Jinks Student Wins Bay County Spelling Bee

By Andy Meinen, The News Herald, Panama City, Fla.

Feb. 11–PANAMA CITY — An eighth-grader from Jinks Middle School won the Bay County Spelling Bee on Saturday afternoon by spelling “Permian” correctly in the 10th round. Thirteen-year-old Nathaniel Johnson III received a $100 gift certificate for winning the bee, said Marilyn Daniels, spelling bee coordinator for the Bay County Reading Association. He now advances to The News Herald-Kiwanis Regional Spelling Bee on March 3. Mowat Middle School student Jake Miller came in second and was awarded a $50 gift certificate, Daniels said. Twenty-seven students took part in the bee at Gulf Coast Community College. Walton fatal DEFUNIAK SPRINGS A 32-year-old man died Saturday morning in a one-car crash on State 85 north of County 147. Bruce L. Paul, of Paxton, lost control of his 1991 four-door Dodge, while driving south on State 85, according to a Florida Highway Patrol news release. Paul’s Dodge slid off the road and struck two pine trees, then flipped over. Paul was not wearing his seatbelt, police reported. Andy Meinen Road construction EAST BAY Drivers should expect delays Monday when Bay County starts work on the Cooks Bayou Causeway on County 2297. The causeway will have a 12-ton gross vehicle limit from 4 p.m. to 8 a.m., Monday through Friday, all weekends and holidays, according to a Bay County news release. On weekdays, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., only one lane of traffic will be open. Vehicles exceeding 32 tons will not be allowed to cross the causeway, the news release stated. For more information, call Bay County Traffic Engineering Division at (850) 914-6431. Andy Meinen Beach fire PANAMA CITY BEACH A fire heavily damaged a vacant house behind Coyote Ugly on Front Beach Road on Saturday afternoon. No injures were reported, said Lt. James Petski, of the Panama City Beach Fire Rescue. Petski said it looked like vagrants were living in the house but wouldn’t comment on a cause of the fire. The house was set to be torn down, he said. The home was fully involved when firefighters arrived. Panama City Beach Fire Rescue’s new ladder truck responded to the call from the St. Andrews Mardi Gras Parade. Andy Meinen Boil water SPRINGFIELD The city of Springfield issued a boil-water notice because of a break in the utility lines during an ongoing underground construction. The areas affected include the Hiland Park area from Brookwood Place, north to Game Farm Road and the Avondale Court area, and west to East Avenue, according to a Springfield Public Works news release. For more information, call Springfield City Hall at (850) 872-7570. Andy Meinen Redfish rules SANDESTIN It’s back to the drawing board for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission staff tasked with devising new redfish fishing regulations. Commissioners, responding to public input and their own concerns, have delayed voting until June on a draft of redfish rules. Staff biologists had recommended narrowing the slot limit for a keeper redfish from 18 inches to 27 inches to 20 inches to 26 inches. The bag limit would stay at one fish per angler per day. After hearing a report and testimony, the seven-person panel decided there was plenty of time to revisit the issue because the redfish fishery is stable. Commissioners accepted the need for tighter rules, including a narrower slot limit, because there’s clear evidence fishing pressure on redfish is growing. The FWC kept its goal of meeting “40 percent escapement,” a measure of how many redfish escape being caught to become spawning adults. Florida Freedom Newspapers

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Copyright (c) 2007, The News Herald, Panama City, Fla.

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