Government

Relating to Federal or State government.

Black bear conservation workshop held in Bristol Tuesday evening

November 25, 2011
Black bear conservation workshop held in Bristol Tuesday evening

Approximately 80 people gathered for last night’s FWC workshop on black bear conservation at Veterans Memorial Park Civic Center in Bristol.   Many who object to restrictions on controlling the bear population were told that the black bear will remain a threatened species until a management plan is in place.  Audience members challenged the FWC’s information on the bear population. Bobby O’Bryan, said FWC cared more about bears than people and referred to a study from 2002 that reported that only 13 bears were living in the east panhandle. “There’s 600 or more bears in Liberty County,” said Rodney Smith,...

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FWC sets Nov. 22 workshop to discuss black bear conservation in Panhandle

November 18, 2011

A draft plan to ensure a sustainable Florida black bear population will be presented by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) at a Nov. 22 public workshop in Bristol.   Members of the public from throughout the Panhandle are invited to the workshop, which will include a staff presentation on the FWC’s draft bear management plan. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, speak or complete a brief survey on the plan. The workshop begins at 6 p.m. EST at the Veterans Memorial Civic Center, 10405 N.W. Theo Jacobs Lane.   “We encourage people interested in...

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Lane closures scheduled for inspection of Trammell Bridge Mon.

November 18, 2011

Chipley – Weather permitting, motorists traveling State Road 20 between Blountstown and Bristol will encounter alternating lane closures in the eastbound lanes of the Trammell Bridge over the Apalachicola River, Monday, Nov. 21, from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. (CT). The lane closure will allow Florida Department of Transportation bridge maintenance crews to perform a routine inspection of the structure. Motorists are reminded to use caution while traveling through the work zone. For more Florida Department of Transportation District Three information follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/myfdot_nwfl.

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Hosford-Telogia VFD honored for service with 2011 GP Bucket Brigade grant

November 11, 2011
Hosford-Telogia VFD honored for service with 2011 GP Bucket Brigade grant

ATLANTA – Georgia-Pacific has selected the Hosford-Telogia Volunteer Fire Department as one of its 2011 Georgia-Pacific Bucket Brigade™ grant recipients. Georgia-Pacific selected 25 fire departments from the more than 300 communities where it has facilities in the United States. “The Hosford-Telogia Volunteer Fire Department provides a great service to our mill and the community that supports us, and we thank the department for all they do and are glad to help them through the Bucket Brigade Grant program,” said Matt Melott, safety manager for Georgia-Pacific Hosford OSB. “We greatly appreciate the service and professionalism they demonstrate, which are a...

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Health Dept. Director quits

November 11, 2011

by Teresa Eubanks, Journal Editor Citing “my inability to meet cash to budget requirements in the last year” Health Department Director Dr. Gene Charbonneau turned in his resignation last Wednesday, making it effective the following day, Nov. 3. In a two-sentence email to Michael L. Sentman, Assistant Deputy Secretary for Health, Charbonneau informed him of his resignation and added, “I did my best.” Charbonneau has served as the head of both the Calhoun County and Liberty County Health Departments for nearly five years. Health Department business manager Kelly King was appointed acting administrator following last week’s resignation. King explained...

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Kinard residents want paving completed on Bay County side of Scotts Ferry Road

October 28, 2011
Kinard residents want paving completed on Bay County side of Scotts Ferry Road

by Angie Davis, contributing writer About 30 people gathered at the single lane timber bridge on Scotts Ferry Road on the Bay County side early Tuesday morning to discuss the paving of the road and eventual replacement of the bridge. Kinard residents, who made up the majority of those in attendance, came to express their interest in the project as many of these Calhoun County residents use this connecting road for their daily commute to work in Panama City. Bay County Commissioner Guy Tunnell and Bay County Public Words Director Ken Schnell explained that the current project was in...

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Altha Town Council tables discussion on $1 rate increase

October 14, 2011

Altha Town Council members who were scheduled to discuss raising the water and garbage rates at Tuesday’s meeting decided to table the topic. “We voted to do more research first,” said Mayor Wes Johnston. “We’re going to check and see what other small communities in the area are doing. We will probably have another meeting in a couple of weeks to discuss our findings,” he said. No members of the public were in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting. Johnston said the council is considering raising the current rates by $1 a month. The town charges $16 a month for garbage...

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Continued Dryness, Continued Risk

August 30, 2011

Few of us would argue that wildfire is a year round threat in Florida. Heavy coastal winds, low humidity, continuing dry conditions, and frequency of rainfall are a few of the elements that contribute to this risk One tool used by the Florida Forest Service to indicate the dryness of the soil and surface fuels is the Keetch-Byram Drought Index or KBDI. A 0-800 numeric scale is used whereby a value of “0” indicates total water saturation and “800” indicates dry, arid desert-like conditions. Tallahassee’s six county region currently has an average score of 621, making us one of...

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Attorney says motion to disband Altha Police Dept. invalid; Council will look at revising town charter

August 26, 2011

by Teresa Eubanks, Journal Editor At a special meeting Tuesday evening, Altha Town Council attorney Matt Fuqua told the board that a previous 3-2 vote to disband the Altha Police Department was not valid because the town charter – passed in 1963 – specifies what departments the town operates. While the council can hire and fire, to shut down the police department would require rewriting the town charter, which cannot be amended without a referendum, Fuqua explained. The council can create departments as needed, but cannot undo what the charter has already established, he said. Councilman Derek Creamer, serving...

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Telogia Post Office on list of those considered for closure

July 27, 2011
Telogia Post Office on list of those considered for closure

by Teresa Eubanks, Journal Editor Liberty County’s tiny Telogia Post Office is on the list of 34 Florida Post Offices being considered for possible closure by the U.S. Postal Service. The postal service continues to lose money as more people communicate electronically and use other options, such as FedEx and UPS, which is prompting efforts to close facilities that bring in little revenue. The U.S. Postal Service has listed 3,700 smaller postal facilities across the county to be reviewed. “Our customer’s habits have made it clear that they no longer require a physical post office to conduct most of...

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