Tallahassee Reports, May 4, 2024

Tallahassee

City staff informed elected officials that the construction cost for the new TPD headquarters could reach $135 million.

Page 1

Mayor John Dailey responded to Commissioner Matlow's continued attacks of TPD on social media.

Page 1

Tallahassee crime incidents are down through the first four months of 2024, however fatal shootings are up.

Page 6

The Leon County Commission voted to approve 8 weeks of paid family leave for county employees that birth or adopt a child.

Page 5

The March jobs report shows that the Leon County unemployment rate increased to 3.7%.

Page 9

Former Florida Gov. and U.S. Senator remembered as a "Great Statesman."

Page 7

Passenger traffic at the TIA was up 11.5% in March, as annualized traffic approaches 900,000.

Page 9

LCS documents reveal new details related to the dismissal of Lincoln High School coaches.

Page 12

LCS Board Member Alva Smith Discusses Closing Schools

By Tristyn Leigh

On April 22, 2024, Leon County School (LCS) Board Member Alva Smith stated one of her budget priorities is to look at the financial impact of downsizing the school district due to declining enrollment.

Smith explained it was a vital conversation about downsizing stating, “We are not being fiscally responsible and good stewards of tax payers’ dollars if we do not discuss downsizing in this district.” She continued, “If we do not discuss closing a school, we are not being good stewards.”

By Steve Stewart

The Tallahassee City Commission recently received an update related to the construction of the new Tallahassee Police Department headquarters that will be located at the Northwood site near the

North Monroe and Tharpe Street intersection.

Based on the 60% completed design documents for the construction project, staff reports that the anticipated cost for the 137,000 squarefoot facility is $135 million.

The estimated cost of

the TPD headquarters has increased from a $60 million estimate in 2020 to the current $135 million cost.

City Manager Reese Goad has attributed the rising cost to inflation and an expensive post-COVID construction market.

Moody Jumps into FSU-ACC Dispute

By Dara Kam The News Service of Florida

TALLAHASSEE — Attorney

General Ashley Moody signaled her support for Florida State University’s appeal of a North Carolina judge’s decision to allow a lawsuit filed against the school by the Atlantic Coast Conference to proceed — and is asking her counterparts in six states to join her efforts.

Florida State and the ACC are involved in a big-money legal battle centered on media rights, with court fights in North Carolina and Tallahassee as the school considers leaving the conference. With major conference realignments in the works, challenges are being closely watched by college athletics throughout the country.

FSU filed its lawsuit Dec. 22 in Leon County challenging what it alleges as an excess of $500 million in penalties if it wants to extricate itself from the conference. But the day before the Leon County case was filed, the conference filed a lawsuit in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina against FSU about many of the same issues.

Clemson University filed a lawsuit similar to Florida State’s in South Carolina last month.

Moody last week sent a letter to attorneys general in California, South Carolina, Kentucky, Georgia, Penn-

sylvania and Virginia — home to other ACC schools — outlining a ruling by Louis Bledsoe, chief business court judge in Mecklenburg County, that denied Florida State’s motion to stay the lawsuit filed by the ACC.

Bledsoe’s April 4 ruling in part found that Florida State “waived” its sovereign immunity from the ACC’s lawsuit because the school for decades participated in the conference’s activities, which are “commercial, rather than governmental, in nature.” Florida State said it intends to appeal the ruling.

Moody blasted Bledsoe’s ruling and indicated the state also may get involved in the appeal.

“The North Carolina court, which has ruled it has the power to throw out the window 50 years of precedent guaranteeing sovereign immunity to states, is extraordinarily concerning and should be to every state that has a school in the ACC. We continue to evaluate whether and the extent of action we will take in the North Carolina case, as well as the ACC’s refusal to provide the media contracts that are public records it is wrongfully withholding,” Moody said in a statement provided to The News Service of Florida on Tuesday.

Moody’s letter to her counterparts noted that only Florida State and Clemson are challenging the hefty exit fees and long-term grant of rights agreements with the conference. Oth-

Commissioner Jeremy Matlow said he would like to see options for the project at different price points.

“When we start seeing things like ‘state of the art’ and ‘top of the line,’ to me that’s just dollars and dollars stacking up,” Matlow said. “And a

By Tristyn Leigh

At the conclusion of the April 24th Tallahassee City Commission meeting, Mayor John Dailey took an opportunity to respond to City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow’s continued attacks on the Tallahassee Police Department related to a recent DUI case.

At the meeting, Dailey stated, “I’m getting tired of this Board criticizing police action after it goes to a jury of our peers. Commissioner Matlow I think it’s unacceptable. Look, we don’t have any control over the judiciary whatsoever. That is a completely separate body of government.”

However, Dailey was quickly interrupted by Matlow who said, “That is out of order Mr. Mayor, that is a personal attack on the dais.”

Dailey responded, “I am addressing what you have been putting out on social media attacking day-in and day-out this institu -

Tallahassee People: Apalachee Center CEO, Dr. Jay Reeve

By Lakin Knop

The Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce

Dr. Jay Reeve was raised by a single mother among relatives who lived and struggled with serious mental illness.

“In the 1960s and early 1970s, these illnesses were seen as shameful and didn’t get talked about,” Reeve, the CEO of Apalachee Center said.

Fast forward to 2023, behavioral health care is having a moment. Fueled by studies indicating record levels of anxiety and depression among children and young adults in the aftermath of COVID-19-related school shutdowns and social distancing, discussions about and

industry – it’s his life’s work.

Reeve had his first professional exposure to working in mental health in 1985. At the time, he was a Harvard graduate student studying theology and applied to an entry-level job as a mental health assistant (MHA) at a local psychiatric hospital to pay the bills.

“I was so captured by the stories that people told, and the intensity of their desire to communicate – it seemed like the perfect fit for me,” Reeve recalls. ”It wasn’t until years later that I realized it was such a good fit for me because of my family background.”

Reeve switched his graduate degree focus to psychology and eventually earned a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. He practiced as a clinical psy

grams in clinical psychology in New York, Delaware and Rhode Island before moving to Tallahassee to work at Apalachee Center in 2005.

“I thought I’d spend about six months at Apalachee Center and then transition into private practice, but I ended up falling in love with the organization, the business and organizational side of behavioral health care, and with Tallahassee. It was a huge surprise.”

In 2008, he took over as CEO. Since that time, Apalachee Center has grown substantially, doubling not only its number of staff but more significantly, its number of clients. Apalachee has also pioneered the local use of telepsychiatry, launched scores of new programs, and

Memorial HealthCare (TMH) and Florida State University which have culminated in the soon-to-open Live Oak Behavioral Health Center. The outpatient clinic, which will serve clients from both Apalachee Center and TMH, will be the largest outpatient behavioral health practice in the region and home to the Florida State University College of Medicine’s Psychiatry Residency Program.

The center’s opening signals another chapter in Apalachee Center’s continued growth. Apalachee Center has been around since 1948 and serves not only Leon County

for the community, Reeve believes that the newfound

By Jessa Stewart

Local Restaurants Expand to North Tallahassee

Growler Country Headed

to

Bradfordville Area

Local restaurant and brew pub, Growler Country, is expanding its reaches to the Northeast side of Tallahassee.

Its current location houses 44 different craft brews and a diverse menu ranging from Cuban sandwiches and intricate mac and cheese bowls to original Growler burgers.

The new location has plans to open around November of this year and will be located off of Deer Lake South, just a quick drive for families in neighborhoods such as Killearn Lakes and Golden Eagle.

Owner Mario Fernandez has said “This location will have everything the original Growler Country offers.—It will have a few more things in terms of entertainment, in terms of food.”

Mario Fernandez was born in Manhattan and graduated from Florida State University. He opened the original location of Growler Country on Capital Circle in 2014. Having parents who fled Cuba, he set out to create a restaurant and brew pub that serves an authentic Cuban sandwich. Along with this he’s created a menu that has something for everyone and carries a wide variety of local and national craft brews.

