CRESTVIEW — A morning fire forced a Mount Olive Estates family of five from their home into sub-freezing temperatures and consumed most of their belongings except the clothes they were wearing.

"We lost everything. We have nothing," Tammy Golden said. "It was just awful."

Golden, her husband Ritchie, 10-year-old granddaughter Trinity Cassell, pregnant daughter Jewelie Bellew, and paraplegic daughter April Hutchinson safely evacuated the home.

Ritchie's adult son and 3-year-old grandson, who also live in the home, were out of town when the fire broke out at 4:20 a.m.

The Crestview branch of the American Red Cross relocated the family to the Hampton Inn hotel, where Tammy Golden works.

She said her employer will allow the family to stay at hotel beyond Monday's Red Cross housing expiration as they look for a new home.

"We want to thank the community for all their prayers," Golden said.

Read the full story in Saturday's News Bulletin.

Want to help?

Here are family member’s clothing and shoe sizes.

Ritch:

Pants: 34/34

Shirts: XL

Shoes: 12-13

Ritchie: (adult son)

Pants: 32/34

Shirts: L

Shoes: 12

“Baby” Ritchie – 3 years old

Tammy:

Pants: 7

Shirts: Medium

Shoes: 11

Jewelie Bellew: (seven and a half months pregnant; having a boy)

Maternity clothes: L

Shoes: 8.5

April Hutchinson: (paraplegic)

Pants: 0-1

Shirts: Medium

Shoes (doesn’t wear shoes)

Trinity Cassell– age 10

Pants: 12

Shirts: Medium

Shoes: 4

Other: “Girly girl,” loves hair ties, accessories, purses

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Help needed for survivors of Wednesday morning fire

Film historians often rank 1939 the best year in filmmaking. That year's classics always rank in the top 10 lists of the best.

Among them are "Gone With The Wind," "The Wizard of Oz," the original "Stagecoach," "Wuthering Heights" and others.

How could so many classic films be made in one year? Judy DeBolt shares facts about 1939's films during the First Tuesday series.

 “The Films of 1939: 75th Anniversary and Still the Best Ever” begins with popcorn and Coke served at 10 a.m. Feb. 4 at the Crestview Public Library.  The presentation begins at 10:30 a.m.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Classic films take focus in February

CRESTVIEW —  Inspiring others could help overcome toxic trends in the African American community, the Rev. Edwin Stallworth, of Sixth Avenue Baptist Church in Florala, Ala., says.  

  "… We have digressed in many ways … with the prison system, teenage pregnancies, high school drop-outs, and black-on-black crime" he said during Saturday's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration. "We need to inspire individuals, who would go back to their homes and communities and inspire others."

Watch video from the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration in Crestview >>

See 10 photos from the celebration>>

Recognizing King's legacy, as an estimated 30 residents had in last weekend's parade, raises awareness about the importance of African Americans' advancement, he said. 

Such a simple act, with positive reinforcement of goals and values, can make all the difference, Stallworth said.

"It's about respect," longtime Crestview resident Jerry Lewis said during the event, presented by the Concerned Citizens Group of Crestview and the Carver-Hill Memorial and Historical Society. "If you don't demonstrate respect, you can't expect your children to."

Jerry's granddaughter, J.R. Lewis — who sang "Lift Every Voice" and "We Shall Overcome" during the celebration — said she fears her peers don't fully grasp the significance of King's achievement.

"I honestly don't think (younger generations) fully realize the importance of it … I think it's important that they learn," she said.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown at 850-682-6524 or matthewb@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbMatthew.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'It's about respect': Residents explore ways to continue King's legacy (VIDEO/PHOTOS)

CRESTVIEW — New posters honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are hung on the same flagpole that bears the Confederate battle flag.

The posters are taped to the flagpole using packing tape at the Uncle Bill Lundy Memorial in Crestview.

