1st Solar Plant in Jackson County

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Gulf Power opened its first-ever owned and operated solar facility in Jacob City in Jackson County. Gulf Power says the new center is bringing them closer to making Northwest Florida a leader in cleaner energy. Last spring, Gulf Power began construction on the Blue Indigo Solar Energy Center. One year later, and the center is already harvesting emissions-free energy for customers across the panhandle. The Blue Indigo Solar Energy Center sits on more than 600 acres of former agricultural land south of State Highway 162, more commonly known as Jacob Road. The solar energy center would produce 74.5 megawatts of energy. That’s enough to power 15,000 homes annually. The solar panels will not damage the soil. This alleviates the concern that once the panels are there, the farm land would not be usable. The farm land would not be harmed in any way. The site is also completely unmanned; requiring no maintenance from the county or local municipalities.

May 4th

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May the Fourth be with you each year on National Star Wars Day. Or is it, “May the force be with you?” It all depends on whether you like using puns or not. Star Wars fans didn’t first introduce the often quoted phrase on May 4th. It was 1979, and Britain elected the first female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. On May 4th, the day she took office, the Conservative Party placed an advertisement in The London Evening News, which read, “May the Fourth Be with You, Maggie. Congratulations.” Star Wars creator, George Lucas, was asked during a 2005 interview on a German news TV channel to say the famous sentence “May the Force Be with You.” Upon doing so, the interpreter interpreted the sentence into German as Am4 Mai sind wir bei Ihnen (On May 4 we are with you). TV Total captured this and aired it on May 18, 2005. National Star Wars Day was first organized in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the Toronto Underground Cinema in 2011. Produced by Sean Ward and Alice Quinn, festivities included an Original Trilogy Trivia Game Show, a costume contest, and the web’s best tribute films, mash-ups, parodies, and remixes on the big screen. May 4th was chosen because of the play on words.

Charles Almanzo Babcock, Oil City, Pennsylvania Superintendent of Schools, established the first Bird Day in 1894. It was also the first holiday in the United States dedicated to the celebration of birds. Babcock founded the day, observed annually on May 4th, to advance bird conservation as a moral value.We honor our feathered friends on several holidays called Bird Day in the United States. The day celebrates birds of all kinds across North America. With over 2,000 species of birds in North America, birdwatchers and nature lovers alike will appreciate the beauty and variety of these winged friends offer. From songbirds to waterfowl and domesticated birds, they come in every color of plumage and wingspan. During the spring, migrating birds move to their summer nesting grounds. It’s an excellent time for those new to birdwatching to learn to identify birds by species. Enthusiasts also know that birds will migrate through backyards and stop for a rest, a bite to eat, and a drink if the right habitat is provided. They stand prepared by their windows with binoculars and watch as new visitors arrive daily. Whether it’s an oriole, a tree swallow, the ruby-throated hummingbird, or an American Finch, you’ll want to make sure you’ve prepared food, natural habitat and water sources for your guests. However, it’s not just the passersby that get birdists excited. It’s the long term residents and those of the greater outdoors. Year after year they watch robins collect their nesting material or chickadees caring for their brood. They wander through nature preserves seeking a glimpse of a varied thrush or a prairie warbler. When they do, they are often graced with a privileged view of a bald eagle soaring above them.

 

New snake species named after Harry Potter character

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There may be nothing about it that says “magic” or “witchcraft,” but a newly discovered snake species has still been named after a character from the Harry Potter series.

Scientists in India decided to call the green pit viper “Trimeresurus Salazar.” The name is an ode to Salazar Slytherin, one of the founders of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft, which is where Potter and his pals mastered their wizardry skills. Slytherin is known, among other things, for his ability to talk to snakes.

The scientists’ findings have been published in the journal “Zoosystematics and Evolution.”

MAY

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Celebrate the gorgeous month of May! The Sun is warming, the birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, and the garden is growing. May acts as the bridge between spring and summer, hinting at warmer weather for those still stuck in spring’s grasp, while heating things up for those already well on their way. In May, enjoy new life by attracting hummingbirds and butterflies to your garden!

A few holidays/national days that are in May are: Mother’s Day, World Naked Gardening Day, Memorial Day, Cinco De Mayo, National Blueberry Cheesecake Day, and it is Cystic Fibrosis Awareness month.

