News & Media News Summary

Gulf gets $23M for dry dock

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

After more than eight years of planning, the Triumph Gulf Coast Board on June 22 unanimously approved Gulf County’s largest grant funding to date, $23.5 million earmarked for a floating dry dock project expected to create approximately 400 full-time, competitive to high-paying jobs.

Gulf/Franklin breaks ground on new campus facility

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Gulf Coast State College celebrated a major milestone on May 28, with the groundbreaking ceremony for its new multi-purpose classroom building and shelter at the Gulf/Franklin Campus in Port St. Joe.

State job growth money brings Gulf Millions

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

An infusion last week of more than $8 million in state monies for Gulf County infrastructure projects boosted hopes that more good paying jobs and affordable housing, two of the region’s most pressing needs, could soon be arriving there.

Gulf County revives floating dry dock proposal

Mon, 12 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Five years since it first submitted a proposal for a floating dry dock and ship repair facility, and later withdrew it, Gulf County is renewing its effort to secure millions of dollars for the project from Triumph Gulf Coast. Jim McKnight, director of the Gulf County Economic Development Coalition, said the original proposal was reworked, with the Port St. Joe Port Authority now as co-applicant.

Gulf County moves forward on airport plans

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT

If all goes well, it likely won’t be until at least 2029 before planes would take off and land at a new Gulf County airport, assuming the federal and state funding for the proposed project, which cover as much as 90 percent or more of the overall cost, all come in as hoped.

UAV CEO pledges ‘the future is bright’

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Speaking at an online shareholder conference last week, the chief executive officer of UAV Corp., the unmanned aerial vehicle company based in Gulf County, offered a note of optimism as he outlined financial steps the company has made over the last two months to boost investor confidence. “The future is bright for everyone; just stay tuned, there’s a lot to come,” said Michael Lawson, CEO of UAV Corp, a penny stock traded over the counter as UMAV.

Drone maker partners with Wewa airship builder

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Skyborne Technology, based in Wewahitchka, and Atlantic Industrial Group Inc. have announced a joint venture that looks to expand the manufacturing capability at Skyborne’s Gulf County facility.

St. Joe shipyard steps up recruiting

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Dozens of applicants, from Gulf and Franklin counties and beyond, filed through the parking lot all day long, part of a CareerSource Gulf Coast Job Fair designed to recruit qualified candidates for over 50 skilled craft, long-term positions at Eastern Shipbuilding Group’s shipyard

Eastern lands major shipbuilding deal

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

After a decade-long court battle between two Louisiana-based shipbuilders was finally settled a few months ago, Eastern has been the fortunate recipient of a contract to complete the work on two enormous state-of-the-art support vessels for the oil and gas industry.

Ribbon cutting celebrates dialysis services return to Port St. Joe

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT

For two years, many drove to Tallahassee or Panama City to receive their kidney dialysis treatment three times a week. Others went more frequently than that. But on Thursday, at the ribbon cutting for the town’s brand new Fresenius Medical Center of North America dialysis facility, local officials and representatives from different healthcare agencies gathered to celebrate what they say is the end to these patients’ dilemma.

Dialysis facility to open in Gulf County next month

Sat, 28 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Almost two years since Gulf County’s only kidney dialysis provider shuttered their doors, a new kidney dialysis facility will be opening next month.

Port St. Joe marina reopens four years after Hurricane Michael

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT

It has been more than four years since Hurricane Michael flattened the Port St. Joe Marina and almost as long since the community began to anticipate its reopening. The wait is finally over.

Wewa's Burger King hosts holding company's 'largest opening to date'

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT

According to Sherrie Walter, the opening of the Wewahitchka Burger King has been, so far, the largest Burger King opening in the region. “So far this has been our largest opening to date in the region,” she said, “even larger than our one in Santa Rosa County, which we just thought no one would ever beat.”

Gulf County unemployment reaches record lows

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT

In the 30 years since Gulf County began tracking its unemployment rate, it has never posted as low as it did in April. At just 1.9 percent, there were only 104 people listed as unemployed, despite workforce numbers having returned to near pre-Covid normals.

Gulf County jobless rate dips below 2%

Tue, 31 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Gulf County’s unemployment rate dropped sharply in April, improving to where fewer than 1 in 50 people in the workforce are without jobs. According to data released last week by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the county’s jobless rate dipped to 1.9 percent as the labor force grew by 26 workers, to a total of 5,358, and the unemployment rate dropped by four-tenths of 1 percentage point.

Skyborne airship technology nears final flight test

Mon, 16 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT

The seven-story high DATT, which stands for Detachable Airship from a Tethered Technology, has been years in the making. But after the successful inflation test on Tuesday, there is only about a month left until Skyborne can execute the aircraft’s final flight test.