World Day against Trafficking in Persons~July 30th

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Today is an international day of recognition for human trafficking crimes. The World Day against Trafficking in Persons is dedicated to bringing awareness to the horrific crime that is human abduction and trafficking. This is a global crime that targets and exploits women, men, and children for horrible purposes such as forced labor and sexual molestation. People may feel that this is the type of thing that only happens in specific areas or on TV crime shows or as a bad plot for action movies starring Liam Neeson – but the reality is much sadder and so horrific.

The Panhandle is not immune to human trafficking. In fact, just last November a Pensacola business owner named David C. Williams pleaded guilty to trafficking women to provide prostitution services out of his massage parlors (amongst other charges like money laundering). Additionally, the state of Florida is ranked SECOND in the country for highest number of human trafficking reports received by the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
If you are interested in learning more about how you can bring awareness on how to spot human trafficking, report it, and fight it in your life and community, please check out the local organization Called2Rescue located in Pensacola. This non-profit organization as founded by Brad Dennis in 2013 and was created to “educate, empower and mobilize an alliance of local churches and community partners to search for and rescue trafficked and exploited persons in our area.” Additionally, the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking is an excellent source of information and resources.

Concert ~ July 30th

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Thursday from 6 PM – 9 PM at Citizens Lodge Park  Main Street Marianna, City of Marianna City Hall and 3 others are hosting an End of Summer Concert in the park. The band Heyword will be playing from 7-9 pm. Papa G’s and The Ice Box will be there vending starting at 6 pm. Social distancing will be in practice as you join them to bring an end to the summer. 

July 31st at 6pm

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The Gathering is hosting a night of hope. Friday, July 31st at 6pm at Hope Park on 159 Bear Creek Road in Eastpoint. They will have free food, fellowship, worship, dance, and word.

National Blueberry Month

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July is national blueberry month. Blueberries are native to North America, and they are grown in 35 out of 50 states. North America supplies blueberries to 95% of the world. Currently, the four-week harvesting between late March and April can supple the whole United States.

Why are blueberries considered to be a superfood? Eating just a quarter cup of blueberries daily can make a significant impact on your health. Here are a few facts about blueberries.

  • Blueberries are rich in antioxidants. They have the highest antioxidant capacity compared to other fruits. The powerful antioxidants in blueberries improve the immune system and prevent infections such as urinary tract infections.
  • Blueberries can help reduce the risk of cancer. They contain anthocyanin that gives them the dark hue, which is known to attack free radicals that cause cancer in the body.
  • Blueberries can help with weight loss. They are low in fat and sodium and are low in calories, with just about 80 calories per cup, making them a healthy, low-calorie snack.
  • Blueberries are also rich in Vitamin C that promotes tissue growth and wound healing. They provide about 25% of the daily requirement for vitamin c in one serving
  • Rich in manganese that supports bone development and helps the body to process cholesterol and convert carbohydrates to energy.
  • Blueberries are an excellent source of dietary fiber, which reduces the risk of heart diseases and obesity since it adds bulk to your diet and keeps you full longer. Three servings of blueberry a week can help to fight heart diseases, memory loss, and indigestion.
  • Blueberries are excellent for the brain. They improve brain health and reduce the risk of memory loss.

Did you know that blueberries, packed with fiber and antioxidants, have also been linked to reduced arthritis pain, improved joint flexibility, and lower levels of inflammation? Also a  great tip for teething tots is to freeze a container of blueberries and put in a netted teether for instant relief!

County Commissioner forum online ~ July 27th

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The Jackson County NAACP will be hosting the County Commissioner forum via zoom on Monday, July 27th from 6 to 8pm. For more information you can call 850-696-0599. The zoom meeting id # is 857-4109-1214, the passcode is 263232, and is going to be livestreamed on Jackson County NAACP Facebook page. Read this flyer for more information.

Wild oyster harvest from Apalachicola Bay has been suspended for 5 years

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Did you know North Florida’s oyster fisheries dates back to the 1800s and at one point produced 90 percent of Florida’s oysters and 10 percent of the nation’s oysters?

