Latest news with #Panhandle
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Why A-listers are FLEEING New York and LA for the 'Redneck Riviera' as elite hotspots become 'no-go' areas
Forget the Hamptons and Malibu, the rich and famous have an unlikely new go-to destination. Known as the 'Redneck Riviera', Florida's panhandle is attracting celebrities in droves.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
What Texas lawmakers did after the state's largest wildfire
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Texas lawmakers approved a series of bills this year that aim to better prepare Texas for wildfires and to mitigate their damage. The legislation includes a study on wildfire risk zones, increasing funding for rural volunteer fire departments, and creating a statewide inventory of firefighting equipment that is accessible to all fire departments in Texas. The legislative package was inspired by the state's largest wildfire in history. The Smokehouse Creek fire scorched more than 1 million acres in the Panhandle and killed three people. A special House committee was formed following the fires to investigate the cause and make legislative recommendations. Senate Bill 34, filed by state Sen. Kevin Sparks, R-Midland, is the most sweeping proposal. It includes a study on fuel loads, which is material that is likely to catch fire in a specific area, such as dry grass or vegetation. The study would also establish wildfire risk zones for residents, homes and businesses. The bill also creates a statewide database of firefighting equipment and increases funding to volunteer fire departments in areas at high risk for large wildfires. Rep. Ken King, a Republican who lives in Canadian where much of the damage from the wildfires took place, co-sponsored the bill. King led the House committee that investigated the fires and later released a detailed report about the disaster. 'We took a lot of testimony, and a lot of work went on to do what's right for our volunteer firefighters,' King said. 'Senate Bill 34 combines several volunteer firefighter priorities.' The bill requires that at least 10% of the money in the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance program go to volunteer fire departments in areas at high risk for large wildfires. Texas A&M Forest Service and West Texas A&M University will launch a study to determine wildfire risk zones based on fuel loads of flammable material like vegetation. Most of the wildfires that burned through the Panhandle started when power lines came into contact with dry vegetation. The Smokehouse Creek fire started when a rotten utility pole snapped and the power lines landed on dry grass. The bill requires that researchers consider several factors when determining these risk zones, including the projected loss of life, property and natural resources should a wildfire occur in the zone and the financial impact of costs associated with recovering after a wildfire. This study is due by Dec. 1, 2026, and would be submitted to the governor, lieutenant governor, and the Legislature. 'Constant wildfire threats that require preparation, coordination, and resources is the most pressing issue for the Panhandle,' Sparks said in a previous statement. Another recommendation from the House committee report was the statewide inventory of firefighting equipment that is available during a wildfire. According to the report, there was an uncoordinated response between responding agencies during the Panhandle fires, and a lack of knowledge about what equipment agencies had and what was needed. Texas A&M Forest Service, the state agency that manages Texas' forests and natural resources, will operate and maintain the database. Fire departments will be able to see equipment descriptions, search by location and equipment types, and have contact information for fire departments listed in the database. Volunteer stations will also have access to the inventory. One of King's bills also addresses what he and other lawmakers have deemed a regulatory 'no man's land,' as state agencies lacked the authority to inspect power lines at oilfield well sites and facilities. Lawmakers identified this as a problem after the investigative committee concluded that unmaintained electrical lines for oilfield equipment started the Smokehouse Creek Fire and others in that same week. Data from the Forest Service shows power lines have caused roughly 60% of fires throughout the Panhandle since 2006. Under King's bill, the Railroad Commission, which oversees the oil and gas industry, will notify the Public Utility Commission when it identifies substandard power lines at well sites or at other facilities used for oil and gas production. The notification must include a description of the condition and whether the well is abandoned. The Railroad Commission must also notify the landowner. The two agencies will then work together to request that a state fire marshal or local authority to inspect the site, and request that the electric service provider disconnect service. While the Legislature made a lot of progress toward improving the state's response to wildfires, one bill that failed to pass would have created a statewide network to connect all first responders and state agencies. House Bill 13, by King, sought to create the Texas Interoperability Council, which would be tasked with the implementation of a statewide plan for emergency communication use. The proposal was praised by first responders during the legislative process. Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd testified to lawmakers in March that it was the 'boldest move' he's seen in his career. That bill passed the House in April, but was not taken up by the Senate. ___ This story was originally published by The Texas Tribune and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
They Bet Their Future on Barbecue Dreams. Many Lost Everything.
