CRESTVIEW — The Carver-Hill Memorial & Historical Society will host the annual Black History Program at 7 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Carver-Hill School Center.

Guest speaker for the event is the Rev. Edward J. Parker, pastor of First Church of God in Christ. The First Church choir is providing music as well.

Refreshments will be served by the society. Donations are welcome.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Black History program Feb. 15 at Carver-Hill Center

CRESTVIEW — Employees at the Dogwood Acres veterinary clinic recently had the opportunity to give some advice to pet owners.

Ami Johnson, a certified veterinary technician, and Kristy Guthre, head receptionist of the clinic recently sat down with the Crestview News Bulletin to discuss what pet owners should know to keep their pets healthy.

Parvovirus

One deadly threat that Dogwood Acres' patients experience increasingly is parvovirus, Johnson said.

"It basically dehydrates (dogs) until they die; it affects the intestinal track and the stomach," she said. Symptoms are vomiting and diarrhea.

Dogs can contract the virus — typically transmitted through animal feces — from soil, which can incubate it up to a year.

A series of about four vaccinations per year can help protect dogs, Johnson said, adding the vaccines must be kept cold to work.

To ensure effectiveness, people should vaccinate their pets before introducing their companions to a new environment or strangers, she said.

Vaccines cost about $20 each, which is less than paying for medical treatments should health problems arise, Johnson said.

Heartworms

Heartworms — spread from host to host through mosquito bites — result from larvae entering dogs' bloodstream.

 Within six months, the larvae can form adult heartworms, which can damage canines' hearts.

"Heartworms around here are all year round because it does not get cold enough to kill mosquitoes," Guthre said.

Preventive medication can be purchased at retail stores and veterinarian clinics.

Dogs affected by heartworms can be treated, but the cost exceeds that of preventive medications, which run from about $8 to $10 a month, depending on the dog's size.

Conversely, heartworm treatment injections can range between $500 and $900, depending on the dog's size.

Rabies

Humans bitten by animals infected with rabies can die without immediate treatment. The virus attacks the central nervous system and carries symptoms including depression, sensitivity to touch, painful swallowing and drooling, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Due to the risk, the law requires pets to receiveregular rabies shots from licensed veterinarians.

"They should start getting rabies vaccinations once a year," Johnson said. "After the first couple of years, they have the option of getting a three-year shot."

Dogs, cats and ferrets must be vaccinated starting at 4 months old, under Florida statutes, which require owners to receive vaccination certificates.

A pet may be exempt from a rabies shot if a licensed veterinarian provides documentation stating the shot would harm that pet. However, that pet should receive the shot as soon as it can. 

"There is no cure for rabies; once you get it, you die," Johnson said.

Exercise

Several factors — including the dog's size, how much the animal eats and how active it is — play into how much dogs should exercise, Johnson said.

However, a rule of thumb is that "they usually should be walked for 30 to 45 minutes a day," she said.

Owners taking their dogs to a dog park should be cautious of the other dogs.

"One thing you want to think about when you get all of those dogs together is their vaccinations," Johnson said.

Even if the dog park has a sign posted requesting all dogs be vaccinated, it won't deter those who are not.

"Everyone should be honest about that, but some people are not," Johnson said.

The closest dog park for Crestview residents, outside of apartment complexes' offerings, is in Niceville. The city's Community Redevelopment Agency has discussed the possibility of adding such a facility in Twin Hills Park along with a skate park. The CRA is expected to present proposed plans at their next yet unscheduled meeting. 

A dog park may be unsuitable for dogs considered antisocial.

"Each dog is different, and it depends on what they have been through," Guthre said. "Some may have been left in crates all of their lives and that's all they know.

"They are either comfortable with it, or they have anxiety because (of being outside) of it."

Dog training classes can help these dogs become more sociable, Johnson said.

Diet

For pet owners unsure of how much to feed their pets, the answers appear on the brand of dog food they purchase.

Each bag of dog food has a chart that tells the preferred amount of food for each animal depending on the dog's age and weight.

But knowing how much to feed animals isn't enough; you also need to know what not to feed them — generally, that includes table scraps.

"Animals don't metabolize people food the way (humans) do," Johnson said. "(Dogs) can get what is called pancreatitis, which is when the pancreas becomes inflamed."

Pancreatitis can lead to other health problems including diabetes, Johnson said. However, these problems can be avoided if the animal keeps a healthy weight.

"The less (fat) your pet has, the longer they will live," Johnson said.

Ultimately, maintaining a dog's health should be considered the same way humans maintain theirs: with annual check-ups, Johnson said.

"Bringing them in for annual exams either once or twice a year would be beneficial," Johnson said.

For dogs over the age of seven, it is recommended that they are brought in for check ups twice a year. 

