BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) - A Springfield man is in the Bay County jail, facing child porn charges. Bay County Sheriff's investigators said they arrested 22-year-old Michael Hellum after they received a tip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.  According to authorities, he was allegedly circulating child pornography videos on social media, and then selling the clips to people who contacted him. When investigators arrived at his Springfield home, they said Hellum was trying to delete video files from his cell phone. Investigators found at least two, sexually de ..read more

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) — Bay County emergency services are trying to cut vehicle maintenance costs. They plan on doing so through a new, in-house maintenance facility.  Emergency vehicles get a lot of preventative work done so they run efficiently when needed, but maintenance costs add up quickly. Over the past 3 fiscal years, $1.7 million was spent on vehicle maintenance costs in Bay County.  Mosley High School band raises money for summer camp with spaghetti Officials hope to cut costs by hiring salary employees, outsource resources as little as possible, and save taxpayers money ..read more

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — The warm and rainy spring weather creates the perfect breeding conditions for mosquitoes.  Bay County Mosquito Control began spraying repellent the past few weeks to keep the bugs at bay.  Walton County fire truck involved in crash on U.S. 90 “We noticed in our surveillance traps that we had more mosquitoes, so we initiated spraying at that time,”  Bay County mosquito control director Eric Cope said. Not only are mosquito bites itchy and annoying, but they can transmit harmful viruses as well. Cope said reducing the mosquito population helps keep the c ..read more

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) —A local company is partnering with a civic organization to celebrate Earth Day. Volunteers from United Way of Northwest Florida and Kraton Corporation unveiled a 'Born Learning' trail. This is the first-born learning trail in Bay County. Born Learning is part of the United Way campaign to help parents and caregivers turn simple moments into opportunities for learning. At Harvey Dee Mathis Park, staff members from Kraton and United Way came out to plant flowers and decorate the walking path. Kraton donated $5,000 to fund the signs. There are ten signs placed on the 1.5 ..read more

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — Florida gas prices are on the rise. The state has reached a new high for this year at the average price of $3.64 a gallon. It's only been four months and Florida gas prices have set a new high for 2024. Last year's high was $3.85 a gallon, we are currently sitting at $3.64 a gallon. "I mean we're already coming close to last year's price," said AAA Spokesperson Mark Jenkins. AAA spokesperson Mark Jenkins said the price for a barrel of crude oil is now $81, that's down from last week's price of $85. "Gas prices are tied directly to the price of crude, and we've seen o ..read more

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) - A Bay County project to improve pedestrian traffic is nearly complete along Front Beach Road. Work started in January of 2022 to install over three miles of sidewalks along Front Beach. Three and a half miles of sidewalk has been added from Twin Lakes Drive to Back Beach Road on the north side of Front Beach Road. "Of course, in that corridor, you have a lot of residential properties, driveways, that kind of stuff. So it's quite extensive in the right away, so it's not just building a sidewalk, but it's accommodating all the features that are in that right away as wel ..read more

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) - Being a mental health professional at an elementary school is a very serious and vital job. From constantly checking in on them to making sure they are heard, the role requires plenty of patience and love. Oscar Patterson Elementary’s mental health professional J.T. Kinnear is in his second year at the school. His personality is always the first thing about him that shines through to all who he encounters. "J.T. is very fun-loving, he is very caring, and he always goes above and beyond what you ask him to do." Charlotte Blue, Oscar Patterson’s Elementary School princ ..read more

WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) — Exactly 200 years ago Walton County was created. One local bar and restaurant is celebrating its creation with a bicentennial jubilee. At North Beach Social in Santa Rosa Beach, residents stopped by for drinks, live music, and a low country boil. Throughout the day three different bands played for the crowd. While the parents were occupied outside there were also opportunities available for kids inside such as face paintings. "It's always great to be on the water no matter what the weather is. We've got it strapped in for those of you that get a little chilly when ..read more

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) —Summer is right around the corner which means it's time to hit the pool. The Panama City Beach Aquatic Center needs lifeguards for the sunny season. Every year, residents and tourists alike flock to the Panama City Beach Aquatic Center to beat the heat. To keep the Frank Brown Park pool running as efficiently as possible lifeguards are needed for running programs and keeping people safe. "The more lifeguards we have, the more programming we can offer the public," said City of Panama City Beach Aquatics Manager Marydale Moore. This summer will be no different, po ..read more

HOLMES COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – The Holmes County Sheriff's Office has seen an uptick in scam calls received by residents over the past few days. The office says the calls are from people who are supposedly inmates at the Holmes County Jail and trying to solicit money. The sheriff's office is reminding residents to verify the calls and make sure they are real before taking any action ..read more