CRESTVIEW — Crowds lined both sides of Main Street this evening to see the Christmas Parade (which was put together by the Main Street Crestview Association). The street was closed off and barricaded to make way for the numerous decorated floats.

Troop leader Lisa Tatro and girls from Girl Scout troop #637 were dressed up in the pajamas for a story time themed float. Each float had to be decorated to this year's theme of "Blessed are the Children."

"This is our second time (in the parade)," Tatro said. "This is our first time with a float and they are very excited about that." Each member of the troop even designed posters that were displayed on each side of the float. 

"Each one made a poster of what they felt blessed children said," Tatro said.

Troop #637 was one of several scout troops that participated, which also included middle and high school marching bands, each of them performing Christmas music. Many local fire crews and police officers took part by showing off some of the vehicles they use.

Many Local businesses, churches and non-profit organizations showed their creativity with their floats. One example was AAA Waste Services in Crestview, who turned one of their service trucks into the "Island of Misfit Toys." Like in year's past, the best was saved for last when Santa made an appearance at the end of the parade.

"We just enjoy coming to this every year," David Phillips said, Phillips was attending with his wife Kathy. The long time residents said they have been attending the parade for the past 30 years.

"I used to help my grandchildren gather the candy," Phillips said. "This time we're just going to sit back.

Some of the residents that are new to the area were not quite sure what to expect.

"It was a great parade," Suzanne Palmater said. "I was surprised by the number of (marching) bands and how long it was." Palmater, who moved to the area two years ago, was also surprised by the turnout. 

"I didn't think Crestview had that many people," Palmater said. She added that she plans on attending the parade again next year.

Sean Barthel and his wife and three children recently moved to the area from Alaska.

"Were not used to being spectators, we liked throwing candy" Barthel said. Barthel said he and his family would participate in parades in Alaska.

His son, Liam Barthel, 9, had a strategy to catch a lot of candy. Liam was wearing a large top hat that he had made recently as a class project at Bob Sikes Elementary. The top hat he made could also hold a lot of candy.

"I'm going to try and fill it, before I leave here," Liam Barthel said.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Christmas Parade continues to bring in large crowds

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview Public Library will tackle a global topic as part of its First Tuesday Series. George Collins, of the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, will discuss human trafficking at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 4.

Collins, who has been with the sheriff's office since 2001, deals with human trafficking cases while working with the Homeland Security unit and the regional domestic security taskforce.

 "There have been several instances of human trafficking in the (Florida) panhandle," Collins said, adding illegal human trade could happen in any small town.

Aside from prostitution, other forms include labor trafficking, domestic servitude and debt bonding, Collins said. "Debt bonding mainly involves those who are in the country illegally,” he said, adding that immigrants face a huge debt from their smugglers. "Usually, these unscrupulous people continue to raise that person's debt once they are in the country," Collins said.

An abundance of people living in a small space — like 15 people in a two-bedroom apartment — may be an indicator of human trafficking, especially if several  vehicles go to and from a residence, officials said. Non-English speaking people who seem depressed or sad while at work also may be red flags.

"The best thing to do is contact law enforcement and not approach the subjects on their own," Collins said. Additionally, residents should have as much information as possible before contacting the authorities.

"The more information we have, the better off we are at stopping these kinds of activities," Collins said.

The library staff hopes attendees leave with a better understanding on the many ways human trafficking occurs within U.S. borders, reference librarian Sandra Dreaden said.

"We want people to know that modern slavery is still around in other forms to this day," Dreaden said. "We want them to learn how to be aware of these situations and what they can do to help prevent it."

Coffee and cookies will be available beforehand. Call the library, 682-4432, for details.

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: OCSO officer to discuss human trafficking Tuesday morning

BAKER — Baker School students plan to treat area senior citizens to a Dec. 4 banquet, beginning at noon, that will include fellowship, food and music.

Baker High School Band and the school's chorus group will perform Christmas music. Students will then escort guests to the lunchroom for a Christmas meal prepared by the school's culinary students. Some 30 members of the Baker School SGA, leadership program and the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps also will participate in the event, escorting guests to the dining area and serving their meal.

Middle and high school students, along with elementary students, will help.

 This week, Carol Hansford's and Janet Turner's kindergarten classes made place mats for the guests. The kids broke out their crayons to decorate the place mats with snowflakes, gingerbread men and reindeer. Andrea Brown's third-graders will make corsages.

