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on Free COVID-19 testing today, Monday, July 6th from 9am to 3pm at 111 Lake Alice Park Drive in Wewahitchka. Symptoms are not required for testing and this is a drive thru testing site that is asking you to please stay in your vehicle. For more information please call 850-227-1276.
on July is National Ice Cream Month, and you have Kentucky to thank! In 1984, Senator Walter Dee Huddleston of Kentucky introduced a resolution to proclaim the month of July 1984 National Ice Cream Month and the 15th of that month National Ice Cream Day. Ronald Reagan signed the bill into law the same year, and the rest is history! Even though the bill only specified that July 1984 was National Ice Cream Month, the tradition carries on—much to our pleasure.
The first true Ice Cream was said to be introduced by Catherine de’ Medici in the 16th century. So impressed was Charles I of England (one hundred years after this introduction) that he paid to keep the formula secret, making ice cream a royal prerogative, utterly unobtainable by the common man. The first recorded recipes didn’t exist until the 18th century.
Ice Cream Month has only one appropriate celebration, gorge yourself on Ice Cream at every opportunity! Ok, ok, moderation is necessary even during Ice Cream Month, but there are a bunch of different ways you can enjoy this delicious treat. It goes great with a warm apple pie, and nothing compliments a brownie better than vanilla ice cream. Maybe you prefer a nice scoop of strawberry doused in caramel topping, or that most amazing of all ice cream treats, the Ice Cream Taco! You can even take the time to make your own ice cream during Ice Cream Month and enjoy the fruits of your labor on a hot summer evening! And to celebrate and to provide a little pick-me-up, Blue Bell ice cream has brought back a fan favorite, Milk & Cookies Ice Cream!
on The Fourth of July—also known as Independence Day or July 4th—has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution. On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 to the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues.
John Adams believed that July 2nd was the correct date on which to celebrate the birth of American independence, and would reportedly turn down invitations to appear at July 4th events in protest. Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826—the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
A few things about the 4th you may not know: ~The Declaration of Independence was not signed on July 4, 1776. That’s actually the day it was formally adopted by the Continental Congress, but it wasn’t signed by most signatories until August. ~Americans typically eat 150 million hot dogs on Independence Day, “enough to stretch from D.C. to L.A. more than five times,” according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. ~Massachusetts became the first state to make the 4th of July an official state holiday in 1781. ~The famed Macy’s fireworks show in New York City uses more than 75,000 fireworks shells and costs about $6 million. ~Small towns in the U.S. typically spend between $8,000 and $15,000 on their fireworks displays. ~John Hancock has the largest signature on the Declaration of Independence.
Did you know more pets gets lost on July 4th then any other day of the year? Here are a few ideas to keep your pets safe. Many dogs get scared when they hear fireworks. ~Be sure your dog has a visible and up to date id tag. ~Take a current photo of your pet just in case they get lost and you need a current photo. ~You can leave music or a TV on to distract your dog from the noise of the fireworks.
on What are you doing this Sunday? If it doesn’t rain maybe you could consider going to help Keep PCB Beautiful who will be hosting a special beach cleanup this weekend. The public is invited to join the organization at Beach Access 5 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sunday, July 5th for its 3rd Annual Robbie Atchinson Memorial Beach Cleanup.This cleanup is at beach access 5 just west of Schooners. Parking available in Schooners overflow lot or lot on Thomas Drive. Look for the beach cleanup parking signs. They will have lots of giveaways. Officials with Keep PCB Beautiful say they chose the Sunday after July 4 because they felt it would do the most good after the major holiday. Buckets, pickers, and water stations to fill up reusable water bottles will be available. Keep PCB Beautiful will also have plastic gloves available for those that want them and will sanitize supplies before and after the event.
40 volunteers picked up 200 pounds of trash at last year’s event!
Keep PCB Beautiful is a group of locals working to keep PCB clean from the beach to the street. We are working to inspire individuals and businesses to improve the community and the natural environment. We are affiliated with Keep America Beautiful and Keep Florida Beautiful to accomplish our goals. Keep PCB Beautiful was a vision of 12 people who came together because of a passion for the beauty of the Gulf of Mexico and the beautiful beaches of Panama City Beach Florida. For more information about them click this link: https://www.keeppcbbeautiful.org/
on This new freestanding emergency room will be a new choice for your emergent needs in Bay County and the surrounding communities. It will provide the top quality medical services you have come to know through our Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center facilities. Panama City ER is a full-service emergency department featuring 11 private rooms and is located at 3711 U.S. Highway 231 near Transmitter Rd. They opened just this week on June 29th. Telephone: (850) 769-8341 Website :https://gcmc-pc.com/service/panama-city-er
Panama City ER will feature:
State-of-the-art emergency department open 24/7
Adult/pediatric emergency care
Staffed by physicians specializing in emergency medicine on-site
Emergency-trained nurses
11 private exam rooms
Designated cardiac/respiratory resuscitation room
Diagnostic imaging on-site, including CT scanner, ultrasound, and x-ray
Laboratory services on-site
on This isn’t a complete list but here are a few places, times, and dates fireworks are still scheduled even with COVID-19 still closing a lot of places down. Please don’t go if you are sick, stay 6 to 12 feet away from others, and wash hands often. Please consider wearing a mask to protect others.
