LAUREL HILL — A severely ill, dehydrated 17-year-old horse is under veterinary specialists' care after being discovered last week in Holt.

A Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences official was working with the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society on the case, Safe Haven Horse Rescue Center staffer Brittany Coplen said.

Both departments learned about the horse, named Justice by Safe Haven, early last week, PAWS Executive Director Dee Thompson said.

Thompson said she is unaware of any charges being filed against the original owner, who handed Justice over to Safe Haven on July 4.

“The veterinary reports were inconclusive of neglect of any kind,” she said. 

The horse was relinquished on Friday to the Northwest Florida Animal Clinic in Milton for additional treatments. Justice returned to Safe Haven on Monday.

Veterinary specialists' tests confirmed the horse was not spreading illness to other horses at the Holt property.  

 “It’s not malnourished; it’s just very ill,” Thompson said.

PAWS is watching over the horse while he remains in Safe Haven's care in Laurel Hill, she said.

Due to the level of dehydration, specialists used an IV treatment on the horse, Coplen said.    

 “He wasn’t eating when he got here (at Safe Haven),” she said. “Now he is trying to eat and drink.”

Still, Justice has an uphill battle; veterinary specialists diagnosed liver failure, Coplen said.  

Safe Haven director Jim Bryan said Justice has a 50/50 chance of surviving the illness as of this time. However he and his family are doing their best to help the horse recover to full health.

HOW TO HELP

Contact Safe Haven at 652-3350 to make donations toward Justice's recovery. Visit Safe Haven Horse Rescue Center's Facebook page, on.fb.me/1rJ0slv, to follow Justice's progress.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Holt horse remains in critical condition; no charges filed

CRESTVIEW — Guys who think Boy Scouts is all about rubbing two sticks together to make a campfire might change their minds after viewing the Crestview Public Library's new scouting exhibit.

Just as scouting in the United States has evolved over more than a century, scouting activities and merit badges earned for acquiring new skills have evolved as well.

The library lobby exhibit emphasizes programs such as NOVA, which augments school studies in science, technology, engineering and math.

Holt Cub Scout Pack 532 has incorporated the NOVA program into its summer camps for two years, local Boy Scouts Unit Commissioner Rae Schwartz said.

“In Cub Scouts, everything is geared toward the kinds of things they’re doing in school,” Schwartz said. “It supplements what the kids are doing in their grades and makes it fun.”

The exhibit includes more than a dozen merit badge handbooks, giving a sampling of the many projects a scout can undertake.

“There’s 133 merit badges now,” Schwartz said. “No matter what you’re interested in, scouting has something for you.”

In addition to traditional outdoor skills, scouts can earn badges in diverse skills such as rocketry, robotics, astronomy, programming and game design.

The Boy Scouts’ Cyber Chips program lets scouts earn Internet safety patches. Requirements are knowing how to be responsible online and what to do if they encounter an unsafe situation online.

“We know all our boys are using the Internet and we want them to be safe and responsible,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz expressed her appreciation to the library for allowing the local Boy Scout troops and Cub Scout packs to share information about their diverse programs for all boys.

“The great thing about scouting is, whatever your interests, it’s there,” Schwartz said.

INTERESTED?

A Boy Scouting exhibit will remain at the Crestview Public Library lobby display cases through August. Visit BeAScout.org and enter your ZIP code, or contact Unit Commissioner Rae Schwartz, 585-5672 or bakerny@yahoo.com, for information about local Boy Scout troops and Cub Scout packs

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Library display highlights Boy Scout opportunities in STEM, cyber safety

CRESTVIEW — Unlike the snowbirds residents welcome to Okaloosa County in December, a gaggle of the real thing took up summer residence rather than returning to Canada.

More than 30 Canadian geese have settled in the northeast Crestview neighborhood around Overview Drive, industriously “fertilizing” the private park running between its two lakes.

“I talked to a couple of people who said the numbers they are seeing, and the time of year, is unusual,” University of Florida Okaloosa County Extension Director Larry Williams said.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission water fowl expert Jamie Feddersen said it’s possible the geese landed in town from a nearby location.

“There’s a potential that those are not migratory geese,” Feddersen said. “It’s completely possible, and most likely, that you got an expansion of a local resident population.”

The late spring’s cooler weather may have driven the fowl south from Alabama, Feddersen said.

‘THEY GIVE LIFE TO THE AREA’

The geese aren’t as aggressive as their larger American cousins, leaving residents divided in their opinion of their northern neighbors’ prolonged visit.

“What I like is they give some life to the area,” Isabelle Mills said. “It’s part of nature. We also have a blue heron who comes once in awhile. I think it is a good opportunity to teach children about nature.

“Sometimes the geese come over to our yard, but most of the time they go over to our neighbor because he feeds them. That causes problems because the neighbor next door to him doesn’t like them.”

Mills said during her morning walks with a friend, they sometimes encounter the geese in the park between the lakes, but they are careful to skirt the gaggle to avoid disturbing the birds.

And they watch where they step.

