Unreported News

This is not the whole newspaper, but a special complimentary, on-line edition of the general-interest, periodic newsmagazine, Continental Newstime. The rest of the newspaper includes national and world news, newsmaker profiles, commentary/analysis, periodic interviews, travel and entertainment features, an intermittent science column, humor, sports, cartoons, comic strips, and puzzles, and averages 26 pages per month. Continental Features/Continental News Service publishes, on a monthly rotational basis, special, complimentary on-line newspapers: Washington DC News Edition (familiarly knownasthe Malfunction Junction News Edition or Snooze Junction News Edition), Chicago News Edition, Honolulu News Edition, Atlanta News Edition, Anchorage News Edition, Boston News Edition, Seattle News Edition, Miami News Edition, San Diego News Edition, Rochester (N.Y.) News Edition, Minneapolis News Edition, and Houston News Edition.

Anchorage News Edition of Continental Newstime
Continental Features/Continental News Service
501 W. Broadway, Plaza A, PMB# 265
San Diego, CA 92101
(858) 492-8696
E-mail: info@continentalnewsservice.com

* Congressional News Briefs ... Senator Lisa Murkowski, as Chairman of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, has termed Senate passage of her Interior-Environment Funding Bill, by an 84-9 vote, as an "investment in health, safety and lands," insofar as the legislation funds activities to investigate and deter the trafficking and disappearance of indigenous women, subsidizes Village Built Clinics under the Indian Self-Determination Act, aids improvements in Native sanitation and water systems, supports clean-up of legacy wells, ensures that local governments state-wide having reduced tax bases because of the presence of federal lands receive Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) revenue, and prioritizes protection of Alaska's salmon fisheries, among other objectives. In turn, Representative Don Young, following the House impeachment vote on October 31, remarked, "This is a sad day for this great institution. Today's vote to formally pursue an impeachment inquiry is just the latest political stunt by House Democrats. This is not a question of whether there are sufficient grounds for impeachment; it is simply a sham vote to allow House Democrats to continue to trample on the long-standing impeachment process in the House. Everyone in this country deserves due process, but this vote is unfair and a total charade." On his part, Senator Dan Sullivan has called attention to the "ninth time since 2015 that Senate Democrats have filibustered critical troop funding." Although the Defense Appropriations Bill passed out of committee with unanimous bipartisan support, the Senator faulted Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for doing a disservice to the "men and women who serve in the military." Sullivan charged that Democrats "leverage funding of our troops to gain political concessions on other issues," when the measure in question provides for a 3.1-percent pay raise for American service members, along with funds for the country's missile-defense capabilities. The Senator concluded: "It's clear to me that supporting our troops and military readiness is not a priority for Senate Democrats."

* Governor’s Office News Briefs … Governor Michael J. Dunleavy has announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has issued a two-year, $1.65-million grant to the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development for the purpose of preventing, and dealing with, youth homelessness across the rural areas of the state. Compared to adult-led programs, the Governor says that this Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program "can change the course of our homeless youths' lives to become productive members of society by focusing on training and education, rather than food and shelter only." Indeed, Youth Action Boards composed of youth who presently or formerly experienced homelessness will engage with other stakeholders in the decision-making process. The conditions for the grant money are that the state match the federal funds with $250,000—which the state has done—and that the state establish new programs for homeless Alaskans younger than 25 years of age. Meantime, for the last 10 years the MY House program in Wasilla has been part of the solution to Alaska's highest rates in the nation of addiction, suicide, sexual assault, and domestic violence. In addition, the Governor notes that, for the state of Alaska, the unemployment rate remained at a record low of 6.2 percent state-wide from August to and through September, as a result of approximately 2,000 new jobs being created. At the same time, he observed, "Private investment is up, GDP [Gross Domestic Product] is up, personal income is up,...—these all point to an improving economy."

* State Legislative News Briefs ... With the Second Regular Session of the current state legislature scheduled for January 21, 2020, the Joint House-Senate Select Committee on Legislative Ethics plans to meet in the Large Conference Room of the Legislative Information Office, on December 2 beginning at 9:30 AM, to take up such matters as the National Conference of State Legislatures Ethics training proposal. Then, on February 6, at 12 Noon, the Joint House-Senate Armed Services Committee is due to hear presentations by Brigadier General Torrence Saxe, of the Alaska Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs; by the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Region; by the U.S. Army Alaska; and by the Seventeenth U.S. Coast Guard District.

