Nonie’s Ark sails into Crestview Public Library at 10:15 a.m. on Saturday, April 28.

Nonie’s Ark Animal Encounters provide a wildly educating and entertaining Family Library Time. Nonie’s Ark is a hands-on show. That means you can touch the animals! If you love animals and like to be up close and personal with them, Nonie’s Ark is perfect for you!

Who is Nonie? An edutainer. She’s part educator and part entertainer. She has an extensive background in Zoo Animal Technology and Wildlife Education, and her fondest joy is helping children learn about wildlife.

This free event is sponsored by the Okaloosa County Recycling Office.

Attendees must be age four or older. Registration is recommended due to limited seating.

Call 682-4432 or come to the Crestview Public Library, 1445 Commerce Drive, to register or ask questions.

Heather Nitzel is the Crestview Public Library's youth librarian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CHECK IT OUT: Nonie's Ark provides hands-on entertainment

CRESTVIEW — North Okaloosa Medical Center celebrates National Donate Life Month, a celebration commemorating those who have given the gift of llfe through organ, eye and tissue donation. For those whose lives have been saved or healed by a transplant, National Donate Life Month provides a chance to share their story to encourage more people to register as donors.

Hospital employees will have a National Donate Life Month observance. They will raise a flag in honor of donors and their families at 9 a.m. April 18 at the main entrance, 151 Redstone Ave. E, Crestview.

Approximately 1.5 million tissue transplants are performed each year. One tissue donor can help save and restore 150 lives. North Okaloosa Medical Center had a total of 13 donors in 2017, which equates to 1,950 lives impacted.

More than 120,000 people are currently awaiting a transplant, and sadly, an average of 18 patients die every day because the organ they needed was not donated in time.

Ninety-five percent of Americans are in favor being a donor but only 54 percent are registered.There are now approximately 112 million registered donors in the United States. Still, the number of people in need of transplants continues to outpace the supply of donated organs.

The solution to this problem is to continue educating the public about the lifesaving effects of donation and transplantation and encourage them to sign up through their state donor registery.

Visit www.donatelifeflorida.org to register to be a donor or for more information.

North Okaloosa Medical Center is a 110-bed facility with more than 600 employees and 150 physicians on staff. Visit http://www.northokaloosa.com for details.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: North Okaloosa Medical center observes National Donate Life Month

Many years ago my two sons and I took a few days and traveled to Southern California. We enjoyed seeing some sights in Los Angeles and San Diego. It's was one of those fun things we did I'll always remember.

One thing not so fun was our decision to cross the border into Tijuana, Mexico. We had never been to Mexico and thought it would be interesting to visit and then we could say we had been there. We drove to a parking lot just on the border and left our car and took a designated walkway path that led us right into Mexico. We were greeted by lots of taxi drivers who offered us a ride. We climbed into a cab and got our ears full on into the town of Tijuana. The taxi driver was full of expletives about what Tijuana was all about which was mostly drunkenness and prostitution. It felt like the taxi ride from hell. I was embarrassed for our family and was glad when we could get out of the car.

I felt like we had stepped into a scum hole. There was nothing really worth seeing in Tijuana and every other building was a loud bar with lots of men on the street begging us to come in to see the prostitutes. We probably survived our visit maybe an hour hoping to see something worth seeing before we finally found a taxi to take us back to the border. The driver on the way back laughed and said, "We have nothing here worth seeing or losing. We are not like the United States. We have nothing to lose." When we got out of the taxi there was a long line of people waiting to get through customs back into the United States. What took only a minute to cross into Mexico took us almost two hours that day to get back into our country. We were so glad to cross back into California.

I don't have anything against Mexico. There are lots of beautiful vacation spots and lovely people in that country. I eat breakfast at a place in our town operated by wonderful people from Mexico. However, the taxi driver was right in one point of his comparison between Mexico and America. We are worth something and have plenty to lose in this country.

A friend of mine just moved from a Texas border community and was irritated because someone from Mexico came across the border and stole his motorcycle. "I'll never see it again," He said. He also told about families he knew close to the border who would never let their children play outside alone. "Those families are terrified of their children being kidnapped and taken across the border. They know if that happens they will never see their children again."

Utilize our national guard on the border. Drugs are flowing into our nation from Mexico. People are still crossing illegally. We need to protect our people. Our borders should be crossed legally and people should abide in our country legally. America is worth protecting.

Glenn Mollette is an American syndicated columnist and author. 

What’s your view? 

Write a letter to the editor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Troops on the Border

As Gulf Power and other utility companies across the country prepare to celebrate National Lineworker Appreciation Day Wednesday, April 18, the company recognizes the families who love and support their linemen as they keep the power flowing every day.

As a 34-year lineworker for Gulf Power, Rhett McSween has been on countless storm restoration trips and even more callouts at night and on weekends.

