CRESTVIEW — Crestview Police Department hosted the Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Business After Hours Event May 9 at the George Whitehurst Municipal Building.

The event doubled as an open house for members of the public to stop by and learn more about the department.

Officers from various divisions set up displays in the Warrior’s Hall auditorium, which included SWAT equipment, criminal investigation tools and information on programs like community services and the citizens’ police academy.

The department also gave K-9 demonstrations, flew a police drone above the event and gave rides in the department’s armored, mine-resistant, ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicle.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: K-9s and drones at police open house

We all know that you can check out popular books on a variety of subjects and genres, but did you also know that with your library card you can…

•Check out or place a hold on brand new movies.

•Take a proctored exam. Whether it’s for a distance learning course or for certification, you can make an appointment to take a proctored exam here at the library.

•Experience virtual reality through our Oculus Rift + Touch (see a list of experiences available on our website).

•Have full access to all six member libraries within the Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative (Crestview, Mary Esther, Valparaiso, Niceville, Destin, and Fort Walton Beach).

•The OCPLC also offers free courier service, which means you can have items sent to your library for pick up.

•Download free eBooks, audiobooks, or magazines which is a great if you find that you can’t make it to the library.

•Get free one-on-one tutoring for basic computer skills or help with your tablet or other mobile device.

We also have many ongoing and special programs and classes for people of all ages and interests, from Story Class and Lap Sit to Open-mic Poetry Jams and Chess Club. Our electronic resources offer a wealth of information from free legal forms to resume help and job searches.

Check out our website at www.cityofcrestview.org/library.php, visit us at 1445 Commerce Drive (behind the post office), or call at 850-682-4432.

Marie Heath is the Crestview Public Library's director.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CHECK IT OUT: Just a few things you can do with your library card

Here are upcoming Crestview Public Library-related events. The library's address is 1445 Commerce Drive. 

AGES 0-2 LIBRARY CLASS: 9:15 a.m. Fridays in the Story Room, with sign-in at 9 a.m. It is limited to 30 children per class and their caregivers. Older children are welcome if they want to attend. A story, songs and finger plays are part of the event. The May 18 topic is Praiseworthy Parents.

CRESTVIEW WRITERS GROUP: 6-7:30 p.m. every fourth Monday, Crestview Public Library. Online: http://www.cityofcrestview.org/library.php.

BEGINNER'S CHESS CLUB: 3-4 p.m. every first and third Thursday at the library. For ages 6 and up. Learn to play the game.

CHESS CLUB: 3:15 p.m. first and third Thursdays, at the library. For ages 6 and up. Bring a snack or drink to share.

TEEN TIME: 2-4 p.m. Fridays at the library for students in grades six through 12.

READ TO DOZER: 10 to 11 a.m. on the first Saturdays of each month (as long as it's not raining).

COFFEE & CRAFT: 10 a.m. second Saturdays, Crestview library. Call 682-4432 to reserve your spot.

BRIGHT FUTURES VOLUNTEER HOURS: for students in grades nine through 12 to use toward Bright Futures scholarships. Contact Youth Librarian Heather Nitzel, 682-4432, for details.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview Public Library events

CRESTVIEW — A new historic and cultural center could be in Crestview’s future.

The Community Redevelopment Agency unanimously agreed at its May 14 meeting to move forward with a grant application to restore the Bush House at the corner of South Wilson Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in downtown Crestview. The historical $50,000-grant requires the CRA match the funds.

CRA Director Alisa Burleson brought the grant proposal before the board with the idea that the site could be used as a historic museum and cultural center in the future. The building currently houses Elder Services of Okaloosa County, which would share the building under the proposed plan.

Burleson envisions “a place where Crestview history is actually seen instead of just talked about.”

According to Burleson, the museum would display items from Crestview’s history, many of which are currently housed at the Baker Block Museum. Burleson is working with the museum’s director, Ann Spann, on ideas for the Crestview museum.

The site would also serve as a cultural center that could host travelling art and history displays. Burleson said it could also put on special cultural exhibits for things like Black History Month and Crestview’s sister city program.

