Author: Jim Turner

Areas saturated by recent heavy rains might see flash flooding because of Tropical Storm Elsa, which could reach hurricane strength when it makes landfall early Wednesday on the Gulf Coast,  Gov. Ron DeSantis warned Tuesday. At 8 a.m., Elsa was west of Key West, about 240 miles south of Tampa, with maximum sustained winds of…

TALLAHASSEE — Florida is about to find out how much a week of sales-tax “freedom” translates into capitalism.
Starting Thursday, in what lawmakers dubbed “Freedom Week,” people will receive sales-tax breaks when they make a wide range of purchases that could help spur them to be more active after being limited by the coronavirus pandemic.
Shoppers from Thursday through July 7 will be able to avoid paying all or part of sales taxes on purchases such as grills; bicycles; fishing and camping gear; kayaks and canoes; tickets for concerts, movies and ball games; gym memberships; boxes of softballs and sleeves of tennis balls; and even sunscreen.

Apalachicola city commissioners worked to come to terms Tuesday evening with Gov. Ron DeSantis order Monday to suspend all local-government coronavirus emergency orders. The governor signed a bill that makes permanent his ban on COVID-19 vaccine “passports” and limits the authority of cities and counties in future health-care crises. “My message is that the vaccines…