The new location in the Northeast

will create about 30 positions to add to the Growler Country family. It will also include the addition of new in store ovens which Fernandez has stated will make it easier to produce fresh authentic Cuban bread.

Growler Country’s Northeast location will be on the top floor of a two story building sharing space with an Italian pizzeria, another local family friendly establishment.

Canopy Road Cafe Expands

North

What does it take to create the perfect breakfast spot—one that not only provides a good meal but also gives you that warm, at home feeling?

For cafe owners Brad Buckenheimer and David Rainy, the answer lies in every detail of Canopy Road Café, a place where every dish is served with smiling service and every customer becomes a part of the CRC family.

Buckenheimer and Rainy are both graduates of Florida State University. They chose to name their restaurant after the canopy of trees that shade many roads in Tallahassee, opening their first location in 2007.

Their operations have expanded beyond Tallahassee. There are a total of 12 Canopy Road Cafes across Florida, in locations such as Tampa, Jacksonville, and the 30A beach area.

The most recent addition is located on the North side of Tallahassee, just

Southside Transit Center Nears Construction

The City of Tallahassee's StarMetro bus system will soon roll into a new age of service as the Southside Transit Center (STC) nears construction on the corner of Orange Avenue and Meridian Street.

With an investment of $20 million, construction of the Southside Transit Center is viewed as an economic driver for the area.

Economic impact studies by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) have shown a public investment in transit can yield a 4-to-1 economic return. The STC project supports initiatives within the City's five-year strategic plan, as well as the adopted Southside Action Plan, which was designed around goals identified by residents.

The City's focus on infrastructure and economic development enhancements within the Southside have already resulted in an investment of more than $471 million of public funding between Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17) and FY22.

Since then, the City secured an unprecedented $36 million in competitive grant funding to transition StarMetro to an all-electric fleet and construct the STC.

This concentration of public investment is already attracting private investment, including residential housing projects like the Magnolia Oaks development in South City.

The STC will be transformative for the Southside, which accounts for more than one-third of StarMetro's

total ridership. With the highest concentration of current riders living nearby, this state-of-the-art facility will make it easier for thousands of Tallahassee neighbors to access economic, educational and leisure opportunities, as well as essential services.

Community engagement has been a priority for the City throughout the development process. StarMetro has facilitated and/or participated in more than 50 community events and engaged more than 2,000 individuals. These outreach efforts provided direct community feedback and ensured transit riders were engaged throughout the process.

The STC will be a multi-bay, two-story facility with eight covered bays with electric charging stations for fixed route buses; a designated pull-off for paratransit vehicles, DialA-Ride rideshare clients and neighborhood circulators; ticketing areas; administrative offices; community meeting space; and more. The STC will be the first public transit center built in Tallahassee since C.K. Steele Plaza in the 1980s.

Construction of the new transportation hub is on track to be completed in 2025.

StarMetro currently provides nearly 2.5 million trips per year to locations throughout Tallahassee.

off of Thomasville road.

Despite their growth, Canopy Road Café still maintains connections with the community by supporting local businesses such as Legacy Greens for their locally grown greens. In addition, Canopy Road Cafe supports local foundations throughout the area. Recently they were a part of TCC Foundation’s Cleaver and Cork Festival.

Canopy Road Café offers dine-in service, catering, delivery, and online ordering for pickup orders, helping with that morning rush.

Buckenheimer and Rainy set out to create a successful spot for breakfast

and brunch enjoyers in the area. They have done just that earning “Best Breakfast & Brunch” by Tallahassee Magazine, and ranked “Top Breakfast Spot” by TripAdvisor. Canopy Road Café has received at least 4 out of 5 stars on every rating for every location via google reviews. Not only do these reviews rave about the food, a vast majority of them compliment commitment to exemplary service from the workers. Several servers at each location are commended by name for the friendly environment they created for the guests.

More Tesla Charging Stations in Market District

It took almost 9 years, but more Tesla charging stations are coming to the Market District.

The installation of 12 charging stations at the K-Store located at the corner of the Timberlane and Thomsaville Road intersection appears to be complete.

TR reported back in September 2015 about six Tesla chargers that were installed in the Village Square Shopping Center.

At the time, it was reported that Florida was home to 12 Tesla Supercharger stations. Now Florida has more than 100 Tesla Supercharger

stations. California has the most Tesla Supercharger stations (448) and the most Tesla Supercharger ports (6,913). That’s no surprise given that the Golden State has 903,620 EV registrations, which is the highest by far. Florida has the second-most EV registrations, with 167,990, according to the Department of Energy. Florida has the second-most Tesla Supercharger stations (158) and the third-most Tesla Supercharger ports (1,635).

City Holds Ground Breaking Ceremony for Senior Center

On May 1, the City of Tallahassee officials held a ground breaking ceremony to celebrate the commencement of construction for the city’s second senior center. The facility is slated to offer expanded programs for the rapidly growing population of active seniors, aged 50 and older.

“Breaking ground on our second senior center marks a significant milestone that we’ve all been eagerly looking forward to and is a testament to the City’s commitment to construction projects that enhance the wellbeing of our community,” Mayor John Dailey said. “This new facility will provide much needed space for activities and programming and supports a vibrant community where seniors can thrive, enriching the quality of life for all residents in Tallahassee.”

Since 1978, Tallahassee Senior Services has operated primarily from the historic armory building on North Monroe Street. The popular venue is nearing capacity as Senior Services staff and volunteers coordinate nearly 200 activities a month and host programs that serve approximately 500 people a day.

This new facility will be built on six acres of land in the Canopy Development. The 40,000-square-foot building will house a double-size multipurpose gym with six indoor pickleball courts and two basketball and volleyball courts. The space will also accommodate table tennis and fitness classes. The Lifelong Learning wing will offer educational classes, art programs, cards and other games, and health and wellness opportunities. Senior Services participants provided feedback that was incorporated into the design of the facility.

“As we celebrate the start of construction on Tallahassee’s second senior center, we appreciate the profound impact that investing in projects like this has on our community’s quality of life,” City Manager Reese Goad said. “One of numerous projects that will come online over the next two years, this facility will enrich the lives of our residents by fostering a more connected and resilient Tallahassee for generations to come.”

Godfrey Smith

TOM BARRON

has been named recipient of the prestigious Godfrey Smith Award, the highest honor a Capital City Associate can receive.

Tom embodies excellence in every facet of his work, and his contributions to the Company over five decades of service have been instrumental in shaping its success and prosperity. Equally profound is the impact Tom has had on the community at large through tireless activism and faithful manifestation of the Capital City commitment to giving back.

As Tom prepares to celebrate 50 years with Capital City Bank, this award stands as a testament to the unparalleled dedication, exceptional leadership and distinguished legacy that exemplify and honor the spirit of the Godfrey Smith Award.

Florida Attorney General Moody Praises City Commission for Increased Police Budget

By Tristyn Leigh

During a recent luncheon hosted by the Network of Entrepreneurs and Business Advocates, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody commended the City Commission for voting to increase the Tallahassee’s Police Department (TPD) budget.

Last year, the City Commission voted to increase property taxes 8.5% to pay fund increased law enforcement funding. The budget passed with a 3-2 vote (with City Commissioners Jeremy

Matlow and Jack Porter voting in dissent).

Moody commented that the increased budget was vital, stating, “A council’s engagement with and support for their law enforcement men and women and making sure that they have the resources they need to do the job is probably one of the most vital things to a successful city.”

Moody has made her stance on law enforcement well known. On her website, www. myfloridalegal.com, Moody highlights her “Back the Blue” program where people can

nominate a law enforcement officer for recognition. Moody notes, “The Back the Blue Award is just one way our office will promote the great work of the men and women who wear the badge and the outstanding Floridians who support them.”

