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Lilly Anderson-Messec is the Director of North Florida Programs for the Florida Native Plant Society. While dealing with family tragedy in a dark part of her life, she found light in the wonders of nature.

L.Michelle Salvant is CEO of LMichelleMedia and a ministry leader with Higher Dimension Church Tallahassee. As a digital life coach, she uses media to empower the youth in her community.

Neil Rambana is an immigration lawyer. His mother’s hard work and dedication as a legal secretary served as a driving force in his choice to become a lawyer. Inspired by his upbringing, he sees his role as father as being the most important role he has taken on to date.

Ron Sachs founded Sachs Media, an integrated marketing communications firm. He believes the turmoil of the last year has helped bring perspective to three simple and important aspects of life, family, faith and friends. Sachs feels that we should nurture a more civil tone during these divisive times.

On tonight’s program: Experts say Florida’s current peak in COVID-19 cases could start trending down. But that means more people have GOT to get vaccinated; Florida’s Board of Education votes to uphold Governor DeSantis’s executive order banning school districts from mandating masks; The controversy over whether or not local school districts can mandate masks is now playing out in numerous school board meetings across Florida and the issue is almost certainly bound for the courts; Florida’s State Board of Education has adopted new standards to change how civics, government and history are taught in the state’s public schools. But some say the changes have little to do with what goes on in the classroom; There is still help for people facing eviction in Florida; And the state-sponsored college savings program for Florida parents has received some impressive enhancements.

The days of young offenders being treated as hardened, adult criminals may be over. But there are still too many cases in which teens are tarnished for the rest of their lives as a result of relatively minor offenses. To talk about new approaches and initiatives in the field of juvenile justice are: Tom Olk, co-founder and former CEO of DISC Village; Current DISC Village CEO John Wilson; and Christian Minor, executive director of the Florida Juvenile Justice Association.

As with most everything else, the pandemic took its toll on the construction industry. But even as COVID recedes, supply chain interruptions, rising construction material prices and worker shortages are still afflicting the industry. To talk it over are: Jay Bostwick with Tallahassee's Sperry & Assoc. who chairs the Association of Builders and Contractors of North Florida; and Kim Anderson with Pensacola's Comfort Systems USA, the association's vice-chair.

On tonight’s program: Lawmakers have signed off on a new gambling deal with the Seminole Tribe of Florida. It’s expected to earn the state at least 500-million dollars in annual revenue. But how will lawmakers spend the money?; One of the main legislative players in the new Seminole Compact deal will give his take on the agreement; Florida’s governor and education commissioner grab onto the latest conservative flashpoint: how and what students should be taught about American history and civics; All across Florida, restaurants are experiencing a hiring crunch; A former Florida Chief Financial Officer is raising objections to the state’s new Internet sales tax law; And days ago, Florida’s State House Democrats chose their next two leaders. They’ve already begun thinking about how to regain seats in the House after losing some of them in the last election.

The Unconquered Scholars Program is one of Florida State University’s unique and invaluable programs that really makes a difference. It provides support services to students who have faced profound hardships during childhood that increase their risk of leaving academia without a degree. Members of the Unconquered Scholars program share their experiences with 411 TEEN.

On tonight’s program: Governor Ron DeSantis is going to battle against Big Tech firms over censorship. But those companies are fighting back; The Florida Elections Commission, now tasked with even more work than before, finds itself understaffed; No general revenue money sent to Florida from the federal government was used to help provide utility relief for customers who’ve experienced disconnections. Now some are saying it was the state legislature that dropped the ball; Florida Taxwatch unleashes its 2021 list of budget turkeys; Florida lawmakers have given harness race tracks the okay to stop holding live races, but operate slot machines and card rooms. Thoroughbred tracks still have to race and some say that could hurt standard-bred horse businesses; And researchers who care for manatees are seeing many of the gentle giants suffering from an affliction that’s causing them to literally waste away.