SYRACUSE, NY – Florida State has some great game day traditions and even though they’re 0-4, Doak Campbell Stadium will rock when SU comes to Tallahassee.
The last time SU and Seminoles faced each other was in 2019, when the Orange hit the streets at 35-17. The year before that, the two met in the Dome when SU finally had a 10-game losing streak against FSU. Overall, the ‘Noles owned the series 11-2, but this year SU has a lot of things that go straight into the ACC game, including Uncle “Mo” by their side.
“I would say that we definitely take a lot of momentum with us after a win. We definitely increased our morale and everything,” said SU running back Sean Tucker.
Kickoff on Saturday is at 3:30 p.m. on the ACC Network.
Southwest Florida International Airport will soon have a new state-of-the-art air traffic control tower.
Here are five things you should know about the tower:
When will it be done?
In about a year or by the end of 2022.
Why is it necessary?
The current tower, built in 1982, is outdated and not ideally located. The new tower is spotted for a better view of the existing runway – and a future one.
Whole story: Terminal expansion at Southwest Florida International will start soon with a one-year delay
Will the passengers notice a difference?
Not likely, but it will improve safety by making it easier for air traffic controllers to manage the airspace around the airport.
What does this cost?
$ 80 million.
How is it funded?
From Lee County Port Authority fees in airline tickets and $ 32.7 million from the Florida Department of Transportation.
Before:Southwest Florida International breaks ground for an $ 80 million air traffic control tower
See similar https://www.naplesnews.com/story/money/2021/09/30/new-80-million-air-traffic-control-tower-under-construction-southwest-florida-international/5918511001/
from Daily Florida Press https://dailyfloridapress.com/a-new-80-million-air-traffic-control-tower-is-under-construction-at-southwest-florida-international/
Gopher Resource faces fines of more than $ 319,000 after a state investigation found the company intentionally exposed workers to high levels of lead in the air.
The investigation, opened by the Labor Protection Agency in April, was sparked by a Tampa Bay Times series of Gopher’s troubled lead factory.
The Times discovered that air levels of lead in the Tampa factory were often hundreds of times the state limit – exposing hundreds of employees to serious health problems.
On Thursday, OSHA cited Gopher for 44 violations, including one “willful” violation for failing to provide adequate respiratory protective equipment to workers exposed to high levels of lead in four different departments. That quote alone – OSHA’s most severe – is fined $ 136,532.
The total sentence appears to be one of the highest in Florida since 2015, according to a Times review of OSHA press releases and data.
Debbie Berkowitz, a former senior OSHA official, called it “very extensive” and predicted it would be one of the largest released by the agency this year.
In a statement, Danelle Jindra, OSHA area manager in Tampa, said that Gopher “put his bottom line above the safety and well-being of its workers.”
“Every worker has the right to a secure job and should never have to choose between his or her own health and livelihood,” said Jindra. “Continuing to put workers at risk is unacceptable and OSHA will continue to hold employers like Gopher Resource accountable.”
Read more: POISONING: Part 1: The Factory
Gopher said the report is still under review but has “implemented most of OSHA’s recommendations.” The other recommendations, the company added, were “given top priority”.
Gopher said it disagreed with some of OSHA’s findings – and believed the results on respirators were based on “inaccurate data and interpretation.” The company did not provide any information.
Before April, OSHA had not visited the plant for five years. On previous visits, inspectors have repeatedly overlooked evidence of problems and failed to hold Gophers accountable, the Times noted.
“OSHA overlooked this danger in previous inspections,” said Berkowitz. “Then they could have prevented it.”
The Agency Thursday’s report was 67 pages and encompassed a large number of violations, 34 of which were classified as “serious”.
On the topics: Workers are allowed to sweep and shovel dangerous lead dust, share damaged protective equipment, and expose cadmium and inorganic arsenic, two other toxic metals known to cause cancer.
OSHA inspectors found that workers in the furnace section were exposed hundreds of times above the agency’s exposure limit.
They found lead dust coating surfaces in lunch and locker rooms.
They found that workers in the blast furnace and refinery areas were exposed to too much arsenic and cadmium, and that gopher did not have the appropriate mechanical systems to limit exposure.
Read more: POISONING: Part 2: The Mistakes
Arsenic dusted the knob of a drink cooler.
The bathrooms were dirty and dusty and there was no soap to wash your hands. Emergency exits were blocked and fire extinguishers were missing. Protective suits for workers were left uncleaned and in contaminated areas.
Gopher has 15 days to comply with OSHA recommendations or to contest the results.
US Representative Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat who Asked for the OSHA review after reading the Times report, called the situation at Gopher “a failure on all levels”.
“These violations by Gopher make it clear that our neighbors’ health was at risk every day when they came to work with damaged, lead-exposed equipment,” she said in a statement. “Nobody should be forced to choose between a paycheck and a dangerous job.”
Castor called the federal move “an important step in making gophers responsible for their crimes,” but also stressed the need to update federal occupational safety standards.
“While the Tampa Bay Times’ outstanding investigative journalism brought these working conditions to light, it shouldn’t take a newspaper discovery to keep our workers safe at work,” she said. “A 50-year-old law can prevent the workplace of the 21st
US MP Charlie Crist, D-St. Petersburg, called the OSHA results “appalling”.
“It’s an environmental disaster; it’s a human tragedy, ”he said. “It’s clearly about profit over people.”
Read more: Public Health Officials Call For Lower Lead Limits
The Times series found that the majority of Gopher employees had enough lead in their blood from 2014 to 2018 to increase their risk of high blood pressure, kidney dysfunction, or cardiovascular disease. The Times also identified more than a dozen current and former workers who had a heart attack or stroke before they were 60.
Gopher knew it had a problem with lead dust, but it disabled ventilation functions and provided workers with inadequate breathing apparatus. And the contract doctor didn’t tell workers if their blood lead levels were putting them at risk.
Earlier this month, the Times reported that Gopher, too struggled to keep the cadmium level in the plant.
In addition to soliciting an OSHA review, the Times report called a former worker is suing Gopher for exposing his son and Moody’s downgrades Gopher’s credit rating.
Local environmental authorities has also opened an investigation and reported more than two dozen potential violations.
The company recycles car batteries by melting them down and forging new blocks to sell to battery and ammunition manufacturers.
OSHA on Thursday also cited a second Tampa company with ties to the smelter.
A&B Maintenance & Construction Inc. also received a subpoena for exposing their Tampa factory workers to be executives.
The company is offering additional maintenance on site, OSHA said. They face fines of $ 16,384.
