Reopen Early
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BAY GETTING 5 ‘MEGA VOTING’ SITES INSIDE | A4 PANAMA CITY INSIDE | A3 DURING RECOVERY, DRONES OFFER NEW PERSPECTIVE Wednesday, October 24, 2018 www.newsherald.com @The_News_Herald facebook.com/panamacitynewsherald 75¢ Schools’ priority: Reopen early By Genevieve Smith top priority. “Our concern is, we have spouses and teachers still “We have got to find a The News Herald To that end, teachers are teachers who are living out of without electricity. happy medium,” said Husfelt. being asked to return Monday the trunks of their cars,” said District officials said “If they need to take leave, PANAMA CITY — Bay to prepare for the students’ Alexis Underwood, president they must get schools going they can take leave.” School Board members agreed return Nov. 14, or possibly of Association of Bay County again to help employees of Another issue addressed during an emergency meet- sooner. That will present chal- Educators. Underwood said businesses return to work. to facilitate reopening the ing at Mosley High School on lenges for some teachers who the flexibility the district is Superintendent Bill Husfelt schools included finding Tuesday that streamlining are displaced by the storm and granting to principals is com- will meet with teachers today rooms to put students in. the process of getting stu- who are desperate for flexibil- forting but she still is looking to discuss how the district can dents back in school is their ity from the district. for solutions for military continue to support them. See SCHOOLS, A2 For the poor, nowhere to go The Bay County Jail is shown Monday after suffering damage during Hurricane Michael. [JOSHUA BOUCHER/THE NEWS HERALD] Bay jail almost back to normal after Michael By Katie Landeck soaking and collapsing the 522-5114 | @PCNHKatieL tiles in some office ceilings. [email protected] And the jail wasn’t spared from the countywide issues PANAMA CITY — In of downed trees in the nearby the hallway, a broken pipe woods, collapsed build- dripped into a yellow mop ings, flipped trailers, loss bucket — one of the last of power, loss of commu- Katie Greenwood thanks Na’Kyah Williams, 9, for bringing her food from a Red Cross truck at the reminders of the toll Hur- nication and loss of county Massalina Garden Apartments on Monday. Greenwood is on the board of resident commissioners of the ricane Michael had taken water, Anglin said. But the apartments and will live with her daughter temporarily while she evaluates her next step after losing her on the Bay County Jail. jail was better equipped to home after Hurricane Michael. [JOSHUA BOUCHER/THE NEWS HERALD] “We’ll fix that next deal with those issues than week,” said Maj. Rick most, with recently pur- Anglin, who runs the jail. chased chainsaws at the Housing crisis explodes in Panama City “It’s not a priority.” ready to cut their way out, The jail — with its rein- generators on hand to power forced concrete walls, and the essential systems, and a after Hurricane Michael’s devastation backup supplies of water well to supply water. and power — was one of the Still, it wasn’t perfect. safest places to shelter from There was water in the By Eileen Kelley Michael’s 155 mph winds jail, but not with enough GateHouse Media Florida with many staff bring- pressure to flush toilets, ing their families there for meaning staff members — PANAMA CITY — Amid a safety, but even it didn’t who were essentially living crushed water bottle, a sand- come through unscathed. at the jail following the wich bun and upside down Industrial air condition- storm, Anglin said — had disaster relief meal box was ing units were knocked off to provide the inmates trash an assortment of little girl’s the roof during the storm, barrels of water with buck- shoes. Size 3. scraping the rubber seal that ets to flush toilets. Drinking This particular small, well- keeps water out and open- water also was being pro- worn section of grass at an ing the duct work to the vided through 5-gallon affordable housing complex torrents of rain. The com- coolers. was a showcase of childhood bination caused some water and chaos: Silver ballet-style to leak into the building, See JAIL, A2 flats, chocolate brown thick- padded boots, a Western set in pink and brown and a look-a-like pair of Buster Rosa Perez stands outside her apartment at Macedonia Garden Browns. Apartments on Tuesday. Perez, her two children and two others LOCAL | B1 The dropped shoes were tried to weather Hurricane Michael in the apartment, but as the roof not things isolated here. began to collapse ran downstairs to a neighbor’s apartment. [JOSHUA HURRICANE Throughout the grounds of BOUCHER/THE NEWS HERALD] Macedonia Garden Apart- GONE, BUT ments, clothes for all shapes under normal