Page 17 - Mark Franks News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

AUBURN — The first-ever Godfathers Geared Up for Kids event will take place Saturday, June 26, at the DeKalb Outdoor Theater, 301 S. Center St., Auburn. The all-ages, all-day event will benefit the Children First Center that serves families in DeKalb, Steuben, Noble, LaGrange and Whitley counties. “The Godfathers started as single, divorced dads who were looking after each other’s children and helping dads raise kids. Helping the Children First Center is just a really good fit,” said David J. Kurtz, a member of Godfathers Motorcycle Club of Auburn. “We’re trying ...

Crestview mayor named NWF League of Cities president Brian Hughes | Special to the News Bulletin/USA TODAY NETWORK CRESTVIEW — The Northwest Florida League of Cities has a new president and it’s Crestview Mayor JB Whitten. In a 1 p.m. May 3 ceremony, Whitten placed his hand on a family Bible held by his wife, Ann, as Okaloosa County Commissioner Mel Ponder administered the oath of office after offering the invocation. Ponder, former Destin mayor and Florida state representative, was among local municipal leaders and officials attending the brief ceremony in the Crestview City Council cha...

Women are more likely than men to reduce their hours or stop working when they have children – even if they earn more, new analysis shows. Women’s employment rates fall from 90% to 75% and average weekly hours fall from around 40 to less than 30 when they become mothers, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said. The arrival of children also marks the beginning of a long period of wage stagnation for women, it said, while the wages, employment and working hours of men “barely change” when they become fathers. The findings, based on an analysis of data from the UK Household Longitudi...

Okaloosa County voters will head back to the polls in early March to vote in a number of municipal elections. A total of 10 municipal seats across Fort Walton Beach, Laurel Hill and Shalimar are on the ballot March 9, although in many instances the candidates who qualified for the seats are running unopposed. Also on the ballot are a pair of local referendums: One will ask whether Laurel Hill voters favor dissolving the city to become an unincorporated part of Okaloosa County. The other would amend Destin's charter to prevent the city from conveying, selling, leasing or otherwise transferr...

"Creating a common language about suicide," is the Hope Squad motto. Peggy Brockman, executive director of United for a Good Cause and a "master trainer" for the Hope Squad, was present to address a chilly Meigs Hope Squad at an outdoor morning event.  "You have been selected by your peers as someone trustworthy, a good listener," Peggy Brockman told the Hope Squad at the Meigs event. Franks read a city proclamation and urged the Hope Squad members to continue "taking action" to prevent suicide. "You matter, you are our future, and you are making a difference," he said.  Meigs Middle i...