However, City Commissioners Jeremy Matlow and Jack Porter disagree. In response to Moody’s comments, Matlow stated, “People in Tallahassee are tired of the neverending tax increases and want to see cannabis decriminalized and women’s healthcare

UPDATE: TPD Headquarters to Cost $135

new building is not going to make our community more safe.”

However, City Manager Reese Goad said there are not a lot of good options to scale it back.

The need for a new TPD headquarters was formally recognized back in 2016, during completion of a Facilities Condition Assessment which

remediation of subsurface dry-cleaner contamination, completed master planning of the 29.5-acre site, and evaluated the feasibility of a potential performing arts center. In addition, major site work has been completed, including roads, curbs, gutters, and the installation of underground utilities. For the TPD headquarters, 60% de-

“When we start seeing things like ‘state of the art’ and ‘top of the line,’ to me that’s just dollars and dollars stacking up,” Matlow said. “And a new building is not going to make our community more safe.”

determined that the current TPD headquarters Seventh Avenue facility needed critical and non-critical repairs and was significantly undersized for the extent of its current and projected operations.

The City Commission, on January 29, 2020, unanimously selected the Northwood Centre as the location for the new TPD headquarters and provided input regarding future development of the entire Northwood site. Since that time staff has worked with Northwood tenants regarding lease termination and moveout, completed demolition of the former 500,000 square foot mall complex, completed

sign documents have been completed, deep building foundation work has been initiated, and construction of a new state-mandated stormwater pond is underway. The construction documents will be finalized in May 2024 with project bidding to immediately follow, and substantial completion is expected in 2026.

Cost Comparison

TR found three other police department construction projects in Florida – see details below – with projected completion dates in 2025 or 2026 that had cost estimates ranging from $730

Tallahassee City Commission Meeting Briefs: April 24, 2024

By Steve Stewart

Below are the Tallahassee City Commission news briefs from the April 24th, 2024 meeting.

The Commission voted to adopt resolution 24-R-15 authorizing application, acceptance and expenditure of the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) joint 5339(c) Low or No Emission Grant Program, and/ or the 5339(b) Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Competitive program funding in the amount up to $10,702,275, if awarded, for a total of $12,016,811.

The Commission unanimously adopted four proposed charter amendments by ordinance.

The Commission voted 3-2 (with Commissioners Jeremy Matlow and Jack Porter in dissent) to introduce an ordinance and adopt a proposed charter amendment concerning Commissioner compensation which would double their salary to $90,000.

The Commission unanimously introduced an ordinance that provides that the Tallahassee Independent Ethics Board has jurisdiction over members of the City Commission when they serve on outside governmental agencies.

The Commission unanimously approved an ordinance that provides that if only two candidates qualify for a particular seat on the City Commission, the names of the two candidates for that seat will not appear on the primary ballot, and the race for that seat will be decided at the general election.

The Commission unanimously approved to introduce an ordinance that provides that the City Commission shall convene a charter review in June 2033 and conduct a charter review every ten years after.

The Commission voted 4-1 (Dailey in dissent) to establish the Office of the Inspector General and Inspector General.

The Commission unanimously

accepted a report to increase the cost for the new Tallahassee’s Police Department (TPD) Head Quarters (HQ) construction project to $135 million. The price of the TPD HQ has increased overtime, and in 2018, the estimated price of the HQ was $46 million. Additionally, Commissioner Jack Porter made a motion that the construction site be kept under public ownership. However, the motion failed 2-3, with Commissioners John Dailey, Dianne Williams-Cox and Curtis Richardson voting against the motion.

The Commission unanimously approved $175,000 from the City’s Community Development Block Grant funding for the Tallahassee Housing Authority (THA) to prepare a master plan for the redevelopment of Springfield Apartments. THA has decided to rebuild the apartments that were built in 1972 and revitalize the development which fulfills their mission to improve the quality of life for its residents.

The Commission voted to appoint William McCloud to the Sinking Fund Commission, Seat 3.

The Commission voted to appoint reappoint George Johnson Jr. to Seat 1 and Tracey Cohen to Seat 3, on the MWSBE CAC.

The Commission voted to appoint Christic Henry to Seat 3 and Shauna Powell to Seat 6 on the Tallahassee Housing Authority Board of Commissioners.

During the sharing of ideas part of the meeting, Mayor John Dailey commented on the politicization of remarks by unagendaed speakers. Dailey also noted his concern over Commissioner Matlow’s continued attacks of TPD on social media related to the recent DUI case. Matlow interrupted Dailey during his comments.

Commission Jack Porter criticized City Manager Reese Goad for not timely responding to her request for information via email.

protected.” He continued, “Big government Republicans and the candidates they support in local elections are way out of step with our community.”

Additionally, Porter told the Tallahassee Democrat she is “proud to oppose the 2023 property tax increase that raised housing costs for Tallasseeans.”

Both Matlow & Porter have consistently been critical of local law enforcement.

to $1,220 per square-foot.

Tallahassee

The TPD project calls for a 137,000 square-foot building with a projected cost of $135 million and an estimated 2026 completion date. The estimated cost is $985 per square-foot.

The population of Tallahassee is approximately 200,000 and the police department employees 550 people, which includes approximately 400 sworn officers.

Fort Lauderdale

The City of Fort Lauderdale has approved plans for a new 191,000 square-foot police building which is projected to cost $140 million and is expected to open in the summer of 2025. The estimated cost per squarefoot is $730.

The current population of Fort Lauderdale is approximately 185,000 and the police department employees 750 people, which includes 480 sworn officers.

North Port

In March, 2024, elected officials with

the City of North Port voted to move forward with a $122 million proposal for a new, 100,000, square-foot, police station. The estimated cost per squarefoot is $1,220.

The current population of North Port is approximately 85,000 and the police department employees 180 people, which includes 131 sworn officers.

Hollywood

The City of Hollywood is moving forward with the construction of a new 100,000 square-foot police station at a cost of approximately $84 million. The project is expected to be completed sometime in 2026. The estimated cost per square-foot is $840.

The current population of Hollywood is 152,000 and the police department employees 480 people, which includes 355 sworn officers.

Leon County Commission Budget Workshop Meeting Briefs: April 23, 2024

By Tristyn Leigh

Below are the Leon County Commission news briefs from the April 23rd, 2024 budget workshop.

The Leon County Commission (LCC) voted unanimously to accept a report on the preliminary budget overview which included performance raises for all employees averaging 3%. The FY2025 estimates indicate a revenue increase of approximately $15 million. This estimate is based on a 6.5% increase in property values which, under the current millage rate, would result in an additional $11.84 million in property tax revenues.

Approximately $9.8 million of the new revenue would be allocated to law enforcement. The estimated growth in the Sheriff’s budget is currently higher (9.52%) than the projected property tax growth rate. This increase is largely associated with the costs to increase the base pay for sworn officers to $60,000 and the final implementation of the officer step plan.

The LCC voted unanimously to approve increases for both dental and mental health reimbursement rates for the County’s health care program. The vote increases the dental reimbursement rate from $125 to $175 to include diagnostic and ancillary costs such as laboratory and X-ray services; and increases the mental health reimbursement rate from $80 to $210 for mental health professionals (e.g., psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, etc.) to align with Medicaid rates.

The LCC accepted a status report on the County’s goal to convert 30% of its light-duty fleet to fully electric vehicles by 2030 and the ongoing investments of charging infrastructure at County facilities. The agenda item noted that the aspiration of achieving an even higher percentage such as 50% or 75% in the next five years would require the County to replace existing vehicles that still have useful life and require additional funding for the extra vehicles and charging infrastructure.

The LCC voted unanimously to revise the County’s parental leave policy to provide eight weeks of paid leave at 100% of the employee’s rate of pay following the

birth or adoption of a child. The revised policy provided full compensation for the first two weeks of parental leave followed by incremental reductions through week six. However, on January 23, 2024, the Board requested a review of the Parental Leave Policy to compare the County’s paid leave benefit following childbirth and/or adoption to the recent benefit changes adopted by the State of Florida for State employees.

