Category: Events

JACKSON COUNTY BUSINESS SUPPORT GRANT PROGRAM

Debbie Roney Smith on
Opportunity Florida, on behalf of Jackson County, will be accepting grant applications from businesses that have been financially impacted by COVID-19. The funding for these grants has been awarded to the County through the CARES Act 2020 from the federal government via the State of Florida.
To qualify, your business must be:
1. A for-profit privately held business that was established on or before January 1, 2019
2. Must have a physical location in Jackson County, Florida
3. May be a business franchise that is locally owned (not a company-owned location facility).
4. Must have a demonstrated reduction in sales revenue of 5% or greater due to the loss of business income related to COVID-19
5. A small business as defined as employing 1-50 employees** may qualify for up to $20,000.
6. A regular business as defined as employing 50+ employees** may qualify for up to $10,000.
7. Can be a sole proprietorship-based business.
More details are included on the Business Grant Application, which may be obtained on the following websites: Jackson County (www.jacksoncountyfl.gov), Jackson County Chamber of Commerce (www.jacksoncounty.com), or Opportunity Florida (www.opportunityflorida.com) .
Applications may be submitted via email to info@opportunityflorida.com or in person at the Opportunity Florida office, 4636 Highway 90, Suite K, Marianna beginning last Monday, August 31, 2020 at 8 am CDT. Please note, all applications submitted in person must be in a sealed envelope.
Applications will be reviewed in the order that they are received, according to the completeness of the application submission package (the application will not be fully accepted until all necessary support items are included in the submission package). Applications will be accepted until the business category grant funds are exhausted or December 15, 2020, whichever comes first.
To learn more about the Jackson County CARES Act 2020 Business Support Grant, visit the websites or call Roy Baker at (850) 633-4119.
Opportunity Florida is a regional economic development organization that serves the ten counties that make up the Northwest Florida Rural Area of Opportunity (RAO). The counties include Holmes, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson, Liberty, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington.

Sept 1st~virtual lighthouse climb

Debbie Roney Smith on

If you’ve never participated in a Full Moon Climb at the Saint George Island Lighthouse and Museum, tonight is your chance. They are giving a full moon climb virtually on Facebook. Be sure to join them at 7:45 pm, tonight, September 1st. 

Virtual sunset/full moon climb – Tuesday, 9/1 from 7:45pm-8:15pm (weather permitting – if it’s not too cloudy or rainy) they’ll be going live from the top of the lighthouse for a virtual sunset/full moon climb. They hope you’ll join them on Facebook to view the Corn Moon. The September full moon in 2020 is called the Corn Moon because Native American tribes began harvesting their staple foods, such as corn, at this time. Full Moon names are attributable to native American tribes, most notably the Algonquin, who named the moons to mark the changing seasons.

Click this link to go to the FB page for them to watch it live! https://www.facebook.com/St.GeorgeIslandLighthouse

Laser Show

Debbie Roney Smith on
Cabin Fever Drive-in Laser Show! September 3rd, 4th and 5th 2020 to the Peanut Festival Fairgrounds in Dothan, Alabama!
Got Cabin Fever? Avoid the crowds, keep the family safe! Pile up into the safety of your own vehicle and head out for the fantastic Drive-in Cabin Fever Laser Show! 3 action packed mind blowing shows per night! The family friendly Laser Shows include the latest Musical hits, Mind Blowing lasers and fantastic Graphic Effects!
Make it a great romantic evening out or family friendly outing! This is an event for all ages! Tickets start at only $20 per car load! Get them before we sell out!
This is a Drive-in Laser Show intended to offer safety and social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19, they ask that you remain in or around your vehicle during the duration of the show. Tickets must be purchased in advance. They will not be taking cash or payment at the gate DUE TO COVID-19 precautions. Also take your own food and drinks since no vendors will be there.

Saturday August 22nd

Debbie Roney Smith on

Saturday August 22nd at 8am be sure to stop at this multi-family yard sale on Magnolia Road (down from Bear Paw). You can also stop by the Marianna Farmer’s Market from 8 to 11. Or possibly check and prepare for upcoming hurricanes. They have 2 TS forming and headed for the gulf this coming week. Did you know if they both turn into hurricanes it will be the first time 2 hurricanes were in the Gulf at the same time? Keep an eye out for Marco and Laura. If we had a hurricane come are you ready?   Be safe, have fun, and enjoy your weekend!

             

 

Jackson County COVID-19 testing now 7 days a week

Debbie Roney Smith on
The Florida Department of Emergency Management (DEM) has opened a COVID-19 testing location in Jackson County. The local County Health Department will be discontinuing their routinely scheduled testing.
This Marianna location will offer 7-day a week testing availability between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
-The site is in parking lot of the Dollar General located at 4264 Lafayette St in Marianna.
-Testing consists of a shallow nasal self-swab. This means the patient will swab their own nose under the supervision of the technician.
-No appointment is necessary
-There is no cost to the individual
-Individuals wishing to be tested must be age 18 or older.
-Negative results will be notified by the Florida Department of Health’s COVID-19 call center and positive results be notified by local County Health Department staff.

