CRESTVIEW — U.S. Air Force Airman Michael A. Snell 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.

Snell is the son of Tabitha S. Snell and husband of Dionjenae K. Snell, both of Crestview.

He is a 2017 graduate of Crestview High School, Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Snell graduates from basic military training

This column is about something I've thought about doing before and that's just saying the heck with it. Some of you might say it a bit differently.

When I was a pastor I would get so sick and tired of the same old people whining and complaining about the same old stuff that never amounted to anything. Yet, they seemed to relish in having something to complain about. Most of us have been there and done that. We have whined or just got tired of hearing others whine.

Chances are you are there right now. You've done all you can to help somebody and you can't do it anymore. You've hung onto something that you wished you had walked out of a long time ago. You've showed up at a job that you've hated for years. You've carried on in different tasks that you are tired of doing because it all seems so futile. Nobody would probably blame you much if you made a change. For good or bad the person you always have to deal with is you. You have to decide if you can live with your decision to give up.

Fifteen years ago I didn't know how I was going to eat let alone pay the mortgage. I was trying to start a practical way for ministers around the planet to study the Bible and earn a ministry degree at home. After two years it was pretty dead and going zero. I was so jobless that I was interviewing with a nursing home for a job that paid really nothing. The interviewer wanted to know what my current job was and I said, "President of Newburgh Theological Seminary, Newburgh, Indiana." She said, "That sounds like a better job." I replied "I would like it more if it at least paid a little something." I was ready to quit but one tiny small success eventually led to another and that was fifteen years and at least 6000 students ago. I'm glad I didn't quit but nobody would have blamed me if I had.

I'm certainly by no means saying life is roses. Not everything turns out pie and cream in life. I've had plenty of failures. I have failures going on right now. I suppose the only way I can escape failing at stuff is to stop trying to do anything. I've thought about giving up this column. About the time I start having this thought I'll get email from different people telling me that something I wrote was meaningful to them. An editor will write me and thank me or somebody will hate something I wrote and write something ugly. At least then I know I'm being read. So, I'm going to stay with it for awhile. Who knows what will happen?

Today, maybe the whole point of all of this is to help you stay with it a little longer or maybe just one more day. When you look back you never feel that great about anything if you just quit.

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: If You Quit

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Fortune cookie

CRESTVIEW — A trio of robotics teams from Crestview will be making a trip to the East Coast this weekend.

The Florida FIRST LEGO League’s State Invitational will take place April 8 in St. Augustine. Teams from Davidson Middle School, Shoal River Middle School and Hub City Robotics received invitations to compete in the tournament.

In addition to receiving an invitation to the state tournament, the Davidson LabRatz won the Robot Performance Award at the Northwest Florida Regional FLL Tournament. They are one of three teams Tim Sexton coaches, a science and technology teacher at Davidson.

Sexton has been coaching robotics teams at the school for seven years, and has coached teams that won county championships two years in a row.

“When we say Davidson robotics, now we have a reputation about us,” Sexton said. “They expect a certain level of expertise.”

Rachel Pridgen also helps coach the LabRatz. She said the first-year team stuck to the basics, but was still able to compete at the same level with teams that incorporated more complicated technology.

“We just really wanted to build a good, strong foundation in basic programming and basic simple machines,” she said.

The LabRatz also received an invitation to the Razorback Invitational May 17-20 in Fayetteville, Ark.

Laurie Allen is in her 11th year of coaching robotics teams for Shoal River Middle School. This year, her Lethal Legos team secured a bid to the state invitational. They also won the Gracious Professionalism Core Values award at the regional tournament.

Allen talked about how youth robotics in Crestview has grown over the course of her 11 years of involvement.

“The first year that I went to competition, it was Shoal River and Meigs (middle school), and that’s it,” she said. “Now, to see it grow to this size, it’s pretty amazing. We want it to grow. We want it to be huge.”

Allen said all of the Crestview teams embrace the spirit of coopertition, an FLL core value that balances cooperation and competition.

“We’re very much a family and a team,” she said.

Hub City Robotics, a team comprised of students from multiple Crestview schools, also received a bid to the state invitational. The team won overall Tournament Champion at the regional tournament, earning them a spot in the FIRST Championship in Houston the following weekend, April 18-21.

