According to Gov. Rick Scott’s newly approved House Bill 7029, parents are now allowed to enroll their children in any public or charter school which isn’t filled to capacity. Taking effect for the 2017-2018 school years, the amendment to section 5, section 1002.31 of the Florida Statute, will open up school options for students statewide. In terms of local outcomes however, drastic changes are not to be expected.
In 1999, the United States Congress designated the month of May as Military Appreciation Month to give communities across the nation the opportunity to show their thanks to the men and women who serve in all branches of the United States military.
Weeks Marine delivered equipment mid-April and the first sand was pumped onshore on April 28. The first full day of operations was April 29 with only one Hopper Dredger. The second hopper dredger arrived for operations by May 2. Weather permitting, the estimated 50 days of sand placement is expected to be completed by mid-June.
In 1908, the Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler first used the word “Autism,” employing it to describe a set of unusual symptoms in his patients. Thirty-five years later in a 1943 medical paper, Leo Kanner, M.D., described and recorded 11 cases of highly intelligent, socially withdrawn children. In the course of Kanner’s work, Donald Triplett, a brilliant 10-year-old boy from Forest, Miss., was recorded as “Case 1”- the first-ever diagnosis of autism. While these moments in history mark an early stage in knowledge about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), our understanding of the disorder has grown tremendously over the years. More so than ever before, there are numerous groups, organizations and programs to aid families and help those with ASD. Even with many resources available however, there are still too many who suffer silently. To bring awareness to this social issue, April has been designated as Autism Awareness Month.
Fun Fest is this Saturday! When I was the chairman of the board of the Navarre Chamber, we went from a Friday night, all-day Saturday, half-a-day Sunday event to just a Friday evening – Saturday event. This year…they are eliminating Friday night and holding the event only on Saturday. The changes sound good to me and it promises to be a very fun event. In fact, I may just enjoy every moment of it because all-day Saturday sounds very manageable.
The cities of Gulf Breeze and Milton are in discussions to mirror Santa Rosa County’s proposed agreement to send residents’ recyclables to the new Emerald Coast Utilities Authority facility in Escambia County when it opens this summer.
For a building in which evidence is supposed to carry the day, the proposed new Santa Rosa County courthouse in Milton appears in need of a strong closing argument.
The clock is ticking on Santa Rosa County commissioners to make their case to voters for a 1-cent local option sales tax that would help pay for a new courthouse in Milton.
Residents in the Holley-Navarre area have received a letter that appears to be from the water company, but a closer look at the fine print says otherwise. The letter tells residents that the water line buried underground on their property is the homeowner’s responsibility and the cost of repairs falls on their shoulders. The company sending the letter, HomeServe USA Corp., is selling a service plan or insurance to cover the cost of any future repairs.
Camille Abbamonte is a self-professed animal lover and advocate. A couple of weeks ago she accidently stumbled across a beach dog park in Pensacola, so she stopped to take a look. “I was in awe of how well it went, there must have been 40-50 dogs there. Everyone was acting responsibly, the dogs were socializing, it was great.” She liked it so much that she returned with her three rescues. “Within 10 minutes, all three dogs were engaged and I made a new friend. I met some wonderful people and my dogs were having a great time,” Abbamonte said.
