CRESTVIEW — The Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce seeks vendors for its 11th annual Triple B Cookoff.

The event — which features the Blackwater, bluegrass and barbecue — is 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 28 on Main Street.

Space is limited. The application deadline is March 20. Download the application>>

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Wanted: Vendor applications for Crestview barbecue festival

CRESTVIEW — An SUV glides to a halt on a street in a North Crestview neighborhood. The driver and passenger hop out and, cell phones in hand, root through underbrush and around fence posts.

Have spies infiltrated Crestview? 

Nope.

In fact, the entire North Okaloosa County area is dotted with more than 225 geocaches, hidden containers bearing trinkets called swag; for the county's 2015 centennial, cache swag in county libraries and parks includes commemorative coins. The caches also include logbooks so finders can record their discovery.

Want to go geocaching? Here's what you need to know:

•Each cache has a name. Local ones include “V is for Valley” for a cache on Valley Road, and “You’ve Got Mail,” for a cache by the post office.

•Geocaching.com’s map logs each cache's coordinates.

•Clues about a cache's location can be simple or tricky.  Degrees of difficulty, from 1 to 5, are listed on the Geochaching.com map entry.

•The essential tool for finding a cache is a GPS or cell phone with global positioning technology.

•“Event caches,” regional or local gatherings of geocachers, can include meals, picnics or “CITO” events, a clean-up gathering meaning “cache in, trash out.” The Panhandle Geocachers' next meeting, for example, is listed at 6:30 a.m. March 2 at N 30° 43.711, W 086° 34.108.

For Okaloosa Public Library Cooperative coordinator Vicky Stever — known by her geocaching handle FLLibraryChix — the sport's appeal is that anyone can do it.

“It’s a whole hidden world. There are so many levels to this game, and that’s what I like about it,” Stever said. “You can do it on a small scale, or you can be a person who is just consumed with the hunt."

Stever said she enjoys simple treasure hunts, but one day will accept a greater challenge. 

"A cache aboard the USS 'Alabama,' anchored in Mobile Bay, requires finding clues all over the ship that together reveal the cache’s location," she said.

“I want to try that one someday."

ONLINE

Visit www.Geocaching.com to view cache maps and register as a cacher so you can record caches you find and those you hide.

Contact Vicky Stever, 609-5101 or vstever@co.okaloosa.fl.us, or Dorothee Bennett, drbennett@co.okaloosa.fl.us, for more details.

FYI

Breakfast Meeting B4 Work, the next Panhandle Geocachers Crestview “event cache," is 6:30 a.m. March 2 at Burger King, 3210 Ferdon Blvd. S.

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Geocachers hike and seek hidden caches all over region

What do Lycos, Infoseek, Magellan, Excite, AltaVista, Inktomi, Northern Light and Dogpile all have in common? 

These once popular search engines have "eaten Google’s search dust,” so to speak.

Around 2000, Google’s search engine rose to prominence, achieving better search results with PageRank, an innovation that measures website pages' importance based upon how many other pages link to it. 

As of December 2014, Google had two-thirds of all web search engine traffic with Baidu (Chinese) at 11 percent, Bing at 10 percent and Yahoo at 9 percent.

Still, there are other cool search engines you should try.

Phil Bradley, an information specialist and Internet consultant, put together a list of 170-plus search engines. He searched everything from abbreviations and acronyms to sound effects and social media. You can find the list at www.philb.com/webse.htm.

If you are not sure what type of search engine you’re looking for, it is helpful to see examples of these major types of search engines:

•keyword search

•index or directory-based search

•multi or meta search

•visual results search

•category search

Find that list at www.philb.com/whichengine.htm.

So, from “About” to “Zeekly” (for private searching, with nothing kept or stored, including IP addresses), happy searching!

Sandra Dreaden is the Crestview Public Library's reference librarian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CHECK IT OUT: More than Google: 170+ search engines

CRESTVIEW — Emerald Coast Toys for Tots collected 16,906 toys that were distributed to 10,204 Okaloosa and Walton County children, according to an Emerald Coast Association of Realtors task force that spearheaded the toy drive.

The goal was to provide each child with two toys, according to Ashley Botelho, Emerald Coast Toys for Tots coordinator. The drive fell just short of goal, providing an average 1.66 toys per child. But the need for toys in the two-county area rose more than 20 percent between the 2013 and 2014 holiday seasons. 

Additionally, 91.67 percent of every dollar raised locally was used to purchase toys for local children. The goal for the group was 85 percent.

Learn more here or email EmeraldCoastToysforTots@gmail.com. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Emerald Coast Toys for Tots finishes strong

CRESTVIEW — Dorothy Boles looks forward to doing some fishing and using her new Yeti cooler to keep her catches fresh.

Boles was one of two Okaloosa County winners in Trustmark Bank’s Championship Tailgate Prize Package contest.

And she didn’t do much to enter the contest.

“I just happened to do a deposit,” Boles said.

Boles said entering the contest wasn’t even on her mind. But using the bank's ATM deposit system during the Oct. 1 through Dec. 15, 2014, contest period was one way to enter.

“We were very excited we had one of the local Okaloosa County winners from Crestview,” said Kristie McLane, the bank's assistant vice president.

Branch manager Laurin Wheelock said given Trustmark’s more than 200 branches in five states, having two winners in the county was even more exciting.