But the 60-day trip to Puerto Rico earlier this year to assist the residents there following Hurricane Maria was something entirely different for him and his wife, Cheryl.

As the nation celebrates Lineworker Appreciation Day on Wednesday, lineworkers like McSween, who is a Service technician at the Crestview office, appreciate the sacrifices that Cheryl and other spouses have made over the years.

“We talked a long time ago when I got in this business. Cheryl was always good with me going on storms,” he said. “I never have to ask her if it was OK. She had to handle the kids and the house.”

But the recently completed trip to Puerto Rico was different. Usually, a storm restoration trip lasts no more than two weeks. This was two months.

McSween said they performed line work they’ve never done before.

“We were working in mountains. Driving along the edges of ravines was the most dangerous aspect,” he said. “We cut down a lot of trees. You had to be careful in everything you did. You had to take more time. There was more planning involved because a lot more can go wrong when you’re doing that type of work.”

He and Cheryl talked with each other by phone for 10-15 minutes each night. It’s much better than earlier in his career before cell phones. Then, lineworkers would have to call the radio room to have them relay messages to their spouses.

Despite all of Rhett’s storm trips Cheryl has lived through, the trip to Puerto Rico was different for her because she had fewer distractions to keep her from missing Rhett. Her grown children live elsewhere, but taking care of her granddaughter several days a week helps.

“The Puerto Rico trip was pretty tough, especially at night when I was by myself,” she said. “I knew what type of environment he was working in so there was some concern.”

Cheryl did fly to Spain for a week to spend time with her daughter to take her mind off Rhett being gone. She dreaded spending a few more days alone before he returned.

What she didn’t know was that the team was being released two days earlier and on the same day she was flying back from Spain. Rhett kept it a secret. His plane landed in Montgomery, Ala., he hopped in the van, drove to the Crestview office, then immediately went to the airport to surprise her.

“I knew she was going to be in Spain so I figured I could get away with it,” he laughed.

He arrived 30 seconds before she came out of the terminal.

“The thought of going back to an empty home was depressing so it was surprising to see him,” she said. “It was very sweet. I was pretty giddy.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Lineworker families sacrifice and stand behind their unsung heroes

CRESTVIEW — Another Citizen’s Police Academy class is getting ready to graduate.

Citizens participating in the Crestview Police Department program will complete the course in a ceremony April 24 at 6 pm at Warrior’s Hall in Crestview. This will be the sixth graduating class.

The program is held each spring and is open to anyone who is at least 17 years of age, has no felony convictions and no misdemeanor convictions within one year, and either lives or works in the Crestview area. The program is provided free of charge.

Attendees learn about many aspects of what officers go through on a daily basis. Some of the topics they learn about include patrol operations, crime scene investigation and firearms safety. They also learn about other public safety departments like the fire department and EMS.

“You learn a lot. You get close to the police … you learn some of the things that they go through,” Michael Dunn, a member of the current class, said. “It’s exciting, definitely.”

The attendees have met each Tuesday night for the past nine weeks. The final class prior to graduation was Tuesday.

Graduates receive the option to join the Crestview Police Academy Alumni association, a non-profit group that helps with administrative support and fundraising for the police department.

Members can also serve as school zone crossing guards after completing state-mandated training and certification.

Dunn said he plans to be active in the alumni association after he graduates from the academy.

“I think it’s wonderful. It brings the community closer together by having interaction with the police,” he said.

The Citizen’s Police Academy program will start classes again in February 2019.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview citizens learn about police, emergency services

CRESTVIEW — There’s a new place in town to get everything you need for your pets, and maybe to bring home a new furry friend.

Petsense held a grand opening and ribbon-cutting event April 14 at their new Crestview Crossing location.

The store carries a wide range of pet supplies including natural pet foods, grooming supplies and toys. It also offers salon grooming and bathing services to pets.

“For the future, we’re going to have a VIP clinic that will come through and offer reduced prices on basic services for dogs for some of our local veterinarians,” store manager Nancy Pruitt said. The clinic will offer basic examinations, spaying and neutering, and flea and tick prevention, she said.

At the grand opening, a crowd of people filled the aisles inside the store, as well as at a large adoption event in the parking lot.

“It is going fabulous,” Pruitt said. “We couldn’t ask for a better grand opening. The community is very involved and supportive, and I think we’re going to do well here.”

Saving with Soul Pet Rescue organized the adoption event, which featured cats and dogs rescued from shelters around Okaloosa County.

Jennifer Hagedorn, president and founder of Saving with Soul, said it was nice to finally have a place to hold regular adoption events in Crestview.

“So many of us live in Crestview, so this is awesome,” Hagedorn said. “There really haven’t been a lot of great venues here to do events. It’s really nice to have a Crestview location.”

The organization found new homes for more than a dozen animals at Saturdays event. Hagedorn said she hopes to hold adoption events at Petsense once a month. Many of Saving with Soul’s events feature 20 or more pets looking for homes.

