EASTER SUNDAY KEATON BEACH EASTER FUN DAY SERVICES FISHING REPORT AT CITY PARK Page A-4 Page A-5 Page A-7 75¢ Friday/ Saturday April 2-3, 2021 www.perrynewspapers.com Schools will scrap online TEC option After countless hours of the upcoming school year option even if the district training, pouring more than and that parents will have wished to continue the $233,000 into establishing two options when it comes program. the program and requiring to sending their children “I don’t anticipate the major adjustments for both to school: the traditional state even allowing it. Now students and teachers, the “brick and mortar” setting the state pays 100 percent Taylor County School or Florida Virtual School for a student in TEC. For District has announced its (FLVS). FLVS, the state only pays TEC (Taylor E-learning However, Superintendent around 65 percent. So, from Canvas) simply “was not of Schools Dr. Danny a budget perspective, it successful for our district.” Glover Jr. said that he will save the state a ton of What this means for local believes that offering TEC money.” students is that the program for local students next year ➟ Please see page 2 will be discontinued for would not have been an New HR manager, advertising and recruitment: Attorney releases school hiring recommendations The Tallahassee expanding the advertising its upcoming meeting attorney hired to review of open positions. Tuesday, April 6. the Taylor County School Attorney Holly Dincman, The 22-page District’s hiring and who is certified in labor report includes 10 recruitment procedures and employment law with recommendations for the has released an overview the Florida Bar and as a school board to implement, of her recommendations, Florida Certified Laborincluding: including expanding the Relations Professional • Create and fund a capabilities of the school through the Florida Public human resources specialist district’s human resources Employer Labor Relations or human resources (HR) department by Association, will share manager to support the establishing a new HR her completed report and director of personnel and manager position, setting a recommendations with ➟ Please see page 3 budget for recruitment and the school board during County to discuss Monday: The Easter Bunny came to Perry early, leaving all sorts of treats Mud bogs, body cameras for students at Taylor County Primary School Thursday. Easter egg hunts, holiday crafts and even a prize egg or two could be found throughout the campus. Easter break for students will extend from today (Friday) through Monday, April 5. Classes resume Tuesday. and city drops recreation The Taylor County with the commission law enforcement agencies Commission looks to have receiving bids on the against any individuals a full agenda for its next county’s request for engaged in non-violent civil regular meeting on Monday, proposal (RFP) for Taylor rights demonstrations.” The Limited parking plan April 5, with topics ranging County river entrance resolution and policy are from law enforcement light system maintenance required for the county to body cameras, seawalls services. continue receiving grants at Keaton Beach and the Capt. Buddy Lee with through the Community for public boat ramps city’s apparent decision to the Taylor County Sheriff’s Development Block Grant discontinue participating Office will discuss a body (CDBG) program. Limited right-of-way chosen based on a plan boat ramps in a year. in the recreation interlocal camera leasing agreement The commission will parking is now available developed by county staff The Taylor County agreement. with the commission. consider a construction and near the county-run in an effort to balance Commission closed all After several relatively County Grants Writer maintenance agreement boat ramps at Keaton safety and the need for county-run ramps on April short board meetings, the Melody Cox will speak with the Florida Department Beach, Steinhatchee and additional parking. This 2, 2020, in response to the commission’s agenda for with the commission about of Transportation (FDOT) Dark Island, but only in is the first time anycoronavirus right- (COVID-19) Monday includes 15 action adopting a resolution and Local Agency Program items. policy “prohibiting the designated areas. of-way parking has been ➟ Please see page 2 ➟ Please see page 3 The specific areas were legally available near the The meeting will begin use of excessive force by FDOT grant will pave Ellis Street The City of Perry has applied for a state grant to fund the resurfacing of Ellis Street located between City Hall and Rosehead Park in downtown Perry. At the city’s March 9 meeting, the city council voted 3-0 in favor of approving a resolution entering into a grant agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to repave Ellis Street from Center Street to Jefferson Street. The estimated $208,478 project will be funded