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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview kids take robotics on the road

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview Fire Department responded to a structure fire at approximately 6:21 p.m. on Tuesday located on Riverchase Boulevard, according to CFD Senior Captain Corey Winkler. The American Red Cross assisted the displaced family of three.

Firefighters arrived on scene to find smoke and flames showing from the master bathroom at the rear of the home. They extinguished the fire with minimal fire damage to the home, according to Winkler.

The apparent cause of the fire, Winkler said, was an electrical short in a master bedroom power outlet.

There were no injuries but the family and their pets are displaced until the home can be repaired, Winkler said.

The American Red Cross is helping the family, according to a press release from Red Cross Executive Director Jerry Kindle.

A family of two adults and a child received financial assistance to help with temporary lodging and to replace necessities lost in the fire like food, clothing and medications, according to Kindle.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Red Cross helps Crestview family of 3 after fire

The crack of the bat sent a tall popup skyward behind home plate. I was the catcher and staggered beneath that mile-high ball as it rushed earthward. I thrust my mitt up and made a lucky catch, the ball wedging itself between my mitt and my bare hand.

That catch wrapped up the city title in a game played at a major league park, an incredible field of dreams for a rag-tag bunch of 15-year-old boys in Ohio in the year 1954. But we were boys evolving into young men — under the guidance of our coach, Tom Evans, a WWII veteran and executive at a local steel company.

Tom was one of many role models I had in my life — a father, a big brother, a minister, several key coaches, and even actors such as Gary Cooper as Sgt. York and Audie Murphy playing himself as a WWII hero.

As I look back, I see that these male mentors kept me on a path toward a successful and productive life. This appears to be less so the case today, many boys lacking strong fathers and father-figures to help mold them into young men. The void is often filled with temptations and rotten role models leading boys astray — if not to jail.

My father liked hunting, fishing, and things mechanical — he ran a small motor-repair shop and had a Harley. None of those things appealed to me, my life being one of books and ballgames. But Dad was always there — there at Crosley Field, home of the Reds, when we won the city title, and on through high school football and basketball games galore. The important words are “He was there.”

Tom Evans was a role model for the male volunteer who steps into a young boy’s life as his coach, his scout leader, Sunday School teacher, or advisor at school or elsewhere. He’s the one you looked up to, listened to, and who injected rules, regulations, and discipline into your life.

I realize that the world has moved on since the 1950s of my coming of age. Dusty ball fields replaced by digital devices. Apple pie by fast food, uppers and downers. Watching a game in person by Play Station and movies on demand. But boys are still led, they follow examples and role models wherever they find them.

Tom Evans died a few weeks ago at age 91. My father went at age 90 years ago, and my basketball coach — a huge influence on my life — is also no longer with us. This is a clarion call for men to step up and replace such father figures in the lives of young boys who may be lost in life or soon will be if not helped.

Besides a few thousand Tom Evans, I’d also like to see a score or more of new Billy Grahams, other strong moral leaders, and more admirable political leaders. America and manhood are both very fragile at present. It’s time to fill the void.

James F. Burns is a retired professor at the University of Florida.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Filling the void of male role models

LAWNCARE

4 steps to wake your lawn up for spring

Before your lawn can return to the lush, green state of the previous summer, it’s crucial to wake it up in the spring. To do this properly, the lawn experts at Lowe’s have provided these four steps.

1. Tune up your equipment: Make sure your mower has a fresh tank of oil, no loose bolts, fresh spark plugs and a sharp blade.
2. Evaluate your lawn: Once the snow has melted, walk your lawn and note any dead spots and bring a rake to break up any thatched areas.
3. Reseed where needed: Overseed the bald spots by spreading seed over the affected area, adding fertilizer and about a half inch of topsoil, gently raking the mixture together and watering every day.
4. Plant while it’s still cool: The cooler temperatures in spring are ideal for roots to take hold before hot summer weather arrives.

