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Published on Saturday, October 26, 2002
in the News Herald

Area FHP has new home

PANAMA CITY, Fl., Oct. 23 - It's been a long time coming, but a dream for the local Florida Highway Patrol has come true.

Troop "A" held its grand opening and dedication ceremony for the FHP's new northwest Florida headquarters on the Deerpoint Dam Road, just off highway 231 in Bayou George north of Panama City.

The 15-thousand square foot facility sits on five acres of land and cost two and a half million dollars to construction. The grand opening crowd was treated to tours of the building. Colonel Chris Knight, the head of the FHP, says the new building just makes sense for this area.

Troop "A" covers the area from the Apalachicola River west to Pensacola. The old FHP station at the east end of the Hathaway Bridge has been turned over to Gulf Coast Community College which will use the site to expand its Panama City Campus.

The New FHP headquarters is more centrally located in the center of the county with easier access to roads into surrounding counties.