"The older dogs get, the more often they should have check ups," Johnson 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: PUPPY LOVE: Pet specialists give advice on pet health

CRESTVIEW — North Okaloosa residents are remembering a lifelong Holt resident who served as a Crestview barber for nearly 60 years.

Leon Johns, of Leon's Barber Shop, died at age 86 on Saturday. His funeral was yesterday at Holt Assembly of God Church.

"One thing I could say about Johns was that he knew how to cut a good head of hair," LaRue McKinney, of Crestview, said. He attended the Holt church where Johns was a long-time member. "He was always a kind-hearted and nice man."

Johns served on the church board for eight years and, with his wife, Mildred, coordinated a ministry for senior citizens, friends said.

"Having been in business for as long as he has, my father knew a lot of people," Allen Houx, his son, said. "He is definitely going to be missed." 

Johns was born in Holt in 1926. He spent four years as a firefighter in the U.S. Army, and served in Europe during World War II.

"My mother told me that he is one of the men responsible for bringing the water system to Holt," Houx said, adding his father spent 15 years on the Holt water system board of directors.

"He was always busy and a hard worker," Houx said.

In his spare time, Johns enjoyed deer hunting and fishing.

 Johns leaves behind Mildred, his spouse of more than 50 years, and their four children.

"Off and on, the family has been in the hair-cutting business," Houx said. Although Houx — and his sister, Jami — didn't take to his father's profession, his two sisters did.

"Both Linda (Clayton) and Nina (Roberts) have worked in the hair-cutting business," he said.

Mildred operated beauty shops for several years in Crestview and Holt.

Leon's Barber Shop will continue serving customers, family members said.

"We plan to keep the business going," Houx said. The shop employs four licensed barbers, including Johns' grandson, Andrew Scoles. He works with Johns' longtime friend and colleague, Wayne Melvin.

"We worked together for nearly 16 years," Melvin said, adding that he will remember Johns' giving spirit.

"If there was anything you ever needed, he would always be there," he said. "He was just a good friendly neighbor."

Melvin remembers Johns' inevitable response to those who asked when he would retire.

"He would always tell them he would retire when the good Lord is ready to take him," Melvin said.

Johns was forced to retire in 2010 due to declining health.

Brackney Funeral Home, which is handling arrangements, is accepting flower donations and contributions for Emerald Coast Hospice.

Those who want to share memories of Johns and offer condolences can visit http://bit.ly/WEZMxR.

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: Long-time Crestview barber and Holt resident dies at age 86

PENSACOLA— PBS affiliate WSRE will air "Legislative Review: Dialogue with the Delegation" at 8 p.m. Feb. 15. Check local listings for channel. 

Legislators are expected to address important issues affecting Northwest Florida and the upcoming legislative session in Tallahassee.

Residents can ask Sen. Greg Evers and Reps. Clay Ingram, Clay Ford and Matt Gaetz questions on subjects including the state's efforts to improve unemployment, foreclosure concerns, the impact of budget cuts to programs and services, or other topics. 

Shortly after this announcement was posted online, the News Bulletin was notified by email that Rep. Doug Broxson is also going to be on the show.

Email questions@wsre.org or call during the live program. All questions must include your name and city of residence.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Government officials participate in Feb. 15 on-air Q&A – UPDATED

Problems vehicle accident victims face don’t end after the wreckage is removed from the road, a citation is written or the driver at fault is charged.

Some victims face months of recovery, years of discomfort or a lifetime of hurt.

“A lot of times, it’s a downward spiral from the moment they’re involved in the accident,” said Jon David Simpson with the Simpson Law Firm. “It starts with not having your vehicle. Then there’s the daily inconvenience of not being able to do normal activities because of the injury, losing time from work, dealing with unpaid medical bills and dealing with the insurance company if they deny a claim for coverage made by the victim under an insurance policy.

“From the moment of the accident, it’s a downward spiral of inconvenience, and as time goes on the nature of what they’re going through increases.”

Moving on

Every time John Lewis turns onto Airport Road near Crestview, he instinctively turns down the radio and grips the steering wheel a little tighter. He knows where the utility pole sits with the marks made by his sport utility vehicle just five months ago, but he won’t turn his head to look.

Lewis, 44, says driving is getting easier, but he doesn’t think he’ll ever be calm when passing the scene of his accident.

Lewis was driving home about 1 a.m. from his night job as a security guard on Eglin Air Force Base last Sept. 24. He said he saw Matthew Kilcrease’s car coming down the road and knew it was much faster than the posted 45 mph speed limit.

Lewis moved his Dodge Durango to give the car more room, but when he looked up he saw the car swerve and knew what was going to happen. He lifted his hands over his face instinctively and felt the crash and his air bags deploy. The Durango rammed the utility pole, but Lewis was still alert.