The banquet is a tradition at Baker School.

"They have been doing at Baker for a very long time," said Jeannette Henderson, 81, a 1949 graduate who was a secretary there 1956 to 1988. "Its just wonderful to see the work the students put in to show that they care for the seniors in the community."

"The senior citizens enjoy it so much and we look forward to them coming every year," Hansford, who’s helped with the event for the past 25 years, said.

Senior citizens in the area should make reservations ahead of time, event organizers said, by calling the Baker School front office, 689-7279, during school hours, 7:40 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Denise Gronberg — who has sponsored the event, on behalf of the Baker School Student Government Association, which she oversees, for the past three years — said the event has grown in attendance each year.

"Every year it seems to get bigger and better," she said. "The luncheon is our way of showing our appreciation to the senior citizens in the area."

"From my second to third year (sponsoring the event), the number of people (attending) doubled from 25 to 50," Gronberg, a high school civics teacher, said.

 "The students really put in a lot of passion into this event, every year," she said.

!——-HUB NOTE: PLEASE IGNORE BELOW

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: Baker students preparing for Dec. 4 Senior Citizens Banquet

FORT WALTON BEACH — The Army 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) has set its sights even higher for its annual Jingle Bell Jog this year.

View a gallery of photos from last year's run.

In its 34th year, the group hopes to attract 2,000 participants for the jog Dec. 8.

The 5K and 10K runs raise money for Special Forces Association Chapter 7, which offers support to Special Forces soldiers and their families.

“We hope we will get the support we’re looking for,” said Lt. Col. James Brownlee, a spokesman for the 7th Special Forces Group.

Last year was the first time the group held its run locally after moving to Eglin Air Force Base from Fort Bragg, N.C. The 7th Special Force Group was able to more than double participation.

At Fort Bragg, 600 to 700 runners usually turned out to jog through downtown, Brownlee said.

In Fort Walton Beach last year, 1,300 people signed up to run from Uptown Station, across the Brooks Bridge and then down Santa Rosa Boulevard on Okaloosa Island.

This year, the group has set a huge goal, Brownlee said. It has purchased 2,000 T-shirts for potential participants and hopes to draw an even larger crowd to the same route.

The Army 7th Special Forces employs about 2,200 soldiers. Currently, between 600 and 800 of them are deployed to Afghanistan and a similar number are serving in Central and South America, Brownlee said.

The Special Forces Association Chapter 7 offers support to those soldiers and about 4,000 of their family members.

“Chapter 7 was established to do things right by our soldiers and their families,” Brownlee said. “It doesn’t matter if they’re Green Berets or support soldiers, our motto is ‘it’s a family business.’”

That support extends from purchasing food and providing child care for family events to helping families after a soldier is killed in combat.

For example, the association was able to help Sgt. Jesse Britton after her husband, 25-year-old Staff Sgt. Andrew Britton-Mihalo, also with the Special Forces group, was killed in Afghanistan in April. It purchased items for a memorial and had a large portrait of Britton-Mihalo printed and framed for his family.

“The Army doesn’t pay for that,” Brownlee said. “There’s not a fund out there to help families on a person-to-person basis.”

In addition, four 7th Special Forces soldiers have died in car accidents or other non-combat-related injuries since the group relocated last year, he said.

Not only is the race for a great cause, it’s also really fun, Brownlee said.

Last year, the group held its first costume contest for the jog, and Brownlee said many participants showed up in hilarious and outrageous costumes. Many people also donned Santa and elf hats and reindeer antlers.

They plan to continue the tradition this year.

After the race, prizes ranging from gift certificates to guns will be raffled off, and a live band will perform at Uptown Station.

In response to popular demand, the group will add an additional perk this year — free beer, Brownlee said.

Check-in will begin at 6 a.m. at Uptown Station. The race kicks off at 8 a.m.

Registration is $30 online through midnight Dec. 6. Participants also can register in person for $35 from 2 to 8 p.m. Dec. 7 at Uptown Station and at the starting line Dec. 8.

TO LEARN MORE: For more information about the Jingle Bell Jog or to register, visit www.sfa7.com.

