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2009: Top Stories in the Panhandle
12/31/09 - 06:24 PM

WMBB News Department

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As 2009 comes to a close, we look back at the top local stories we covered here at News 13.

It was a year of highs and lows as 2009 started off with a tragedy in Walton County.

In February, a Walton county man shot five international students and killed two of them.  Dannie Roy Baker was charged in the killings and declared incompetent for trial later in the year.

In May, a two year long investigation brings a prominent Panama City surgeon to the forefront of a drug conspiracy. Dr. Michael Reed pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 57 months, almost five years in federal prison.  Seven co-defendants were also busted in the ring involving two kilos of cocaine smuggled in from Belize.

Later in the summer, a national health care controversy hit close to home, as Congressman Allen Boyd held fourteen town hall meetings for constituents to voice their opinions about the proposed $871 billion bill.  Residents weren’t happy with the format of his final debate in Panama City so he rescheduled. The heated debate continued as half of those attending walked out in the middle.  Boyd voted against the bill when it came before the House. It passed the Senate on Christmas Eve.

Then in august, a child was critically injured while her parents were reportedly making meth.  Bay county Sheriff Frank McKeithen was outraged.  “This is absolutely uncalled for.  There is no excuse for this,” he said.  Johna Osborne, 1, was burned on more than half of her body.
Just a couple of months later, a two-year old was hit in the head with a piece of wood.  The parents reportedly put duct tape on his injury and continued smoking meth.  All parents are awaiting trial.

In October, the worst fire in Springfield’s history destroys a storage center and movie store.  More than 250 people’s personal belongings were destroyed.

Also in October, a devastating school bus stop accident killed one child.  Two children were hit by a car on front beach road, the six year old girl died at the scene while her brother was injured.

In November, a miraculous recovery of a missing baby.  Shannon Dedrick, 7 mos,  was found alive after five days of searching.  She was in a small cedar box, under a bed for 12 hours. 
Her disappearance is thought to be a conspiracy between her mother and babysitter. Both are behind bars.

In December, almost an entire high school is tested for tuberculosis.  Arnold high school students and teachers had to be tested, 50 showed positive.

Later in the month, two convicted murderers learn their fates on the same day.  Wesley Williams was sentenced to life in prison for murdering his ex-girlfriend Danielle Baker and suffocating her three toddlers with duct tape in a Marianna apartment.  In Bay County, Matthew Caylor was sentenced to death, for raping and murdering 13-year old Melinda Hinson and stuffing her body under the bed of the Valu-lodge motel.