through the FDOT’s Small County Outreach Program (SCOP), which will reimburse the city for the cost of designing, construction engineering and inspection of the .17 mile project. “We have done this multiple times in the past,” City Manager Taylor Brown said. “The city actively pursues these types of grants and has been pretty successful at getting them over the past several years.” Previous FDOT grants has helped the city fund the resurfacing of Green Street and Church Street. According to Brown, the city is expected to begin resurfacing Julia Street soon using funds awarded through a similar FDOT grant. “Now we are gearing up for Ellis Street, which is ➟ Please see page 2 Index One section 132nd Year, No. 14 Weather Religion .................. A-4 Looking Back ......... A-8 Friday 61˚ Saturday 68˚ Sunday 71˚ Sports ................... A-5 Entertainment ....... A-9 37˚ 38˚ 44˚ Community ........... A-7 Classifieds .......... A-11 A-2 Perry News-Herald April 2-3, 2021 RAMP Right-of-Way Boat Ramp Parking RAMP RAMP Keaton Beach Steinhatchee Dark Island Designated right-of-way parking available at boat ramps PARKING PLAN about possibly re-opening Pemberton (see page 2), available for parking. At the Feb. 23 workshop, roadways. certain right-of-ways for at Keaton, parking will be Under the county’s Dudley noted that the “The discussion at the Continued from page 1 parking. allowed along two stretches existing ordinances, the ordinance includes some Feb. 23 workshop ended outbreak. One month later, Then, at the board’s March of the west side of Keaton county administrator has the guidance on what the with Dudley stating staff on May 7, the commission 1 meeting, the commission Beach Drive. authority to regulate parking administrator should would continue to work voted 3-2 to re-open the voted unanimously to At Steinhatchee, right-of- on county right-of-ways, consider when allowing on the proposal to identify ramps, but in a separate rescind the amendment to its way parking will be allowed including the time and place or prohibiting right-of- which potential right-of-way unanimous vote, banned COVID-19 emergency order alongside the county-owned of parking. way parking, such as the parking locations would parking on the adjacent that banned right-of-way of property on Riverside Drive For roads with a speed condition and width of the work under the criteria. public right-of-ways to parking, effective April 1. across from the boat ramp, limit of 35 mph or less, right-of-way, volume of At the board’s March 1 both mitigate the associated According to County including the east side of parking is allowed unless traffic, safety of travelingmeeting, Commissioner safety concerns as well as to Administrator LaWanda First Street East, the south the administrator determines and parking vehicles and Michael Newman made limit the number of people Pemberton, that gave staff side of Central Avenue and it should be prohibited. frequency of parking. a motion to rescind the using the ramps. time to finalize their plan onthe west side of Second For roads with a speed of Dudley said he and Public emergency order banning At its Feb. 23 workshop, which right-of-ways will be Street East. more than 35 mph, parking Works Director Hank Evans all right-of-way parking the commission heard a open to parking. At Dark Island, a section is prohibited unless the took that language to develop effective April 1. Moody presentation from County According to a series of the north right-of-way administrator determines it a list of considerations to use seconded, and the measure Engineer Kenneth Dudley of maps provided by of Dark Island Road is should be allowed. when looking at particular passed unanimously. Glover: ‘Distance learning was not successful for our district’ ONLINE TEC OPTION and listened to our teachers “Several other districts for the TEC curriculum, devices,” District Finance TCMS Vice Principal as they have worked in the state have already • $49,360 for laptop cases Director Ashley Valentine Kasey Roberts was Continued from page 1 tirelessly to provide this decided not to offer it again to enable students to safely said. promoted to principal at the Glover said the decision additional instruction. The as well,” Glover added. take laptops home, Glover also announced site, however Glover has to discontinue TEC came bottom line is that distance The issue is likely to be • $10,638 for web filters on Thursday that the Taylor not announced who will after, “we have pulled data learning was not successful addressed during the school and security to monitor County School District will fill the open vice principal for these students, talked for our district and many board’s upcoming regular laptops off network, be receiving “a little over position. with teachers and parents, districts like us.” meeting on Tuesday, April • $20,474 to upgrade $4 million in CARES 2.0 Under “Personnel 6.