Community

By Jamie Zimchek James and Tracy Talley have a thing for birds - it wasn’t an intentional thing, but it’s a thing. Or as James Talley tells it, neither of them can remember actually having the conversation about starting a bird sanctuary, it just happened. “How do you wind up...

By Bobbie Brigman, Executive Director The Beginning Sometimes, in spite of our own ambitions, God shows us wonderful mercies and opportunities we never even dreamed of. Weary of stints in “corporate America,” one of our founders decided to follow her heart. She had always (since the age of 12) dreamed...

The seventh annual Movies & More series at Camp Helen State Park began on Thursday, June 10. The summer fun series will continue Thursday evenings June 24, July 8, and 22. We will feature a different food truck each week that will be parked at Camp Helen starting 5 p.m....

By Mayor Mark Sheldon As any beach safety official or lifeguard will tell you, the single most important thing you can do when it comes to water safety is to learn to swim. Teach your children to swim so you can have that peace of mind when it comes to...

By Bill Husfelt, Superintendent, Bay District Schools Hands-on learning is at the core of what we do at Bay District Schools and I am SO excited about a new partnership between BDS, the St. Joe Community Foundation and the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF). The Gulf of Mexico is literally our...

By Laura Laspee, Branch Manager, Panama City Beach Public Library Neil Gaiman writes, “Libraries are our friends.” This is where my story begins. I grew up spending every Saturday at the local public library solving mysteries with Nancy Drew, spinning delicate webs with Charlotte, and imagining winning a golden ticket...

Nearly 1 in 10 Americans age 12 or older struggle with substance abuse, involving alcohol or illicit drugs according to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration. When you look at the great work being done by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, it’s unfortunately not difficult to wrap...

Island Air Express is excited to announce a unique opportunity for young students this summer. The flight school will offer an introduction to the world of aviation through the Flight School Association of America’s AeroCamp. Students ages 11-18 are invited to participate in the program which will run from...

By Marta Rose-Thorpe Gary Michaels moved to Panama City Beach from Lexington, Kentucky in 2020. Central Kentucky, where he lived, is one of the most beautiful places in the world, he feels. “It’s a black hole… there’s something about the feel, the people, the surroundings – it will definitely suck...

By Julie McConnell, UF/IFAS Extension Bay County May 20th was World Bee Day celebrating the roles of bees and other pollinators internationally. European honey bees always seem to be in the spotlight, but did you know there are over 300 bee species found in Florida? There is a great variety...