“I was yelling at the guy and I opened up my car to go help and that’s when I fell to the ground,” he said recently at his home. “I didn’t even realize it until then, but both of my knees had been shattered by the engine during the crash.”

Lewis spent eight weeks in the hospital and has worn leg braces and used crutches and a cane. His doctors tell him his legs will never be the same, but he continues physical therapy at home.

“Pain is just something I deal with,” said the Army veteran who already was suffering back pain. “It bothers me, but I just don’t show it. It’s just another thing added to the list.”

Lewis says he is now looking at more than $30,000 in medical bills, but trusts that the insurance will come through. He says a hefty savings account and good employers have made it possible to move on.

“I’m determined not to let this ruin my life.” he said.

This week, Lewis says he will watch Kilcrease stand before a judge. The Florida Highway Patrol had determined the 22-year-old was driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.164.

“All I want is to see them throw the book at him to learn a lesson,” Lewis said as he reached for his cane to stand. “He’s young and he has a child, so I’m not looking to take his money. I don’t want them to be easy on him, but I don’t want them to bury the kid.

“I just want this to be a wake-up call. We’re both lucky we made it out alive.”

Slowly recovering

A makeshift wheelchair ramp lies over the front porch steps of John Brandon’s home. A hospital bed he slept on for a month is in his living room.

The pain he feels with each step he takes reminds him of his motorcycle wreck last August.

“It’s been a struggle,” Brandon said at his home in Navarre. “The pain’s gotten better, manageable, and each time I do more it gets a little easier. But the doctors say it will still be a year before it starts to feel normal.”

Brandon, 50, was headed home from work on U.S. Highway 98 about 6:45 a.m. Aug. 24 when an SUV pulled in front of him. Brandon says he can still remember hitting his brakes and then ramming the right side of the SUV.

He woke up in the road and was able to roll onto the median. From there, he says his memory fades in and out.

Brandonhad two broken knee caps, four broken bones in his right foot, a broken ankle and a cracked vertebra. He was in the hospital a little more than a week and in rehab for two weeks before he went home. He finished physical therapy just last week.

The SUV’s driver, 74-year-old In S. Bishop of Navarre, was not hurt. He was cited for violation of right of way.

Brandonreturned to work as a contractor at Hurlburt Field in early January. He says the physical demands of his job are challenging, but the father of one knows he has to keep working.

Since the wreck, Brandon says he has not even entertained the thought of riding a motorcycle again. He says he had had close calls in the past, but after his accident he refuses to ride again.

“I broke an arm once before, but I’ve never been this severely injured or dependent on other people,” he said. “I’m done with the doctors, so now I have to start dealing with the lawyers and insurance.

“I never realized what it would be like to go through this until I had to go through it myself.”

Still healing

Margarida Southard still fights the tears when she thinks about the last three months of her life. She says everything has changed and nothing will be the same.

Still, Southard counts herself lucky. She at least survived the car accident that fatally injured one of her friends and may leave another crippled.

“It’s very depressing,” Southard said, crying. “I have good days and bad days, but it’s always one day at a time.”

On Nov. 4, the 72-year-old woman was in the front passenger seat of a 2004 Nissan Altima headed home to Tallahassee on U.S. Highway 331 when 17-year-old Brittany L. Alford turned into the Nissan’s path.

The driver, 66-year-old Patricia Frohe tried to avoid Alford’s Jeep Liberty but the two vehicles collided. The back seat passenger, 63-year-old Sandra Rico, died two weeks later from her injuries.

“We were coming back from our annual trip. We rent a house every other year to go to the beach, outlet shopping and to play some games,” Southard said as her voice cracked during a telephone interview. “We had a good morning, went to the beach and had lunch at a place near Seagrove. When we were headed home is when it happened.”

Southard can remember screaming as she saw Alford’s Jeep turn left. She remembers Frohe yelling about the pain in her leg and the witnesses who came to the car and told her everything would be OK.

Her memory fades after that. Southard was in the hospital for more than a month with six broken ribs, a punctured lung, internal bleeding and bruising over her entire body.

Frohe is still in the hospital. Southard said doctors are considering amputating her leg, but no decision has been made.

Today, Southard says she goes through physical therapy almost daily. She hurts every day, but on cold days it’s worse.

Alford was given six months’ probation.

Southard is talking with a lawyer in the hopes of getting her payments straightened out.

For now, she says there’s a long road ahead with medical treatments and payments.

“People don’t know the physical, physiological and financial burdens,” Southard said. “In the end, I’ve been left with all these expenses when I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Angel McCurdy at 850-315-4432 or amccurdy@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @AngelMnwfdn.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Picking up the pieces following vehicle accidents

CRESTVIEW — Understanding a community's history and revisiting an era of academic triumph amid racial strife are important, George Stakley, the Carver-Hill Memorial and Historical Society's president, said Tuesday.

