Education commissioner puts hammer down on four-day school
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Education commissioner puts hammer down on four-day school

Following a strongly worded letter from the commissioner of the Florida Department of Education, the Franklin County Schools have said they will not be moving forward with a proposal to implement a four-day school week next fall. On May 9. Superintendent Steve Lanier received a letter from Education Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr. asking that he…

Christian school speaks the language
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Christian school speaks the language

Do you know the definitions of nouns, verbs, pronouns, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions and interjections? Students in grades three through eight at Apalachicolal’s First Baptist Christian School do, and they brought their understanding to life with a class musical April 25 in the church sanctuary, directed by Principal Carline Kembro. Entitled “The Case of the…

Brewfest raises record for humane society
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Brewfest raises record for humane society

The eighth annual St. George Island Brewfest, a seaside celebration of craft beer, and the largest annual fundraiser for the Franklin County Humane Society, broke several  significant records at the April 26 event. Brewfest Committee President Amy Hodson said a record $90,000 was raised in 2025, breaking last year’s record of $70,000 by a staggering…

Curious kids snake through Estuaries Day
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Curious kids snake through Estuaries Day

They came to pet snakes, to look closely at the many creatures that live beneath the sea, to play games in the park and most of all to learn. On May 2, the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve once again hosted its annual Estuaries Day, a celebration of hands-on learning conducted by staffers and volunteers…

Emergency management helps us prepare for hurricanes
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Emergency management helps us prepare for hurricanes

Hi Y’all, I hope your Mother’s Day was filled with love, whether it was for you or from you. The snowbirds are leaving, and things are calming down a bit. They will be missed. Now that the fun has lessened, it is a good time to get down to more serious matters in Lanark. Hurricane…

Public weighs in on four-day school week
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Public weighs in on four-day school week

In a series of three town hall meetings held last week throughout Franklin County, the public got a chance to ask questions and offer comments on the proposed four-day school week. While the attendance by teachers was strong, and that of parents limited, several people spoke out against the plan, and several for it, at…

County builds buckets to ready for storms
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County builds buckets to ready for storms

To prepare the community for natural disasters, the Franklin County Florida Emergency Management organization hosted their third Build A Bucket event, this time on the eastern end of the county. The Saturday event at the former Carrabelle High School football field provided a newly featured POD (Point of Distribution) exercise, created to simulate the designated…

In honor of volunteers
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In honor of volunteers

The Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce honored its 2025 Volunteer Award winners on April 19 at the 26th Apalachicola Boat & Car Show, which kicked off Franklin County Volunteer Week. Receiving the Nancy Hodgson Lifetime Volunteer Award, at right, was Carrabelle’s Tamara Allen, active with history and cultural enrichment efforts throughout the county. The Volunteers…

FWC sketches outline for reopening oyster harvest
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FWC sketches outline for reopening oyster harvest

At the first of a series of public workshops throughout the Panhandle on oyster management and regulation, residents of the Forgotten Coast got a glimpse last month of what Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission staffers are envisioning as conditions for re-opening Apalachicola Bay to harvesting in 2026 following a five-year moratorium. Using a clicker…

Judge tells DEP to deny drilling permit
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Judge tells DEP to deny drilling permit

On Monday, a Florida administrative law judge issued a recommended order with extensive findings of fact, recommending that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection deny an oil drilling permit for a wildcat well located within the Apalachicola River floodplain.  Apalachicola Riverkeeper filed an administrative action challenging Clearwater Land and Minerals’ oil drilling permit, after the…