PANAMA CITY

Killing of Manuel Esteban Paez Terán, who opposed training facility, is ‘unprecedented’ in history of environmental activism, experts say

Officials say nearly 250,000 migrants crossed the treacherous Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama in 2022 on their way north

PANAMA CITY — (AP) — A Canadian company claimed Friday the government of Panama has cut off talks with it, resulting in the closure of a huge copper mine. Panama’s president announced Thursday that the government ordered Frist Quantum's local subsidiary to cease operations at the mine, the largest private investment in the history of Panama. The government blamed the subsidiary, Minera Panama, saying it failed to meet commitments agreed to in January for a new contract that was “reasonable and satisfactory” for the Panamanian people. The government has said that on Jan. 17, Minera Panama agreed in a letter to a deal with the government that included the minimum annual payment of $375 million. Despite negotiations, the company did not sign the new contract by the Dec. 14 deadline set by the government.

In a tropical forest beside the Panama Canal, two endangered, black-handed spider monkeys swing about their wire enclosure balanced by their long tails.

PANAMA CITY — (AP) — An international wildlife conference moved to enact some of the most significant protection for shark species targeted in the fin trade and scores of turtles, lizards and frogs whose numbers are being decimated by the pet trade. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, known by its initials as CITES, ended Friday in Panama. Along with protections for over 500 species, delegates at the United Nations wildlife conference rejected a proposal to reopen the ivory trade. The international wildlife trade treaty, which was adopted 49 years ago in Washington, D.C., has been praised for helping stem the illegal and unsustainable trade in ivory and rhino horns as well as in whales and sea turtles. One of the biggest achievement this year was increasing or providing protection for more than 90 shark species, including 54 species of requiem sharks, the bonnethead shark, three species of hammerhead shark and 37 species of guitarfish.

PANAMA CITY — (AP) — An international wildlife conference moved to enact some of the most significant protection for shark species targeted in the fin trade and scores of turtles, lizards and frogs whose numbers are being decimated by the pet trade. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, known by its initials as CITES, ended Friday in Panama. Along with protections for over 500 species, delegates at the United Nations wildlife conference rejected a proposal to reopen ivory trade. The international wildlife trade treaty, which was adopted 49 years ago in Washington, D.C., has been praised for helping stem the illegal and unsustainable trade in ivory and rhino horns as well as in whales and sea turtles. One of the biggest achievement this year was increasing or providing protection for more than 90 shark species, including 54 species of requiem sharks, the bonnethead shark, three species of hammerhead shark and 37 species of guitarfish.

An international conference on endangered species has ended in Panama, with protections established for over 500 species

PANAMA CITY, Fla. — A Florida man is accused of taking out thousands of dollars in loans and participating in business deals, all while pretending to be an Irish immigrant. >> Read more trending newsThe Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced in a news release that it had arrested a man who had been calling himself Declan Quinn and committing fraud under the name. FDLE said its investigation began in February 2022 and that it was able to determine that Declan Quinn was actually Daryl Gary Boehlke, a convicted felon from Wisconsin. Boehlke is accused of posing as an Irish immigrant and former member of the Irish Army to win the position of HOA Board of Directors president in his neighborhood. Boehlke is also accused of using a fake Irish passport as identification while pawning items for more than $1,000.

The policy change shut the door on Venezuelan asylum seekers, many of whom previously were being paroled into the United States. We began to call relatives in the United States, in Chile and they us yes, it was true. We all lost the little that we had.”Some 900 Venezuelans have returned on charter flights from Panama since the U.S. policy change, according to Panama’s National Immigration Service. The U.S. policy change was driven by a surge in Venezuelans arriving at the U.S. border that put them second only to Mexicans this year. Biden administration officials said about 150 Venezuelans were crossing the border from Mexico daily, down from about 1,200 before the policy was announced Oct. 12.

With dashed dreams and empty hands, hundreds of Venezuelan migrants are stranded in Panama’s capital looking for a way home after surviving the crossing of the Darien Gap only to find that a United States policy change had closed the border to them.

