Information is provided by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office on people arrested on charges Dec. 15-23. Those arrested can contact The News Herald if charges are dropped or if they are acquitted. Addresses are those given by the defendant during arrest.

--- MUGSHOTS»»

Tyone Valentino Lawler, 48, 300 E. 25th St., Lynn Haven, grand theft

Eddwina Latisha (Jackson) Garcia. 34, 713 Hamiliton Ave., Panama City, abuse child without great bodily harm

Billy Antonio Lamar, 32, Thompson, Ga., grand theft

Dennis Ray Kuhl, 51, 8209 Grand Palm Blvd., Panama City Beach, grand theft, burglary

Michael James Perdomo, 23, 1113 Delaware Ave., Lynn Haven, burglary

Monica Lashoun Moore, 33, 3325 W. 23rd St., Panama City, possession of controlled substance without prescription

William Purchell Kilpatrick, 32, 6810 Oaksenshaw Drive, Youngstown, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver

Michael Allen Shepherd, 28, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Lee Mann Shultz-Bates, 50, 161 Park Place, Panama City Beach, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver

Twila Marie Cowan, 72, 316 Summerwood Drive, Panama City Beach, aggravated battery with use of a deadly weapon

David Vernon Payne, 46, 905 W. 26th St., Panama City, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill

Ashley Renee Dyke, 25, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Christopher Lee Richbourg, 27, 329 Hidden Island Drive, Panama City Beach, possession of opium or derivative with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of synthetic narcotics with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of controlled substance without prescription, possession or use of narcotic equipment, trafficking amphetamine,

Stephanie Yvonne Lyng, 28, 1522 Chandlee Ave., Panama City, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver

Charles Eugene Shaw, 31, 2602 Beach St., Panama City, felony or domestic battery by strangulation

Adrienne Barbara Wood, 49, 3001 W. 10th Unit 611, Panama City, possession of controlled substance without prescription

Demetrius Temane Brown, 34, Albany, Ga., grand theft

Jeffrey James Picquet, 47, 116 N. Highway 22, Callaway, felony or domestic battery by strangulation

Prentice Kwamane Lewis, 22, 4810 US 98 Panama City, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of marijuana, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Anthony Lamar Johnson, 39, 2 Macy Lane, Mary Ester, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of synthetic narcotics with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession or use of narcotic equipment, possession of weapon or ammunition by felon

Fred Lee Caldwell Jr., 37, 13200 White Western Spring, Panama City, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of synthetic narcotics with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Chyen Nicole Best, 19, 132 N. Jan Ave., Callaway, aggravated battery with use of a deadly weapon

Amber Annette Toledo, 20, 509 Azalea St., Panama City Beach, aggravated battery with use of a deadly weapon

Justin Michael Dezelan, 33, 509 Azalea St., Panama City Beach, felony or domestic battery by strangulation

Diaz Carmello Washington, 19, 935 Magnolia Ave., Panama City, possession or use of narcotic equipment

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SPRINGFIELD — Police have arrested a Springfield man who allegedly tried to conceal the odor of his decomposing dog by sticking air fresheners throughout his apartment, according to court documents.

Ryan M. Regan, 29, was arrested Monday after a warrant had been put out for his arrest for a felony animal cruelty charge. Though Regan said he had moved out of his Waterstone apartment at 4141 E. 15th St. in September, investigators found mail addressed to him within the apartment from October to December. The dog died sometime in October, according to Springfield Police reports.

Authorities sought Regan after Dec. 20 when they found “a small dog uncared for and unattended in his apartment bathroom, covered in feces and without water until death occurred,” police reported. Regan “left the remains of the deceased dog in the bathroom for about two months. …”

Police reports indicated Regan also stuck air fresheners throughout the apartment, left the living room window open and placed “a towel between the gap of the door and floor” in an attempt “to conceal the odor of the decomposing carcass,” police reported.

Regan told police he had moved prior to the dog’s death. However, police obtained a warrant and arrested Regan on Monday on one count of felony animal cruelty.

PANAMA CITY — A man who allegedly led police on a chase and then fought them to try to avoid arrest was suspected only of a minor traffic violation, according to the Panama City Police.

Investigators with the PCPD’s Street Crimes Unit attempted to stop 30-year-old Carl Delray Richardson about 10:20 p.m. Tuesday. Richardson allegedly led the investigators on a short vehicle chase before jumping out in the 1000 block of Hamilton Avenue and running away.

