Florida Schools Ordered to Reopen

Florida Schools Ordered to Reopen

By Ana Ceballos, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran on Monday ordered public schools to reopen in August and offer “the full panoply of services” to students and families.  As COVID-19 outbreaks spike in Florida, Corcoran’s mandate said that extending school closures can impede students’ educational success and prevent parents […]

Questions Remain About Opening State Offices

Questions Remain About Opening State Offices

By Ana Ceballos, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — More than a month after Gov. Ron DeSantis began restarting Florida’s economy, his administration has not issued guidance for how state agencies should reopen offices to workers and the public. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many state workers have been working from home and have […]

State Releases Plan to Reopen Schools

State Releases Plan to Reopen Schools

By Ana Ceballos, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis and state education officials on Thursday released a plan to reopen public schools at full capacity in August, saying that vulnerable kids and Floridians need the return to in-person instruction. “While there may be challenges regionally, Florida’s workforce and students with the […]

Federal Judge Clears Way for Felons to Vote

Federal Judge Clears Way for Felons to Vote

By Dara Kam, The News Service of Tallahassee TALLAHASSEE — Opening the door for hundreds of thousands of convicted felons to be added to Florida’s voting rolls, a federal judge on Sunday struck down major parts of a state law requiring felons to pay court-ordered “legal financial obligations” to be eligible to vote. U.S. District […]

DeSantis Gives Green Light to Youth Activities

DeSantis Gives Green Light to Youth Activities

By Ana Ceballos, The News Service of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday said he is lifting coronavirus-related restrictions on youth activities, including summer camps and athletic events, because he trusts parents and local governments will make the right decisions for kids. “We trust parents to use common sense. We trust our local officials. We […]

Panhandle Vacation Rentals Cleared to Open

Panhandle Vacation Rentals Cleared to Open

By Ana Ceballos, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Vacation rentals in seven Panhandle counties Tuesday were allowed to reopen with some restrictions, after weeks of being shut down as part of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ response to the coronavirus pandemic. Halsey Beshears, secretary of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, approved plans […]

DeSantis Cites “Insubordination” for Firing

DeSantis Cites “Insubordination” for Firing

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration said Tuesday evening that a Department of Health employee who helped create Florida’s COVID-19 information “dashboard” was fired for insubordination, disputing allegations that she was terminated for refusing to manipulate data. “Rebekah Jones exhibited a repeated course of insubordination during her time with the department, including her unilateral decisions to modify […]

State Eyes Plans for Reopening University Campuses

State Eyes Plans for Reopening University Campuses

By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — State university system Chancellor Marshall Criser next week will present guidelines for reopening university campuses in the fall, after students were sent home in March to curb the spread of COVID-19. Criser is slated to offer the guidelines during a May 28 meeting of the […]

Firing Up a Political Feud

Firing Up a Political Feud

By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Florida Democrats hope to make wildfires that destroyed homes and other structures in the Panhandle the latest political wedge between Gov. Ron DeSantis and Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who some believe could clash in the 2022 gubernatorial election. The Florida Democratic Party wasted little time […]

DeSantis Defends Efforts to Fix Unemployment Problems

DeSantis Defends Efforts to Fix Unemployment Problems

By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday defended his administration’s efforts to get the state’s much-maligned unemployment system to handle the unprecedented surge in applications caused by the coronavirus. Meanwhile, Democrats blasted the management of the system, which has had nearly 40 percent of applicants rejected and […]

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