News Herald (Panama City, FL) articles from June 2011

News Herald (Panama City, FL) archives from June 2011

AIRPORT'S GRASS PROBLEMS WON'T DIE.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Pat Kelly June 30--PANAMA CITY BEACH -- As Yogi Berra once said: It's dej... vu, all over again. The Airport Authority board on Wednesday agreed to spend an extra $400,000 to mend the sod, winter rye grass and seed germination...

Hess, veterans meet; no agreement on gaming machines.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Chris Olwell June 30--PARKER -- Representatives from several local veterans organizations gathered Wednesday for a town hall meeting with law enforcement officials and representatives of the company that owns controversial gaming...

Tuition at FSU PC climbing 15 percent.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Chris Segal June 30--PANAMA CITY -- Florida State University Panama City students will pay an additional $19 per credit hour for the upcoming school year following a 15 percent tuition increase. The Florida Legislature during the...

Task force to study brownfield designation.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Chris Segal June 30--PANAMA CITY -- Stakeholders of the Bay County Economic Development Alliance mulled over the possibility of exploring "brownfield" sites to access economic incentives to recruit new businesses. The Bay County...

BRIEF: WRECK NEAR PIER PARK RESULTS IN FATALITY.
June 30, 2011... Byline: S. Brady Calhoun June 30---- A 17-year-old Panama City Beach girl was killed in a traffic crash on Back Beach Road late Wednesday afternoon. R a e n n a -- J o y L l a g u n a Garcia drove onto Back Beach from Powell Adams Road...

Sting targets copper thieves.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Chris Olwell June 30--PANAMA CITY -- Deputies with the Bay County Sheriff's Office made nine arrests this week during a sting operation targeting copper thieves, and more suspects might be charged later. Unfortunately for authorities,...

Bay fills volleyball job, close on football.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Brad Milner June 30--PANAMA CITY -- Bay High School may still be without a football coach, but it does have a volleyball mentor in the fold. Bay Principal Billy May confirmed on Wednesday that Mike Izumi has assumed the role as...

Rutherford still searching for girls soccer coach.
June 30, 2011... Byline: Pat McCann June 30--SPRINGFIELD -- Not all jobs are easy to fill during a slow economy. Rutherford Principal Mike Kennedy knew that girls head soccer coach Lisa Tonn was leaving the program after last season, and advertised the...

Correction.(Correction notice)
June 30, 2011... June 30--A story in Wednesday's paper indicated that Club Fusion's 18-under team will become the first age-group volleyball team to represent Bay County in a national tournament. However, in 1999 the Panama City Junior Volleyball Club Under-14...

Commission weighs homeless relocation.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Ali Helgoth June 29--PANAMA CITY -- Commissioner John Kady said it did not take much time on the City Commission to become a veteran of the downtown vagrancy issue. Among the lessons he said he learned is that the best way to...

Bay County to cut 11 jobs, delay projects.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Felicia Kitzmiller June 29--PANAMA CITY -- A revenue drop has forced Bay County to make dramatic cuts that will result in eliminating 11 positions and delaying capital projects in fiscal year 2011-2012. The estimated taxable value...

County, state hope to lure business.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Felicia Kitzmiller June 29---- The wheels keep turning to bring a medical software technology company and its 120-plus jobs to Bay County. The business, currently based in Washington state, has selected the Sprint-Nextel building at...

Officials favor plan for hotel downtown.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Ali Helgoth June 29--PANAMA CITY -- A proposal to build a seven-story hotel downtown seemed to be well received by the Panama City Commission, but there are several governmental hoops the developers will have to jump through in order...

Club Fusion energized by berth at national tournament.
June 29, 2011... Byline: Pat McCann June 29--When Steve and Marta Canfield were designing the logo for Club Fusion four years ago, they decided to represent the feeder schools for Mosley High School with three small volleyballs. There was scant thought...