When he was cornered behind a nearby home, police said Richardson pushed and kicked investigators before he was subdued.

Richardson, who was on drug offender probation for a cocaine possession conviction earlier in the year, said the only reason he tried to get away from police was because he didn’t want to go to prison for violating probation.

Police charged Richardson with fleeing and eluding law enforcement, resisting an officer without violence, battery on a law enforcement officer and violation of probation.

PANAMA CITY — Police arrested a 43-year-old man after they found him in with items taken during two recent vehicle burglaries.

Paul Edward Harden was arrested Monday and jailed on two counts of burglary.

Panama City Police responded to a burglary in progress in the area of East 17th Street and Mercedes Avenue. A description of the suspect was circulated among officers, and Harden was detained nearby.

Witnesses told officers they saw Harden break into two vehicles. A search revealed Harden had property taken in the burglaries, according to police.

YOUNGSTOWN — Officials have confirmed one fatality from a mobile home fire at 9236 Chevy Lane on Wednesday.

Bay County firefighters arrived about 2:20 a.m. A father and son were inside the home, said Ashley Carr, spokeswoman for Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office.

The son escaped and attempted to save his father, who was trapped inside. The son was not hurt, but went to the hospital later to be examined, Bay County Battalion Chief Darrel Wise said.

Possible causes of the fire include a wood-burning stove and portable heaters.

“It was a total loss,” Wise said.

Wise said flames were rising above the mobile home when firefighters arrived. He said the fire was difficult to fight because of additions made to the property. Also, the structure was suspended 3 to 4 feet from ground, which provided ventilation.

Firefighters still were on scene about 10 a.m.

Crews from Southport, Youngstown, Bay Point and Hiland Park responded. Bay County sheriff’s deputies assisted in the investigation.

Carr said the investigation is ongoing but nothing suspicious has been mentioned.

The Bay County Property Appraiser’s office lists Arnold Berger as the owner the property. Carr did not know whether the occupants were renters or owners.

While a newspaper affords a tactile response for a reader, tracking accurate views is difficult. In the virtual world, it’s as easy as checking your Facebook.

The News Herald recently released its Top 10 stories based on what editors and reporters felt were the most important during 2014. The following list is based strictly on online views, which come by way of immediate readings and subsequent looks by way of readers on the site, search engines, news boards and more throughout the year.

The list includes seven crime/police-related stories. These types of articles are typically well-read and proved to be so last year. The list also includes health-related stories, which also are on the top of the public’s interest.

Here are the Top 10 most-viewed stories on newsherald.com in 2014:

10. Chipley High grad drowns: Jordan Rae Nedeau, 20, was found drowned in a submerged vehicle in August. The driver of the car, Jeffrey Rushing, was allegedly intoxicated when he drove the car into Ochlockonee River near Tallahassee and was arrested. --- READ HERE»»

9. PCB spring breaker killed in DUI crash: A deadly wreck involving a teen and a 22-year-old. The teen, Bruce George, killed Brandon Beverly while the latter was driving in a scoot car in panama City Beach. George was sentenced to 10 years in December. --- READ HERE»»

8. Feds serve search warrants on dermatology clinic: A recent story, as Gulf Coast Dermatology was searched by the FBI in mid-December. Reasons for the search were sparse. --- READ HERE»»

7. Five restaurants cited during health inspections: An update on health violations in October. --- READ HERE»»

6. Restaurants reopen after addressing health violations: An earlier report in April on four establishments that later reopened. --- READ HERE»»

5. Bodies found at PCB condo: A Wisconsin couple was found shot to death in a condominium in Panama City Beach. Authorities wouldn’t rule it a “murder-suicide,” but did say the incident was “contained” and there wasn’t a lingering danger to the public. --- READ HERE»»

4. Panama City homicide likely a drug deal gone bad: Five were initially arrested following the incident that left a 20-year-old man dead in July and a sixth was later apprehended. Many of those involved have since been sentenced. --- READ HERE»»

3. Lightning kills K-9 in Panama City Beach: K-9 officer Argo was found dead in his kennel after a storm in August. --- READ HERE»»

2. Fatal shooting may have been accidental: Steven Ayers was killed when a stray bullet struck him in the back of the head in June. Charles Shisler, a neighbor more than 200 feet away, was charged with manslaughter and is awaiting trial after what was believe to be an accidental shooting. --- READ HERE»»

