Author: Debbie Roney Smith

Masks requirements and where to buy them

Debbie Roney Smith on

~MASKS~ This is the hot topic these days. Do you have to wear masks? If so where? When the kids return to school will they need to wear them? Every state and county are making different rules it seems almost daily.

Also in March when the stay at home order first began a client (who was a client and bought a house here in the panhandle and has become a friend) started making masks for nurses and friends who were essential workers. Bonnie has made and donated over 100 masks! As supplies have become harder to get, more expensive, and she has run out of her personal stash, she is now charging a flat $5 per mask. She can make kids or adults. Below are some of her masks she has available now. She is in Marianna once a week for social distancing met ups or if she mails them she is charging $2 for every 2 mailed. They are made with a pocket for you to add another layer of protection. They are washable and reusable which helps the environment. You can email her at thombk70@gmail.com to place an order or if you have any questions for her.

Here is a brief list of places in the panhandle that have posted recently the mask rules.

~Directly from City of Gulf Breeze effective Friday, June 26, face coverings are required inside businesses within the City of Gulf Breeze limits.

~The Port St. Joe City Commission is now mandated masks for residents and visitors over the age of 6 inside all businesses or other places social distancing can’t be possible within the city limits.

~The Council passed a mandate requiring that public business employees wear a mask to work in Panama City. The businesses will also be required to post signage in order to enforce the mandate. The public is also now required to wear masks. The mask mandate is a fineable civil offense, and can reach up to a $500 cost.

~Apalachicola beginning July 2, masks must be worn inside buildings and establishments within city limits. The order exempts religious services and seated eating, and doesn’t apply to employees working in enclosed areas away from others.

~Leon County Commissioners voted unanimously to put a mask requirement in place beginning June 25. Chairman Bryan Desloge said he will review the order and local COVID-19 cases weekly to determine when the local order will be lifted.

~Gadsden County also has masks required.

~Mayor Grover Robinson issued an emergency order, in effect as of 5 p.m. June 26, requiring face coverings for anyone inside a business within city limits in Pensacola.

Exceptions include people attending religious services; eating and drinking at restaurants, those walking, exercising or sitting outdoors, including on boats; children under the age of six and people having trouble breathing due to a pre-established condition.

Many national stores are requiring face masks. Also Winn-Dixie has recently posted they too are requiring them.
These tri fold masks all have a pocket and are washable to be worn over and over again. Pencil one’s are cute for school, solid colors available, and themed.
As you can see most are adjustable so size doesn’t matter. She can make them either way. Elastic or adjustable.

Pinspiration in PCB

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Pinspiration is located in Panama City Beach on 2423 Thomas Drive, You can call 850-249-6040 for more information or click this link to be taken to the website https://www.pinspiration.com/locations/panama-city-beach/

Pinspiration is a franchise that is in 6 states. Florida has several locations and thankfully one is located her in the Panhandle. They believe that everyone is an artist, regardless of age, background, and skill level. This is for kids, adults, men, women, individuals, groups, skilled artists, and beginners. They have a bar onsite as well as a menu of snacks and nonalcoholic beverages. They give you all the supplies and materials you need to make an individual project on-the-spot. Makers work from tutorials so you don’t have to take a class.  Make what you want, when you want it! They have walk in or you can reserve your spot. Take a group and each of you can pick a different craft to do!

They are even offering camps for the summer. A maximum of 10 kids are allowed in camp each day. Temperature checks and hand washing are also in place. The themes being offered throughout the summer include pets, glow party, space, and Disney.  Campers complete three projects per day, getting to personalize each one. Camps are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and kids who are five through 12 years old can participate.

So get those creative juices flowing and plan to visit this great place soon!

 

Moneyham is new Panama City District workers’ compensation judge

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A lawyer born and raised in Marianna has been made a judge by Gov. Ron DeSantis. John Perry Moneyham will serve as the Panama City District workers’ compensation judge within the compensation division of the state’s Division of Administrative Hearings. Moneyham and his counterparts will preside over workers’ compensation hearings in their areas of the state.

The son of Janet and Waymon Moneyham, John Perry Moneyham is a 1980 graduate of Marianna High School. He was appointed in early July by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Moneyham has been a board-certified workers’ compensation specialist since 1995, and has been president of his own law firm, John P. Moneyham, PA, since 1991. Before opening his own practice, Moneyham served as an associate for McConnaughhay, Roland, Maida, Cherr and McCranie. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and his law degree from Florida State University.

To become a judge, he had to pull in his shingle as a private attorney, but Moneyham said he’s looking forward to being a judge in an area of the law he’s found exciting and challenging in his practice. Moneyham submitted his name for consideration and was first interviewed by Florida’s Judicial Nominating Commission. From there, the governor’s general council interviewed the finalists and selected three for DeSantis to consider. The governor had the final word.

Once he learned of his appointment and celebrated it with wife Julie and their two children, Moneyham made a bee-line for his childhood home.