PANAMA CITY — (AP) — The United Nations said Wednesday that almost three-quarters of the 6 million Venezuelan migrants currently in Latin America do not have adequate food, shelter, employment or medical care. Latin America and the Caribbean host 84% of the estimated total of about 7 million Venezuelans who emigrated in recent years. The IOM and the U.N. refugee agency said that half of the Venezuelans in Latin America can’t afford three meals a day. “The number of migrants that have crossed into Panama is over 150,000, compared to 134,000 migrants in all of 2021, and the numbers are growing,” Camargo said. Increasing numbers of Venezuelans are crossing Central America and Mexico and are arriving at the U.S. border.

A 4-year-old child died in a fall from a resort balcony in Florida, according to police.

A Florida missing child alert was issued Wednesday for a 15-year-old girl out of Springfield, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Three migrants drowned while crossing into Panama from Colombia

PANAMA CITY — (AP) — Three migrants drowned while crossing into Panama from Colombia, authorities said Tuesday. In June, Juan Manuel Pino, Panama’s security minister said the number of migrants crossing the Darien Gap has grown substantially. In the first half of the year, 46,415 migrants were found crossing, compared to 26,216 detected in the same period of 2021. That year, a total of 133,000 migrants passed through Panama, suggesting that this year’s total will be even higher. The majority of the migrants in 2021 were from Haiti, while authorities estimate the largest group this year are Venezuelans.

Jesse Schoberg has been living abroad for 14 years, splitting his time between more than 40 countries — and he has no plans to return to the U.S. anytime soon.

Panama’s teachers will return to the classroom Tuesday after a month-long strike supported by a number of other sectors that blocked commerce and snarled the capital with traffic over the high cost of living and government corruption

Eastern Shipbuilding was not selected by the federal government to build the next 11 ships in the U.S. Coast Guard's Offshore Patrol Cutter Program.

(NCD)PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Police in a Florida Panhandle city said they seized enough fentanyl “to kill every single resident of the City of Panama City,” authorities said. >> Read more trending newsAccording to a news release, the Panama City Police Department concluded a two-week investigation that resulted in the arrest of three men, WJHG-TV reported. Enough Fentanyl to kill everyone who lives in Panama City was taken off the streets. That’s according to Panama City Police. Brandon Lamar Ware, 32, was charged with possession of fentanyl and possession and/or use of narcotic equipment.

The number of child migrants who crossed the treacherous Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama has spiked, the United Nations Children’s Fund said Friday

PANAMA CITY — (AP) — A Panamanian judge acquitted 39 people in a money laundering case Thursday, including lawyers Jurgen Mossack and Ramón Fonseca, who were key figures in the Panama Papers case. Judge Baloísa Marquínez Morán ruled that the prosecution did not prove that the law firm Mossack Fonseca handled illicit funds from Brazil, or try to hide them. Mossack and Fonseca had faced charges of creating accounts in multiple countries that were used by the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht. The Panama Papers included a collection of 11 million secret financial documents that illustrated how some of the world’s richest people hide their money. U.S. federal prosecutors have alleged that the Mossack Fonseca firm conspired to circumvent American laws to maintain the wealth of its clients and conceal tax dollars owed to the IRS.

A Panamanian judge has acquited 39 people charged in the Panama Papers case, including the key figures,  Jurgen Mossack and Ramón Fonseca

U.S. first lady Jill Biden has arrived in Panama, her second stop on a three-country Latin America visit before the United States hosts the Summit of the Americas next month in Los Angeles

A man broke into a Panama City zoo Tuesday afternoon before assaulting employees and visitors, Bay County deputies said.

PANAMA CITY — (AP) — The first elected female leader of Panama’s Wounaan Indigenous group took office Monday. The inauguration of Aulina Ismare Opua marks a strengthening of women’s positions in the country’s Indigenous communities. Recently, Elena Cruz Guerra won the leadership of the Indigenous territory of Ngäbe-Buglé. Ausencio Palacio, the country’s assistant minister for Indigenous affairs, said women’s roles in leading Indigenous communities is growing stronger. “There is an increasing trend of alternating power between men and women in the Indigenous territories," said Palacio.

The first elected female leader of Panama’s Wounaan Indigenous group has taken office

Lieutenant Jason Powell and Firefighter/Paramedic David Lawrence were deployed to Panama City.

Hundreds of residents forced to evacuate as blazes in the Florida Panhandle threatened their homes have been allowed to return, even as three wildfires in the region have grown to more than 29,000 acres.

