Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Drew WilsonOctober 16, 2018

Utility company Gulf Power said Tuesday that it had gotten the lights back on for more than 70,000 customers, more than half the number who lost power when Hurricane Michael tore through the Panhandle last week. “We’ve added even more boots on the ground, and we’re concentrating our efforts in our hardest hit areas,” said Adrianne Collins, […]

Drew WilsonOctober 15, 2018

Panhandle utility company Gulf Power announced Sunday evening that all of its Panama City Beach customers west of Highway 79 have been restored. The company said the announcement represents power restoration to more than 10,000 customers living in that area of the city, which was one of the hardest hit by Hurricane Michael. The update came a […]

Drew WilsonOctober 14, 2018

Panhandle utility company Gulf Power announced Sunday that it’s on track to restore power to all customers affected by Hurricane Michael by midnight on Oct. 24. “Hurricane Michael was an unprecedented storm, and Gulf Power is on a mission to ensure an unprecedented response,” said Gulf Power head Stan Connally. “We know that our customers are counting […]

Drew WilsonOctober 12, 2018

The platoon of power professionals working to get electricity restored in the Florida Panhandle has jumped to 4,400 according to Gulf Power, the region’s major utility company. In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Michael, more than 400,000 utility customers in Florida were without power, and about a third of those were Gulf Power Customers. The […]

Drew WilsonOctober 11, 2018

Utility company Gulf Power said Thursday that it’s already restored power to 25,000 customers affected by Hurricane Michael, but nearly a quarter of its 457,000 customers are still waiting for their lights to come back on. Gulf Power said between its own workers and personnel flying in from across the country, it has 3,000 boots […]

Peter SchorschSeptember 26, 2018

In Florida’s U.S. Senate race, it’s open season on almost any topic. The latest political football: beach access. Democrat Bill Nelson touches upon the issue in “Salty,” a new animated digital ad criticizing Republican opponent Rick Scott for signing a controversial beach access bill. In the ad, which debuts this week, Nelson mentions HB 631: “Rick Scott wants […]

Scott PowersSeptember 24, 2018

Vacation rental home business is surging even in Florida’s rural counties, according to a new report from the vacation rental-home marketing firm Airbnb, which showed its business growth had more than doubled in the past year in small counties across the state. Released Monday morning, the report states that Airbnb’s business in the Sunshine State’s […]

Ryan NicolJuly 9, 2018

“It is so confusing.” That’s the takeaway of Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson Jr., regarding the state of public access to private beaches following the enactment of HB 631. Adkinson spoke with Florida Politics after a Facebook posting over the weekend appeared to show a confrontation resulting from the new law in Walton County’s Santa Rosa […]

Les NeuhausMarch 21, 2017

Two measures dealing with drug testing for certain public aid applicants and law enforcement taking over DCF’s role investigative role in another county met no resistance Tuesday. Among several bills heard by the Senate Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee were two dealing with applicants of temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) and child welfare […]

Lloyd DunkelbergerJuly 19, 2016

A First Amendment fight has broken out on the sugar-white sands of Santa Rosa Beach in Walton County. A retired couple, who own a 2,296-square-foot beachfront home, has filed a federal lawsuit, asserting a new Walton County ordinance violates the U.S. Constitution because it prohibits the couple from posting no-trespassing signs on their privately owned […]

Tag: Walton County

Gulf Power crosses halfway mark in power restoration effort

Gulf Power crews making inroads to Panama City Beach outages

Gulf Power on track for 100 percent power restoration by Oct. 24

Gulf Power says 4,400 power pros working 24/7 on Panhandle restoration

Gulf Power restores power to 25K customers, but there’s a long way to go

Deflating the political football on beach access

Airbnb report: Vacation rental home activity surges in rural Florida

Banning the beach? Locals start enforcing new access law

Breezing through committee: Welfare drug testing, DCF takes backseat in Walton County

Santa Rosa Beach no trespassing sign sparks Walton County free speech battle