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has unanimously approved a plan to suspend commercial and recreational harvest of wild oysters from Apalachicola Bay for five years. The rule will go into effect on Aug. 1. Under the new rule, on-the-water possession of wild oyster harvesting equipment, such as hand tongs, would also be prohibited through December 31, 2025.

The rules only apply to wild oysters and do not apply to oyster aquaculture operations. Staff will return for a final public hearing at the October Commission meeting. FWC’s large-scale restoration project will be ongoing on for five years and the largest portion of funding, nearly $17 million, will go directly toward forming 1,000 acres of oyster reef habitat.

 

State Road 73 north renamed as Governor Mixson Highway in 2014

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Six-term Florida legislator and former Lt. Gov. Wayne Mixson passed earlier this month at the age of 98.

Mixson had adopted Jackson County as his home ground as a young adult, when he’d moved here from his native Alabama home and embraced the local community as his own. He married a local girl with deep roots in Jackson County’s history. His bride was Margie Grace. The town of Graceville was named for her forebears. The two met when she was 14 and he was 19. He had graduated high school by then and was off to the Navy soon after. They kept up a courtship by correspondence for the endurance of his military term, which included service in World War II. They married in 1947, the year he graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in business. They moved to Campbellton, where they bought a small farm and eventually expanded it to some 2,000 acres focused on peanuts, grain and cattle.

His success in the political world began in 1967, when he was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives. Mixson had served a decade in the House when, in his sixth consecutive term there, gubernatorial candidate Bob Graham selected him as his running mate. The two would win that bid for office, and served together in their respective roles from Jan.1979 to Jan.1987. Mixson also served as Graham’s Secretary of Commerce. Mixson had also served a role in politics for President Jimmy Carter, appointed by him as a special ambassador to Ecuador in 1979.

And for three days that last year with Graham, Lt. Gov. Mixson stood in as governor when Graham necessarily stepped from that high office to be sworn in as a newly elected U.S. Senator. That three-day term of service as the transitional figure ahead of Bob Martinez taking office would assure him a place in the annals of history as the governor with the shortest term on record. And, 27 years later, it would also be further cemented in the formal renaming of a local road. In 2014, the Florida Senate designated State Road 73 north as Governor Mixson Highway. It stretches from Calhoun County and extends through Jackson County to U.S. 231 near the Florida-Alabama line. It’s known as Jefferson Street in Marianna, CR 167 in the unincorporated areas of Jackson County, and Florida calls it State Road 73.

The gesture was meant to recognize Mixson’s career-long advocacy of the farm community by naming a designated farm-to-market artery in his honor. Once he moved to Florida, Mixson put his hand and mind to work for his adopted state and he has often been referred to as Florida’s “favorite son.”

“I had no idea it was being proposed until it happened. It was a real thrill. They picked the right road, if they were going to name one after me. I think the system of farm-to-market roads is so important. I reckon that to be equivalent to the advance of electricity because these are the roads that connect producers to the markets in town.”
Mixson was here for that 2014 road-naming ceremony, and spoke briefly, saying he was honored by it. “They must have known all about me and where I lived,” Mixson said at the time in an interview with the Floridan. “I took that road many many times, going to the farm, going fishing, and going to the beach. If I left the house, I was going to be on that road pretty soon. I appreciated the thought,” he said of the plan to name the road after him. “It just fit so well,” he said in 2014. “If they were going to name anything for me, it ought to have something to do with bringing agriculture out of the dark ages. I’m old enough to have plowed mules in Coffee County (Alabama), but I joined the mechanized age as soon as I could.”

Mixson also said at that time that he was the only “true dirt farmer” in the legislature during his six-year term. His roots in agriculture and his childhood years in the pre-WWII Depression would inform and serve him well during those years.

Mixson also mentored nephew Jason Shoaf, sharing his wisdom in the political arena. Shoaf is currently a seated state District 7 Representative from Port St. Joe and serves Calhoun, Franklin, Gulf, Jefferson, Lafayette, Madison, Taylor, parts of Leon and Wakulla counties.

Masks requirements and where to buy them

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~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.