🌱 Student Arrested For Bringing Gun + Man Arrested For Kidnapping

Hello, everybody. Lauren Kubiak here with your Thursday edition of the Panama City Patch newsletter.

But first, your local weather:

• Thursday: Partly sunny. High: 82 Low: 63.
• Friday: Increasing cloudiness. High: 80 Low: 65.

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I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. If that's you, then I invite you to learn more and secure your spot now.

Here are the top three stories today in Panama City:

1. According to Bay District School officials, a Rutherford High School student was arrested Wednesday after bringing a weapon to school. The weapon was allegedly recovered from the student’s backpack, and its believed that the student may have brought the gun on campus due to a dispute over a former girlfriend. A statement was sent out to parents and guardians assuring them that all students were safe and asking that they remind their students about the importance of "See Something, Say Something" as well as checking students' backpacks and cars and knowing the location of dangerous items at home. (WMBB - mypanhandle.com)
2. Wilfri Perez-Ferreira was arrested and booked at the Bay County Jail on Tuesday after kidnapping his ex-girlfriend. He is facing charges of aggravated assault of a motor vehicle, aggravated stalking, kidnapping, and making written death threats after allegedly crashing into her car and forcing her into his vehicle. Perez-Ferreira is from Mississippi, and his estranged girlfriend was resident in nearby Callaway in an attempt to escape him. (WJHG)
3. An incident involving drug trafficking in nearby Panama City Beach resulted in one arrest on Tuesday. A drug investigation conducted by the Bay County Sheriff's Office sent deputies to the Waffle House located at the junction of Highway 79 and Panama City Beach Parkway. When the deputies sought to contact the suspect, he tried to flee the scene and hit several law enforcement vehicles. After a brief foot chase, he was eventually taken into custody. (WMBB - mypanhandle.com)

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Today and tomorrow in and around Panama City:

Thursday, April 20

• Sail Into School (Ages 3 – 5) At Panama City Beach Public Library, Panama City Beach (9:30 AM)
• Sunset Yoga At Oaks By The Bay Park (6:30 PM)

Friday, April 21

• Sea Needles At Panama City Beach Public Library, Panama City Beach (10:00 AM)
• Seabreeze Jazz Festival At Aaron Beasant Park Amphitheater (10:30 AM)

From my notebook:

• Save the date! Family Fun Day, hosted by Panama City Quality of Life and the City of Panama, is being held at Daffin Park, Saturday, Apr. 22, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. This free event will feature family-friendly activities and competitions, bounce houses, food trucks, and more! (Panama City Quality of Life via Facebook)
• Are you looking for a good deal on surplus items? The Bay District School’s annual surplus auction opened last Friday, and they are looking for the highest bidders. There’s still time to bid on everything from school buses to kitchen equipment to musical instruments, old cafeteria tables, and office furniture. You can find the auction site here. (Bay District Schools via Facebook)
• Do you have or know a student aged fourteen or older who is looking for a summer job or something part-time to do during the school year? Bay District Schools has partnered with 35 local businesses that are ready to hire and are offering four job fairs for students. The job fairs are open to all students and will also open to the community after 3:00 p.m. Learn more at the link! (Bay District Schools via Facebook)

Alrighty, you're all good for today. See you all soon for another update!

— 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.