Drugs pervade red drum in bay
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Drugs pervade red drum in bay

Most everyone who takes to the Apalachicola Bay waters knows boating under the influence can be a serious problem. But how many have stopped to think that the fish themselves might have a substance abuse issue as well?  A study released last week by Florida International University’s Coastal Fisheries Research Lab found that among the…

Florida drops concealed weapons permitting
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Florida drops concealed weapons permitting

Both members of Franklin County’s legislative delegation supported the legislation, signed Monday by Gov. Ron DeSantis, that will allow Floridians to carry guns without concealed-weapons licenses.  State Sen. Corey Simon (R-Tallahassee) was among the 27 yeas, to 13 Democratic nays, that gave final approval to House Bill 543, about a week after State Rep. Jason…

African American women’s clubs once flourished in Apalachicola
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African American women’s clubs once flourished in Apalachicola

An English professor at the University of South Florida has shed fresh light on the history of Apalachicola’s African American women’s clubs in the early 20th century. At a well-attended talk March 16 at the Apalachicola Margaret Key Library, presented by the PALS friends of the library group, Dr. Cynthia Patterson drew on a 2019…

Plein air ‘paint out’ captures county’s beauty
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Plein air ‘paint out’ captures county’s beauty

There were few if any pictures of working oystermen in the collection this year, as Apalachicola Bay remains closed. But that certainly didn’t mean that the vibrancy of the county’s people, young and old, and its rich legacy and future promise were captured in oil paints, watercolor and pastels. The 18th annual Forgotten Coast en…

Eastpoint artist expands egg decorating tradition
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Eastpoint artist expands egg decorating tradition

Pysanka, the Ukrainian tradition of egg decorating, will enliven the Easter holiday in the Panhandle with a special exhibit in Panama City throughout April of the works of an Eastpoint artist. Gary Carroll, a master of the art of using the wax-resistant method to inscribe folk designs on eggshells, has modernized and expanded his repertoire…

Students demonstrate art of public speaking
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Students demonstrate art of public speaking

The two judges, Apalachicola librarian Lucy Carter, and Carrie Jones, environmental supervisor with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, were seated promptly before the 9 a.m. start of the district-wide 4-H Public Speaking Competition Friday. A large number of parents were in their seats as well in the meeting room at the UF…

Dialysis services return to the region
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Dialysis services return to the region

It’s been two years since the DaVita Kidney Care shuttered its Port St. Joe facility, leaving local patients without nearby options. Many drove to Tallahassee or Panama City to receive their kidney dialysis treatment three times a week. Others went more frequently than that. But on Thursday, March 23, at the ribbon cutting for the…