Officials say vetFirefighters continued to battle the 12,000-acre (about 4,860-hectare) Bertha Swamp Road fire and the 841-acre (340-hectare) Adkins Avenue fire, which have threatened homes and forced residents of at least 1,100 houses in Bay County, Florida. erans forced to evacuate a nursing home by a Florida Panhandle wildfire have been allowed to return home.

Huge wildfires in the Florida Panhandle have forced veterans at a 120-bed nursing home to evacuate.

The Adkins Avenue fire destroyed two structures and damaged another 12 homes late Friday. Buses also were on standby in case the 1,300 inmates at the nearby Bay County Jail needed to be evacuated to other facilities. Hurricane Michael in 2018 left behind 72 million tons of destroyed trees that have provided fuel for the Bay County wildfires, according to the Florida Forest Service. “I know there has been frustration with people not being able to get back into their homes,” said Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford. “It’s just hard to believe that something could be that big,” said Brad Monroe, chief of Bay County Emergency Services.

The Adkins Avenue fire destroyed two structures and damaged another 12 homes late Friday. Big win for Bay County!" Please be patient as first responders battle these dangerous fires," Bay County officials posted online. The county opened a shelter at the Bay County Fairgrounds for displaced residents. “We understand and recognize that everyone is anxious to go back home, and that it has been a huge inconvenience," said Valerie Sale, a Bay County spokeswoman.

The 8,000-acre (about 3,237 hectare) Bertha Swamp Road fire and the 1,400-acre (567-hectare) Adkins Avenue fire threatened homes and forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents in Bay County, Florida over the weekend. The Adkins Avenue fire destroyed two structures and damaged another 12 homes late Friday. Big win for Bay County!" Bay County emergency officials tweeted early Sunday. Please be patient as first responders battle these dangerous fires," Bay County officials posted online.

Panhandle fire: The Adkins Avenue fire has already burned more than 1,400 acres in Bay County, Florida. (Mike Fender/News Herald via AP)PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Residents of 600 homes were evacuated on Saturday as a wildfire raged in the Florida Panhandle, state forest officials said. >> Read more trending newsAccording to a news release from the Florida Forest Service, the Adkins Avenue fire in Bay County has burned more than 1,400 acres. https://t.co/xU261zQkGJ — Florida Forest Service (@FLForestService) March 4, 2022More than 200 firefighters from the Panhandle were working to contain the fire, WJHG-TV reported. A burn ban remains in effect for all of Bay County, WJHG reported.

PANAMA CITY, Fla. — State leaders are putting strike teams on standby, as firefighters battle a 1,400-acre wildfire in the Florida panhandle. Residents in 600 homes in the Florida Panhandle were evacuated as a wildfire destroyed two houses and damaged 12 others, in an area that has spent the past three years recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Michael, officials said Saturday. Photos: Massive wildfire forces evacuation of 600 homes in Florida PanhandleExpand Autoplay Image 1 of 14 Massive wildfire forces evacuation of 600 homes in Florida PanhandleHundreds of thousands of acres of downed trees from the 2018 hurricane, along with low humidity and strong winds, have created “the perfect storm” for the hazardous fire conditions in Bay County, Florida, Gov. WATCH: Officials: Smog posed no known danger to motorists before deadly crashes on I-95More than 200 firefighters and emergency workers from throughout the Florida Panhandle worked overnight to strengthen containment lines and protect homes. As of Saturday morning, the 1,400-acre Adkins Avenue Fire was 30% contained, according to the Florida Forest Service.

PANAMA CITY, Fla. — (AP) — Residents in 600 homes in the Florida Panhandle were evacuated as a wildfire destroyed two houses and damaged 12 others, in an area that has spent the past three years recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Michael, officials said Saturday. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference outside a church in Panama City. More than 200 firefighters and emergency workers from throughout the Florida Panhandle worked overnight to strengthen containment lines and protect homes. As of Saturday morning, the 1,400-acre (567-hectare) Adkins Avenue Fire was 30% contained, according to the Florida Forest Service. The agency has deployed more than a dozen tractor plow units as well as multiple helicopters, officials said in a news release.

The governor issued Executive Order 22-54 to declare a state of emergency in Bay County after the wildfires engulfed eight homes and led to the evacuation of thousands more, with weather conditions expected to maintain a moderate drought in the area for at least the next three days, according to the order.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will hold a news conference Thursday morning at Florida State University Panama City.

