Prisons chief to seek revamp of health care contracts
TALLAHASSEE — Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Julie Jones announced Friday she intends to rebid contracts worth about $1.4 billion with private companies to provide health-care services to...
View ArticleCalhoun County police seeking escaped jail inmate
BLOUNTSTOWN — The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office is searching for an escaped inmate on Saturday. William Lamar Mercer, a 49 year old white male, escaped from the Calhoun County Jail at 12:30 a.m....
View ArticleSnake shooter: 'I'm from Wewahitchka, we don't miss'
PANAMA CITY — A woman who spent days in jail for shooting at a snake on school grounds said she wanted to clear her name following the dismissal of the charges. April Demarco, of Panama City, was...
View ArticleWasps strike again: Audubon Society fundraiser canceled
PANAMA CITY BEACH — The last film in a series presented by the Bay County Audubon Society, ‘Rediscovering Ancient America,’ has been canceled due to the wasp infestation at Arnold High School’s...
View ArticleFire departments vie for millions in surplus equipment
BRISTOL — A handful of rural fire departments in the state have seen an equipment infusion. The Florida Forest Service allocated $11.2 in federal surplus equipment to rural fire departments in 2014....
View ArticleFire damages mobile home
SPRINGFIELD — A Springfield mobile home was damaged Monday after a morning blaze. Although three adults and seven children occupied the mobile home, no one was injured in the fire at 409 School Ave....
View Article4 charged with tax fraud
PANAMA CITY — Four people have been indicted on federal charges of tax fraud and identity theft, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release. A federal grand jury indictment, unsealed...
View ArticleCalhoun County escapee captured
BLOUNTSTOWN — Law enforcement officers have ended the search for an escaped convict who broke out of jail over the weekend, according to the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO). Officials with the...
View ArticleUPDATE: Appeals court considering warrantless cellphone tracking
ATLANTA (AP) — Now that the cellphone in your pocket can be used to track your movements, federal appeals judges in Atlanta are considering whether investigators must get a search warrant from a judge...
View ArticleHibernating pet tarantulas stolen from crawlspace of house
AUSTELL, Ga. (AP) — A metro Atlanta man told police a spider thief snuck into a crawlspace under his home and stole five of his 18 pet tarantulas. Austell police say they've issued an arrest warrant...
View ArticleMan charged in robberies following high-speed chase
PANAMA CITY — A man suspected in multiple robberies was arrested and charged following a high-speed chase on Monday, the Panama City Police Department reported. Willie Boston Jr., 37, was charged with...
View ArticleBurglars sought in Washington County
CHIPLEY — Sheriff Bobby Haddock is asking for the public’s help in solving a string of burglaries that have plagued Washington and sister counties for the last few weeks resulting in thousands of...
View ArticleCouple sleeping in dumpster rescued from garbage truck
PANAMA CITY — A homeless couple and their puppy were pulled to safety Tuesday morning after the trash bin in which they were sleeping was emptied into a trash-compacting truck, according to officials....
View ArticleMan hiding in school restroom later arrested
PANAMA CITY BEACH — Investigators have arrested a Panama City Beach man after teachers at Arnold High School spotted him hiding in the women’s bathroom watching young children from the day care on...
View ArticleUPDATE: Missing teen girl located, returned home
PANAMA CITY BEACH — The Bay County Sheriff’s Office announced missing teenager Jenny Rosebush was located Tuesday night and has been safely returned to her family. Rosebush, 16 was previously last...
View Article3 arrested in NY, Florida in plot to join Islamic State
NEW YORK (AP) — Three men accused of plotting to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State and wage war against the United States were arrested on terrorism charges Wednesday, federal officials said....
View ArticlePCPD seeks missing teens
PANAMA CITY — The Panama City Police Department is searching for two missing teenagers. The pair has been missing since Feb. 5, according to missingkids.com. Julie Sims, 14, and Sara Sims, 13, both...
View ArticleBCSO issues scam alert
PANAMA CITY — Officials issued a scam alert Wednesday to remind the community about the prevalence of telephone scams involving utility companies. The Bay County Sheriff’s Office announced several...
View ArticleMan charged with arranging meeting with child
PANAMA CITY BEACH — Police have arrested a man who they said was going to meet what he thought was a child to engage in sexual contact, according to officials. Jon Edwin Spears, 52, was arrested...
View ArticleNelson wants federal probe of reform school deaths
PANAMA CITY — A Florida lawmaker has called for a federal investigation into the former Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna where scientists have exhumed dozens of children’s graves,...
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