ALFORD — A Compass Lake man has been taken to jail for allegedly trying steal a boombox from Wal-Mart.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office received a call at about 6 p.m. Friday from the loss prevention department of Wal-Mart security in Alford about a man fleeing the area after being confronted about a theft. A Deputy located Steven Edward Altieri, 33, on McDuff Drive in the Highlands of Compass Lake and took him into custody at 6:42 p.m., authorities reported.

Investigators said Altieri was shopping in the store with a female companion. The female purchased several items and made her way to the exit.

Altieri took control of the buggy and went back into the store where he placed a rechargeable boombox valued at approximately $90 in the buggy along with the other items. After walking around the store for a while, Altieri attempted to leave the store without paying for the boombox, JCSO reported.

Once he was passed the point of sale he was detained by loss prevention. However, he refused to return to the office and left in the female’s vehicle. As the Loss Prevention Associate was attempting to obtain a tag number, Altieri bent the tag over in an attempt to prevent him from doing so.

A check of Altieri’s criminal history revealed that he was convicted of retail theft/grand theft over $300 from a Wal-Mart in Marimar. A second or subsequent retail theft charge is classified as a felony in Florida and he was charged as such. Altieri is also on State Probation and was charged with Violation of State Probation. He was taken to the Jackson County Correctional Facility to await first appearance.

PANAMA CITY — In the wake of a wave of shooting and killing in Panama City, several groups of concerned citizens have joined forces to put out the word that gun violence will not be tolerated.

Between late-May and early-June, five people were killed with guns. Groups of concerned citizens in the Glenwood community, where a majority of the violence has occurred, began to form with hopes of putting an end to the violence before the body-count rises.

“We are all different organizations, working for the same thing with different segments of the population,” said Gregory Dossie, an organizer of the group Stop the Madness. “We are holding a series of events, building up to the Stop the Violence Rally.”

After the first shooting in the series occurred May 24 at a Millville gas station, left 25-year-old Marqueze McGhee and 23-year-old Xavier M. Buckler dead, concerned mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters in the community began discussing strategies to curb all kinds of violence.

Stop the Madness, which focuses on anger management and conflict resolution, scheduled a demonstration before Father’s Day. However, several other shootings followed and derailed the hopes of bringing together a large group of people to demonstrate their discontent.

“We wanted to give time for the authorities to apprehend the responsible parties,” Dossie said. “If we are dealing with warring sides, we couldn’t have members of either side showing up and causing a problem.”

Since May 24, Leonard Price, 38, of Panama City, was shot at close range May 28 in the yard of a Carver Road home. Then Jshun Smith, 19, was shot and killed outside a Panama City nightclub on June 9 apparently after an argument involving the girlfriend of the alleged shooter. And most recently, Samuel McGriff Jr., 17, was shot while standing in an outdoor common area of the Macedonia Gardens Apartment complex on 17th Street June 19.

Stop the Violence has the support of elected officials and law enforcement agencies, who have reached out to the community for information on suspects in the shootings. Organizers said Panama City Police Department, Bay County Sheriff’s Department and Bay District Schools are helping in any way possible.

The respective groups met last Thursday night at the Glenwood Community Center in Panama City to plan a “Stop the Violence” rally event on July 26, to talk about ways to spread conflict resolution methods and begin to take back the community.

Dossie said a starting point would be cutting down the number of convicted felon with firearms in the area.

“We don’t have a dangerous community,” Dossie said. “It’s not an aspect of our community that is dangerous, we have dangerous individuals throughout Bay County. And you have to be aware of what is going on in your neighborhood to combat them.”

A series of demonstrations will occur in July, building toward the main rally.

— July 4: Prayer and Petition Service at St. Johns Missionary Baptist Church at 8 p.m.

- July 5: Panama City Youth Movement at 11 a.m. (location to be determined). 

- July 12: Forum at Martin Luther King Jr. Recreational Center at 1 p.m.

