As summer arrives, preparations are underway for the 69th Annual Panhandle Watermelon Festival, scheduled for Friday, June 20, at Jim Trawick Park and Saturday, June 21, at the Washington County Agricultural Center in Chipley. The Panhandle Watermelon Festival began in 1956 when a small group gathered to celebrate the end of the local watermelon harvest. […]
HANNAH COLLINS | The News The Washington County Planning Commission reviewed, and recommended denial, of a small-scale future land use amendment application during their meeting on June 2. The site in question is 7.49 acres located near the intersection of Highway 77 and Pine Ridge Drive in Chipley. The applicant, Prescript4life LLC, is proposing to […]
HANNAH COLLINS | The News A restorative project started on the Mongoven Building/First National Bank in Chipley is progressing as it moves along in Phase 2 of its restoration. Brent Melvin of Melvin Engineering, addressed City Council about its progress and some additional needs the historic building has at their May 6 meeting. According to […]
Chipley City Council Member, Cheryl Gainer McCall, was recently accepted as a member of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Chipola Chapter NSDAR. She worked off and on since 2006 in her mother’s lineage through her Baxley family. The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in […]
KRIS HARRELL | Contributor Local public libraries are bracing for possible cuts to programs and services, as the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ (IMLS) elimination is felt across the state and country. On March 14, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the elimination of non-statutory functions and reduction of statutory functions […]
HANNAH COLLINS | The News For patients recovering from surgery or illness, the transition from acute hospital care to home can be challenging. Northwest Florida Community Hospital (NFCH) aims to bridge this gap with its Swing Bed Program, a specialized inpatient rehabilitation service designed to provide short-term, intensive therapy before patients return home. As a […]
A 54 year old woman has been arrested for allegedly molesting a child under the age of 12. According to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO), they began an investigation once a report was filed alleging Sandra Peterson Brown of Ebro had touched the child in a lewd and lascivious manner. WCSO investigators reported they […]
A 43 year old Eric Jeffery Riviere has been charged after reports of sexual misconduct with a child under the age of 16. According to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO), they began an investigation once a report was filed alleging a subject identified as “Goeff Peluzzo” had sent inappropriate text messages to a child […]
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement following a high-speed pursuit that ended in a crash, leaving a Bonifay man in critical condition.
A 24-year-old Bonifay man was critically injured after crashing while fleeing from Washington County deputies on Coralvine Drive, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The vehicle overturned and struck a tree before coming to rest upside down, and the driver was airlifted to a hospital after deputies pulled him from the wreckage and began life-saving efforts.
A wanted fugitive from Fulton County Georgia was arrested in Washington County, June 9. According to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO), yesterday, at approximately 6:15 p.m. WCSO received a BOLO for a white 2000 Buick Sedan being driven by 62 year old, Melvin Sutton from East Point, Georgia. Sutton was reportedly being sought after […]
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office responded to a domestic violence incident Tuesday afternoon at a residence on Amethyst Lane, following a 911 call reporting an assault. Upon arrival, deputies made contact with a female victim who exhibited visible injuries consistent with a physical altercation. The victim reported that the incident began as a verbal argument […]
TALLAHASSEE — A ballot proposal that would have enshrined abortion rights in the Florida Constitution failed Tuesday, giving a major political victory to Gov. Ron DeSantis — and dealing a huge blow to abortion-rights supporters. The measure, which appeared on the ballot as Amendment 4, received support from 57 percent of voters, short of the […]
A $150 million-plus effort to allow recreational use of marijuana in Florida fizzled out Tuesday, falling short of the needed 60 percent voter approval and delivering a major victory for Gov. Ron DeSantis. Trulieve, the state’s largest medical-marijuana operator, pumped nearly $144.6 million into the proposed constitutional amendment. The Quincy-based company’s contributions made up more […]
As a little girl, I spent delightful moments singing about the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay. I gazed at our small nativity scene. I loved looking at all the characters gathered devotedly around the newborn child: Mary and Joseph, the angels, the shepherds, the wise men – even the animals. The scene was […]
Michael Brooks I was rendered speechless—highly unusual for a Baptist preacher. I was in college serving a church in the Birmingham area as interim pastor for what became an eight-month assignment. I enjoyed the experience immensely preaching three times a week, attending deacons meetings and visiting the sick. I learned a lot and had a […]
Hannah Collins
Staff Report