The LCC unanimously approved the current blended employee/employer health insurance cost share split (80/20 for family). The agenda item noted that maintaining the current employer/employee health insurance premium cost share, the FY 2025 budget would include a $965,000 increase from FY 2024 for all County and Constitutional employees. Changing the employer/employee cost share percentage to 90/10 would result in approximately a $1.7 million increase.

The LCC unanimously approved $150,000 to construct a ground-level water tank at the Volunteer Fire Department station on Smith Creek Road in western Leon County. The approval will provide enhancements to improve Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) response readiness and fire service delivery including constructing a ground-level water tank at the VFD station on Smith Creek Road.

TPD, From Front Page

Tallahassee Crime Incidents Down 11.1% in 2024, Fatal Shootings Remain

By Steve Stewart

Four months into 2024, the number of crime incidents reported by the Tallahassee Police Department are down when compared to 2023.

TPD Incidents

The daily TPD incident reports indicate that the total number of incidents through April 30 are down 11.1% when compared to the same period in 2023. TR’s last report indicated the total number of crime incidents was down 9.3% year-to-date.

The numbers show that property crime incidents are down 11.8% and violent crime incidents are down 9.7%.

Property crimes encompass burglaries, thefts, incidents of vandalism, and violent offenses, including aggravated assaults, armed robberies, and physical altercations.

The decrease in property crimes

is being driven by the decline in the number of Auto Burglaries and Thefts. Through April 30, 2023 there were 549 of these type incidents compared to 462 during the same period in 2024. Residential Burglaries were down 6.5% while Commercial Burglaries

Up

were down 4.1%.

Robbery incidents were down 15.3%, while Assault & Battery incidents were down 7.5%.

Fatal Shootings

During the period, there have been eleven fatal shootings in 2024, compared to three fatal shooting deaths in 2023.

However, while the first four months of 2023 resulted in three fatal shootings, the rate of fatal shootings increased dramatically in 2023 from May 1 through December 31, with 21 fatal shootings.

LCS Board Member Alva Smith Discusses Closing Schools

SCHOOLS, From Front Page

In recent years, Leon County School District has faced a decline in student enrollment. This decline can be attributed, in part, to the Covid Pandemic when students were forced to leave school and attend virtual learning. From 2019-2021, the District lost 1,519 students alone. Additionally, Smith stated, “We are not the only District in this state having to have this conversation. But we are one that is consistently declining enrollment, and something’s got to give.” She continued, “The data is there. It’s very clear. There are certain schools that consistently decline.”

Due to the steady decline of student enrollment each year, the District is now dealing with the issue of a tighter budget. This loss of funding has placed the District in a competition with private and charter schools. Each student

that leaves a Leon County public school for a private or charter school takes approximately $7,775 with them. Over the past five years, the District has lost a total of 2,578 students.

Lastly, Smith further addressed the issue stating, “This is going to be a long discussion. This is not going to be a ‘let’s close this school and let’s do it in August’ … no one wants to do it, I don’t want to do it, but as we look at the numbers and they continue to decline, and our overall budget continues to decline, this is where this money could come from.”

Elementary School Population Trends

The table nearby provides the unweighted student fulltime equivalent, or FTE, for 22 Leon County elementary schools for 2019/20, 2022/23, & 2023/24. The table also

provides the school capacity.

The schools are sorted by the largest to smallest decline in FTE’s over the 2019/20 –2023/24 period.

The data shows:

FTE’s at five schools have declined 20% or more from 2020 to 2024.

Seven schools had FTE declines from 2023 to 2024.

Eight schools which have a current capacity of less than 75%.

There are four schools – Springwood, Hartsfield, Astoria Park, and Sealey –which have experienced a 20% or more FTE decline

over the last five years, a FTE decline from 2023 to 2024, and are currently below 75% capacity.

Two schools – Bond, Sabal Palm – have experienced a five-year FTE decline of over

Mayor Dailey Responds to Matlow’s Attacks on TPD

DAILEY, From Front Page

tion, the manager, attacking the police department, and I am just tired.”

Dailey gaveled the meeting to a quick conclusion.

Matlow’s Attacks on TPD

Before, during and after the DUI trial, Commissioner Matlow promoted the narrative that a TPD officer had planted and/ or fabricated evidence. These allegations were never substantiated.

TPD Introduces New Technology to Combat Gun Violence

On April 6th, during the trial, Matlow posted on X, “Is there a point where you would deem it acceptable for law enforcement to fabricate and plant evidence during the course of an arrest?”

After the jury convicted the driver of a DUI, Matlow took to his social media account and posted, “The evidence presented at trial included all the hall- marks that drive distrust in law enforcement: phantom mari -

The Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) recently announced the implementation of the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) program to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms in the community. Within a few months of NIBIN’s use, detectives developed over 65 leads in cases.

NIBIN utilizes cuttingedge technology to capture and compare images of submitted ballistic evidence from shooting scenes and recovered firearms, significantly boosting the rate of return on ballistic evidence. Through automated and manual analysis, NIBIN allows law enforcement to quickly determine connections between incidents and identify potential suspects.

“As technology evolves, TPD remains committed to enhancing our ability to combat gun violence,” said Chief Lawrence Revell.

“Having these resources available in-house signifies TPD's ongoing commitment to leveraging new and advanced technology for

juana smells, fabricated evidence and incomplete body cam footage. Thankful for those that stand-up to injustice.”

In an email to TPD employees, Revell responded to Malow’s allegations.

Revell wrote, “I’m sure you have heard by now, but the defendant in this case was found guilty of DUI. Although they tried to discredit our officers and our department, the jury didn’t buy into the gross misrepresentation

of the BWC (Body-Worn Camera) footage…” and noted the “wellpublicized assumption of wrong- doing by City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow.”

However, until Mayor Dailey’s comments at the April 24th city commission meeting, no other elected official had responded to Matlow’s continued accusations.

Local News Briefs

crime-solving and doing all we can to bring justice to those impacted by violent crime in our community. This program directly enhances the investigative process and impacts the overall quality of life for all citizens in Tallahassee."

The NIBIN program is run through TPD’s Tallahassee Firearms Intelligence Team which works collaboratively with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The team is responsible for tracking all crimes involving firearms and using NIBIN technology to identify possible connections that could eventually lead to an arrest.

Florida A&M Begins Construction on Dormitory

Florida A&M University recently broke ground on a new, 700-bed dormitory. The housing is slated for upperclassmen and will be located off Osceola Street and South Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard near FAMU Towers.

During its fall meeting at the University of Central Florida campus in Orlando on Thursday, November 9, FBOG unanimously approved the plan for FAMU to seek $102.9 million from

the U.S Department of Education’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Capital Financing Program to build the new student residence hall just north of the FAMU Towers. The project is the first of several residence halls included in the University’s master plan that calls for up to 4,000 on-campus beds in the coming years.

“We thank the Board of Governors for their strong support of our initiative to provide modern on campus housing for our students,” said President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., who attended the two-day BOG meeting in Orlando. “I must also thank our internal team led by Vice-Presidents Rebecca Brown and William Hudson, along with BOG staff, who have worked together on the plan for several months. This residential hall will help meet student demand and contribute greatly to student success.”

City Commission Approves $175K for Redevelopment Master Plan

The Tallahassee City Commission approved spending $175,000 from the City's Community Development Block Grant

funding for the Tallahassee Housing Authority to prepare a master plan for the redevelopment of Springfield Apartments.

The Springfield Apartments are situated at 1700 Joe Louis Street and include 196 townhomes and duplex apartments for public housing, ranging from one to five-bedroom units. These apartments were built in 1972 and are presently owned by the Tallahassee Housing Authority (THA). The THA has decided to rebuild the site and revitalize the development.

