Gulf Power Says Full Restoration Is At Least Nine Days Away (Panama City, FL) -- Panhandle Gulf Power customers without electricity could be in the dark a while longer. The utility said yesterday it won't have full restoration for at least nine more days. By October 24th, it expects 95 percent of customers to have power restored, which will be two weeks after Hurricane Michael made landfall.
Air Force Optimistic About Tyndall AFB's Future (Tyndall AFB, FL) -- It will take more than a Category Four storm to keep the Air Force down. Military officials said yesterday they believe Tyndall Air Force Base won't be hurt long-term from Hurricane Michael, and the short-term damage can be minimized. Several buildings suffered what the Air Force calls significant structural damage, but none of the personnel on the base were hurt.
Melbourne Company Part Of Largest Merger In Defense Industry History (Melbourne, FL) -- A Brevard County company is making history. Melbourne's Harris Corporation announced yesterday it will merge with New York's L3 Technologies. The merger is believed to be the largest in defense industry history, and the combined companies will become the sixth largest in the industry. The new company will be based in Melbourne, and it will be the eighth largest in the state.
Employee Beaten During Armed Robbery (Ormond Beach, FL) -- A search is underway for those who robbed a Volusia County business and beat an employee. It happened yesterday morning at an internet cafe in Ormond Beach on Hand Ave. Deputies say three armed suspects broke in, robbed the place and one suspect pistol-whipped a worker. The victim refused treatment, and no arrests have been announced.
GA Statue Gets Googly Eyes (Savannah, GA) -- Police in Savannah, Georgia want to know who put the "googly eyes" on a statue of a Revolutionary War hero. A statue of General Nathaniel Greene stands proudly in Savannah's Johnson Square. On Friday, the statue was vandalized when someone stuck white "googly eyes" on the general. A picture of the general's new shocked expression has been making the rounds on Facebook. The Savannah Police Department is looking for the culprit, and says defacing a historic monument is no laughing matter.
Technician Accidentally Destroys F-16 (Florennes, Belgium) -- It's an expensive workplace accident. A technician working on an F-16 jet last week at Florennes Air Force Base in Belgium somehow fired the plane's 20-millimeter Vulcan cannon, destroying another F-16. That plane exploded, catching another F-16 on fire. Two people suffered hearing-related injuries and an investigation is underway.
TODAY IN HISTORY:
2009, Colorado authorities and military personnel were dispatched to track a helium-filled balloon, mistakenly believed to have lifted off with a six-year-old boy inside. When the balloon landed, authorities quickly discovered there was no one inside the flying-saucer-like balloon. The child was found hiding inside a cardboard box in the attic of his parents' house in Fort Collins.
2007, comedian-actor Drew Carey made his debut as host of the long-running CBS game show "The Price Is Right."
1991, despite the charges of sexual harassment brought by Anita Hill, Clarence Thomas was confirmed as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, 52-48. It was the narrowest margin in nearly a century. At the age of 43, Thomas became the first black conservative and the youngest to be confirmed.
1969, Millions of peace demonstrators staged activities across the country, including a candlelight march around the White House, as part of a moratorium against the Vietnam War.
1949, the Reverend Billy Graham began his ministry.
1939, the New York Municipal Airport was dedicated. The facility was later renamed LaGuardia Airport.
1924, President Calvin Coolidge declared the Statue of Liberty a national monument.
1914, the Clayton Act was enacted, giving organized labor the right to strike and picket.