Leon County Schools announced that Julie Lawson was not reappointed as principal and that Nikki Bradley would lead the Midtown elementary school beginning with the 2026-27 school year. The district did not publicly detail the findings at the time of the personnel change, but confirmed the decision followed an internal investigation.

According to reporting by the Tallahassee Democrat, the investigation centered on the school’s handling of an incident involving a student and examined whether administrators followed district policies for reporting, documenting and communicating with parents. The investigation also reviewed allegations involving Lawson’s treatment of employees who raised concerns about school operations.

The investigation concluded Lawson failed to comply with several district policies, including timely parental notification and appropriate administrative procedures following the incident. The report also detailed allegations of retaliation against employees who reported concerns.

Leon County Schools has not publicly released the complete investigative report, citing personnel confidentiality requirements under Florida law. The district has also not announced whether Lawson resigned or whether additional disciplinary action was taken beyond her removal as principal.

Lawson became principal of Kate Sullivan Elementary in 2021 after serving as an assistant principal in Leon County Schools. During her tenure, she was recognized by the district and community organizations for her leadership and school improvement efforts.

Kate Sullivan Elementary, one of Tallahassee’s oldest neighborhood schools, serves approximately 725 students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Nikki Bradley assumed leadership of the school following the district’s decision not to reappoint Lawson.

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Weather: Today, a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm with a high near 97. Tonight, mostly clear, with a low around 78. Wednesday, showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 5pm with a high near 98. Wednesday night, showers and thunderstorms likely before 2am, with a low around 76. NWS

US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 +0.0%, Dow +0.5%, Nasdaq -0.2%) (More).

Local & State News

Daryl Parks held a press conference today to address what he described as “deeply troubling” revelations regarding the campaign tactics used by his opponent, Mr. Matlow. Parks accused the Matlow campaign of employing online manipulation and misleading tactics designed to “confuse voters” and “divide our city”. Details.

The latest information from the Tallahassee International Airport shows the June 2026 passenger traffic decreased 5.4% when compared to traffic one year ago. Details.

Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback will remain on the Aug. 18 primary ballot after a Leon Circuit Court judge ruled Monday his opponent, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, didn’t prove he lived outside the state within the last seven years. Details

National News

More than 300,000 Haitians and roughly 4,000 Syrians have lost their ability to work and live in the US legally after a temporary protected status expired yesterday. The lapse comes after a Supreme Court ruling in June empowered the Trump administration to end protections.

Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Masino, who oversaw controversial 2025 logo redesign, to step down, remain in advisory role until October (More).

During a comprehensive presentation, David Solz, Director of School Improvement and Accountability, reported that Leon County saw proficiency increases across every core subject area. English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency rose by 4% district-wide, while math scores saw a significant 5-point gain in grades 3-5. Science scores were particularly strong, increasing by 5 points across all levels and placing the district 7 points above the state average in Biology.

“I have never been more proud of our school district,” said Superintendent Rocky Hanna, noting the achievements of staff and students alike. “We’re point twenty-five. Point 25 away from an A”.

The individual school results were equally striking, with 85% of schools (33 out of 39) either maintaining or improving their letter grade. The district now boasts 28 schools rated “A” or “B,” the highest number since 2012. Notable highlights included:

• Bond Elementary earned the first “A” in the school’s history, with historic growth for its bottom 25% of students (88% in reading and 90% in math).
• Fairview Middle School jumped from a “C” to an “A”.
• Cobb Middle School and Sealy Elementary both secured “A” ratings.
• Griffin and Oak Ridge successfully exited “Differentiated Accountability” status.

Board members attributed the success to “intentional investments,” particularly in early learning and the introduction of the UFLI reading program. Board Member Jones remarked, “The proof has been in the pudding,” while highlighting the “full evolution” of the district’s budget investments in student preparation.

Comparing Leon County to similarly sized districts, Board Member Wood highlighted that Leon’s 72% performance metric significantly outpaced Alachua (59%), Bay (68%), and Escambia (63%). “That’s the kind of comparison we need to be making right there,” Wood said.

Board Member Smith added that the data serves as a powerful marketing tool for public education. “No matter what area of town you live in… you’re going to be successful in Leon County Schools,” Smith noted. Superintendent Hannah concluded that the district would “scream it from the mountain tops” to ensure the community recognizes these historic gains .

Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback will remain on the Aug. 18 primary ballot after a Leon Circuit Court judge ruled Monday his opponent, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, didn’t prove he lived outside the state within the last seven years.

The seven-year residency requirement to be eligible to run for governor is in the state constitution. Collins alleged Fishback voted in Washington D.C. in 2020 and established a homestead there when he bought an apartment in 2021, making him ineligible.

But Judge David Frank found that the burden of proof was on Collins to show Fishback abandoned his residence in Florida and the presumption in state law is to follow the candidate’s declared statement of residence.

“Florida residency law places great weight on the subjective intent of the person declaring residency,” Frank wrote. “That law may be imprudent, or it may give too much leeway to a person seeking or maintaining residency. But it is the law.”