“Their droppings can be a problem around areas where people frequent, like parks and walking paths,” Williams said. “They can be a nuisance, especially with larger numbers.”

WATCH OUT FOR YOUNG ‘UNS

Should the gaggle take up residency, nest and produce goslings, the adult fowl could become protective of their young, Feddersen said.

“They are a tight family group,” he said. “When they have young, that’s when they get a little aggressive. If you start seeing young geese you might want to be careful around the adults.”

The visitors seem to be performing a public service for their Crestview hosts, Mills said.

“I’m afraid of snakes, and I think they are keeping the snakes away,” she said. “As long as they don’t swim in my pool, I like them. They are really no problem.”

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at brianh@crestviewbulletin.com, follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Snowbirds who stayed: Canadian geese summer in N. Crestview lakes

CHIPLEY — The left inside lanes of U.S. Highway 98 east and westbound, between Cody Avenue and the Hurlburt Field runway in Okaloosa County, will be closed from 7 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Monday, July 7 through Thursday, July 10. The closures will allow crews to complete median and paving work.

All planned construction activities are weather dependent and may be rescheduled in inclement weather.

More information and the latest traffic advisories are available via Facebook. You may also follow the Florida Department of Transportation District Three on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Evening lane closures planned for U.S. Highway 98 in Okaloosa

Hot on the heels of the recent incident at the Walmart Supercenter in Crestview, in which a dog died after being left unattended in a parked car for 13 hours with no water or food, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a letter on July 3 to the store's manager, Charlie Stokes.

The letter asks him to stencil PETA's "Too Hot for Spot" public service advisory—which urges drivers to leave dogs at home during hot weather—on parking spaces in the store's lot in order to prevent deaths and near misses that can still leave dogs with brain damage.

SEE "Dog dead after woman's 13-hour shopping trip>>

In its letter, PETA points out that every summer, there are reports of dogs who have experienced agonizing deaths from heatstroke after being left unattended in hot cars. Shoppers often end up forgetting that dogs—and sometimes children—have been left vulnerable in the heat.

In addition, on a relatively mild 78-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to well over 100 degrees in just minutes—even with the windows slightly open—and dogs, unlike humans, can't perspire through their skin.

"It's all-too-common for drivers to lock their dogs in the car—and even running into the store for 'just a minute' can lead to tragedy," says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. "By placing PETA's stenciled advisory in the parking lot, the Crestview Walmart Supercenter will be helping shoppers avoid making a tragic mistake."

The content of the letter sent to Stokes is below.

___

Dear Mr. Stokes:

I'm writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and our more than 3 million members and supporters—including thousands across Florida—to implore you to take an important step that could save many lives. Would you please place our "Too Hot for Spot" public service advisory on your store's parking spaces? The recent incident which a Crestview Walmart shopper left her dog, Waldo, in a vehicle for 13 hours, resulting in the animal's death, highlights the need to offer frequent reminders that dogs must never be left unattended in vehicles, particularly in warm weather.

Every year, PETA receives reports about panicked animals who have suffered and died in agony inside cars during warm weather. On a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to well over 100 degrees in just minutes, even with the windows slightly open. Because dogs can cool themselves only by sweating through their paw pads and panting, they often sustain brain damage and even die from heatstroke in just minutes.

Despite frequent coverage of tragic incidents such as this one in the media, drivers continue to place their animals' lives at risk by leaving them in cars parked outside a business while they run inside, even if it's only for "just a minute." By simply placing our stenciled advisory on every third parking space, you could help prevent shoppers from making a fatal mistake like the one that claimed the life of Waldo.

We would be pleased to provide you with our eye-catching stencil at no cost. I look forward to working with you. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Allison Fandl, Special Projects Coordinator

Cruelty Investigations Department

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: PETA: Stark 'Too Hot for Spot' warning could save the lives of Walmart shoppers' animals

CRESTVIEW — Great Aunt Fanny and her trusty Model A, the family gathered on Grandma’s porch, Maw-maw as a child playing with the pig, and that memorable 1948 Blackwater River church outing when Pastor Breitenkopf fell out of his canoe.

Similar memories lurk in family photo albums and attic shoeboxes.

Next Thursday, we’d like you to pull them out and bring the best ones — and the stories behind them — to the Crestview Public Library.

The News Bulletin, in partnership with the Northwest Florida Daily News and the Destin Log, will share Okaloosa County's history and heritage in time for the 2015 county centennial.

Our group is publishing “Okaloosa County Memories,” a hardcover coffee table book full of vintage photos.

Since the county was born in its northern reaches, especially when the railroad came through in the late 1800s, we want to be sure our north end is well represented.

Your family photos and stories will be instrumental in sharing Okaloosa's story.