BRIEF: Second Walmart possible in PCB.
June 28, 2011... Byline: Chris Segal June 28--PANAMA CITY BEACH -- A traffic study submitted to the city of Panama City Beach outlines the possibility of a new Walmart near Target and Pier Park. Walmart conducted a traffic impact study in May to evaluate...

Corps rules on disputed gates.
June 28, 2011... Byline: Pat Kelly June 28--PANAMA CITY BEACH -- The four vandalized Bid-A-Wee Beach gates are back, although not locked, and a new opinion from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers might be the key to keeping them there. The president of...

Bay to hold budget workshop today.
June 28, 2011... Byline: Felicia Kitzmiller June 28--PANAMA CITY -- The public will get its first glimpse into Bay County's financial situation for 2011-2012 today, but the preliminary document and numbers presented are the result of months of...

Hotel proposed for downtown Panama City.
June 28, 2011... Byline: Ali Helgoth June 28--PANAMA CITY -- Plans for a seven-story hotel and marina fronting Massalina Bayou are in the works, and the developers hope it will be just the start of downtown revitalization. The downtown $39 million,...

Growing strong.
June 28, 2011... Byline: S. Brady Calhoun June 28---- Right now, the tan, gray and black bundle of fur crawling on Vicki Wahl's shoulder looks like any cute kitten. But one day, this bobcat will be big. One day she will be a 40-pound killer. "She's like a...

Lynn Haven tackles 'less than optimum' budget.
June 28, 2011... Byline: Ali Helgoth June 28--LYNN HAVEN -- Lynn Haven will have a "less than optimum budget" in the next fiscal year, but major reductions are not expected. During a budget workshop Monday, City Manager John Lynch described preliminary...

BRIEF: Shooter pleads no contest to manslaughter.
June 28, 2011... Byline: Chris Olwell June 28--PANAMA CITY -- A suspect in a shooting death has pleaded no contest to manslaughter and was sentenced to eight years in prison. Tyberious Robinson, Derrick Weaver and Henry McLendon attempted to shoot a fourth...

Team Galati moves into second place in Triple Crown.
June 28, 2011... Byline: Brad Milner June 28--DESTIN -- Team Galati and Quick Time rose up the Gulf Coast Triple Crown Championship points standings with first-place finishes at the Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic on Saturday. Team Galati was first in...

Animal Control Committee set to meet.
June 27, 2011... Byline: Felicia Kitzmiller June 27--PANAMA CITY -- When an issue involving animal control traps appeared on the County Commission agenda during the first week of March, person after person addressed the council on behalf of the animals. ...

SLOT MACHINES OR VIDEO GAMES?
June 27, 2011... Byline: Chris Olwell June 27--PARKER -- A video game machine vendor has filed a lawsuit in Jackson County against the sheriff and the state attorney, asking a judge to prohibit authorities from shutting down what it says are legal video...

Drug bust helps city's bottom line.
June 27, 2011... Byline: Randal Yakey June 27--PARKER -- The city's Police Department will purchase equipment and pay some bills with funds from the city's Contraband Forfeiture Fund. Last week, the Parker City Council voted to allow the purchase two X-26...

Festival feud ongoing.
June 27, 2011... Byline: Pat Kelly June 27--PANAMA CITY BEACH -- Josie Strange thought it was just plain wrong to hold an important discussion like expanding the concert facilities at Aaron Bessant Park at a 2 p.m. City Council meeting, when many people she...

Summit on status of Gulf scheduled.
June 27, 2011... Byline: Chris Segal June 27--The Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies will host the second "State of the Gulf of Mexico" summit in December. The conference will bring together elected officials, environmental experts and...

On the Banned Wagon.
June 26, 2011... Byline: Tony Simmons Online June 26--PANAMA CITY -- Twenty-five years ago, give or take a few months, Bay County entered a period of intense debate over the types of books middle school children should be allowed to read. The debate led to...

Mission trip to Kenya results in changed lives.
June 26, 2011... Byline: S. Brady Calhoun June 26--PANAMA CITY -- The missionaries from Northstar Church thought they were going to save the people of Africa. They thought, in their innocent way, that they would come to Kiu, Kenya, and rescue or at least...

