READ OUR LIST OF CLOSURES AND CANCELLATIONS | A5 PANAMA CITY VIEWPOINTS | A7 UP-TO-DATE COVERAGE AT NEWSHERALD.COM AND THE PAYWALL IS DOWN. READ OUR EDITORIAL EXPLAINING IT Tuesday, October 9, 2018 www.newsherald.com @The_News_Herald facebook.com/panamacitynewsherald 75¢ Mandatory evacuation begins By Collin Breaux areas in town close the bay Commissioner Bill Dozier “People need to start leaving 747-5081 | @PCNHCollinB and other bodies of water. said. “If somebody was to now. The roads are going to [email protected] Bay County Sheriff Tommy stay here, they need to be get more and more congested Ford said during a meeting of able to take care of them- as time goes on. I promise we PANAMA CITY —Start- the Bay County Commission selves for a period of time. will try to get people back in ing at 6 a.m. today, 120,000 Monday that while people ... Don’t expect the govern- as soon as possible.” Bay County residents living will "not be dragged out of ment to help take care of Ford, Dozier and others MAP | A3 in evacuation zones will be their homes," people who you. You need to take care urged people to get on the under mandatory evacuation opt to stay behind may be on of yourself.” road as soon as possible, LARGE orders as Hurricane Michael their own when conditions “We’ve practiced this and if people to elect to stay approaches. deteriorate. many times. This is game behind prepare to be self MAP OF The order covers zones A, “Prepare for your per- time. This is the real thing. sufficient. B and C , which includes all sonal need. Stock up your This is a significant threat to EVACUATION of Panama City Beach and water,” said Bay County life and safety,” Ford said. See EVACUATION, A4 ZONES INSIDE City may sue ZHA ‘Take this for damages in very seriously’ City Hall project By Katie Landeck The Panama City 522-5114 | @PCNHKatieL Commission will [email protected] have their regular meeting today at 8 PANAMA CITY — a.m. at the County Blaming the consultant’s Government Center “inactions” for the bur- geoning cost of turning the Trustmark Building into a stated, near complete inac- new city hall, the Panama tions by ZHA.” City Commission is con- At the request of the city, sidering suing ZHA for Higby reviewed the the damages. contract and the paper- This comes after the work ZHA submitted to price of construction the city with the help of the jumped from an anticipated construction management $4 million to $8.4 million in expert. Their recom- February, bringing the total mendation was the city costs to $16 million to move “provide formal notice of in and about $20 million default to ZHA” and keep with the debt service fac- digging. tored in. Some of the problems The financial burden listed in the letter include: of the project was one of • Failing to evaluate the the factors that led the building. Commission to consider • “Effectively abandon- steeply raising the millage ing” the project during rate earlier in the budget the design and construc- process before settling on tion phase, when “ZHA a smaller increase, and has performed no more than a Community members prepared for the arrival of Hurricane Michael on Monday. The hurricane is is set to caused mistrust between fraction of the roles it was make landfall on Wednesday. [PATTI BLAKE/THE NEWS HERALD] local citizens and the city. contracted and paid to The whole affair is one perform.” As an example, that could have been the consultant said there avoided, attorney Cliff should be two to three Michael to make landfall as major hurricane Higby wrote to the city, if file cabinets of work, but ZHA had adequately done instead there was “an By Collin Breaux afternoon. is expected to be between the work they were con- overly minimalist and and Eryn Dion Hurricane Warnings were four and eight feet. Winds tracted to perform. incomplete file.” The News Herald issued covering the entire over 100 mph are possible In a letter to the city, • No report supporting Florida Panhandle Monday with this storm and condi- a consulting engineer the $4 million estimate, PANAMA CITY — As more afternoon, with Storm Surge tions are expected to start retained by Higby to review making the city “unaware than 100,00 Bay County resi- Warnings following, possibly deteriorating by Tuesday the materials wrote, “it is of the lack of effort but dents and numerous visitors bringing “life threatening evening. readily apparent that the forth by ZHA.” prepare to evacuate today inundation” to the Gulf Coast Gov. Rick Scott was at fundamental problems • A lack of adequate for the first time since Ivan, of the state, according to the the Bay County Emergency that generated the added staffing dedicated to the Hurricane Michael was gain- National Hurricane