The grant would be for funding the planning phases of the project. If successful, the board could then apply for a larger grant next year to cover the cost of repairing and refurbishing the building.

Burleson said there are a number of issues with the building, which is currently maintained by the city’s public works department, including foundation problems and leaks. An estimate received by the CRA put the total cost of repair at between $100,000 and $300,000.

The CRA will now draw up a proposal for the grant, which will be awarded June 30.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Redevelopment board mulls history museum

LAUREL HILL — The Laurel Hill city council, at its May 3 meeting, voted to look for a planner to rewrite the city’s comprehensive plan and land development code. The council also voted to move forward on contracting a planning official on a temporary basis.

The need for a planning official arose during the April 5 council meeting, when a resident came to the council to start the process of developing a plot of land for affordable housing.

Travis Dewerell asked that the council clarify the process he had to go through in order to begin developing the land. After some confusion, Dewerell was directed back to the city clerk’s office and the city determined a planning official was necessary for staff to review development proposals.

City Attorney Jeff Burns said the city council could hire Jack Dorman, a planning official who has worked in that capacity for Laurel Hill more than a decade ago and currently serves as the town planner for Cinco Bayou.

The council agreed to have Burns reach out to Dorman to fill the position until the city could draw up an interlocal agreement with Okaloosa County for the county to handle those duties. The council unanimously agreed to start the process on the interlocal agreement as well.

The planning official is a separate position from the planner that the council expects to hire at its June 7 meeting. A request for proposal for a planner was sent out after the council agreed unanimously to begin the search.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill addresses planning needs

CRESTVIEW — Area first responders enjoyed a free lunch Wednesday, courtesy of a local business.

Crestview Rehabilitation Center held a cookout May 9 to show their appreciation for first responders from around Crestview and Okaloosa County.

Members of the Crestview Police Department, Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, Crestview Fire Department and Okaloosa EMS all showed up to enjoy hamburgers and hot dogs cooked by CRC staff.

“What we’re hoping to do is to offer this as a thank you to our first responders in Okaloosa County,” Tammi Dingess, the center’s director of admissions, said. “We are constantly utilizing their services, so we just want to say thank you to them for all that they do in our community.”

Dingess said that the Crestview Fire Department had RSVP’d for 45 firefighters, and that they planned for around 150 people to attend.

The center is planning to hold cookouts for first responders twice a year, one in spring and one in fall. They also plan to have more community outreach events in the future.

“Having it right here in May, it’s a little warm out here today, but at least there’s a nice breeze,” she said.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Local business feeds first responders

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview Elks Lodge No. 2624 will have its annual Exceptional Children's Day this weekend.

The free event is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 12 at 5500 Elks Lane, Crestview. It is open to all children with special needs, their families and the public.

Captain Davey and his crew, and Reid Soria of Autism Sings LLC return to to provide entertainment for attendees.

Food and drinks (hamburgers, chicken nuggets etc.) will be served, and activities such as bouncy houses, face painting and water slideds will be available.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Exceptional Children's Day offers food, fun to area residents

CRESTVIEW —Okaloosa County residents who want to get involved in bringing transportation projects to their community have the opportunity to make their voices heard.

The Citizens’ Advisory Committee of the Okaloosa-Walton Transportation Planning Organization (OWTPO) currently has only 10 out of 30 seats filled. The 20 open seats can be filled by any resident of Okaloosa or Walton County.

Transportation Planning Organizations are made up of elected officials from the areas they cover, and are tasked with identifying transportation needs and recommending new projects to the Florida Department of Transportation.

"The TPO is kind of the filter organization that gives DOT direction on how DOT will spend its money," Nathan Boyles, current vice chair of the TPO, said. Boyles is one of four Okaloosa County Commissioners that sit on the board. The rest are elected officials from throughout both counties, including three Crestview city council members.

The organization makes long-range planning decisions on transportation projects and prioritizes them before sending them off to FDOT.