1. Health Department issues swimming advisory at multiple locations: Poor results due to fecal bacteria content tests prompted the Florida Department of Health in Bay County to issue the advisory at affected beaches in May. The six areas weren’t closed to swimming, but officials urged caution before more tests were conducted at a later date. --- READ HERE»»

Top 10 stories of 2014 as determined by our editors and reporters:

• No. 10: Bankers imprisoned in fraud case»»
• No. 9: County studies RESTORE Act funding»»
• No. 8: Area sees wild weather, from ice storm to flooding»»
• No. 7: City establishing plan for bed tax distribution»»
• No. 6: St. Joe closes major land sale, plans huge development»»
• No. 5: Bay economy bouncing back»»
• No. 4: Marina progress»»
• No. 3: Southerland defeated, Fensom victorious in hot elections»»
• No. 2: Series of murders sparks community concern»»
• No. 1: Spring Break battle»»

TALLAHASSEE (AP) — Florida's year in news included a 90-year-old man arrested for feeding the homeless and a “Catholic Warrior” damaging a Satanic holiday display in the Capitol. But what else would you expect from a state where the two leading candidates for governor held up a live televised debate over a small electric fan?

Florida had the nation laughing for a few days at what was dubbed “Fangate” after Gov. Rick Scott showed up on stage seven minutes late at a debate after a dispute over the fan former Gov. Charlie Crist brought to the event, leaving the moderator perplexed.

Even before the debate, the election had a weird twist when a candidate who received 16,761 votes in the Republican primary against Scott was charged with fabricating $182,080 in donations, or basically all of them, in a scheme to get matching campaigns from the state.

But that's Florida in 2014 (or any other year), a state where people will stick just about anything in their pants — if they're even wearing them at all. Eliot Kleinberg, a Palm Beach Post reporter who is the original weird Florida archivist in what now seems to be a popular trend, says he often issues the challenge to anyone to prove another state is weirder and he's never lost an argument.

“The world has come to acknowledge Florida's weirdness. It is no longer a debate,” said Kleinberg, who published “Weird Florida” in 1998 and “Weird Florida II — A State of Shock” in 2006. He also created a Weird Florida Facebook page that keeps a running tab on strange news that has more than 227,000 “likes.”

“People in Florida have come to accept the weirdness as part of the normal activity,” he said. “Justin Bieber could have gotten arrested for drag racing in California, but he came all the way to Miami Beach.”

Even Seth Myers used his “Late Night” show to create a spoof game show called “Fake or Florida” to highlight its strange news.

This is the state where the U.S. Coast Guard had to rescue a man who tried to “run” 1,033 miles from Florida to Bermuda in a giant plastic bubble. He fell about 963 miles short.

It's the state where lottery officials promoted the fact that they gave a sexual predator $3 million — until they realized he was a sexual predator, at which point they quickly removed the photo of him holding a big check from their website.

It's the state where a blind woman sued the nudist community where she lives claiming she was harassed about the size of her service dog.

It's the state where a Tampa Bay area family of four was hospitalized after eating a bottom round roast laced with LSD and came out of the hospital a family of five after the mother gave birth to a boy while being treated for the hallucinogenic.

It's the state where the annual Chumuckla Redneck Christmas Parade was canceled because — big surprise — attendees kept drinking too much in previous years.

And it's the state where a woman wearing a Catholic Warrior shirt was charged with criminal mischief after damaging a Satanic Temple holiday display at the Capitol. A security camera picked up the offense.

Which is different than the tantrum picked up by a Tampa-area McDonald's security camera: a woman walking behind the counter wearing nothing but a thong overturning equipment, throwing food, and eating ice cream and French fries.

Three naked men were caught on a security camera breaking into a Bonita Springs restaurant and stealing 60 hamburgers, three pounds of bacon, three red peppers and a paddleboard.

Even when Floridians kept their pants on, they stuffed odd things in them, especially in DeLand, where a woman was charged with stealing seven frozen lobster tails she stuffed down her pants and a Wal-Mart security guard caught a man with two packages of cow tongue in his pants.

There was also a man in Port St. Lucie who stole a chain saw by sticking it in his pants.

That wasn't the only dangerous thing found in people's pants. A corrections officer reaching for cash at a Fort Lauderdale restaurant accidently fired his gun. The bullet shattered when it hit the floor and fragments hit a dozen people. The restaurant's name? Shooters.

