Altha redirects here. For the moth

Moth

A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...

 genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

, see Altha (moth).

Altha is a small town in Calhoun County

Calhoun County, Florida

Calhoun County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 13,017. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county was 13,410 . Its county seat is Blountstown, Florida.- History :...

, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The population was 506 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 507.

Geography

Altha is located at 30°34′18"N 85°7′39"W (30.571710, -85.127533).

According to the United States Census Bureau

United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the town has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²), of which 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) (2.72%) is water.

Altha is located in the northwestern part of Florida, approximately 30 minutes from both the Georgia and Alabama state lines. Altha is in a rural county, with the primary industry being agriculture. Tomatoes, watermelons, green vegetables, cucumbers, peanuts, corn, wheat, and cotton are all major industries in this farming community. The timber industry also thrives in the area, with many farmers electing to plant pine trees.

Weather

Altha has an average high temperature of 76 degrees Fahrenheit, with an average low of 51 degrees Fahrenheit. Summers in this area are quite hot and humid, with afternoon showers frequently occurring during the summer months. Altha is located about 35 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, so when tropical storms or hurricanes approach the coastline, weather can become severe. In 2004, during Hurricane Ivan, dozens of homes were destroyed and 4 people were killed because of a severe tornado striking near the town.

The coldest part of the winter occurs during late January and early February. Night time temperatures can dip as low as the lower 20s, and in some isolated instances, even striking the mid teens. Days can be cool during these few weeks, with day time temperatures sometimes struggling to reach 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Education

Altha is home to Altha Public School, established early after the turn of the twentieth century. The "white building" as it is referred to, is still located on the current campus and houses several classrooms. This building was completed in 1929, and has been renovated several times to retain its natural time period decor while being outfitted for the 21s Century. Unique to Altha School is the fact that it is a PreK through 12th grade school, one of the few remaining such schools in the state of Florida. In fact, less than 20 schools in Florida house students in grades PreK through 12th. The school mascot is the Wildcat, and school colors are purple and gold. Approximately 700 students attend Altha School, a number that actually surpasses the town population of 507. Ranked one of the top schools in Florida, Altha students consistently score well above state average on FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) testing. Altha School is consistently graded as an "A school each year on the Governor's A+ School Grade program. The school excels in its organizations, FCCLA, FBLA, Beta, and FFA.

During its nearly 100 years of existence, Altha Public School has graduated future doctors, lawyers, and politicians. Among the most notable alumni of Altha School is former US Representative Don Fuqua. The Fuqua Family donates a college scholarship to a graduating senior each year to Chipola College in Marianna, Florida.

Sports

Altha School has a well known sports reputation and history. It's home to boys' and girls' basketball, golf, volleyball, softball, baseball, weightlifting, The girls' volleyball team has won numerous district, region, and state semi-finals playoffs as well. The boys' and girls' weightlifting teams have won several state championships. Though not as prestigious as other sports teams at the school, the basketball teams perform very respectable each year and pack home crowds into the gymnasium. Though little known, in the 60s football was banned from the school when the head coach promised alcohol to the team if they made it to the championship. The team did outstanding so the coach kept his word, thus ending the sport in its entirety.

Businesses and attractions

Though Altha is a small community there are several spots that are well known locally. The largest employer in Altha, and in fact one of the largest in Calhoun County, is Oglesby Plants International. Employing more than 100 local citizens, Oglesby provides a large economic impact for the Altha.

"The Wilcats Den" restaurant serves as Altha's most popular spot to eat for our high school seniors as well as local business owners. The Chevron, due to its central location, is the hang out for most teenagers on Friday and Saturday nights. New to the area is an ATV track located on Flatwoods Road that brings more opportunity for riding than the labrynth of backroads that have memorized every country boy and girl in the county.

Other local businesses include Superior Bank, Smith's Supermarket, which has operated by the same family for more than 25 years, and Ace Hardware, which has been operated for more than 75 years by the same prominent family, the Waldorffs.

The Chipola River, located about three miles west of Altha, presents a vast range of swimming and fishing to the area with its key boat landings of Johnny Boy, Lamb Eddy, and Look and Tremble. This part of the Chipola River has become famous for its untouched natural beauty and is very popular in the summer months by boaters as well as people who enjoy canoeing or tubing down the river on a lazy summer afternoon. This part of the river remains to be one of the most beautiful stretches of the 60-mile long Chipola River, with its crystal clear waters and lazy currents.

Altha's location also provides convenient access to Panama City Beach and Mexico Beach, with residents being able to reach either location in less than an hour's drive, even in heavy summer traffic.

Demographics

As of the census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 506 people, 204 households, and 128 families residing in the town. The population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 354.8 inhabitants per square mile (136.6/km²). There were 226 housing units at an average density of 158.5 per square mile (61.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.85% White, 0.20% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 2.57% from other races

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.93% of the population.

There were 204 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples

Marriage

Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $27,917, and the median income for a family was $40,156. Males had a median income of $26,389 versus $22,000 for females. The per capita income

Per capita income

Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the town was $12,677. About 8.5% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 29.2% of those age 65 or over.

The ZIP code

ZIP Code

ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...

 for Altha, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

 is 32421. The phone

Telephone

The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...

prefix is 762.