Like many American towns and cities, Apalachicola, Florida was originally laid out in a grid pattern with several town squares. To a large degree, that design has fallen prey to ravages of time. But now there's a community effort to bring back that concept. We speak with: Diane Brewer, pro bono project manager of Restore Apalachicola's Historic Squares; Camilo Romero, senior at FAMU/FSU College of Engineering and part of the project's design team; Marie Marshall, retired educator, former president of the Historic Apalachicola Foundation and wife of the late Willoughby Marshall who initially envisioned and advocated for the restoration of the squares; John Travis Marshall, associate professor of law at Georgia State University, expert on urban revitalization and son of Marie and Willoughby Marshall; and Robert Volpe, land use attorney and legal adviser to the Foundation.

Dave Bruns has spent a lifetime writing, reporting, researching, editing and striving for accuracy; first as a print journalist, then as a communications executive for state government and finally for AARP Florida. Along the way, he's accumulated a vast store of insights and opinions. Now, as he embarks on a new phase of life, he shares his thoughts on journalism, politics, advocacy and life in general.

Just a few months ago, multiple law enforcement agencies broke a massive human trafficking operation that operated in Tallahassee. More than 170 suspects were arrested in connection with the abuse of a young teen girl. Now, during National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, an expert panel talks about the pervasiveness of the crime and what's being done to address it. On the program are: Robin Hassler Thompson, executive director of the Survive and Thrive Advocacy Center; Former federal prosecutor, now attorney with the Holland & Knight law firm Barbara Martinez; and Leon County Commission Chair Rick Minor.

Communities that vigorously support their hometown businesses and non-profit organizations tend to be more resilient and economically vibrant; even in the face of a pandemic. To talk it over are: Cristina Paredes, director of the Tallahassee/Leon County Office of Economic Vitality; Bill Lickson, executive director of Domi Station; Jeri Madden, proprietor of Jeri's Midtown Cafe; Vaughn Wilson, president of Mega Ace Media; and Barbara Westcott, CEO and founder of Swellcoin and Women Wednesdays.

The small community of Havana, just north of Tallahassee, has had its ups and downs since its founding as an agricultural center in the late 1800s. After the latest economic downturn, a group of merchants and artists is trying to put the town once again on an upward trajectory. To talk about it are the leaders of Havana Main Street: Executive Director Ann Kozeliski; and President Terri Paul.

Even before the pandemic struck, America's employment picture was already undergoing big changes. That process has now accelerated because of COVID-19 and new partnerships are forming to ensure there's a good fit between the new jobs and the people needed to do them. To talk about it are: Henry Mack, chancellor for Career, Technical and Adult Education with the Florida Department of Education; Michelle Dennard, president and CEO of CareerSource Florida; and Kim Moore, vice president for Workforce Innovation at Tallahassee Community College.

From getting a flu shot to keeping up the hand washing/mask wearing/social distancing routine, there are plenty of steps people can take to lower the chances of being infected by the coronavirus. To talk about it are: Director of the Florida Department of Health in Leon County Claudia Blackburn; Dr. Gervin Robertson, division director of Pharmacy Services, Florida A&M University; Dr. Paul Robinson, past president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Florida Chapter; and Cathy Mayfield, whose college-age daughter Lawson died from meningitis.

There's a national campaign underway to make Juneteenth (June 19th) the day commemorating the first public reading of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865, freeing the enslaved peoples who lived in the now-defeated Confederate States of America. But Florida's first public reading of the Proclamation took place almost a month earlier, on May 20th. To make the case for why the Sunshine State should adopt that date as its own Emancipation Day are: Althemese Barnes, director emeritus of the John G. Riley House and Museum; Tallahassee Mayor Pro Tem Dianne Williams-Cox; Dr. Sandra Thompson, founder and CEO of the Legacy Communities of North Florida; Sgt. Major Jarvis Rosier with the Second Infantry Regiment U.S. Colored Troops; Bob Holladay, president of the Tallahassee Historical Society; and Clifton Lewis, curator of the L.B. Brown Museum in Bartow, Florida.

Untold thousands of the Capital City area's occupants lie beneath our feet. Ahead of Halloween, our panel of historians and archeologists "digs the dirt" on our deceased neighbors: Matt Lutz, who documents City of Tallahassee cemeteries; archeologists Lonnie Mann; and Julie Duggins with PaleoWest; and TCC History Professor and Tallahassee Historical Society President Bob Holladay.

Since it first opened in the early 1980s, Leon County's Innovation Park has had moderate success in attracting major tenants, such as the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and Danfoss Turbocor. That goal is still part of its mission, but the Park and its partners have expanded that role to support new homegrown enterprises. To talk about it are: Ron Miller, Innovation Park executive director; Michael Tentnowski, director of entrepreneurship; and Board Chair Kim Moore.