This story is part of a collaboration with the Tampa Bay Times through FRONTLINE’s Local Journalism Initiative, funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Corey G. Johnson, Investigative reporter, Tampa Bay Times, Tampa Bay times
Rebecca Woolington, Investigative reporter, Tampa Bay Times, Tampa Bay times
Eli Murray, Data Reporter, Tampa Bay Times, Tampa Bay times
BCA Studios Architects developed plans for the project and carried out an environmental study of the building. They found asbestos, which the city is also grappling with, Lackey said.
“We had them analyze exactly which walls need to stay,” said Lackey.
The preliminary plan provides for the building’s ground floor to be opened up to three large rooms to create space for restaurants, new toilets and function rooms. Renderings show walls colored green that can be moved, walls colored red that are load-bearing, and yellow to show places where the city may or may not clear walls.
The city doesn’t plan to change the second floor or the basement much during the process, Lackey said. Next, the city will set up a committee to determine how best to use the space. City council members suggested that members of the Main Street Gainesville Advisory Board and Historic Preservation Committee be candidates for the committee.
“This building has historic significance to the community,” said Lackey. “We want to make sure everyone is good at what we do with them. … We have ideas to open up the space … but we are open to anything the community wants. “
The city hopes to complete the renovations by the end of 2022, and the money for the project is included in this fiscal year budget, Lackey said.
SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – A retired Miami city police officer said he didn’t hesitate when he and a neighbor jumped into a Southwest Miami-Dade canal to rescue two huskies who were fighting in the water.
Cell phone video captured the dogs in distress in the 3300 block area of Southwest 117th Avenue around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
“Tascha, Tascha!” one hears a woman say when she called one of the canines who couldn’t get out of the canal.
Pablo Arzola said he heard the noise behind his house and ran outside.
“There were people in that back yard yelling and pointing at the dogs, ‘Oh, they’re going to drown, they’re going to drown,'” he said.
The next step for Arzola was figuring out how to reach the huskies.
“I was like, ‘How do we get these dogs out of here?’ There was no way up, and it was a full five foot climb, ”he said.
Arzola, also a former Marine, began looking for a solution.
“I was like, ‘Either we jump now or it won’t happen,'” he said.
The video showed Arzola and his neighbors jumping into the canal.
Arzola said he didn’t really think of other creatures that were also in the water.
The video showed an alligator swimming nearby.
“No, I thought to myself, with all the excitement we were causing, we’d probably scare them,” he said.
Arzola said he was focused on a mission.
“Get these dogs to safety no matter what I have to do,” he said.
With the help of other neighbors along the canal, the residents were able to bring the dogs to safety.
The incident struck Arzola very closely. He said he has three huskies of his own.
“These dogs are like a child in need to me,” he said. “I’m in the water to do what I have to do.”
This is not the first dog rescue from Arzola. Earlier this year, he said, he rescued a Doberman from a burning house.
Arzola later posted the rescue video on social media on Wednesday. It got a lot of users to name him and his neighbor heroes.
Copyright 2021 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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from Daily Florida Press https://dailyfloridapress.com/retired-miami-cop-neighbor-jumps-into-sw-miami-dade-canal-to-rescue-2-huskies-wsvn-7news-miami-news-weather-sports/
An estimated 2 million-plus kids from middle school to high school have reported using e-cigarettes in 2021– mostly flavored e-cigarettes and often the popular Puff Bar brand, according to a federal study released Thursday.
Most of the students in the study — 1.72 million — were high schoolers. Middle school students were at 320,000, according to the analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“This study shows that even during the COVID-19 pandemic, e-cigarette use among youth
remains a serious public health concern,” Karen Hacker, director of the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, said in a CDC press release.
“It’s critical we continue working together to protect young people from the risks associated with tobacco product use, including e-cigarettes.”
The new study comes at a time when Florida is increasing the legal age from 18 to 21 for purchasing and possessing tobacco products and nicotine products. That would include vaping and e-cigarettes. The change occurs on Oct. 1, according to the the law.
The press release noted that, “Use of tobacco products by youths in any form, including e-cigarettes is unsafe. Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, and nicotine exposure during adolescence can harm the developing brain,”
The data comes from the 2021 National Youth Tobacco Survey, which has been chronicling efforts for years to keep kids away from tobacco use.
The surveys use a national sample of students in public and private schools from 6th to 12th grades in the United States, and student participation is anonymous.
The responses and research methods lead to the estimates, such as the more than 2 million kids in the 2021 survey. (More than 25 million middle and high school students attend public schools in the United States, according to federal education data, and that doesn’t include private school attendance.)
When it came to e-cigarette users, kids commonly used disposables that are prefilled with e-liquid, and are designed to discard the e-cigarette after a single use, according to the study.
As to the brands used by high schoolers, “26.1% reported that their usual brand was Puff Bar, followed by Vuse (10.8%), SMOK (9.6%), JUUL (5.7%), and Suorin (2.3%). Among middle school current users, 30.3% reported that their usual brand was Puff Bar, and 12.5% reported JUUL. Notably, 15.6% of high school users and 19.3% of middle school users reported not knowing the e-cigarette brand they usually used.”
With COVID-19 booster shots now available to many groups such as those 18 and older with underlying medical conditions, vaccination clinics across Florida are requiring proof of the first series of Pfizer shots but they don’t have to bring any doctor’s note or medical records to confirm any health conditions.
For now, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended booster shots for people in several categories, including residents 65 and older, individuals with underlying medical conditions and workers who are at an increased risk of infection, such as healthcare workers, teachers, and others.
This week, vaccination sites started offering shots in various locations, including college campuses and county health departments. For instance, both Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) and Florida State University (FSU) on Thursday had vaccine clinics offering Pfizer booster doses to those eligible.
But those colleges’ vaccine sites are only requiring forms for people to fill out attesting they are immunocompromised and proof of vaccination history showing they’d received Pfizer doses – raising concerns that people who aren’t eligible may have access to third doses because of less restrictions.
Doctors, pharmacies and clinics across the nation have been allowing patients to get third shots, without requiring proof of eligibility, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. The Biden administration had pushed to get more shots in arms to combat rising cases and the more transmissible Delta variant but sought approval from federal health authorities.
Last week, advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended a third shot for certain individuals at least six months after the completion of two doses of Pfizer vaccines, as some health experts pointed to waning effectiveness of the vaccines over time.
FAMU’s site that launched Wednesday hasn’t seen many visitors, said Tanya Tatum, director of the Student Health Services. She said in a phone conversation that eligible individuals seeking a third shot must complete a form “saying they meet certain criteria.”