The housing authority intends to apply for funding from the Florida Housing Finance Corporation to redevelop the Springfield Apartments. Prior to submitting the application, THA needs to go through an extensive HUD approval process and prepare a Master Plan for the project. The Master Plan will engage the residents, surrounding property owners, schools and community stakeholders in a process that would prove beneficial to the overall neighborhood.

No Postage Required for Vote-by-Mail Ballots Mark Earley, Supervisor

10%, but have rebounded with positive growth from 2023 to 2024.

Four schools – Gilchrist, Riley, Buck Lake, Kate Sullivan – are currently over 90% capacity.

of Elections for Leon County, recently announced free postage on Vote-by-Mail ballots.

“In furtherance of our mission to provide outstanding voter services, I want to remove barriers to voting and ensure all eligible voters can cast their ballot,” said Supervisor Earley. “In that spirit, I am happy to announce that starting with the 2024 Primary Election, voters will no longer need to pay the postage on Voteby-Mail ballot return envelopes.”

This new service means that voters who vote their ballot by mail will no longer need a stamp. Voters can still choose to drop off their Vote-by-Mail ballot in a secure ballot intake station located at each Early Voting site or at the Elections Office, so voters will have multiple free options to return their ballot.

The Elections Office has also redesigned the Voteby-Mail ballot envelopes used in Leon County. These updates incorporate free postage, the latest United States Postal Service recommendations for election mail, and recent changes in Florida law.

Graham Remembered as ‘Great Statesman’

By Dara Kam The News Service of Florida

TALLAHASSEE — Hailed as a consummate public servant and champion of the environment, former Florida Gov. and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham lay in state Friday in the Old Capitol as about a thousand mourners paid their respects.

Graham, 87, died April 16 at a retirement home in Gainesville.

A military honor guard and Florida Highway Patrol officers carried Graham’s casket, draped with white flowers and greenery that evoked his commitment to the environment, into the Old Capitol as the Florida A&M University Gospel Choir sang “Walking into the Light” by Aretha Franklin.

Graham’s family — including his widow, Adele, and daughter, former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham — spent roughly 30 minutes comforting each other beside the casket before greeting a bipartisan mix of current and former elected officials, lobbyists, staffers and others who lined up for more than three hours to honor the Coral Gables native. A private graveside service was scheduled later in the day at the Oakland Cemetery in Tallahassee, near the governor’s mansion.

Many in the steady stream of visitors Friday paid homage to Graham with a nod to his sartorial trademark — an iconic Florida tie, such as one that was encased in plexi-

MOODY, From Front Page

er schools in the conference agreed to the ACC’s lawsuit, Moody wrote on April 17. She warned about the “potential breadth and impact” of the sovereign-immunity issue.

“If the history of college football realignment has taught us anything at this point, it is that there will be some future realignment down the road. The universities that have ratified such an expansive view of the waiver of sovereign immunity in the ACC Lawsuit may find that the sword that they now wield will be turned on them. More than that, those schools may find that their future decisions and actions are now subject to resolution in some other state than where

glass beside his coffin. Others sported tongue-in-cheek lapel pins in the shape of a graham cracker.

Attendees included Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Gov. Bob Martinez, Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Carlos Muniz and former Florida Senate President Jim Scott.

“He always made time for you. Even when we didn’t agree on an issue, you couldn’t get mad at him. He was a really likable guy. So, it was pretty hard to deal with someone like that,” Martinez, a Republican who succeeded Graham, a Democrat, as governor in 1987, told reporters.

Graham, born Daniel Robert Graham on Nov. 9, 1936, was largely remembered Friday as a statesman whose legacy was rooted in his devotion to the state and its residents. Graham, who served as governor from 1979 to 1987 and as U.S. senator from 1987 to 2005, was elected during the height of Democrats’ political power in the state. He served in the Legislature before getting elected governor.

“He was a wonderful person to work with. He was a wonderful person, period, not just to work with. He was a really great guy. We had absolutely no difficulty during our transition. My relationship with him, beginning in 1970, was nothing but amiable. He was just a great human being,” Martinez said.

People swapped “Graham stories” as they made their way to the second floor of the

Old Capitol.

“He was a great statesman. He was someone whose word you could rely on. He was always concerned about the greater good. I don’t ever recall any piece of legislation, any action he took in public office that wasn’t to benefit the people of Florida, and we desperately need people like that today,” Marjorie Turnbull, a former state representative from Tallahassee, told The News Service of Florida.

Turnbull said she met Graham while they both attended the University of Florida, where she and Adele Graham were sorority sisters. Turnbull recalled Graham’s ubiquitous “yellow notebooks,” where he cataloged his daily activities and made notes about his interactions with others.

“The thing that was so amazing about him is you could see him and five years later he would say, ‘Hello, and are you still working at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs or are you still kayaking?’ He always remembered individuals, and that was one of the things I think that endear him to the people of Florida,” Turnbull said.

Former Tallahassee Mayor John Marks credited his political career to Graham, who appointed Marks to the Public Service Commission in 1978. Marks said he was the first Black member of the commission, where he served for a decade.

“He is very special to me. Without Bob Graham, I’m not so sure I’d be where I am today, politically. He gave me

that catalyst, that jumpstart in my political career. He took the chance on a young guy, I just happened to be African American, and I’m extremely, extremely proud and grateful that he saw something in me, and I have been able to do a lot of things I hope, as a result of his confidence as a result of what he saw in me as a young guy,” Marks said.

Graham’s love of the state’s natural resources was on display Friday in foliage adorning his casket. The spray “celebrates the senator’s stewardship of Florida’s diverse environments” and “lifelong love of and commitment to preserving Florida’s rare beauty,” the family said in a statement. The “curated arrangement” — which included orchids, magnolias, kumquats and Spanish moss — “evokes iconic Florida landscape paintings so loved by Bob and Adele,” the statement said.

Graham began his political career in 1966, when he was elected to the Florida House “as part of a group of young progressive Democrats sympathetic to civil rights, public education and the environment,” says the website of the Bob Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida, which Graham founded.

Graham was elected governor in 1978 after undertaking “workdays,” where he performed a variety of jobs including picking tomatoes, bussing tables and patrolling the streets as a lawenforcement officer. Graham

Moody Jumps into FSU-ACC Dispute

they are located based on their position in this suit,” Moody wrote.

In an interview with the News Service on Tuesday, Moody said she didn’t think the other ACC schools “thought through the sovereign-immunity issue” and pledged to back Florida State in its battle against the conference.

“It’s so important that we fight for the sovereign immunity of our state and of our organizations and entities within it, and I will do that as the attorney general,” she said. Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper on Monday heard arguments in the Florida lawsuit before telling Florida State

that the school needs to amend its legal challenge.

Much of Monday’s arguments centered on the issue of “personal jurisdiction,” or whether the lawsuit could be brought against the conference in Florida. The ACC argued that FSU failed to flesh out the issue in its legal complaint.

Cooper agreed, but said FSU could have more time to address the issue.

“I’m not ruling against FSU. I’m not ruling they have no case. I’m not ruling against the ACC. I’m not ruling in favor of the ACC. I’m not ruling that its case is better than FSU’s case.

What I am ruling is that in a case that’s worth, I’m told, up to half a billion dollars, on per-

sonal jurisdiction, we need a more specific and clearly stated statement of personal jurisdiction,” Cooper said.

The judge gave FSU 10 days to file an amended complaint.

Lawyers for the ACC had asked Cooper to dismiss the case, arguing that the lawsuit amounted to a “contract dispute” between the school and the conference.

Moody’s letter to the six attorneys general in states with public universities that are members of the ACC acknowledged that “conference alignment has become contentious and is highly charged.” She asked her counterparts to “engage” with universities in their states and said that “Florida

conducted more than 400 “workdays” during his political career.

Graham epitomized “the best of all of us,” Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried said.

