🌱 Closures Along Harrison Avenue + New Aquatic Center In Panama City

Morning, everybody! It's me, Lauren Kubiak, your host of the Panama City Patch newsletter — back in your inbox with everything you need to know about what's happening in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Thursday: A gusty thunderstorm. High: 79 Low: 69.
• Friday: Times of sun and clouds. High: 86 Low: 67.

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Here are the top three stories in Panama City today:

1. The city of Panama City announced several road closures that will be occurring throughout the city for the remainder of the week. Sideway construction will be underway on Harrison Avenue this week so there will be intermittent lane closures from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Following the sideway construction, 14th Street traffic will be closed at Harrison Avenue from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. for drainage work. If you use Harrison Avenue to commute you should expect lane closure throughout the entire weekend. (My Panhandle)
2. After two and a half years of waiting, the new Aquatics Center at Frank Brown Recreational Complex officially opened last Monday and the city showed its excitement with the line reaching from the entrance to the parking lot. The perfect kick-off for the summer, with kids having new water activities to cool off in the sun and parents being able to let their kids run around safe and sound. Families were all smiles at the grand opening taking turns on the diving board, obstacle courses, and much more all while being supervised by 15 lifeguards. Access to the part was also no problem as it only costs $1 to get in and enjoy the center. (My Panhandle)
3. Memorial Day weekend has just passed and Panama City Beach is already getting a large influx of tourists making their way down for the pre-summer rush. Several tourists both first-time and returning are already beginning to flood the beach, a lot of the vacation properties have already been booked for the summer and many more people are looking into becoming full-time residents in Panama City. Between the sandy white beaches, the kind people you interact with, and the overall energy and atmosphere of Panama City and the beach, this is becoming a prime destination for a family getaway or even a relocation. (WJHG)

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Today and tomorrow in Panama City:

Thursday, Jun. 1

• Pride Month Mini Photo Sessions At Photography By Amanda Jones (8:00 AM)
• FreerF, Apprehend (AL) & Ego Death (Pcola) At Salty Oak Brewing Company (7:00 PM)
• Gulf Coast Jam Festival At Panama City Beach (7:00 PM)

Friday, Jun. 2

• Sons of Saints First Friday At Harrison’s Kitchen & Bar (5:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Effective today, Jun. 1 the speed limit will permanently be changing to 40 miles per hour on Jenks Avenue between S.R. 390 and W. 15th Street. In addition to the new display signs being installed on the first, digital traffic signs are present alerting drivers of the most recent updates. (City of Panama City Government via Facebook)
• The Panama City Police Department is requesting your votes for the Aftermath K9 Grant program as K9s Boris and Rex are valuable members of the team who deserve the recognition. These two Belgian Malinois are trained in drug detection, tracking, and apprehension, and the force would not function the same without them. (Panama City Police Department via Facebook)
• Just because summer is already here doesn't mean that it is too late to sign your students up for enrichment/advancement classes online. Bay District Schools are encouraging parents to call their child's school counselors to get them signed up and ahead of the game today. (Bay District Schools via Facebook)

Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Thursday! I'll see you soon.

— Lauren Kubiak

About me: Lauren is an Editor for Lightning Media Partners. She graduated from Rowan University with a Bachelor’s in journalism. She was previously a full-time editor at an association management firm, editing peer-reviewed nursing journals, textbooks, and newsletters.