-1-

* City Government News Briefs ... The Anchorage Assembly, with Felix Rivera presiding, is set to hold a 5 PM Business Meeting on November 5 in Assembly Chambers, Loussac Library, 3600 Denali, Room 108. Then, the Assembly will continue Public Hearings no earlier than 6 PM on such matters as an Ordinance to amend the definition of reusable bag, to exempt restaurants from the plastic-bag prohibition, and to repeal the requirement to charge a fee for furnishing an alternative bag; a Resolution appropriating $600,000 in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant money and a $1,195 contribution (2019 General Government Operating Budget funds) for implementing EPA Brownfields Coalition Assessment Grant activities; and a Resolution appropriating $348,552 in U.S. Justice Department Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention grant money and $7,665 in 2019 Anchorage Police Operating Budget resources, to continue the Alaska Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

* School District News Briefs ... The Anchorage School District, led by Superintendent Dr. Deena Bishop, informs that the School Board will hold a Work Session between 4 PM and 5 PM on November 5 in the Anchorage School District Education Center’s Board Room. One week later, on November 12, between 3 PM and 4 PM, the Communications Committee is due to meet in the School Board Conference Room at the Center, and between 4 PM and 5 PM the Governance Committee has scheduled a meeting in Conference Room Number 150. Later that day, at Begich Middle School, there will be a Strategic Plan Community Forum between 6 PM and 7:30 PM. Next, on November 19, between 3:30 PM and 4:30 PM, the School Board's Finance Committee has reserved the Education Center's Conference Room Number 150 for a meeting. Then, between 5 PM and 10 PM, in the Center's Board Room, School Board President Starr Marsett will conduct a Regular Meeting of the School Board, with the Executive Session estimated to last from 5 PM to 6 PM, to be followed by the Public Session.

* Weather ... The National Weather Service reports that current conditions at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, as of 12:53 AM, are foggy and misty, with a temperature of 41 degrees Fahrenheit and wind-chill factor of 38 degrees, winds out of the north at 5 miles per hour, and relative humidity of 89 percent. The dewpoint is 38 degrees, the barometer stands at 30.15 inches and the visibility is 2 miles. The over-night forecast calls for mostly-cloudy skies, areas of fog and freezing fog, low temperatures in the upper-20's to mid-30's, and variable wind up to 10 miles per hour. Today, partly-sunny skies are expected, but with areas of freezing fog and patchy morning fog, high temperatures in the upper-30's to mid-40's, and light winds. Sunday night, partly-cloudy skies are anticipated, along with patchy freezing fog, low temperatures in the mid-20's to lower-30's, and variable wind of 10 miles per hour.

* Sports ... The University of Alaska-Anchorage announces that the Seawolf Women's Basketball Team is scheduled to visit Duke University today for a 10 AM game. However, at 7 PM, on November 7, the Women's Volleyball Team is due to host Western Oregon in the Alaska Airlines Center. One day later, the Men's Hockey Team visits the University of Alabama-Huntsville for a 4 PM face-off in the Von Braun Center. At 5:30 PM, Anchorage is the scene of the Armed Forces Classic, with the Men's Basketball Team and teams from Baylor and Washington competing. At 8 PM, the Men's Basketball Team plays a Coast Guard team in the Classic. On November 9, the Men's Hockey Team goes back into action in the Von Braun Center against Alabama-Huntsville at 4 PM.

Movie Talk: By Leslie Rigoulot

Windtalkers and Enigma: The War of Codes (Reprinted and Condensed)

Looking for an old-fashioned mystery? Enigma is it. Looking for a World War II drama that may bring Nick Cage renown? That would be Windtalkers. In Enigma, the good guys are trying to break the recently-changed Nazi code, just as a supply convoy leaves the U.S. In Windtalkers, the Navajos are providing a code that the Japanese can't break. Starring Dougray Scott looking like warmed-over K-rations, Enigma's hero is a man not just on the verge of a breakdown, but recovering from one. The stress of code-breaking and a lost love have pushed the war hero over the edge. But the super-secret Bletchley Park lot need him, so he is recalled to put his "thinking machine" and resources to work.

Now, here is the real enigma that you will only see if you watch the credits and if you watch the crowd scenes very closely. Mick Jagger is one of Enigma's Executive Producers. And Lorne Michaels, of Saturday Night Live, is the other. And how strange is it that Hong Kong director John Woo would be directing a war movie starring Canadian native—can't really say native American, can I?—Adam Beach and Italian-American Nicolas Cage. Weird worlds collide.

