Community

By Bill Husfelt, Superintendent, Bay District Schools Despite the challenges associated with opening schools during a pandemic, I am so pleased to report that our teachers are teaching, our students are learning and we’re all working together every single day to overcome new challenges. We’re half way through the school year,...

By Anna McKay When was the last time you wondered when or where your next meal would come from? For many children in Bay County, hunger is more than a temporary discomfort — it dominates their lives. In the aftermath of Hurricane Michael and with working hours lost to the...

Camp Helen State Park offers kayak rentals, adding to the already wide range of park activities. Sponsored by the Friends of Camp Helen, kayak rentals on Lake Powell will begin full time this Spring, seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Single Kayaks are $15 per hour...

Looking for 30 Bigs in 30 Days During March Matchness 2021 Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida (BBBSNWFL) has launched their March MATCHness recruitment campaign. Throughout the month of March, BBBSNWFL is aiming to recruit 30 Bigs in 30 days to help fill their bracket and match new mentors...

By Marta Rose-Thorpe For years Jimy Thorpe had felt the urge to give back. A veteran, Jimy had served as a young man in the U.S. Army for eight years and had always held the highest regard for the men and women who serve our country and keep us safe....

By Jamie Zimchek, Editor Deftly directing an armful of rich shantung silk under the needle, designer Nicole Paloma finishes the seam, stands up, and shakes out a fully formed Seville skirt. For those of us who reached our sewing apogee making three-pleat masks, this is something akin to magic. For...

By Mayor Mark Sheldon Having just had several consecutive days of 70-plus degree temperatures, we are excited for the busy spring and summer seasons! You can’t live in this part of the country and not look forward to consistently warmer temperatures, outdoor activities like bike riding and kayaking, pulling our flip-flops...

By Deniece Moss, Principal of West Bay Elementary School “Every student by name and need.” This phrase has been the daily mantra here at West Bay Elementary School since reviving our school in 2015. These are words the teachers, administrators, and staff at our “Small School, with a BIG Heart”...

By Ruth Corley, Public Affairs Specialist for BCSO They say time flies when you’re having fun. Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford has spent the last four years—his first term—in almost continuous crisis mode with barely the time to catch his breath between each challenge. It’s not what the Sheriff would...

Remember the days when you could go way out in the country and practice shooting your firearm? It wasn’t the safest practice, but it was all you had at the time. Though that’s still a possibility for some, the majority of people buying firearms for safety and sport find...