Author: Debbie Roney Smith

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!

Florida Panhandle Hospitals

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There are a number of hospitals and emergency rooms in the Florida Panhandle, but the top three are as follows:

Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare
  • Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital (Pensacola). Phone (850) 416-7000. Address: 5151 North 9th Ave, Pensacola, FL 32504. Website. 
  • Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare (Tallahassee). Phone (850) 431-1155. Address: 1300 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308. Website.
  • Ascension Sacred Heart Bay Hospital (Panama City). Phone (850) 769-1511. Address: 615 North Bonita Ave, Panama City, FL 32401. Website.

Tallahassee Nurseries

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Did you know that indoor plants offer both physical and psychological benefits to humans who own them? The benefits of houseplants are:

  • Boosts indoor air quality
  • Promotes exercise
  • Encourages healthy eating
  • Improves mood
  • Relieves stress and anxiety
  • Helps prolong attention span
  • Boosts self-esteem
  • And More!!!

This means the ongoing 2-for-1 houseplant sale at Tallahassee Nurseries is a wonderful opportunity to improve the well-being of your household! From now until September 2nd, or until supplies run out, the garden center will be selling 2-for-1 of equal-or-lesser value houseplants; rare plants and orchids are not included, despite being indoor plants.

Alligator Facts

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1. There are an estimated 1.3 million alligators in Florida!

2. Alligators have anywhere from 2,000 – 3,000 teeth. While they have a maximum of 80 teeth in their mouth at one time, they lose teeth frequently due to their diet and hunting practices. For comparison, humans only have around 52 teeth!

3. Despite their size and proclivity towards the water, alligators are actually skilled climbers. It’s common to see alligators scaling fences. 

4. Baby alligators are at most risk for alligator cannibalism due to natural population control efforts but even those whole are fully grown may end up another ‘gators meal.

 

 

Celebrating Dogs!

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Today is National Dog Day! It was founded by Colleen Paige in 2004 to celebrate ALL dogs, be they mutts, mixed, or purebred. Paige wanted to bring awareness to the number of dogs in need of rescuing every year. It is also a day meant to educate the public on fostering, adopting, healthcare, petcare, and the danger of dog breeding. 

Visit the National Dog Day website for more information, and hug a dog today!

Chipola Fitness

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Looking to try a new, fun type of fitness? A local gym, the Chipola Fitness Center, offers a variety of courses weekly.

Barefoot Basics is a low-impact class designed to help increase balance via stretching and toning. Dance Fit 2 is a high-intensity music fitness course. Mash-up follows Variable-intensity Interval Training (VIIT), a program including mind/body, agility and strength, and high-intensity intervals to make the most of your time. If you’re looking to strengthen and tone, take part in the Muscle Up class. Power Up is designed for early risers; Power Up your day with this 5am course! Total Body fitness is just as it sounds – a class designed to work the body head to toe.

The Fitness Center also offers a variety of Spin Classes but they are often very limited, so membership is required for early online booking. The offered classes are Fun FriYa Spin, Pedal & Crunch, Spin Scultp, Spinergy, and Total Body Spin. For more detailed information on spin courses, more details on gym membership, and more, visit the official Chipola Fitness website.