YOUNGSTOWN — William Berger awoke from a deep sleep early Wednesday to find his Youngstown mobile home ablaze and his 88-year-old father trapped.

"It all broke out so fast," Berger said Thursday. "I tried to get in there to him and I couldn't. I couldn't get to him because the fire had already spread."

Berger's father, Arnold Berger, Sr., was killed in the fire, which engulfed the home he spent 20 years building at 9236 Chevy Lane, and also took the lives of his five beloved dogs.

"My dad was a stubborn old man... he built that house over a 20-year period," Berger said. "He tried to save his house but the fire got him. He was going to go down with his house."

Though no definitive cause of the fire have been released, but officials suspect either a wood stove or an electric heater caused the blaze, which all but leveled the structure. The incident is currently under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal. 

William Berger, the youngest of Berger's 12 children, was his father's caregiver as he battled early stages of dementia. He said his father will be remembered by loved ones for his caring heart, strong work ethic and love of animals, fishing and music.

He was a carpenter and an avid guitar player, and often performed on a stage he built in the home's bar room, which was set up for a New Year's Eve family get-together that never happened.

Following the tragedy, Berger's children and grandchildren expressed their grievances on Facebook.

Grandson Will Griffin wrote, "He was one of the hardest workers I knew and will always be a part of me. I'm thankful for the moment's we spent together. I couldn't ask for a better grandfather ... you will never be forgotten."

Berger's daughter Tammy Kitchens also honored her father on social media.

"To my dad, Arnold Carl Berger Sr., we love you so much," Kitchens wrote. "You left this earth with everything you built around you. May you rest in peace."

Since the fire, William Berger has been staying with friends and will begin the process to clean up the property in the coming weeks.

"It was a lot of memories that just went up in flames," Berger said.

OLDSMAR (AP) — A Florida man is charged with first-degree murder after his mother was found decapitated outside their home on New Year's Eve.

According to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, Mario Gomez called 911 on Wednesday evening and told dispatchers that his brother Christian had killed their mother and cut off her head.

Deputies found Maria Suarez-Cassagne's body outside the Oldsmar home, near some garbage cans.

Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said Thursday that Gomez had planned his mother's murder for two days.

Gomez was upset with his mother because she wanted him to move boxes around the house, and he was jealous of the attention Suarez-Cassagne paid to his brother, Gualtieri said.

The 23-year-old attacked his mother in the garage with an ax, severing her head, Gualtieri said. Gomez then allegedly dragged his mother's remains from the garage to the garbage cans.

Gualtieri told reporters that the crime was one of the worst his department had ever seen.

Gomez then fled the scene, but he was arrested a few blocks away after another 911 call reported a suspicious person riding a bicycle in the area.

Gomez confessed to killing his mother, Gualtieri said.

Investigators recovered the ax. Mario Gomez, 27, was not injured.

According to the sheriff's office, Gomez had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and previously was held under the Baker Act. Gomez also had other arrests in Pinellas County for loitering and prowling, resisting an officer without violence and disorderly conduct.

Pinellas County jail records did not show whether Gomez had an attorney.

EASTPOINT — The bear that mauled a teenager who was walking her dog has been identified with the help of DNA testing.

Florida fish and wildlife officials say that genetic samples taken from 15-year-old Leah Reeder’s clothes matched samples taken from an adult female that was captured and euthanized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Dec. 22.

FWC spokeswoman Karen Parker said six bears were captured. The four adults were euthanized and the two cubs were relocated and released.

“What we’re looking at is public safety,” Parker said. “That is paramount for us.”

The bear attacked Reeder in her small Franklin County community of Eastpoint on Dec. 20. She suffered lacerations to her head and face, as well as claw marks on her back and bite marks on her right arm and left leg.

The attack was the first on a human in Northwest Florida. In April, a Lake Mary woman was hospitalized after a 200-pound bear attacked her near her home in Central Florida. At least 7 bears were killed in response.

Confrontations with bears should be reported to the FWC at 850-265-3676. Threatening bear activity should be reported to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

DAYTONA BEACH — A man who claimed he was locked in a closet for two days after being chased by “unknown subjects” was actually holed up in a janitor’s room at Daytona State College with a 25-year-old woman, police said.

When John Arwood and Amber Campbell were found on Tuesday afternoon in room 169 at the school — a janitor’s closet in brown building 420 — officers also discovered a “Chore Boy” scouring pad commonly used to smoke crack cocaine, police said, but no drugs were found inside the small room.

