Quantcast
Channel: Local News NRPQ Feed (For App)
Viewing all 5564 articles
Browse latest View live

County manager: Expect annex plans Feb. 18

0
0

PANAMA CITY — The county will unveil plans for its long-delayed courthouse annex building at a Feb. 18 commission meeting, a top official said Tuesday.

In a brief report, County Manager Ed Smith said the county and the contractor are “very close” to presenting a design to the board that is within the budgeted $12.5 million. The project has been stalled for months because the county and the contractor couldn’t come to terms on the project.

In December, the annex was $2 million over budget, but the contractor and county whittled down its scope. The price hang-up led to acrimony between the contractor, Destin-based Yates Construction, and the county and architect.

The commission must approve the contractor’s guaranteed maximum price before construction moves forward.

Commissioner George Gainer, who is serving as project liaison, will review the latest plans and meet with the contractor, architect and county staff before the meeting.

“This had dragged for a while as you know,” Smith said at a board meeting. “And it was pretty well-documented that we hit some bumps in the road, and we think we are past most of those, but still we’re not ready to bring you anything here today.”

Gainer has harshly criticized the contractor for its role in delaying the project, even wanting to fire the firm. On Tuesday, he mostly held his fire, saying he would wait to fully lay out his position at the Feb. 18 meeting.

“The biggest thing here is — get this thing resolved and get it moved forward. … We’ve waited long enough now. Everybody needs to get to the table and make a decision; make it a boy or a girl,” he said.

Gainer told county staff he wanted the project on the next meeting’s agenda; it was not on Tuesday’s agenda. He has said previously that he will ask the board to remove Yates at the next commission meeting unless there’s a “really good reason” to hold off.

Despite the report and discussion Tuesday, county officials made no guarantees a price would accompany the plans at the Feb. 18 meeting, which would enable the board to vote, a crucial step in moving the project forward. The commission also didn’t set a hard deadline for Yates, which Gainer had said might happen.

The firm’s area manager, Mike Lovrekovic, attended the meeting but didn’t speak. He said in an interview he thought a price would be ready by Feb. 18. “I think we can put our heads together and work something out,” he said.

Lovrekovic said the judges have been “very cooperative” on the project but indicated some may want to do too much on a $12.5 million budget.

“Our primary responsibility is to keep the project under budget. … And on the other side,” he said, “you have a group of individuals that are trying to get as much (out of) that courthouse as they possibly can get, to get the best bang for their buck.

“And they are very passionate about that as well; we are very passionate about holding the line on the budget.”

Lovrekovic said the parties made “great strides” recently and spoke positively about the working relationship with the county. He also discussed Gainer, calling him “very passionate about getting what he wants” on the annex. The contractor said he appreciates Gainer’s position because the commissioner has spent years working to make the annex a reality.

“Again he’s trying to get the most that he can for his money, and I understand that,” Lovrekovic said.

In other business Tuesday, the board:

-Voted to purchase three Caterpillar motor graders for $335,920. The original price was $661,920 but trade-in allowances cut $326,000 off the price.

-Awarded the Bay County Bullet the contract to publish delinquent property tax notices in 5,000 copies of the paper. The Bullet’s bid was less than The News Herald’s at 5,000 copies. The commission chose to forego a cheaper option to publish the notices in only 850 copies of the Bullet.

-Approved extending the payment window on emergency medical services bills. The window was expanded from 90 to 270 days before the bills are passed off to a collections agency. 


Mosley’s Dixon, area football players ready to make college choices

0
0

There is intrigue on National Signing Day and it comes from Mosley with one lingering question.

Where will Nat Dixon go?

The Dolphins’ wide receiver is one of the few people who know where he will be playing college football next fall. He’s narrowed his choices to Football Bowl Subdivision schools Western Kentucky, Boston College, USF and Troy University. His intentions will become clear when he selects his destination during a ceremony at Mosley’s Marvin McCain Technology Center Wednesday at 3 p.m.

Dixon is expected to sign a national letter of intent along with teammates, Jeff Hall, Banton Price and Ryan Rogers. The four were among 13 confirmed area signings on what is referred to as a “national holiday” by many college football fans.

North Bay Haven will revel in its first foray on this day. The Buccaneers featured their first senior class in 2013 and David Smith will sign the Panama City school’s initial football scholarship offer.

The list of expected signees includes dynamic Rutherford quarterback Dallas Davis, who is expected to sign with the University of South Alabama. Bay’s Keith McNeil also is likely to join South Alabama next season.

Chipley is planning to celebrate the signings of Jacob Wilson (FAU) and Kobe McCrary (junior college). This is addition to the possibility of more players from Bay and Rutherford, but those were not confirmed as of Monday.

On a regional level, many will be interested to see where Florida and Florida State fall in the overall rankings. Florida coach Will Muschamp and the Gators anticipate a potential Top 10 class. FSU coach Jimbo Fisher is piecing together another stellar class despite the loss of defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, who also is known for his recruiting touch.