HOME MAKEOVERS.
June 26, 2011... Byline: Ali Helgoth June 26--PANAMA CITY -- When Ella Oppenheimer moved into her Cove Lane home as a 33-year-old, there were some issues she didn't have to think about, such as whether the bathtub would be difficult to climb into or if the...

Revitalization program popular in several cities.
June 26, 2011... Byline: Ali Helgoth June 26--LYNN HAVEN -- Panama City is not the only municipality in the county where residents can benefit from the housing revitalization program. Lynn Haven, Springfield, Callaway and Mexico Beach participate by...

Budget cuts don't silence 90.7 FM.
June 26, 2011... Byline: Meridith Kaufman June 26--PANAMA CITY -- The state budget cut $4.8 million in funding for all public television and radio, which eliminated a $87,000 Community Service Grant for Gulf Coast State College radio station WKGC 90.7 FM. ...

Really, really free & fun.
June 26, 2011... Byline: Meridith Kaufman June 26---- The eclectic, the activists, the opportunistic and the curious flocked to McKenzie Park on Saturday afternoon to check out the Really, Really Free Market. "We wanted to bring the Really, Really Free Market...

Panama City woman to celebrate 109th birthday.
June 26, 2011... Byline: Randal Yakey June 26---- C.O.Z. Peterson turns 109 today. She was born June 26, 1902, the same day Edward VII was crowned king of England. She came into the world before the Model T was introduced, and in the same year the United...

Horne shoulders the burden.
June 26, 2011... Byline: Brad Milner June 26--TRENTON, N.J. -- Minor league pitcher Alan Horne has faced so much adversity that some day a surgical procedure may be commemorated in his name. The easiest thing for Horne would have been to give up on a...

Tuna takes top prize.
June 26, 2011... Byline: Brad Milner June 26--DESTIN -- The lack of big blue at the Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic kept the Gulf Coast Triple Crown Championship standings at a standstill. Six of the top eight boats in the standings after the...

Surf fishing offers its share of fun.
June 26, 2011... Byline: Pat Kelly June 26--PANAMA CITY BEACH -- Kerry Stroud said he's not trying to chase anyone away from pier fishing, but surf fishing can be another enjoyable way to wet a line. Stroud, currently the supervisor at the city's...

The BIG picture.
June 25, 2011... Byline: Pat Kelly June 25---- Hold on to your popcorn. The high-tech sensory experience of IMAX is coming to The Grand Theatre at Pier Park in mid-July, featuring the final "Harry Potter" movie in a special midnight viewing as the first film...

McKenzie Park hosts free market.
June 25, 2011... Byline: Tony Simmons Online June 25--PANAMA CITY -- The best things in life are free, which bodes well for the "Really Really Free Market" coming to McKenzie Park today. Participants may find free haircuts, face painting, card readers,...

Public tests surgical robot.
June 25, 2011... Byline: Chris Segal June 25--PANAMA CITY -- Colorful rubbery tendrils with rubber bands protruded from a petri dish as small mechanical tongs controlled by a nearby human controller navigated the training tool. The demonstration of the da...

Meth indictment names 15.
June 25, 2011... Byline: Chris Olwell June 25--PANAMA CITY -- More than a dozen people are named in a federal indictment that alleges a conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine in Alabama, Georgia and Florida. The 12-page indictment, which was unsealed...

Field day to offer ham radio demos.
June 25, 2011... Byline: Felicia Kitzmiller June 25--SOUTHPORT -- Local amateur radio operators will be hamming it up at field day demonstrations at Bay County's Emergency Operations Center this weekend. The Panama City Ham Radio Club is inviting the...

Contest raising money for Humane Society.
June 25, 2011... Byline: Ali Helgoth June 25--PANAMA CITY -- Valentina, with an orange bow in her hair, was leading the pack Friday afternoon in the Humane Society of Bay County's Calendar Friend contest. Those who think their pets have what it takes to...