Here's what it's like to self-test for Covid-19 before boarding a flight to the U.S., as required by federal government regulation since last December.

SpaceX's latest Dragon cargo mission splashed down Monday (Jan. 24) with a huge haul of science experiments from the International Space Station.

The resupply spacecraft is filled with nearly 5,000 pounds of scientific experiments and other cargo.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hands Panama City leaders a $20.4 million grant for post-hurricane repairs of the city’s water, sewer and stormwater systems.

PCPD officers were called to a local department store on Dec. 17 to stand by as Glover was terminated and escorted off the property.

Arrested: Officials said 33 people were arrested during a four-day sting in northwest Florida on various sex-related charges. PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Thirty-three people were arrested on sex charges in the Florida Panhandle as the result of a four-day multi-agency operation dubbed Operation “Dirty Santa,” authorities said Monday. “This was targeting sex offenders, child pornographers, and travelers who are coming from out of the area to meet minors for the purpose of having sex,” Smith said. “We can see that these arrests are going to grow as the further investigation continues.”After a four-day sting operation, 33 people have been arrested on various sex-related crimes in our area. Smith said seven people arrested came from as far away as Biloxi, Mississippi to have sex with minors, according to WMBB.

A court imposed Panama's maximum sentence of 50 years in prison Friday on seven members of a cult who killed a woman and six children in a religious rite in a remote part of the Central American nation. The court in Bocas del Toro province sentenced two other members of the New Light of God cult to 47 years in prison each. The cult had operated for about three years in the Ngabe Bugle hamlet of El Terron on Panama's Caribbean coast, but villagers said it had changed after one member had a vision telling the lay preachers they had been “annointed” to exterminate unbelievers.

A car driving in the wrong direction in the Florida Panhandle hit another vehicle, causing it to go up in flames and killing four people, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

PANAMA CITY, Panama — (AP) — The United States changed seven starters for Sunday night’s World Cup qualifier against Panama, inserting forward Gyasi Zardes along with midfielders Kellyn Acosta, Sebastian Lletget and winger Tim Weah. Right back Shaq Moore, central defender Mark McKenzie and left back George Bello also were in the lineup. Returning from the lineup that started Thursday’s 2-0 win over Jamaica were goalkeeper Matt Turner, central defender Walker Zimmerman, midfielder Yunus Musah and winger Paul Arriola. Acosta played his 19th consecutive national team match, the longest streak since 35 by Landon Donovan from 2001-03. Turner’s 11 straight games in goal is the most since Brad Guzan in 2015 and four shy of the record set by Tony Meola from 1990-91.

There comes a time in life when everyone and everything must grow up. Whether it be teenagers assuming adulthood responsibilities or cities that realize their once “anything goes” party atmosphere has become major liability, instead of an asset.

An Amber Alert has been issued for two children missing out of Panama City Saturday.

One death has been reported so far after a Las Vegas man's car hydroplaned near Panama City, Florida and overturned into a water-filled ditch.

One death has been reported so far after a Las Vegas man's car hydroplaned near Panama City, Florida and overturned into a water-filled ditch.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is sticking with his ban on mask mandates inside Florida public schools.

Gov. Ron DeSantis clapped back at President Joe Biden’s comments on Florida’s response to its current surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, saying “I am standing in your way” in regards to mandates.

One Monday in June in an upscale neighborhood of Panama City, people noticed something odd: Strange cars were coming and going from the Coco del Mar Suites, a nondescript three-story residential building surrounded by luxury oceanside high-rises.

Panama says it has closed its border with Colombia over concerns about the spread of COVID-19, but it wasn't clear how it would enforce such a measure in the dense jungle-shrouded Darien region where smugglers operate and thousands of migrants have crossed this year on their journey north. The move came after Panamanian officials said Colombia had decided to open its border. “For Panama, that measure puts at the risk the significant advances achieved for all Panamanians to control the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the border security and control of migrant flows,” Panama’s Foreign Relations Ministry said in a statement late Wednesday.

Virus Outbreak Panama A man gets a first shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine for COVID-19 in a car at the Rommel Fernandez soccer stadium where the parking lot is being used as a vaccination center in Panama City, Thursday, April 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco) (Arnulfo Franco)PANAMA CITY — (AP) — Panama raised capacity on public transportation across the country Monday, a day after celebrating the first day in 14 months without a COVID-19 death. The pause in COVID-19 deaths came despite a slight rise in confirmed infections that led to quarantines being imposed in two western provinces. On Sunday, Health Minister Luis Francisco Sucre announced that there were no new deaths to announce for the previous 24-hour period. Panama has reported more than 370,000 confirmed infections and 6,296 COVID-19 deaths.