Some Astonishing Misconceptions about May: ➤ Some people believed that if you got up on May 1st and washed your face in the May dew, it would remove all freckles and pimples, giving you a great complexion. ➤ Another belief was that babies born in May would be sick all through their childhood, and cats born in May wouldn’t catch rodents but rather bring home snakes. ➤ According to an old Cornish superstition, it was unlucky to buy a new broom in this month. And so was washing a blanket!

The month was named after the Greek Goddess of Fertility, Maia, who oversaw the growth of plants. No month other than May ever begins or ends on the same day of the week, in the same year. May is the month of Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, and spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
The birthstone is emerald, which signifies love and success. The birth flower is the Lily of the Valley.

Oh! fragrant is the breath of May
In tranquil garden closes,
And soft yet regal is her sway
Among the springtide roses.
—William Hamilton hayne, American poet (1856–1929)

Farmer’s Markets~May 2nd

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Farmer’s Markets in the Panhandle are starting to open back up. Be sure to check your area before heading out. Here are two that have advertised to be open this Saturday. May 2nd. Remember to please keep social distancing. 6 to 12 feet apart. Cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough, and please stay home if you are sick.

The market opens at 9 a.m. and was scheduled till 1 p.m., but by noon, last week most of the products had sold out. So head out to Miramar early.
At the Madison Street Park in Marianna on Saturday’s from to 8am to noon.

Mockingbird~State bird

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Spring is upon us, and the bird calls have only just begun. Did you know that Florida’s state bird is the mockingbird? Mockingbirds were chosen as the official state bird in 1927, the same year Texas declared mockingbirds their official bird too! Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi also chose the mockingbird as their state bird, although later than Florida. Mockingbirds are arboreal songbirds; arboreal simply refers to a bird that nests on tree branches and seldom comes to the ground for foraging purposes. Mockingbirds have extraordinary vocal abilities – they can sing up to 200 songs, including the songs of other birds and can also mimic (or mock) insect, amphibian, and mechanical sounds.

Mayor Pamn Henderson re-elected in Callaway

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Callaway voters re-elected Pamn Henderson as mayor last Tuesday. Henderson has been the Mayor of Callaway since 2017, and serves on several boards within the county. This was the first time she ran against other candidates for the position, running against Carl Sauls and Chip Singleton.
Mayor Henderson was appointed three years ago when the former mayor stepped down. Henderson then officially won the seat in April 2018 after running unopposed. Henderson won the election on Tuesday with over half the votes.

During her two-year term, she served as the city’s leader during Hurricane Michael. Henderson says she’s still working to help the city recover from the storm including clearing debris, securing roughly $12 million in grant money for several projects, and bringing more housing to the area. Within the next couple of years they are going to have 2,100 new housing units: homes, townhomes and apartments. In her new term, she and the city will take on a new challenge: preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Ikea Meatball Recipe

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Ikea has released it’s famous Swedish meatballs recipe. This serves 4 and is pretty simple to make. Calls for a lot of ingredients but they are easily listed below for you. For the step by step instructions refer to the photo. It even has photos with each step! Happy cooking!

Ingredients for meatballs and cream sauce

  1. 500g beef
  2. 350g pork
  3. 1 onion finely chopped
  4. 1 clove of garlic (crushed or minced)
  5. 100g breadcrumbs
  6. 1 egg
  7. 5 tablespoons of whole milk
  8. generous salt and pepper
  9. ABOVE is meatballs and BELOW is for the cream sauce
  10. dash of oil
  11. 40g butter
  12. 40g plain flour
  13. 150ml vegetable stock
  14. 150ml beef stock
  15. 150ml thick double cream
  16. 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  17. 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Free pet food for those in need

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St. Joseph Bay Humane Society was launched in 1998 and is a No-Kill Animal Shelter located in Port St. Joe and serves all of Gulf County & Mexico Beach . They are dedicated to serving the abandoned and unwanted pets of our community. They provide enrichment and veterinary care to every animal in their care. SJBHS pets have been placed all over the United States and they are proud to partner with numerous animal rescue groups to ensure every pet has a home.

Their COMMUNITY PET FOOD BANK is up and running! On Tues – Sat 10:00-3:00 EST. Stop by the shelter to pick up dog or cat food if you are in need! No paperwork or calling ahead required. It is all on the honor system and just take what you need. The food bank and shelter are located at 1007 10th St. in Port St. Joe, in between the Thrift Hut and the shelter.

For more information call them at (850) 227-1103 or check them out on FB or click on this link.

https://www.sjbhumanesociety.org