AIR

Simple things you can do to improve indoor air quality

• Improve your home’s indoor air quality with these tips from Tom Tasker, product manager at Luxaire.
• Vacuum and mop at least weekly to remove dust that settles on floors. Remember to clean under and behind furniture regularly.
• Dust furniture and vacuum upholstery with the brush attachment.
• Before vacuuming, turn on the HVAC fan, so the filter can catch stirred up dust particles.
• Check the HVAC filter regularly. When replacing, check its MERV rating (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value). The higher the value, the better it is at catching smaller particles.
• Make sure fireplaces and wood-burning stoves are properly vented outside, away from windows and HVAC intakes.
• Keep outdoor particles out. Remove shoes at the door and close windows on windy days.
• Maintain a healthy humidity level, between 30-50 percent. Too much creates an ideal environment for mold and other allergens.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Don’t re-roof until you do these things

Consider the following before you re-roof, according to TAMKO Building Products Inc.:

• Check contractor qualifications. Choose a local, reputable contractor.
• Determine layover or tear off. Although tearing off existing shingles is more expensive due to increased labor costs, there could be advantages.
• Research the warranty. It is important to understand the warranty.
• Assess ventilation needs. It is generally recommended to incorporate proper ventilation into the re-roof.
• Check the weather. Avoid starting a project with wet plywood or underlayment, or when the forecast indicates a strong chance of rain.

OUTDOORS

Ways hardscapes can add value to your home

Outdoor hardscape projects add resale value to a home as well as bring extra enjoyment to homeowners while they are living in the home, according to a National Association of Realtors and National Association of Landscape Professionals report. Here are some ways they help, according to Versa-Lok:

Curb appeal – Simple updates, such as adding retaining wall units or paving stone edging, and more ambitious projects, like a patio, add value and curb appeal.

Making unusable space usable – Retaining wall systems can help retain the soil excavated to create an outdoor living space.

Prevent erosion – Retaining wall systems are essential in preventing erosion, controlling grade changes in a yard, and preventing damage to the landscape, and, in certain environments, even damage to your home.

Safety and privacy – Seat walls can add privacy and protection against the elements, and energy-efficient landscape lighting can be installed for nighttime ambiance and functionality.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 4 steps to wake your lawn up for spring

Toxic plants are a common concern of many livestock owners.

Most times, livestock will avoid eating toxic plants, but sometimes conditions are right for consumption to occur. Conditions when animals may consume toxic plants include:

•toxic plants that are cut and baled in hay

•hungry animals with limited planted forage

•curious animals

•palatable plants like red maple leaves

Toxic plants can cause a variety of problems in livestock.

In this article, I’m going to focus on Northwest Florida plants that cause kidney failure.

Plants that contain oxalates and tannins are the usual suspects when kidney failure occurs. Plants that contain oxalates in our area include Yellow Woodsorrel (Oxalis stricta), Purslane (Portulaca oleracea), Pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus), and Curly Dock (Rumex crispus).

The principal suspect in tannin toxicity is oak trees, with all parts (leaves, bark and acorns) being toxic.

After consumption and absorption into the bloodstream, oxalates combine with calcium and magnesium. This leads to a decrease in available calcium and impairs normal cell membrane functions.

Animals develop muscle tremors and weakness, then collapse and eventually die. If animals survive this acute poisoning stage, death results from kidney failure due to severe damage caused by insoluble calcium oxalates being filtered by the kidneys.

Tannins in oak trees cause severe lesions in the digestive tract and kidneys. Some ruminants can tolerate tannins better than others due to rumen flora (microorganisms) detoxifying the tannins. Some goats and wild ruminants also have a compound in their saliva that neutralizes tannins. New growth and green acorns are more toxic than older growth and ripe acorns. Affected animals first stop eating and display signs of abdominal pain. They drink excessively and their feces turns black and tarry. They eventually develop jaundice and have red-colored urine and usually die within 5-7 days of symptom onset.

If you suspect oxalate or tannin toxicity in your animals, your first step is to call your vet. They can diagnose the problem and give the correct supportive care. Next, you may want to contact your local extension agent to help you identify toxic weeds in your pasture and recommend control measures to remove them.

To identify common poisonous pasture plants, go to http://ifasbooks.ifas.ufl.edu/p-510-poisonous-pasture-plants-of-florida.aspx to purchase a University of Florida Institute of Food & Agricultural Science publication.

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: 4 ways livestock encounter toxic plants

Did you know that there is an array of musical resources available to you at your library?