- July 26: Walk/Rally at Tommy Oliver Stadium. The group is scheduled to meet at the Glenwood Community Center in Panama City at 8 a.m. The rally begins at 4 p.m.

PANAMA CITY — Imagine a campus where everyone is welcomed to carry firearms concealed in their vehicles. It’s soon likely to be a local reality.

As a wave of shootings has swept school campuses at every level, a state appellate court ruling has freed up Second Amendment rights by ruling that university and college campuses are not school districts and therefore are not eligible to waive students’ rights to carry weapons.

The ruling will change the way campuses across the state are approaching gun rights. Gulf Coast State College and Florida State University Panama City are already on the bandwagon.

At the last GCSC Board of Trustees meeting, the board approved the first reading of a policy that permits anyone of at least 18 years of age, including students, faculty, staff and guests, to carry a weapon on GCSC campuses.

The policy, which must be passed a second time to be officially approved, states the firearm or other weapon must be concealed and not readily accessible within a private vehicle.

“The law currently only allows for firearms and weapons to be carried inside a vehicle that is secured,” director of campus safety and security David Thomasee wrote in an email Thursday.

Florida State University Panama City campus is soon to adopt a similar policy, according campus police officer Lt. Steve Sellers.

When asked about the kind of impact the policy change will have on campus, Major Jim Russell, FSUPC deputy chief of police and spokesman, gave an impartial statement, saying the school’s police department doesn’t take an opinionated position, but “uphold laws.”

Thomasee said active shooters are a possibility in Florida, but there are other things that will more likely cause death.

“There’s hundreds of thousands of fires every year, storms, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes — all of those things are more likely to happen here than an active shooter,” he said. “But, we want to be prepared for the unthinkable, or the unimaginable, so that’s what we do.”

And, for the most part, securing the campus is the same or similar for any emergency crisis situation, he said.

Safe campuses

Since the Sandy Hook shooting, active shooter incidents have hit 35 college or university campuses across the country.

FSUPC and GCSC campuses have been relatively safe.

According to data from both schools, weapons violations are rare. Since 2010, FSUPC has reported only one incident involving an illegal weapon on campus; GCSC reported one weapon incident for 2012.

After Columbine in 1999, Maj. Russell wrote in an email, FSU Police Department changed how they prepared for and responded to emergencies.

“We understand disaster can strike anywhere and dedicate much time to intensive and realistic training,” the email stated.

Both police agencies say they are committed to the mission of safe campuses and the policy will not affect the level of security.

“A lot of people are concerned about active shooters ... it’s a situation that you can’t control,” Thomasee said.

“The people that are breaking the law already, don’t care if you have a law that says they can’t do it,” he added. “But, law abiding citizens that are doing the right thing, keeping that firearm concealed in their vehicle, you would never know that” they had a secured firearm. 

Gulf Coast State College

Offenses, 2011, 2012, 2013

Burglary, 3, 0, 2

Drug law violations, 3, 3, 1

Liquor law violations, 2, 2, 1

Illegal weapons violation, 0, 1, 0

*No murders, manslaughters, sex offenses (forcible and non-forcible), aggravated assaults, arsons or motor vehicle thefts were reported 2011 to 2013.

Florida State University Panama City

Offenses, 2010, 2011, 2012

Liquor law arrests, 2, 1, 1

Drug law arrests, 4, 2, 2

Weapon law violations, 1, 0, 0

*No murders, manslaughters, sex offenses (forcible and non-forcible), aggravated assaults, arsons, motor vehicle thefts, burglaries or hate crimes were reported 2010 to 2012.

Crimes reports for 2013 will not be available until latter half of 2014.

Read court opinions

Read more about campus safety at GCSC and FSCPC

DOTHAN, Ala. (AP) — Ten men accused of illegally selling firearms at a southeastern Alabama flea market have been arrested, federal prosecutors said Monday.

Agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives started investigating gun sales at Sadie’s Flea Market near Dothan after federal agents were informed of the questionable sales, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama George Beck told the Dothan Eagle.