The ruling means Fishback, who has trailed in polls along with Collins to the frontrunner, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Naples, will remain on the ballot and any votes for him will count. A fourth major GOP candidate, former state House Speaker Paul Renner, is also in the mix for the primary.

Mail ballots have already been returned throughout the state.

“This isn’t just a victory for our campaign. It’s a victory for the constitution and for every Floridians who believes elections should be decided by voters, not politicians trying to rig the system,” Fishback stated after the ruling was released.

Before a hearing in the case last week, Fishback declared he’d throw Collins campaign consultant John Cardillo, who attended the hearing, in jail when he became governor for pursuing the lawsuit.

Ultimately, Frank wrote in his ruling, Collins’ attorneys didn’t present enough concrete evidence to refute Fishback’s claim that he ended up being “stuck” in Washington D.C. during the Covid-19 pandemic and he was really living at his grandmother’s house in Broward County during that period.

The apartment he bought was only for investment purposes, Fishback maintained during the hearing, even though he acknowledged that meant he gave false information on mortgage papers he signed saying it would be his primary residence.

Frank stated the most compelling piece of evidence against Fishback was a letter regarding his purchase of a home in Madison County, Florida in 2022, which declared, “my new purchase will serve as my new primary residence. I plan to keep 2325 42nd St NW Washington DC as a second home or as a future investment property.”

Yet that piece of evidence wasn’t enough to overcome Fishback’s defense, which pointed to his background of being born and raised in Florida, along with his “family, social, and business ties to Florida.”

Collins “has not brought forth enough substantial and competent evidence to rebut these important presumptions,” Frank wrote. “This Court will not be deciding the race between the Lieutenant Governor and Mr. Fishback. That will be in the very sound hands of the voters.”

Relative to 2025, the Passenger Traffic Report shows year-over-year passenger counts in June were down 7.5% for American Airlines and up 1.4% for the Delta Group. Impacting the numbers was the fact that Silver Airways ended service in June 2025.

The graph below shows the annualized number of passengers for the last 37-months. The highlighted numbers on the graph indicate the annual traffic during the month of June over the last four years. The annual rate of passengers at TIA in June 2026 – 865,546 – is down 8.99% when compared to one year ago (951,015). The annualized number of passengers is calculated by summing the previous 12 months of traffic.

June 2026 is the 15th consecutive month that annual passenger traffic has declined.

At the center of the allegations is a Facebook page originally titled “Pause the TMH Deal Vote No on December 10th,” which was later renamed “Tallahassee Conservatives”. Consistent with media reports, Parks, noted the page was administered by Matlow’s campaign manager and that the Matlow campaign ran political advertisements through that same account.

TR first reported that mayoral candidate Jeremy Matlow and his campaign manager were tied to a fake Facebook page designed to impact local elections. After the story was published, Matlow’s campaign manager, Kristellys Estanga resigned. Estanga’s political consulting clients have included U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum.

Matlow has denied any involvement with the Facebook renaming controversy.

Parks characterized these digital tactics as “deceptive” and “divisive,” alleging that the name change was a calculated effort to make it appear as though conservatives were attacking city commission seat 3 candidate Talietha Edwards, a Black woman. Parks argued this was a “deliberate attempt to inflame division” and “manipulate public perception” within the local race.

The Capital Conservative Club of Tallahassee, a local politically active group founded in 2009, issued a press release about the controversy.

“The Capital Conservative Club of Tallahassee is expressing concern about a fake Facebook page that used the name ‘Tallahassee Conservatives’ and appeared to suggest that local conservatives were encouraging the Tallahassee Police Benevolent Association to withdraw its endorsement of a candidate for the Tallahassee City Commission. We want to reassure Tallahassee residents that the Capital Conservative Club has no connection and has never had any connection to this Facebook page, which has since been taken down, or to any group using the name ‘Tallahassee Conservatives….Introducing misleading information into our community is not helpful to voters or to the election process. We believe campaigns should be conducted with transparency and respect for the people of Tallahassee. This type of activity contributes to the frustration many residents feel toward politics. We encourage anyone involved in creating or promoting misleading content to take responsibility for their actions.”

Parks Questions Matlow’s Tactics

Parks took the opportunity to questions Matlow’s political tactics.

“Tallahassee needs leadership that unites us, not leadership that hides behind misleading pages and divisive tactics,” Parks said. He further asserted that this behavior is not an isolated incident, claiming that for the last eight years, Matlow has consistently used tactics that “divide, mislead and inflame”.

Matlow’s city commission aide, Ryan Ray, runs a political blog that has published unflattering stories about fellow Democrats that do not walk the progressive line.

Parks called on community leaders, organizations, and Democrats who have endorsed Matlow to denounce these actions. Emphasizing that the mayoral race is a non-partisan “people election,” Parks argued that the contest should be defined by character, integrity, and accountability rather than the weaponization of identities for political points.

“We can debate ideas, we can disagree on policy, but we should never manipulate voters and mislead the public,” Parks concluded, pledging that his own commitment to the city would be rooted in truth and transparency.

See full press conference here.

