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:
The recreational harvest season for snook closes Dec. 1 through Feb. 29, 2016 in Gulf state and federal waters, including Monroe County and Everglades National Park.
The harvest reopens March 1, 2016. Snook can continue to be caught and released during the closed season.
This and other regular season closures are designed to help conserve the species during vulnerable times such as cold weather.
Atlantic state and federal waters will close Dec. 15 this year through Jan. 31, 2016, reopening to harvest Feb. 1, 2016.
Visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on "Saltwater Fishing" and "Recreational Regulations" for more information on snook.
CHIPLEY — Drivers can expect these traffic changes as crews perform construction activities:
●Alternating lane closures on U.S. Highway 331 across the Clyde B. Wells Bridge in Walton County, 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, Thursday, Dec. 3 and Friday, Dec. 4. Crews are placing concrete for the new bridge.
●Lane closure on State Road 189 (Beal Parkway), between Clifford Street and Yancy Drive: 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1 through Friday Dec. 4. Crews are removing and replacing the curb and sidewalk.
All activities may be delayed or re-scheduled if there is severe weather.
CRESTVIEW — Children in Crisis has extra support for its programs benefiting at-risk children. Emerald Coast Young Marines donated $500 to the nonprofit organization.
“CIC offers a big thanks to each member of the Young Marines for their wonderful support and making a difference in the lives of our at-risk children!” 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.
