CRESTVIEW — Richbourg E.S.E. School student Joshua Kline knows what he’ll be having for dinner soon: a fresh-from-the-field sweet potato.

“Probably Mom will cook it,” the 14-year-old said.

Joshua was among Richbourg students who attended Friday’s annual Farm-to-City parade. Each student could select a tuber — from the mound of spuds in a tractor’s front bucket — when the Okaloosa County Farm Bureau and University of Florida-Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension's procession paused at the school.

The annual harvest parade, which begins on Main Street and ends at Woodlawn Baptist Church, is an opportunity to show the community the bounty and variety that local farmers produce, Farm Bureau federation secretary Molly Huffman said.

At Woodlawn, organizers distributed to local needy families two farm trailers full of produce, including peanut butter and grits and corn meal from Beaver Creek Farms in Baker that had been freshly ground at the University of Florida’s West Florida Research Center in Jay.

Caleb Williams, 9, took a couple of hours off from Bob Sikes Elementary School to help his father, extension Director Larry Williams, haul sacks of produce during the parade.

Larry Williams said Caleb and his sister, Abigail, find the stop at Richbourg School not only one of the event's highlights, but also inspiration for a possible career working with developmentally challenged kids.

“After they experience this, they want to work with the disabled,” Williams said. “Thanksgiving is a time of seeing you are fortunate and blessed.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview Farm-City Week concludes with annual produce parade, giveaway (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview Photo Club seeks new members, especially military members and their dependents.

Monthly meetings are held at 6 p.m. the third Thursdays of the month at the Knights of Columbus meeting hall, 701 E. James Lee Blvd., Crestview.

Club membership is free, and members range from the very amateur photographer to the most advanced professional photographers.

Members learn how to use cameras properly, how to take better pictures and how to print quality images, as well as how to use the latest photo software.

There are also outings that give members opportunities to showcase their skills, and monthly challenges to enhance the photographer’s skill behind the lens.

Contact MSgt. Jayly Jackson, jayly.jackson@us.af.mil, to sign up or to get more information on the Crestview Photo Club.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview Photo Club seeks new members

Army Pvt. Victoria A. Slaughter has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.

During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches, and field training exercises.

Slaughter is the daughter of Gary Slaughter of Fayetteville, N.C., sister of Tiffany Mitchell of Columbus, Ga., and the niece of Lafayette Williams of Crestview.

She is a 2015 Crestview High School graduate.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview graduate completes Army basic combat training

FORT WALTON BEACH — Choctawhatchee Electrical Cooperative has shown its support for the United Way of Okaloosa and Walton Counties.

DeFuniak CHELCO CEO Steve Rhodes presented a $30,838.94 check to Ronda Davenport of United Way during its Pacesetter Campaign.

CHELCO committed to a 20 percent increase in its United Way support, and gave employees the chance to serve on UW committees and volunteer for its Day of Caring.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: United Way gains CHELCO's support

CRESTVIEW — The United Way of Okaloosa and Walton Counties needs donations for the 2015 Coats for Kids Drive. 

Drop off new coats or gently used clean coats at one of these locations until Dec. 1:

●Allstate Insurance — Neil Bern

●Bank of America — Fort Walton Beach, Shalimar and Niceville

●BBVA Compass Banks

●Beach Community Banks

●Boeing Company

●Bounce Party Playzone — Santa Rosa Mall

●All CHELCO locations

●The Children’s Place — Silver Sands Outlets

●Coastal Bank and Trust

●Destin Cleaners

●Eglin Chapels

●All Eglin Federal Credit Unions

●Emerald Coast Science Center

●First City Bank

●FirstService Residential

●Fort Walton Beach Medical Center

●Gold Gyms — Fort Walton Beach and Destin

●All Gulf Power locations

●Habitat for Humanity’s ReStores in Crestview and Fort Walton Beach

●Northwest Florida State College — Niceville and Fort Walton Beach locations

●Okaloosa School District offices

●Okaloosa sheriff’s chaplains

●Publix — Crestview, Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Grand Boulevard, South Walton and Watercolor

●Regions Banks

●Rehabilitation Institute of Northwest Florida — Destin

●Trustmark Banks 

●Twin Cities Hospital

●French Laundry  

Donations will be distributed to local United Way Partner Agencies that help individuals and families facing difficult times. 

"Although we appreciate all donations, we can only accept coats and no other used clothing," a United Way spokesperson said.

"Please distribute your other used clothing at Salvation Army, Harvest House and Waterfront Mission (among other organizations)."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Deadline approaching for Okaloosa, Walton children's coat drive

CRESTVIEW — When construction next month begins on Jamie Peoples' Habitat for Humanity home, she'll have more than her family's labor poured into the project.