Monday, July 27, 2026

Weather: Today, a 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5pm with a high near 98. Tonight, a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 7pm and 9pm, with a low around 79. Tuesday, mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 98. Tuesday night, with a low around 80. NWS

US stock markets end Friday mixed (S&P 500 +0.1%, Dow +0.5%, Nasdaq -0.6%) (More).

Local & State News

Following an exclusive story by Tallahassee Reports, the campaign manager for Tallahassee mayoral candidate Jeremy Matlow, Kristellys Estanga, has resigned. Details.

Private text messages that were recently posted on social media reveals a behind the scenes look at the reaction of the Jeremy Matlow campaign when they realized their efforts to conceal the use of a fake Facebook page was about to be exposed. Details.

The Florida chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police is the latest public safety organization to oppose Amendment 3, the proposed constitutional amendment designed to provide property tax relief to homeowners but which critics allege could radically reduce revenues for local government essential services, including public safety. Details

National News

President Donald Trump pauses bombing campaign against Iran on Friday, hours after reportedly being briefed on strains to the US weapons supply (More).

Maine Democrats formally select Troy Jackson as their new Senate candidate, replacing Graham Platner; Jackson is a former state lawmaker and logger who campaigned alongside Platner (More).

The Florida chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police is the latest public safety organization to oppose Amendment 3, the proposed constitutional amendment designed to provide property tax relief to homeowners but which critics allege could radically reduce revenues for local government essential services, including public safety.

“The Florida State Fraternal Order of Police believes Florida taxpayers deserve meaningful property tax relief,” the organization said in a written statement Friday. “We understand the financial pressures facing homeowners, and we support thoughtful, responsible reforms that provide relief while protecting the essential services our communities depend on.

“However, we oppose the current Amendment 3 because it creates far too much uncertainty about how local governments would continue to fund law enforcement, fire rescue, emergency medical services, and other critical public safety functions. Public safety should never become collateral damage with uncertain fiscal consequences.”

If approved, the proposed amendment would increase homestead exemptions for Floridians who own primary residences by the end of this year to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. Further increases would be tied to the Consumer Price Index.  The amendment would cap assessment increases on other property to 5% a year.

Last week, the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association became the first major statewide public safety organization to formally oppose Amendment 3, saying providing tax relief and reliable emergency services “are not mutually exclusive, but both require responsible long-term planning.”

According to state economists, the proposed amendment would reduce local government property tax revenues by an estimated $5 billion in its first year and $11.8 billion per year after five years.

The Florida Democratic Party announced its opposition to the measure earlier this week, while the Republican Party of Florida has yet to take a public stance.

Gov. Ron DeSantis campaigned on providing major property tax reduction for homestead property owners over the past year, but didn’t unveil his own plan until less than a week before he called the Florida Legislature to convene for a special session in June.

After it was approved with some changes to his plan, he has said that, while he will vote yes on the amendment, he is not as enthused about it and will not head any political group championing the measure. That’s a noticeable difference from 2024, when he formed a political committee and actively campaigned against proposed constitutional amendments that would have legalized recreational cannabis and enshrined abortion rights into the Florida Constitution.

Matlow campaign manager Kristellys Estanga, who resigned on Friday amid the controversy, said she acted alone. However, the text messages tell a different story.

“We are Confused”

Thursday afternoon, hours after the “Tallahassee Conservatives” Facebook page had been activated, a social media post revealed the name of the Facebook page had been changed from “Pause the TMH Deal – Vote No on Dec 10” to “Tallahassee Conservatives”.

Following this revelation, Darryl Alfred, a candidate for Tallahassee City Commission Seat 3 texted Matlow campaign manager Estanga with a screen shot documenting the sudden name change of the Facebook page asking about the change.

Alfred texted, “Before I comment, wtf?”

Estanga replied: I have no idea. Idk how she got that supposed screen shot or how Jeremy’s name got on it. We looked everywhere from all angles and couldn’t find what she posted. And how it is linked to me is even more perplexing. Thanks for checking in before u comment. We are as confused as anyone. (Emphasis added)

Interestingly, Estanga’s response used “I” when referring to herself and “we” when referring to the campaign.

Estanga used “we” twice in describing the campaign’s efforts to figure out what was going on as more people on social media were discovering the Facebook page was fake.

These text messages are inconsistent with the Matlow campaign statement that Estanga acted alone. In addition, sources have told TR that the Matlow campaign had been discussing the political operation for weeks leading up to the Facebook page name change.

TR is gathering documents that show the seeds for the political operation began over a year ago, before Estanga was a part of the Matlow team.

Stay tuned for the documents as this investigation continues.

Estanga Text Message

Estanga is also the campaign manager for PJ Perez, a candidate for city commisison seat 3.

TR published a story on Thursday implicating the Matlow campaign in a political operation that used a fake Facebook page to make it look like a Tallahassee conservative group was attacking Talietha Edwards, a black candidate running for city commission seat 3. Matlow is backing PJ Perez for the seat and viewed Edwards as competition.

In a statement by Estanga, provided below, she admitted she was behind the fake Facebook page and said she act alone.

However, sources tell TR the operation was a “team effort” and more people than Estanga were involved.

TR is working on confirming Matlow’s role in the controversy.

Estanga Statement