Area athletes expected to sign Wednesday and anticipated destinations:

Arnold

Dario Batiste, Independence Community College

Dominique Batiste, Independence Community College

Bay

Keith McNeil, South Alabama

Ethan Brown, Southeastern University

Chipley

J.J. Holmes, Hutchinson Community College

Kobe McCrary, Butler Community College

Jacob Wilson, FAU

Mosley

Nat Dixon (expected to choose between Boston College, Troy, USF and Western Kentucky)

Jeff Hall, FAMU

Banton Price, Faulkner University

Ryan Rogers, FAMU

North Bay Haven

David Smith, Faulkner University

Rutherford

Dallas Davis, South Alabama

Raccoon tests positive for rabies

0
0

BAYOU GEORGE -- A raccoon near County 2311 and De Len Drive in the High Point area has tested positive for rabies, health officials wrote in a news release.

This is the second laboratory confirmed rabid raccoon of the year.  The first rabid raccoon was killed near Panama City Country Club in Lynn Haven on Jan. 3.  In 2013, one cat and seven raccoons tested positive for rabies in Bay County.

The Florida Department of Health in Bay County would like to remind citizens that Florida law requires dogs and cats over 4 months of age to be currently vaccinated for rabies by a licensed veterinarian.  

Crime lab analyst arrested on drug charges

0
0

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A former Florida crime lab analyst was arrested Tuesday and charged with stealing and selling painkillers and other drugs that he was supposed to be testing as evidence in criminal cases, the state law enforcement agency said.

Joseph Graves was arrested a day after he resigned from his position at a Florida Department of Law Enforcement lab in Pensacola. He was charged with grand theft of a controlled substance, 12 counts of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence and nine counts of trafficking in illegal drugs and was being held on $290,000 bond.

The department began an investigation after the Escambia County Sheriff’s discovered drug evidence was missing. A further look found other cases Graves handled where painkillers were swapped out with non-prescription drugs.

Graves is accused of selling oxycodone, morphine and hydromorphone. More charges could be added as the investigation continues.

Law enforcement department Commissioner Gerald Bailey has said hundreds of drug cases may be compromised.

“The actions of Joseph Graves are disgraceful. FDLE is working with State Attorneys’ Offices statewide to ensure he is held accountable for his actions,” Bailey said in a news release.

Graves’ attorney didn’t immediately return a message for comment.

Graves began working for the department in December 2005 and was promoted to supervisor in 2009. He has handled about 2,600 cases, most of which are drug related. The compromised cases could possibly affect 80 law enforcement agencies in 35 counties that had cases worked on by Graves.

The department is using agents from each of its offices to review all the cases handled by the chemist and has contacted state attorneys and law enforcement agencies across the state that have pending cases that could be compromised.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys reached Monday agreed that the thefts could create massive problems for courts and law enforcement agencies throughout Florida and could result in some convictions being thrown out and sentences reduced.

The department is reviewing its drug-testing program to try to prevent something similar from happening. One idea may be to increase employee drug testing, Bailey said Saturday when announcing details of the investigation. Right now, employees are drug tested when they are hired, but not again unless they have reason to suspect they are abusing drugs. 

Generation Y leases former school // MAP

0
0

SPRINGFIELD — City commissioners are closer to passing a financial drain to public funds onto a religious organization.

Commissioners gave Mayor Ralph Hammond the go ahead Monday to present Generation Y Evangelistic Association Inc. with a lease to the Shaw Educational Center for $1 a year for five years, relieving the city from maintenance of the deteriorating facilities.

After Springfield bought the 4-acre property at 162 Detroit Ave. — assessed at $476,539 — in 2009 from Bay District Schools for $1, the city could not find a way for Shaw to sustain itself and even tried to give it back to the School Board.

Hammond discussed with school district director of operational support services John Haley about possibly giving it back shortly before the city shut off utilities in July.

“… And he pretty much laughed at me,” Hammond said, laughing at himself for the attempt. “He said: ‘Mayor, it’s yours.’ ”

To cut down on the cost of maintenance, the city shut off power to the building, but taxpayers still have been footing the bill to cut the property’s grass, replace cut locks and repair broken windows.

The city explored using Shaw for police and fire department training, leasing it for the Florida Department of Transportation to conduct truck driver tests and even had their parks and recreation department operating out of the building but could not keep it from hemorrhaging money.

Commissioner Carl Curti, who was on the board at the time of the deal, compared it to a bait and switch.

“It wasn’t in that bad of shape to start with,” Curti said. “A bunch of people at the time were coming up here wanting to use the building and they were going to do all this stuff … but when we took it, they all started reneging.”

The city’s agreement with Bay District Schools restricted uses of Shaw from anything educational that would compete with their curriculum, and the city could not lease the building for a profit.

Hammondwas hopeful the lease would be signed by this morning.

Any repairs or maintenance to the building would fall on Generation Y, an evangelical organization that conducts food drives and distributions. The group intends to use Shaw as a food shelter.

Generation Y would not be required to bring the facilities up to the city’s code. The mayor estimated it would have cost about $80,000 to fix deteriorating electrical utilities and the former school’s air conditioning.

“They’re not required to bring it back up to code, but whatever they need they would be responsible for,” Hammond said. “At least it will get people in the building instead of it molding and not being used.”

