Crisis benefit concert is set for 7 p.m. Feb. 22 at the Village Baptist Church in Destin.

Seering will perform with Amanda Holmes and the Swing City Six band. Tickets, $25, may be purchased at Children in Crisis; Lifeway Christian Bookstore in Destin; or at www.childrenincrisisfl.org. All proceeds will be used to provide a home to Northwest Florida foster children at CIC.

Seering, who calls the Emerald Coast home, has received many accolades throughout his career and has performed for three former presidents.

The CIC Neighborhood in Fort Walton Beach provides emergency shelter for children removed from an unsafe environment on short notice, and offers housing to help with foster home shortage. 

Learn more at www.childrenincrisisfl.org or call 864-4242.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Children in Crisis benefit concert scheduled

FORT WALTON BEACH — The 17th annual Camellia Workshop/Open House/Plant Sale, presented by the Greater Fort Walton Beach Camellia Society, is set.

The free event is 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 6 at the Okaloosa County Extension Service Building, 127 Hollywood Blvd SW., Fort Walton Beach.

This is an open house type event, so participants may arrive and leave any time during the morning.

 Several varieties of camellia plants will be available for purchase. Attendees will receive one-on-one, hands-on instruction from local society members on various aspects of growing camellias, including pruning, air-layering, propagation, etc. Information about planting and caring for camellias throughout the year will also be provided.

Visitors may bring samples of leaves, blooms, etc., to the pests/diseases table for evaluation of plants about which they are concerned.

The society's regular meetings are third Thursdays of the month at Okaloosa County Extension Service, 127 Hollywood Blvd. SW, Fort Walton Beach.

For more information, call 862-4526 or email camelliafwb@cox.net.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Camellia enthusiasts host Fort Walton Beach workshop, open house

VALPARAISO — The next Tri-County Horticulture Studies Group meeting includes a presentation on  "Flowering Shrubs and Small Trees for Northwest Florida Landscapes."

Marie Harrison, author of a book on this topic, will present the information. She is an Okaloosa County Master Gardener, horticulture instructor for National Garden Clubs, author of four gardening books, and columnist for several magazines and other publications.

The meeting is 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Jan. 28 at the Valparaiso Community Library, Room 3, 459 Valparaiso Parkway, in Room 3 of the Valparaiso Community Library at 459 Valparaiso Parkway.

The free meetings are open to the public; no reservations are required.

Following the presentation, the group will take a Turkey Creek Nature Trail field trip at 340 John Sims Parkway, Niceville. Participants may join the group for lunch at Helen Back restaurant.

The group is sponsored by the federated garden clubs of Okaloosa, Walton, and Santa Rosa Counties and interested individuals. Master Gardeners from the three-county area can earn two education hours by attending. For more information, call 678-9898.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Tri-County Horticulture Studies Group sets Valparaiso meeting

HOLT — rideOn has a new website to better serve its 10-county region, which includes Okaloosa.

rideOn promotes affordable, reliable commuter transportation by encouraging use of carpools, vanpools, public transportation, park-and-ride lots, biking, walking, flexible work schedules, and telecommuting. 

The new website, http://www.rideoncarpoolconnection.com, provides access to ride-matching registration and other information, such as Northwest Florida park-and-ride lot locations. Okaloosa has just one park and ride spot — on the southeast corner of U.S. Highway 90 and County Road 189 — according to the service's website.

The rideOn program is available to anyone working or living in Okaloosa, Escambia, Santa Rosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, Holmes, Washington, Jackson or Calhoun counties.

To register as a commuter, visit www.rideoncarpoolconnection.com or contact Dan Deanda at the West Florida Regional Planning Council, dan.deanda@wfrpc.org or 800-226-8924, extension 227.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Northwest Florida carpooling service launches new website

CRESTVIEW — Boat Club Enthusiasts, a new social club for residents with or without boats, offers Northwest Florida families an affordable option to spend time on the water with less expense.

The club — which will have a Crestview chapter — provides social activities and a discount on boat club membership, allowing members access to a fleet of boats for one flat monthly fee. 

In addition, members can network with each other to share boating excursion expenses.

Contact BoatClubInfo@operationHSH.com or Nancy Gaskins, 850-499-7149, for more information.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Boat club launches Crestview chapter

MILTON — Bay Area Food Bank has rebranded itself and now is Feeding the Gulf Coast.

When the food bank opened in 1981, it served Mobile and Baldwin counties, hence the “Bay Area” name. Today, as a member food bank of Feeding America, the organization serves 24 counties spanning the Mississippi/Louisiana border to as far east as Panama City, and as far north as Choctaw County in Alabama.

Partner agencies, retail stores, donors and government officials across the service area do not identify with the name Bay Area Food Bank, which prevents the food bank from serving each county effectively.

See www.feedingthegulfcoast.org for more information about the nonprofit organization, which is a United Way agency.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Bay Area Food Bank gets a new name

DEFUNIAK SPRINGS — A highlight of the upcoming Florida Chautauqua Assembly is an address by a keynote speaker who starred in a 1950-1960 television show.

Jerry Mathers, who played "The Beave" on "Leave It To Beaver," will discuss how life has changed in America since his appearances on the program.

Christopher Mitchell, president and program chair of the Florida Chautauqua Association orchestrates the annual historic Assembly.  He says Jerry will deliver an inspiring keynote address for all ages in attendance.  “Most young people today know ‘The Beave’ from watching re-runs on TV Land and ME TV, and I can hardly find anyone my age (51) or older who have never heard of the series,” he says.  “So much has changed since the ‘Leave It To Beaver’ days, and Jerry is a perfect choice in outlining how those changes have impacted all of our lives in America.”

Mathers' accomplishments include:

●recognition by People Magazine as one of the most well known individuals in television history

●hosting the American Academy of Neurology Foundation’s patient education video and handbook entitled: “Diabetic Nerve Pain: A Guide for Patients and Families." The video and guidebook are aimed at answering important questions for people who suffer from nerve pain due to diabetes.

●being the first and only actor to ever star in a professional British Panto performed in the United States in December 2010 (an 800 year old English tradition). He played Baron Hardup in the theatrical debut of Cinderella, a Panto, produced by the Lythgoe family.

●After being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, Mathers took preventative action and became one of the leading lecturers on living with and dealing with diabetes. He has been invited to share his experience with diabetes on "Larry King Live" numerous times and has spoken to the Congressional Caucus on diabetes at the Capitol in Washington, DC. Jerry also speaks with the media to alert individuals about the importance of early diagnosis, diet and exercise, and the proper treatment of diabetes.

●National spokesperson for PhRMA and their Partnership for Prescription Assistance program in 2009 and 2010. The organization helps uninsured and financially-struggling patients obtain prescription medicines for free or nearly free. The program is a nationwide effort sponsored by America’s pharmaceutical research and manufacturing companies – raising awareness of patient assistance programs and the need to effectively address the rising and alarming rates of chronic disease.

His presentation is scheduled at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 29 at Florida Chautauqua Headquarters, 1290 Circle Drive, DeFuniak Springs.

The theme for this year's four-day assembly is "A Journey into America.” It begins at 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 28 and ends Sunday, Jan. 31. For more information on registration, planned exhibits and updates,  visit www.FloridaChautauquaAssembly.org. For more on the Mathers keynote address, contact the Florida Chautauqua Association at 892-7613 or email Christopher Mitchell at cmitchell002@pannhandle.rr.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'Leave It to Beaver' star to address Florida Chautauqua