circumstances salvageable and what they and ages rose from the ground have been up for grabs. can bring with them when THE FALLEN in discarded heaps. A chil- But this is anything but they attempt to start their dren’s bicycle and a blue normal. There is a crisis in lives over. TREES WILL stuffed monkey with a shock Panama City. Poor people of bright orange hair would are sorting through what is See HOUSING, A2 REMAIN Panama City News Herald Diversions....................B5 Sports......................C1-4 TODAY THURSDAY FRIDAY Want to subscribe? Local & State.............B1-8 TV listings...................A8 Warmer Rain A little rain Call 850-747-5050 Nation & World............A7 Viewpoints...................A6 81° / 66° 72° / 66° 78° / 58° * ** A2 Wednesday, October 24, 2018 | The News Herald How to sign up for FEMA assistance By Tom McLaughlin those in need. disaster response, and and homeowners. It a FEMA inspector. number,” Bafalis said. 315-4435 | @TomMnwfdn Bafalis visited Gate- works to support local partners with nonprofits FEMA disaster assis- “If they can’t provide [email protected] House Media on Tuesday and state agencies in and other federal govern- tance providers are going that, you know it’s not in an effort to get the recovery efforts, she ment agencies such as the door to door, but so are a FEMA inspector,” she FORT WALTON word out to encourage said. The agency thus far Small Business Adminis- scammers pretending to said. BEACH — The 716 Federal anyone yet to register has handed out more than tration to bolster what aid work for the federal gov- FEMA inspectors never Emergency Management with FEMA to do so. The $31 million in relief funds. is provided. ernment, Bafalis said. ask for money and there Agency inspectors on registration number is It can’t duplicate what The agency has begun All FEMA workers wear are no FEMA-hired con- the ground in Northwest key to getting assistance. insurance companies can the process of opening shirts identifying the tractors, she said. Florida have registered “The main thing we do to mitigate damage disaster relief centers agency and carry identi- A contact number for just more than 72,000 need to do is make sure done by a storm, put does in the 12 counties most fication cards. FEMA is 1-800-621- people affected by Hur- everyone has registered provide assistance for severely affected by A person registered 3362. After registering, ricane Michael. with us,” Bafalis said. what insurance doesn’t Michael. These centers, with FEMA should ask individuals can expect It’s a number FEMA “We don’t want people cover, she said. FEMA when up and running, anyone identifying a return call and a visit spokeswoman Renee to wait to register.” can assist with personal will provide a location themselves as a FEMA from an inspector, who Bafalis estimated repre- FEMA is responsible for property losses, the for disaster victims to go inspector to pres- will be able to provide the sents only 40 percent of coordinating all federal under insured, renters and work face to face with ent “your registration registration number. she knew of no one who Insulation and drywall HOUSING had been given any blanket the wet couch in JAIL vouchers for temporary the family room. She can From Page A1 housing and hotels in far- see outside through a wall From Page A1 flung places. where there was never a The Federal Emergency window. Where and when they Management Agency Perez knows the There also was start over is anyone’s (FEMA) is the primary apartment is no place damage to the gas lines, guess. Affordable hous- resource for offering for her teenage children which made it impos- ing is hard to find in just vouchers and help not the to live. They are still at sible to cook hot meals about every city in Amer- city’s housing authority, the complex, not in her immediately after the ica. Panama City and its according to a notice on apartment, because just storm. surrounding communi- the housing authority’s like almost everyone Anglin said inmates ties are no exception. website. there, she has nowhere in one of the high- Hurricane Michael bar- Children play basketball at Massalina Garden Apartments The notice says the to go. security units took reled through and made it on Monday. Wait lists were so long to become a resident at agency is working with This dire situation, issue with the food sit- worse, much worse. Massalina that the housing authority stopped accepting new HUD to find units that are might ultimately help — uation and caused what The fierce winds left applicants before Hurricane Michael, says resident Rebecca available in the Southeast: or force — Perez to get off he classified as a “dis- the area’s poor and dis- Turner. [PHOTOS BY JOSHUA BOUCHER/THE NEWS HERALD] “Please remember, those government assistance.