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Yahoo
08-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fountain fire station, multi-use complex and more in the works
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Community center meets fire station. Bay County officials believe the multi-use complex will transform this bare space. The $3.58 million project will replace the condemned east Hiland Fire Station off Highway 20. 'We've been working on this for the last four to five years and been able to get the funds approved through a USDA grant as well as some other funds. And from that, we're going to be able to build this new complex,' County Commissioner Doug Moore said. The 10,000 square foot facility will accommodate eight fire personnel, a fire engine, a tanker truck, a brush truck, and an EMS vehicle. However, the plans extend beyond that. 'Acquiring some additional land next to the existing Fountain complex, we're going to be able to expand the footprint of our community complex up there to include a community center as well as this fire station,' Moore said. Apalachicola Riverkeeper nears victory in fight to 'Kill the Drill' The fountain community complex will include a metal building with basketball courts, a walking track, and other amenities designed to withstand 150-mile-an-hour winds. There will also be a Bay County Sheriff's substation. And if that's not enough, the facility will also provide crucial disaster response capabilities. 'When Hurricane Michael hit, we needed a pod distribution area. And this is a centralized location for Northern Bay County where we're going to be able to set up a very good section to be able to meet the needs of the community up there, where they'll be able to drive through. They can open their trunk. We can put the supplies in that they need and have a central rallying point, easy ingress, easy, easy access in and out for them to be able to get there and for us to be able to set up staging areas to meet the needs, or also stage county assets to be able to work on any type of recovery things that might need to be done in the area,' Moore continued. While no one wants another Hurricane Michael, Moore says the complex will create a more responsive central rallying point for future hurricanes or emergencies. Construction should take a year from the start date. County officials are hoping for a ribbon-cutting next summer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Gov. Ron DeSantis signs bill banning fluoride additives in Florida drinking water
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Since the 1950's cities and counties all over the US have been adding fluoride to their drinking water supplies to promote dental health. In Bay County, that process will soon end. Water department officials say they will use the supply of fluoride that's still on hand, then discontinue the process. The move will save the county a small amount of money. Florida controversy over fluoride removal from water systems 'So, we spend around $100,000 a year on the actual chemical that we had. So, we know we're going to save that money right off the bat. As soon as we stop feeding it, we hope to stop purchasing it. So that's how we got that number,' Water Division Superintendent Sean Lathrop said. Fluoride is in toothpaste and used by dentists for teeth cleanings. About 75% of the nation's water systems add naturally occurring minerals, like fluoride, to strengthen teeth and prevent cavities. Lathrop says the removal of fluoride will not affect the water quality. 'It's not going to change the water quality at all. We're still going to strive to give the best quality water that we can, and that's what we're going to continue to do,' Lathrop said. REAL ID enforcement begins, travelers without are still allowed to fly Officials say all they have to do is flip a switch to stop adding fluoride to the water tanks. For now, they're letting the existing supply run its course. 'We have a big tank and pumps that feed it into our system and inject it into the system. And we'll just basically once it's empty, we just turn it off,' Lathrop added. Once that's gone, it will take 30 days for the fluoride to work its way out of the system. Lathrop says the transition will not affect the price of water bills. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