The market’s organizers weren’t involved in the firearms sales, which date back to at least October 2013, Beck said.

Undercover informants made purchases as part of the investigation. More than 200 guns and 500 rounds of ammunition were seized in the operation, federal prosecutors said in a statement.

“We’re not targeting guns or people’s right to bear arms, but we’re trying to protect it,” Beck told the newspaper. “It’s so that law-abiding citizens can own guns.” He added that the investigation is meant to uphold federal laws aimed at protecting Second Amendment rights.

“One of those rules is a person is prohibited from knowingly selling a gun to a felon. That rule is important to protect the citizens because we don’t want guns to get into the hands of those who have committed serious crimes,” Beck said.

The men who are charged in the investigation range from 27 to 84 years old, and are from Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

Nine of the 10 are charged with knowingly selling guns to convicted felons and four have also been charged with selling firearms without a license. Some of the men charged in the case are also convicted felons, which prohibits them from legally owning firearms. 

PANAMA CITY -- A Panama City Beach man was jailed early Monday after he tried to rob a convenience store with a knife but was taken down by a customer and held until police arrived, according to Panama City Police.

Chase Allen Sellers, 26, allegedly entered the Mr. Mart on West 11^th Street around 3:15 a.m. Monday and told a customer to “stand back, I am about to rob this place.” Then he pulled a knife and demanded money from the clerk. A customer disarmed him and held him on the floor until police arrived.

Sellers was taken to a hospital to be treated for neck and wrist pain before he was booked into the Bay County Jail for robbery with a deadly weapon.

Police are also investigating whether Sellers was involved in a similar robbery June 28 at the EZ Lane on East FifthStreet.

Sellers pleaded no contest last week to petit theft for ducking out of a Panama City Beach saloon earlier this month with a fistful of cash (later determined to be $19) that a worker watched him pull from a tip jar. 

PANAMA CITY -- Panama City Police are seeking information that leads to the identification of the person who shot a man in the wrist in a Panama City hotel room Friday.

Officers went to American quality Lodge at 4810 W. Highway 98 and found victim Justin Hembree shot in the right wrist. Police described his injury as non-life-threatening, and said Hembree was not cooperative with investigators. He was treated at a local hospital.

Few details are available, but police spoke to witnesses who said a possible suspect is a black man who wore tan pants and a black hooded sweatshirt.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Kelly McLaughlin at 872-3100 or report it anonymously to CrimeStoppers at 785-TIPS (8477).

PANAMA CITY -- A man who was allowed an overnight visit with two children — one of them his — packed up and left the state without permission has been arrested in Georgia, Panama City Police said.

Allen Moss Jr. is awaiting transportation back to Bay County to face charges of interfering with child custody.

On June 23, Moss picked up two kids, ages 3 and 7 months, and told their mother he would return them the following night. Moss’ sister called the mother after Moss packed his stuff and left her home, where he had been staying, without notifying the mother.

The children have health concerns, so their mother called police. Moss turned himself in to authorities in East Point, Georgia, after he found out Panama City Police were looking for him. 

PANAMA CITY — A man who was arrested last week on charges of fleeing police and felony gun possession has been rearrested after DNA evidence tied him to an unsolved case in May.

Sammie “Trigger Tre” Underwood III, 21, who is in the Bay County Jail on several pending felonies and is suspected by police of having a connection to the unsolved slaying of 17-year-old Samuel McGriff earlier this month, is now charged with felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, carrying a concealed firearm, resisting an officer without violence and several drug charges, according to Panama City Police.

The charges come as a result of DNA testing on a hat left at a crime scene. On May 10, Panama City Police officers tried to stop a white Chevy Tahoe, but the driver took off and led police on a short chase that ended when the driver and a passenger jumped from the still-moving vehicle and disappeared on the 700 block of 13th Court.

Officers noticed the driver was wearing a baseball hat they later found in a backyard he had run through. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement matched DNA found on the hat to Underwood.

