Saturday, October 26th

Debbie Roney Smith on

October 26th is the Saturday before Halloween. Looking for something fun to do below are a handful of events happening in the panhandle. A little something for everyone. Also each area most likely has something planned so be sure to look in your area. And Saturday’s weather will feel a little like fall in the high 70’s and low 80’s throughout the day and light scattered rain is expected in some areas off and on so be sure to plan for that. As always more information below each photo and HAVE FUN!

6th annual country market and craft fair from 10am to 3pm at 252 Gamble Road in Monticello. Paint a free pumpkin in the welcome booth while supplies last, food trucks on site, over 65 local vendors, trick or treat at each booth and get some shopping done at the same time.
Come watch Toy Story 4 at the Madison Street Park in Marianna. Movie starts at 6:30pm and is free. Be sure to take chairs or blankets to sit on. Movie starts at 6:30pm but they will also have tiny pumpkin finger painting starting at 5:30pm. Free for children who will be watching the movie.
At the Kinard Community Center on Hwy 73 they are having the Kinard Halloween Carnival starting at 5pm. They will have a costume contest at 6pm, cake walk, games, spook ride, concessions. and more.
Halloween Fest at the Market is a free, family-friendly event presented by the Historic St. Andrews Waterfront Partnership as a special market expansion. 8am to 1pm they will have traditional children’s activities, including face painting, chalk on the walk, pumpkin painting, mask making, and more. They will also have a Witches on Bike Parade starting at 10am. This is in Panama City at 1201 Beck Ave.
Sunland is having the 40th annual fall festival. Parade begins at 9am. They will have games, crafts, food, vendors, entertainment, and more! This year’s event will be held at the Sunland Sports Complex. Entrance and parking locations have been changed to the Sunland Front Entrance off Hwy. 71N. Shuttles will be available to transport visitors to the festival area. Admission and parking is free.
At Azalea Park in Crawfordville from 5:30pm to 8:30pm they are having the 5th annual trick or treat story-walk. Put on your favorite costume, read a spooky Halloween story, and collect sweet treats as you walk the trail. then head over to Hudson Park for a bite from the food trucks and a scare from the fantastic haunted house. This event is free to the public.

 

Friday, October 25th

Debbie Roney Smith on

Justice on the Block Free Legal Help on Friday, October 25th from 1pm to 4pm at the Bay County Public Library located at 898 W. 11th St in Panama City. Attorneys will be on hand for no cost to you to talk about civil legal issues you are facing post Hurricane Michael. Topics may include: FEMA claims/Insurance/Title Clearing/Landlord-tenant issues/Contractor issues/and more.

~Be sure to take any documentation/paperwork related to your questions.

National Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day!

Debbie Roney Smith on

Today is National Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day(NCYVDT)! The third Monday in October encourages everyone to take time to organize their virtual desktop. The Personal Computer Museum in Brantford, Ontario in 2010 created this day.  A clean and organized space offers fewer frustrations. Everything is in a file and you know where to find it. Archive old files. Create shortcuts. This will help your computer run faster and help you find things more quickly. How can you observe NCYVDT? Neaten up your desktop by deleting unneeded items and sorting the rest into folders. If you are tech-savvy share your tips with others. Make sure your virus protection is up to date and run it! Delete unused icons. You can do this with your phone too!  Another really good reason to clean your virtual desktop is to mitigate the risk of visual hacking. Visual hacking is a low-tech threat compared to malware. According to a survey 91% of visual hacking attempts are successful and can happen very quickly.

Happy cleaning!

EVENTS/LOCATIONS CANCELLED

Debbie Roney Smith on

Be sure to check before heading out. Many events and locations have been cancelled, closed, or postponed for this weekend due to Tropical Storm Nestor. Below is a list of a few.

  • Chipola Area Habitat for Humanity closed Saturday at both the Chipley and Marianna location.
  • Panama City Beach Police Cops n kids events has been cancelled for this year.
  • The Lantern Fest at Crooked River Lighthouse has rescheduled and will be on Sunday, October 20th from 6pm to 10pm.
  • Panama City has rescheduled  the cemetery clean up day to Saturday, November 2nd at 8am.
  • The public Library will be closed at all locations on Saturday, October 19th, they plan to reopen on Monday, October 21.
  • The Gulf’s waters are closed to swimmers. Double red flags are being flown.
  • The event at the Grand Ridge Baptist Church is still going on rain or shine! FREE clothes for those in need.

Be safe out there!

October 20th~Race City Free for Bay County Residents

Debbie Roney Smith on

Local’s family fun day. October 20th from noon to 4pm. This day is about giving back to the community, saying thank you, and celebrating those who make #850Strong! Please don’t forgot to take a valid id or proof of residence showing you are a Bay County Resident. Anything with your name and address will work. This is currently open to Bay County only due to this being a small park and they wouldn’t be able to handle the volume of all those affected by Hurricane Michael. This is for Race City, Inc in Panama City Beach on Front Beach Road. A fun, free day of miniature golf, roller coasters, bumper cars, and more!