Whether you are a novice wanting to learn how to play the piano, or you would just like to listen to local musicians perform, there is a bit of everything for all music lovers.

We have CDs available for checkout as well as musician biographies in traditional and audio formats. There are DVDs of live musical concerts and books to instruct you as you learn to play piano, guitar, drums, or even the banjo. On our website’s online resources, you can access the Fine Arts & Music Collection with a valid library card.

This collection will provide you with resources to support research in areas such as drama, music, art history, and filmmaking with hundreds of full-text magazines and journals covered in databases such as the Wilson Art Index and the Répertoire International de Littérature Musicale, which documents and disseminates music research worldwide.

Performance slots

We are looking for local musicians to play in the main area of the library every Monday and Tuesday evenings from 6-8 p.m.

Contact Esther Hurwitz, 682- 4432, to book an appointment if you are ready to show off your musical abilities in front a small audience.

Marie Heath is the Crestview Public Library's director.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CHECK IT OUT: Music options available locally

It may take a while before the implications of The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, enacted in December 2017, are entirely clear, but it will affect the real estate market.

"Given the increase in the standard deduction and the decrease in the amount of debt covered by the mortgage interest deduction, there will be fewer home buyers moving forward. Expect the housing market to be soft for the next few years as a result," said Gabriel Mathy, assistant professor in the Department of Economics at American University, Washington, D.C. 

The lower mortgage interest deduction may keep some buyers from purchasing a new home.

"Anyone borrowing a large amount to buy a home will pay more in taxes and this will discourage some buyers, who will rent instead," Mathy said.

High-end market hit

The new tax bill lowers the amount of interest on mortgage debt, and that will affect home buyers in more-expensive markets, said Joshua Zimmelman, president of Westwood Tax & Consulting, Rockville Center, New York. 

"In the past, taxpayers could deduct interest on mortgage loans up to $1 million. In the new tax plan, current homeowners can keep deducting up to $1 million, but new homeowners can only deduct up to $750,000 on homes," Zimmelman said. 

In particular buyers will take a hit in certain luxury markets like Manhattan and San Francisco, where the median home price is well over $750,000, said Meisa Bonelli, senior tax professional with Millennial Tax, a provider of preparation and education for solopreneurs, freelancers and microbusinesses in New York City. 

"Forty percent of American homeowners, if they had to sell their homes tomorrow, would have to consider how their prospective buyers would be affected by the new mortgage interest deduction cap," Bonelli said. "The best thing may be for sellers to require larger down payments up front to weed out buyers that may be factoring in the mortgage interest deduction per a home’s sale price." 

SALT cap of $10,000 

The new tax plan caps state and local tax deductions at $10,000, plus the income or sales tax. 

"The state and local property tax cap may stop people from moving to higher-tax areas. It’s possible this could make the value of homes in those areas go down, while increasing the prices of homes in more-affordable areas," Zimmelman said. 

Additionally, in areas with local and state taxes that are higher than average, "home values could start to decline as a result of the new tax plan. … After some time, the prices of homes in more-affordable areas could actually increase as a result," Zimmelman said. 

Sellers may hold off

The new tax bill also affects sellers because it eliminates the moving expenses deduction for most taxpayers. 

"After 2018, only members of the armed forces on active duty can deduct moving expenses," Zimmelman said. 

It will also affect people who are planning to sell a property as retirement income. 

"For people that have factored in selling their homes as part of their retirement portfolio, they should give themselves more time to sell their homes if the value of their home is 5 to 10 percent above $750,000. Why? Because most buyers today don’t put down the traditional 20 percent down payment to obtain their mortgage," Bonelli said. 

Equity loans more expensive 

Another change is that home equity loans are no longer deductible. 

"In the past, taxpayers could deduct up to $100,000 in interest paid on home equity debt. The new tax law eliminates this deduction unless the home equity line was used to purchase another home or for home renovations," Zimmelman said. 

"That may turn buyers off to fixer-upper properties," Bonelli said. "Home equity loans had more advantage than 203k (FHA) loans in the past because they were cheaper to originate. Now, it may make sense for buyers to look for rehabilitation properties if they can get 203k financing because if the mortgage is under $750,000, the interest will be tax-deductible."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Tax reform bill effects on real estate