The Tahoe, which caused only minor damage and no injuries when it proceeded driverless through a front yard into a home, was found to contain a loaded handgun, drugs and paraphernalia.

It’s the third gun possession charge for Trigger Tre in June alone.

He was charged with a weapons violation for a June 18 incident on the 700 block of Redwood Avenue for allegedly firing several shots that hit at least two cars and two homes in the neighborhood. No one was hit, but the occupants of one home were forced to take cover in a bathtub.

Four days later, on June 22, Underwood was arrested after police were called to a robbery with shots fired at Bambi’s Dollhouse. Underwood and an alleged accomplice drove past the scene as officers were investigating, and witnesses pointed them out as the robbers.

When police attempted to stop their car, Underwood, who served about a year in prison for gun crimes before he was released last spring, allegedly led them on a chase before he and his accomplice were arrested.

Police have said Underwood is possibly connected to McGriff’s death, which was the fifth gun homicide in Panama City in the span of a month, but they have not specified how. Police still are actively investigating each case.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Joe Adams or Detective Jeff Rogers with the Panama City Police at 872-3100 or report tips anonymously to CrimeStoppers at 785-TIPS (8477). 

PANAMA CITY — The lawyer of a defunct bank who attempted to defraud the federal government out of about $4 million could be facing disbarment after his July sentencing.

Frank Alfred Baker, attorney and board member of the now-defunct Coastal Community Investments of Panama City Beach, was found guilty in May on eight felony fraud counts, including conspiracy, wire fraud, making false statements to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and causing a false claim to be filed against the United States.

The Florida Bar suspended Baker for his role until July 4. Generally, after a lawyer is convicted of committing a felony, the bar pursues disbarment, though a spokeswoman could not state if this would be their goal for Baker.

“While he is suspended, he cannot practice law and the bar will move forward with a discipline case against him,” said Susannah Lyle, spokeswoman for the Florida Bar. “Generally, when there is a felony conviction, disbarment is the presumption.”

The bar announced Monday the Florida Supreme Court in recent court orders disciplined 27 attorneys, disbarring seven and suspending 14. Baker was among those suspended June 5 for 30 days.

The time “allows the person time to close their practice and protect clients’ rights,” Lyle said.

After that, the bar will look into disbarment.

In 2013, of the 96,559 lawyers certified by Florida’s Bar, 58 were disbarred from practicing law in the state.

Disbarred lawyers may not reapply for admission for five years. They are required to go through an extensive process that rejects many who apply. It includes a rigorous background check and retaking the bar exam. Historically, less than 5 percent of disbarred lawyers seek readmission, but that could be the least of Baker’s worries as his July 17 sentencing approaches.

While he and the other two men involved in Coastal Community Investment — Terry Dubose, 66, president and CEO; and Elwood “Woody” West, 40, chief financial officer and shareholder — are free on bond until then, each faces up to 30 years in prison.

The additional count against Baker of causing a false claim to be filed against the U.S. could carry an additional five years. 

PORT ST. JOE —

It’s not the first time Jerrod Slick has been sent to the Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee for treatment, which Judge John Fishel ordered after finding Slick incompetent to proceed during an arraignment hearing Tuesday on a charge of second-degree murder stemming from the brutal slaying of Slick’s mother, Renee Coffee, in May.

Slick was deemed incompetent after his arrest on two counts each of arson and burglary stemming from a fire at the Port St. Joe Masonic Lodge in December 2012. He was treated and released from the hospital, and he was free on bond Coffee posted for him when she was killed, said prosecutor Bob Sombathy.

Staff at the hospital diagnosed Slick with depression, but he was re-evaluated after he attempted suicide while out on bond, Sombathy said. The doctor who re-evaluated Slick said he was psychotic, Sombathy said.

During Tuesday’s hearing, Slick declined representation by the Public Defender’s Office. He told Fishel he didn’t want a lawyer.