“We’re not requiring proof [of health conditions],” Tatum said. “The whole idea at the beginning was to minimize the barriers. …We haven’t pushed it a lot,” though the site just opened, Tatum added.
At FSU, proof of vaccination history is a requirement for the boosters but not medical records showing any underlying health conditions, according to spokeswoman Amy Farnum-Patronis. “Students, faculty, and staff that meet the criteria above must bring documentation of their completed Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination series,” she said in an email to the Phoenix.
Forms that are accepted as documentation of COVID shots include a “CDC COVID-19 vaccination card, Florida SHOTS record, or other state or international vaccination records,” Farnum-Patronis said, adding that appointments aren’t required.
The Florida Department of Health has also begun administering booster shots through county health departments, such as Hillsborough and Marion counties.
Through the Hillsborough County health department, several sites offering booster shots in Tampa are available to those who have gotten Pfizer shots, said spokesman Kevin Watler. “There are also plans to open an additional location next week,” Watler said.
But the state health department isn’t requiring immunocompromised people to provide any documentation confirming health conditions, Watler said in an email to the Phoenix. “Only those who received Pfizer can receive a booster/third shot at this time,” he said.
Immunocompromised individuals may consult with their doctors whether they should get a third shot, according to a press release from the Marion health department. But they “can self-attest that they are immunocompromised and receive the additional dose wherever vaccines are offered” to ensure there are no additional barriers to access for this vulnerable population” receiving an additional dose.
Highs will be in the 90s with increasing cloud cover into the evening.
Isolated chances of rain are returning for our inland and southernmost counties.
Expect light showers to appear around lunchtime and in the evening.Most of us will stay dry on Thursday. On Friday the chances of bigger rains return.We are keeping an eye on two named storms in the Atlantic. It is still forecast that Sam will stay about 1,000 miles from Florida this weekend if he passes the state. In the meantime, Victor was to remain in the Mid-Atlantic for his entire lifespan.
See similar https://www.winknews.com/2021/09/30/isolated-rain-chances-return-today/
KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, Sept. 30, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – SmartBank, a subsidiary of SmartFinancial, Inc. (“SmartFinancial” or the “Company”; NASDAQ: SMBK), announces the hiring of two commercial relationship managers, Eric., known Davis and Ryan Pool in his office in Tallahassee, Florida. Following the recent announcement of its expansion into Alabama and the Gulf Coast region, the company is excited to continue its growth with two long-time, seasoned bankers to support its efforts in Tallahassee, Florida.
Eric Davis, formerly with Wells Fargo, will join SmartBank as Senior Vice President Commercial Relationship Manager. Davis brings over 15 years of commercial lending experience and is supported by Ryan Poole. Poole, formerly at Prime Meridian Bank and Capital City Bank, brings over 13 years of experience in commercial banking with him.
“We are excited to add two seasoned commercial banking professionals to our Tallahassee office,” said Billy Carroll, President & CEO of SmartBank. “This, coupled with our existing leadership position in the Tallahassee market, gives us the strength we need to build a solid foothold and drive our panhandle expansion further.”
In addition, the company announced the hiring of David Smith, former BBVA Vice President Dealer Commercial Services to create a new business unit for floor plan loans. Smith will be based in Birmingham, Alabama and will be supported by a team of three with over 60 years of combined merchant lending experience.
“Merchant lending is an excellent opportunity for our company to grow and, with David’s experience, we believe it will be a great addition to our commercial banking product mix,” said Carroll. “We are very excited to welcome David and his team with their decades of experience to our company and look forward to deploying their relationships and talent across our region.”
About SmartFinancial, Inc.
The story goes on
SmartFinancial, Inc., based in Knoxville, Tennessee, is the bank holding company for SmartBank. Founded in 2007, SmartBank is a full-service commercial bank with offices in Tennessee, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. Recruiting the best people, exceptional customer service, strategic offices and acquisitions, and a disciplined approach to lending have all contributed to SmartBank’s success. For more information on SmartFinancial, please visit its website: www.smartfinancialinc.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain statements based on management’s current beliefs or expectations about future events or future results that may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are not historical in nature and can generally be replaced by words such as “may”, “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “will”, “should”, “plan”, “estimate” , “Predict”, ”“ further ”and“ potentially ”or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results of SmartFinancial to differ materially from future results expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, (1) risks associated with our growth strategy, including failure to execute our growth plans or the inability to effectively manage our growth; (2) Claims and legal disputes arising from our business operations and from the companies we have acquired that may relate to contractual issues, environmental laws, fiduciary responsibility and other matters; (3) the risk that cost savings and revenue synergies from recent acquisitions may not be realized or may take longer than expected; (4) Interruption due to recently completed acquisitions with customers, suppliers, employees or other business relationships; (5) our ability to successfully integrate the businesses acquired through previous acquisitions with SmartBank’s business; (6) risks related to our recent acquisition of Sevier County Bancshares, Inc. (“SCB”); (7) the risk that the expected benefits from the proposed acquisition of SCB will not be realized in the expected timeframe; (8) changes in management’s plans for the future; (9) prevailing or changing economic or political conditions, especially in our market areas; (10) credit risk associated with our lending business; (11) changes in interest rates, credit demand, property value, or competition; (12) changes in accounting policies, guidelines, or guidelines; (13) changes in any applicable law, rule, or regulation, including changes in any law, regulation, or government policy or practice, as a result of or in response to COVID-19; (14) adverse results from any current or future litigation, regulatory review, or other legal and / or regulatory action, including as a result of Company participation in and execution of government programs related to the COVID-19 pandemic; (15) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the company’s assets, business, cash flows, financial condition, liquidity, prospects and results of operations; (16) potential increases in loan loss provisions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; and (17) other general competitive, economic, political and market factors, including those that affect our business, operations, prices, products or services. These and other factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in SmartFinancial’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8 – K, each filed with or transmitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and available on the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov). You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. SmartFinancial disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements in this press release that speak only as of the date of this release, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Investor contacts
William Y. (“Billy”) Carroll Jr.
President & Chief Executive Officer
SmartFinancial, Inc.
Email: billy.carroll@smartbank.com
Phone: 865.868.0613
Ron Gorczynski
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
SmartFinancial, Inc.
Email: ron.gorczynski@smartbank.com
Phone: 865.437.5724
Media contact
Kelley Fowler
Senior Vice President, Public Relations / Marketing
SmartFinancial, Inc.