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Lauren Sage Reinlie at 850-315-4443 or lreinlie@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @LaurenRnwfdn.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Jingle Bell Jog set for Dec. 8 (SLIDESHOW)

DEFUNIAK SPRINGS — Partners in Progress’ 22nd Annual Christmas Tour of Homes runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 1.

Tickets — adults, $18.75 plus tax; children under 12, $7.50 plus tax; and babies in arms, free — are available 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the DeFuniak Springs Visitors Center, 1162 Circle Drive.

Included homes are as follows:

• 128 E. Main St.

• 181 Plateau Ave.

• 265 S. 12th St.

• 84 Bay Ave.

• 34 E. Main St., “Wildwood”

The nonprofit, Partners in Progress, promotes activities and community projects that promote heritage tourism in the DeFuniak area.

Proceeds from the Christmas Tour of Homes, its primary fundraiser, will benefit maintenance and operating expenses of The Lil’ Trolley, which is available for community activities, festivals, tours of the Historic District and other social events.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Christmas Tour of Homes coming Dec. 1 to DeFuniak Springs

LAUREL HILL — Laurel Hill and Crestview Presbyterian Church members are preparing for the Laurel Hill church’s third annual Living Nativity program. Actors are learning their lines and supporters are weighing how to transport animals to the historic Visitors will follow a candle-lit path on their personal pilgrimages to the Bethlehem manger, encountering familiar Biblical faces along the way.

“Luminaries will light the path as you make your way from ‘Dr. Luke’s home and travel back in time to hear the Christmas story told by various persons from that wonderful story,” the churches’ pastor, the Rev. Mark Broadhead, said.

“As you warm yourself by their fires, you will be able to reflect on the deep meaning of the experiences they share. Eventually, you will find yourself at the door of the stable where the Star of Bethlehem has led you. There you will find the Christ-Child.”

Mostly student actors from several Crestview and Laurel Hill churches, including First Baptist Church of Laurel Hill, First Presbyterian Church of Crestview and First United Methodist Church of Crestview, as well as adult performers, portray familiar people from the Bible story, including the shepherds, Mary, Joseph, King Herod and a Roman tax collector.

The Dec. 8 pageant includes live animals and takes place at Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church, 8115 Fourth St. Admission is free, groups are welcome, and visitors may remain for refreshments and fellowship. Parking is available at the Laurel Hill School track north of the church.

Call 682-2835 for more information.

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: Annual Laurel Hill ‘pilgrimage to Bethlehem’ is Dec. 8

If you’re having a hard time figuring out what to read next, or you just want to rant or rave about the latest book you’ve read, join the Robert L. F. Sikes Crestview Public Library Goodreads group on www.goodreads.com.

Goodreads is a fabulous place to find that next great read, but the service isn’t just a reader’s advisory. This site has tons of features. You can catalog what you’ve read, what you are currently reading, and what you want to read. (If you are like me, your list of “have read” is a lot shorter than your “want to read” list!)

There are book giveaway drawings, polls, book groups and much more. It’s free to join, so sign up for an account today, search for Robert L. F. Sikes Crestview Public Library, and join us.

Happy readings!

Marie Garcia is the Crestview Public Library’s assistant library director.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CHECK IT OUT: 'Tis the season to share your reading lists

Claudia Peñuela and Amarat  Simonne of the University of Florida have identified tips for those wonderful potluck parties you will be invited to this holiday season.

While it’s wonderful to be able to share favorite recipes with friends and to eat a variety of foods without much cost, potluck meals are also associated with an increased risk of foodborne illness.

Why is this?

First, the people who prepare meals for potluck parties are not trained food service professionals and may lack food safety knowledge.

Second, because of the wide variety of foods served at potluck parties, it can be difficult to keep all the different dishes at a safe temperature. Many types of food, such as dishes prepared with meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, cooked rice and vegetables, need temperature control.

Such foods should never be kept in the temperature danger zone — 40 degrees Fahrenheit to 140 degrees Fahrenheit — for more than two hours; one hour, if in extreme heat, like a 90 degree Fahrenheit day.

To decrease your risk of foodborne illness, follow the “two-hour rule” and refrigerate all such prepared foods within two hours of purchasing or cooking.

If you are preparing a dish, keep the following tips in mind:

•Keep food safety in mind while cooking and serving.

•If you or your family members are sick with gastroenteritis (a stomach “bug” or stomach “flu”), do not prepare foods for others.