Projects that are approved by the TPO are added to a needs list, and then a shorter list of cost-feasible projects if they are determined to have a reasonable probability of being funded.

One place those projects can get their start is the Citizens’ Advisory Committee. Citizens who sit on the committee are tasked with making recommendations that are then reviewed by the elected officials on the main body of the TPO.

"The folks who sit on the CAC have the ability to make recommendations on things that the TPO should be looking at," Boyles said.

Major transportation projects aren’t the only things that come out of the TPO. Smaller projects like bicycle and pedestrian paths, intersection improvements and other safety projects originate with the TPO as well.

The advisory committee is looking for people who are interested in helping find constructive solutions to transportation issues in the area.

"From my perspective, I want the Citizens’ Advisory Committee to be made up of citizens who are interested in the traffic challenges that face Northwest Florida and have an eye towards improving the system to provide for the likely future growth of our community," Boyles said.

The committee meets six times a year at 9:30 am, typically on Thursdays. This year, the meetings rotate between DeFuniak Springs and Shalimar. The next meeting will be held June 21 at the Walton County Courthouse in Defuniak Springs.

Anyone interested in joining the Citizens’ Advisory Committee can contact Annie Walthall, public involvement officer for the TPO at 850-332-7976, extension 281, or by email at annie.walthall@wfrpc.org.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Citizens can impact local transit needs

CRESTVIEW — Grady Cadenhead, a long time resident of Crestview, will be 100 years old on May 9.

He will celebrate with family on May 5 at a luncheon in his honor.  Friends and church members will honor him during Sunday church service at Auburn Pentecostal Church on May 6.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview man turns 100 years old this week

Sunn hemp is not related to industrial hemp or marijuana. It is actually in the genus Crotalaria but it is not toxic to livestock like Crotalaria spectabilis.

Sunn hemp is a fast growing, warm season annual legume. It grows 6-7 feet tall and can tolerate a wide range of soil pH levels (5.0-8.4). The legume is native to India and Pakistan.

The University of Hawaii and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service worked together to release the variety called Tropic Sun in 1982. This variety only makes seed during periods of short day length and with proper temperatures, which limited seed production.

Recently, Auburn University released AU Golden and AU Darbin that are able to produce seeds in more temperate climates.

Since sunn hemp is a legume, it fixes more than 120 pounds of nitrogen from the environment per acre per season. It can yield 3,000 to 10,000 pounds of forage per acre. Also it grows in low-fertility soils and fertile soils. These qualities caused us to evaluate it as a forage for livestock as well as using it as a cover crop and wildlife food plot.

The advantages of using sunn hemp as a cover crop are the large amount of biomass produced per acre, nitrogen fixation, nematode suppression and weed suppression.

Because it grows well in low fertility situations and low pH, hunters have used it for wildlife food plots. We have found that it is an acquired taste but high in crude protein (CP) and total digestible nutrients (TDN).

Sunn hemp is an interesting option for livestock warm season annual grazing. The leaves are 25-30 percent CP, with TDN of 65-71 percent. The stems are much lower quality at 8-10 percent CP and 22 percent TDN. Grazing and forage management should focus on maximizing leaf-to-stem ratio.

Plant sunn hemp once soil temperatures have reached 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a seeding rate of 25-30 pounds per acre and planting depth of 1/4 of an inch to one inch.

Don’t forget the cowpea type inoculant. Soil test for phosphorus and potassium prior to planting and apply these nutrients based on the sample results. Start grazing at 1.5-3 feet tall and stop grazing at 1-1.5 feet tall.

Because of its high quality, sunn hemp works when limit grazed (1-3 hours/day), along with grazing perennial pastures.

Seeds contain small amounts of alkaloids, so they s should not be part of livestock diets. Small amounts consumed while grazing are not enough to cause acute toxicity. The leaves and stems are not toxic to livestock.

Contact me at bearden@ufl.edu or 850-689-5850 for more information on sunn hemp as a forage.

Jennifer Bearden is an agent at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension office in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: The many uses of sunn hemp