Latest news with #BAYCOUNTY
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Bay County holds annual Memorial Day Ceremony
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Dozens of community members gathered Monday morning at Kent-Forest Lawn Cemetery in solemn remembrance of America's fallen heroes. The Memorial Day ceremony paid tribute to the men and women who gave their lives in service to the nation. 'It's beyond awesome to be able to come here today to honor the men and women that have fought and died for our country,' Master of Ceremonies and Vietnam Veteran William Paul said. 'That allows us to be here to do this today. An honor that I cannot tell you. That is great. And seeing the World War II veterans that are here and all of the others that are able to come here who actually sacrificed so that we can be here today.' The ceremony began with an invocation, followed by patriotic songs, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the National Anthem. An especially meaningful moment of the event was the wreath-laying ceremony, a solemn tradition meant to recognize and remember service members who made the ultimate sacrifice. Among those in attendance was Michael Walker and his family, there to honor his uncle, Private Vernon R. Miller. 'Private Vernon R. Miller was killed in action in Korea on October 9, 1951,' Walker shared. 'For years, until my mother passed away in 2010, she never really fully believed that he was gone. She felt that he was a prisoner of war somewhere. And she looked for him everywhere.' Walker emphasized the importance of preserving and sharing veterans' stories. 'We feel that if we don't continue to come here and tell their stories, their stories will be gone. And there's no bringing them back once there was,' he said. 'Vernon was a very young, very strong man who left as a 19-year-old. In the last month of his service, he was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor and also the Silver Star. The Silver Star was awarded to him and signed on the very day that he was killed in action. So he never even knew that he had received the Silver Star. That's the story that we always bring with us.' In keeping with national tradition, the ceremony concluded with a call to participate in the National Moment of Remembrance, observed each Memorial Day at 3 p.m. 'We ask that you stop for one minute and just remember those that are fallen,' Paul said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ducks galore; how one woman's small gesture grew into a worldwide phenomenon
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – If you've ever driven by a jeep, you may have noticed a duck or ducks sitting on the dash. Well, that was started by a woman named Allison Parliament. Allison began to leave ducks on any jeep she could find, hoping to make someone's day a little brighter, coining it the 'Duck Duck Jeep'. From there, the trend grew beyond anything she could have imagined. 'She got a call a couple of days, a couple of weeks later, and said, what made you start this? This is going viral. And she goes, What are you talking about? She didn't realize in two weeks how big it got, and it just grew from just trying to make herself feel better and saying nice to somebody,' Allison's mother, Sheryl Parliament, said. Sadly, Allison died last year. However, her mother is keeping her legacy alive by attending events like the Florida Jeep Jam and spreading the story of how Duck Duck Jeep came about. 65-year-old male drowns in PCB, marking the first death of the season The ducks are just a one part of a seemingly tight-knit connection between jeep owners, a connection that goes beyond the bright wraps, tire lifts, and ducks. 'When you join the family, you join a family and they don't leave you behind, like you're embraced with a new family. They might not be blood. They're thicker than blood. They do not leave you behind. And ducking is just taking it one more step further,' Sheryl said. She says she is amazed at how far her daughter's impact has come. 'She did it for the people; she gave more than she had at a lot of events. And for me now, it's nice to know how many people she touched, how far she touched. I think she would be shocked, and she just never realized how big it was. I don't think she understood the full impact of how big and how many people did this,' Sheryl added. She says the trend has been seen in over 80 countries. For more on Allison and her story, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Expect temporary lane closures for US 98 and US 231 due to paving and drainage work
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Drivers may encounter traffic disruptions on the following roads as crews perform construction and maintenance activities. US 231 Resurfacing from County Road 2301 to North Campflowers Road – Drivers will encounter intermittent daytime and night time north and southbound lane closures Sunday, May 18 through Friday, May 23 for paving operations. Gulf Coast Parkway Construction from U.S 98 (Tyndall Parkway) to Star Avenue – U.S 98 drivers may encounter intermittent daytime and night time lane closures on U.S 98 from 11th Street to Tram Road, and on Star Avenue from north of State Road 22 to Tram Road beginning Sunday, May 18 – Sunday, May 25. Officials said the lane closure is necessary for crews to perform drainage structure, sidewalk and curb, and gutter installation. In addition, to allow oversized equipment to access the S.R. 370 construction site. U.S 98 widening from Mandy Lane to east of Nautalist Street – U.S 98 eastbound traffic between Hills Road and Nautalist Street will be shifted north to temporary travel lanes on Wednesday, May 21, at 8 p.m. The shift is scheduled to be in place by Thursday, May 22, at 6 a.m. Shifting traffic will allow construction crews to complete drainage work in this area. U.S 98 construction from west of Tyndall Drive – Airey Avenue to east of Louisiana Avenue – Drivers may encounter intermittent lane closures near the Tyndall Drive – Airey Avenue gate at Tyndall AFB through July. U.S 98 resurfacing from east of the 23rd street flyover to Jenks Avenue – Motorists will encounter the following traffic impacts: U.S 98 right turn lane onto the Beck Avenue outside merge lane will be closed Monday May 19 – Sunday May 25. The 15th street right turn lane and outside merge lane onto Beck Avnue is being reconstructed. Drivers will still be able to access Beck Avenue at the signalized intersection. Motorists may encounter intermittent nighttime lane closures Monday, May 19 – Sunday, May 25 from 8 p.m to 6 a.m. for sidewalk and signalization activities. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Letters Carriers' Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive fills local food banks
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – From mailboxes to local food banks, the National Association of Letter Carriers and the United States Postal Service are partnering in the fight to end hunger. Volunteer letter carriers spent Saturday driving through neighborhoods from Graceville to Port St. Joe, making stops at houses with bags hanging on their mailboxes. 'As we see bags hanging on the mailbox or see bags on the ground, we stop and we pick them up and then eventually we'll take them to their destination,' Volunteer Food Collector Jeff Lange said. No Name Lounge hosts luau party to support Shaddai Shriners In those bags are non-perishable food donations from the local community. Volunteers transport those donations to local food banks like the Panama City Rescue Mission men's facility and their women and children's facility. 'All the food that we pick up and the wonderful community donations all go back to our own people in our own community. So, eventually, we're just helping ourselves out or helping each other out the way a good neighborhood should,' Lange said. Volunteers said the donations collected will help supply the food banks for a year, and the donations are coming at a time when the community needs it most. 'Typically, this time of year, most food banks are struggling for donations. So it's a real big help for all the perishable items between dog food, napkins, just everyday things that are essential for just survival of people,' Volunteer Food Collector Jared Jones said. Volunteers will find out the total number of donations collected by next week. They say they are hoping for a record-breaking year. Local surplus auction in Bay County draws hundreds of attendees 'We had a great year, one of the best years we've had since COVID last year. So we're hoping to surpass that this year and be able to help even more families,' Jones added. If you missed this year's food drive, Panama City Rescue Mission is always accepting donations from 8 am to 4 pm, Monday through Friday. They are in urgent need of gallon bags, disinfectant spray, towels, underwear, and laundry detergent. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