Lawyer claims Timely Justice Act is unfair

0
0

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A lawyer for death row inmates told Florida Supreme Court justices a law meant to quicken the process of carrying out death sentences unfairly limits the opportunity for condemned prisoners to introduce new evidence.

The state says the act only mandates that the process is carried out in a reasonable amount of time.

“There’s many individuals who aren’t on death row who have been sentenced to life that DNA results have exonerated 35 years afterward,” attorney Martin McClain told the Associated Press afterward. “I certainly understand the notion that we want to be moving these cases along, but we still need to make sure that the convictions are reliable and the sentences of death are reliable.”

The Timely Justice Act of 2013 created stricter timeframes for appeals and post-conviction motions. It also enacts reporting requirements on case progress. The high court spent nearly an hour Tuesday hearing arguments about the contentious law passed by the Florida Legislature.

“The argument is about whether or not the Timely Justice Act interferes with the judicial process that ensures reliability,” McClain said.

The Supreme Court did not indicate when it would issue a ruling in the case.

“Historically with the death penalty in Florida there’s been many individuals who have been exonerated, like Juan Melendez 18 years after he was convicted and sentenced to death and it took three rounds of post-conviction litigation for that to happen,” McClain said. “The Timely Justice Act tries to cut off the ability to file successive motions and really compact them. That just sort of creates this problem.”

Twenty-four men have been exonerated from Florida’s death row since 1973, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

Gov. Rick Scott has previously disputed the idea that the new law would increase the risk of the execution of those who were innocent. He has also contended that the changes called for in the law would increase some of the legal protections for inmates.

One area of contention has been a requirement for the Supreme Court to provide the governor a list of inmates that are ready for warrants.

“I don’t know that it really has affected when warrants are signed, and that’s key,” assistant attorney general Carol Dittmar argued. “You talk about it in petition ... that there’s going to be 100 petitions signed and there’s going to be a complete end to successive litigation and it’s going to be completely prohibited and we’re going to have botched executions because there’s not going to be any way to litigate procedurally the method of execution after a warrant’s been signed. . . .This petition was filed seven months ago and we haven’t seen any of those things come to pass.” 

Pot-bellied pig causing a stink at City Hall

0
0

PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — The Kirkmans of Pensacola are facing a deadline in deciding what to do about their pet pot-bellied pig named Buttercup.

The pig is in violation of the city of Pensacola’s ordinance banning “livestock” within city limits. They’ve given the family until May to move, get rid of Buttercup or convince the city council to change the ordinance.

David Kirkman, his wife Laura and their children, Molly, 9, and Butch, 7, say Buttercup isn’t livestock. They say the 2-year-old pig is a pet they’ve raised since she was 5 weeks old.

The Pensacola News Journal reports the code enforcement board cited the family in December after receiving an anonymous tip that they were keeping a pig on their property. The ordinance states, “It shall be unlawful to keep any horse, mule, donkey, goat, sheep, hogs and cattle in any stable, shed, pen or enclosure within city limits.”

The Kirkmans say Buttercup is a pet, just like their pit-box mix, Muck. And, Laura Kirkman points out, the ordinance refers to “hogs” in the plural. And even though she’s 250 pounds, she still just one pig.

“We’re not going to eat her and we’re not going to sell her,” said Molly Kirkman. “She doesn’t live on a farm. She sleeps in my room.

The family has talked to council member Sherri Myers, who has agreed to take up the cause.

Myers said she thinks the ordinance is “pretty outdated.” She is working to submit a council agenda item that would exclude pot-bellied pigs from the definition of livestock. She thinks they should be classified as domestic animals.

Myers said she recently had an adventure involving a pot-bellied pig that had wandered into a neighbor’s yard.

“The whole neighborhood was excited that there was a pot-bellied pig around,” Myers said.

The mystery was solved when it was learned a neighbor was pet-sitting the pig for a friend and it wandered off.

“It was kind of exciting for our neighborhood,” Myers said.

That’s the way it is when people meet Buttercup, the Kirkmans say.

“She’s not noisy. She’s not smelly, she’s not trouble to anyone,” Laura Kirkman said. “Most people love her. She’s an attraction around here.”

She calls the dilemma a teachable moment for her kids.

“They’re learning how to handle a problem,” she said. “They’re learning to do things the right way, and to show respect while they’re doing it.” 

Some waterfront property owners want city to take over

0
0

PARKER — Some Parker residents who recently became the owners of waterfront property are asking the city take back the land.

During Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Deborah Greiner, resident of the Donalson Point subdivision, questioned the city’s interpretation of a 1973 clarifying deed that recently came to light and divvied up a public park in the neighborhood among 51 property owners.

While pursuing a public parks grant of $60,569 from the state to repair the existing boat ramp and build a dock, city officials discovered the property, which it had maintained for decades, was not actually public. Instead, the area was private and mutually owned by 51 members of the subdivision laid out in a 1955 deed and clarified in 1973.

Greiner said she had been going through her own deed and saw nowhere in its pages that she was partly responsible for maintenance or security on the property.

“Nothing jumped out from the city’s reading that was part of my deed,” she said.