Email: kelley.fowler@smartbank.com
Phone: 865.868.0611
NS. PETERSBURG – The city of St. Pete will no longer allow restaurants to hold tables in parking lots starting October 18.
What you need to know
Companies were informed last week that the program would end in mid-October
Bandit Coffee on Central Avenue launched a petition from change.org to try to rethink the city.
The city is considering a long-term solution, which, however, would not include the concrete barriers
More headlines in Pinellas County
City spokesman Ben Kirby said the concrete barriers marked “Restart St. Pete” will be removed later this month. These barriers were put up in front of nearly two dozen restaurants last year to allow more outdoor seating amid the pandemic.
Companies were informed last week that the program will end in mid-October and they will have to remove their tables.
The city sent polls to 914 downtown business owners in July asking for their opinions on the roadside tables. They received 18 responses and Kirby said 61% of these companies were unhappy with tables hindering parking.
Bandit Coffee on Central Avenue launched a petition from change.org to try to rethink the city. At the beginning of their petition it says: “The city has not asked or consulted small businesses or citizens for feedback on this measure. This is our chance to let them know how we feel. “
The owner of The Lure, also on Central Avenue, said the city hadn’t asked her for her opinion either. Or if they did, they never saw the email or notice.
“Just having fewer seats for people will definitely hurt our business a little. I mean, I’m grateful for what we have here, ”said owner Tom Golden.
Kirby said the city is considering a long-term solution, but that doesn’t address the specific barriers.
“We are currently working on a proposal for a long-term, permanent program that will include setting minimum design standards, annual permit fees and site criteria,” he wrote in an email to Spectrum Bay News 9.
Golden would definitely consider that, and he understands why some companies want extra parking back.
“There’s always the other side of the coin in any situation and there’s one in this,” he said.
Tables are still allowed on the sidewalk in various areas of the city center.
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GAINESVILLE, Florida (WCJB) – Gainesville City Commission candidate Cynthia Chestnut secured another major name promise in her bid for the vacant seat by Gail Johnson.
State representative Yvonne Hayes Hinson supports Chestnut. Previously, Johnson threw her support behind Chestnut.
The four other candidates running for the seat are Scherwin Henry, Matt Howland, Patrick Ingle and Gabe Kaimowitz.
The special election will take place on November 16.
TREND STORY: UF researchers develop new method of freezing lung tissue to study COVID-19
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from Daily Florida Press https://dailyfloridapress.com/rep-yvonne-hayes-hinson-gives-endorsement-to-gainesville-city-commission-nominee-cynthia-chestnut-known/
Inter Miami CF today, in partnership with Wendy’s, announced a series of free watch parties for the club’s four away games in October. Select Wendy’s restaurant locations will be converted into official Inter Miami Watch Party locations, with each restaurant having a giant LED screen to show the game and giveaways giving away tickets and signed team items. Each watch party opens 30 minutes before kick-off.
Watch parties for the club’s away games in October will take place on the following dates at the indicated Wendy’s restaurant locations:
The Broward Sheriff’s Office in South Florida has filed a sharply worded response to the ACLU’s complaint that it is violating a settlement agreement mandating COVID-19 protections for inmates at the Broward County Jail.
In a 24-page pleading filed this week in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, attorneys for the office, or the BSO, argued that it is complying with the agreement and that the ACLU Foundation of Florida brought its complaint solely to attract publicity and raise money.
“’No good deed goes unpunished’ is an overworn cliché. But it certainly is an apt one, here,” the office’s pleading says.
“Despite BSO’s best efforts to do the right thing, plaintiffs are determined to remain before this court. It matters not whether plaintiffs’ motive is self-aggrandizement or publicity or fear of irrelevance or padding their war chest. It only matters that both procedurally and substantively, plaintiffs are not entitled to the relief they seek.”
The ACLU and the Sullivan & Cromwell law firm, representing Disability Rights Florida on behalf of detainees, filed a motion on Sept. 21 asking U.S. District Judge William Dimitrouleas to enforce a consent decree — a court order enforcing the settlement agreement — approved in May and requiring Sheriff Gregory Tony and his office to implement COVID protocols.
It pointed to a surge in infections at the facility, rising from a single positive case among inmates as of July 18 to 129 by Sept. 20 — evidence, the ACLU organization argued, of insufficient testing, social distancing, and vaccinations.
The ACLU motion accuses Tony’s office of various infractions, including failure to test every new inmate upon arrival.
It alleges the jail doesn’t always test inmates showing COVID symptoms; is not segregating infected inmates away from noninfected ones; provides insufficient protective gear; fails to enforce social distancing; fails to provide COVID education to inmates; and fails to adequately monitor medically vulnerable inmates for COVID symptoms.
The sheriff’s office has acknowledged it began testing all new arrivals only in August, the ACLU motion says.
“And perhaps more troubling, BSO’s representation is patently false, according to their own data. For example, BSO reported that for the week ending Aug. 25, 2021, it had tested 173 detainees, but had admitted 499 new people to the jail during that same period, making it impossible that every newly admitted person was tested.”
Although officials did mount a vaccine drive in May, they don’t provide “prompt or repeated” access to vaccines, the ACLU motion says. It asks the judge to rectify the problem through steps including requiring provision of vaccines within 72 hours of a request; monthly vaccination drives with incentives for taking the shots; and mandatory education programs to encourage corrections officers to become vaccinated.
The ACLU motion places the vaccination rate among detainees at 28.2 percent. By contrast, the vaccine refusal and acceptance rates among inmates within the state prison system both are 45 percent, according to a Florida Department of Corrections survey cited by the inmates’ lawyers.
“Across the country, correctional facility staff have also exhibited an alarming degree of vaccine hesitancy,” the motion says. “Vaccine hesitancy among correctional facility staff makes it harder to prevent transmission from community spread and to protect detainees from infection.”
The document suggests requiring jail staff to be vaccinated and submit to regular testing.
The sheriff’s office opened its reply brief by complaining that the ACLU was attempting to rush the dispute to the courthouse by filing an emergency motion notwithstanding that the jail was complying with the consent decree.
That document required the ACLU to negotiate disputes with the office under strict timetables. Instead, the sheriff’s office argued, the organization ran to the judge.
“Plaintiffs somehow managed to cobble together and file their 43-page motion … less than a day after declaring an impasse. Sure they did. Plaintiffs had teed up their improper motion and were filing it irrespective of any conferral, because the ACLU was starved for publicity,” the rely brief says.
“Plaintiffs made no good faith effort to resolve their dispute with BSO before seeking this court’s intervention. And plaintiffs never intended any such effort, because resolution was not their end game. Self-aggrandizement/self-promotion, publicity, and maintaining the ACLU’s relevance post-settlement were. So here we are.”
