Tag: Tampa

Florida Issues 2,265 New Recruit Police Bonuses So Far, 668 from Out of State

The Center Square

More than 2,200 new recruits to Florida law enforcement agencies have been awarded bonuses through a new program launched last year, with those moving to Florida from 48 states and two U.S. territories.

Florida was the first state to launch such a recruitment program last year and has since issued over 2,265 bonuses. Florida’s Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Program awarded more than $15 million bonuses officers in fiscal 2022. The $5,000 bonus includes a $1,694 payment to cover federal income taxes so the net each receives remains $5,000. Florida does not assess an individual income tax. Each new recruit receives a gross bonus of $6,694.

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Florida School Board Implements Sex Ed Curriculum for 12-Year-Olds, Despite Parent Pushback

Florida Capital Star Staff

A Florida school board approved a new sexual education curriculum that teaches 12-year-olds about the purpose of condoms, despite push back from parents.

The Hillsborough School Board in Tampa, Florida, voted 5-2 Tuesday to implement a new sexual education curriculum for seventh graders. Parents pushed back against the proposed curriculum, saying the lesson plans are sourced by Planned Parenthood documents, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

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Biden and Fried Approve Tampa Christian School’s Lunch Money Application After Lawsuit

Florida Capital Star Staff

The Biden administration and Florida Democratic Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried approved the lunch money application for Grant Park Christian Academy in Tampa just days after the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Christian school.

The school was being denied children’s lunch funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National School Lunch Program, which Fried administers. The program benefitted 56 low-income children at the Christian school by providing them with free meals.

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Buyers Need 40 Percent More Income to Buy a Home in Top Metro Areas: Report

The Center Square

Demand for homes in certain areas of the country has caused supply to dwindle, prices to skyrocket and buyers needing nearly 50% more income than they would have last year to even enter top markets, according to a report by the real estate brokerage firm, Redfin.

“Housing is significantly less affordable than it was a year ago because the surge in housing costs has far outpaced the increase in wages, meaning many Americans are now priced out of homeownership,” Redfin Deputy Chief Economist Taylor Marr said.

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Governor DeSantis Announces $20 Million Grant to Help Students Obtain Credentials in Cybersecurity

Kaitlin Housler

Governor Ron DeSantis hosted a news conference on the USF Tampa campus Wednesday to announce a $20 million grant from the Florida Department of Education to Cyber Florida at USF to “strengthen the state’s ability to fill high-demand careers in cybersecurity and information technology (IT).”

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Tampa Mayor Says Maskless Super Bowl Revellers ‘Will Be Identified’; ‘Handled’ by Police

Florida Capital Star Staff

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor on Monday referred to maskless Super Bowl revellers as “bad actors,” and vowed that they will be identified by law enforcement and dealt with.

In late January, the Democrat mayor extended the city’s mask mandate, requiring face coverings outdoors until Feb. 13. The ordinance was designed to show that Tampa “takes this pandemic seriously.”

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