| | | | What the Olympics Taught Us About Grit, Grace, & Resilience |
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| | I watched the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games expecting to witness superhuman athletic feats resulting in gold medals. While that happened, what inspired me most was the mental fortitude and individual achievements of three female U.S. athletes: Lindsey Vonn, Alysa Liu, and Chloe Kim. Their exceptional attitudes–more than their athletic prowess–transformed them into role models of grit, grace, and resilience with an enduring legacy irrespective of medalling. |
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| 3 Professional Lessons From Journalism |
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| | As technology accelerates and attention becomes the internet’s most contested resource, professionals must adapt how they work and communicate. Christopher Saul of Mid Bay News recently provided guidance to aspiring young journalists at Niceville High School that applies beyond the newsroom. His three recommendations focus on strategies and skills essential to success in any profession. |
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| | | | Baird Dental Business Concepts |
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| | Dental practice management consultant, coach, and speaker, Sandy Baird, MBA, presented Essential Leadership Skills for Today’s Dental Leaders to the Tennessee Dental Association (TDA)’s Fourth District Dental Society study club on February 20, 2026. This seminar is tailored to dentists seeking to sharpen their leadership skills and improve their practices’ overall performance while navigating the dual demands of clinicians and business owners. |
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To transition your dental practice from surviving to thriving, visit Sandy’s website to select a combination of seminars and dental practice consulting services customized to your dental practice or study group. Partnering with Dr. Laura Schwindt, DDS, Sandy has also created a one-day burnout prevention workshop that delivers 6 continuing education (CE) credits, specifically designed for dentists. |
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| | Frame Gallery Gifts & Art |
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| | Frame Gallery’s first art exhibition of 2026, Seen & Unseen: Landscapes of Presence & Memory, opened on February 20 with a reception celebrating two artists, Carole Forêt and Linda Kerlin, whose works offer distinct, yet complementary ways of interpreting experience through paint and mixed media. The exhibit features luminous landscapes and still life works by Forêt and “richly layered abstract paintings [that] create a thoughtful dialogue between representation and abstraction” by Kerlin. The exhibit is open through March 21, 2026, with art for sale at Frame Gallery in Sewanee, Tenn., and online. |
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| | | Talented photojournalist Kate Munsch recently covered the story of Grandma Peggy, one of USA Today’s 2026 Women of the Year. Peggy Winckowski hosts a weekly “Wednesday Breakfast Club” in her South St. Louis home for the teen friends of her grandson, Sam, who was killed by a drunk driver at the age of 15. He had suggested that his grandmother could cook a better breakfast than the diner he and his friends frequented on late-school-start Wednesdays. After his death, the breakfast tradition “became a source of collective healing, as students continued gathering to support one another”—and Grandma Peggy. You can read Grandma Peggy’s story and view Kate's moving breakfast club photos here. |
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| “Clear Vision, Big Ears” presents a curious pup with red glasses to remind everyone that perspective changes everything. This acrylic mixed-media painting measures 18” x 24” on canvas. |
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| “Oopsie Daisy” is an acrylic mixed-media portrait of a bird celebrating happy accidents and not taking life so seriously. This playful painting measures 18” x 24” on canvas. |
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| | | | Heading into the busy spring break season on the Florida Panhandle, JC’s Gourmet is expanding its restaurant partnerships along scenic Coastal Highway 30A. New businesses, including Turbo Coffee in Seagrove Beach, Palms 30A at the Hub in Watersound, and Shelby’s Bar and Grill in Santa Rosa Beach, will be offering select JC’s Gourmet appetizers starting this spring. Be sure to follow JC’s Gourmet on social or visit the website to stay up-to-date. |
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| | Sewanee Children’s Center (SCC) |
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| | Sewanee Children’s Center has launched a Giving Tree fundraising campaign to equip its new outdoor classroom, where student curiosity is sparked through nature, observation, and creative play. Donors can select a ‘heart’ representing a category of tools and materials that help children learn outdoors, connect with their environment, and build confidence through exploration. Supporters’ contributions are allocated to their chosen category to support the SCC’s outdoor education program. |
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| | | | Dog-Harmony launched a new READing Paws Partnership this year with the Fort Walton Beach Library that takes place on the first Saturday of each month from 10:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Children, ages 4 to 12, who are either learning to read or able to read, can experience one-on-one reading with an evaluated therapy dog in 20-minute sessions to improve literacy skills. Parents must remain with their children. Register for the next session this Saturday, March 7, here. |
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| | Life Media Group’s Bay Life publication featured our recent article, Thanks to Dog-Harmony, More Tails Are Wagging in Niceville, on the front page of their February publication. Learn about the expansion of the nonprofit’s therapy dog program north of the Choctawhatchee Bay and the mental health and child literacy benefits that therapy dogs provide by reading the article here. |
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| | Emerald Coast Public Relations Foundation |
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| | Emerald Coast Public Relations Foundation (ECPRF) will award three $1,000 scholarships to graduating seniors from high schools in the Northwest Florida counties of Okaloosa, Walton, and Santa Rosa who plan to pursue a college degree in public relations, communication, marketing, or journalism. The 2026 college scholarships are sponsored by: Sherry Harlow, APR; Eglin Federal Credit Union; and Linda Evanchyk, Carr, Riggs & Ingram, and Pitell Law Firm. |