Unknown individuals purportedly hung the posters Monday evening during the national holiday honoring King.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Martin Luther King posters appear below Confederate battle flag

CRESTVIEW — One of the city's best-kept secrets could become a bustling public resource now that the Crestview Kiwanis Club has taken on the McMahon Environmental Center as a community service project.

The City Council has unanimously blessed the club's plan to hold a forum to solicit community input on improvements for the center.

Help from CH2M Hill

Jayne Swift of city water contractor CH2M Hill, a natural history education advocate, prepared a site map showing suggested improvements.

The plan, presented to the council on Monday, includes demolishing the tower and forester's cottage and building a larger museum combined with classrooms on the site.

It suggests building a children's playground in the fenced-in enclosure and an outdoor stage or amphitheater on the site of the current museum.

Swift and Kiwanis representative Jim Lundy said the recommendations are only discussion starters. They will have a public forum to accept residents' input before developing a final plan.

"This is just an idea," Swift said. "Nothing is set in stone."

Preserving history

City Councilmen Mickey Rytman and Shannon Hayes spoke in favor of retaining at least the observation enclosure from the top of the fire tower as part of the city's history.

"Over the years I've seen places like our train station just disappear," Rytman said. "I hate to see things we can never see or build again get destroyed."

A contractor has offered to dismantle the tower and forester's cabin at no cost to the city in exchange for salvage rights to the debris, Lundy said.

While they would coordinate planning and fund-raising for environmental center improvements, "Kiwanis is not assuming any responsibility for construction or destruction," Lundy said.

The almost 3-acre McMahon Environmental Center on Mapoles Street and Butler Circle includes a wooded park containing more than 100 samples of native trees.

The city Parks and Recreation department runs the center, a frequent field trip destination for school groups and library children's programs.

Retired forester John McMahon, for whom the center is named, created the resource on land the state donated to the city. He often acts as a docent, guiding tours of the park and its small natural history and regional heritage museum.

Facilities include a covered outdoor classroom, a picnic pavilion and two fish ponds. The center's landmark retired fire tower and forester's cabin at its base are reminders of the site's heritage.

A fenced-in enclosure occasionally houses derelict city vehicles and includes a shed holding parade barricades.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Kiwanis Club adopts McMahon Center; Environmental center could have expanded museum, playground, amp

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview Fire Department has a new rescue tool with a Main Street business' donation of a pet oxygen mask kit.

Customers of Pawsitively Scrumptious, a pet food, snacks and supplies shop, donated $85 to purchase the first of what owner April Meier hopes will be five kits for other local fire departments.

The money was raised between cash donations and $1 donated from the sale of each Firehose Dog Toy, a chew toy made from recycled fire hoses.

The Wag'N O2 Fur Life kit includes three sizes of pet oxygen masks, tubing, a kennel leash and animal rescue incident reports responders can complete and give to veterinarians.

One of Crestview's three manned fire stations didn't have a pet rescue kit until Meier presented it Christmas Eve. The next day, firefighters used the kit to save the life of a dog comatose from smoke inhalation in a house fire.

"If they didn't have that kit, the pet wouldn't have lived," Meier said.

Meier said the donation effort grew from a conversation last year with Fire Chief Joe Traylor.

"The chief said we have three fire stations for the city and one of them doesn't have a pet rescue kit," Meier said. "The city didn't have any money so I said, 'We're going to do a fund-raiser, Chief, and get a kit for you.'"

Her store is raising money to buy kits for the Laurel Hill, Blackman, Baker and Holt and Almarante fire departments. Ken Nielsen previously donated kits to North Okaloosa Fire District, Meier said.

Meier officially presented the kit to Crestview Assistant Fire Chief Ralph Everage Jr. at Monday's City Council meeting.

WANT TO HELP?

Donors may contribute toward the purchase of Wag'N O2 Fur Life Emergency Pet Rescue Kits for area fire departments. To help, purchase Firehose Dog Toys or donate cash at Pawsitively Scrumptious, 198 N. Main St., Crestview.  

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Pet supply shop helps Crestview Fire Department save animals