 

 

How to spot Comet Neowise

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Want to see a comet? Comet NEOWISE is now visible during the early morning hours for a brief period of time. With binoculars or a telescope look NE low to the horizon between about 4:45am and 5am.Comet NEOWISE will be visible over the next few weeks here in the panhandle. The comet was discovered earlier this year on March, 27, 2020. The comet is named after the space observatory that actually discovered it… Near Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. The comet is about 26 million miles way from us and is about 3 miles across. It is estimated that it formed nearly 4.6 billion years ago!

Enough with the stats… you want to see it, don’t you? Starting on July 16th it should be far enough above the horizon in the northeast right after sunset (8:30pm) to be visible. It will continue to get higher in the evening sky but will fade quickly. After the 24th you will probably need a telescope to see it. It will climb a little bit higher in the sky each day until it disappears next month. It won’t make a return appearance for about 7,000 years. If you’re in an area with little or no light pollution, you should be able to see it with the naked eye. Otherwise, you’ll need binoculars to spot the long tail, according to NASA. And, in case you were wondering, the comet doesn’t pose any danger to the planet and will pass by harmlessly.

 

 

June 19~International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict

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Sexual violence in conflict is a rising, troubling trend in the world – so much so, that in 2015 the United Nations General Assembly designated June 19th the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict. “Conflict-related sexual violence (aka CRSV) refers to rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy, forced abortion, enforced sterilization, forced marriage and any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity perpetrated against women, men, girls or boys that is directly or indirectly linked to a conflict. The term also encompasses trafficking in persons when committed in situations of conflict for the purpose of sexual violence or exploitation.”

This international date is a joint effort of the United Nations to support country-level efforts to prevent conflict related to sexual violence, improve coordination and accountability, and respond to survivors more effectively. The date, June 19th, was chosen specifically to commemorate the UN Security Council Resolution 1820 (2008) in which sexual assault was first recognized as a weapon of war rather than an unintended side effect. During this current COVID-19 pandemic, CRSV has intensified due to a limiting of availability of authorities to respond. If you’re interested in contributing to the cause, check out organizations such as the National Sexual Violence Resource Center and The Relief Fund for Sexual Assault Victims amongst many, many others. These organizations and those like them are crucial to supporting survivors and making a difference.
For more detailed information, please visit the following link to the UN website: https://www.un.org/en/observances/end-sexual-violence-in-conflict-day AND https://www.un.org/sexualviolenceinconflict/about-us/un-action/

Nelson Mandela International Day ~ July 18

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The first Nelson Mandela International Day was held in New York on July 18, 2009 in honor of Mandela’s birthday. It was created to celebrate the idea that each individual has the power to transform the world and have a positive impact. Nelson Mandala was a single man and yet his personal impact was astounding. He was a man of many accolades including being a human rights lawyer, a prisoner of conscience, an international peacemaker, an iconic figure fighting South Africa’s apartheid regime, the name behind the phenomenon known as the Mandela Effect, AND he was the first democratically elected president of a free South Africa.

A popular practice for Nelson Mandela International Day is to spend 67 minutes of your time, just under an hour and a half, doing good in your community and helping others. This is in honor of the impact of Mandela’s 67 years of public service in his various positions. Since quarantine is still a wise choice given the rise in COVID-19 cases in Florida, below is a list of ideas on how you can assist your community and donate your time without endangering yourself or others.

Be My Eyes: a free iOS/Android app that allows you to help blind users handle visual tasks like reading foot labels or matching outfits. The app will alert you when someone is in need of help and you can pick up the request or ignore it as you wish; very low pressure and easy to do from home!
Help non-profits and research projects with transcribing, proofreading, and audio recordings: Zooniverse, the Smithsonian, work with Proofread Project as a Distributed Proofreader, record audiobooks for LibriVox – all of these sources are free and run almost entirely off volunteer efforts.
Have kids you need to entertain? Pull out the crafts and help your kids create individual cards with nice sayings to leave in your neighbors’ mailboxes! It’s a trying time, and everyone could use a kind word of “hello” and “I hope you’re well.” Additionally, you can help run the kids’ energy down by going walking through your neighborhood to drop off the notes. If you have a sidewalk, consider doing sidewalk art for all who walk by to see.
Become a pen pal to help seniors combat loneliness! You can contact local senior homes in your area to see if they have pen pal programs or would like to start one, or go to one of the following websites to sign up for a preexisting program: Reachout America, Pen Pal World, Retirement Online, and check out the #CareNotCOVID movement as well. Please note that the virus is highly unlikely to be spread by the mail but be certain to wash your hands after opening a new letter and before sending one to help keep seniors and immunocomprised people extra safe.

For additional volunteer opportunities specific to the Panhandle, check out Panhandle Home Health and Volunteer Match.

Vintage Camper Open House ~ July 18th

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Falling Waters State Park is having a Vintage Camper Drive Thru Open House. This Saturday, July 18th 8am to sunset. You will have to pay a park entrance fee of $5 per vehicle. Falling Waters is located at 1130 State Park Road in Chipley.

Jackson County shifts from Democratic to Republican majority

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The Republican Party of Jackson County has taken a slight edge over the Democratic Party. Democrats now trail behind the Republican Party by just six registered voters.

