Tom Flanigan

A world-music superstar comes to Tallahassee this week.  Tom Flanigan reports he’ll give three performances in the Capital City….

If you’ve never heard of Ezequiel Torres, that’s probably because you’re not familiar with Afro-Cuban drumming.  Blaine Wade with the Florida Department of State says that Torres became acquainted with that tradition early on in his Cuban homeland.

There’s been a lot of talk about “socialism” during this presidential campaign.  Tom Flanigan reports members of the real Socialist Party were filing papers with Florida’s Division of Elections on Monday, August 27.

Naomi Craine chairs Florida’s Socialist Workers Party.  She’s also her party’s candidate for the U-S Senate.  Republicans have been calling President Barack Obama a “socialist”, so the logical question for Craine was, “is he?”

On Sunday, August 19, Florida State University bid farewell to the man who started its Black Studies Program – and who inspired hundreds of students to spend their lives in pursuit of justice. 

He was a world-renowned academic, minister and activist for racial equality.  But what Bill Jones did best was teach. He was down to earth – cooking for students, loaning them money to keep them in school.  Above all, said Doctor Billy Close, now an FSU professor himself, Jones taught them – regardless of color, gender or orientation – to conquer their doubts.

A new survey shows few people in Leon County willing to get actively involved in local politics.  But some efforts are now underway to turn that situation around.

Brian Desloge has been a Leon County commissioner for the past six years.  His political philosophy favors limits on government.  But even he thinks today’s anti-government feelings are really out of hand.

There are four people in the running for Leon County Commission At-Large Seat One.  Tom Flanigan spoke with all of them Tuesday, July 17 on WFSU-FM's Perspectives.

The guy who’s held that seat for the past four years is Akin Akinyemi.  He called in from the road on the way back to Tallahassee from Pittsburgh.  One of his biggest challenges, he told the Perspectives audience, has been trying to maintain critical county services in the face of a relentlessly shrinking county budget.  Such as the special court that handles mental health and substance abuse cases.

Thanks to Florida State University’s most recent student dance marathon, Big Bend Hospice will be able to help more young people deal with grief.  Tom Flanigan reports the check presentation took place Tuesday morning at the FSU College of Medicine.

“I want to take this opportunity to welcome everyone to the college, said Associate Dean Dr. Alma Littles.

The reason for the occasion was a$20,000 check presentation to Big Bend Hospice.  Jake Poteet was one of the more than 1500 FSU students who raised the money through the school’s last Dance Marathon.

The parade of local candidates to the Leon County Supervisor of Elections Office has begun.  Tom Flanigan followed one Tallahassee City Commission hopeful who was turning in his paperwork Monday.

City Commission Seat One Candidate Daniel Parker delivered a big box of petitions to an elections office clerk, allowing him a place on the ballot.  He also has an endorsement, from former Leon County Commissioner Bob Rackleff.

“And I know him to be an effective student and advocate for strong growth management, environmental protection, intelligent urban design…”

A Wakulla County grade school teacher is one of five statewide finalists for Florida “Teacher of the Year” honors.  Tom Flanigan reports the surprise honor was announced Friday morning at a Tallahassee department store.

For half-a-century, Florida was the center of gravity for America’s manned space program.  Now that program is essentially on hold.  Tom Flanigan reports the push is now on to redirect all the Florida resources once dedicated to the manned space effort to more earthbound uses.

Today, former Florida Lieutenant Governor Frank Brogan is Chancellor of the State University System.  But he vividly recalls something that fired his imagination when he was a little boy.

The man now in charge of what’s believed to be America’s oldest family-run business was in Tallahassee recently.  Tom Flanigan sat down with Warren Schimpf to talk about his “sweet success”.

Warren Schimpf and his wife Jill were already in Florida when they popped into Tallahassee’s Lofty Pursuits soda fountain and candy store in Market Square.

Friday was the second anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.  That also fell two days before Earth Day.  Those events come at the same time the debate over the future of oil is ramping up.  Tom Flanigan talked with people on both sides of the issue and filed this report.

How the U.S. should deal with Iran on that country’s nuclear aspirations is a hot topic right now.  Tom Flanigan reports a true expert on that issue was in Tallahassee this week and wasn’t shy about sharing his thoughts…

Brian Katulis is senior fellow at the progressive-leaning Center for American Progress in Washington D-C.  He says he visits someplace in the Middle East at least once a month.  That gives him a unique perspective on the state of relations between Iran and pretty much the rest of the world.