Lynn Hatter

Democratic Florida lawmakers say a Florida Supreme Court order suspending evictions doesn’t go far enough. 

Students in Florida’s public schools won’t be in classrooms anytime soon. The Florida Department of Education has ordered schools be closed until at least April 30th.

Florida’s panhandle beaches are shutting down. Tourist-heavy Okaloosa, Walton and Bay County Beaches are closed. Now, Franklin and Wakulla are too.

Big Bend School Districts have issued their food distribution sites and times for March 23-30th. Below is a list of locations for Leon, Franklin, Gadsden, Wakulla, Jefferson, Bay, Calhoun, Gulf and Liberty Counties. This list will be updated as more information becomes available. 

Governor Ron DeSantis is urging calm as people grow increasingly anxious about their health and economic future amid coronavirus fears. It’s been weeks of upheaval and the governor says he’s worried about the effect the responses to the coronavirus will have on mental health.

Florida's Second Judicial Circuit, which covers Leon, Gadsden, Liberty, Franklin, Wakulla and Liberty Counties in the panhandle, has ordered a stop to evictions and other civil actions as the state's economy slows to a trickle amid business shutdowns and rising unemployment. Several Florida counties are taking similar actions. 

Florida voters could be asked to open the state’s primaries to everyone, regardless of party affiliation. The Florida Supreme Court has approved the “All Voters Vote” amendment for the November ballot, over the united objection of the Republican and Democratic parties. 

Some Florida counties are stopping evictions from being carried out as service workers face job uncertainty in the wake of COVID-19 related business closures. In Leon County, Clerk of Court Gwen Marshall and Sheriff Walt McNeil are waiting on guidance from the Chief Judge of the Second Judicial Circuit.

School officials across the state are preparing for a worst-case scenario. Schools remaining closed through April 15. Schools were slated to return March 30, but the Florida Department of Education says to expect a longer Spring Break. 

Governor Ron DeSantis is signing an executive order today closing all bars and nightclubs for the next 30 days. He also suggests beach groups of no more than 10 people.

Former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum says he’s entering rehab days after Miami Beach police were called to a hotel room where a man overdosed on what appeared to be crystal meth and Gillum was present.

The Florida Department of Agriculture has announced more than 900 sites in the state that will be serving meals as schools shut down until March 30.  The initial list covers 30 of Florida's 67 counties, including Franklin, Gadsden and Leon in the Panhandle.

Second Harvest of the Big Bend is asking for donations as coronavirus worries fuel closures of places that  often serve meals to students, families and the elderly.   The organization services 11 counties in North Florida that have the highest level of food insecurity in the state. It comes as school districts, state and local agencies begin to form plans on how to keep food flowing to the people most at-risk for going hungry in the next few weeks.

Springtime Tallahassee, upcoming commission meetings and the Word of South Festival are canceled. The City and County announced the moves today as worries about the coronavirus increase. The County has canceled events like Leon Works that were expected to bring in hundreds of people. Leon County schools will remain open after the Spring Break holiday.

Florida will keep its 12 public universities—for now. Plans to merge Florida Polytechnic and New College of Florida into the University of Florida died Friday due to a lack of support in from the Senate.