Greiner requested Parker seek the opinion of a real estate law professional or act as mediator in reaching a consensus among community members for the city to retain ownership rights and provide maintenance, insurance and repairs on the property.

However, City Attorney Tim Sloan said, from consultation with a group of real estate attorneys, the clarifying document could not be deleted from the title.

“It created a cloud over the title,” Sloan said.

Mayor Richard Musgrave said due diligence was done before the city brought the situation to the public’s attention.

“I wasn’t anxious to do that until we had certainty,” Musgrave said. “And that’s what our counsel was able to obtain.”

Shortly after a series of public workshops, Parker officials realized they likely would not reach a consensus with the community to retain ownership, withdrew their bid for the grant and sent out letters to encourage dialogues among the joint owners of Donalson Point park.

Resolving the issue would either require a court’s decision, Sloan said, or an agreement among neighbors to give rights to the city.

“If I willingly give it over to the city, I’d put a restriction on it,” Greiner said. “I would say no boat dock.”

But that also may reach an impasse as Lott Lawson, former council member and Donalson Point resident, initiated pursuit of the grant specifically for the boat ramp, officials said.

Also Tuesday, council members:

-Accepted an agreement with Northwest Florida Water Management District funding a more than $1 million stormwater project at 11th Street and Cheri Lane

-Did not reach an agreement to remove a moratorium on the construction of accessory front yard structures.

 

 


Students exposed to career opportunities // PHOTO GALLERY, VIDEO

0
0

PANAMA CITY — Hunter Jacques said the wait for the verdict Tuesday was kind of nerve-wracking.

Jacques was playing the role of a business owner who was sued for his role in the death of a pedestrian in a mock trial staged to give high school students a glimpse of what it’s like to work in the justice system.

That he was nervous at all about the outcome of a mock trial speaks to lengths organizers went to create a realistic experience for the members of Junior Leadership Bay, a Bay County Chamber of Commerce effort to expose high-performing juniors from high schools throughout the county to professional opportunities here.

“A lot of high school students talk about wanting to graduate and wanting to leave Bay County,” said Junior Leadership Bay Steering Committee Chairman Keith Bryant. “We take an opportunity to show them what there is to do here.”

PHOTO GALLERY

VIDEO

Tuesday’s demonstration included more than a mock trial. In fact, Jacques’ day started around 3 a.m. because he was interviewed for a morning television news show before students convened at Bay High.

From there it was off to the sheriff’s office for a demonstration of the bomb squad’s robots followed by a tour of the county jail and then lunch with lawyers before a mock trial in which students were witnesses, jurors and defendant.

The facts of the case were invented, but the lawyers, bailiff, and judge were real. Zach Taylor, an attorney for the law firm Manuel and Thompson who represented Jacques in the trial, put on a realistic defense complete with objections and compelling arguments, but trials are a small part of what a lawyer does.

“What you see in the courtroom is the tip of the iceberg,” Taylor said. “What you don’t see is the 90 percent of that iceberg under water.”

The students can learn that in law school if that’s the career path they chose. But Tuesday’s demonstration was only one of many; students have been exposed to possible careers in the military, health care and other industries.

Don’t look for Jacques in law school. He said an early visit to local health-care facilities solidified his desire to enter that field.

“That definitely had an impact on it, to go visit the hospitals,” he said. “I saw what all they had to offer and what all was going on, and I leaned toward it even more.”

Got breakfast? PCB does // PHOTO GALLERY

0
0

PANAMA CITY BEACHPanama City Beach is a bounty for breakfast seekers.

With endless options, including six Waffle House locations, local restaurant owners say it has become more important to distinguish themselves from the many chains that have come in through the years.

After more than 40 years in the breakfast business, Mike Thomas, the owner of Mike’s Diner and Thomas Donuts and Snack Shop, has seen the beach change drastically. 

“In ’71, Funland, which my uncle owned, and the donut shop, we were the only ones open 24 hours a day out here during the summer,” Thomas said. “There’s a lot more competition out here now.”

PHOTO GALLERY

He said chain restaurants often have more resources to advertise and draw business during the slow winter season, and while offseason marketing efforts from the Bay County Tourist Development have helped, it’s still difficult to make it with so many businesses vying for customers.

“The number of places to eat has always been high per capita on the beach,” he said. “During the summer it’s fine, but during the winter it’s difficult.”

One of the chains, Waffle House, opened its sixth restaurant on the beach near the Breakfast Point Publix Marketplace, right next door to another breakfast option, Dunkin’ Donuts. While Waffle House corporate officials said the company’s Panama City Beach locations have been successful and had a good response from the community, they would not disclose the recipe for choosing site locations.

While some may find six locations excessive, the beach is no match for Metro Atlanta, which boasts more than 200 locations, the highest concentration of Waffle House stores in the U.S.

 

Imitated, never duplicated

John Certo, the owner of Andy’s Flour Power Café and Bakery on

Thomas Dr
ive, said while the influx of chains has created more competition for customers, Andy’s has maintained a loyal customer base over the years.  

“We’ve seen more competition, but our customers are very true to us because we’ve never substituted our quality,” Certo said. “I think that’s what separates us from franchises.”

Panama City Beach often is touted as a budget destination, one of the reasons Certo believes many breakfast restaurants have flocked to the area.