The Crestview Publix donated $60,000 to Habitat during the Rotary International Club's Nov. 18 lunch. The money will go toward the Peoples family's home, the 56th to be constructed by Habitat in Okaloosa County.

To celebrate its 85th birthday, Publix Supermarkets Charities chose to help Habitat for Humanity, store manager Tim Bryant said. Its grocery stores donated $4 million to the organization.

"I'm very fortunate to work for a company that gives back to the communities that we serve," Bryant said.

WORK IS UNDERWAY

Habitat for Humanity Community Outreach Director Melissa Forte said site clearing has begun for the Peoples family's Panagra Lane home near Live Oak Memorial Cemetery.

"We're hoping to get construction volunteers started at the beginning of December," Forte said. "Then we'll have three more homes we'll be working on in Crestview over the next years."

When Peoples and her three teenagers move in, they will be the first new homeowners to celebrate Habitat for Humanity's 25th anniversary in Okaloosa County, Forte said. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Publix Habitat for Humanity donation also benefits Crestview future homeowner (VIDEO)

FORT WALTON BEACH — Choctawhatchee Electrical Cooperative has participated in a campaign to assist the United Way.

DeFuniak CHELCO CEO Steve Rhodes, presented a check for $30,838.94 to Ronda Davenport of United Way during its Pacesetter Campaign.

CHELCO committed to a 20 percent increase in its United Way support, and gave its employees the chance to serve on UW committees and volunteer for its Day of Caring.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CHELCO presents $30K donation to United Way

CRESTVIEW — The United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service has $10.6 million to aid forest managers restoring longleaf pine ecosystems on private lands in nine states.

Longleaf pine forests have almost vanished, but a coordinated, USDA-led conservation effort is helping this Southeast ecoystem recover.

Just more than $1.2 million in assistance is available to land managers in Florida. Help also is available for longleaf pine forests in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.

"USDA is committed to working with land managers to help restore and expand this critical ecosystem, and together we have restored nearly a quarter of a million acres since 2009," said Russell Morgan, NRCS state conservationist in Florida. "Longleaf forests provide vital habitat to a variety of species as well as valuable timber.

"We look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together in this next round of the initiative."

NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to help landowners and land managers plant longleaf as well as manage longleaf forests through practices like prescribed burning.

Longleaf trees resist fire, and prescribed burning mimics a natural process that once enabled them to thrive, according to the NRCS. Additionally, fire gives life to a fresh understory of plants that provides food for wildlife.

Landowners interested in the conservation program can contact their local USDA service center, including the one at 934 Ferdon Blvd. N., Crestview, at 682-2416.

●Longleaf forests once dominated the Southeast's coastal plains, and 29 threatened and endangered species — including the gopher tortoise and black pine snake — depend on these forests for survival.

●During the past two centuries, development, timbering and fire suppression reduced the longleaf pine ecosystem's range by almost 97 percent, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

●The Natural Resources Conservation Service's Longleaf Pine Initiative, now in its sixth year, has helped restore more than 240,000 acres of longleaf forests.

FAST FACTS

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview help available to restore, manage longleaf pines

CRESTVIEW — Children in Crisis has extra support for its programs benefiting at-risk children.  

InDyne Corporation, located on Eglin Air Force Base, donated food and toys to the nonprofit organization. InDyne employee Marlena Lacy coordinated the drive.

"The donation was truly a blessing and came at a perfect time," Ken Hair, CIC president and CEO, said. "We provide a home to about 100 children every year, and our toughest challenge is to find the support to sustain operations. 

"This donation will be an enormous help!"

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: InDyne employees boost Children in Crisis

Choctawhatchee Electrical Cooperative's Board of Trustees has approved the retirement of $2,151,304 in capital credits, which will be returned to members this winter.

CHELCO will mail checks for amounts over $25 at the end of November, while those with retirements under $25 will receive a credit on their December bills.

The retirements are for those who were members in either 1995 or 2014 or both. In recent years, the board has retired credits that are 20 years old, plus a portion of some recent years.

CHELCO is owned by the members served and at the end of the year, after all expenses are paid, there is usually some money remaining called margins. The money is allocated to the capital credits account of each member based on the amount of power they purchased.

 These capital credits are the members’ ownership in CHELCO. The money is invested in capital items, such as electrical facilities. By using the money as capital, CHELCO doesn’t need to borrow as much, which reduces interest costs.

After a period of time, and as financial conditions allow, the board of trustees retires the members’ investment, which is called capital credits, in the co-op. Over the years, CHELCO has retired more than $25 million in capital credits.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CHELCO gives millions back to members