Humane Society of Bay County

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The Humane Society of Bay County is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization formed in 1986 for the purpose of sheltering and locating homes for homeless animals through adoptions. They became a no-kill shelter in 2006, providing the only no-kill shelter option for homeless animals in Bay County. The shelter is currently open, by appointment only. All services are available; adoption, low-cost shots, nail trims, community food bank, microchipping, boarding, owner surrender.

The Humane Society of Bay County is asking the community to donate so they can continue to serve animals. Due to the cancellation of major HSBC fundraisers and community events, as well as some services, they are feeling a financial impact. They are asking you to make a donation if you are able in order to allow HSBC to continue its life-saving work. Another way to help the shelter is to adopt an animal. Right now they are running adoptions by appointment only. Information on animals up for adoption can be found at adoptme.org.

Located at 1600 Bay Avenue in Panama City Main Phone: (850) 215-7120  Fax: (850) 215-7642. Current hours are: Tuesday – Friday 11:00 am- 5:00 pm Saturday & Sunday 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Parramore Too Resturant in Blountstown

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Congratulations to Parramore Too Restaurant on being named #5 on the South’s Best 2020 catfish restaurants in the April issue of Southern Living Magazine. Here is what Sothern Living wrote in the article titled The South’s Best Catfish Joints 2020  “5. Parramore Too Restaurant (Blountstown, Florida) Don’t let the nondescript exterior fool you, say patrons. The catfish fingers (and enormous portions that guarantee leftovers) more than make up for it. Lunch specials change daily and are posted on their Facebook page. Be sure to bring cash—they don’t take cards.
facebook.com/parramore-too-restaurant, 850-674-3400, 16438 SW Chipola Road, Blountstown, FL 32424”

Parramore Too Restaurant is an American dining restaurant with warm family atmosphere, excellent food prepared and served by friendly employees who care. Temporary hours due to COVID-19 are:.
Monday-Closed
Tuesday-10am-8pm
Wed-4pm-8pm
Thurs-10am-8pm
Friday- 10:30am-9pm
Saturday-4pm-9pm

Social distancing while boating

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Social distancing is still encouraged. As the days are getting hotter many are going to want to go out on the water. Here are a few ways to practice social distancing while having fun on the boat!

~Only boat with those in your immediate household ~No beaching your boat right next to someone else ~No rafting up ~ Maintain your distance while fueling ~Go right from your house to your boat and back ~And no guests on your boat.

 

GADSDEN COUNTY~call center about COVID-19

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Emergency officials in Gadsden County are setting up a new call center to answer questions about the coronavirus. Local emergency personnel say positive COVID-19 cases in Gadsden County nearly doubled in one day this past week. Now they’re hoping that putting these initiatives in place early can help slow the spread. Gadsden County officials say they’ve been receiving a lot of calls from people with questions or concerns as the number of cases rises. The emergency call center is a partnership with the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office, Emergency Management and the Florida Department of Health in Gadsden County. Members of each department will be available to answer questions specifically related to the coronavirus.
Major Shawn Wood says they want county officials to be accessible and to provide the community with needed information, and this resource is just another preventative maintenance measure to keep numbers low.

Emergency officials say the community has been receptive of prevention, like with social distancing. They’re asking the community to continue to do so to help keep those numbers down.

The call center with be open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. It can be reached by calling (850)743-6070.

National Lineman Appreciation Day~April 18th

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April 18 has been designated as National Lineman Appreciation Day. If the power is on where you are reading this article, you likely have a lineman to thank. From the power plant, the grid crisscrossing the country both above and underground and right up to the meters on our homes, these men and women build and maintain the system that keeps our nation running. Regardless of the source, the electricity has to be transported by employing transformers and other equipment. Due to the dangerous conditions power poses, safety is of utmost importance for both the lineman and the consumer. When mother nature destroys what our linemen have built up, they are on call to build it back up again as quickly as possible. These men and women work tirelessly to get emergency systems back in working order and urgently return service to remaining areas. Even when there is no crisis, they work under dangerous conditions on a daily basis. Whether they are working in trenches, near water or on high towers, the risks are extreme. Today, be sure to thank a lineman. You can post it on social media or go to your power companies FB page and post a thank you there. You can also mail a thank you card to a power company. This day was first recognized on April 10, 2013.

Snake information~Be safe

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Today’s forecast is sunny and warm, with a chance of…snakes. Spring in North Florida is when local serpents become active. Florida is home to 44 species of native snakes but only 6 of them are venomous. The vast majority of snakes you would find around your home are harmless. Snakes don’t do well with people so most neighborhoods have very little chance of having snakes.

A few ways to snake proof your home are ~keep grass mowed, ~store firewood on a rack, not the ground, ~keep brush and wood piles away from the house, ~keep shrubs and tree branches trimmed, ~seal gaps under doors (some snakes can enter through a hole as small as a pencil), ~and snakes can come in through pet doors, by themselves or by your pet, ~rodents attract snakes so call a pest company if you see any.

