Panama City welcomes new leaders in inauguration ceremony
PANAMA CITY, Fla (WMBB) – Panama City is welcoming new leadership: Mayor Allan Branch, Ward One Commissioner Robbie Hughes and Ward Four Commissioner Josh Street were all sworn into office on Wednesday.
City, county, and state leaders all attended the inauguration ceremony and offered support to the trio.
Hughes and Branch are both Panama City natives and talked about how they're excited to begin serving their hometowns in a different way.
Lynn Haven Elementary School students celebrate last day of school with a water play day
'You can love something and acknowledge that there's challenges and hurdles and there's flaws in it. Since Hurricane Michael, my goodness, we've come so far, the progress we've made. We've challenged ourselves. We've got progress happening in certain parts of the city, we need that to echo in the rest of Panama City. You can be proud of yourself, but not satisfied,' Mayor Allan Branch said.
'I'm not going to try to worry about saving my seat for the next–I'm not going to make a decision for four years from now. That doesn't matter. This is a job. A seat's a seat. I'm here to serve you guys. And I promise you every day you lay your head on the pillow, just know that I have done everything that I can possible, in working with this team and City Hall and staff to make the quality of life better in Panama City,' Ward 1 Commissioner Robbie Hughes said.
The new commission's first meeting will be June 10.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Celebrate the reunion of families in Bay County
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – While dependency courtrooms have seen a fair share of highs and lows, on Friday, June 6, Bay County courtroom 'S-2' only saw highs. Parents, once deemed unfit by the court, were granted reunification with their children. 'It means the world. It's very rare. We celebrate reunification. Usually, we celebrate adoptions, which is fantastic in itself. But see, in this full circle moment for families, from the time the families were sheltered to the time they were unified, it's really powerful,' Florida Assistant Regional Counsel Megan McKeeby said. Each of the required case plans parents must complete is complex, unique, and difficult in their own way. Rural community of Alford benefits from innovative grant system 'Each case plan is designed to remedy the reasons why the children came into care. It can be anything from substance misuse, mental health, domestic violence, or it can be a combination of those things. They put in a lot of work. As I tell most people, I couldn't complete a case plan if I had to do one,' McKeeby said. Some parents who were previously granted reunification in November and have been doing well were granted termination of supervision. Unfortunately, the stigma remains for many parents who struggle with substance abuse, trauma, or other extenuating factors that led them to be in dependency court. However, Friday's celebration was a display of compassion, understanding, and ultimately triumph. 'The perspective matters because the obstacles these families face with the wrong perspective, that pulls them in the wrong direction. But with the right perspective, it can be a positive change, and it can be a force for good, and it can turn an otherwise difficult, challenging moment into an opportunity to be better, to do better, and to be the parent that they've been called to be. And so these types of events, these types of celebrations for reunification are worth our time,' 14th Judicial Circuit Judge Dustin Stephenson said. Judge Stephenson said he runs his courtroom looking to the positive, and encourages families that celebrations like Friday's are in their future. Panama City Commissioner Janice Lucas presented those in attendance with a proclamation solidifying June as National Family Reunification Month. The event was the first of its kind for Bay County. And it was possibly overdue for all of the caseworkers, judges, community partners, and families who play a pivotal role in the process. Judge Stephenson said Bay County is in dire need of foster parents who can step up, even temporarily, while a parent is going through the reunification process. He says many Bay County children have had to be relocated to Central or South Florida due to the lack of foster parents in our area. To learn more about becoming a foster parent, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Mentor honored for his big commitment to youth empowerment
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida celebrated a volunteer who has gone above and beyond in fulfilling the organization's mission of empowering youth in Bay County. The '2025 Virginia Thomas Big of the Year Award' in Bay County recognizes a mentor who exemplifies extraordinary commitment, compassion, and service to the youth in the community. The non-profit organization named Gage Proctor as this year's recipient. Proctor has been a mentor or 'Big Brother' with the organization since 2021. Over the past three and a half years, Proctor has helped his mentee, or 'Little Brother,' Khayman, academically and socially. Proctor was surprised and humbled by the honor. He said this is by far the easiest award he's ever earned. 'This was an easy award to win because I just get to hang out with him [Khayman] and it's fun. And it's a good time. It's always been a good time,' said Proctor. Khayman's family called Proctor 'one in a million.' The Virginia Thomas Big of the Year Award is named in honor of longtime community advocate, Virginia Thomas, who moved to the Panama City area in 1965 and quickly immersed herself in service. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida is in need of more mentors for their program. To learn more about becoming a 'Big,' click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
Orphaned bear cub ‘packed on the pounds' at NY rescue. See him return to wild
An orphaned black bear cub that defied the odds and 'survived a very cold winter alone' in upstate New York quickly 'packed on the pounds' and returned to the wild, video shows. The yearling cub was found all alone near skiing trails — 'so weak he could barely walk,' McClatchy News previously reported. 'The little guy was found on the slopes of Hunter Mt. in March,' Friends of the Feathered and Furry Wildlife Center said in a Facebook post May 15. 'After only 60 days he packed on the pounds & he was ready to go home.' But as officials were getting ready to release him, more orphaned cubs joined him, the organization said in an April 23 post. 'Since Hunter bear (found on Hunter Mt) came in March, 3 more underweight and weak yearlings have landed with us as well as 5 cubs!' the organization said, adding that the Hunter Mountain bear looked good in a recent photo at the time. A photo shows the bear climbing on a log in his enclosure. Video of the bear's release shows him bursting out of a cage, then pausing to give a last look at the people who made his return to the wild possible. 'He looked back to say 'thank you!'' someone said in the comments. The cub hesitates before bounding off into the forest as someone off camera chuckles. 'I am crying,' someone said in the comments. 'It takes a big wide wild village.' The video also shows the release of another bear that the organization referred to as the Margaretville bear. 'She was spotted late last year as it was getting cold,' the organization said in the post. 'After two weeks of being seen running around looking for food in Margaretville, she was finally captured by Michael our long time volunteer. These two bears were extremely (underweight) when found & we are thrilled to say they made a great recovery. Let Wild Be Wild!' That bear took off into the forest with no hesitation, video shows. In a video shared shortly before the organization released the Hunter Mountain bear, four of the cubs are seen playing together in their enclosure. 'Just in case anyone was wondering what happens when you put 4 orphaned cubs in a 4x8 room,' the organization said in a May 3 post. 'If you guessed chaos you would be correct.' Video shows the cubs running around the enclosure, climbing up and down and then tumbling off a log. Several of the remaining cubs were released or will be released soon, according to posts from the organization and from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.