“He really showed not just the people of the state but the people of this country what it means to be a public servant,” she said.

Fried said that she “heard the stories” about Graham’s workdays and his efforts for the state as she grew up in South Florida and became immersed in politics from a young age.

“It was important to be here to remember him and to honor his legacy,” she said. “He was able to bring people together regardless if they were a Democrat, Republican, it was all about the people first and so bringing everybody together meant that the right policies were going to get passed because it was bringing all interests together, and he understood that.”

Graham “never stopped thinking,” said state Rep. Allison Tant, a former chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party.

“He had a million ideas, and he was never out of them. He was always looking for ways we could invest in our state to make it better,” she said.

— News Service assignment manager Tom Urban and broadcast journalist Mike Exline contributed to this report.

By Tristyn Leigh

On April 30th, Senator Corey Simon (R-Tallahassee) released a statement regarding potential drilling in Apalachicola Bay. In the statement, Simon said, “It is unconscionable that efforts to drill for oil are happening at the same time that we are fighting for the revitalization of the Apalachicola Bay. The $25 million we’re trying to fund would allow DEP to enter into financial assistance agreements with the City of Apalachicola to implement projects that improve surface water and groundwater quality within the Apalachicola Bay Area of Critical State Concern, important legislation that I FOUGHT FOR AND PASSED.

We cannot allow the actions of one irresponsible body to impact the limited precious natural resources that belong to the entire region.”

The statement was in response to a decision by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).

On Friday, April 26th, the FDEP issued a notice of intent to grant a permit to a Louisiana company to explore for oil by drilling in the Apalachicola River floodplain.

The drilling site is located between the Apalachicola and Chipola Rivers and Dead Lakes. Cholla Petroleum, another oil company, was granted permission to drill there in 2019, but never did.

Ahead of the FDEP decision, some people in Franklin County were voicing their opposition to an exploratory

oil well drilling request.

“It has been drilled before in these same areas, they’re using the same sites, but they’ve come up dry before. Their whole thing is if they’ve been dry before, why would they have oil now?” Franklin County Commissioner Ricky Jones said.

Jones fears the potentially negative environmental and economic impacts outweigh any positive impacts that come with job creation.

“Oysters not only are part of the economy and heritage of Franklin County, but they’re also, the job that the oysters have is they help keep the water clean. They are a water filter. It’s hard to know for sure that nothing bad is going to happen,” Jones said.

The state closed oystering in Apala-

is considering taking action” in Florida State’s appeal of the North Carolina ruling. She also asked the attorneys general to reach out to her office if they are “interested in becoming involved” in the state’s efforts.

“Each of our states has some university that will likely be significantly affected from the shakeout of the latest round of consolidation, and I recognize and appreciate that the fans for each school are extremely passionate. But, positions such as the waiver of sovereign immunity position being advanced by the ACC are detrimental to all of our states,” she added.

chicola Bay for 5 years to give experts time to restore the oyster beds. That oystering moratorium runs through 2025.

President/Publisher: Kathy Stewart

Editor: Steve Stewart

Contributing Writers: Steve Stewart, Tristyn Leigh, Kate Stewart Tallahassee Reports is a project of Red Hills Journalism Foundation Inc. and publishes reports on local government, politics, consumer affairs, business and public policy. Red Hills Journalism Foundation Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

The Tallahassee Reports print newspaper is published twice each month.

For advertising information, you can visit tallahasseereports.com for our latest rate sheet or call us directly at 850-766-6207.

Tallahassee State Senator Corey Simon Releases Statement on Potential Oil Drilling in Apalachicola Bay

Opinion/Analysis

Stewart: City Commission Pay Raise is a Bad Idea

By: Steve Stewart

This Wednesday the City Commission will vote to take another step towards placing a referendum on the 2024 general election ballot asking City electors to decide whether the City Charter should be amended to raise the salary of the members of the City Commission.

In my view, this is a bad idea.

But first the politics.

Mayor John Dailey and City Commissioners Curtis Richardson & Dianne WilliamsCox voted for the referendum, while City Commissioners Jeremy Matlow & Jack Poter voted no.

However, in 2020 Commissioner Matlow supported a referendum for a 100% pay

LCS Board Member Alva Smith Discusses Closing Schools

Why don’t you have a discussion about how much of a PROPERTY TAX REDUCTION we deserve commensurate with the lower expenses of fewer teachers and indoctrination centers?

* Normal people don’t want their kids in lefty indoctrination camps. get the schools back to the “three Rs”.

* Why are Charter Schools BETTER than Public Schools? What are Charter Schools doing differently than Public Schools? Maybe, this is just my opinion, maybe you should study Charter Schools and try to copy what they are doing. It’s just a thought.

* I’m always amazed that this SB doesn’t get it. These charter schools are competitive, claim to have answers, take tax payers money and this SB simply doesn’t get it. Their responses are just, well, not too bright.

raise.

Matlow said then, “A reasonable, modest wage commensurate with the volume of work local Commissioners perform would allow for independence & full attention to working for the public — not seeing public service as a side job while earning a living from other sources which may cause conflicts.”

Now, Matlow says he will not support a city commission pay raise due to the stalled salary negotiations between the firefighters and the City of Tallahassee.

If the negotiations get resolved before November does this mean Matlow will then support the referendum? Who knows?

Bottom line, most people want a pay raise even if they

don’t go on record asking for it. And remember, commissioners that vote against the pay raise referendum will still get the increase if the referendum passes.

A Bad Idea

Three reasons why asking for a 100% raise is a bad idea.

First, asking voters to approve a 100% pay raise in an economic climate when people are having financial difficulties on a number of different fronts makes it seem like our leaders are not in touch with the real world.

In addition, the property tax increase adopted last year with the more recent news about a city general fund deficit will surely irritate citizens.

Second, most working people can’t relate to a 100%

increase in salary without added responsibilities and other requirements. Will each city commissioner still be allowed to spend $70,000-$90,000 a year on aide or will the salary increase result in an elected official shouldering more of the constituent services work load?

Also, at $90,000 a year, can some commissioners choose to treat it as a part-time job and still maintain another full time job?

These scenarios, and many more, are not addressed in the proposal.

And third, the proposed increase will make the office more about money than about serving the community. In my view, the current salary is not a deterrent for service oriented people.

TR's Reader Comments

A New Logo is their answer? Really? This whole city is sinking… too many folks who don’t know how to get things done are in charge. The Doers are shoved into silence.

Commissioners Matlow, Porter Continue Attacks on TPD

Surely we all know that people are sometimes found guilty by juries or judges when they are not guilty. A conviction (even by a jury) doesn’t always mean the person did what they were found guilty of. The police officers turned off their cameras — that alone should cause any citizen to wonder whether they can trust what the officer says happens. (I’ve been a sworn officer a long time ago, and even a prosecutor.) If I had been prosecuting this case, I would have accepted a plea to a lesser included, so that officers knew that shutting off their cameras like they did here is just not going to be okay at all ever. That’s not because I’m soft on crime, but rather because our citizens deserve to be able to trust those who are sworn to serve them.

* If they would have said mishandling of evidence instead of planting evidence it might make sense. Sounds like unjust accusations by butt hurt politicians.

* This looks to be nothing more than a publicity stunt on behalf of pollrumptious Porter and her minions to drum up election support

* The actions of the two commissioners, after the case was settled, coupled with their other recent actions and words could and should be used to verify the fact that progressive socialist politicians will deceive and tell falsehoods any time they get a chance to communicate! Please do due diligence and study the words, platforms, associations and policies of every candidate running for city commissioner before you vote.

* Headline should be TPD gets political. The mishandled alcohol bottle by officer, the state atty called a mistake. A

politically aggressive bureaucrat with a gun and badge never good. Not helping his case with the property tax hike and $130 million “campus”. I saw same stuff with CityWalk. One day we will wish we had all our civil liberties back!

