CRESTVIEW — Children in Crisis has extra support for its programs benefiting at-risk children. The Beach Brawl Sk8r Dolls donated more than $900 to the nonprofit organization.
"We opened a new children's family foster home last month and now we have the huge challenge of sustaining operations of the home. The Beach Brawl Sk8r Dolls donation will help use with our critical need of feeding and clothing our kids," Ken Hair, CIC president and CEO, said.
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.
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE — InDyne employees raised $42,275.91 for the United Way of Okaloosa and Walton Counties' annual campaign.
This exceeded their $37,000 goal.
"I am incredibly proud of the men and women of Team InDyne ETTC, and their generous contributions to such a worthy cause," InDyne Program Director Mike Guidry said. "It is an honor working with these highly skilled and hard-working individuals who somehow always find a way to donate their time or money to their local community efforts."
"In my book, they are all the real superheroes!" Guidry said, referring to superhero costumes that employees wore during the check presentation.
CRESTVIEW — Casbah Coffee Company is hosting a grand re-opening at its new location.
The opening is 9 a.m. this Friday, Dec. 4 at 196 W. Pine Ave., Crestview, between Main and Wilson Streets, one block from the courthouse.
Free coffee and baked samples will be available 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Customers can also get $1 off per pound on the company's regularly priced fresh roasted coffee, and buy-one-get-one-free on cinnamon roll bread pudding all day Dec. 4.
CRESTVIEW — The Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a ribbon cutting for the Yoga Junkie Studio.
The event starts at noon Dec. 4 at the studio, 2225 Ferdon Blvd. S., Crestview.
The organization's next Business After Hours event is also planned. It is 5-6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10 at Legacy Insurance, 301 Ferdon Blvd. N., Crestview.
DESTIN — High school sophomore Lauren Long has reached a milestone at the Destin Library.
Long — who has volunteered since May, 2015 at the library — reached 100 hours of service on Nov. 12.
"Lauren's accomplishment is a landmark and has been achieved by only 1 percent of the 200-plus students who have provided community service to the library since 2003," said Will Rogers, Destin's Reference and Youth Services librarian.
Long has provided a variety of support to library staffers and programs offered to the public, including:
●the 2015 summertime children's reading program
●the fall 2015 computer workshop brochure production
●responsibility for selected library collections maintenance
●shelving, decorating for the annual children's Halloween Parade
●one-on-one assistance to patrons of all ages
"Lauren's dedication to exemplary service at our community library is a model for other young adults to strive toward," Rogers said.
Long — the daughter of Charles and Michelle Long of Crestview — was presented with a certificate of appreciation and letter of acknowledgement for her service Nov. 12.
Young adults interested in earning community service credit for Bright Futures Scholarships or other service programs can contact the Destin Library at 837-8572.
CRESTVIEW — The Main Street Crestview Association and the city of Crestview seek recipes for their centennial cookbook.
These types of recipes will be accepted through Jan. 31:
●Appetizers and beverages
●Condiments, dips and jellies
●Breads and rolls
●Vegetables and side dishes
●Main dishes and meats
●Casseroles
●Seafood
●Cakes and cookies
●Desserts
You can submit recipes in person, online or by email.
Drop-off points are Coastal Bank and Trust, 1139 Industrial Drive; the Crestview Public Library, 1445 Commerce Drive; and Hart Printing, 284 N. Main Street, all in Crestview.
Email them to 100.year.recipes@gmail.com; or go to www.gandrpublishing.com, log in with username 100.year.recipes and password crestview. The web account number is 35745.
Cook book sales will benefit the Main Street Crestview organization.
NICEVILLE — Blackwater Review, Northwest Florida State College's annual journal of literature and art, invites you to start the holidays at "The Merry & Blue Poetry Room."
A variety of local published poets and writers will perform their best seasonal works — both merry and blue — at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4 in the McIllroy Gallery at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center on NWFSC's Niceville campus.
In addition to readings, there will be sweets, hot drinks, books to browse and a few door prizes.
GAINESVILLE — Dec. 3 marks the second annual day for "Dining In" for Healthy Families across the United States.
The University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension faculty encourages everyone to enjoy a nutritious meal with those close to them.
"Not only are family meals important for spending quality time together and building relationships, research shows that eating meals together contributes to healthier dietary patterns," said Linda Bobroff, a UF/IFAS nutrition and health professor. "When they frequently share family meals, people tend to eat more foods that often are limited in the American diet, like fruits and vegetables.
"They also get more of the nutrients that are not provided in adequate amounts in many people's diets. These include fiber, calcium and iron, and vitamins C, E, B6, B12 and folate, all of which are critical for good health."
Some families find eating together difficult because of scheduling conflicts, including school, work and extracurricular activities, said Karla Shelnutt, an associate professor in the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences.
She offers these suggestions for increasing the frequency of family meals:
