The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living recognized Silvercrest Health and Rehabilitation Center in Crestview for its achievements through the Quality Initiative Recognition Program.

The program honors member facilities for their individual work in achieving AHCA/NCAL Quality Initiative goals. Silvercrest met or exceeded five of the eight goals.

"The entire team at Silvercrest Health and Rehabilitation Center is honored to be recognized for this incredible achievement," said Al Hudson, nursing home administrator. "We are proud to improve care for our patients and residents. Our commitment to quality will continue." 

Silvercrest accomplished its goals in these areas:

• Hospitalizations
• Safely reducing hospital readmissions
• Improving discharge back to the community
• Improving functional outcomes and staff stability 

"This achievement overall represents not only improvement on a set of quality measures in these centers but also significant improvements in outcomes among the elderly they serve, such as fewer hospitalizations, more discharges back to the community and stopping the use of antipsychotics that can be harmful," said Dr. David Gifford, AHCA/NCAL senior vice president of quality and regulatory affairs. "We applaud these organizations for making a difference in the lives of their patients and residents."

AHCA/NCAL launched the Quality Initiative in 2012 as a national effort to build upon the existing work of the long-term and post-acute care profession. The initiative aims to further improve quality of care in skilled nursing centers and assisted living communities by challenging members with specific, measurable targets.

Silvercrest, along with other achievers from across the country, will be honored at AHCA/NCAL's March 12-14 Oualiti Summit in New Orleans.

"The entire team at Silvercrest Health and Rehabilitation Center is honored to be recognized for this incredible achievement. We are proud to improve care for our patients and residents. Our commitment to quality will continue."

—Al Hudson, nursing home administrator

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Silvercrest recognized for quality care

Drivers will encounter these traffic variations on state roads in Okaloosa and Walton counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.  

OKALOOSA COUNTY 

• U.S. Highway 98 deceleration lane construction near St. Mary Avenue: Eastbound traffic near St. Mary Avenue will encounter lane restrictions through Thursday, Jan.11 as crews construct a deceleration lane in the median and new curb, gutter and sidewalk.
• U.S. 98 turn-lane extension west of Wright Parkway in Fort Walton Beach: eastbound inside, left-lane restrictions from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., from west of Wright Parkway and east of the city of Mary Esther as crews extend a turn lane and construct a driveway. 

WALTON COUNTY

• U.S. 98 widening from Emerald Bay Drive to Tang-O-Mar Drive: Motorists can expect alternating east and westbound lane closures from the Okaloosa/Walton County line to Tang-O-Mar Drive from 8:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. through Thursday, Jan. 11 as roadway widening and drainage upgrades continue.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa, Walton traffic changes set

Millions of Americans in states like California, Illinois and Kentucky are already in peril because of the horrendous government mismanagement of teachers’ and state workers’ retirement money.

Americans are in further peril because we will face severe hardship in this country if the long-term path of our Social Security program continues. Our government leaders must take steps to resolve the road Social Security is on. We must pay back what has been borrowed from the fund and stop buying trillions of dollars in Treasury securities that we cannot pay back to ourselves.

We are the biggest owners of our national debt.

America owes $20 trillion.

Our Social Security Trust Fund or our retirement money owns a big chunk of the national debt.

Our U.S. Treasury manages the U.S. debt through its Bureau of Public Debt. The debt falls into two categories: debt held by the public and intra-governmental holdings. The intra-governmental is the portion of the federal debt owed to 230 other federal agencies. It totals about $5.6 trillion.

Why would the government owe money to itself? Some agencies, like the Social Security Trust Fund, take in more revenue from taxes than they want to set aside and invest. Rather than saving the money, these agencies buy U.S. Treasury notes with it. They do this because our federal government is so strapped for cash for the general fund. Someone will say our country is investing our Social Security money. It's not an investment to loan money to someone who already owes $20 trillion.

By owning Treasury notes, they transfer their excess cash to the general fund, where it is spent. One day they will redeem their treasury notes for cash — it is hoped. The federal government at that time will either need to raise taxes or issue more debt to give the agencies the money they will need, and the agency will be desperate for it because it owns Treasury notes.

It's sort of like robbing Peter to pay Paul. The day will come when the financial crisis is so great that it will be very difficult to raise the payroll tax more and more to cover the demand to pay retirees.

Which agencies own the most treasury notes? Social Security.

