CLEARWATER — In 1992, Mayme Hodges became the first and last black woman on the Clearwater City council, and only the third black council member. There hasn’t been a fourth. Zebbie Atkinson IV, president of the Clearwater and Upper Pinellas County branch of the NAACP, hopes changing Clearwater’s voting system would help more black people…
DetailsIn a partnership with Florida Power and Light, the city of Palmetto is looking to replace several hundred lights and some other utilities across the city to save money and energy.FPL’s Energy Savings Guarantee program allows FPL and the city to make upgrades to water and electric fixtures and use the money saved on bills…
DetailsLynx is receiving nearly $2 million from federal authorities for more sustainable equipment — funds that will go toward zero-emission Lymmo buses. The central Florida bus operator is receiving $1.961 million, to be exact, according to U.S. Representative Stephanie Murphy, D-Winter Park, who announced the news on Twitter Tuesday. Read the full story
DetailsCRESTVIEW — The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) met for a special brief meeting Monday night to discuss three new signs for the downtown Crestview District. In January 2018, the process for the gateway sign project began with the presentation to the board of the sign concepts. POLY Engineering, a design firm with the city of…
DetailsGov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday $16.2 million in awards for 24 small and rural communities across the state through the Florida Small Cities Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The program, administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), helps communities fund infrastructure improvements and housing rehabilitation. The Florida Small Cities Community Development Block…
DetailsLABELLE — Hendry County commissioners learned recently that due a grant of $600,000 to the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council, owners of possibly environmentally damaged private properties in Hendry, Glades and Collier counties can apply for aid to clean up the hazards. According to a staff report presented to the Hendry board on July 16:…
DetailsDelray Beach is having an identity crisis. It’s transformed into an art and nightlife mecca in the last decade. Now the city is in turmoil over how to sustain the change. It could be the Las Olas Boulevard of Palm Beach County. Or it could drive out what makes it a South Florida hotspot: popular…
DetailsThere have been several recent high-profile ransomware attacks that have cost Florida local governments hundreds of thousands of dollars. And they are becoming more common. To help combat these attacks, the Florida Local Government Information Systems Association (FLGISA) is offering multiple webinars over the next few weeks to discuss ransomware. The in-depth training will include…
DetailsYour downtown experience just got a little brighter. Recently, the City of Tallahassee, along with the Downtown Improvement Authority, LeMoyne Arts, KCCI and the “Girls Can Do Anything” campers from the Oasis Center for Women and Girls, covered up a retaining wall with a colorful art mural. The once bland wall at the downtown Food…
DetailsAileron Investment Management (“Aileron”) announced today that it is opening Phase 1 of its Grand Central Apartments (“Grand Central”), a 280-unit class A apartment community in Fort Myers, FL. Phase 1 consists of 104 resident units, clubhouse and pool, which will open for occupancy within the next 30 days. The complex will be fully complete…
DetailsGainesville’s attorney recommended that commissioners rescind its plastic-bag and Styrofoam ban. Gainesville commissioners rejected their city attorney’s recommendation Thursday to rescind an ordinance that bans businesses from giving out single-use plastic bags and Styrofoam containers. The ban, which has been discussed for nearly a year, will take effect in January 2020. The 5-1 decision on…
DetailsWithin the same week in June 2019, two Florida towns fell victim to ransomware and paid a little over $1 million to hackers to retrieve their data and regain control of their servers. “I would’ve never dreamed this could’ve happened, especially in a small town like this,” said the mayor of Lake City, one of the two…
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