The next adoption will be held May 5 at Petsense.

The store is located at 2200 S Ferdon Blvd. It is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Petsense hosts grand opening, adoption event

CRESTVIEW — A candidate for state Commissioner of Agriculture passed through Crestview Monday on the campaign trail.

Matt Caldwell stopped at Hub City Smokehouse in Crestview on April 16 for a roundtable with officials from the city and county. He also made an appearance at the Okaloosa County Republican Executive Committee meeting Monday evening in Niceville.

Caldwell is currently the state representative for Florida’s 79th District, which covers the northern part of Lee County in Southwest Florida. He announced his candidacy to replace Adam Putnam as agriculture commissioner in May of last year. Putnam is running for Governor this year.

“This morning was to get with community leaders, making sure I’ve got a good understanding of what’s important here in Crestview and Okaloosa,” Caldwell said.

Caldwell said he is committed to visiting Northwest Florida at least once a month while on the campaign trail. To date, he says he’s traveled nearly 60,000 miles crisscrossing the state.

The issues that are important to people in Northwest Florida, Caldwell said, are the same as they are in the rest of the state.

“The issues really aren’t that different. Fundamentally, all people want to make sure that they’ve got a secure future and that their kids have a secure future.”

One issue Caldwell feels is important to Northwest Florida as well as the rest of the state is water policy.

“It has been one of my signature issues in my eight years in the legislature. Looking forward with a state that’s growing as much as we are – a thousand people a day – making sure you put in the right policy and the right infrastructure so that the urban sector is able to be successful without putting the squeeze on rural Florida.”

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services oversees a wide range of areas including business services, forests and wildfire, energy and even the concealed weapons program.

“People really view that office as the second amendment office in the cabinet, and I’ve got a very strong record when it comes to that,” Caldwell said.

On his campaign website, Caldwell writes that he’s running to protect Floridians’ second amendment rights, natural resources and property rights.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Agriculture candidate stops in Crestview

CRESTVIEW — U.S. Air Force Airman Emil C. Seijas graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.

The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Airmen who complete basic training also earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force. 

Seijas is the son of Dianna Lesser of Beverly Hills, Florida and Neal Seijas of Inverness, and brother of Holly Axtell of Crestview. 

The airman is a 2017 graduate of Lecanto High School, Lecanto.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Seijas completes basic military training

CRESTVIEW — Here are upcoming events in North Okaloosa County and surrounding areas: 

College nursing program adds additional semester

Northwest Florida State College's Registered Nursing Program is offering a second semester for new Associate of Science in Nursing students. In previous years, the program has only admitted new students during the fall terms. The school will now have an additioanl spring semester.  

The application period for spring 2019 is May 1 to June 1.

Contact Kathy McNair, Nursing Instructional Support Specialist, at 729-6400 or mcnairk@nwfsc.edu for more information.

County seeks Value Adjustment Board member 

CRESTVIEW —Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners Value Adjustment Board is seeking a citizen volunteer to serve on this board. This Board was established under the guidelines of Florida Statute 194.05.

Applicants must own homestead property within the county and may not be a member or an employee of any taxing authority, or be a person who represents property owners in any administrative or judicial review of property taxes. Term would be for one year.

The deadline to apply is May 1.

Go to http://myokaloosa.com/citizen-councils/home to view the policy, complete an application, and obtain more information.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: North Okaloosa Community Briefs

CRESTVIEW — The Kiwanis Club of Crestview, the Mike Josey Memorial Sporting Clay Tournament and the Building Industry Association present the third annual Kiwanis Charity Sporting Clay Tournament. Event proceeds will be used to build a playground at the John B. McMahon Environmental Center in Crestview and support other Kiwanis projects.

Registration, breakfast and warm-ups are at 8 a.m. April 28 at Shoal River Sporting Clays and Shooting Center, 3985 U.S. Highway 90 E, Crestview. Practice shots will be available for purchase. The tournament's shotgun start is 9 a.m.

Cost is $125 per person or $500 per team, which includes ammunition for 12- or 20-gauge shells (participants with different gauges must provide their own shells), clays, breakfast, lunch by Samuel's Roadhouse, a T-shirt, and a goody bag.

Karen Donaldson, one of the events organizers, said participants may contact her in advance to reserve a golf cart for the tournament. Cost is $100 each.

Tournament activities include raffles, according to Donaldson.

"We're raffling off three guns in a drawing the day of the event, and we also have an auction table where people can enter a raffle to win various items, such as knives and gift baskets," she said.

To register in advance, contact Donaldson, karendonaldson@synovus.com, 826-2630 or 689-4349; go to http://crestviewkiwanis.wix.com/crestview-kiwanis; or pick up a registration package at Synovus Bank's north branch, 1139 Industrial Drive, Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Kiwanis sporting clay shoot funds to be used for McMahon environmental center