The brief details areas in which the sheriff’s office insists it is complying with the consent decree, including testing of all incoming detainees and appropriate medical isolation for those testing positive for the coronavirus. The office offers commissary bags worth $25 as an inducement for detainees to take their shots. It put the number of those vaccinated at 1,700.
“Plaintiffs should be required to establish that BSO’s vaccination policy is deliberately indifferent to a serious risk of harm to plaintiffs,” the office argues.
“But plaintiffs are well-aware that BSO’s policy of free COVID vaccinations for all detainees who want them, together with the educational and vaccine encouragement efforts already unilaterally established by BSO … are not deliberately indifferent as a matter of law,” the motion says.
“So plaintiffs are left with creating the fiction that their demand for new terms really is nothing more than a modification. It is much more than that, and plaintiffs should be held to their required proof to get what they want,” the office concluded.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida (WTXL) – The Tallahassee Police Department and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare “Go Pink” for October in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
TPD turns pink all month long, from social media to the badges and patches that adorn officers’ uniforms to raise awareness and promote breast cancer education.
“Breast cancer is something I care deeply about after it occurred almost at home last year,” said Chief Lawrence Revell. “TPD is HERE for the community, not just to protect and serve, but to support initiatives like this that can have such an impact on those around us.”
Go Pink begins with a vehicle unveiling on October 1 at 9:30 am at TPD headquarters at 234 East Seventh Avenue.
Following the short program, there will be a pop-up shop with pink patches on the front steps of the TPD from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. to raise awareness and raise funds for research. The community is invited to stop by and purchase a pink patch for $ 10 by check or cash only.
Through this effort, TPD hopes to raise $ 45,000 to benefit local nonprofits and the American Cancer Society.
Since the Pink Patch promotion began late this summer, TPD has already raised nearly $ 4,000.
“The Tallahassee Memorial Cancer Team is delighted to be working with TPD again to help raise awareness of breast cancer through the Go Pink initiative,” said Kathy Brooks, administrator of oncology services at TMH. “Go Pink not only shows our support for breast cancer survivors and those still struggling, it also gives us an opportunity to educate our community about breast cancer signs and symptoms and the resources available locally. Early detection is key to fighting breast cancer. The more awareness we raise, the more lives we save. “
According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer at some point in their life. Many of these women live in our ward and are our family, friends, and neighbors.
Participants are asked to follow health safety guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which include social distancing and wearing a mask.
Conceived as a supermarket anchor 15 years ago, this large space in the Galleria Shoppes in Vanderbilt in northern Naples will soon accommodate at least three tenants. TIM ATEN / NAPLES FLORIDA WEEKLY
Q: Do you know what is being built on the premises of the Galleria Shoppes in Vanderbilt across from Primo Hoagies? It’s a big room. Thanks, I like the column.
– Mike Morrow, North Naples
A: Conceived as a supermarket anchor 15 years ago, this large space at 2355 Fontana Del Sol Way will soon accommodate at least three tenants.
True Fashionistas, a designer resale and consignment store, will consolidate its local brand there and take up most of the space. The two sliding glass doors in the middle of the inline room cover its 13,000 square meters. However, its T-shaped room leaves space for additional tenants in the front area on both sides.
The apparel and accessories business will move its three locations to Galleria Shoppes in Vanderbilt to serve as an anchor for the lifestyle center on the northwest corner of Vanderbilt Beach Road and Airport-Pulling Road in North Naples.
True Fashionistas Home is combined in a new, larger room with the True Fashionistas Designers Resale clothing store in Galleria Shoppes in Vanderbilt. PHOTOS WITH PROMOTION / TRUE FASHIONISTAS
If all goes as planned, true fashionistas will be relocated to their new digs east of Bokampers Sports Bar & Grill in late November or early December, said Jennifer Johnson, who co-owns the local business with husband Brad. They launched their pink hardhat campaign on social media this week to raise awareness about the construction project early on.
“We just want to start by educating our customers,” said Ms. Johnson. “We have really great plans. We will grow. “
True Fashionistas carefully buys and sells used branded clothing and accessories for women, men and children. The Johnsons started their local business at Galleria Shoppes in Vanderbilt in late 2010. “We have always been there,” she said.
In addition to their clothing store, the couple opened a furniture store, True Fashionistas Home, in the Shoppes at Vanderbilt three years ago, and they have a warehouse on Shirley Street in north Naples to store e-commerce goods. The new location will allow the Johnsons to consolidate their three separate operations. “This will put it all in one great deal,” said Mrs. Johnson. “After our move, we will be the largest lifestyle consignment warehouse in southwest Florida. It just worked. It’s kind of a dream. It’s a huge anchor shop. It’s a big deal. “
True Fashionistas opened in the Galleria Shoppes in Vanderbilt in northern Naples more than 10 years ago.
The Johnsons have no plans to close their other stores before opening the new one. “It will literally be in tandem,” said Mrs. Johnson.
True fashionistas should be able to start building next month. “I’m assuming it’s ready and I’m giving it to True Fashionistas by the end of October,” said Clayton Coleman, general contractor for the Shoppes at Vanderbilt.
Loose ends
Book retail space True Fashionistas in front of the building will be a real estate office and a possible restaurant.
True Fashionistas carefully buys and sells used branded clothing and accessories for women, men and children.
“We have another tenant who comes into the room next door. Stock Development will set up a showroom and sales center for their development on Vanderbilt Beach Road, ”said Coleman.
The Naples-based developer will move into the space directly east of the resale store. Stock will use its new storefront to market the 140 luxury residences envisaged in its One Naples project more than 3 miles west on Vanderbilt Beach Road. A Naples is said to have two 10-story residential towers and three mid-height residential buildings, each five stories high, near Vanderbilt Beach and across from the beachfront resort of Ritz-Carlton, Naples.
While Stock has already begun construction on its new space, about 3,500 square feet on the west side of the future true fashionistas are not yet leased, but the center hopes to build a restaurant there, Coleman said. They are also still negotiating with potential tenants for the two units that True Fashionistas will vacate.
Ax Lodge, which opened at 2371 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 704, in North Naples in August, features 10 ax throwers and a self-serve beer wall. TIM ATEN / NAPLES FLORIDA WEEKLY
past present Future
The future location of True Fashionistas was originally intended for the fresh market in 2006. The 19,700 square meter space was the perfect size for the grocery chain to anchor what was then called The Collection in Vanderbilt. But the grocer’s plans failed and the deal ended in legal battle. Then Ada’s Natural & Organic Foods Supermarket should open in autumn 2008 – then in spring 2009 – at the same location. Of course it didn’t. Both grocers and the center’s owners ended up suing and counterclaiming for construction delays and payment arrangements. The room remained empty for 15 years.