Consider these figures:

• Social Security Trust Fund and Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund — $2.8 trillion
• Office of Personnel Management Retirement — $888 billion
• Military Retirement Fund — $670 billion
• Medicare — $294 billion
• Cash on hand to fund federal government operations $580 billion

Here are the holders of public debt as of December 2016:

• Foreign — $6.004 trillion
• Federal Reserve — $2.465 trillion
• Mutual funds — $1.671 trillion
• State and local government including their pension funds — $553 billion
• Banks — $663 billion
• Insurance companies — $347 billion
• U.S. Savings Bonds — $166 billion

Other (brokers, bank personal trusts, individuals, government-sponsored enterprises, corporate and non-corporate investors and other enterprises, $1.662 trillion

If you add up the debt held by Social Security and all the retirement and pension funds, nearly half of the U.S. Treasury debt is held in trust for your retirement.

If the United States defaults on its debt, China, Japan and Ireland would be very upset, but current and future American retirees would be hurt the most.

In October 2017, China owned $1.2 trillion of U.S. debt.

Japan owned $1.1 trillion.

Ireland is third, holding $312 billion.

Brazil holds $270 billion.

The Cayman Islands owns $269 billion.

Luxembourg is $218 billion and Belgium $116 billion.

Switzerland, The UK, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia and India hold between $141 billion and $254 billion. (Sources: Treasury Bulletin, Monthly Treasury Statement, and Table 6. Schedule D Investments of Federal Government Accounts in Federal Securities, U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 2016. "Treasury Bulletin, Table OFS-2 Ownership of Federal Securities" U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 2016.)

The numbers are always changing, of course, when it comes to our national debt. The numbers above don't add up to exactly what our current debt is because the numbers are always changing.

We have to reduce the size of government.

We must reduce spending money we do not have.

We must stop spending trillions of dollars on Iraq, Afghanistan and other foreign countries.

Reducing our financial support of the United Nations is a good move. Reducing our financial support to other countries is imperative. Especially the countries who now for years have burned our flag and demonstrated hate toward America.

We have to get our own house in order.

At the current trend, a lot of our young Americans are going to be very hurt down the road.

Sources: Treasury Bulletin, Monthly Treasury Statement. Kimberly Amadeo.

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: Hurting our young Americans' futures

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Embroiderers' Guild donates Sampler to Crestview Habitat family

Pvt. Caleb Davis completed Army Basic Combat Training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma on Nov. 17. He is currently attending Advanced Individual Training in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, to become a Patriot Fire Control Enhanced Operator. He graduated from Paxton High School in May 2017.

Pvt. Tyler Forrest graduated from One Station Unit Training at Fort Benning, Georgia on Dec. 8 to become an Infantryman. He graduated from Crestview High School in May 2017. He is currently stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas. His parents are Ben and Lisa Kimbrough of Crestview.

Pvt. Michael Mason of Crestview graduated from One Station Unit Training at Fort Benning, Georgia, on Dec. 15 to become an Infantryman. He is currently stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas.

Pvt. Jonathan Judge of Crestview completed Army Basic Combat Training on Dec. 19. He is currently attending Advanced Individual Training in Fort Lee, Virginia to become a Mortuary Affairs Specialist.

Over 10 to 14 weeks, these soldiers learned basic tactical and survival skills along with how to shoot, rappel and march. They also learned the basics of Army life and military customs, including the Seven Core Army Values.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Northwest Florida residents complete Army combat training

CRESTVIEW — Award-winning singer, songwriter, guitarist and storyteller Andrew McKnight will soon visit the Crestview Public Library.

The northern Virginia resident will perform 6:30 p.m. Jan. 23 during Family Library Time. The free concert will last about an hour.

McKnight's solo performances are like one-man theatre; the songs are woven together with humorous stories and poetic drama, and the musical soundscape traverses influences from Appalachia, tasteful slide and jazzy blues, feisty anthems, rustic folk, and even a little flatpicking on a Carter Family tune.

"The skillful songwriter's interest in history is revealed in songs such as the Civil War ballad ‘The Road to Appomattox’ and the soldier's elegy ‘Wind Whispers Your Name’ … He also works in true folkie tradition, updating lyrics to classic material such as ‘Worried Man Blues’ or reworking Robert Johnson's ‘Crossroads’ to place himself mano-a-devil," The Washington Post writes.

While McKnight shares that folk lineage with Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, fans of contemporary singer/songwriters like Darrell Scott, John McCutcheon and Richard Shindell will find much to like in his songs and stylings.

Since leaving his corporate environmental engineering career in 1996, McKnight has logged nearly a million miles touring across America. In addition to his solo career, he fronts Andrew McKnight & Beyond Borders along with founding Nitty Gritty Dirt Band member Les Thompson.

