March 2023 | Page 16 of 28 | 30A Breaking News

General News March 9, 2023

Book Review: Rebel Keto By Heather Strickland

Review by Jack Smith As Gloria Steinem once quipped, “The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.” This book has your back and offers an all-new sustainable approach to weight loss while exposing the lies of the past three decades. This book is fun, easy to read, and also very liberating. This is the true story of how the author lost weight and kept it off. Heather Strickland lives in Rosemary Beach. She woke up at thirty-five and found herself grossly overweight. She tried most of the trendy diets, but totally failed. Not one to give up without a fight, a diet rebel was born. Heather took matters into her own hands, did uncountable hours of research, and finally resorted to common sense and self-testing. Using her newly developed plan she lost 140 lbs., and to this day has kept it off (and it’s been over six years). When writing this book, she thought of all of the boring-ass diet books and decided to take a lighter path. Have you ever tried to read a diet book? They just straight-up stink (sorry, not sorry). America has an obesity epidemic on its hands and according to Heather, it got there by following the Standard American Diet. Today over 40% of adults are obese, as are 20% of children. “Where is the outrage?” In this book, Heather calls BS on many of these weight loss lies of the past forty years. Will this diet be easy? Hell... Read More

General News March 9, 2023

Why Your Thyroid Medication May Not Be Working for You

By Dr. Richard Chern, MD Today I’d like to talk about Levothyroxine or Synthroid. This is likely the most commonly prescribed thyroid medication in the world but this is slowly changing. This article may be a bit difficult to follow so don’t feel bad if you have to read it several times before it all clicks. I usually spend about an hour educating patients about the thyroid with white board drawings too so 500 words may not be enough to get the full picture. Thyroxine (T3) is the hormone that drives every metabolic process in our body, so of course, it’s extremely important. It turns all the factories in the body on, which then burns more fuel, which means thicker hair, less brain fog, not feeling cold all the time, and maintaining proper weight. We can get T3 two different ways. We can make it in the thyroid or we can convert T4 into T3. The thyroid is told when to make T3 and T4 by the brain. The brain secretes Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) which tells the thyroid to make T3 and T4. To make sure we don’t make too much T4 tells the brain to stop making TSH. This is where Levothyroxine can be a problem. As we get older the body slowly loses its ability to convert T4 into T3. That means the only way we can get T3 is from the T3 produced by the thyroid and not T4 being converted into T3. This is often... Read More

General News March 9, 2023

The Synergy Between Art & Music in Port St. Joe March 3

Laughing Penguin Publicity, along with L’il House Songwriting Workshops of Nashville, is hosting a truly unique benefit event for The Joe Center for the Arts on Friday March 3. A limited number of invited fine artists will create original works of art onsite, inspired by the music of 3 award-winning and Grammy-nominated Nashville singer/songwriters this live concert event. Attendees will watch the creation of art while listening to the music of our special guest songwriters for The Synergy Between Art & Music. Donna Ulisse, Jerry Salley and Rick Stanley will be in town to present the inaugural Words on the Water Songwriting Workshop and while here will perform at this special event. [Individual songwriter pics available by request.] At the end of the evening, a silent auction will allow attendees to own the pieces created before their eyes. NOTE: All winning bids of $250 or less will benefit The Joe at 100%. All winning bids of $251 or more will be split between the fine artist, The Joe and our musical presenters at 20% each. Refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to the public. In addition to the silent auction, donations to The Joe are welcome and appreciated. Friday, March 3, 7-9:30p.m.The Joe Center for the Arts201 Reid Avenue, Port St. Joe The post The Synergy Between Art & Music in Port St. Joe March 3 appeared first on PCB Life | Panama City Beach News, Events and Community Information. Read More

