Latest news with #ManateeCountyCommission
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida rethinks use of cameras to enforce school speed zones
The big story: In an attempt to deter speeding in school zones, municipalities across Florida over the past year have set up cameras to record violations and established fines for wrongdoers. The effort has yielded thousands of citations in several areas. It also has generated a growing number of complaints by drivers who contend they were wrongly accused. Similar issues have arisen with the use of cameras to catch drivers illegally passing school buses. The problems have led some officials to reconsider their participation in the programs, which lawmakers approved just over a year ago. The Manatee County Commission on Tuesday decided to walk away from its school zone cameras in the face of rising opposition. 'We have the data,' At-Large Commissioner Jason Bearden said in a county news release. 'Now, let's take that data and give it to the Sheriff's Department.' Read more from the Herald-Tribune. College sports: Florida State University and Clemson University ended their legal battles with the Atlantic Coast Conference after securing a new financial deal with the group. Homework: Pasco County teachers will be allowed to grade student homework again, starting in the fall. Legislation: A House subcommittee advanced legislation along party lines that would make it easier to convert district schools to charter status, Florida Politics reports. • A Pasco County mom urged a state House subcommittee to consider expanding laws on hazardous walking conditions to include middle and high schools, WFTS reports. Naming rights: The Martin County school board is nearing approval of a plan that would allow companies to pay to have their names on high school stadiums, TC Palm reports. Pay raises: The Broward County school board approved 3% raises for teachers, principals and educational support employees, WSVN reports. School health: A Miami-Dade County high school student was reported to have Florida's first measles case this year. The school will offer free vaccinations with parental consent. Student-teacher relationships: The Duval County school board delayed action on a proposal to tighten requirements for employee communications with students, WJXT reports. Transportation: The Lee County school district is increasing its incentives to attract bus drivers as it faces a 65-driver shortage, WBBH reports. Weather report: Leon County schools are delaying their start by one hour today because of expected severe weather, WTXL reports. Websites: Florida State University has begun scrubbing its websites of terms such as 'diverse' and 'women' in response to state and federal orders to eliminate programs and practices related to diversity, equity and inclusion, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. From the police blotter ... A Leon County high school student was arrested on allegations of making a threat of violence against the school. She said she didn't want to be at school, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. Today in Tallahassee ... The House Careers and Workforce Subcommittee will hear a presentation on the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act when it meets at 10:15 a.m. • The Senate Higher Education Appropriations Committee will review state university system funding when it meets at 11 a.m. Don't miss a story. Here's a link to yesterday's roundup. Before you go ... Pay attention, Harry Potter fans.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Manatee County family hoping to save Cortez Village bait shop from demolition after hurricane damage
The Brief The hurricanes have put the future of Manatee County's bait and tackle shop, which has been in the community for decades, in jeopardy. Manatee County has taken control of the property. Many, including the owner of the business and his family, are organizing a group to keep the business in the community in the future. CORTEZ, Fla. - A Manatee County family hopes to save a long-standing Cortez Village bait shop from demolition after it received extensive damage from the hurricanes. Annie's Bait & Tackle has been a community staple since 1957. Bruce Shearer has owned it since 1996. What they're saying "This is how I ran the place, 'it doesn't matter if you've got $5 or $50 million, if you can afford that beer, you're equal. That's it," Shearer said. His daughter Anna Gaffey said it was beloved. "We were a full-service bait and tackle shop, frozen and live every day. We had a full kitchen, bar, and fuel station. We had a lot of dockside parking [and] patio seating," Gaffey said. Many knew Annie's as a slice of Olde Florida on the Anna Maria sound. "We had signs everywhere. We had Christmas lights as our lighting. There was no AC. It was strictly fans and the sea breeze," Gaffey said. The backstory Last Fall, as Manatee County was in the process of acquiring the property and its docks, Hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated the area. "The first storm, we had a piece of dock come through, and it took out some siding. We had some flooding, about 30 inches of water come in," Gaffey said. "Then Milton came through with all of that strong wind because we lost all of that base [and] the windows blew out." Manatee County has since successfully acquired the property. But Shearer's and Gaffey's fate is in limbo. "We've offered to repair the building ourselves and give it the love that it needs to get it back up and running," Gaffey said. "We don't want to do anything until we can get a lease. We don't want to put the money into it for