Wendy Williams was manifesting her future. After years of moving around, the Army veteran and registered nurse had settled in a small town in the Florida Panhandle. 'I found my forever home,' she said. 'I painted it Euphoric Lilac.' Ms. Williams had a good job as a sales representative for a medical device company, but wanted to be her own boss. Her dream of financial independence began where it has for countless Americans: an online search for a restaurant franchise to buy. She was drawn to the patriotic, family-centered brand story of Dickey's Barbecue Pit, the world's largest barbecue chain, with some 300 locations. In 2018, she signed a contract to open two locations and attended Barbecue University, the company's training program in Dallas. 'I got a 25 percent discount for being a veteran,' she said. 'I felt so proud.' Ms. Williams remained upbeat even after the startup costs for the restaurants she opened in Florida turned out to be more than twice the $250,000 she said Dickey's sales representatives told her she'd need. Revenues also fell short of projections provided by the company, she said. 'I used my retirement,' she said. 'I used my house, I used my rental house, I used my van, my Tahoe — I used it all as collateral.' Ms. Williams claimed more than $1.5 million in losses in her Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing in 2023; the bank foreclosed on her forever home last fall. 'I believed in Dickey's,' she said. 'I was lied to.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Weather Service offices covering parts of rural Nebraska no longer monitor weather 24/7
Among the responsibilities of the Nebraska State Climate Office is to manage the state's "mesonet" system, which includes this weather monitoring station near Big Springs. (Courtesy of the Nebraska Mesonet system) LINCOLN — Two National Weather Service offices that cover some rural parts of Nebraska will no longer monitor local weather around-the-clock. The Weather Service offices in neighboring states that forecast parts of western and southwest Nebraska cut back from 24/7 coverage after staffing reductions were made under the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency. One office in Wyoming covers eight counties in the Nebraska Panhandle, and the other, in Kansas, forecasts for three counties in the southwestern corner of Nebraska. Those two offices in neighboring states are among only four nationally so short of staff that they lack enough meteorologists to staff an overnight shift. Other nearby forecasting offices — dealing with their own staffing problems — will have to handle the load during those shifts. They will be tasked with monitoring conditions and temporarily issuing forecasts and warnings each night for the two regions in addition to their normal coverage duties. Earlier this month, five former National Weather Service directors wrote an open letter to the public expressing fears that the cuts would endanger lives. An agreement last month between the Weather Service and its employees' union warned of 'degraded' services as more people leave. 'These shortages threaten public safety,' said Nebraska State Climatologist Deb Bathke, who works out of the State Climate Office based at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Bathke said staff may be unable to provide accurate and timely severe weather warnings, monitor for storm reports and monitor radar during severe weather because the offices are running thin. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration spokesperson Kim Doster told the Nebraska Examiner that the Weather Service has updated the service level standards for its weather forecast offices to manage impacts from shifting personnel. The same NOAA spokesperson told the New York Times that 'several local NWS offices are temporarily operating below around-the-clock staffing.' 'These revised standards reflect the transformation and prioritization of mission-essential operations, while supporting the balance of the operational workload for its workforce,' Doster told the Examiner. The Trump Administration fired roughly 600 workers at NOAA and NWS in March as it tried to reshape the federal bureaucracy. NWS was understaffed long before Trump's second term, but the recent cuts required 'urgent action,' according to NOAA. NOAA is offering paid moving expenses to get employees to move voluntarily to fill positions across the country, including the Kansas office that covers Nebraska. Like other rural areas across the U.S, rural Nebraska has fewer news outlets providing crucial, time-dependent information, such as weather alerts, to the public. Many of those areas rely on rural radio stations. Nebraska Rural Radio Association, also known as Rural Radio Network, is a group of stations owned by farmers and ranchers that provides news and weather reports for rural areas of the state. NRRA's Bill Boyer, who manages the Scottsbluff market, said the change 'raises concern' due to the possibility of a missing severe weather alert. Boyer said that western Nebraska had its own NWS office in the 1990s, but it was shut down, and the remaining operations were moved to the Cheyenne office in Wyoming. 'More troubling is that we received no communication from the National Weather Service,' Boyer said. Kevin Spencer, manager of the biggest city in the Panhandle, Scottsbluff, told the Examiner that the city is monitoring the changes to the Cheyenne NWS office and working with the Scotts Bluff County Emergency Management Office to do so. 'We support NWS staff and have complete confidence in their ability to manage their time effectively, ensuring we receive accurate information in the event of inclement weather,' Spencer said. 