Question Time with Public Officials

The American public expects public officials to deal with, rather than dodge, difficult public-policy problems, to be transparent in their public-policy positions, and to state their views confidently, thoughtfully and boldly. One week was allowed to finalize the response, by E-mail, of each of the Presidential candidates listed below.
The Continental News Service had announced its intention to publish results of this multi-respondent poll in its on-line newspapers over the course of time, and these newspapers include its Washington D.C. News Edition, Chicago News Edition, Honolulu News Edition, Atlanta News Edition, Anchorage News Edition, Boston News Edition, Seattle News Edition, Miami News Edition, San Diego News Edition, Rochester (N.Y.) News Edition, Minneapolis News Edition, and Houston News Edition.

Would you, Senator/Representative/Governor, support legislation, or even sponsor legislation, ending all federal government grants to Planned Parenthood if it was conducted in an even-handed and non-discriminatory manner; that is, likewise ending all federal and federally-subsidized state grants to faith-based and all other non-profit groups, whatever their specific tax-code classification?
__ Yes. Uncheck "No Comment." My reasoning is ________________________________________________________________________________.
__ No. Uncheck "No Comment." My reasoning is _________________________________________________________________________________.
X No Comment. Senator Kamala Harris, Senator Cory Booker, Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Representative Tulsi Gabbard, Washington Governor Jay Inslee.

-2-

*Free

Union County News Edition

of Continental Newstime newsmagazine

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

VOLUME I NUMBER 1 OCTOBER 14, 2019
What's new in Union County, Florida? Find out here:

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This is a Special Issue designed only to encourage a would-be editor-publisher in Union County, Florida to start a regular weekly or bi-weekly newspaper and to show that, using the structured format below, the proverbial wheel need not be re-invented—to eliminate the complexity in restoring newspaper coverage to Union County. Just as our Website indicates, Continental Features/Continental News Service is available to give guidance, to offer some cartoons/comic strips and other feature material free of charge, and to help a new local editor-publisher expand by 26 pages one time monthly for readers interested in receiving a general-interest magazine insert. CF/CNS desires more exposure for our cartoons, comic strips and newspaper columns, but we do not exist to compete with a local editor-publisher in Union County, Florida. We publish too many other newspapers and publications to regularly publish a Union County community newspaper, too. It is our hope, besides, that a local editor-publisher in Union County will not neglect to publish ads, so local businesses receive wider publicity for their products and services. Thank you.

Union County News Edition of Continental Newstime
Continental Features/Continental News Service
501 W. Broadway
Plaza A, PMB# 265
San Diego, CA 92101
E-mail: info@continentalnewsservice.com

* State Government News Briefs … Governor Ron DeSantis has announced that reforms at the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) have allowed hurricane-recovery funding to be distributed more quickly and, as a result, more than $1 billion in such funding has been awarded since January 8. Specifically, FDEM stopped requiring hurricane-recovery projects to be 100-percent validated before funds are awarded, instead releasing half the eligible funding when a project is 50-percent validated. The Governor says that this accomplishment is a "testament to our unwavering commitment to every community impacted by recent hurricanes" and to federal support, and he has vowed to "continue to examine every hurricane-recovery resource and every power in my executive authority to ensure that these communities continue to rebuild." FDEM Director Jared Moskowitz notes that putting in place new procedures to speed FEMA reimbursements to communities struck by hurricanes Michael, Irma, Matthew and Hermine has meant: "The days of counties and cities waiting years for reimbursement and having to pay costly loans are over." Meantime, the Governor says that the Trump Administration not only granted 45 days of 100-percent federal-cost share for Hurricane Michael debris removal and emergency-protection measures, instead of the usual 5 days, but increased the federal cost share for Hurricane Michael from 75 percent to 90 percent, saving the state and local communities hundreds of millions of dollars.

* County Government News Briefs … Union County is now operating under a 2019-2020 fiscal-year budget that projects total General Fund revenue and expenditures of $7,267,543. The Solid Waste Management account estimates revenues and expenditures totaling $1,333,773; the Animal Control budget, $14,100; the Mosquito Control budget, $102,009; the E-911 Fund, $478,383; the Emergency Management budget, $358,247; the Emergency Medical Services budget, $1,663,990; the Fire Department budget, $144,125; the locally-funded County Public Library budget, $206,493; the state-funded County Public Library budget, $115,405; the Transportation Trust Fund budget, $4,024,507; the SHIP (State Housing Initiatives Partnership) Local Housing Assistance Trust Fund, $350,228; and, among other budget accounts, the Special Law Enforcement budget, $1,309,323. County Commissioners, just days ago, held a meeting to discuss a proposal to use Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program grant money for improvements to the O..J. Phillips Recreation Park on State Road 121 and Southwest 84th Street. Besides, County Commissioners announced that they would receive Statements of Qualifications to furnish Professional Consulting Services no later than 4 PM on October 10. Likewise, the purpose of the meeting was to solicit Qualifications for Professional Engineering Services.