Since then, the mall’s owners have changed hands several times. The current owners plan to finally build on selected plots on the edge of the center that were not completed as originally planned.
Tim Aten Knows is published weekly in the Naples Florida Weekly. Mr. Aten is Senior Editor of Gulfshore Business Magazine. Email questions to TimAtenKnows@floridaweekly.com. Follow @TimAtenKnows on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
A 1.3 acre lot on the northeast corner of the development was originally planned for a 5,600-square-foot one-driveway waterfront, but it remained vacant and became the short-term location of the original farmers’ market in the center of a point. The weekly market was eventually moved to a more central location, but at this corner of Galleria Drive and Airport-Pulling Road there will soon finally be long-term activities.
A nearly 12,000-square-foot building with six retail units is planned for this pad location, Coleman said. “We should break the ground in the next few weeks or so,” he said.
The only other vacant lot in the Shoppes at Vanderbilt is also soon to be developed. Another multi-tenant retail building is planned on the property along Vanderbilt Beach Road between the CVS pharmacy and Synovus Bank. This place was originally supposed to be a Japanese steakhouse in Benihana when the center was built in 2007 and 2008, but the restaurant’s franchisee decided not to come to Naples. Plans show that 8,500 square meters with a 1,500 square meter courtyard were previously planned there. There might be a passage there now, said Mr. Coleman.
Another new store opened in the retail park just last month. Ax Lodge has 10 ax throwing lanes and a 12-tap self-serve beer wall. The shop between Ninja Japanese Steakhouse and Flaco’s Mexican Restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday. More information is available at theaxelodge.com. |
See similar https://bonitasprings.floridaweekly.com/articles/shoppes-at-vanderbilt-has-big-plans-in-north-naples/
Cuando covid-19 golpeó el año pasado, la compañía de Travis Warner se puso más ocupada que nunca. Instala sistemas de video e Internet, y con la gente repentinamente trabajando desde casa, las llamadas solicitando servicios aumentaron.
Warner y sus empleados tomaron precauciones como usar máscaras y distanciarse físicamente, pero ir a las casas de los clientes a diario significaba un alto riesgo de exposición a covid.
“Era como esquivar balas todas las semanas”, dijo Warner.
En junio de 2020, un empleado dio positivo. Eso decidió a Warner y a su esposa a hacerse la prueba.
Debido a la disponibilidad limitada de pruebas en ese momento, condujeron 30 minutos desde su casa en Dallas hasta una sala de emergencias independiente en Lewisville, Texas. Recibieron pruebas de diagnóstico por PCR y pruebas rápidas de antígenos.
Fue un gran alivio cuando todos los resultados dieron negativo, dijo Warner. Volvió entusiasmado al trabajo.
Hasta que llegó la factura.
El paciente: Travis Warner, de 36 años, quien trabaja por cuenta propia y compró la cobertura de Molina Healthcare fuera del mercado de seguros.
Servicio médico: dos pruebas de covid, una prueba de PCR de diagnóstico, que suele tardar unos días en procesarse y es bastante precisa, y una prueba rápida de antígenos, que es menos precisa pero produce resultados en minutos.
Factura total: $56,384, incluidos $54,000 por la prueba de PCR y el saldo de la prueba de antígeno y una tarifa de servicio de urgencias. La tarifa negociada de Molina para ambas pruebas y la tarifa de la instalación ascendió a $16,915.20, que la aseguradora pagó en su totalidad.
Proveedor de servicios: SignatureCare Emergency Center en Lewisville, una de las más de una docena de salas de emergencia independientes la empresa tiene en Texas.
Contexto: A lo largo de la pandemia, abundaron las historias de precios sorprendentemente altos para las pruebas de covid. Un informe reciente de una asociación comercial de seguros indicó que “el aumento excesivo de precios por parte de ciertos proveedores sigue siendo un problema generalizado”.
Pero la factura de PCR de Warner de $54,000 es casi ocho veces más alto que el cargo que hasta ahora se había reportado, de $7,000. Los expertos en políticas de salud que KHN entrevistó calificaron la factura de Warner de “astronómica” y “uno de los más tremendos” que habían visto.
Sin embargo, es perfectamente legal. Para las pruebas de covid, como muchas otras cosas en la atención médica estadounidense, no hay límite para lo que los proveedores pueden cobrar, explicó Loren Adler, directora asociada de la USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy.
Las pruebas para Covid han estado en una categoría especial. Cuando golpeó la pandemia, a los legisladores les preocupaba que la gente decidiera no hacerse las pruebas por temor a los costos.
Para los proveedores dentro de la red, las aseguradoras pueden negociar los precios de las pruebas, y para los proveedores fuera de la red, generalmente están obligados a pagar cualquier precio que los proveedores indiquen públicamente en sus sitios web. La sala de emergencias independiente estaba fuera de la red para el plan de Warner.
Expertos en salud dicen que, si bien la política estaba destinada a ayudar a los pacientes, sin querer les ha dado a los proveedores margen para cobrar precios arbitrarios, a veces absurdos, sabiendo que las aseguradoras deben pagar y que es poco probable que los pacientes, a quienes no se les facturará, se quejen.
“La gente va a cobrar lo que crea que pueda salirse con la suya”, dijo Niall Brennan, presidente y director ejecutivo del Health Care Cost Institute, una organización sin fines de lucro que estudia los precios de la atención médica. “Incluso una disposición perfectamente bien intencionada como ésta puede ser tergiversada por ciertos proveedores sin escrúpulos con fines nefastos”.
Un informe de KFF publicado a principios de este año encontró que los costos de las pruebas de covid en hospitales oscilaban entre $20 y $1,419, sin incluir los honorarios del médico o de las instalaciones, que a menudo pueden ser más altos que el costo de las pruebas en sí. Aproximadamente la mitad de los cargos por pruebas estaban por debajo de $200, señaló el informe, pero 1 de cada 5 superaba los $300.
“Observamos una amplia gama de precios para las pruebas de covid-19, incluso dentro del mismo sistema hospitalario”, escribieron los autores.
Siendo realistas, el costo de una prueba para covid debería ser de dos dígitos, dijo Brennan.
Medicare paga $100 por una prueba, y las pruebas caseras se venden por tan solo $24 por una prueba de antígeno o $119 por una prueba de PCR. El seguro de Warner cubrió el total de los gastos.
