By COLLIN BREAUX
Over a brisk but sunny two-day period, hunters got to shoot quail and pheasant at Hard Labor Creek Plantation during the annual Opportunity Florida Quail Calcutta on Feb. 22-23.
The excursion raised $27,000 and was hosted by State Sen. Jay Trumbull and State Rep. Shane Abbott.
A dinner was held the first night to celebrate the occasion. Abbott talked to the dinner crowd about what’s being done in the State Legislature to help rural communities.
“Today was an exciting day for me because I had three bills finally make it through their final committee,” Abbott said. “Last year, we passed a bill for rural areas where we didn’t have to do matching funds for grants. That was huge. This year, we’re following it up. One of those bills is now we don’t have to have matching funds for the rural economic organizations.”
Special to the News 
Garett Valcourt