Women's Expo set for today at Panama City Mall.
June 25, 2011... Byline: Meridith Kaufman June 25--PANAMA CITY -- Women have a good reason to head to the mall today, and it's not just for shopping. The Central Panhandle Chapter of the American Red Cross is hosting the fifth annual Panhandle Women's...

'On fire for God'.
June 25, 2011... Byline: Tony Simmons Online June 25--SOUTHPORT -- Brandon Wilson has wanted to play in a rock band since he was 7 years old and heard stories of his uncle, who had played drums in a band that opened for the Smashing Pumpkins. "Starting in...

Blue Marlin Classic off to slow start.
June 25, 2011... Byline: Brad Milner June 25--DESTIN -- Fishing returned to the Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic on Friday, but the fish did not. It was an expectedly slow night at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort's Baytowne Marina docks, with no...

ZOO DAY AT THE LIBRARY.
June 24, 2011... Byline: Ali Helgoth June 24--PANAMA CITY -- It's common knowledge among children that one must never smile at a crocodile; alligators, however, are apparently fair game. So when Stephanie Willard, director of education for ZooWorld,...

Loud clubs now face fines for excessive noise.
June 24, 2011... Byline: Pat Kelly June 24---- Clubs, muffle your noisemakers. Beachfront businesses like the popular dance clubs along Front Beach Road should begin closely monitoring their sound levels, city officials said Thursday. The City Council...

PANAMA CITY MALL ADDING 3 STORES.
June 24, 2011... Byline: Chris Segal June 24--PANAMA CITY -- Bed, Bath & Beyond will relocate from the store's current location on 23rd Street to Panama City Mall. Also opening in the mall this fall will be two other stores, America's Best Contacts &...

Murder suspect takes plea deal.
June 24, 2011... Byline: Chris Olwell June 24--PANAMA CITY -- One of two men accused of shooting a 16-year-old boy in the head and killing another man pleaded no contest Thursday in circuit court to third-degree murder. Kendal Martin was sentenced to 15...

Officials urge public: Put bite on mosquitoes.
June 24, 2011... Byline: Pat Kelly June 24--PANAMA CITY BEACH -- The area is in the midst of a drought, but if a good rain comes the mosquito eggs will begin hatching. Cindy Mulla, head of Beach Mosquito Control District (BMCD) public relations and education,...

Robotic arsenal.
June 24, 2011... Byline: Randal Yakey June 24--PANAMA CITY BEACH -- An aquatic robot swam along the side of a ship Thursday in a demonstration of new technology at the U.S. Navy's Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City. It's all part of the testing of...

Group seeks solutions to infant, fetal deaths.
June 24, 2011... Byline: Felicia Kitzmiller June 24--PANAMA CITY -- Each month last year, a team of professionals compiled details of every case of infant and fetal death in Bay, Gulf and Franklin counties, seeking to stop the deaths of those who barely had...

Gators want quickest route to championship series.
June 24, 2011... Byline: Jason Shoot June 24--OMAHA, Neb. -- A scene in National Lampoon's European Vacation portrays lead character Clark Griswold driving his family around the Lambeth Bridge Roundabout for hours, unable to maneuver his car through traffic...

Teenage duo begins sailing adventure.
June 24, 2011... Byline: Jason Shoot June 24--PANAMA CITY -- Matthew Whitehead and Taylor Reiss don't need a travel agent. They've got their moms instead. The whirlwind summer for Whitehead and Reiss continues when the two teenage sailors fly to Europe...

Redistricting concerns aired.
June 23, 2011... Byline: Ali Helgoth June 23--PANAMA CITY -- Panhandle residents said they want fair representation in state and federal government, but there was disagreement Wednesday on the best way to ensure it. The residents were sharing their...

'We need rain'.
June 23, 2011... Byline: Chris Olwell June 23--PANAMA CITY -- The Panhandle is in the midst of a drought as severe as any in recent history, resulting in wildfires galore and there might not be any help on the way for the area's struggling farmers. The...