Open House schedule for Jackson County

Debbie Roney Smith on

Jackson County School District has released open house dates for the 2020-2021 school year. They strongly encourage everyone to wear masks to the open house and stay home if they are sick.

Once school is in session, August 24, the mandatory mask on buses and in class changes (6-12 for class changes) will be enforced.

Bay County Animal Shelter offering $25 adoptions August 15th

Debbie Roney Smith on

With the cheap prices for cats and dogs this weekend is the time to add a new family member! All animals from the shelter come vaccinated and checked for any underlying medical conditions.  All dogs that are old enough are heartworm tested. All cats are tested for feline leukemia or FIV,  and they’re all microchipped. So, when you go in and you pick an animal out, it’s ready to go!

With the Humane Society Of Bay County closed for the time being, officials say it’s even more important to get animals adopted so the shelter doesn’t fill up. The Bay County Animal Shelter is working to get as many animals into loving homes as quickly as they can.

The adoption event this Saturday will be at the Bay County Animal Shelter from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and all pets are $25.

ANIMAL & ADOPTION CENTER:                                                                                                                                             1600 Bay Avenue
Panama City, FL 32405
 Main Phone: (850) 215-7120
 Fax: (850) 215-0464

https://adoptme.org/

Jackson County birthday

Debbie Roney Smith on

Yesterday Jackson County celebrated it’s 198th birthday!

Jackson County was established in 1822 making it one of the oldest counties in the state. The County was named after Andrew Jackson, the 7th president of the United States. Marianna, the county seat, was founded by Scottish native, Robert Beveridge, and is still the home to the courthouse and other local governing organizations for the County.

Though thought of as a predominantly rural agricultural community, Jackson County is also known for its rich historical heritage and one-of-a-kind historical landmarks. People from all over the world travel to Jackson County to enjoy scuba diving in the natural spring water, touring the only walk-through cave tour in Florida, sightseeing the local “haunted” attractions, or to try to catch a glimpse of local endangered plant life and animals only found in our County.

 

Blue Springs Recreation Area open weekends only now

Debbie Roney Smith on

Blue Springs Recreation Area came to its seasonal end last Sunday, August. 9th.  Saturday, August 15th will be the next time it is open now that the brief weekends-only schedule starts. The Saturday and Sunday schedule continues until Labor Day, Monday, September 7th, with the park open that Monday to finish up the summer season of this year.

The park is expected to open on schedule next Memorial Day, with a lot of improvements to be completed during the traditional closed period of the year. While it’s closed this time around, crews will be temporarily drawing down the water six feet so that workers can complete the park’s new headwall. That work is expected to begin in October or November. Until it starts, the boat ramp at Hunter’s Fish Camp Road will stay open to the public although the swimming area will be closed. Once the headwall construction period begins, it will be closed as well until all the work is completed. The headwall will be made of landscape block and replaces the sandbag array that currently serves the purpose of establishing an end to the water in order to keep it from washing up and eroding the maintained area of the popular recreational area on Merritt’s Mill Pond. The headwall structure will also provide a safer entry-and-exit experience for swimmers. Additionally, the county is installing better steps for both side of the diving board platform, giving users more surface area on the approach, adding a wading area for the youngest children, and a redesign of some terraced area so that there will more flat space along the edge of the waterway.

The changes taking place this year will expand the recreational area’s fulfillment of American Disability Act standards, as well, with extra sidewalk rails installed nearer the water’s edge.

National Farmers Market Week & Market in DeFuniak Springs August 8th

Debbie Roney Smith on

From supporting healthy communities to stimulating local economies, farmers markets play an essential role in Main Street communities and commercial districts across the nation. The COVID 19 pandemic made it clear that local food systems with short supply chains are resilient and dependable in making food available to our community. Farmers’ markets promote community health by providing access to high-quality nutritious foods. Markets also contribute to the local economy. According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service’ 2015 Local Food Marketing Practices Survey, farmers’ markets contribute approximately $9 billion each year to the U.S. economy.

The week of August 2–8, 2020 was proclaimed by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue as National Farmers Market Week. For twenty-one years the USDA has supported local producers by encouraging Americans to shop their local farmers’ markets. Despite the challenges of this year, markets have continued to provide the community with access to locally produced agricultural products. Take this weekend as an opportunity to purchase goods from a local farmers’ market. 

DeFuniak Springs will be having a Farmer’s Market on Saturday, August 8 from 8am-11am. They will have a variety including… Watermelons, Squash/Zucchini, Potatoes, Milk, Goat Cheese, Baked Goods, Okra, Pears, Peaches, Free Range Eggs, Jams/Jellies