* City Government News Briefs … Lake Butler City Commissioners have scheduled a regular meeting for October 15 to take up an agenda including such items of business as approval of Financial Reports for September, 2019; purchase of a portable welder/generator; approval of Longevity Compensation for City employees; payment of Florida League of Cities annual dues; examination of a Codes Enforcement report; scheduling of a Public Meeting concerning a USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) grant; consideration of a proposed Historic Preservation Ordinance; and review of a Department of Corrections contract for water and wastewater services. With respect to the Code Enforcement report of October 3, covering the month of September, City Code Enforcement Officer "Lyn" Williams reported on the status of 10 beautification and other issues and revealed spending approximately 20 hours in routine patrol of the City—apart from the patrols of the Union County Sheriff's Office—16 hours on meetings, on

-1-

research of City Ordinances and property owners, and on follow-up and re-inspections of past property found in compliance and not listed on the report of October 3; and 24 hours on the active cases listed in the report. Concerning the Consolidated Vehicle Report for September, the nine drivers assigned various City vehicles logged anywhere from 215 miles to 748 miles, depending upon their work duties, while reporting use of anywhere from 21 to 118 gallons of fuel. The ending mileage on the City vehicles used ranged from 2,342 miles to 134,815 miles. Now, the Longevity Bonus draft prepared by the City Manager and Deputy City Manager, for review by Mayor Fred Sirmones and the City Commission, proposes payment of $200 to those employees with 4 to 7 years of City service; $300, for those with 8 to 15 years of service; $400, 16 to 20 years; $500, 21 to 30 years; and $600, 31 or more years. Payable each year on the third Tuesday in December, the City entertains what it considers a token of its appreciation for long-term employees' loyalty and dedication to learning their jobs. Since not all 11 City employees have established this degree of longevity in employment, the total that would initially be payable for 2019 under this plan is $1,300, five employees qualifying. Issuing his monthly report for October, City Manager Dale M. Walker, commenting on staff development, has recommended that employees read Stephen Covey's book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. In addition, Walker reports that the City has received a $24,100 Hazard Mitigation Grant from the State Division of Emergency Management for purchase and installation of a large generator in the main lift station, the generator capable of withstanding 140-mile-per-hour winds in a building capable of withstanding a 500-year flood. Then, too, there are grant opportunities available through USDA for money to purchase a backhoe, and, although a prior City application was denied, the City will persist in its quest for a grant. In fact, the City has arranged a Special Public Meeting for 6 PM, on October 15, at City Hall, to discuss filing of a USDA Rural Development Grant Application, the funds to be used for purchase of a backhoe. Thirdly, there is USDA grant money available, as well, for welcome signage, so, with the object being to install a welcome sign in the triangle across from Hardee's before the close of the 2020 fiscal-year, the City will seek approval from the Florida Department of Transportation to erect a gateway sign.

* School District News Briefs … Union County School District Superintendent Carlton Faulk announces that the next School Board meeting is set for November 12 at 6 PM and that the Board will be conducting a Reorganization Meeting at that time. The District’s Athletic Department reports that the Union County High School Boys Varsity Football Team (3-4) attempts to even its win-loss record on October 18 in a 7:30 PM game at home against Hawthorne. Games against Jordan Christian Prep on October 25 at home and on the road against Keystone Heights on November 1 follow.

* Weather … The National Weather Service reports clears skies in Lake Butler, as of 12:18 AM Eastern Daylight Time, with an overnight low temperature of 64 degrees Fahrenheit, wind out of the south-southwest at 1 mile per hour, relative humidity of 92 percent, and a 10-percent chance of precipitation. The forecast for Monday calls for partly-cloudy skies, a daily high temperature of 89 degrees, wind out of the southwest at 3 miles per hour, relative humidity of 64 percent, and a 20-percent chance of precipitation.

To see David Illsley's cartoon gag on foreign cars, please send an E-mail to continentalnewstime@gmail.com

-2-

Anchorage News Edition

VOLUME VI NUMBER 1 NOVEMBER 3, 2019

of Continental Newstime newsmagazine

Continental Features/Continental News Service

"The newspaper-feature super-channel"