Nelson, Southerland, Rubio, Patronis react to speech.
June 23, 2011... Byline: S. Brady Calhoun June 23--PANAMACITY--PresidentBarack Obama told the nation Wednesday night that the U.S. military was winning the war in Afghanistan and that it was time to bring the troops home and end the decade-long conflict. ...

Monthly trolley fare goes up $5.
June 23, 2011... Byline: Randal Yakey June 23--PANAMA CITY -- The monthly pass to ride the Bay Town Trolley will go up $5 as of July 1. The Bay County Transportation Planning Organization voted unanimously to raise the rate from $25 to $30 at its...

Police set to enforce stringent noise law.
June 23, 2011... Byline: Pat Kelly June 23--PANAMA CITY BEACH -- PANAMA CITY BEACH -- Spring breakers this year might have escaped town before the new noise regulations hit the streets. But just in time for the summer season, City Council members are...

Bright Futures deadline approaching.
June 23, 2011... Byline: Chris Segal June 23--PANAMA CITY -- A legislative change to Florida's Bright Futures Scholarship program requires all current and future recipients to complete a federal application before July or they will not receive any Bright...

Text to mom seals drug suspect's arrest.
June 23, 2011... Byline: S. Brady Calhoun June 23--BAYOU GEORGE -- Anthony Paul Burdeshaw wanted his mother to clean up his room and do the dishes. Unfortunately for the 33-year-old, the text message he used to convey his wishes led to his arrest, police...

WATERMELONS GALORE.
June 23, 2011... Byline: Meridith Kaufman June 23--Watermelons are rolling into Chipley this weekend for the 55th annual Panhandle Watermelon Festival. "Friday kicks it off with free music and fireworks after the show at Pals Park from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.,"...

Panama City reviews relationship with EDA.
June 22, 2011... Byline: Ali Helgoth June 22--PANAMA CITY -- During a workshop Tuesday night, city commissioners discussed whether they should consider pulling out of some organizations, such as the Economic Development Alliance, and put more stringent review...

PCPD REJECTS SPEED LIMIT INCREASE.
June 22, 2011... Byline: S. Brady Calhoun June 22--PANAMA CITY -- Panama City police offered a clinic for chronic speeders Tuesday on State Avenue as a host of black-and-white cruisers pulled over, and gave tickets to, lead-footed drivers. PCPD sent out...

West Bay Parkway alternatives discussed.
June 22, 2011... Byline: Pat Kelly June 22--PANAMA CITY BEACH -- The shortest and least expensive route for the proposed West Bay Parkway would be nearer the coast and have the harshest environmental impact, while the most expensive route would have less of a...

Tyndall water bill conflict goes to court.
June 22, 2011... Byline: Randal Yakey June 22--PANAMA CITY -- Bay County and Tyndall Air Force Base's fight over just less than $1 million in unpaid water bills has gone to court. The case is referred to as Bay County v. USA, and was sent to the...

Home, condo sales up in P.C. area.(Financial report)
June 22, 2011... Byline: Chris Segal June 22--PANAMA CITY -- Home and condo sales increased during May, but despite fewer foreclosures hitting the market, the quick and cheap sales still are keeping average sales prices down, according to local Realtors. ...

Beating victim dies; charges upgraded.
June 22, 2011... Byline: Chris Olwell June 22--PANAMA CITY -- After the deathofabeatingvictim,theState Attorney's Office has upgraded the charges against the suspect. It has been three months since Daryl Alexander Jackson was arrested and charged with beating...

Importing homeless concerns commission.
June 22, 2011... Byline: Ali Helgoth June 22--PANAMA CITY -- Bay County commissioners have joined the chorus of those concerned about vagrants in downtown Panama City. C o m m i s s i o n e r M i k e Thomas said he was concerned to learn other counties...

Ducktails bobbysox and kids.
June 22, 2011... Byline: Tony Simmons Online June 22--PANAMA CITY -- The rumble of motorcycle engines heralds the arrival of the Yellow Jackets gang, who strut into the malt shop like they own the place. They are an assemblage of leather, ducktail hair and...