The 31-year-old Arwood of Daytona Beach initially claimed he was being held against his will in a closet.

According to the reports and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, Arwood called his father in Osceola County on Tuesday and told him he was being held captive in a closet, Volusia sheriff’s spokesman Andrew Gant said. When the father called the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office to report his son was in trouble, Osceola sheriff’s deputies then called Arwood on his cellphone and were able to track his location by the phone’s signal, Gant said. They discovered Arwood was somewhere on the college campus; in addition Arwood told them he could see a white boat outside the room where he was being held, reports state.

Osceola officials notified Daytona Beach police, but also warned officers that Arwood has a history with law enforcement that includes armed burglary and theft of firearms, the reports show.

Familiar with the Daytona State College campus, Daytona Beach Officer Daniel Matero knew that the only boat at the college was the one near the brown building. Officers obtained a key to the building from a security guard and began searching for Arwood. They reached room 169 and positioned themselves tactically, based on Arwood’s criminal history and the “potential for an ambush,” the reports state.

Officers announced themselves and Arwood responded and offered a knock from inside the closet, the report states. Police opened the door and discovered their man was not alone. Campbell, who sports a dollar sign tattoo on her throat, as well as vampire bite tattoos, was with him, reports state. The 25-year-old is on probation for escape and resisting an officer with violence in 2013, police said.

The disheveled pair told officers they had been in the closet for two days because they were locked inside. Police said a green garden hose had been wrapped around the door handle to prevent anyone from opening the door from the outside. Arwood and Campbell could have opened the door from the inside whenever they wanted, police said.

Arwood, who has been arrested 10 times between 2005 and 2014 and has a handful of felony and misdemeanor convictions for drug and traffic violations, was charged with trespassing on school property. Campbell was charged with that as well, and violation of probation. They are both in custody at the Volusia County Branch Jail on $250 bail and no bail, respectively.

Information is provided by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office on people arrested on charges Dec. 26 through Jan. 2. Those arrested can contact The News Herald if charges are dropped or if they are acquitted. Addresses are those given by the defendant during arrest.

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Austin Michael Ray Powell, 18, 606 Mcgee St., Bonifay, possession of hallucinogen with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Garland Vidal Johnson, 38, 6012 Roche Court, Callaway, grand theft

Kendrick Raynard Parham, 32, 1503 Louisiana Ave., Panama City, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Bobby Allen Mcmurphy, 28, 8321 Brandon Road, Panama City, kidnapping/false imprisonment

Tammy Nicole Smith, 41, 219 Commercial Drive, Panama City, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill

Dustin Allen Sikes, 22, Yellow Bluff, Callaway, grand theft, aggravated battery with use of a deadly weapon, kidnapping/false imprisonment

Santeni Deangelo Green, 28, 805 Cherry St., Panama City, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Deborah Lynn Freeman, 50, Waitsfield, Vt., possession of controlled substance without prescription

Tasavion Jamiel Butler, 30, 329 N. Fox Ave., Calloway, grand theft

Justin Allen Watson, 31, 4116 Cherry Lane, Callaway, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver

Michael Derell Vann, 51, 1717 Louisiana Ave., Panama City, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill

Matthew Isaiah Sudduth, 19, 351 College Ave., Panama City, possession of weapon or ammunition by felon

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Jarvis Lorent Dunlap, 34, 1338 Harrison Ave., Panama City, possession of controlled substance without prescription

William Michael Davis, 44, 2780 Lincoln Ave., Alford, possession of weapon or ammunition by felon

David  Sunday, 52, 11735 Racoon Road, Southport, possession of weapon or ammunition by felon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill

John Andrew Martin, 24, 420 N. Berthe Ave., Panama City, possession of weapon or ammunition by felon

Kevon StLloyd Patterson, 22, 234 Springfield Ave., Panama City, possession of cocaine

Hugh Rolando Jr Bennett, 23, 924 Florida Ave., Panama City, possession of cocaine

David Lee Biers, 53, 1808 Mckenzie Road, Southport, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Autumn Nichole Crews, 24, Dothan, Ala., possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of controlled substance without prescription, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Christopher Shelby Jr Brown, 24, Bruner Dairy Road, Vernon, possession of weapon or ammunition by felon