Pero las primas de las pólizas de seguro reflejan cuánto se paga a los proveedores. “Si la compañía de seguros está pagando sumas astronómicas de dinero por tu atención, eso significa a su vez que pagarás primas más altas”, dijo Adler.
Los contribuyentes, que subsidian los planes de seguros del mercado, también enfrentan una carga mayor cuando aumentan las primas. Incluso aquellos con cobertura médica patrocinada por el empleador sienten el dolor. Las investigaciones muestran que cada aumento de $1 en los costos de salud de un empleador está asociado con un recorte de $0.52 centavos en la compensación general de un empleado.
Incluso antes de la pandemia, la amplia gama de precios de los procedimientos comunes como las cesáreas y los análisis de sangre han estado elevando el costo de la atención médica, dijo Brennan. Estas discrepancias “ocurren todos los días, millones de veces al día”.
Resolución: cuando Warner vio que su aseguradora había pagado la factura, primero pensó: “Al menos no soy responsable de nada”.
Pero lo absurdo del cargo de $54,000 lo carcomía. Su esposa, a la que le habían hecho las mismas pruebas el mismo día en el mismo lugar, recibió una factura de $2,000. Ella tiene una póliza de una aseguradora diferente, que resolvió el reclamo por menos de $1,000.
Warner llamó a su aseguradora para ver si alguien podía explicar el cargo. Después de varias idas y vueltas con la sala de emergencias y la empresa de facturación, y varios meses de espera, recibió una carta. Dijeron que habían hecho una auditoria del reclamo y retirado el dinero que le habían pagado.
Cuando Warner vio que su aseguradora había pagado la cuenta por la factura de covid, primero pensó: “al menos no tengo que pagar nada yo”. Pero lo absurdo del gasto lo carcomía y comenzó a hacer llamadas telefónica(Laura Buckman for KHN)
En una declaración a KHN, un vocero de Molina Healthcare escribió: “Este asunto fue un error de facturación del proveedor que Molina identificó y corrigió”.
SignatureCare Emergency Centers, que emitió el cargo de $54,000, dijo que no haría comentarios sobre la factura de un paciente específico. Sin embargo, en un comunicado, dijo que su tasa de error de facturación es inferior al 2% y que tiene un “proceso de auditoría sólido” para identificar errores. En el punto álgido de la pandemia, las salas de emergencia de SignatureCare se enfrentaron a “demandas sin precedentes” y procesaron miles de registros al día, dijo la compañía.
En el sitio web de SignatureCare, el valor de la prueba de covid ahora es de $175.
Conclusión: las pruebas de Covid deberían ser gratuitas para los consumidores durante la emergencia de salud pública (actualmente se extiende hasta mediados de octubre y es probable que se renueve por 90 días adicionales). Warner le hizo un gran favor a su aseguradora al mirar detenidamente su factura, aunque no debiera nada de su bolsillo.
Se supone que las aseguradoras tienen sistemas que señalan los errores de facturación y evitan los pagos excesivos. Esto incluye los requisitos de autorización antes de que se presten los servicios y las auditorías después de que se presenten los reclamos.
Pero “hay una cuestión de qué tan bien funcionan”, dijo Adler. “En este caso, es una suerte que [Warner] lo haya notado”.
Al menos una estimación dice que entre el 3% y el 10% del gasto en atención médica se desperdicia en sobrepagos, incluidos los casos de fraude, despilfarro y abuso.
Desafortunadamente, eso significa que la responsabilidad suele recaer en el paciente.
Siempre debes leer tu factura con atención, dicen expertos. Si el costo parece inapropiado, llama a tu aseguradora y pídeles que lo verifiquen dos veces y que te lo expliquen.
No es tu trabajo, coinciden los expertos, pero a largo plazo, menos pagos en exceso te ahorrarán dinero a ti y a otros en el sistema de atención médica estadounidense.
Bill of the Month (la Cuenta del Mes) es una investigación colaborativa de KHN y NPRque analiza y explica facturas médicas. ¿Tienes una cuenta médica interesante que quieras compartir con nosotros? ¡Cuéntanos!
As the Tampa Bay Rays move into the postseason, the team plans to hand out yard signs and Rays swag to fans this weekend. The team also announced watch parties in Tampa and St. Petersburg when the Rays play away games during the playoffs October 10-11.
The Rays got the best record in the American League as well as the title in the American League East, which gave them the home advantage at least in the first two rounds of the playoffs.
To celebrate, the team is hosting Rays Up for Tampa Bay Drive-Thru events where fans can pick up a free Rays Up yard sign and postseason swag bag.
“We have events planned on both sides of the bay so that Rays fans can easily get in touch with us and show their pride in this exceptional team,” said Eric Weisberg, Ray’s vice president of Marketing and Creative Services. “We appreciate your support and look forward to continuing the tradition of the Tampa Bay Championship.”
At the beginning of the season, DJ Kitty met fans in a line of cars at the Rays fan festival “Drive to Opening Day” on March 27th. The team will be hosting another drive-thru event this weekend to hand out yard signs and team swag.[ JOHN PENDYGRAFT | Times ]
Saturday transit is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot next to the Florida Aquarium at 815 Channelside Drive in Tampa. On Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., fans can pick up the goods at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. Enter the parking lot from Third Avenue S on 10th Street S as recommended by the team.
Related: COLUMN: A rare team that gave Tampa Bay a reason to be happy
From Friday, free courtyard signs will be available in various visitor centers and at Rays partner locations while stocks last. Visit RaysBaseball.com/Postseason for details.
The Rays will host the first American League Division Series games at home. If the team is out, there will be free watch parties for Game 3 and 4 on October 10th and 11th at St. Pete Pier, 800 2nd Ave NE, St. Petersburg, and the Tampa Theater, 711 N Franklin Street. Tampa. The party times are based on the broadcast schedule.
The team will open the Rays Republic Team Store in Tropicana Field from Friday through October 14th. Any purchase of $ 150 or more includes a 2020 AL Champions Replica trophy.
Bars will also host watch parties. The Rays have some officially affiliated with the team, which you can find at mlb.com/rays/fans/watch-party.
In Ferg’s Sports Bar, the go-to place for Rays fans, there are watch parties for all Rays games at home and away. 1320 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg.
ALDS off-season schedule
7th-8th October: Games 1 and 2 take place at home on Tropicana Field.
October 10-11: away games
October 13: Tropicana field
15.-23. October: World Series games.