While Boles’ $250 cooler was a second prize, Niceville resident Molly Robinson won one of five $3,000 prizes that included a 40-inch TV, a Yeti cooler, a tailgate tent and other equipment.

Boles is just tickled to have won the cooler, which would otherwise be outside of her price range.

“I wouldn’t never have got one if I hadn’t won it,” she said. “I had never won nothing before.”

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview woman wins in five-state contest

CRESTVIEW — Cabana Way describes a leisurely loop off Lloyd Street North, peacefully removed from the bustle of U.S. Highway 90, yet close to shops and services.

Kids ride bikes in Ridgecrest Estates’ main street, which provides the subdivision’s only entrance and exit. Sometimes, they go exploring in woods adjacent to the development.

But a father's discovery of a tent encampment while hiking with his children in the woods has residents nervous.

“Because of this, I can’t let my kids play in the woods,” James Rowley said. “We’ve had a lot of break-ins and robberies. We watched a truck get stolen live on our surveillance.”

Crestview Police Department spokesman Lt. Don Fountain said two recent arrests, including that of a juvenile on Feb. 1, could be related to the vehicle burglaries.

'THEY'RE GOOD PEOPLE'

Neighbors are still concerned about who might live in tents in the 53-acre woods owned by Banktrust of Santa Rosa Beach.

Rowley worried that with the 2014 closure of Harvest Ministries’ residential treatment center on Main Street, former Harvest residents, including possible sex offenders, could be living in the tents.

Until he met one of them.

Returning to check out the tent encampment Tuesday morning, Rowley met Daniel, a homeless man from Santa Rosa Beach who has applied for low-rent housing under Section 8.

Daniel lives on monthly Social Security and gets some of his meals from area homeless shelters and church food pantries. He said the homeless in the area behave and police themselves.

“I don’t know everything that goes on in these woods, but I know the people and they’re good people,” Daniel said. “I don’t know of anybody doing anything bad. There’s no drugs or nothing. We don’t put up with anything bad.”

KEEP TO THEMSELVES

Rowley’s wife, Alison, said she doesn’t want to jump to conclusions about the homeless people who live in the tents.

“I’m not saying the people living in the tents are the ones responsible for the thefts,” she said. “I am concerned for the safety of my children and others in the neighborhood.”

Daniel said he and other homeless people enter the woods from behind businesses on U.S. 90. They don’t want to intrude by walking through residential neighborhoods, he said.

“I’m the last one to bother anybody,” he said.

Crestview Police Community Services Officer Sam Kimmons said the homeless generally like to be left alone and do not tend to commit vehicle burglaries.

“Most of them panhandle,” Kimmons said. “That’s kind of their job. If they have a disability, they use it to get sympathy. But their situations are all kind of different.”

WORK AND HELP

As for Rowley, after visiting Daniel at his camp site, he learned the homeless man had skills he could employ while renovating a home he owns.

“I’m too old to do hard work,” Daniel said, but added he regularly visits CareerSource Okaloosa Walton to look for employment.

Rowley offered to bring Daniel some basic supplies, including clothes and a new cell phone charger to replace the one another homeless person had stolen.

After visiting with Daniel, Rowley said he felt more comfortable knowing who was in the woods, though he will still supervise his children when they play there. Daniel assured him the kids are safe from predators.

“I’m not harming anyone,” he said. “I just want to be left alone.”

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Tent encampment discovery worries residents (VIDEO)

FLORALA, Ala. — When classic cars converge this weekend at Lake Jackson in Florala for the annual Cancer Freeze fundraiser, Crestview auto buffs’ vehicles will be among the glistening chrome.

“This is something I can support because I know all the money goes to helping people with cancer,” Shoal River Mustangs Club member Russ Chamberlain said. “It doesn’t go to huge office staffs.”

While the event includes the car show, a bass tournament, pancake breakfast, 5-kilometer run and walk and chili cook-off, water events in chilly Lake Jackson give the event its name.

With the theme “Freezin’ for a Reason,” participants water ski, tube, wake board and plunge into the lake, raising money for South Alabama and Northwest Florida cancer patients as they splash and shiver.

Bounce houses and slides for kids are available.

Caleb Davidson and Brad Norris started Cancer Freeze in January 2007 as an American Cancer Society fundraiser, but Davidson said he believes God wanted the event to benefit local cancer patients.

In 2009, the first year a local cancer patient was the benefactor, the event raised $10,000 for a girl with eye cancer.

Last year, Cancer Freeze raised $54,000 that was distributed among nine regional cancer patients.

WANT TO GO?

WHAT:Cancer Freeze “Freezin’ for a Reason”

WHEN:10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday

WHERE:Lake Jackson, Florala, Ala.

COST:Car show entry, $20 — register at the event; other events priced as indicated at the fundraiser

NOTES:All proceeds benefit Northwest Florida and South Alabama cancer patients. Contact Caleb Davidson, calebadavidson@yahoo.com, 978-3726, or Jennifer Davidson, jenniferhdavidson@yahoo.com, 334-470-0491. For car show information, contact Kim Adams, 974-1730 or John Adams, dewy_lokey@hotmail.com. Visit www.cancerfreeze.net.

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Car show, chili cook-off, and cold water events raise money for cancer patients