Their 2012 live CD/DVD, "One Virginia Night," and McKnight's five solo CDs have earned critical acclaim and airplay around the world as well as a number of NPR stations and several XM/Sirius satellite shows. The band is part of the Virginia Commission for the Arts Touring Artist Program.

The popular jam band Great American Taxi frequently performs McKnight’s anti-mountaintop removal ballad "Made by Hand," co-written with Thompson and Chance McCoy (Old Crow Medicine Show), particularly on NPR’s "Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour."

While no stranger to elite stages like the Kennedy Center, Rocky Mountain Folks Festival or the Katharine Hepburn Theater, McKnight's music seems to spread most rapidly through the diverse causes that have embraced his music.

"I suppose if you designed the ‘anti-traditional’ approach to the music business, I’ve taken it," he says.

Whether helping people living on the margins with food drives at concerts, singing for and about workers and communities displaced by mountaintop removal coal mining, or introducing children to music and creativity, he has seen the power of music help others up close.

And, in turn, his musical journey, now spanning two decades and "several hundred guest rooms," is completely dependent on those personal grassroots.

Family Library Time is designed for ages 4 and up. Adults unaccompanied by children are welcome. Registration is not required.

Contact Heather Nitzel at 682-4432 for more information.

WHAT: Andrew McKnight in concert

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Jan. 23

WHERE: Crestview Public Library, 1445 Commerce Drive

ONLINE

Learn more about singer, songwriter, guitarist and storyteller Andrew McKnight and see his concert videos at www.andrewmcknight.net

WANT TO GO?

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Award-winning songwriter, entertainer Andrew McKnight sets concert

CRESTVIEW — If you have an event you would like to submit, send your first and last name and information about the event to news@crestviewbulletin.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 3 things to do this week in Northwest Florida

Editor’s Note: This continues our Celebrate Community series on nonprofit organizations that improve North Okaloosa County residents’ quality of life.

CRESTVIEW — American Legion Post 75's push to increase awareness of the Kids for Toys program this past fall resulted in over $15,000 in toys, cash and gifts for Okaloosa foster children.

Event organizers presented the toys and an $11,000 check to the Families First Network of Lakeview foster care program.

"(The) run was phenomenal; it went really, really well. We were able to serve the kids in our local agency, but were able to help with some other counties as needed. In North Okaloosa alone, we served over 200 children, and so it certainly greatly benefited all of our kids," Alice Cheslock, FFN team manager in North Okaloosa and Walton County, said.

The nonprofit agency assists Northwest Florida families from Escambia to Walton counties.

"I'm just very grateful and thankful for the American Legion, because without them Christmas is always hard because we serve both kids in the home and kids that are in foster care. And they kind of led [the event] this year; and to see the community rally behind it … was a blessing for all of us," Cheslock said.

Juan Hernandez of Post 75, who served as road captain, said the post partnered with two other Crestview veterans groups, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5450 and Amvets Post 35, to organize the December motorcycle run.

This year, 197 motorcyclists participated in the event, compared to just 40 bikers in 2017. Donors purchased games, stuffed animals, and gift cards. Okaloosa County bus drivers provided a fleet of bicycles.

Area businesses provided raffle prizes. Winners received vehicle services at Precision Tune Auto Care, Crestview Tire & Wheel; and meals at Beef O' Brady's, Cracker Barrel, David's Catfish House, New York's Famous Pizza, Uncle Bill's, Emerald Isle Seafood Restaurant, and Wayne's Catfish House.

There were also gift cards from Tractor Supply Company, Winn-Dixie, It's Magic Day Spa and Salon and Precision Tactical. Two Harley Davidson jackets, a vest contributed by the VFW, and a custom motorcycle helmet from BDB Custom Motorcycle in Niceville were among prizes.

American Legion Post 75 is already accepting items for the 2018 Kids for Toys run.

Contact Post Commander Shelby Windham, 305-3635, for details.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'It greatly benefited all of our kids'

CRESTVIEW — Five of Crestview High School's varsity wrestling team members placed in the Dec. 30 tournament at Tate.

Noah Kryfka, Angel Ortega, Coleman Young and Xavier Molina placed first in their bouts, and Kenard Menard placed second. Ortega was also winner of the Overall Outstanding Wrestler Award.

"It was an awesome day for our Bulldogs," a team spokesperson said.

The Crestview varsity team also went undefeated against five other teams and placed second overall at a Gulf Breeze wrestling tournament in early December.

They wrestled Rocky Bayou, Mosley, Rutherford, Milton and Bay students.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview wrestlers place in area tournaments