Are you looking to get vaccinated in order to protect yourself, your family, and your community? There is a COVID-19 vaccination bus traveling to public areas in the Panhandle area; view the image to the right for times, dates, and locations. You can also call for an appointment at the Calhoun (850-674-5645) or Liberty (850-643-2415) Health Department.
Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax
From May 28th to June 6th, Florida is having its Disaster Preparedness 2021 Sales Tax Holiday. You can save on self-powered light sources such as flashlights, coolers, ratchet straps, batteries, canned food, and more! Find a full list of qualifying items at FloridaRevenue.com/DisasterPrep.
Memorial Day
Today is Memorial Day! A federal holiday, it was declared to occur annually on the last Monday in May in order to give federal workers a three-day weekend. It’s been a cultural and social event since the 1860s and was previously known as Declaration Day. It is meant to honor and remember military personnel who lost their lives to war. Read more about Memorial Day HERE!
National Water a Flower Day
Today is National Water a Flower Day! Flowers are wonderful natural occurrences that have many beneficial properties. Humans use flowers for medicinal, therapeutic, and aesthetic reasons. Flowers, and by extension herbs, are used by scientists to help develop medicines and beauty products such as lotion. Studies have also shown that caring for plants and flowers can have a positive therapeutic effect on people.
Rember, the best time to water flowers is in the morning between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.; as the weather is cooler during this period, plants receive more water because there is less soil evaporation. Use today as an opportunity to celebrate the beautiful little creations by watering the flowers you have, planting some new ones, learning more about various flowers, or even by gifting someone you care about with some potted flowers in order to spread happiness.
Pensacola Grand Carnival Parade
Elaborate floats and outlandish costumes will lead the Florida-style pageantry for the annual parade which usually features more than 6,000 participants from Krewes, local organizations and marching bands.
The parade takes place on Palafox and Garden Streets in historic downtown Pensacola. The Parade starts at 2:00pm and continues until around 6:00pm.
Pensacola Grand Carnival Parade
May 29 @ 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Visit the official Pensacola Grand Carnival Parade website HERE to keep up-to-date with event information.
Marianna: Click it or Ticket
The Marianna Police Department wants to remind the community that Click or Ticket begins today and ends June 6th. There will be a crack-down on driving without a seatbelt; it is an event designed to get drivers to make buckling up an automatic habit. Everyone, regardless of age or seat in the car, should buckle their seat belt before the car begins moving. Seatbelts are designed to keep riders safe and secure inside the vehicle, reducing the harm caused by everything from fender benders to severe collisions. Did you know that 55% of individuals who died in nighttime vehicular accidents in 2019 were not wearing their seatbelts?
For more information on how seatbelts save lives, visit the CDC website HERE or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website HERE.
Martin’s Harvest Update
World Turtle Day
This special day is sponsored by American Tortoise Rescue, a nonprofit organization established in 1990. This is a special day for the state of Florida as it ranks as the most diverse turtle state in the United States. Additionally, it was one of the turtle diversity hot spots around the world. Visit the official World Turtle Day website HERE, and learn more about Florida Panhandle turtles HERE.
Biological Diversity
Today is the International Day for Biological Diversity! Biological diversity is the pillar upon which civilizations are built. 2021’s theme is “We’re part of the solution”. To read a more in-depth description of this international awareness day, visit the United Nations website HERE.
Raccoon Repellant
If you live in the rural areas of the Florida Panhandle and surrounding areas, you’ve likely had to deal with the determined, seemingly Houdini-like rascals that are raccoons. There are two easy, DIY recipes you can use to repeal curious raccoons from your home, porch, and other areas you’d rather keep wildlife-free.
- Mix together (1) bottle hot sauce or cayenne powder, (1) gallon of water, and (1) teaspoon of dish soap. Once mixed, add to a spray bottle and spray on the entire area that you would like to keep raccoons out of (ex. entire porch including doors, trash bins and their surrounding areas, etc.).
- Put apple cider vinegar into a bowl, then place a rag in the bowl. Place the bowl near where the raccoons are a problem/entering, and let the rag soak overnight.