“The lucky thing about doing breakfast is it costs a lot less to bring a family of four,” he said. “It’s a lot less for people to come out for breakfast than it is to go out for dinner.”

Andy’s has been open since 2004, and Certo said he believed much of the restaurant’s success has come from its originality and focus on quality goods.

“The discouraging thing is, some people will still say I can go down the block and get (this deal) for $2,” Certo said. “A lot of people are willing to compromise quality for price, but as a business owner, I thought we owed it to our loyal customers to give them the quality they’re looking for.”

Successful restaurants, he said, are often imitated but never duplicated.

“Variety is good for the restaurant business,” Certo said. “It’ll keep people in this area; it will keep people in this area looking for something. No one can eat the same thing every day.” 

BUSINESS PROFILE: Bustamove’s founder: Get in shape, have fun

0
0

Contact Information:  Bustamove Fitness at Messiah Lutheran Church, 3701 W. Hwy 390, Panama City; phone 850-319-8798;  facebook.com/gayesfitness

Number of Employees: One

Owner's Name: Gaye Ziegler

Business Service Provided: Core strength, toning, heart, fun. Routines are choreographed to music from the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s and today. Reduce stress, burn calories, tone, and increase core strength while having fun.

Years in business: Started in November 2013

How did you get into this business? I have always been involved in physical fitness, but for me, it had to be fun. I started out as a Jazzercise instructor in 1985 and then became recertified three years ago. However, corporate policies took a lot of the fun out of being an instructor. After resigning from Jazzercise, former clients continued asking me to start a new class. I finally gave in and started a class, but floundered for a name. My client's husband suggested “Bustamove” and it stuck. The class has continued to grow and we now have men participating!

What do you like most about your business? I love it when everyone is moaning and groaning because I know that they are working hard and the routines are working for them! You feel great when it's over and you're proud of yourself for working out when you really didn't want to!

Name of person completing this form: Gaye Ziegler

Business Profile is a news feature designed to inform readers about the local business community. To participate, click the "Profile Your Business" link to the left of this article and follow the instructions on the form. Wording may be edited for style and punctuation. There is no charge to participate. Questions? Call 850-747-5076 or email vgarman@pcnh.com.

Camp aims to teach parents

0
0

PANAMA CITY — When parents are engaged in their child’s education, most teachers believe students will perform better. One local school is gearing up to show parents what kind of engagement will help student achievement.

“Parents should not be actually teaching kids at home,” said Lendy Willis, principal at Oakland Terrace School for the Visual and Performing Arts. “Parents should be involved with reinforcing what the school is doing and working on our creative goals.”

Willis said the Saturday camp will address two styles that can negatively impact a student’s academic performance parents who are not involved enough and “parents who hover” over their children.

As of Wednesday, 135 parents and about a third of the student population had registered for the camp at the relatively small school of fewer than 400 students.

Past school surveys show parents are interested in learning how to create an educational setting at home with their children, particularly in the areas of reading and math, said teacher Deniece Moss.

“We’re seeing parents want to come [to the camp], so we’re excited about the numbers we have,” Moss said. “This is a step in the right direction.”

Willis said by informing parents about instructional goals and objectives and teaching them how to reinforce them, students’ learning gains should increase. For example, parents can make multiplication flash cards and drill students.

“Everything that we give students for homework should be reading or practicing something they have already learned,” Willis said. He added the faculty is going to teach parents how to help their kids practice.  

The parent camp will be held at the school Saturday for Oakland Terrace students and their parents. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. and the camp will start at 9 a.m.

NTSB comes to conclusion about cause of Eglin Aero Club crash (DOCUMENT)

0
0

The National Transportation Safety Board has determined pilot error caused the June 23, 2011, airplane crash at Eglin Air Force Base that killed Shalimar resident David Miles and Thomas Lewis of Apalachicola.

Miles, 65, and Lewis, 50, both licensed pilots, died when their plane went down during an early-morning training flight. The Beech C24R Sierra they had rented from Eglin’s Aero Club crashed in a grassy area just off the base’s runway.

“The probable cause of this accident” was “the pilots’ failure to maintain airspeed,” according to the NTSB’s probable cause report released Monday.

Evidence from the scene indicated “the likelihood that neither pilot adequately monitored the airplane’s airspeed, which resulted in a right-turning aerodynamic stall,” the report said.

Miles, a retired Air Force colonel, was a certified flying instructor. He was training Lewis at the time of the accident. Both men were members of the Aero Club.

NTSB investigators used radar data to determine Miles and Lewis were attempting a “360-degree power off approach,” just before the accident. The maneuver, sometimes used to simulate engine failure, “involves a 360-degree change of direction to a preselected landing spot,” the report said.

The pilots tried the approach twice. During the second attempt, “witnesses heard the engine sputter,” then power back up, the report said.

“They then saw the airplane descend at a steep angle and impact an aircraft parking apron,” it said.

The report said the Beech C24R’s engine had not been overhauled recently and “another pilot reported that he had engine failure … about 12 months earlier.”

That pilot made a successful forced landing and could not restart the aircraft, the report said. Maintenance personnel were able to start it the next day.