•Prepare foods that are easy to serve with utensils — minimize handling of food.

•When possible, bring items that do not require temperature control. These include whole fresh fruits, nuts, dried fruits and certain types of baked goods.

•If you bring hot or cold foods, make sure that you have a way to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.

•Keep cold food — such as cold salads with ingredients like ham, chicken, tuna and potatoes — at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Use a cooler with ice or gel packs.

•Keep hot foods — such as stews and chili — at 140 degrees Fahrenheit or above. Use an insulated container, like a slow cooker wrapped in paper bags, during travel.

•Do not transport food and animals in the same vehicle.

Use a food thermometer to check food temperatures frequently. After a party, discard any food that was left in the temperature danger zone for more than two hours — or more than one hour on a very hot day). If foods have been safely handled and have not been in the danger zone for more than two hours, leftovers are safe to eat. Use cooked leftovers within three to four days.

Brenda Smith is an agent at the Okaloosa County Extension office in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: EXTENSION CONNECTION: Keeping food safe (potluck party tips)

CRESTVIEW — Community of Christ Church, 398 W. 1st Ave., will open tonight (Wednesday) at 6 p.m. and will remain open until 8 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 29.

Okaloosa County Cold Weather Shelter Program provides protection during freezing weather. 

Program organizers estimate approximately 50 to 65 individuals use the shelters each time one opens.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview church opens cold weather shelter tonight

PAXTON — Until someone told Katie Renfroe’s parents Tuesday morning, it had never occurred to Angie and Dan Renfroe to Google their 4-year-old daughter’s name. Now, if they type in “Katie Renfroe,” a story published Sunday in the Northwest Florida Daily News will pop up dozens of times in a multitude of languages from media outlets around the world. The story about the little Paxton girl with the big cheeks has gone viral. And although donations have begun to pour in for the family of 10, the Renfroes say the greatest gift is the opportunity to inspire others. “I think it will definitely get the word out that just because your child has a problem, you shouldn’t go and abort it,” said Angie, who was touched by online comments from other parents who have faced similar challenges. “Think of all the people we’re helping,” she said. Katie was diagnosed in utero with megalencephaly, a rare disorder that causes some of her facial features to be abnormally large. She has also had part of her brain removed to help control seizures. The family, which includes two younger siblings and five older ones, lives modestly outside Paxton. Although Catholic Charities has helped them occasionally, Marketing Director Kelly Humphrey said the Renfroes ask for nothing and insist that the organization give to others who really need it. The organization’s Fort Walton Beach branch is helping the family with Christmas presents for the children and accepting phone calls from folks with questions about the family. Humphrey’s cell phone number was listed in the original story, along with information about an account that has been set up for Katie at Regions Bank. She said that her phone started ringing Monday morning and hasn’t stopped since. Folks from across the country have called. “Each time I picked up the phone, I would see a different area code on the caller ID,” Humphrey said.  “I had a man call me from Las Vegas. He was in tears. He said, ‘This story just touches my heart. People gripe and complain about all their little problems. You see this and you think, why in the world would I be complaining?’ ” Humphrey said people also were moved that the family was self-reliant despite both parents being unemployed. Local people called as well. The first person to reach Humphrey was someone at an automotive repair shop in Crestview offering to service the family’s 22-year-old van. The Renfroes left Tuesday afternoon for South Florida, where Katie is scheduled to begin a series of surgeries to improve her quality of life. Right now, her petite frame is not strong enough to support the weight of her head. At nearly 5 years old, she weighs just 28 pounds. On previous trips to the hospital in South Florida, Angie said she borrowed her brother’s credit card and paid him back bit by bit over time. This time will be different. By Tuesday morning, $700 already had been deposited into the account, and Angie figured that would be enough to see them through the two-week stay. “Financially, we’re all good for this trip,” she said. “Without the help of everyone out there, I’m not saying we couldn’t do it — we’ve always found a way — but it is so much easier. “This way, I don’t owe anybody anything except gratitude.” WANT TO HELP? An account has been set up at Regions Bank in the name of Angie Renfroe for the benefit of Katie Renfroe. Catholic Charities is also working with the family. Contact Daily News Staff Writer Wendy Victora at 850-315-4478 or wvictora@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @WendyVnwfdn.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview resident among many helping Paxton family