Local News

County Commissioner Noah Lockley is not a fan of turtles. He reiterated this point several times last week, at a public hearing on a proposed revision of the county’s Leave No Trace ordinance intended to strengthen protections of the  vital sea turtle nursery, and extend the affected shoreline further east to Carrabelle, Alligator Point and…

With three fox attacks this summer, the Florida Department of Health in Franklin County is cautioning people to be extra careful outdoors with themselves and their pets. Eastpoint veterinarian Dr. Hobson Fulmer said such a rash of rabies is not uncommon. “We’ll see little flareups here and there, and then we’ll go a couple years…

Areas saturated by recent heavy rains might see flash flooding because of Tropical Storm Elsa, which could reach hurricane strength when it makes landfall early Wednesday on the Gulf Coast,  Gov. Ron DeSantis warned Tuesday. At 8 a.m., Elsa was west of Key West, about 240 miles south of Tampa, with maximum sustained winds of…

Brenda Ash as mayor, Donna Duncan as commissioner, both unopposed Apalachicola City Commissioner Anita Grove will face Amy Hersey in the Sept. 7 Apalachicola municipal elections, while interim Mayor Brenda Ash and newcomer Donna Duncan will be unopposed. Supervisor of Elections Heather Riley said no opponents had filed by the noon deadline Friday to oppose…

TALLAHASSEE — Florida is about to find out how much a week of sales-tax “freedom” translates into capitalism.
Starting Thursday, in what lawmakers dubbed “Freedom Week,” people will receive sales-tax breaks when they make a wide range of purchases that could help spur them to be more active after being limited by the coronavirus pandemic.
Shoppers from Thursday through July 7 will be able to avoid paying all or part of sales taxes on purchases such as grills; bicycles; fishing and camping gear; kayaks and canoes; tickets for concerts, movies and ball games; gym memberships; boxes of softballs and sleeves of tennis balls; and even sunscreen.

The Alligator Point Saint Teresa Volunteer Fire Department has been named a 2021 grant recipient by Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, receiving $32,030 funding to be used to purchase Hurst Extrication Tools. “We’re so thankful for the support from Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation and our local Firehouse Subs restaurant, in Tallahassee,” said Robert Gates,…

Franklin County’s unemployment numbers improved slightly in May, even as the size of the labor force grew According to preliminary numbers released Friday by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in May was at 3.8 percent, two-tenths of 1 percentage point better than the April rate of 4.0 percent….

The Panhandle Players, the Forgotten Coast’s community theatre group, made a request to the county earlier this year to repair the lot at Apalachicola’s Chapman Auditorium, which it oversees. The county has come through. Commissioner Noah Lockley used $27,310 funds from his road paving budget to pave the lot with asphalt in front of the…

Apalachicola Mayor Kevin Begos died early Saturday morning in Tallahassee. Members of the family confirmed Kevin Paul Begos, Jr. passed away at Capital Regional Medical Center at 1:40 a.m., at the age of 63. He had been rushed there early Thursday morning via medavac after experiencing cardiac arrest. His mother, Jane Richardson, of Apalachicola, was…