City Commissioner Jack Porter Addresses TPD Chief Revell, Recent DUI Case I think Porter Matlow Keefe Proctor are all sanctimonious performing for the cameras. Now Chief Revell is now playing for them too. He should have never started or returned fire on this back and forth because its not something that is good for the PD. Democrat politicians and a police chief walk into a political fight that’s not good for somebody with a contract extension every 14 days with a job to lose and a 400 department full of cast and characters with their own agendas scouting for their bosses jobs(TPD long standing tradition). Matlow started this but now Chief can’t “win” he can only lose. Stupid games…

* While I don’t agree with

America's Largest Nuclear Plant

A new reactor unit at Georgia’s Vogtle nuclear power plant recently went into commercial operation, capping a 15-year expansion that makes the site the single biggest producer of carbon-free energy in the country.

The reactor, known as Unit 4, will come online less than a year after the similarly built Unit 3 was flipped on—together they were the first nuclear reactors constructed from scratch in the US in more than 30 years. The plant is expected to produce 30 million megawatt-hours of power annually, or roughly 23% of Georgia's total power consumption (though it will also service customers in Florida and Alabama).

The project was expected to begin producing power in 2016, but experienced significant delays and unexpected costs, driving the final price tag from $14B to $35B. Customer rates were raised a total of 10% to help cover financing.

A single half-inch uranium pellet produces roughly the same amount of energy as 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas or 1 ton of coal.

TikTok on the Clock

Officials from TikTok vowed

In fact, I think the more relevant deterrent these days is the personal attacks people have to deal with when running for office. What can you do?

If this an important issue for you, the city commission allows citizens to provide comments in person at the public hearing.

The public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, May 8, 2024, 6:00 P.M. at City Hall, 2nd Floor, City Commission Chambers.

You can also provide comments during the meeting via video conference; register at www.talgov.com/citizeninput.

If you prefer email, you can email city elected officials from talgov.com.

everyone’s political leanings on both the city and county commissions I do appreciate anyone who is not afraid to stand up to our own “swamp” we call local government. The continuation of all the insider workings needs to be eliminated.

*

When an elected official disparages a member of the Police Department and such disparaging is not warranted, such elected official can expect a resounding defense of the Chief of Police’s Officer(s) which may include a rebuke of that elected official…which, in this case, was well warranted.

Bill Cotterell: What? NPR is Liberal? Say it Ain’t So … If TR has hired Bill Cotterell, I am cancelling my subscription.

* Wow! Must be a really slow news day when Tallahassee Reports posts a piece saying NPR is biased in favor of liberal democrats. What shocking news will be covered tomorrow…the sun is coming up in the east?

National News Briefs

to file a legal challenge against a new law requiring its China-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell the platform or withdraw from the US market within 270 days. President Joe Biden signed the order yesterday as part of a broader $95B foreign aid package. The window for sale, which can be extended 90 days, falls on Jan. 19—one day before the current presidential term ends.

The platform boasts 170 million monthly active users in the US but has been criticized over potential national security concerns. India banned the app in 2020 after a military incident along its border with China, and the platform is technically banned in China (a walled-off version known as Douyin is used). TikTok also successfully fended off an effort to ban its use during the Trump administration.

Net Neutrality Reinstated

The Federal Communications Commission voted yesterday to reinstate Obama-era net neutrality rules.

The regulations treat internet service as a public utility, like telecoms or water. As a result, the rules require broadband companies to treat all data equally without favoring or charging more for differ-

ent websites. The FCC first enacted net neutrality rules in 2015, warning that without them, broadband companies could throttle—or charge extra for "fast lane" access to—sites like Netflix and YouTube.

In 2017, the Trump-era FCC repealed net neutrality, calling the rules unnecessary. There have since been allegations broadband companies have throttled access to video sites as well as the Santa Clara County Fire Department amid a wildfire. Verizon has called the latter a customer service mistake.

Separately, the FCC approved T-Mobile's $1.35B deal to buy the parent company of budget phone provider Mint Mobile.

Existing-Home Sales Down 4.3% in March

Existing-home sales slipped in March, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Among the four major U.S. regions, sales slid in the Midwest, South and West, but rose in the Northeast for the first time since November 2023. Year-over-year, sales decreased in all regions.

Total existing-home sales –completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – receded 4.3%

from February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.19 million in March. Year-overyear, sales waned 3.7% (down from 4.35 million in March 2023).

"Though rebounding from cyclical lows, home sales are stuck because interest rates have not made any major moves," said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. "There are nearly six million more jobs now compared to preCOVID highs, which suggests more aspiring home buyers exist in the market."

Total housing inventory registered at the end of March was 1.11 million units, up 4.7% from February and 14.4% from one year ago (970,000). Unsold inventory sits at a 3.2-month supply at the current sales pace, up from 2.9 months in February and 2.7 months in March 2023. "More inventory is always welcomed in the current environment," Yun added. "Frankly, it's a great time to list with ongoing multiple offers on mid-priced properties and, overall, home prices continuing to rise."

The median existing-home price for all housing types in March was $393,500, an increase of 4.8% from the previous year ($375,300). All four U.S. regions registered

price gains.

Newspapers Sue OpenAI

Eight regional daily newspapers sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement yesterday, the latest in an industrywide reckoning with the rise of content-dependent artificial intelligence. The outlets, including the New York Daily News and the Chicago Tribune, are owned by hedge fund Alden Global Capital, the nation's second-largest newspaper operator.

AI firms develop chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT by running billions of sentences from the internet through so-called large language models, training them on sentence patterns to effectively predict answers to queries. News publishers like The New York Times have sued OpenAI for using their journalism to train its models, arguing repackaging original journalism is not a fair use. Publishers also cite instances of AI falsely attributing errors to their reporting.

Other media companies are opting to sign deals with AI companies to pay to license their content, including The Associated Press, Reuters, and the UK's Financial Times. Reports indicate OpenAI is paying individual publishers $1M to $5M annually for such access.

March Jobs Down Slightly as Leon County Workforce Increases

The latest reports show that Leon County lost 371 jobs in March when compared to last month. There were 159,421 people working in Leon County in March compared to last month’s revised employment number of 159,792. The March unemployment rate increased to 3.7% from the 3.1% reported last month. The number of people in the work force increased from 165,177 in February to 165,586 in March.

Mar-22Mar-23Mar-24Chg 23/24

One year ago, the February 2023 unemployment rate was 2.8%.

The Leon County Jobs Report, provided below, shows the number of people working in March 2024 was 3,399 more than in March, 2023. The March labor force –those looking for jobs – came in at 165,586 which was 5,185 more than the number reported one year ago.

The chart below shows the monthly level of jobs in Leon County over the last 37 months with a 12-month average trend line. The highlighted numbers relate to employment levels for the month of March back to 2021.

March Airport Passenger Traffic Up 11.5%

The latest information from the Tallahassee International Airport shows that March 2024 passenger traffic increased 11.5% when compared to traffic one year ago.

The number of passengers were up 8,472 from the 73,798 reported during March 2023 to 782,270 in March 2024.

Relative to 2023, the Passenger Traffic Report shows passenger counts were up 4.9% for American Airlines, up 1.4% for the Delta Group and down 20.8% for Silver Airways. New service provider Jet Blue added 6,953 passengers in March 2024.

The graph below shows the annualized number of passengers for the last

37-months. The highlighted numbers on the graph indicate the annual traffic during the month of February over the last four years.

The annual rate of passengers at TIA in March 2024 – 884,351 – was up 6.7% when compared to one year ago. The annualized number of passengers is calculated by summing the previous 12 months of traffic.

Exploring Florida’s Emancipation Day

Explore

The Tallahassee Volleyball Academy (TVA) 18's club volleyball team recently traveled to Baltimore, Maryland to compete in the 2024 Girls 18's Junior National Championship and came away with a third place finish in the USA division.