Marie Rachel Foxworthy, 38, 9211 Owenwood Road, Fountain, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Lee Forzon Jr Baker, 27, 1914 Frankford Ave., Panama City, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Mykel Joseph Dallas, 18, 4810 W. US 98 Panama City, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill

Taylor Blake Brookerd, 23, 8015 Royal Hunt Drive, Panama City Beach, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Arthur Mack Cage, 19, 214 Sims Ave., Callaway, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill

Ricky Edward Bellamy, 53, 3729 W. 21st St., Panama City, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Donterio Lemond Smith, 30, 151 Bayou Ave., Panama City, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Katrell Devon Thomas, 21, 1010 Kurze Ave., Panama City, possession of controlled substance without prescription

Gerald Deron Smith, 22, 1836 N. East Ave., Panama City, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Akira Chantese Watson, 25, 1405 Joe Lewis Drive, Panama City, aggravated battery causing bodily harm or disability

Brandon Wade Lowe, 32, 229 Cathy Place, Panama City, aggravated battery with use of a deadly weapon

Shamekia Lakeisha Whetstone, 26, Montgomery, Ala., aggravated stalking

Roderick Vandez Watson, 35, 103 Detroit Panama City, possession of cocaine

Robert Oren Donelson, 30, 7128 Beachwood Blvd., Panama City Beach, grand theft, possession of weapon or ammunition by felon

--- MUGSHOTS»»

PANAMA CITY — In view of the fire engine red sign that reads, “Drive Like Your Kids Live Here,” a silver compact car raced west on Eighth Street on Saturday. Tina Alliston estimated it was traveling more than 55 mph.

“I hope it makes somebody think,” Alliston said of the sign she put in her yard five days ago.

The sign is just the latest of the Allistons attempts to convince motorists to slow down on both Eighth Street and Oak Avenue. They have the house on the southwest corner of the intersection and their kids, Noah, 8, and Judson, 2, live there.

Mom has forbidden the boys from playing in the front yard because of traffic. Alliston was struck by the story of 2-year-old Wesley Burnham, who was killed by a vehicle last month near his home in Panama City Beach.

“You try to be as careful as possible, but 2-year-olds can get out,” Alliston said. “They’re sneaky.”

The speed limit on Eighth is 35 mph. The speed limit on Oak is 25 mph, with a sign at the southern edge of the Allistons’ property.

Tina Alliston’s worst experience was a speeder who veered off Eighth and killed one of the family’s dachshund dogs at the edge of her lawn last summer. The driver did not stop.

Recently, her husband Chris Alliston went out in the middle of the road to stop a Ford F-250 pickup truck speeding on Oak.

“He’s not as user-friendly as I am,” Tina Alliston said. “He’s tossed flip flops at them.”

While visiting relatives in Georgia, she noticed red “Drive Like Your Kids Live Here” signs all over the well-to-do neighborhood. A resident gave her a sign to use.

In the past four years, the family has called police so many times that she has lost count.

Police have responded with patrol cars parked on the north side of Oak to try to catch speeders on Eighth. They also have also placed their trailer equipped with a digital speed display.

 “We put the trailer out there, we put patrol cars out there, the traffic is going to slow down,” Panama City Police Public Information Officer Richard Thore said. “As soon as we leave, it’s going to speed up.”

The Allistons have suggested placing speed bumps on either Eighth or Oak, but the city has dismissed those pleas.

They understand that they are the only family in the immediate neighborhood with young children. However, Tina Alliston believes, after 14 years as an emergency room nurse, that a collision with either one of her children would be fatal.

KEIZER, Ore. (AP) — Police near Salem, Oregon, say they arrested a naked man after he broke into two homes, drank booze and used a hot tub at one of them.

Officers received a 911 call early Sunday from a woman who was house-sitting in Keizer when she was awakened by noises coming from the laundry room.

As she went to check it out, the laundry room door slammed, so she grabbed a knife and called police and her husband.

Police found the burglar inside, naked, and arrested him without incident. Investigators determined that he climbed in through a back window after removing a screen.

They also noticed that screens had been removed from windows at a neighbor's home. Police say the suspect had burglarized that home, drinking the homeowner's alcohol and using the hot tub and shower.

PARKER — Smoke was flowing from a room at the Parker Inn around midnight on Monday when Parker firefighters arrived.

Firefighters contained the fire to the single room, extinguishing it in about five minutes and making sure the room was cold in 22 minutes. Parker Fire Chief Andrew Kelly believes the fire was started by a cigarette left burning that then fell to the floor. The room was rented out but the occupant was nowhere to be found.

