Fla. Legislature passes parasailing regulations
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Parasailing in Florida could be subject to safety guidelines under a bill passed by the Florida Legislature. The Florida Senate on Thursday voted unanimously to regulate the...
View ArticleUS gains 288k jobs, most in 2 years
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers added a robust 288,000 jobs in April, the most in two years, the strongest evidence to date that the economy is picking up after a brutal winter slowed growth. The...
View ArticleRegion 1-5A baseball: Rutherford wins, sets up semifinal rematch with Mosley
SAND HILLS — It was a win, of sorts, merely to play a baseball game on Thursday. Rutherford made it a win-win situation. The Rams advanced to the Region 1-5A semifinals with a 3-1 triumph over...
View ArticleCar burglaries investigated
SOUTHPORT — The Bay County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating several car burglaries that took place in the area of Kirkland Manor in Southport. The burglaries happened during April and...
View ArticleFla. lawmakers OK bill on medical marijuana strain
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A strain of low-potency marijuana would be legal in Florida to treat epilepsy and cancer patients under a bill passed by the Legislature on Friday. The measure — met with...
View ArticleLayoffs begin at General Dynamics
LYNN HAVEN — Several hundred employees will be laid off from the General Dynamics call center in Lynn Haven in the coming week, according to a notice posted by the Florida Department of Economic...
View ArticleGym owner sets up fundraiser to help an employee
PANAMA CITY — A local business owner is hoping to help an employee through a tragedy and is asking the public for help. Mike Walker wants to raise at least $6,000 for Jennifer Paul and her family with...
View ArticleBanker didn’t read rules, but circulated them
PANAMA CITY — The former chief financial officer of a failed local bank did more than just violate the rules — which he claimed he never even read — of an FDIC program designed to help struggling...
View ArticleMeeting set for public input on Spring Break
PANAMA CITY — Bay County commissioners will discuss potential Spring Break changes Tuesday at a public workshop. Bay County Commission Chairman Guy Tunnell said the agenda for workshop was...
View ArticleDevelopment would bring jobs, revenue, people over 50 years
WEST BAY — The St. Joe Co.’s Bay-Walton Sector Plan covers a lot of ground, mapping out a 50-year vision for an area larger than some small countries. St. Joe submitted its hefty application to Bay...
View ArticleStretch of Intracoastal Waterway close
WESTBAY— The Coast Guard has closed a 19-mile stretch of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway because of land dikes breaking into the water between Choctawhatchee Bay and West Bay. The Coast Guard Mobile...
View ArticleNew women’s shooting chapter forms
ARMED Lady LLC will open a new women’s shooting chapter for the Panama City/Chipley area this month. Led by Katerina Prozer, a National Rifle Association-certified instructor, the chapter will host...
View ArticleHosts needed for foreign students
PANAMA CITY -- ASSE International Student Exchange Programs is seeking local families to host foreign exchange students for the 2014-15 school year. For more information, contact Joan Soderqvist at...
View ArticleSinkhole closes Boca Lagoon Drive
PANAMA CITY BEACH -- Boca Lagoon Drive in Panama City Beach is closed because of a sinkhole in the road. There currently is no access to the neighborhood. It is unclear when the road will be reopened....
View ArticleMotorcyclist severely injured in crash
PANAMA CITY -- One motorcyclist was transported to the hospital with possible life-threatening injuries shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday. The driver and passenger on the motorcycle were taken to the...
View ArticleHathaway project set for summer 2015
PANAMA CITY — More than a decade of traffic issues on the Hathaway Bridge are set to get some relief. Over the next two years, the Florida Department of Transportation will spend $102 million on the...
View ArticleUpcoming public meetings
The following public meetings are scheduled May 5 - 9: Monday What: Springfield Commission meeting When: 5:30 p.m. Where: Springfield City Hall, 3529 E. Third st. ——— Tuesday What: Panama...
View ArticleRegion 1-5A softball: Mosley advances to second straight final
LYNN HAVEN — It doesn’t matter where you hit in the lineup as long as you produce when it’s your turn to deliver. Kristen Hutto, batting in the No. 9 hole for Mosley, provided her team’s biggest hit...
View ArticleCaz: Weather luck will eventually run out
It’s never good to spend too much time living in the future, as in worrying about what might happen before it materializes. My experience has been that 95 percent of what I worry about doesn’t occur...
View ArticleChamber tool aims to attract young talent
PANAMA CITY — The Bay County Chamber of Commerce is hoping a new online tool will help bring a fresh crop of talent to the area as college students across the country make plans for the summer. The...
View Article