ONLINE

• Click here>> www.OkaloosaCo.PictorialBook.com for a photo submissions form and to pre-order "Okaloosa County Memories" for $29.95

• Follow the Okaloosa Centennial Book on Facebook

HOW TO HELP

The News Bulletin, in partnership with the Northwest Florida Daily News and the Destin Log, seeks photographs of commerce, transportation, school, sports, rural life and public service within these guidelines:

• Photos taken between 1915 and today in Okaloosa County

•Preferably originals (no newspaper clippings or photocopies)

•One submission form per photo

•10 photos maximum per family

Bring these photos between 3 and 6 p.m. July 10 to the Crestview Public Library, 1445 Commerce Drive

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Long-time locals invited to scan photos for history book

The National Council on Fireworks Safety offers these common sense safety tips for using consumer fireworks in the hopes that injuries to consumers can be greatly reduced this season.

To that end, they offer the following tips:

•Parents and caretakers should always closely supervise teens if they are using fireworks.

•Parents should not allow young children to handle or use fireworks.

•Fireworks should only be used outdoors.

•Always have water ready if you are using fireworks.

•Know your fireworks; read the caution label before igniting.

•Obey local laws. If fireworks are not legal where you live, do not use them.

•Only light one firework at a time.

•Never relight a “dud” firework.  Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water.

•Avoid using homemade fireworks or illegal explosives.

•Lastly, soak spent fireworks with water before placing them in an outdoor, fire resistant garbage can away from buildings and flammable materials.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Fireworks safety tips for a happy Fourth of July

LAUREL HILL —  After a one-year hiatus, the Laurel Hill Hobo Festival will return Oct. 4 to Gene Clary Park.

The decision follows a Tuesday festival committee meeting. The committee sought to find a Saturday that would not conflict with another community event.

More than 50 vendors, children's activities, entertainment from local musicians, an auction and — of course, food — comprised prior festivals.

A festival fixture is the city's iconic hobo, which honors the city’s railroad history. After the Civil War, soldiers-turned-migrant-workers traveled railroads and provided manual labor on local farms during pit stops in town.

In previous years, the festival took place on the second weekend in the month.

Last year’s Hobo Festival, postponed due to a nonprofit status issue, was replaced with “A Day in the Country Life” Fall Festival, sponsored by the Safe Haven Horse Rescue Center and the city’s volunteer fire department.

“A lot of people asked about it last year, wondering why we did not have it,” said Mayor Robby Adams, the committee’s co-chair. “I think this is a great thing to bring back to the community.”

The committee seeks vendors, sponsors and volunteers for the event.

Committee members also are organizing a talent show, which particularly will be discussed at the next committee meeting, Tuesday, July 8 at Laurel Hill City Hall.

WANT TO GO?

WHAT: Laurel Hill Hobo Festival Committee meeting

WHEN: 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 8

WHERE: Laurel Hill City Hall, 8209 N. Highway 85 

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Hobo Festival date set; talent competition in the works

CRESTVIEW — North Okaloosa residents can observe the nation’s 238th birthday with the city’s annual Fourth of July celebration in Twin Hills Park.

Children’s activities run 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday on the football field, with music by Larkins Express from 6-9 p.m.

As the skies darken around 9 p.m., they’ll fill with the explosions of color and sparkles of an $11,000, 15- to 20-minute fireworks exhibition by Ashley Pyrotechnics.

Parking is available on Purl Adams Avenue and in the Twin Hills Park parking areas by the children’s park, near the north side of the foot bridge, by the southwest picnic grove, and by the gymnasium.

The gym parking lot also includes handicap spots and dignitary parking, so space will be limited. Hawthorne Street and the lane south of the Northwest Florida State College Crestview campus will be closed at 6 p.m.

Except for official community fireworks displays and sparkling fireworks that send out showers of sparks, make popping noises and stay on the ground, fireworks are illegal in Florida.

But with zooming, exploding fireworks readily available just a mile over the Alabama border in Florala, many north county residents and visitors have been stocking up for their own backyard pyrotechnics.

Crestview Police Chief Tony Taylor said while his officers won’t aggressively seek out people celebrating with illegal fireworks in their backyards, they will respond to resident complaints and blatant violations, generally giving a warning.

“We’ll be responding to calls and we’ll do random patrols,” Taylor said. “Anything we come across we’ll handle appropriately. We want people to have fun but we want them to do so safely and within the limits of the law.”

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: City fireworks planned for nation’s 238th birthday

PENSACOLA  — This July 4 holiday week, when many of us are on vacation, the need for blood donations never stops. Blood transfusions are crucial to the health and well-being of our community.

That’s why OneBlood is holding a special blood drive. Those who donate blood from now through July 6 at any OneBlood Donor Center location only will receive a limited edition Big Red Towel and their choice of a $10 eGift Card from the OneBlood donor rewards store.

Find out more about the Independence Holiday Week blood drive. You can also make an appointment to donate or walk-ins are welcome.

Visit the website or call 850-473-3853 in North Florida, Georgia and Alabama.

Generally healthy people age 16 or older who weigh at least 110 pounds can donate blood. Visit the website to learn more about the importance of blood donation and how donors can target the power of their blood type. The Target Your Type program there gives donors the ability to learn the power of their blood type and how to donate the specific components of their blood that are most needed by area hospitals. There are eight different blood types and each one holds a unique power to save lives.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: This July 4 weekend, share your power to saves lives