Clint Pate, the head of the Jackson County Republican Party said they’re excited about meeting their goal and their current lead over the Democratic Party in the area. He said they had a large gap to fill and being over by six voters is a huge accomplishment for the Republican Party in Jackson County. Pate said the switch began to slowly happen back in 2014 when he and Eric Hill were the first Republican candidates voted into office in Jackson County history. Now, Pate also credits COVID-19 for part of their success as well.

Back in March, the Republican Party sent out over 5,000 flyers and they saw a late increase in registered Republican voters.

Jackson County has a big local election season coming up as well. The Sheriff, Supervisor of Elections, Superintendent and two County Commissioner seats will be up for election and Pate believes the shift from blue to red in the county could affect the results.

For more information on how to get registered to vote or on Jackson County local elections, visit the Supervisor of Election’s https://www.jacksoncountysoe.org/. They have already started sending out vote by mail ballots.

Plastic Free July

Debbie Roney Smith on

Earlier this month, this blog featured a piece on the Plastic Free July movement. However, working towards eliminating plastic in your life when living in a rural community can seem especially daunting. Below is a short list of changes you can make living here in the Panhandle to reduce the presence of chemically harmful plastic in your life.
1. Swap goods and services with neighbors! Need a new blender but don’t want to buy a plastic wrapped monstrosity from Walmart? Check in with your neighbors to see if anyone has a spare in their storage or are finally ready to admit they just don’t like smoothies and pass their blender on to you. If you’re on Facebook, consider joining or creating a Zero Waste Swap group in your area. Oftentimes people are willing to give up items for FREE! How great is that? You don’t have to pay for something you need, someone else keeps from throwing that something into the waste stream, AND there’s no new waste introduced by your purchasing a new item. Saving plastic all around!
2. Stick to the basics! This includes using shopping totes, fabric produce bags, reusable water bottles and coffee containers, foregoing plastic straws unless you need them medically, packing a lunch instead of a store packaged one, and so on. While simple, these actions add up. Additionally, it is safe to use reusable shopping bags despite COVID-19 – just sanitize between uses. Cloth bags are the best because you can just toss them in your wash.
3. Create the means to be the change! This is related to the step above. If you notice a need in your community, fill it. For example, if you are in need of cloth bags, create them. You can sustainably source material from thrift stores in the form of curtains, sheets, mismatched pillowcases, and more. Then bring them home, sanitize them, and get to sewing! Pass the bags out for free to family and friends or make a small profit by selling them cheap outside grocery stores or farmers’ markets. This is just one example of how you can help reduce your communities reliance on plastic while you’re largely stuck at home during quarantine.
This article was largely sourced from the following blog, please check it out! It has a lot of great additional information and is a very moving piece on rural community: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/4/8/1848735/-Thinking-Outside-the-Plastic-Box-Going-Plastic-Free-in-Rural-America

Jackson County Elections Candidate Forum is tonight

Debbie Roney Smith on

Don’t forget the Jackson County Elections Candidate Forum is tonight, July 14 at 6 p.m. on the grounds at Citizens Lodge, located at 4574 Lodge Drive in Marianna. Candidates will be allowed to set up a 10-by-10-foot tent along the track area and hand out materials beginning at 5 p.m. until the forum begins at 6 p.m. and after the conclusion of the forum at approximately 8 p.m., until no later than 9 p.m. Check this blog from earlier this week for more details about this being a COVID-19 social distancing event.

Races and candidates are listed below:

State Attorney, Circuit 14: Larry Basford (Rep) and Wes Hatcher (Rep)

Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller: Justin Branch (Rep) and Clayton O. Rooks III (Dem)

Property Appraiser: David Fraser (Rep) and Rebecca Morris-Haid (Dem)

Sheriff: Kevin Arnold (Dem), Hayes Baggett (Dem), Donnie Edenfield (Rep), Scott Edwards (Rep), Tim Ham (Dem), and Jeff Snell (Rep)

Superintendent of Schools: Steve R. Benton, Sr. (Rep), Gerald F. Brockner (Rep), Dallas Ellis (Rep), and Larry Moore (Dem)

Supervisor of Elections: Carol A. Dunaway (Rep), Alice Pate (Rep), Gail Ann Ward (NPA), and Rico Williams (Dem)

Tax Collector: Mary Carol Murdock (Dem), incumbent, unopposed

Jackson County Commissioner — District 1: Alex B. McKinnie (Dem) and Willie E. Spires (Dem)

Jackson County Commissioner — District 3: Paul A. Donofro Jr. (Rep), Marcell Shane Harvey (Dem), Mary Ann Hutton (Rep), Tyler Lipford (Rep), Rance L. Massengill (NPA) and Ronstance L. Pittman (Dem)

Jackson County Commissioner — District 5: John Bryan (Rep), Byron L. Dickens (Dem), and James Peacock (Rep)

Jackson County School Board Member — District 2: Tony Pumphrey (NPA), incumbent, unopposed

Jackson County School Board Member — District 5: Pam Long Bimberg (NPA) and Stacey Goodson (NPA)

Visit the Jackson County elections office website by clicking this link jacksoncountysoe.com or call 850-482-9652 for additional voter information.