Calhoun County libraries have updated their hours for the rest of the year into 2021. Click on the image below for more details:
Local Libraries Update Hours
on Author: Debbie Roney Smith
on Celebrating Working Parents
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Today is the new National Parents Day Off, also known as National Working Parents Day. This is an annual event designed to bring awareness to the complex role parents play in their kids’ lives as caretakers, sounding boards, banks, and more! It is also a day meant to give said parents a break from their hectic schedules. Epic and National Calendar Day collaborated to bring this day to life after the increasing burden placed on parents due to COVID; many parents found themselves with new, time-intensive roles as at-home teachers, week-long watchers, and more for their kids. Epic is a digital reading platform for kids 12 and under. It has a collection of 40,000+ books that were curated for the curiosity and safety of young minds. Visit them at Epic today, and sit your kid(s) down with a book while you enjoy an hour of quiet time!
Greenpeace is 50!
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Today is National Greenpeace Day, and 2021 happens to be the 50th anniversary of the creation of the global organization! Greenpeace was created in the 1970s as a global ecology movement, an organization dedicated to the protection of nature and the education of the public. Fifty years of growth later, Greenpeace has combined the goals of peace and ecology and is established in 57 countries with more in development.
Greenpeace has even had a personal impact on the lovely Florida Panhandle; since 2005, they have been working to help protect and expand an area of Keystone Forest here in the panhandle. It is a hotspot for biodiversity, and is home to the richest endemic plant life in the south, housing 75% of Florida’s native plant species.
Eager to learn more about the impact Greenpeace and its dedicated members have had? Visit their official website for more information on everything from current initiatives to how to get involved and the history of the organization.
Flea Across Florida
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Flea Across Florida is here! FAF is Florida’s longest open market going from Jacksonville to Pensacola and occurs annually in April and September. It is sponsored by Friends of Flea Across Florida. Today, September 11th is the last day to enjoy the fleeting journey of flea shopping until next year. Want to find participating locations near you? Visit the official 2021 map here! For more information or to stay up-to-date on next year’s events, visit the FAF Facebook page. 
World Suicide Prevention Day
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September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and today is World Suicide Prevention Day. One in every 100 deaths worldwide is the result of suicide. Suicide is a devastating pandemic that is worsened by unequal social conditions. By raising awareness, reducing the surrounding stigma, and encouraging well-informed, multi-pronged action, the prevalence of suicide around the world can be reduced.
World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) was first successfully launched in Stockholm in 2003. It was a joint initiative of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP). This global event is the perfect opportunity to raise awareness of suicide and its intricate causes. Today is a day to promote action through intersectional and holistic means that will reduce the number of suicides and suicide attempts worldwide. Head over to IASP’s website for resources, statistics, and more.
Free Trees for North Florida
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The Arbor Day Foundation is working with Florida State Parks to help replace trees lost by Hurricane Michael in North Florida. If you live in Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty, or Washington County, visit Arbor Day – Florida Trees to reserve your free tree.
There are four different native tree species to choose from but supplies are limited so be sure to reserve yours today. When the saplings are ready to be planted, they will be shipped directly to your home. Trees are beautiful, reduce energy costs, improve air quality, provide shade, and more!
Grant Given to Jackson Hospital
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Jackson Hospital received a $2.5 million grant to improve operations during future natural weather phenomenon. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved a grant of $2,584,225 to allow the hospital to purchase and install 12 permanent generators within the hospital’s network of facilities. The grant was funded specifically by FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) in response to Hurricane Michael in 2018. The generator project will allow Jackson Hospital to continue operating at all locations during any future power outages.
Labor Day (2021)
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Today is Labor Day, an annual holiday that occurs on the first Monday of every September. The idea of a labor day celebration came about in the 19th century by the growing organized labor movements of the time. The first celebration, a parade, took place in New York in 1882. However, it took until 1894 for then-president Grover Cleveland to establish Labor Day as a federal holiday.
National Wildlife Day
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Today is the second National Wildlife Day of 2021. Held annually on February 22nd as well as September 4th, Wildlife Day was founded in 2005. Colleen Paige, an animal behaviorist, created this day to bring awareness to endangered animals that need to be preserved and rescued.
It is also meant to bring awareness and support to zoos and outstanding animal sanctuaries that operate nationally and globally; working to educate the public about wildlife conservation is the key to the future of animals. Visit the official National Wildlife Day website for more information such as history, endangered animal lists, ways to celebrate, and more!
Weekend Jazz Fest
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Coming to Pensacola this weekend (September 4th and 5th) is the annual Gulf Coast Summer Fest Jazz Edition! This is the fifth annual festival and will showcase an amazing collection of sixteen musicians including Eric Darius, Cindy Bradley, Norman Brown, and Paula Atherton. Please leave children under 18 at home when you come to enjoy smooth contemporary jazz along Pensacola’s waterfront. There will be food vendors at the event but visitors are welcome to bring coolers with their own food and drink, as well as lawn chairs and umbrellas. Visit the official event website for more information!