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Judge Says No To More Time For Voter Registration After Michael

[Updated 9:30 a.m.]  A federal judge has rejected a request from the Florida Democratic Party to force the state to extend a voter-registration deadline because of Hurricane Michael.

U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle turned down the party’s request for a temporary restraining order to extend the registration deadline to Oct. 16, a week later than the original Tuesday deadline. The party contended an extension was needed because the hurricane, which devastated parts of the Panhandle on Wednesday, could prevent people from registering to vote in the Nov. 6 election.

Secretary of State Ken Detzner this week issued a directive authorizing county elections supervisors whose offices were closed Tuesday to accept paper registration applications on the day that their offices reopen. Detzner did not extend a Tuesday night deadline for voters to register online.

Hinkle wrote that the Democratic Party believed the directive did not go “far enough” — but he denied the request for a temporary restraining order, with a few caveats.

“The party has asked for a statewide extension of one week for all forms of registration. But there is no justification for this,” Hinkle wrote. “Some parts of the state were affected little by the hurricane. Extending the deadline in those parts of the state would not level the playing field or provide a remedy for the hurricane’s effects. Large numbers of voters register shortly before the deadline, but that happens routinely, with or without a hurricane. A state could set a later deadline or no deadline at all, but that is not the course Florida has chosen. The party does not challenge in this lawsuit the state’s decision to set a deadline 29 days before an election.”

The caveats included in the order dealt with how Detzner’s directive would be carried out. For example, Hinkle sought to make sure Detzner’s directive is considered mandatory for the counties where elections offices were closed Tuesday. Similarly, he sought to make sure it applies on the first “full” business day county elections offices open all of their locations.

“Nothing in the directive suggests the secretary intended anything contrary to these understandings,” Hinkle wrote. “If the secretary asserts these understandings are not correct, or if a supervisor fails to heed the secretary’s directive as properly understood, the party of course may renew its motion for a temporary restraining order.”

In the case filed Tuesday, the Democratic Party argued that Detzner’s directive was “insufficient and confusing” and said it “does not adequately protect the voting rights of Florida citizens who cannot register to vote by the October 9 registration deadline.”

Without the extension, “there is a strong likelihood that the right to vote of thousands of Floridians, including plaintiffs’ members and constituents, will be severely burdened (if not eliminated entirely) in the 2018 general election,” the party’s lawyers wrote.

Three groups — Common Cause, New Majority Florida Education Fund and Mi Familia Vota Education Fund — filed a similar case against the state Wednesday. That case remained pending Thursday morning, according to an online docket.

by Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida

Gulf Power Crews Begin Rebuilding After Hurricane Michael

About 120,000, or approximately 26 percent of Gulf Power’s customers, were without power Wednesday due to Hurricane Michael. Gulf Power began the restoration process from multiple staging sites with more than 4,000 support personnel from 16 states.

Progress is being made in many areas and the company has restored power in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties and expects to restore storm-related outages to Okaloosa and Walton counties by the end of the day Thursday. At that time, storm-tested crews will join teams from across the country in restoring power in Bay County and communities in Northwest Florida that were hit the hardest.

“The Gulf Power system held strong from Pensacola to Fort Walton Beach — a testament to the investments we’ve made to harden our infrastructure.,” said Gulf Power spokesperson Jeff Rogers. “But the hardest hit areas around Panama City may need to be rebuilt from the ground up.”

Rogers said the energy provider would work until every customer who can receive power gets their power restored.

“Our crews and support personnel are going to work around the clock until every last customer is restored,” said Rogers. “While the force of the storm is unprecedented, we are grateful for the strong support we have received from Southern Company – and mutual assistance partners across the country – which have allowed us to safely and quickly respond and begin the restoration process. We have more than 4,000 boots on the ground working to restore power.”

The strength of Hurricane Michael could mean a rebuild of infrastructure, which may take weeks in the hardest hit areas. Gulf Power is committed to restoring power to customers in every community we serve across Northwest Florida.

“It’s overwhelming to see our customers supporting our crews and employees as they work to restore power,” said Rogers. “We’re in this together, and our crews are among the heroes after the storm, restoring power and hope.”

Pictured: Hundreds of power company vehicles from across the country were staged at the fairgrounds on Mobile Highway Tuesday night. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Supreme Court Rejects Putting Bayview Cross Case On Fast Track

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a request from the city of Pensacola to speed up consideration of a case about the removal of a decades-old cross from a city park.