Over 300 teams from across the country competed in the event, with the USA division fielding 48 teams.

Each team was required to qualify for the tournament based on past performance. The TVA team won a bid in January by finishing second at the Florida Fest tournament in Fort Lauderdale.

The TVA team qualified for "Gold Bracket" play on Sunday based on their performance in pool play on Saturday. In the quarter-finals TVA beat a team from Memphis, Tennessee, 25-21 & 25-20.

In the semi-final, against a team from Southern California, TVA lost a hard fought first set 32-30 (sets are to 25, but team must

On Thursday, the Leon High School boys tennis team defeated Gulf Breeze 4-1 to win the FHSAA Region 1 championship and secure a spot in the state tournament.

In the regional finals, the Lions took a 3-0 lead with wins at number three singles (Gordon Nicholson 6-0, 6-1), number four singles (Davis Wagnon 6-4, 6-1) and number five singles (Ben Brooks 6-4, 7-5).

Leon’s number one player –Gabe Garcia – then lost in a decisive tiebreaker, 10-7, and

Local Sports

win by 2) and then fell 25-18 in the second set. TVA Director & TVA 18's coach Katie Faurot told TR, "This team is special! I have never seen a group that loves and supports each other as much as this team does. They put in the work and made sacrifices most teenage girls would never dream of making. Most of our players missed their senior prom in order to go to Nationals. They are the true definition of a team! They have accomplished every goal they set forth this season. They will leave their mark as the best team to ever come out of the Tallahassee - area. I am so tremendously proud of them!"

Faurot added, "This team has qualified for Nationals since they were 15. They finished 5th last year at Nationals in 17s, and when we set team goals for this season, they made it abundantly clear they wanted to make the podium in their last year of club."

the number two player, Andy Lara, dropped the second set after winning the first. In the decisive 10-point breaker, Lara trailed 4-2, 6-4 and 8-6 before winning 11-9 to clinch the title.

The Leon team finished the season 18-2 in dual matches and have won 28 of 30 individual matches in the postseason.

Previously, Leon won the FHSAA Class 3A District 2 championship held in Lynn Haven, Florida and the City Championships.

Coach Kevin Record posted on the teams Instagram account, “Our Boys are HEADED TO STATE !!!! and thanked those who cheered the team on.

“This is a special victory to share!”, said Record.

The state tournament will be held in Orlando at Sanlando Park and begins May 1st.

Top Left To Right: Coach Ursula Dougherty, Amelia Haggins, Kaylin Johnson, Amelia Wass De Czege, Riley Deem, Delaney Hanowell, Coach Katie Faurot Bottom Left to Right: Ashlyn Koerner, Sadie Callaghan, Aubrie Arnold, Lauren Taylor Lozano, Alyssa Carey

From left to right: Coach Kevin Record, Gabriel Rios, Tate North, Paul Beckham, Andy Lara, Ben Brooks, Davis Wagnon, Gordon Nicholson, Gabe Garcia, Nick Wahl, & Max Simmons.

Leon County Schools

Leon County School Board Meeting Briefs: April 23

By Tristyn Leigh

Below are the Leon County School Board news briefs from the April 23rd, 2024, business meeting.

The Lively Technical College Director provided a presentation on the upcoming career and technical education expansion at Chiles High School. Soon, a new welding dual enrollment program will be implemented at Chiles High School, and students who enroll in the program will have an opportunity to develop a strong foundation in welding techniques, safety protocols, and precision work.

The Board unanimously approved the amount of $625,468.00 to Childers Construction Co. for con -

struction manager services for the Griffin Middle School Phase 1 demolition project.

The Board unanimously approved the revisions made to the Leon County School Inclusive School Guide for Leon County School employees. Revisions include a section on Florida Law that requires students and staff to use restrooms and changing facilities corresponding to their sex at birth.

The Board voted to remove a section of the guide regarding overnight activities that states, “Schools must provide parents and/or legal guardians a permission form for overnight activities that includes parental notification if overnight lodging room assignments are not separated by biological sex at birth.” However, the

“Overnight Activities” portion of the guide still states that “If accommodations are desired, decisions should be made on a case-by-case basis, and should be studentfocused with the support of the parents, and district and school staff.”

The Board unanimously approved the Memorandum of Understanding between the Leon County Schools and the Leon County Classroom Teachers Association for the 20232024 instructional staff verification of experience credit agreement. The agenda item explains that the District and employees recognize the importance of accurately verifying years of experience for instructional staff employees and will provide an amnesty period for those who may have missed the

deadline to ensure teachers are credited with the years of their service.

The Board unanimously approved the Memorandum of Understanding between Leon County Schools and the Leon Classroom Teachers Association for the Pre-Planning Days Academic Calendar revisions. The agenda item explains that 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 District Academic were initially structured with 175 instructional days rather than the 176, which created a deficit of one paid day for instructional staff annually. To fix the issue, the Leon County School District is providing an additional Pre-Planning day at the beginning of each associated school year.

The Board unanimously approved the amount of

$13,290,463.02 to Rippee Construction Inc. for construction manager services for Nims Middle School Phase 1 Cafeteria Replacement project.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, a group of moms to disabled children attended the meeting to speak out against the unfair treatment of their children at Leon County Schools. One mom stated, “As a parent of a Leon County student, I am frustrated that she isn’t getting the same education as her non-disabled peers.”

LCS Documents Reveal New Details Related to Dismissal of Lincoln Cheer Coaches

By Tristyn Leigh

The Leon County School District recently released documents giving further details about the investigation related to three Lincoln High School cheer coaches who provided alcohol and THC gummies to students while on an out-of-town cheerleading competition trip.

Previously, LCS confirmed two coaches were fired. However, the documents provided to Tallahassee Reports confirm that all three

women who were chaperoning were terminated. The documents show the coaches (whose names are Precious McDonald, Ke’ana Pennamon, and Zyaire Williams) were relieved from their positions after they “Provided alcohol to students, consumed alcohol while chaperoning and failed to respond appropriately to the safety risk of students who were impaired.”

The incident took place in a rental home the cheerleading team was staying at for their cheer competi -

tion at Orlando Florida.

The documents explain that none of the coaches pursued medical attention for any of the minors under the influence stating, “While on the cheerleading competition trip to Orlando the weekend of February 8-12, Lincoln Cheerleading coaches McDonald, Pennamon, and Williams possessed and consumed alcohol in the rental home where the team was housed. It was also reported that the coaches provided alcohol to several students while on the trip. Addition -

ally, students were identified as being under the influence of drugs/THC gummies during the trip without medical attention being pursued for those students.”

On February 16th, Lincoln High School Principal Allen Burch notified each coach they were placed on administrative leave while the incident was being investigated. Just one week later, each coach was interviewed by Burch to “discuss and review the incident”. In an email Burch sent to the chief of safety and security for

LCS, Burch confirms each coach confirmed the incident during the interviews with the principal stating, “I have confirmed through interviews that the issue of alcohol possession did occur. Additionally, the three coaches confirmed during their interviews the information involving care for intoxicated students.”

The report is being forwarded to the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Julian V. Smith COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD

ASHLEY LEGGETT

is the recipient of the Julian V. Smith Community Service Award, an honor reserved for the Capital City Associate who embodies a spirit of volunteerism and selflessly gives of his or herself for the benefit of others. Ashley’s commitment to serving clients and colleagues is outstanding, as is her devotion to her community. Her volunteerism is constant, consistent and intentional, and her profound and unending communitymindedness is revealed through extensive community commitments. Ashley exemplifies the very essence of the enduring tradition of community building this award was established to celebrate through her selfless philanthropy, fervent advocacy and hands-on volunteer work.

A $1,000 grant will be awarded by the Capital City Bank Group Foundation on Ashley’s behalf to the organization of her choice, 211 Big Bend. C ongratulations , Ashley !

www.ccbgfoundation.org