DEP lifts Apalach water’s consent order
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DEP lifts Apalach water’s consent order

The city of Apalachicola got a longtime weight lifted off its shoulders Monday with a letter from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection that a decade-old consent order regarding drinking water has been lifted. Elizabeth Mullins Orr, director of the FDEP’s Northwest District, wrote to Apalachicola Mayor Brenda Ash, that the corrective actions required by…

Ant farms, Ant-Men, and chewy chocolate critters
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Ant farms, Ant-Men, and chewy chocolate critters

The Secret Lives of Words One of my earliest memories is of sitting on the ground, playing outside our apartment, and suddenly finding big black ants swarming all over me. They weren’t stinging, but they were startling, and oh so scary. I shrieked, jumped up, and ran around in circles trying to brush the critters…

This weekend in Gulf and Franklin
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This weekend in Gulf and Franklin

It’s going to be a busy weekend in Gulf and Franklin counties.   Have an event coming up you want us to share? Send details to wweitzel@nevespublishing.com. Liar’s Challenge The Coastal Communities Association is kicking off their 2023 Easter basket drive with a fun event, the Liar’s Challenge, at the Haughty Heron on Feb. 24…

Black history festival outdoes itself
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Black history festival outdoes itself

By most every measure, the 20th African-American History Festival lived up to its anniversary status last weekend. Blessed by sunny skies, and running like clockwork in the hands of organizers H’COLA (Hillside Coalition of Laborers for Apalachicola), the festival brought out a huge crowd and a robust number of booths.  The local nonprofits and government…

Carrabelle police chief abruptly steps down
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Carrabelle police chief abruptly steps down

Carrabelle city commissioners on Tuesday morning accepted the resignation of Police Chief Kevin Shuman, effective March 3. The commissioners voted unanimously at the special meeting to accept the resignation, which Shuman announced Friday in a letter he wrote to City Administrator Courtney Dempsey. In his letter, Shuman, who has served as chief for the past…

FSU researcher wants to hear from the fishermen
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FSU researcher wants to hear from the fishermen

For all those in the county’s fishing community who have felt that pointy-headed academics and other experts in the field of marine fisheries haven’t really listened to what they have to say, help is on the way. If you have insight into the historical changes that have transformed the Apalachicola Bay fishing community over the…

Elections office could move to Eastpoint
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Elections office could move to Eastpoint

It’s not a done deal yet, but with the county commission’s go-ahead last week to get appraisals on acreage next to the Tourist Development Office on US 98, the next step could be to relocate the supervisor of elections office there. By a unanimous vote Feb. 7, the county commissioner approved a motion by Commissioner…

This weekend in Gulf and Franklin
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This weekend in Gulf and Franklin

Mexico Beach Gumbo Cook-off The annual Mexico Beach Gumbo Cook-Off is coming back hot this year. Chefs will bring a variety of tasty gumbo and Brunswick stew for guests to enjoy all day long on Saturday, Feb. 18, beginning at 10 a.m. at Parker Park. There will also be cold beverages, hot dogs and sausage…

Chef Sampler celebrates changing dining scene
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Chef Sampler celebrates changing dining scene

There’s been a lot of changes in the dining scene on the Forgotten Coast in the three years since the Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce last hosted the Chef Sampler. Since 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic first put a serious crimp in the styles of dining spots, and shuttered the Sampler, there’s been closures and…