January 7, 2010

Archive

Help reduce power costs by joining CHELCO’s No Peaking Program

Curb your power usage, save costs In late December, CHELCO started the first automated phone messages to residential members concerning a potential cold weather energy usage peak. Members were asked to conserve energy during the hours of 5:30 a.m. through 8:30 a.m. to help CHELCO manage the cost of wholesale power and avoid potential rate increases from our power supplier, PowerSouth. Participation in the program lets members help themselves, their neighbors and CHELCO by lowering the peak demand (which is...

Living alongside wildlife: Searching for the indigo snake in Walton County

Longleaf pine forests and gopher tortoise burrows perfect habitat for threatened species It was Monday morning and Tropical Storm Ida was welcoming us to the new week. As the early chills of fall enveloped us, dark clouds gathered in the distance, ominously blocking out the sun. Perhaps seeing the look of concern on my face, Dirk Stevenson consoled me, “No worries, the indigos won’t mind.” Dirk is the Director for Inventory and Monitoring for Project Orianne, a large non-profit organization...

Annika Sorenstam, Mia Hamm square-off in celebrity golf match Feb. 19′

Event to kick-off ‘ANNIKA Experience at WaterSound’ Local Junior Golfers to Play with International Sports Icons at Innovative Origins Golf Club The ANNIKA Foundation and St. Joe Company (NYSE: JOE) announce international sports icons Annika Sorenstam and Mia Hamm will square-off in a celebrity golf match at Origins Golf Club on Friday, February 19, 2010 at 9:30 a.m. to kick-off the “ANNIKA Experience at WaterSound,” a two-day celebration of active lifestyles and wellness education to benefit the ANNIKA Foundation and...

Banded Rufous hummingbird winters in same yard six years in a row

Local bird lover excited about a returning winter guest Local hummingbird enthusiast and butterfly expert, Mary Ann Friedman of Niceville is excited about a winter guest she has coming to her yard year after year. A Rufous Hummingbird, nicknamed “Ruferocious” has been returning to Mary Ann’s yard each winter for six years. “We call her Ruferocious because she is pretty possessive and usually kicks any other would be winter hummingbirds out in a very short time. Before she started “living”...

Learn about the Choctawhatchee dune mouse at Topsail Jan. 21

Learn all about the endangered mouse at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park Thursday, Jan. 21 — 2 p.m. Join the park folks for this beach mouse interpretive program and learn about their habitat and behavior. Park at the Day-Use area off of Hwy 30A and take a short hike to the clubhouse. A $3.00 park entrance fee is required. Call (850) 267-8330 for more details. Located in Santa Rosa Beach, the park is located 1/4 mi. south of U.S. Hwy...

FWC announces blue crab trap area closure

10 day closure will enable FWC-authorized groups to collect lost and abandoned blue crab traps The harvest of blue crabs from traps will not be allowed from Jan. 5 through Jan. 14 in all waters of Franklin County west to the Florida-Alabama border, except all waters of the Ochlockonee River and Ochlockonee Bay. This closure will give authorized groups the opportunity to identify and retrieve lost and abandoned blue crab traps from the coastal and inland waters in this area....

Prescribed burn in South Walton Jan. 6

Burn taking place west of CR 83 towards Satinwood Drive (Santa Rosa Beach)  – The Florida Division of Forestry (DOF) will be conducting a 200 acre prescribed burn in the Blue Mountain/Santa Rosa Beach area. he burn will take place today between 8:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on the south side of U.S. Hwy. 98 in the forest area west of CR 83 towards Satinwood Drive. Due to the prevailing wind direction and atmospheric conditions, smoke should lift and drift...