By Maurice Stouse, Financial Advisor and Branch Manager As we head into March, we are seeing some early trends or patterns for investors. First among these are short-term interest rates. The Federal Reserve raised rates to 4.75 percent in early February. That was a .25 percent smaller rate increase than in its previous meeting. We are seeing short-term savings rates and CDs yielding at or near this level as well. Investors are left wondering if rates will continue to climb. The Federal Reserve is keeping a close watch on inflation which, after the February report, has prices going sideways for now (as opposed to continuing to go down). Digging deep into those numbers, we see that goods are down to 3 percent and wages are now growing at 4.3 percent. The cost of services continues to be resilient in the face of inflation. Wages may continue to wane as the white-collar labor force is seen as over employed and the same for many blue-collar professions. Restaurant and hospitality businesses continue to be seen as under-employed. There has been a lot of news about layoffs in the tech sector. While significant, those workers account for less than 2 percent of the workforce. Many of those returning to the workforce also see being productive and industrious as a key to a happy and fulfilled life. We are also learning more about the Great Unretirement or the growth of the so-called “unretiring.” Many Americans who retired during the pandemic are coming back... Read More

  Low Tide Tours is a locally owned and operated tiki bar boat company here in Panama City Beach Florida. Kick back and relax with your favorite beverage and enjoy breathtaking 360-degree views, tropical tunes, and good company. We typically encounter dolphins, native birds, and gorgeous sunsets on our tours. We operate seven days a week, 365 days a year. Our tours typically cruise in the Grand Lagoon and over to Shell Island where you can take your own private tiki bar to the beach. Our tours are perfect for any occasion such as bachelor/bachelorette parties, sunset tours, dolphin watching, party cruises, and work outings. Here in Panama City Beach, we have 2 of our 12-passenger tiki bar boats to accommodate groups of up to 24 people. We offer 2 and 4.5-hour private tours and 2-hour public tours. With all our tours you’ll get a licensed captain, coolers full of ice, bottled water, and snacks. We are a family owned company that started back in 2020 in Siesta Key, Florida. Over the past few years, we expanded into Sarasota, Cortez, Venice Beach, and our newest location, Panama City Beach. We strive to provide the most fun and unique boating experience for locals and tourists. “We had an amazing experience with Low Tide Tours in Panama City Beach. We had a group of 11 and it did not seem crowded on the boat whatsoever. I loved that we got to bring our own drinks and captain Tim already had the coolers... Read More

  By Paul Bonnette There is no denying that Downtown Panama City is in the midst of a revitalization. Everywhere you turn there are signs of fresh life, from colorful murals and crosswalk art to new businesses. One of the key community leaders responsible for this rebirth is the Executive Director of Bay Arts Alliance, Jayson Kretzer. Known for his involvement with The Panama City Center for the Arts, the National Cartoonist Society – as well as his role as the founder and president of Panama City Creative Con – Jayson Kretzer is on a mission to bring art to life downtown. For Kretzer, his love of the arts started early on. “My grandfather and father would talk about Sunday comic strips when I was a kid and it all sounded so cool to me, I just wanted to be part of their conversation. So I started reading comic strips at a very young age and that eventually lead me to want to create them. I just never quit drawing and never lost the bug,” he explained. As a local artist and longtime Panama City resident, Kretzer saw an opportunity to help create more art in Bay County and founded Creative Con in 2010, a convention dedicated to celebrating and exploring creativity. Creative Con offered guests a chance to not only meet celebrity artists and actors but learn from them as well. It was an experience that helped him with his role as Director of the Panama City Center for... Read More