~Marianna will celebrate the Fourth of July on July 3. The City of Marianna and Main Street Marianna are hosting the 10th Annual Fireworks Celebration. This year’s event will be at the MERE Complex on Caverns Road. Everyone can view the show from their cars and will be asked to remain in their cars for the duration of the event. The firework show will begin at 9 p.m
~The City of Slocomb invites everyone to an Independence Fireworks Celebration at the Slocomb Recreation Park on Saturday, July 4th . There will be a DJ from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. and a fireworks display to finish the evening celebration. This will be a FREE ADMISSION show. Enjoy from your vehicle, chairs, or blanket. Social distancing will be observed.
~Geneva will host a Fourth of July celebration beginning at 4 p.m. on July 4. A car parade and car show will begin at 4 p.m. Fireworks will start at 8 p.m. There will be food and vendors. The event is being held at Robert Fowler Park.
~Dothan will celebrate Fireworks at the Fairgrounds on July 4th. The event will be at the National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds. Gates open at 7 p.m. Fireworks display will begin at 9 p.m. $10 parking benefits the Wiregrass United Way. This is a parking lot only event this year.
~Fort Rucker celebrates America’s birthday with the July 4 Celebration and Home Town Parade! This year’s celebration will include a parade through the housing areas July 4 at 5 p.m. and will finish up at 9 p.m. with a fireworks display reminiscent of past Freedom Fests. Due to the pandemic, this year’s event is open to Department of Defense ID card holders only. There will be judging will be based on the following categories: Most Patriotic Float • Top Military Family Float • Best Small Float• Best Large Float • Community Spirit Float.
~Headland will be hosting its Annual Fireworks Event at 8:30pm at Douglas Park on July 4th. Please, remember to social distance yourself from other event goers and feel free to wear a mask.
~July 4th Celebration at 4C BBQ located at 1045 US Highway 331 S, DeFuniak Springs. 7 to 10pm
~Mexico City July 4th. Read the attached photo for all details about this location.
on Marianna City Manager Jim Dean has appointed William Michael Hall Jr. as the Marianna Fire Department’s (MFR) new Fire Chief. Fire Chief Hall began his new role as the leader of the department on June 22. The appointment follows the departure of Nakeya Lovett, who had served as fire chief since 2012.
Michael Hall was formerly a fire protection specialist with the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office prior to his appointment. Hall began his fire service career in 2011 as a firefighter at Marianna Fire Department. He is a Jackson County native and graduated from Cottondale High School in 2009. Hall attended Chipola College, where he earned an associate degree (2010), firefighter I and II certification, EMT certification, law enforcement certification, and several others. He also attended Florida State Fire College, where he took multiple advanced fire courses. Hall holds state and national certifications as a firefighter, EMT, fire inspector, fire officer, plans examiner, and more. He is also a member of the Florida Fire Marshals and Inspectors Association and Florida Fire Chiefs Association.
Hall will lead 23 members of Marianna Fire Department, which consists of six auxiliary firefighters, six firefighters, five driver/operators, three captains, one fire marshal/training officer, one administrative assistant, and the chief, operating out of two stations.
on The “Leave No Trace” ordinance created several years ago was meant to keep the beaches clean, but this summer It’s taken on a new meaning. This year‘s “Leave No Trace” brochure was revealed at Tuesday’s Bay County Tourist Development Council meeting on June 9th. As in year’s past, it includes the beach flag warning system and reminds visitors to remove personal items off the sand at night, but this year’s brochure also has an entire side devoted to COVID-19. It reminds visitors of important things like social distancing and keeping hand sanitizer with them. The brochures will be given to beach goers by beach ambassadors, but there’s also talk of placing them in hotel and motel guest rooms.
The Leave No Trace ordinance in Panama City Beach prohibits tents and personal property on the beach at night and anything left unattended will be removed by authorities. Nightly patrols have started to make sure people are not leaving their items unattended. Panama City Beach mayor Mark Sheldon said items will be thrown away if they are left on the beach. “Leave No Trace is a very important thing on Panama City Beach, it’s the way that we can make sure our beaches get cleaned every night, it’s the way that we can rake the beaches for the next day, we have that ordinance out there, in place to make sure we have the prettiest beaches in northwest Florida,” said Mayor Sheldon. Authorities will be patrolling the beach from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and this is currently in effect and active year-round.
on What are you doing tonight? If you have nothing planned this sounds like fun. Free event! Join Agape Ballet & Performing Arts for there annual Dance in the Park! Bring your lawn chairs & blankets and enjoy a beautiful sunset performance by the Agape Ballet dancers. Starts at 7pm at the Citizens Lodge Park in Marianna, located at 4574 Lodge Drive. Scheduled to last till 8:30pm.
on Second Harvest of the Big Bend will be back to distribute free food to feed Gulf County families in need on Saturday, June 27, 2020, at 10 am CST. The distribution location is Carter Temple Church at 308 Williamsburg Ave in Wewahitchka. Volunteers are needed beginning at 9:00 am to help feed as many families as possible. Can you help? Volunteers are asked to bring their own face mask and gloves if possible. Sign up to Volunteer at https://www.mobilize.us/gulfcountydems/event/279208/2.
Also on Saturday, June 27th is Melons in the Park. From 7am to 12pm at Madison Street Park in Marianna. First 100 people will recieve a free insulated grocery bag from Farm Credit. Read the flyer below for more information.