Animal cruelty case ends in mistrial.
June 22, 2011... Byline: Chris Olwell June 22--PANAMA CITY -- Coco Chanel was a good cat. Where Adrian was quiet and reserved, Coco was outgoing curious and inquisitive. According to prosecutors, those qualities might have gotten Coco Chanel killed. ...

Get empowered: Health club hosts free self-defense seminar.
June 22, 2011... Byline: Meridith Kaufman June 22--PANAMA CITY -- Women of Bay County can gain confidence and learn self-defense tactics at 5:30 p.m. Monday at the Panama City Health Club during a free Women's Empowerment and Self Defense Seminar. "We...

Teachers union eyes pay-cut options.
June 21, 2011... Byline: S. Brady Calhoun June 21--PANAMA CITY -- Teachers will get a 3 percent pay cut this year, followed by either a pay freeze or a four-day furlough and an as-yetunknown change in their health insurance that could mean another cut. ...

Officials weigh proposal for Rescue Mission.
June 21, 2011... Byline: Ali Helgoth June 21--PANAMA CITY -- In Northwest Florida, services for the homeless are largely focused in Bay County. So, it didn't really come as a surprise to some when two city council members in Port St. Joe wondered why the...

CONCERT CONTROVERSY.
June 21, 2011... Byline: Pat Kelly June 21--PANAMA CITY BEACH -- Plans to expand the concert facilities at Aaron Bessant Park are causing concerns about jamming more and more people into the limited space of a park meant to be "passive." Councilman Ken Nelson...

Workshop to focus on proposed rules for spotted seatrout.
June 21, 2011... Byline: Chris Olwell June 21--PANAMACITY--Recreationaland commercial fishers who want to voice their opinion on possible changes to spotted seatrout regulations will get the opportunity to speak their mind today during a Florida Fish and...

Pain clinic closed; PCB doctor charged.
June 21, 2011... Byline: Chris Olwell June 21--PANAMA CITY BEACH -- The Bay County Sheriff 's Office on Monday raided and shuttered a pain management clinic operated by a doctor who was indicted last year on 35 drug-related counts. RobertBruceSperrazza,58,was...

Womack's new book.
June 21, 2011... Byline: Tony Simmons Online June 21--PANAMA CITY -- As a columnist and historian, Marlene Womack has kept her eye on the places we came from and the lives we led, the people and events that formed the region in which we live. In her...

Finch driver Cassill making strides.
June 21, 2011... Byline: Jason Shoot June 21--James Finch is the anti-Bobby Flay. Finch doesn't sugarcoat his expressions the way Flay might sweeten a dessert. Finch doesn't mince his words, either, or tenderize them like the culinary icon would a flank...

Fare hike proposed for trolley.
June 20, 2011... Byline: Felicia Kitzmiller June 20--PANAMA CITY -- People taking the Bay Town Trolley soon could be paying more for rides. One week after announcing record ridership, West Florida Regional Planning Council staff will put a proposal for...

Southwest spending questioned.
June 20, 2011... Byline: Pat Kelly June 20--PANAMA CITY BEACH -- Buddy Wilkes wants to know why Southwest Airlines is spending so little to promote Panama City Beach in the Nashville, Tenn., market. Wilkes, chairman of the Bay County Tourist Development...

GETTING ENOUGH NEIGHBORS TO AGREE CAN BE A ROADBLOCK.
June 20, 2011... Byline: Felicia Kitzmiller June 20--PANAMA CITY -- When it's dry, the road is dusty and cars, houses and people are covered in a thin layer of grit; when it rains, the road turns into a hazardous, pitted track coated in mud. And despite their...

Free 'Beach Bus' rides coming.
June 20, 2011... Byline: Pat Kelly June 20--PANAMA CITY BEACH -- Free "Beach Bus" rides will be provided up and down Front Beach Road this summer, giving visitors and locals alike the ability simply to wave the large buses down and go anywhere they want along...