“I was going to self-represent on the murder charge, sir,” Slick said.

Nonetheless, Fishel conditionally appointed a public defender to represent Slick. He explained that he would have to hold a lengthy hearing to determine whether Slick would be allowed to act as his own attorney, and he didn’t want to have that hearing until Slick had been deemed competent.

Slick did not object.

He didn’t enter a plea either, and Fishel continued the hearing until the hospital sends him back. His next court appearance was not scheduled.

“Your honor,” Slick asked Fishel, “Is this going to be like the last time?”

“Not exactly,” Fishel replied. 

PARKER — The Parker City Council appointed Lt. Dennes Hutto as chief of police Tuesday to replace the current retiring chief.

Hutto will take over for Chief Charles Sweatt effective on Sweatt’s last day, Aug. 29. Sweatt gave Hutto his endorsement during the meeting.

Hutto has worked for the department for 17 years, nine in a supervisory role. He also was the grant writer for the department, bringing in 18 grants for more than $100,000.

“The future and continuity of any police department is based on upward mobility within the department,” Sweatt said. “Employees are already vetted by working for you for a while. He’s the best person for the job.”

Mayor Rich Musgrave discussed the possibility of using the Florida Police Chief’s Association to help select candidates from outside the department. Two residents also agreed with this option.

Three residents also supported Hutto during public participation at the beginning of the meeting.

The council voted unanimously to appoint Hutto.

“There’s so much dissension from rank and file officers when you bring in a change from the outside,” Councilman Ken Jones said. “The only reason to go outside is when you don’t have someone qualified.”

What Hutto’s salary will be was not discussed at the meeting. Sweatt said he was receiving a salary of $62,000 a year. When he took over as chief in 2001, he said he was paid about $50,000.

Hutto was not expecting to be appointed at the meeting.

“I’m going to let the shock wear off,” he said. “I’m extremely pleased, overjoyed. It’s a lot of hard work coming to fruition.”

Sweatt said he plans to spend the beginning of his retirement traveling, specifically visiting his son in south Florida. He said he is looking forward to no longer being awakened at odd hours and being able to sit down with his morning coffee without worrying what happened the previous night.

However, he added during the meeting that he will be available in an advisory role for Hutto even after his last day as chief. 

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Two Georgia men will be honored by the Carnegie Foundation after saving two people from drowning off Panama City Beach.

Tyler Feagun, of Dallas, Ga., and Dillon Humphries of Hiram, Ga. were on a sandbar halfway between the beach and Melvin Todd and Tatiana Nelthrope, who were pulled into deep water by a current on April 10, 2013. Feagun swam with Todd to shore. Humphries placed Nelthrope on his shoulders and swam toward shore. None of the victims or rescuers was injured, the Carnegie Foundation said.

Feagun and Humphries are among 22 people to be honored on Wednesday with medals and cash awards. The other 21 winners were from Alberta, Arkansas, British Columbia, California, Florida, Ohio, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Tennessee and Texas. Four of them died while trying to save people from burning, drowning or assault.

The Carnegie Hero awards are named for Pittsburgh industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who was inspired by stories of heroism during a coal mine disaster that killed 181 people, including a miner and an engineer who died trying to rescue others.

The commission investigates stories of heroism and awards medals and cash grants several times a year. It has given away more than $36 million to nearly 10,000 awardees or their families since its inception in 1904. 

PANAMA CITY BEACH -- No injuries were reported after a fire at Burger King on Front Beach Road Tuesday.

Seven employees and an unknown number of patrons cleared the building before firefighters arrived around 6 p.m.

The building sustained minimal damages that were contained to an area near the restrooms by the western entrance, Panama City Beach Fire Department officials said. Utility workers turned off the building’s gas, water and electricity supplies as a safety measure.

A Burger King representative at the scene declined to comment. It’s not clear when the restaurant will reopen.

PANAMA CITY — A motorcyclist left his injured passenger at the scene after crashing into a concrete divider early Wednesday morning, authorities said.