National Pasta Day

Debbie Roney Smith on

National Pasta Day, what kind of pasta are you going to eat today? National Pasta Day(NPD) is an unofficial holiday which is celebrated annually on October 17th. No one really knows who started NPD, most likely someone who really loved pasta or a pasta manafacturer. Pasta is one of the world’s most popular foods. Pasta facts: ~ The US makes over 4 billion pounds of pasta a year. ~ Italians eat 60 pounds of pasta per person per year. ~ Macaroni, penne and spaghetti are the most popular forms of pasta. ~ There are over 600 known pasta shapes. ~ Americans eat about 20 pounds of pasta per person per year.

Saturday, October 19th

Debbie Roney Smith on

Look below the photos for details. Yard sales, volunteer opportunity’s, and fun! Be sure to check the weather. Rain is in the forecast for many areas of the panhandle.

October 18th AND 19th starting at 8am. Yard sale at 4617 Meadowview Road in Marianna!
October 19th starting at 7am this yard sale will be located at 2371 6th Street in Alford. Men’s and woman’s clothes and shoes, potted plants, kitchen appliances, dishes, bathroom and bedroom stuff, drywall tools, and a hospital bed. Be sure to check it out.
October 19th from 9am till 3pm or until the clothes are gone. Save The Closet and Jaco Angels will be at 2093 Porter Ave in Grand Ridge to give Jackson County Residents the chance to get free warm clothes! They have TONS!!! Please spread the word. They have been collecting donations for weeks and will be here to help the community.
October 19th from 9am to 4pm The Panhandle Pioneer Settlement presents Pioneer Day and Goat Day! Free attractions and games for all ages, great live entertainment, arts, crafts, food, and games. This will be held at the Sam Atkins Park in Blountstown. Admission is $5 a person.
October 19th from 11am to 3pm at HOPE Project Inc located at 792 E Highway 20 in Youngstown. They are having this event to thank the local heroes who were there to help after Hurricane Michael. Everyone is welcome to go out.
Admission is free, entertainment starts at 10am at the Grounds of the Factory Stores of America Mall on Hwy 77 in Graceville. Harvest Day Festival will have a car show, bike ride, arts, crafts, and a parade!
Cemetery clean up from 8am to 1pm. Join the Panama City Cemetery Board to help clean up and beautify our cemeteries. Look on the photo for which cemeteries are participating. Don’t forget to take your gloves, rakes, and gas or hand powered tools. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. Please call 850-872-3199 for more information.
The cops and kids program promotes public safety and building positive relationships between kids and law enforcement while providing a family type atmosphere. Located at Frank Brown Park in Panama City Beach from 10am to 2pm.

Thursday, October 17th

Debbie Roney Smith on

A few helpful and fun events happening on Thursday.

6pm to 9pm on Thursday, October 17th at Gulf Coast Community College at the Student Union East in Panama City. The Florida Property & Casualty Insurance Fraud Task Force will be hosting a Fraud & Abuse help center for issues related to hurricane Michael. Go and meet with insurance, regulatory, and law enforcement professionals who will be available to assist you with issues related to fraud and abuse and the filing of complaints involving contractors, insurers, public adjusters to state and local law enforcement.
Olive Oil Tasting at Bespoken from 5pm to 7pm in Marianna. You can join them for a fun evening, as you learn about and sample the delicious creations from Green Gate Olive Grove. David and Sally from the grove with be there to share. Drop by for delicious food, refreshing drinks, store specials, and door prizes.

 

Grow your digital skills on Oct. 16th~preregister required

Debbie Roney Smith on

Jackson County Chambers of Commerce and Main Street Marianna invite you to learn how to grow your digital skills. 11:am to 12:15pm on Wednesday, October, 16, 2019 at the Historic Russ House.

The holiday season is right around the corner — is your local business ready to connect with customers during the busiest time of the year? Register today to attend a viewing party for the annual holiday livestream.

Join the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Marianna as they partner up with Google & Constant Contact to bring local businesses expert tips to reach customers using free business listings, online advertising, and email marketing plans.

Each participant will receive a Swag Bag from Google with Small Business Information and Giveaways. You do not have to be a member of the Chamber to attend. Come network, learn and grow! Lunch will be provided. This is a free event.

Register using this link: http://www.jacksoncounty.com/events/details/google-livestream-spruce-up-your-holiday-marketing-plan-3028

National No Bra Day

Debbie Roney Smith on

Today, October 13th is National No Bra Day. The day promotes breast cancer awareness. It encourages wearers to leave the bras at home! It’s also a day when people rally to raise much needed money for breast cancer research. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and National No Bra Day falls almost in the middle. Most kinds of breast cancer can be treated if caught early. The first defense is a monthly self-breast exam. Get yearly physicals with a breast check included. It is also recommended that anyone over the age of 40 get a monogram yearly.

In 2019, an estimated 268,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the US, along with 62,930 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer. About 2,670 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in men in 2019. 62% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed at a localized stage, for which the five-year survival rate is 99%.

A place to check for a free mammogram is the Florida Health Department of Jackson County. If you are low income with no health insurance and between the ages of 50-64 you can call them with questions at 850-245-4444.