General News March 9, 2023

Crowds Swarm PCB Mardi Gras

By Ed Offley Laissez les bons temps rouler!Bonifay residents Courtney Collins and William Bush stood by the crowd barriers along with 40,000 party-goers thronging the streets of Pier Park as Panama City Beach threw one of the earliest — and largest — celebrations of Mardi Gras in the nation. “This is my third Mardi Gras here,” Collins said. “We love it — get to hang out, dress up and look like fools — legally!” Led by the Krewe of Dominique Youx, about 40 massive (truck-towed) pirate floats paraded through Pier Park under a bright Saturday sun, the culmination of the festival’s two days of celebration. The highlight was the procession of costumed and masked pirates from Dominique Youx, the Krewe of St. Andrews, and other pirate groups from elsewhere in the Panhandle flinging a downpour of colorful bead necklaces to the revelers. For Scott and Lauren Dorman, the drive up from Stuart, Florida to Panama City Beach — their second Mardi Gras here — was well worth it. Asked if they had considered celebrating in New Orleans rather than at Pier Park, Lauren laughed. “New Orleans is too crazy,” she said. “This is just crazy enough!” Although the formal date for “Fat Tuesday” doesn’t fall until February 21st this year, the PCB Mardi Gras & Music Festival kicked off on Friday, February 3 with the main parade on Saturday afternoon, February 4. Tourists and Bay County residents alike thronged Pier Park in their masks and clothing of gold, green and... Read More

General News March 9, 2023

Florida License Plates: Specialty and Personalized

Florida vehicle owners have a host of options when it comes to license plates. More than 100 specialty plates are offered in Florida, with each plate supporting a specific organization and cause. From sports teams to universities, special interests and environmental causes, there’s a specialty plate sure to appeal to just about everyone. The Cost of a Specialty Plate An annual fee is charged for each specialty license plate, in addition to the regular registration renewal fee, a $28 new metal plate issuance fee and a $5 processing fee. The annual fees collected from the sale of the specialty plates go directly to the organization the plate supports, with most annual fees being $25 or less. Over the years, the sale of specialty plates has raised millions of dollars for the sponsoring organizations. Drivers interested in purchasing a specialty plate can do so at any time at the Tax Collector’s Office, though most choose to do so during their initial vehicle registration or at the time of annual registration renewal to minimize the expense. Specialty plates can also be viewed and purchased online for those with a plate expiring in 12 months or less. The costs noted in the online portal include all fees noted above. In addition to purchasing your own specialty plate, The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles also offers a specialty license plate gift certificate program. The program allows anyone to purchase a specialty license plate as a gift for a Florida motor vehicle... Read More

General News March 9, 2023

Design and Culture: Modern and Chic

The most popular door style in cabinetry right now is a flat panel door style. It is modern, functional, chic and the variety of colors and materials this door style comes with is almost endless. The hottest trend right now is quarter sawn white oak, but it is also beautiful in Oak, Maple, Knotty Alder, Hickory and Cherry and comes in a wide range of beautiful stains. Along with a solid wood, the flat panel door style is available as a acrylic, veneer, painted HDF or MDF, laminate, textured TFL, matte foils, wired gloss foils, and laminate, all extremely durable doors.If you are looking for something light and modern for your coastal home, the alabaster stain is a beautiful light stain. It is available in all the solid woods and a veneer. If you would like a laminate door or a textured laminate, White Barn and White Cypress are light color door style with a soft grain. For a Modern Mediterranean look a warm wood is a good choice whether you choose a veneer or a solid wood. For a strong modern look, an acrylic or an exotic veneer are good options. If you have been searching Pinterest and other resources for a modern door style you may have come across a style with a strong straight grain. To get that look with no variance in the wood grain, a laminate or a veneer is going to be the best choice. If you are interested in any of these door... Read More

General News March 9, 2023

Northwest FL Ballet Presents Peter Pan March 11-2

NFB returns to the Mattie Kelly Arts Center stage in the spring on Sat., March 11 at 7:30 p.m. and Sun., March 12 at 2:30 p.m. for a trip to Neverland with Peter Pan. Complete with magical sets and mesmerizing costumes, NFB’s production includes a cast of international guest artists and company members who will take audiences on a spectacular journey in this two-act production. Led by NFB Artistic Director and CEO Todd Eric Allen, the creative team includes the ballet’s choreographer Katia Garza and scenery projection designer Israel Rodriguez. NFB Music Director David Ott will conduct the talented musicians of the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, providing live musical accompaniment for Peter Pan. A VIP party exclusively for season subscribers, cast, staff and special guests will also occur immediately following the March 11 performance. Peter Pan is brought to you by Season Signature Media Sponsor Scarlett Magazine. NFB is sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. Tickets: www.nfballet.org/peter-pan. The post Northwest FL Ballet Presents Peter Pan March 11-2 appeared first on PCB Life | Panama City Beach News, Events and Community Information. Read More