Contact Daily News Staff Writer Tom McLaughlin at 850-315-4435 or tmclaughlin@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomMnwfdn.

Bay's McNeil to FBS South Alabama; Brown to Southeastern

0
0

PANAMA CITY — National Signing Day for high school football players is a journey into the unknown for most athletes fortunate enough to gain the opportunity.

Ethan Brown and Keith McNeil of Bay High School took that mantra to another level during a ceremony at the school on Wednesday morning. There is new, and then there is off-the-shelf, new-fangled original.

McNeil cemented his intention to attend the University of South Alabama in Mobile, a football program that was initiated in 2009 and didn’t achieve full Division I status until the 2013 season when the Jaguars finished 6-6.

(Click here for photos from National Signing Day)

Brown went even one step further by signing with Southeastern University in Lakeland, an institution that began football last year, although not playing a schedule. The Fire will open their inaugural season in the fall.

“It’s a brand new football program and an opportunity to make records every day,” said Brown, who at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds is projected as a linebacker at the next level. Should he gain some weight he could wind up at the defensive end slot he manned in high school.

Brown will join former Bay teammates Dance Estes and Darreyan Sims, who attended Southeastern last season when the program was in its embryo stage.

“They said it was a great atmosphere,” said Brown, whose ultimate goal is to obtain an MBA.

McNeil, 6-3, 230, also was a defensive end for the Tornadoes the past two seasons and is hoping to continue in that role, or possibly a hybrid linebacker for the Jaguars. The News Herald Defensive Player of the Year said that entering his senior year he really wasn’t expecting Wednesday to culminate his prep football career.

“No, I just didn’t feel it,” McNeil admitted. “After we played Gulf Breeze and I had like five sacks a lot of coaches started calling.”

McNeil said he also was looking into USF, Southern Mississippi and Florida A&M, and that he made recruiting trips to Kentucky, USF and Alabama State.

Originally from Alabama, he said that South Alabama offered the chance to play closer to home as he joined a USA recruiting class that is top-heavy with defensive talent.

“I feel like we stand pretty well,” South Alabama coordinator and defensive line coach Brian Turner was quoted on Tuesday. ”We've hit on some guys that we really like and that can benefit and help the program. And we’ve missed out on a couple, too. But overall, provided everybody signs, we'll have a really good signing class.”

BC for ND: Mosley's Dixon leads five Dolphins' signees

0
0

LYNN HAVEN — Nat Dixon performed a hat trick on Wednesday.

The Mosley standout increased the anticipation of where he’d play college football next season until the last moment. The wide receiver narrowed his choices to four Football Bowl Subdivision schools, each represented by a baseball cap in front of him and his parents while seated in front of a packed Marvin McCain Technology Center. Dixon didn’t keep the people waiting much longer.

(Click here for photos from National Signing Day)

Boston College won the services of the 6-foot-4, 190-pound athlete, whose leaping ability and speed make him an intriguing prospect on the next level. Dixon’s overall skills as a pass catcher are still raw and being honed, but his potential attracted the attention of USF, Western Kentucky and Troy University, among others.

Dixon wasn’t the only Dolphin to share in the day’s festivities, as Christian Childree, Jeff Hall, Banton Price and Ryan Rogers also cemented college futures. Hall and Rogers will play at FAMU in Tallahassee and Price and Childree were among three area athletes to pick Faulkner in Montgomery, Ala.

Dixon also was a standout basketball player and entertained playing the sport in college. He said Troy was the best option to continue his hoops career and the Trojans were in the running until Wednesday morning.

“I made the decision when I woke up,” Dixon said. “I had to make the decision that was best for me.”

Boston College offers the biggest stage of the four finalists. The Eagles play in the Atlantic Coast Conference and will travel to Tallahassee to face defending national champion Florida State next season. Boston College’s roster also is in transition with Dixon noting only a few scholarship wide receivers set to return.

This opens the possibility for early playing time. And none of it would have been on the horizon without Mosley football coach Jeremy Brown.

Dixon grabbed the microphone and told the adoring crowd that he debated not playing football last season. Brown convinced him to come out to play. The lure ended with a 1,000-yard season and nine touchdowns for Dixon.

“I had no idea,” said Dixon of envisioning signing a FBS scholarship offer. “He instilled a lot of faith in me. I was showcased.”

Dixon’s flashy catches and returns opened eyes. And while the ultimate level, the National Football League, is a distant dream right now, he said there’s much room for improvement.

“I believe the sky’s the limit,” Dixon said. “The only limitations are ones I put on myself. I need to take my time, learn and be a student of the game.”

New Rattlers: Hall (6-4, 280) attracted FAMU’s attention on the first day of spring practice in 2013, Brown said. He was offered a scholarship the same week and could be blocking for Rogers again in the future.

The tandem helped Rogers gain more than 1,400 yards and score 15 touchdowns. Rogers doesn’t wow anyone with his size at 5-11, 180, but there has been precedent for success by previous smaller area running backs at FAMU. Marianna’s Philip Sylvester was an eventual starter for FAMU and earned a brief stay with the Atlanta Falcons after tipping the scales at only 190 and standing two inches shorter.