Center. Operations Center Monday cost on City Hall stem from project when “the single staff ing strength in the Gulf of Michael could hit as a Cat- morning, warning residents the planning and pre-con- member on the project left.” Mexico, eying the Panhan- egory 3 storm. struction period and the dle for landfall Wednesday Storm surge in Bay County See MICHAEL, A4 actions, or more accurately See ZHA, A4 Panama City News Herald Obituaries ...................... A5 Sports ........................B1-4 TODAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY Want to subscribe? Viewpoints .....................A8 TV Listings ..................... B5 T-storm Hurricane Partly sunny Call 850-747-5050 Nation & World ............ A10 Diversions ......................B6 87° / 77° 83° / 72° 88° / 62° * ** A2 Tuesday, October 9, 2018 | The News Herald TODAY IN HISTORY GO & DO CELEBRATE COMMUNITY Today is Tuesday, Oct. 9, the Tuesday, Oct. 9 282nd day of 2018. There are 83 PICTURE PERFECT days left in the year. JOYFUL PAINT PARTY: 6 to 8 p.m. in Grand Lagoon D at We want your photos: Today’s Highlight in History: Sheraton Bay Point for Short Post your photos On Oct. 9, 1776, a group of Presentation by Gulf World to the News Herald Spanish missionaries settled in Marine Institute Reps. To Facebook page with present-day San Francisco. benefi t the Gulf World Marine your name, city Institute. $40 per individual, of residence and On this date: $65 per couple. Tickets information about the In 1910, a coal dust explosion include all art materials, 1 photo. You can email at the Starkville Mine in Colo- drink ticket (wine/beer) and photos to yourpix@ rado left 56 miners dead. 1 raffl e ticket for Art Piece by pcnh.com. In 1914, the Belgian city of Joyful. Details: https://www. Antwerp fell to German forces beachartgroup.com/reserva- Whilden Blackwell during World War I. tions-on-line.html submitted this photo In 1930, Laura Ingalls became FSU RAISE THE TORCH CAM- from his daughter the fi rst woman to fl y across PAIGN: Cocktail reception, Tina Romaine photo the United States as she 5:30 p.m.; announcement at bombing coach completed a nine-stop journey 6:30 p.m. at Holley Academic Dan Mullen at the from Roosevelt Field, N.Y., to Center, 4750 Collegiate Drive, Gator versus LSU Glendale, Calif. Panama City. Campaign total game in Gainesville. In 1936, the fi rst generator at will be revealed along with a [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO] Boulder (later Hoover) Dam special presentation. Details: began transmitting electricity pc.fsu.edu. to Los Angeles. In 1958, Pope Pius XII died Wednesday, Oct. 10 at age 82, ending a 19-year papacy. (He was succeeded by BUDDY GUY IN CONCERT: Pope John XXIII.) 7:30 p.m. at the Marina In 1967, Marxist revolutionary Civic Center. 'Buddy Guy: guerrilla leader Che Guevara, The Legend Live' comes to 39, was summarily executed by Panama City. Tickets are the Bolivian army a day after available online at MarinaCiv- his capture. icCenter.com or by phone at In 1985, the hijackers of the 850-763-4696. Achille Lauro cruise liner WITCHES WEDNESDAYS: 10 surrendered two days after a.m. to 1 p.m. through Oct. seizing the vessel in the Medi- 31 at Gulf World, 5412 Front terranean. (Passenger Leon Beach Road, Panama City Klinghoffer was killed by the Beach. Details at GulfWorld. hijackers during the standoff.) net. In 1995, a sabotaged section of WICKED WEDNESDAYS: 6-9 track caused an Amtrak train, p.m. through Oct. 31 at Gulf the Sunset Limited, to derail in World, 5412 Front Beach Arizona; one person was killed Road, Panama City Beach. and about 80 were injured (the Details at GulfWorld.net. case remains unsolved). HAUNTED HOUSE: 6 to 9 p.m. TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS In 2001, in the fi rst daylight at Gulf World, 5412 Front raids since the start of U.S.-led Beach Road, Panama City Rhythm-and-blues singer Writer-producer-director- McQueen (Film: “12 Years attacks on Afghanistan, jets Beach. DGlow-in-the-dark Nona Hendryx is 74. Singer actor Linwood Boomer is a Slave”) is 49. Actor Steve bombed the Taliban stronghold Halloween dance party and Jackson Browne is 70. 63. Actor Michael Pare is 60. Burns is 45. Rock singer of Kandahar. Letters post- activities for kids. Details at Actor Gary Frank is 68. Jazz musician Kenny Garrett Sean Lennon is 43. Actor marked in Trenton, N.J., were GulfWorld.net. Actor Richard Chaves is is 58. Rock singer-musician Randy Spelling is 40. Actor sent to Sens. Tom Daschle and 67. Actor Robert Wuhl is Kurt Neumann (The BoDe- Brandon Routh is 39. Actor Patrick Leahy; the letters later Thursday, Oct. 11 67. Actress-TV personal- ans) is 57. Country singer Zachery Ty Bryan is 37.