Latest news with #WewahitchkaHighSchool
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Eastern Shipbuilding Group challenges students to build artificial reefs
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – The Eastern Shipbuilding Group's Coastline Initiative challenges students from local schools to design and build artificial reefs. Participating teams from Wewahitchka High School, Port St. Joe High School, Haney Technical College, and Chipola College had three months to get their projects off the ground. To meet regulations, they had to submit a plan to Eastern Shipbuilding to get approved through the permitting process. Students gained hands-on experience in welding and marine engineering, preparing them for future careers in skilled trades. 'There's several trades involved. And it's not only welding, you know, their steel, this fabrication. There's the engineering side of it, designed the whole creativity aspect of design is a whole issue of its own,' Eastern Shipbuilding Group Director of Operations England Reeves said. Navy acquires Barefoot Palms property for base expansion plans Eastern Shipbuilding Group donated the scrap material and equipment needed for the reefs. And they stopped by the schools to meet with students. 'We get some face-to-face time with the students, which I think it makes a difference. You know, it really engages them. And they see industry partners, you know, real-life stuff happening outside of the school system. These industry partners coming inside the school and meeting, discussing, going over these plans and in their bill materials and, you know, face to face with students, I don't think they get that much,' Reeves said. The artificial reefs will be going to a permitted zone, 15 to 28 miles offshore from Panama City. They will bring habitats to several local fish species. 'The habitat is what the fish like for this area, mainly it's what we call a bottom species, snapper or grouper. Amberjack, triggerfish, those species like some kind of structure to live around, either it being like natural structure, like limestone edges or coral reefs, or artificial structure that's manmade that people put out,' Bay County Artificial Reef Association Member B.J. Burkett said. The reefs will sit on display in front of Captain Anderson's Marina for a 14 day inspection period that ends May 22. They are reviewed by the Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the U.S. Coast Guard. After they are approved, they will be deployed by the Bay County Artificial Reef Association. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lady Gators aiming to make Wewahistory at State
WEWAHITCHKA, Fla. (WMBB) – The Wewahitchka High School girls weightlifting team is coming off of a regional title and looking to win the program's first state championship this weekend. 'Winning a state championship in anything is difficult,' head coach Bobby Johns said. A second-place finish in last year's regional and state competition has left the Wewahitchka Gators eager for redemption. 'One of our goals was to win regionals. We swept that,' Johns said. From the beginning of the season, one of the biggest goals has already been achieved by Wewahitchka, with gold being brought home in both Traditional and Olympic at regionals. The importance of controlling the mental game has been emphasized by senior Ashlyn Ake, who said the regional win gave the Gators the confidence to prepare for State. 'It's going to get hard. But like I said, this is more of a mental game than just like being physically strong enough. Mental has a big part in this sport,' Ake said. Lessons from last year's state championship have been taken by Johns, and this year, the team focuses on consistency rather than the need to hit PRs in order to win. As one of the smallest high schools in Florida, a state championship is rarely won by Wewahitchka, and the weightlifting team has never brought home a title. 'It's huge for us at our school because there's only been a few state champions this school has ever had and none in weightlifting as a team. I've had some in cross country, in softball obviously, years ago in basketball, but it's been very few and far between,' Johns said. The Lady Gators will travel to Lakeland on Friday, February 14. Weigh-ins are scheduled for Friday evening, and the State competition is set to begin on Saturday, Feb. 15. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