The driver of a 2013 Harley-Davidson motorcycle was heading east toward the flyover of the Hathaway Bridge at about 3:30 a.m., according to Florida Highway Patrol reports. The driver lost control of the motorcycle and veered onto the shoulder of the roadway before crashing into the concrete traffic barrier.

The motorcycle overturned, sending its passenger, 29-year-old Johnathan Hubbard, of Nashville, Tenn., and the unidentified driver to the ground. The driver did not render aid to his injured passenger but, instead, left the scene on foot.

Hubbard was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.

CALLAWAY -- A cooking fire has left a Callaway man without a roof over his head.

The three-bedroom house at 6700 Chipewa Street sustained major damage to the kitchen area, attic and roof after a fire spread from grease on the stove at about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday morning.

No injuries were reported.

One man was home at the time the cooking fire got out of control, according to Lt. Dustin Crum of Callaway Fire Department.

“He was cooking on the stove with some grease and it spread from there,” Crum said. “The burn pattern looks pretty straight forward: it started on the stove, spread to the cabinets and got into the attic from there.”

Callaway and Springfield fire departments got on the scene at 8:32 a.m. Fire crews reported the fire under control by 8:44 a.m. 

GRACEVILLE -- A 77-year-old Chipley woman was killed Wednesday morning in a car crash, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Madeline Martin apparently lost control of the 2000 Toyota Camry she was driving northbound on State 77 north of County 162 around 8:45 a.m. After driving onto the shoulder, she swerved into southbound traffic and collided head-on with a 2000 Ford F-550 driven by Williard Stanley of Defuniak Springs.

Martin was taken to Flowers Hospital in Dothan, Alabama. She died of her injuries.

Stanley, 47, was taken to Graceville Hospital with minor injuries. The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.

PANAMA CITY BEACH — An early morning sweep for people sleeping or camping on the beach yielded 11 arrests over the weekend, police confirmed Wednesday.

Flashlights swept over the beach as Panama City Beach Police rounded up numerous people on the beach Sunday at about 1:30 a.m. Police reports said the defendants were “resting in an attitude of sleep.” The first wave of 11 people taken to jail from an area near Beach Access 32 showed up at the Bay County Courthouse on Wednesday to be arraigned on the charges.

Richard Spanos, 58, said he was relaxing when about 10 uniformed and undercover officers descended on a crowd near the pier behind Pineapple Willy’s, 9875 S. Thomas Drive.

“They took my dog to jail, too,” Spanos said.

Spanos was in jail for about 12 hours, he said, before getting out and able to bail his dog, Gordo, out of the animal shelter lockup. Spanos was listed as a transient on his arrest record, which he did not deny.

City law prohibits sleeping in public areas from 1 to 6 a.m. and, coupled with a suspect not having lodging or a destination, can be interpreted as camping in the city limits. The law dates to 1973.

Beach Police Chief Drew Whitman said complaints from residents prompted police interest in the area, and the bust wasn’t in anticipation of the Fourth of July weekend.

“They had basically created a couple little villages over there,” Whitman said. “We’ve always enforced that ordinance, but we had a heightened amount of complaints from residents in that area.”

All of the people taken to jail were listed as transients on their arrest records, but some of those present for arraignment refuted the claim.

Wesley Jedlicka, 23, was on the beach when he saw police flashlights moving through a large group of people nearby, he said. He wasn’t part of the group, so he didn’t leave.

“I have a job and a home,” Jedlicka said. “I wasn’t trying to sleep out there.”

However, the law also prohibits temporary resting along beaches during nighttime hours. Jedlicka also spent about 12 hours in jail.

Camping on the beach is a misdemeanor offense, which carries a fine between $300 and $500. If the person has prior arrests, it can cost much more.

Leslie Russell, 45, admitted to having past legal problems. Russell was on probation for domestic violence before police arrested him Sunday for camping. Now he could face a year of jail time.