“It was an accident,” Kelly said.

PANAMA CITY — Florida fire investigators charged a juvenile boy with arson Saturday for allegedly setting a semitrailer on fire at a business at 2630 Twilight Ave.

Bay County firefighters responded at noon to the fire that started with cardboard boxes and then spread to the National brand trailer. Firefghter Brian Welborn said it took about five minutes to extinguish the blaze.

“There was no damage to the building. Nobody was hurt,” Welborn said.

Dwan Phoenix, an employee for Peaden Air-conditioning, which owns the warehouse building where the trailer was parked, moved several trucks out of the way to keep the fire from spreading.

The boy was caught nearby after the fire.

 “It was just some kid being a kid,” Phoenix said.

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Police have arrested a 31-year-old man on charges he inappropriately touched a 7-year-old child, according to a Panama City Beach Police Department press release

Robert E. Griffith, 31, was arrested Monday on molestation charges, which occurred in the Palmetto Trace subdivision. Griffith allegedly touched a 7-year-old child in a lewd and lascivious manner, PCBPD said in the release.

Though many of the remaining details of the case were left unclear by PCBPD, Griffith was arrested and taken to Bay County Jail on charges of lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years of age.

FOUNTAIN — A 50-year-old Fountain man has been arrested after allegedly telling investigators an 11-year-old asked to have sex with him, according to Bay County Sheriff’s Office records.

John Patrick Marquardt, 50, was arrested on charges of molestation Sunday at about 9 p.m. at his Fountain home at 18134 Olivia Street.

Earlier that day, an 11-year-old told one of his relatives that Marquardt approached him at about 3 p.m. in a grocery store and said he needed to speak with him. Marquardt walked the child across to U.S. 231 to a trailer where he gave the 11-year-old alcohol until he passed out. The child said he awoke without his clothes and Marquardt lying next to him, according to arrest records.

The family then contacted BCSO.

When investigators confronted Marquardt at his home, he admitted to giving the child alcohol, BCSO said. However, Marquardt told them the 11-year-old came over to his house and asked to have sex with him, BCSO reported.

Marquardt made his first appearance in court Monday. He is charged with lewd and lascivious molestation on a victim less than 12-years of age.

FOUNTAIN — Authorities are investigating a sexual battery and abduction after an alleged assailant drove a woman more than eight miles to a Fountain grocery store, officials confirmed Monday.

Investigators within the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office have a person of interest and are conducting interviews from witnesses, according to a CCSO news release. However, an arrest had not been made in the case as of Monday afternoon.

Bay County Sheriff’s Office deputies initially responded to the Fountain Piggly Wiggly on U.S. 231 just before 6 p.m. Saturday evening after a store clerk called 911 in reference to a sexual battery. The suspect and the woman came into the Piggly Wiggly, where the woman was able to tell a store employee she was sexually battered, BCSO officials said.

The clerk called the authorities. However, when BCSO arrived, the man fled on foot.

The case was turned over to CCSO for investigation since the original incident occurred in Altha. A man entered a woman’s home off Walter Potts Road, where she was allegedly sexually battered. He then abducted the woman and drove her to Fountain, officials said.

The victim convinced her assailant during the trip to pull over for some food before revealing her dilemma to the clerk, officials said. Many of the other details in the case have not yet been released, pending CCSO’s ongoing investigation.

PANAMA CITY — Police have seized large quantities of controlled substances after receiving complaints from neighboring residents of an alleged drug house, the Panama City Police Department officials announced Monday.

Hannah Lee Brown, 24, and Destiny J. Leeds, 18, were also taken into police custody during the search.

Investigators with the PCPD Street Crimes Unit made contact with Brown and Leeds at Brown’s residence in the 2400 block of East 10th Street, after receiving complaints of possible drug activity. On scene, police said they smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from within the residence and obtained a search warrant, PCPD reported.

During the search of the residence, investigators found 1.2-lbs. of marijuana, 2.3 ounces of cocaine and 788 Xanax pills. Subsequently, Brown was arrested and charged with trafficking in cocaine, possession of a controlled substance (Alprazolam) with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia, keeping a nuisance drug house, violation of probation. Investigation also revealed that Brown had two active warrants.

Also in the residence, Leeds was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.

Both were transported to the Bay County Jail for their charges, where Brown was also served with her warrants.