them to say, 'Okay, you can leave now.'" What's next Gaffey is working to gather a group to attend Tuesday morning's Manatee County Commission meeting to voice their concerns during public comment. "I just want to tell them how much Annie's means to the people and the community here in Manatee County," Gaffey said. "It's been a staple for so many years, and a lot of people rely on us for a lot of different things." The other side FOX 13 reached out to each Manatee County commissioner for a comment. District 3 Commissioner Tal Siddique shared this statement: "At a previous county commission meeting I mentioned the need to keep Annie's in its current form on the county property even though the prior owner had terminated all leases. Since then, I was informed that we cannot save the building in its current form due to the extent of the damages. FEMA regulations require the building be up to code in a floodplain, which the current structure will not be. It hurts to say that, since my family have been going to Annie's for decades. I am committed to incorporating a bait and tackle shop into the new design and public workshops to identify what the community wants to see. I expect to see a new ferry stop to address traffic along the Cortez corridor from developments including SeaFlower and Aqua by the Bay." For more information about Annie's Bait & Tackle, click here. The Source FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis collected the information in this story. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
USA Today
27-01-2025
- Health
- USA Today
Manatee County Commission to discuss proposal to stop adding fluoride to drinking water
Manatee County Commission to discuss proposal to stop adding fluoride to drinking water Manatee County commissioners will discuss rising concerns about potential health risks associated with fluoride in drinking water on Tuesday, and could soon heed guidance from Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo that calls for an end to the longstanding practice of adding fluoride to drinking water. Commissioner Amanda Ballard is scheduled to introduce a proposal to do away with the county's fluoridation process during a public Manatee County commission meeting on Tuesday in response to Ladapo's guidance, according to the meeting agenda. The meeting will be held starting at 9 a.m. in the Manatee County administration building at 1112 Manatee Avenue West, Bradenton. It can also be viewed live on Several communities in Florida have followed Ladapo's guidance, with Winter Haven, Naples, Stuart, Tavares and Port St. Lucie in deciding to no longer add fluoride in their water. Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral found in groundwater, fresh and salt water, rainwater, soil, plants and foods, but it has historically also been artificially added to drinking water as a way to help prevent tooth decay. The federal Centers for Disease Control calls the practice of adding fluoride to tap water systems one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the last century, according to a report by USA Today. Major medical groups, such as the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, have also endorsed water fluoridation at recommended levels as a way to boost oral health. Fluoride is added to the water systems of more than two thirds of Americans, the USA Today article reported, and is in dental products from toothpaste to mouth wash, the article noted, adding that it has also been the subject of long-running conspiracy theories. In September, a federal court in California ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to strengthen regulations for fluoride use in drinking water as result of a lawsuit by the Food & Water Watch, Inc. advocacy group. Two months later, Ladapo issued guidance to local municipalities that recommends against the practice. From the archive: GOING GREEN What's healthy about 'raw' water? Mostly the sales volume More in Manatee: 'They've pardoned worse people': Manatee County man reacts to his Jan. 6 Capitol Riot pardon The department's guidance cited a 2017 study found that prenatal fluoride exposure was associated with lower IQ, a 2019 study found an association with fluoridated water and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a 2023 study found maternal exposure to fluoridated water throughout pregnancy was associated with decreased child cognitive flexibility, and a 2024 study found higher prenatal exposure was associated with increased child neurobehavioral problems in Los Angeles, Ca., and other scientific studies. "Due to the neuropsychiatric risk associated with fluoride exposure, particularly in pregnant women and children, and the wide availability of alternative sources of fluoride for dental health, the State Surgeon General recommends against community water fluoridation," the department wrote in the news release. Based on self-reported data from 2023, the state estimates that more than 70% of Floridians on community water systems receive fluoridated water, according to the health department. In other news: Barricades advertise future New College baseball facility near Sarasota Bradenton airport President Donald Trump's nominee to head the nation's top health agency, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has stoked controversy on the issue, saying after Trump was elected last fall that he could try to take it out of water supplies nationwide. In an interview the day after Trump's victory, Kennedy told MSNBC "fluoride will disappear." Kennedy said he would "advise" water districts of their "legal obligation" to constituents, the USA Today article said.