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| ECPRF invites residents of Northwest Florida counties to share its college scholarship opportunities with high school seniors interested in public relations and encourages them to apply by the March 16, 2026, deadline. |
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| | THE ELEVATED EXPERIENCEA curated collection of upcoming events with our talented clients, partners, and friends |
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| | ECPRO’s Local News & Media Panel |
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| March 10, 2025 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. |
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| 📍Greater Ft. Walton Beach Chamber Ft. Walton Beach, FL |
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| | Join Emerald Coast Public Relations Organization (ECPRO) on March 10, 2026, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Greater Ft. Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce for an engaging Local News & Media Panel. This diverse panel of area journalists and media representatives will share insights on the importance of strong regional news and how PR professionals can successfully pitch and get published in both digital and print outlets. This is a valuable opportunity to build relationships and better understand what today’s media professionals are looking for. Don’t miss your chance to connect, learn, and elevate your media strategy. |
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| | St. Patrick’s Day Celebration |
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| March 14, 2026 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. |
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| 📍3rd Planet Brewing Niceville, FL |
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| | Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at 3rd Planet Brewing on Saturday, March 14, where craft brews meet classic Irish fare. From 4–9 p.m., the Knights of Columbus will serve corned beef and cabbage, shepherd’s pie, and Irish stew, with home-baked sweets available by donation. Enjoy live music from Matt Hall Trio, Irish step dancing at 4:30 p.m., and perhaps even a surprise bagpiper—all while supporting local nonprofits through food and tip proceeds. |
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| | Creating Compelling Paintings From the Everyday Photo |
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| | 📍Frame Gallery Gifts & Art Sewanee, TN |
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| | Discover how to transform your everyday landscape or cityscape photos into vibrant, expressive paintings in a workshop led by Carole Forêt on Friday, March 20, from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, March 21, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Frame Gallery Gifts & Art. Designed for beginners and intermediate artists alike, the class explores composition, value, color, and perspective through live demonstrations and individual guidance. Space is limited to seven participants, who can learn more and register with payment ($195-$225) on Frame Gallery’s website. |
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| | 33rd Ocean Springs Art Festival |
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| The Ocean Springs Spring Arts Festival returns March 28–29, 2026, bringing two days of art, garden goods, live demonstrations, and entertainment to downtown Ocean Springs, Miss. Among the featured artists is painter Hope Walker-Morgan, who will exhibit her floral, sculptural fine art during the weekend celebration. With dozens of artists and makers, plus vibrant local shops and restaurants nearby, it’s a perfect spring outing for art lovers and collectors alike. |
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| | 11th Annual Doggie EGGstravaganza |
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| April 3, 2026 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. |
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| 📍Grand Boulevard Miramar Beach, FL |
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| Grab your four-legged bestie and hop to Dog-Harmony’s 11th Annual Doggie EGGstravaganza at Grand Boulevard in Sandestin on Friday, April 3, from 5:30–7:30 p.m. This canine-only Easter egg hunt features treat-filled eggs, separate hunting areas by dog size, local food and dog treat vendors, music, pet photos, and prizes. Pre-register for the canine egg hunt for $20 per dog (or $25 on the day of the event), with free admission for spectators, or hop into event sponsorship here. |
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| Under the Tuscan Sun: A Driftwood Retreat for Women |
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| | Escape to Tuscany, Italy! From May 1–6, 2026, Driftwood Adventure Treks is hosting a soul-restoring women’s retreat blending yoga, pilates, photography, culture, and incredible farm-to-table meals at Podere Trafonti, a serene eco-luxury villa in the rolling hills of Southern Tuscany. Participants can also enjoy excursions to charming villages, vineyards, hot springs, and UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the region. Learn more and register here. |
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| | Burnout Busted: A One-Day Reboot Solution for Dentists |
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| | 📍St. Mary’s Retreat Center Sewanee, TN |
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| | Sandy Baird, MBA, and Dr. Laura Schwindt, DDS, are offering their first innovative new one-day workshop, Burnout Busted! A Reboot Solution for Dentists, at St. Mary’s in beautiful Sewanee, Tenn., on May 28 and 29, 2026. Providing 6 valuable continuing education (CE) credits and held in gender-specific environments, the interactive workshop is designed to help dentists build burnout-resistant practices, careers, and mindsets. Early bird pricing is available before April 1, and workshop discounts are available for those who invite colleagues to register. Learn more about the workshop and register here. |
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| | May the examples of grit, grace, and resilience we celebrate this month continue to inspire the ways we build stronger communities and support one another’s work. As always, thank you for being part of the Elevated News community. |
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