Faulkner excitement: Price and Childree shined in their final seasons with the Dolphins and Brown said Faulkner coaches expect the duo to contribute early for the NAIA school.

Childree (5-10, 220) was a 1,000-yard rusher and willed Mosley to wins in late-season games in helping the Dolphins capture the Bay County title and a third-place finish in the competitive District 1-5A. Brown said Faulkner coaches were impressed by Childree’s hardnosed running and his developing prowess as a receiver out of the backfield.

Price (6-2, 230) was a pass-rushing nightmare from linebacker with an area-leading nine sacks last season. He will transition to defensive end at Faulkner and is expected to challenge for playing time as a freshman.


Juvenile sentencing reform advances

0
0

TALLAHASSEE — Soon convicted juvenile murderers may have a better idea how long they may wait before a court reviews their life-in-prison sentences.

The state House officially unveiled its solution Wednesday to the U.S. Supreme Court rulings that struck down laws giving juveniles no chance for parole.

The Criminal Justice Subcommittee proposed and approved a committee bill that would require a review hearing after 25 years. If needed, subsequent hearings would be held every 10 years.

The court of original jurisdiction would conduct the review, even if the judge who oversaw the conviction is no longer on the bench.

In non-homicide cases, juveniles would receive a review after 20 years and every five years after that, if needed.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2010 that juveniles must be given a chance to be released from prison. Later in 2012 the high court explicitly struck down life-without-parole sentences for juveniles.

On Wednesday, lawmakers repeatedly said it was important they act and lay out guidelines for sentencing review; otherwise the Florida courts will step in and establish them.

Democrats voiced concern about how long juveniles would be forced to wait for the review hearing.

State Rep. Kionne McGhee, D-Miami, said the legislation would tie judges’ hands. He said the judges should determine when a review hearing is appropriate.

“This is for the judicial branch. Why not allow the judges to be in a position to make a determination when a review period is appropriate for a particular kid,” he said.

Conversely, Republicans said some bad actors don’t need to return to society based on what they’ve done.

 “Some of these folks commit very heinous crimes for which there has to be a severe criminal sanction,” said Committee Chairman Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach.

Gaetz didn’t go so far as to say some juveniles should never be released, but said some juveniles pose a real risk to society.

“We’re trying to thread the needle. We’re trying to create the right balance,” he said of the legislation.

READ THE BILL

A similar bill (SB 384) is moving in the state Senate, having passed through two committees, with two more ahead of it before going to the floor.

Former marina director charged with thefts

0
0

PANAMA CITY — The former director of the St. Andrews Marina was arrested and jailed in Kentucky on a fugitive warrant to await extradition back to Bay County to answer to charges that she stole money from the city of Panama City and a freezer from a local business, police said Wednesday.

The U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force for the Western District of Kentucky arrested 49-year-old Susan Payne in Bowling Green Tuesday evening, according to a staff member at the Warren County Jail, where she is being held. A judge signed arrest warrants for Payne on Jan. 14, and the Panama City Police Department said she is charged with 11 counts of grand theft for stealing from the city and an additional count for stealing from the business, which a police news release did not identify.

Payne was fired from her job as dock master at the marina in September after officials determined she had used city resources for personal gain, created a hostile work environment, lied to her supervisors or the public, falsified or omitted information on work documents and other deficiencies. One employee complained after Payne allegedly grabbed her breasts and said: “My breasticles are bigger than your testicles….”

It is not clear why Payne went to Kentucky or how long she had been there. Officials at the time made no secret of the fact the investigation could lead to criminal charges against her.

The police investigation found 11 separate occasions that Payne stole from the store at the marina, according to police. Those 11 thefts totaled $3,948.74. Police allege she also stole a commercial freezer worth about $3,500 from another business at the marina and had it delivered to her Panama City home.

Police said Payne tried to influence another marina employee to find and take unspecified documents from the store during the investigation.

It’s not clear when Payne will be extradited. Police asked anyone with information about the case to contact Lt. Robert Luther at 850-872-3100 or report it anonymously to CrimeStoppers at 850-785-TIPS (8477). 

Beach middle and high school enrollment

0
0
Beach middle and high school enrollment

Elementary

2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

2012-2013

2013-2014

Breakfast Point

856

824

828

871

944

Hutchison Beach

694

653

691

724

688

Patronis

733

695

754

757

766

 

Middle

2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

2012-2013

2013-2014

Breakfast Point

n/a

n/a

121

296

460

Surfside

1046

1017

892

826

722

 

School deals with overcrowding // DOCUMENTS

0
0

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Something had to give.

Student population has skyrocketed at Breakfast Point Academy since the elementary turned K-8th grade school opened in 2008. The school district has stepped in to put an end to the growing problem.

“It will be a gradual process of attrition that will bring the enrollment numbers back within what are safe capacity numbers for the school,” said Lee Stafford, director of student services at Bay District Schools.

The district has closed school choice for out-of-zone fifth graders who want to go to sixth grade at Breakfast Point. School choice is closed at any school where capacity levels are at 90 percent or higher.