The Crestview Public Library's First Tuesday series celebrated Black History Month with a presentation on Carver Hill High School, a K-12 institution that exclusively taught black students during a period when students of different races didn't mix.

"Some people don't know how important the Carver-Hill Memorial and Historical Society is to this community," Stakley said. "If we had no history, where would we be?"

"I guess we wouldn't have anything to talk about."

Understanding Carver-Hill High School's complicated past would provide plenty of discussion topics.

The institution — 1954-1969 — on School Avenue was named after scientist George Washington Carver and the Rev. Edward Hill, a local advocate for funding black students' schools.

"He was a Martin Luther King of his day," Stakley said, adding that Hill's efforts were instrumental in the Okaloosa County School Board's decision to establish Carver-Hill High School.

Stakley — who attended the school in the ninth and 10th grades — remembers that time well.

The building was small with no air conditioning.

"There was a clay basketball court for our basketball team, which I played for," he said.

Despite the school's condition — substandard contrasted with Crestview's schools today — Stakley said it still has a proud history.

"There were not too many bad days at Carver-Hill," Stakley said.

The Okaloosa County School System converted the former school — which it closed following its desegregation decision — into an office building.

The Carver-Hill Museum, on McClelland Street, preserves the school's history with sports memorabilia, yearbooks and photos.

The society continues to run the museum, with help from volunteers and donations.

Memories of the 12-classroom institution, and particularly, the 18 teachers who pushed students to perform their best, drive supporters to continue the school's legacy.

"It has meaning," Stakley said. "Those memories stayed with us."

And former students can help share them.

The museum still accepts historical donations from local families.

"We even have a personal area for you and your family, so if you want to include pictures or books, we will try to find a place for it," Stakley said.

The society's board members elected Stakley to replace Shannon Hayes, who resigned to focus on his Crestview city council election bid.

Stakley, who previously served as the vice president, has been involved with the society since 1974.

Florence Lembeck came to the event to support her former coworker.

"We both taught at Crestview High School," she said. Stakley was an ROTC instructor following his career in the United States Army; he retired as a sergeant.

Lembeck recently became a Carver-Hill society member.

When asked why she joined, she said, "I guess it's something I have always believed in."

Want to go?

The Carver-Hill Museum, 895 McClelland St., has no set hours, but opens upon request. Contact George Stakley, 803-3459, for details. See carverhillmemorialandhistoricalsocietyinc.org for more information.

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: Guest speaker shares history of Carver-Hill High School, museum

CRESTVIEW — The News Bulletin wants to know which concerns voters would like candidates to address in an upcoming public forum.

What are voters' top concerns as the March 12 election draws closer?

How do the candidates' respective stances compare on the issues?

The News Bulletin requests readers' input as the paper formulates questions that can be asked during a public forum organized by the Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce Government Issues Committee.

Candidates for Crestview city clerk and three seats on the Crestview City Council will meet at Warriors Hall Feb. 26, beginning with a 5 p.m. meet-and-greet followed by the candidates' forum from 6-8 p.m. All voters are encouraged to attend.

Now is the opportunity to find out just where candidates stand on the issues most important to local voters.

You may email questions to news@crestviewbulletin.com, or drop your questions off in person or by mail at 705 Ashley Drive, Crestview, FL 32536-9231.

Deadline for submissions is Feb. 15.

Want to go?

The Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce Government Issues Committee sponsors a free public candidates' forum Feb. 26 at Warriors Hall, Stillwell Avenue and Industrial Drive. An opportunity to meet and talk to the candidates is at 5 p.m. The forum is 6-8 p.m.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Ask the candidates: Forum will allow voters to compare applicants

FORT WALTON BEACH — The Workforce Development Board of Okaloosa and Walton Counties Veteran Services Team will host the annual Seasonal Hiring Fair 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Niceville Community Center, 204 Partin Drive. It is free to job seekers and employers.

Individuals are invited to attend and meet with employers hiring for year-around, full-time, part-time and seasonal openings.  Job seekers are encouraged to bring resumes and dress for success to increase their chances of being hired. 

“We are thrilled that we are able to offer this opportunity for both employers and job seekers,” Linda Sumblin, the board's executive director, said.

Space is still available for additional employers.  Please contact Jerry McDaniel at 833-7587, extension 217, to secure a table.

For more information on the hiring fair or on the services JobsPlus offers, call 833-7587 in Fort Walton Beach, 689-7823 in Crestview or 892-8668 in DeFuniak Springs.  Additional information is also available online at JobsPlusOneStop.com  or Employflorida.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Hiring fair coming to Niceville Community Center Feb. 27