'We have been assured that staff will be available in case of severe weather.' The two parts of Nebraska affected by the recent staffing cuts in forecasting are in U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith's congressional district and include his Gering-area home. Smith said timely and reliable weather warnings can make all the difference in a region of the state where severe weather can arise suddenly. 'I am working to get additional information from the NWS to ensure Nebraskans have access to the information they need when it counts,' Smith said. Russ Pankonin, who lives in the state's southwestern corner, in Imperial, said this is the first time the region has felt a direct effect of DOGE. Pankonin said the area shouldn't feel an impact if the other offices tasked with the overnight shift can handle it. He ran the rural Imperial Republican newspaper and several nearby papers for years. This isn't the first DOGE cut to the Weather Service affecting Nebraska this year. In April, an NWS office in the Omaha area and other Great Plains offices announced pausing the deployment of weather balloons. That decision was reversed after some of the state's federal delegation pushed back on those DOGE cuts. At the time, U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., said he hoped to introduce legislation that would reclassify National Weather Service employees as public safety personnel because it would exempt them from future hiring freezes and buyouts. Flood has since said the station is launching two weather balloons a day. However, the Omaha area NWS office has said it is still facing staffing issues. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
This Milton restaurant served their fan-favorite dish to Kid Rock, Randy Travis and more
Milton Southern cooking and seafood staple The Cutting Board served up a slice of home at country music star Jamey Johnson's star-studded Tennessee wedding May 20, with the help of some Pensacola area vendors. Owner Nan Foster was selected to plan and cater the wedding at Graystone Quarry in Franklin, Tennessee, for longtime friend and 'In Color' singer Johnson and his bride, Brittney Eakins. Foster and her husband, hometown cook Steve House-Gregory, even recreated a hit from their restaurant's menu called Seafood Sensation for a crowd of 350 packed with the big names of country music. Some of the guests included Kid Rock ('All Summer Long'), Randy Travis ('Forever and Ever, Amen'), Zac Brown ('Chicken Fried'), Lee Brice ('Hard to Love'), Gary Allan ('Watching Airplanes"), Ella Langley ('You look Like You Love Me,'), Riley Green ('There Was This Girl') and many more. Get to know The Cutting Board here: The Cutting Board reopens in new location, serving up seafood and Southern specialties There was one guest on the list who left a particularly big impression. 'Randy Travis is the greatest human,' Foster said. 'I mean, he is an incredible human who is gracious in spirit and just is always a pleasure to speak with.' Since the wedding was centered around Southern elegance, The Cutting Board's cuisine fit perfectly in the picture. They brought in highlight dishes from the Panhandle, delighting guests with regional favorites such as mini muffulettas, cups of Louisiana gumbo, and, of course, fresh, local seafood. Seafood Sensation, known at The Cutting Board as Andy's Sensation, was one of the first dishes she ever fed Johnson when they met many years ago. 'We knew going in that we would include that because that's one of his (Johnson's) favorite dishes,' Foster said. 'These guys want good, enjoyable food. It doesn't have to be fancy, it doesn't have to be over the top, it just has to be good.' For dessert, Foster had Johnson's beloved guitar replicated into cake form, with Mississippi-based vendor Cakes By Iris capturing every detail, even the guitar's scribbled signatures. Foster also looked locally for vendors to assist, with The Thirsty Ranch mobile beverage cart serving up his and her style cocktails of hand grenades and blueberry moonshine margaritas, and professional photos shot by Pensacola area photographer, Addie J Photography, that were featured in People Magazine. 'It's just a fantastic opportunity for local vendors to have the opportunity to go to something of this caliber. It gives us a great opportunity to showcase our town, our community, and the kind of people that we have,' Foster said. Foster said one of the highlights of the experience was sharing a piece of the Panhandle with the celebrity guests, some of whom even messaged her after the wedding, trying to get hold of her recipes. 'Absolutely not,' Foster teased about sharing them. She said the event was special not only for her business but also to draw attention to the Panhandle and show what it has to offer despite its small size. 'You never know when you meet someone if you're going to have an opportunity to bring a slice of your world into someone else's world,' Foster said. 'And for us, that's been the most unique experience is being afforded the opportunity to showcase our small-town Panhandle community into such a large world dynamic.' If you want to try the Seafood Sensation for yourself, you can order it from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday at The Cutting Board, 8855 State Road 87 S. in Milton. Foster can be reached at 850-516-0975 for questions or catering inquiries. Stay updated on the latest restaurant news by subscribing to our free Pensacola Eats newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign up for the newsletter at This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Jamey Johnson wedding planned and catered by Milton's The Cutting Board