Panama has raised capacity on public transportation across the country, a day after celebrating the first day in 14 months without a COVID-19 death.

Florida will spend hundreds of millions of dollars over the next few years to protect against coastal flooding under a bill signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The Dragon capsule "Resilience" parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, just before 3 a.m.

The Dragon capsule "Resilience" parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, just before 3 a.m.

As recovery boats waited for SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft carrying four astronauts returning home, one animal had a front-row seat for the splashdown.

Plunging through the Earth’s atmosphere and splashing down by moonlight SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft successfully returned three American and one Japanese astronaut to Earth following six months in space.

A SpaceX Dragon capsule returned four astronauts to Earth early Sunday (May 2) in the first nighttime splashdown of a NASA crew since Apollo 8 in 1968.

The four Crew Dragon astronauts, delayed by windy weather, head for only the third nighttime splashdown in space history.

Ron DeSantis hinted at plans to lower the vaccine eligibility age soon but didn’t share specifics during a news conference in Panama City on Thursday. Some Central Florida counties said they are seeing indicators that it may be time to expand eligibility across the state. Ad“We still have a few appointments at the end of next week but those are going pretty quickly,” Harris said. He adds they are seeing cancellations, which causes them to have leftover doses at the end of the day. To keep up with the latest news on the pandemic, subscribe to News 6′s coronavirus newsletter and go to ClickOrlando.com/coronavirus.

ORLANDO, Fla. – If you have plans to take lunch outside Monday afternoon, you should be good to go. Other than a stray shower through the first half of the day, Monday afternoon should be dry and warm, with temperatures topping out in the lower 80s in Orlando. There will still be a breeze, this time out of the south, but it won’t be as windy as the weekend. The highest rain chances come later in the evening and overnight. Highs by Thursday and Friday return to the lower 80s.

PANAMA CITY, Fla. – The Bay County Republican Party said it won’t recognize President-elect Joe Biden as legitimate unless President Donald Trump concedes and acknowledges that the 2020 election was fair. The Florida Panhandle organization's executive committee voted last month, deciding that its officials should not cooperate with Biden's administration. The organization said in a statement that the future of the Republican Party lies in Florida and that its members have an obligation to protect its conservative values, according to the Pensacola News Journal. Tonight’s (Dec. 7) vote makes clear that the Bay County Republican Party is prepared to continue to stand with President Trump and leaders that hold the conviction to fight for the American people and our Constitution," Bay County Republican Party Chairman Debbie Wood said in a written statement. The resolution, which was widely circulated on social media, notes the party would only refer to Biden’s administration as “President-imposed” without Trump’s concession and will encourage Bay County Republican officials to not cooperate with “an illegitimate Biden Administration on any matters that infringe upon the Constitutionally protected rights of our citizens.”

PANAMA CITY, Fla. – A newborn baby died after being left inside a hot car in Florida’s Panhandle, sheriff’s officials said. The Bay County Sheriff’s Office offered few details about the case on Thursday. Rescue crews were called to a home in Panama City late Wednesday after the baby was found inside the car. Sheriff’s officials said the baby had possibly been left inside the vehicle for several hours. The Sheriff’s Office is conducting an investigation, and will be speaking to witnesses to establish a timeline of events.

Ron DeSantis was in Panama City Monday afternoon to announce a program that will provide $15,000 loans to help residents find housing after Hurricane Michael. DeSantis said that come Sept. 1, the state will relaunch the Hurricane Michael loan recovery program to provide residents with $15,000 loans to assist with housing costs. “Expected to launch September 1, the Hurricane Michael Recovery Loan Program will offer below market 30-year fixed rate first mortgages coupled with up to $15,000 in down payment (DPA) and closing cost assistance for qualified homebuyers. DPA loans will be zero percent interest, non-amortizing and forgivable at 20 percent per year over five years. The DPA loan is fully forgivable if an active duty serviceperson is officially reassigned and must sell the home,” it read.