“Now I have to fight for my life just for sitting on the beach,” Russell said.

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Fireworks vendors operating out of tents pitched in parking lots this week used a loophole to sell what city officials consider illegal fireworks.

Before this week, no one had ever tried to sell the type of explosive, shooting fireworks prohibited by Florida statutes in Panama City Beach, City Manager Mario Gisbert said.

When people apply for a permit to operate a fireworks tent, the city will issue a parking lot vendor permit, a tent permit and a business license, but the city doesn’t ask for specifics, Gisbert said.

“Typically, in the past, when they’ve said ‘fireworks’ they’ve been the type that the city considers legal,” Gisbert said.

There are two vendors operating several tents in Panama City Beach, Gisbert said. One of them is selling only legal fireworks.

But on Monday, city officials learned of eight tents selling the prohibited fireworks. On Tuesday, they moved to stop those sales, but the operators pointed them to a loophole in the statute that allows for the sale and possession of such fireworks if they are to used for agriculture purposes such as scaring birds from crops.

Those tents are operated by Extreme Fireworks. Owner Greg Lord declined to comment for this report.

Customers have to sign a waiver stating they intend to use the fireworks for agricultural purposes, Gisbert said. That doesn’t mean that’s actually what they’re going to do.

“I don’t know if anyone who is visiting here who is trying to scare off birds or fish,” he said.

There’s no local ordinance specifically prohibiting such fireworks, and attorneys for the city and Extreme Fireworks have agreed to disagree on how the Florida statute is to be interpreted.

The city warned those tent operators to stop selling the offending fireworks, but Gisbert isn’t certain whether he has legal authority to do any more than that.

Police resources are limited due the number of visitors during the holiday weekend, so the city isn’t going after the operators or the customers who buy them, Gisbert said.

“I don’t have the resources to shut them down,” Gisbert said.

It’s too late to resolve the issue before the holiday, but Gisbert said he plans to have it resolved before the next event. 

CALLAWAY -- A 22-year-old Crestview man was arrested Wednesday afternoon after a stabbing in Callaway left another man injured, the Bay County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.

Arrested was Craig Douglas Baller. He is charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in the stabbing of a 43-year-old man, who BCSO did not identify.

At about 3:30 p.m., BCSO received a 911 call reporting the stabbing. Deputies arrived to find the victim injured in the throat, but able to speak. Investigation indicates the victim was stabbed while walking in an alley that runs between Georgia and Kimbrel avenues in Callaway.

Investigators believe the victim was walking with Baller in the alley when the two got into a verbal altercation. Baller told investigators he became angry with the victim after he made inappropriate remarks about his mother. Baller and his mother are from Crestview and were in town for a visit with the victim.

Investigators believe Baller stabbed the victim in the neck with a knife. The victim managed to run away to a nearby home and ask for help. The 911 call was made by a resident of that home. The knife has been recovered.

The victim was being treated in a local hospital Wednesday night. 

PANAMA CITY — With heavy traffic expected for the Independence Day weekend holiday, Florida transportation officials are suspending roadwork this weekend.

Highway construction projects on major roadways requiring lane restrictions across Northwest Florida will be suspended Friday, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District Three office announced. All major roads will be open to normal traffic.

Although no construction closures are scheduled over the Independence Day holiday, existing state highway work zones will remain in effect. Motorists are reminded to use caution while traveling through work zones and around barricades and equipment.

FDOT is encouraging drivers to allow extra travel time and buckle up, along with their passengers. FDOT and other safety agencies also ask drivers to obey speed limits, get adequate rest before traveling, avoid distractions and never drink and drive.

Drivers also are urged to be prepared for unscheduled highway closures due to accidents, disabled vehicles or other events. Motorists should be alert to changing weather conditions while traveling.

Travelers can access Florida’s 511 service from cellphones, landlines, and online at www.FL511.com to receive updates on travel in the area. For more Florida Department of Transportation District Three information, follow @myfdot_nwfl on Twitter.