  You Can Help Through the Westonwood Ranch Rodeo By Lori Leath Smith A lot of families with a young child with Autism are thinking, “What if something happens to me? I just want to know that my child is safe, and someone will love them just as much as I do.” More than five years ago, Lindy Wood had a dream – a dream of a program geared toward older youth and young adults with autism and special needs developmental differences. She wanted to be able to offer more for her son, Weston, diagnosed with Autism at age 2, and other teens and young adults affected by Autism. So, with a hope to create opportunities to develop and cultivate independent, life-changing skills, surrounded with love, Lindy and her husband, founders of Westonwood Ranch, purchased a 40-acre tract of land in Freeport to begin a farm and, eventually, birth a new local non-profit. Westonwood Ranch is designed to fill in the service gaps where other transitional programs fall short. “But it’s also about advocacy for this population and breaking barriers,” said Kelly Thompson, Westonwood Ranch Executive Director. “Due to the individual’s diagnosis, society already puts labels and barriers to their abilities and Westonwood wants to break down those barriers.” In just a short time, Westonwood Ranch has grown into providing programs focused on teaching life and vocational skills for adolescents and young adults in our area with varying developmental disorders differences. The farm offers a comprehensive, holistic learning program for... Read More

  Link Up Performance Featured 2,000 Local Elementary School Students SINFONIA GULF COAST SWELLS TO AN ORCHESTRA OF 2,000 MEMBERS FOR SPECIAL INTERACTIVE STUDENT PERFORMANCE OF LINK UP: THE ORCHESTRA MOVES On March 8 the Emerald Coast Convention Center in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. was transformed into an electrifying concert hall when Sinfonia Gulf Coast — the only fully professional non-profit orchestra on the Emerald Coast — presented its 9th live Link Up concert performance “The Orchestra Moves,” a national program presented in partnership with New York’s Carnegie Hall Weill Institute of Music. This year’s Link Up program showcased the talents of more than 2,000 local 3rd-5th grade students from Okaloosa and Walton Counties performing on recorder and singing. The concert was conducted by Sinfonia Gulf Coast Maestro Fuller. With recorders in hand, the students performed from their seats when given their cue by Maestro Fuller to join the Sinfonia Gulf Coast orchestra for a range of pieces from Danzón No. 2 by Arturo Márquez, The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss and Toreador from Georges Bizet’s Carmen and others. But these inspired kids didn’t stay in their seats, at this spirited performance they were up out of their chairs singing, dancing choreographed moves they have been practicing for months. This curriculum is geared towards 3rd-5th grade students, and in many cases locally, is the only education that they receive during the school year. The theme of this year’s Link Up program was centered around movement. Students learn how we can... Read More

  Whether you prefer beach sandals or cowboy boots, Panama City Beach has a live music venue to match your energy. Our area’s top performance spaces include restaurants, bars, and outdoor stages, which attract local bands and touring acts year-round. Year-Round Music Venues Jimmy Buffett’s   Read More

  A stirring new portrait of Country music, Will Thompson’s parodical new single “Checklist” is truly the refreshing dose the genre needs A beloved and soulful genre, Country music has long been known for its relatable lyrics and catchy tunes. However, the Country music world has also been long criticized for being formulaic and repetitive, with ‘most songs on the radio sounding the exact same.’ However, a divergent and disruptive force in the music world aims to undo the cycle. Will Thompson, a talented songwriter, and musician has taken it upon himself to poke fun at the genre’s cliches and buzzwords with the drop of his new single, “Checklist”. Written and composed as a playful song, rife with exciting wordplay and compelling instrumentation, alongside co-writer Ashley Watson, Thompson initially penned “Checklist” as a joke. However, after performing it at the Annual Songwriters Festival in Panama City, Florida, the captivating track was met with an overwhelming audience reaction, convincing the artist that he had something special. Woven seamlessly with a catchy melody and lyrics that will make you laugh out loud, “Checklist” is an ironic, enthralling single which truly has “every word you have to say on a country radio hit.” Swiftly becoming a fan favorite at Thompson’s live shows, “Checklist” embodies Thompson’s passion for music, and displays it as a force beyond parodying the industry’s tropes. Cementing his position as a versatile songwriter who writes in every genre and wants to blur the lines between dynamic sounds, the new single... Read More

  With 27 miles of pristine shoreline and attractions further inland, there’s no shortage of things to do in Panama City Beach. If you’re looking for something a bit out of the ordinary, follow the fun to PCB! Hop on the SkyWheel at Pier Park Enjoy panoramic views of PCB on the SkyWheel at Pier Park.   Read More