The city appealed to the Supreme Court last month after the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the cross in Bayview Park should be removed because it violates the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. Four plaintiffs filed a lawsuit challenging the cross, saying its presence on public property was unconstitutional.

In addition to appealing last month to the U.S. Supreme Court, attorneys for the city also requested that justices “expedite” consideration of whether to hear the case. The request focused, in part, on another pending case involving the removal of a cross in Maryland. The American Legion filed an appeal this year in the Maryland case, which is about a memorial to fallen World War I soldiers.

“Expedited consideration of the petition … is warranted in this (Pensacola) case so that the (Supreme) Court can consider the petition alongside the petitions in American Legion,” the city’s attorneys wrote. “American Legion, like this case, involves a court of appeals’ ruling that displaying a decades-old cross violates the Establishment Clause. Both cases present the same question about the proper Establishment Clause test to apply to religious displays.”

The Supreme Court, as is common, did not explain its reasons Tuesday for denying the request to speed up consideration of the Pensacola case. It has not decided whether to hear the Maryland case, according to an online docket.

Tracking Michael

The latest information on Michael is in the graphic above.

Photos: Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier Wednesday Morning

Here is a look at the Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier on Wednesday morning as Hurricane Michael churned in the Gulf.

For more photos, click here.

Photos by Chris Whelan for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Here’s What To Expect From Hurricane Michael In North Escambia

Here’s what to expect in North Escambia today from Hurricane Michael, according to the National Weather Service:

• Tropical Storm Warning
• Peak Wind Forecast: 30-40 mph with gusts to 55 mph
• Window for Tropical Storm force winds: until Wednesday afternoon
• Potential for wind 39 to 57 mph
• Peak Rainfall Amounts: Additional around 1 inch
• Potential for localized flooding rain
• Rivers and tributaries may quickly rise with swifter currents. Small streams, creeks, canals, and ditches may become swollen and overflow in spots
• Situation is unfavorable for tornadoes
• Tornadoes are not expected. Showers and thunderstorms with gusty winds may still occur.
• For additional information, and for information for southern Escambia County, see the stories on the front page of NorthEscambia.com.

Person Burned While Lighting Trash Pile Fire In Molino

A person was burned while reportedly lighting a trash pile on fire in Molino Tuesday afternoon. The accident happened on Stacey Road just after 1 p.m. The female victim was transported by Escambia County EMS to an area hospital. The Cantonment Station of Escambia Fire Rescue also responded and extinguished the pile.

Further details were not released.

Farmers Work To Complete Harvest Before Michael’s Rains

As Hurricane Michael moved northward across the Gulf of Mexico, farmers in North Escambia were in their fields working to bring in their peanut crop before rains moved in Pictured: Peanuts are harvested Tuesday afternoon in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.

Power Companies Prep For The Storm; Hundreds Of Trucks And Crews Stage

Gulf Power stands ready for the impacts of Hurricane Michael.

In addition to the 1,517 Gulf Power employees and contractors, more than 2,600 outside resources will be in Northwest Florida to assist with power restoration.

“Michael is a powerful storm and it looks like our customers in Panama City area will be the most heavily impacted. With a storm of this magnitude, power restoration in the hardest hit areas may take up to a week or more due to anticipated storm impacts.” said Gordon Paulus, Gulf Power spokesperson. “But all customers need to be prepared for tropical storm-force winds, which could lead to prolonged, widespread outages.

Gulf Power crews will work throughout the day and night to restore any outages until winds reach 35 mph, when it becomes unsafe. Once the storm passes, crews will quickly work to determine the damage and begin to work as quickly and safely as possible to restore power.

“Customers can be assured that we will work every minute to restore power as long as it is safe to do so,” Paulus said. “We our working our storm plans. We have already been tested this year with Subtropical Storm Alberto and Tropical Storm Gordon, so we are ready.”

Company employees spent Tuesday on logistics, preparing materials in areas where most of the damage could occur. They set up staging areas throughout Northwest Florida to handle the influx of outside crews.

Pictured: Over 600 hundred power company vehicles from across the country were staging at the fairgrounds on Mobile Highway Tuesday night. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

First Hurricane Shelters Now Open In Escambia County; Pet Friendly Shelter At Molino Park

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