Breakfast Point is at 120 percent — 162 students too many — of its full capacity at the elementary level, according data provided by the district. Ideally, the elementary school would’ve been capped at 721 students, 90 percent of its capacity. There are currently 963 elementary students enrolled, up from 944 at the beginning of the year.

“The issue is that as we continue to grow and the neighborhood here continues to grow,” said recently appointed principal Keri Weatherly, “we need to look toward the future as far as kids moving into our zone and continue to be able to accommodate them.”

Additional associate teachers and 10 modular classrooms were added over the summer to help accommodate the growth.

Students have “choiced in” from all over the district. The school’s unique K-8 model appeals to parents.

“I think there’s comfort for the parents in knowing in a K-8 model that their children are in the same setting with people they are familiar with,” Stafford said.

In the upcoming year, new capacity limits have been set for district schools. Breakfast Point’s new recommended capacity is 756 in elementary and 482 in middle school grades.

When asked if she believed killing School Choice will have an impact, Weatherly said: “Through attrition and over time, yes.”

The district assessed the impact of attrition over five, 10 and 15 years and found attrition was the least disruptive option, officials said.

“If we rezone, then we’re disrupting enrollment for multiple families at multiple schools, when the only school that really has the overcapacity issue is Breakfast Point,” Stafford said.

Opening West Bay Elementary, a closed but renovated facility, was brought up at meetings. However, with current zones, only 15 children are zoned for the area. A school needs about 400 students in order to be considered a viable institution.

“We want parents to be able to choice in to the school that they want for their child,” Stafford added. “The overcapacity issue at Breakfast Point doesn’t really allow us to do that — it’s a safety issue for the children. We would love to accommodate it, but we just can’t.”

Children that choiced in at Breakfast Point are grandfathered in up until fifth grade.

Parents have already been notified of the changed policy, school officials said.

“Right now, with the students that we have, we’re able to make sure that they are afforded the same opportunity they would at any other school,” Weatherly concluded. “We’re still meeting the learning needs for all of our children.”

Beach elementary and middle school enrollments

Using horse sense // PHOTO GALLERY

0
0

CHIPLEY — Horses have assisted human development for centuries by acting as beasts of burden, but they are now teaching people to relieve their own personal burdens, as Kristin Hungenberg has seen on her farm in Washington County.

Hungenberg, owner of Four Directions Horse Farm at 3955 State 77 near Chipley, is an instructor in “eponaquest,” or equine-assisted learning. While equine-assisted therapy has been a growing trend among those dealing with issues such as depression, PTSD, grief, substance abuse or anxiety, Hungenberg’s focus is on equine-assisted learning.

She said because of their survival instincts as prey animals, horses are more aware of disruptions in their surrounding environment. When the horses sense tension they will act to correct the imbalance, which includes dropping hints on what a person actually wants to do as opposed to what they think they should, she said.

PHOTO GALLERY

“Real, physical, subtle things happen to help people recognize that when they talk about what they don’t want they get a completely different reaction than when they talk about what they do want,” Hungenberg said. “Horses live from their heart and they show us how to do the same.”

Hungenberg’s job is to help people recognize those behaviors and figure out what the horse meant by any given behavior.

“People who have abuse issues or trauma issues or have been unhappy, the more they get into their heart the more they’re getting out of that sense of, ‘I’ve been wounded,’ ” Hungenberg said. “Then they can begin healing.”

Obi Chukwumah, a visiting banker from Texas, was on level one called “meet the herd,” Hungenberg said.

“It’s kind of letting the horses choose which horse wants to work with the person that day,” she said. “Sometimes they fight over who it will be and sometimes one horse will come up as the others walk away.”

Jay, one of the six saddleless mares at Four Directions, had taken an interest in Chukwumah.

He first met with Hungenberg on her farm about a month ago for the first time and admitted to initially feeling nervous around the horses.

“They’re big animals and you don’t want to upset them,” Chukwumah said.

As he brushed Jay, Chukwumah who was now at ease, said he had been considering taking on a job in ministering for about 10 years, and during that session he received some career advice.

“When I came here, one of the messages was: ‘just go’ — rather than worry about it,” he said.

Without the distractions of cellphones and emails, in the remote woods near Chipley, the message is easier to receive, he said.

“It’s not a whole lot different than human interactions; there’s people you connect with and people you don’t for whatever reason,” Chumkuwah said. “You can’t explain it but when you’re with someone you connect with, it’s just free. The horse allows you to be free and flow instead of just being stuck in your mind.”

Jay snorted at that, seemingly in approval.

Sessions consist of either brushing and grooming, leadership exercises or just free running and interacting with the horses. However, riding the horses is not an option.

Prices can run from $400, for an experiential course once every four weeks, to $3,000, for an extensive experience over three days.

Whether the horses actually guide decisions or if their intermittent reactions merely reinforce some pre-existing impulses is debatable. If the person leaves feeling like they have listened to their heart, as her horses do, Hungenberg has succeeded, she said.

“If I told you there was a gadget you could buy and always know what decision to make in any situation and it would always be right, you’d want the gadget, right?” Hungenberg said. “We all have that gadget: it is our heart, and all we have to do is rediscover how to use it. The horses help with that.”

Viewing all 5564 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images