REUTERS/Erick Marciscan/File PhotoWASHINGTON - A deal has been reached to allow two Holland America Line ships to dock in Florida and most of the 2,500 passengers on board to disembark, including foreign nationals, NBC News reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources. The agreement would allow the cruise lines Rotterdam and Zaandam ships to dock at the Port of Everglades in Fort Lauderdale after 27 days at sea, according to NBC. Not all passengers would be leaving the ships, NBC said, adding 45 severely sick passengers will remain on board. Carnival Corp (CCL.N) owns the Dutch cruise ship line. Representatives for the cruise line and the state could not be immediately reached to comment on the NBC report.

MIAMI (Reuters) - The U.S. government and Florida were working on a plan on Wednesday to allow thousands of cruise ship passengers exposed to an onboard coronavirus outbreak to disembark, a day after President Donald Trump urged the governor to drop his opposition to their docking. FILE PHOTO: The cruise ship MS Zaandam, where passengers have died on board, navigates through the pacific side of the Panama Canal, in Panama City, Panama, as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak continues, March 29, 2020. But he said a clear protocol was needed to protect residents of his South Florida city from infection. Nearly two-thirds of its passengers, those who passed a medical screening, were moved to the lines sister ship, the Rotterdam. FILE PHOTO: The cruise ship MS Zaandam, where passengers have died on board, navigates through the pacific side of the Panama Canal, in Panama City, Panama, as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak continues, March 29, 2020.

Atlantic City, NJ108 bars, 356per capita7. Orlando, FL727 bars, 418per capita9. The prices were averaged to determine the cheapest and most expensive spring break destinations along five cost categories.Orlando, it turns out, is theleast expensive city for spring breakers in the U.S. and Canada assuming they like drinking. Before combining the scores from each category into an overall score to rank the cheapest and most expensive cities, Wanderu had to do some extensive research (and math). Just don't drink like a spring breaker you probably can't afford it.

Just because its different does not mean its wrong or does not work. While in the Navy, I served in many locations that offered different types and styles of fishing. This in itself is not unusual; the fact that they were using them to fish for and catch sheepshead, blew my mind. Just because its different does not mean its wrong or does not work. Mike Vickers Jr. is a licensed charter boat captain and co-owner of Hammock Bait & Tackle offering inshore fishing and boat rentals.

click to enlarge Photo of Hurricane Michael damage in Panama City, as seen Oct. 21, 2018, via Wikimedia CommonsRooftop wooden decks may offer the perfect getaway space for homeowners, but they need to be built to better withstand hurricanes, members of a Senate panel were told Monday.Thomas Campbell, executive director of the Florida Building Commission, gave members of the Senate Community Affairs Committee a quick summary of tentative changes approved by the 27-member commission, including additional mitigation requirements for rooftop decks. Those requirements, at least in part, would be aimed at ensuring decks are sealed to prevent water intrusion.Commission members also have given tentative approval to more-stringent wind resistance requirements for vinyl siding and potentially requiring in progress inspections when exterior wall coverings such as vinyl siding are being applied.The Florida Building Commission considers updates to the statewide building code every three years. Members are discussing the seventh iteration of the code.The public will have an opportunity to comment on the tentative changes during public meetings in February and April, Campbell told senators.A new statewide building code is expected to be finalized by December 2020, Campbell said.The Florida Legislature authorized the initial statewide building code in 2000. It went into effect two years later, replacing local ordinances and rules that once regulated building construction across the state.Though its a statewide code, it includes different requirements for wind resistance in certain areas of the state.South Florida has the toughest wind resistance requirements; the building code requires that buildings be able to withstand 175 mph winds.But the requirements in the Florida Panhandle, which in the past was considered less susceptible to hurricanes, are less stringent. Buildings in rural, non-coastal areas of the Panhandle are required to withstand 120 mph winds.

DeSantis said the money being awarded in Bay County will help the area rebuild needed housing for workers. Panama City and other communities have grappled with housing and worker shortages after many homes were destroyed or severely damaged in the storm. We need the folks to be working right here in Bay County.Michael damaged 60 percent of the homes around Panama City, eliminating 43 percent of the low-income housing. The Triumph Gulf Coast Trust Fund handles money Florida receives in annual settlement payments from BP over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. On Thursday, the Florida Democratic Party called out DeSantis, state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and Trump and said more relief is needed for the region.