• • •
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GAINESVILLE, Florida. – A 17-year-old student at a Gainesville high school faces up to 15 years in prison after being accused of making bomb threats, according to the Alachua County sheriff.
Sheriff Clovis Watson Jr. announced Thursday that the student will be prosecuted as an adult after allegedly issuing bomb threats against Buchholz High School.
The teen, arrested two weeks ago, was charged with possession of cocaine, making false bomb threats, and using a two-way communication device to commit a crime.
“This is not a game. These are crimes and they will be treated as such,” Clovis wrote in a Facebook post. “In addition, the cost of reimbursement is required for the time, energy, money and assets used to investigate these incidents became.”
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Watson’s announcement comes as schools in the area received a spate of threats that resulted in bans at five schools.
MORE | Students are expelled and prosecuted after “threats, evacuations, vandalism” hit schools in Alachua
An Alachua County public school spokesman confirmed Thursday that, due to various types of threats, three evacuations at Buchholz High School, four at Newberry High School, one at Oak View Middle School, two at Gainesville High School and one at Eastside High School took place last week.
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Clovis said he met with representatives from the Gainesville Police Department, the University of Florida Police Department, the Santa Fe College Police Department, the High Springs Police Department, the Alachua Police Department, the Alachua County Education Department and the district attorney on Thursday, to talk about “terrorism,” shootings and other violent crimes that have hit our county hard recently and disrupted our students’ education. “
“We cannot and will not allow these criminals to hold our community hostage,” Clovis wrote in a message on Facebook.
The sheriff said he expected further arrests related to bomb threats at Newberry High School and Oak View Middle School soon.
“Students and parents should understand that decisions to engage in criminal activity, as illustrated in these recent cases, can affect and potentially ruin your life. For those who choose to pursue criminal and terrorist activity, I will devote the time, resources and energy necessary to successfully solve these types of crimes and prosecute them to the fullest extent possible, ”said Clovis. “To the public and to the leaders involved in our collective efforts to end the violence, I thank you for your commitment to join me in protecting and safeguarding our community.”
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Superintendent Dr. Carlee Simon also warned that violent legal remedies would be used for such behavior, saying that disciplinary action, including expulsion, has already been taken against students who were involved.
Copyright 2021 by WJXT News4Jax – All rights reserved.
MIAMI – Minneapolis Police are looking for a 26-year-old murder suspect who they believe may be in Miami or Boynton Beach.
Kevin Lamarr Mason faces two charges of second degree murder and possession of a gun or ammunition by someone convicted of a violent crime.
Authorities say Mason is wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of a man identified only as DC
Police said DC was fatally shot and killed in a church parking lot on June 11th.
Authorities released an earlier mug shot of Mason and said he had a cross tattoo under his left eye and “SUB” on his chest.
He also has distinctive tattoos on his neck, authorities said.
Anyone with information on Mason’s whereabouts is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Tips can also be submitted electronically at www.CrimeStoppersMN.org. All tips are anonymous.
Copyright 2021 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.
WASHINGTON — Eighteen months into the COVID-19 pandemic, state and local public health departments that were already struggling with too few workers and too little money have been pushed to the brink — and for some, beyond the brink.
“My staff is burnt out, overworked and underpaid,” Dr. Mysheika Roberts, health commissioner with the Columbus Public Health Department in Ohio, told U.S. House members on Wednesday. “Some are leaving the field entirely, unable to contribute any more to the work they once loved.”
“Simply put,” Roberts added, “their tank is empty.”
She and other public health officials from Kansas and Louisiana painted a bleak picture to the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis during a hearing on the challenges facing public health departments.
While some of those problems have intensified during the pandemic, such as harassment and vitriol from those who refuse to believe the science behind vaccines, other issues, like a lack of resources, have been mounting for decades.
Roberts described how an emergency-preparedness unit that once had 20 staffers was down to five by the time the pandemic hit. Staffers from across the public health agency, some whose jobs have little to do with infectious disease response, have been called into the all-hands-on-deck fight.
The result? Staff fatigue and early retirement, while those who remain on the job have faced harassment and challenges to the authority of public health agencies.
Anger over mask mandates
Officials from across the country told similar stories.
Dr. Jennifer Bacani McKenney, a health officer in the Wilson County Health Department in Kansas, said a local sheriff volunteered to escort her to her car after a public meeting on mask mandates, because he was worried about the angry residents who spoke at the meeting.
McKenney, who is still employed by the rural health department, said she was later told that her job would be opened up for applications because she focused “too much on health and science, and not enough on business.”
“Many of my colleagues have experienced worse harassment than me, by the general public and elected officials, but some have not been able to speak up for fear of retaliation,” McKenney told the committee.
Since the pandemic began, more than 300 state and local public health leaders have left their jobs, according to Dr. Beth Resnick, assistant dean at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health. That represents 1 in 5 Americans losing a public health official in their community.
McKinney attributed the decisions of many of those workers to the strain caused by the hostilities that her colleagues and others across the country have endured since the pandemic began.
“It’s because every day, they have to endure things like people lying to them about their close contacts or when their symptoms started,” she said. “It’s truly the personal effect of the way they’re putting their whole heart into everything that they’re doing to help people, only to get other people to, again, lie or yell or attack or shaming them in public for just trying to do their job.”
Resnick said she and her colleagues have identified at least 1,500 incidents in which public health workers have been attacked or harassed since the pandemic began. Half of local health departments they surveyed reported at least one incident of an attack or harassment, from protests to death threats to shots fired at their homes.
She urged members of Congress to establish a national reporting system for incidents of violence and harassment against public health workers, and for the federal Department of Justice to support state and local prosecutors in enforcing existing laws.
Consistent funding
Local health officials also called for more consistent, long-term funding for their agencies.
They expressed frustration with grants that may last only a year or two, and that are narrowly tailored to specific diseases or health challenges at that moment.
That system of funding makes it too difficult to retain talent within agencies that should be well-prepared to respond to a broad range of threats, they said.
“You can never build for the future if your funding is limited to the priorities of yesterday’s appropriations,” said Dr. Joseph Kanter, state health officer and medical director for Louisiana’s Department of Health.
Illustrating the scale of what health agencies are still grappling to contain, Kanter noted that Hurricane Ida resulted in 30 deaths in Louisiana. Since that storm made landfall, his state has tallied 1,541 deaths related to COVID-19.
We are keeping an eye on two named storms in the Atlantic. It is still forecast that Sam will stay about 1,000 miles from Florida this weekend if he passes the state. In the meantime, Victor was to remain in the Mid-Atlantic for his entire lifespan.
