Florida’s communities have always relied on the dedication of volunteers – neighbors helping neighbors, businesses giving back and nonprofits stepping up when resources fall short. As Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) celebrates 100 years of service, one truth remains clear: the strongest communities are those where people come together to support one another.

Skip Orth, owner of Father and Son Pest and Lawn Solutions has been working with lawns along the Emerald Coast for over 25 years and has written a book entitled “What Every Homeowner On The Emerald Coast Needs To Know About Lawn Care”. From his vast experience, he shares a few tips for homeowners to follow this spring to ensure they have a healthy lawn for the following year.

I was hired for my first ministry position by a pastor with 40 years of experience. “You don’t serve people,” he sagely said to me, “you serve God, and people are served in the process.” He advised against living in a parsonage and instead purchasing a home to build equity. “You will never get rich in ministry,” he counseled, “but God will provide for your needs.” Now, nearing his years of experience, I can attest to the wisdom of his counsel. Nonetheless, there was a financial situation in that ministry that had me scratching my head in amusement.

Beginning Thursday, March 27, Hall Road in the Berrydale area will be closed at the bridge over Juniper Creek to allow for bridge repairs. Work will be done during daytime hours. Weather permitting, this project is expected to be completed by April 10.

Join the Florida Division of Emergency Management for a virtual informative session on Tuesday, March 25 from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. (Central Time) or 4 – 5 p.m. (Central Time) on the Elevate Florida program, a first-of-its-kind, groundbreaking statewide residential mitigation program. Led by the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), this program is designed to protect homes and communities by reducing damage caused by natural disasters like hurricanes and floods.

Johnny Drew Mobley, the person of interest in the suspicious death of Michael Glenn Davis, was found dead in West Monroe, Louisiana March 15.

If you have ever watched the myriad TV shows about antiques, you know that haylofts in unused barns can yield some surprising treasures. Someone in the past places a valuable, unused item in a place that is secure from the elements and out of the way, then forgets it is there. My father-in-law in Indiana had just such a barn.