General News March 9, 2023

Know Your Neighbor: Misty the Mermaid

By Paul Bonnette If you have attended “FinTastic” events such as Tourism Days, Zoo Boo, Chamber of Commerce First Friday, and Pirates of the High Seas Fest, then chances are you may have had a mermaid sighting. For Bay County resident Misty Joy, the phrase “Mermaid Life” takes on a very literal meaning. Misty the Mermaid can be seen popping up out of the Gulf for numerous community activities and bringing smiles to the faces of adults and kids alike. Almost a decade ago, just before mermaids started their massive rise in popularity in pop culture, Misty Joy was making a change that would impact her life and start her journey toward creating a whole new “Mer-sona.” “It all began in 2015, I was working at Starbucks and my life situation had changed and I needed a way to support myself. I enjoyed my job at Starbucks, but I honestly believe the universe was setting up this path for me. For some reason at that time in my life, everybody kept telling me that I looked like a mermaid. I worked at Starbucks with a girl that dressed up as princesses for birthday parties… I just started thinking that I could be a mermaid for birthday parties and try to be a professional mermaid. I started looking at tails and one of the tail makers was here in Florida. I got this fabric tail from Mertailor and started following them on Instagram and around that time they put out a... Read More

General News March 8, 2023

Embracing Unique Abilities: You Can Help Through the Westonwood Ranch Rodeo

By Lori Leath Smith A lot of families with a young child with Autism are thinking, “What if something happens to me? I just want to know that my child is safe, and someone will love them just as much as I do.” More than five years ago, Lindy Wood had a dream – a dream of a program geared toward older youth and young adults with autism and special needs developmental differences. She wanted to be able to offer more for her son, Weston, diagnosed with Autism at age 2, and other teens and young adults affected by Autism. So, with a hope to create opportunities to develop and cultivate independent, life-changing skills, surrounded with love, Lindy and her husband, founders of Westonwood Ranch, purchased a 40-acre tract of land in Freeport to begin a farm and, eventually, birth a new local non-profit. Westonwood Ranch is designed to fill in the service gaps where other transitional programs fall short. “But it’s also about advocacy for this population and breaking barriers,” said Kelly Thompson, Westonwood Ranch Executive Director. “Due to the individual’s diagnosis, society already puts labels and barriers to their abilities and Westonwood wants to break down those barriers.” In just a short time, Westonwood Ranch has grown into providing programs focused on teaching life and vocational skills for adolescents and young adults in our area with varying developmental disorders differences. The farm offers a comprehensive, holistic learning program for full-time students, ages 12 through adult, that focuses... Read More

General News March 8, 2023

Embracing Unique Abilities: You Can Help Through the Westonwood Ranch Rodeo

By Lori Leath Smith A lot of families with a young child with Autism are thinking, “What if something happens to me? I just want to know that my child is safe, and someone will love them just as much as I do.” More than five years ago, Lindy Wood had a dream – a dream of a program geared toward older youth and young adults with autism and special needs developmental differences. She wanted to be able to offer more for her son, Weston, diagnosed with Autism at age 2, and other teens and young adults affected by Autism. So, with a hope to create opportunities to develop and cultivate independent, life-changing skills, surrounded with love, Lindy and her husband, founders of Westonwood Ranch, purchased a 40-acre tract of land in Freeport to begin a farm and, eventually, birth a new local non-profit. Westonwood Ranch is designed to fill in the service gaps where other transitional programs fall short. “But it’s also about advocacy for this population and breaking barriers,” said Kelly Thompson, Westonwood Ranch Executive Director. “Due to the individual’s diagnosis, society already puts labels and barriers to their abilities and Westonwood wants to break down those barriers.” In just a short time, Westonwood Ranch has grown into providing programs focused on teaching life and vocational skills for adolescents and young adults in our area with varying developmental disorders differences. The farm offers a comprehensive, holistic learning program for full-time students, ages 12 through adult, that focuses on... Read More