Stay safe~

This US Government Snake Bite Kit was donated in 2010 by Jim Donohue of Tallahassee, and contained all the items needed to treat snakebite (except the tourniquet) according to the best practices of that day. It is displayed in the Medical Exhibit at Camp Gordon Johnston Museum, between the Infirmary and the Barracks. No snakes are included in the exhibit.

 

Calhoun County

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Did you know at one time Calhoun County extended all the way to the Gulf of Mexico? In 1913 part of the county was transferred to Bay County and in 1925 the southern part of Calhoun County was separated as Gulf County. The Census in 2010 showed Calhoun County to be the 5th-least populous county in Florida. It’s county seat is in Blountstown. It was named for the South Carolina Senator John C. Calhoun and it covers 574 square miles with only 7 square miles of that being water. Calhoun County was created in 1838. Calhoun County has 2 high schools. One in Altha and the other in Blountstown. Calhoun County is not served by any US Highways or Interstates. They do have an airport in Calhoun County located 5 miles northwest of Blountstown.

A few places to visit while in Calhoun County is on Hwy 20 just outside the Sheriffs office you will find the only Florida Historic Marker that is in 2 languages, English and Apalachicola. The marker tells the story of the Apalachicola Creek Indians who in 1815 permanently settled in Calhoun County. Also M&B Railroad Memorial Park. There you can see a locomotive that was built in 1911. Blountstown Greenway, Panhandle Pioneer Settlement, and A River Runs through it (Chipola River Outfitters) are on the list of places to visit as well.

Calhoun County offers plenty of elbow room and encourages you to just go with the flow. So if you have time, check out the County for a relaxing day.

Calhoun County in 1910

Census

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It is not to late to take the Census. It’s quick and easy. The 2020 Census questionnaire will take about 10 minutes to complete. It’s safe, secure, and confidential. Your information and privacy are protected. Your response helps to direct billions of dollars in federal funds to local communities for schools, roads, and other public services. Results from the 2020 Census will be used to determine the number of seats each state has in Congress and your political representation at all levels of government. You are required by law to respond to the 2020 Census. The goal of the census is to count every person living in the United States, once, only once and in the right place. Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution mandates that this population and housing count occur every 10 years. Census data guide how more than $675 billion of federal funding is distributed to states and communities each year. The 2020 Census questionnaire should be completed by the person who owns or rents the living quarters or any other person who is at least 15 years of age with knowledge of the household.

You should have received a census form(or several) in the mail. On that is your personal id number for the address which you lived in on April 1, 2020. You can fill out the paper form or click on this link to do it online.

https://my2020census.gov/

Vote~April 14th

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April 14th is Municipal Election Day. Registered voters in Graceville, Grand Ridge, Malone, Marianna and Sneads are eligible to vote in their town election at each city hall. Mail-in ballots have been distributed for those who choose to vote by mail but the polls will be open at City Hall from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Kim Applewhite said every precaution has been put in place in light of COVID-19. Voters will enter one at a time and after each voter leaves, the area, including the writing utensil will be disinfected. There are about 950 registered voters in District 2 which is the district where there is an election. Please remember to wear a mask, stay at least 6 to 10 feet away from everyone, and go alone if possible to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

The Jackson County Times will be covering the elections via teleconference and internet and will report results as they are available Tuesday evening.

Washing machines and dryers use 10% of home’s electricity

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Laundry is a fact of life, and in addition to your effort, it requires resources to get all those clothes clean and dry. In electricity alone—to say nothing of water—Americans used 10 billion kilowatt-hours washing laundry at home last year, and 60 billion kilowatt-hours drying it. Did you know around 10% of a home’s total electricity use goes to washing and drying clothes? Over the past two decades, increasingly tough federal regulations have required manufacturers to make washers that use significantly less energy and water. Improvements in efficiency include increasing the tub’s spin speed to extract more water from laundry, which in turn cuts the time required by the dryer. Heat-pump dryers are the most energy-efficient option. A heat-pump dryer extracts heat from a room’s air and uses it to heat the air in the dryer. A conventional electric dryer relies on a heating element. Some dryers use both technologies and are known as hybrids. Energy Star says heat-pump dryers use 20 to 60 percent less energy than conventional dryers. But heat-pump dryers are expensive—and slow!

Here are some ways to help reduce your electricity when washing and drying laundry.

Washing Machines: ~ Opt for cold water when you can ~ Increase the spin speed ~ Use high efficiency (HE) detergent ~ Avoid the sanitary cycle Dryers: ~ Clean the lint screen ~ Clean the dryer duct regularly ~ Try line-drying ~ Use the automatic cycle instead of timed drying ~ Dry similar items together.