Community

By Julie McConnell, UF/IFAS Extension Bay County Living in Northwest Florida, we get to enjoy birds all year long and by creating appropriate habitats in our landscapes we can attract a wide spectrum of species. This month we will cover Florida Friendly Landscaping™ Principle, Gardening for Wildlife, specifically attracting birds. What...

By Ellie Spivey, Principal Last year we celebrated the Silver Anniversary for Patronis Elementary School. This 25-year milestone marks a time to highlight our Patronis Panther Pride and our tradition of excellence! Patronis is not just an elementary school. It is a family-oriented environment where our students love learning and our...

By Marta Rose-Thorpe The Bay EDA’s (Economic Development Alliance) mission is to work with local companies to help them grow and expand, as well as work to recruit new companies to come into our area. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Becca Hardin, President of the Bay...

Northwest Regional Library System (NWRLS), serving Bay, Gulf, and Liberty counties, is again offering scholarships to the Career Online High School program, designed for adults aged 19 and over who lack a high school diploma. This nationally accredited program allows adult students to earn an accredited high school diploma (not...

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...