Festival Parade Marches on Although There Was South of the Intersection and Old Dixie Highway)

50¢ Friday/ Saturday September 4-5, 2020 www.perrynewspapers.com Festival parade marches on Although there was south of the intersection and Old Dixie Highway). organizers, they have Police Department to official parade route one initially some confusion (between Hampton Springs According to festival worked with the Perry develop a plan to end the block north of U.S. 27, over whether or not the at the intersection with Florida Forest Festival’s Maurice Linton Road, and “socially-distanced” King still have enough space Tree Parade would happen to provide an area to “de- this year, festival organizers stage” the various parade have confirmed they are entrants. moving forward with the “As we move forward event. in these uncertain times, The Perry City Council the Florida Forest Festival initially approved the Board of Directors wants festival board’s safety plan to thank the Perry City in a 3-2 vote, allowing Council and others in the them to hold the parade on community for having faith the city-owned portion of in us that we can hold a safe Jefferson Street north of the King Tree Parade this year,” intersection with U.S. 27. the Florida Forest Festival At a subsequent meeting, Board of Directors said in a the council voted 3-2 against statement provided to Perry assuming the liability of Newspapers, Inc. allowing the parade to The Florida Forest Festival Board of Directors is moving forward with plans to hold the annual “It is the primary goal of run along the state-owned King Tree Parade on Saturday, Oct. 24. Safety measures include providing “family viewing spaces” ➟ Please see page 9 portion of Jefferson Street in order to maintain required social distancing. 10th death attributed to COVID The number of deaths immediate neighbors, disease include: • 79-year-old male, Aug. coronavirus was reported 1,215 positive cases. Of attributed to the ongoing Madison has reported 16 • 78-year-old female, 20. in Taylor County in those, 681 were inmates at coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths associated with June 5; Since the first case of April, there have been TCI. outbreak has jumped to 10 coronavirus, followed by • 71-year-old male, July in Taylor County. Lafayette County with 10, 14; Although the four most Jefferson County with six • 91-year-old female, recent deaths were all and Dixie County with July 14; reported this week, the four. • 62-year-old male, July State dumps Quest positive test dates actually DOH has reported there 22; occurred back in early or have been two deaths among • 69-year-old female, The Florida Department nearly 75,000 “stale” positive cases reported mid-August, according to the inmate population Aug. 3; of Health (DOH) and COVID-19 test results. August 31, according to a information provided by at Taylor Correctional • 88-year-old male, Aug. Florida Division of The mass reporting press release issued by the the Florida Department of Institution (TCI) attributed 6; Emergency Management of tests, some of which state. Health (DOH). to COVID-19. • 75-year-old male, Aug. (FDEM) severed all ties dated as far back as “Quest’s failure to report Those who have died The individual 7; with Quest Diagnostics April, resulted in an nearly 75,000 results range in age from 68 to 92, information provided • 92-year-old female, Tuesday after discovering “unacceptable dump” on dating back to April means and include four women by DOH on the Taylor Aug. 8; the nationwide clinical the DOH’s coronavirus ➟ Please see page 2 and six men. County residents who have • 68-year-old male, Aug. laboratory failed to report dashboard, skewing the Among Taylor County’s reportedly died due to the 18; and On salary, laptop cases, online platform, mental health, cleaning supplies: Schools spend $470,000 in CARES funds The Taylor County The district received a of the allocation. and programs related to newly-established digital • $27,000 for laptop School District spent more $900,000 allocation under The remaining $800,000 the new Taylor E-Learning learning coordinator; cases; than $470,000 in the weeks the federal Coronavirus was utilized by the local Canvas (TEC) digital • $60,000 for mental • $26,364 for the new leading up to the start of Aid, Relief, and Economic school district to purchase learning platform. health contract support; Canvas program; the 2020-21 school year Security (CARES) Act to hand sanitizer stations, The largest local • $49,360 for laptop • $22,304 for hand as it prepared to adhere to address safety concerns. cleaning supplies, masks, expenditures of CARES cases; sanitizer and stations; health and safety guidelines Based on requirements in personal protective dollars include: • $48,619 for plexiglass; • $20,474 for student dictated by the COVID-19 the CARES Act, private equipment (PPE) and a • $92,730 to cover the • $43,105 for various ➟ pandemic. schools received $100,000 wide range of equipment salary and benefits for thecleaning supplies; Please see page 3 County’s ﬁrst budget hearing set Tuesday The Taylor County commission is putting its reserves. Commission will hold the nearly all of that additional ➟ Please see page 9 first of two public hearingsmoney -- $819,000 -- into on the county’s 2020-21 budget on Tuesday, Sept. 8. One week into school year: Based on the proposed property tax millage rates City council members were split on whether or not to resume in-person approved by the board in 5 students, 2 staff meetings rather than continuing to meet via Zoom video-conference. July, the commission is expected to keep tax rates level with the current year. positive with COVID City rejects in-person meetings Due to an increase in the county’s property values -- Just one week into the new school year, the Taylor mostly in tangible personal County School District is reporting a low number of City Council to meet online property -- the county is positive COVID-19 cases for both staff and students. expecting to receive nearly The school district’s coronavirus dashboard, which The Perry City Council the city’s Aug. 25 meeting, recommendations $1 million in additional posts daily updates regarding the number of positive will continue to hold the council reviewed presented by Brown was a revenue next year. cases and quarantined students and staff in the district, “virtual” online meetings and discussed a list of possible return to in-person However, due to the shows the following as of Wednesday, Sept. 2: for now, after a majority of recommendations from meetings rather than the uncertainty over the • Taylor County Primary School: no positive staff the city’s elected officials City Manager Taylor council continuing to meet impacts the coronavirus members or students; one quarantined staff; and two rejected a proposal to return Brown related to the city’s remotely via Zoom video- (COVID-19) outbreak quarantined students. to in-person meetings last Emergency COVID-19 conference or telephone will have on other local • Taylor County Elementary School: one positive week. response plan. ➟ Please see page 2 revenues, including sales, ➟ Please see page 9 Near the conclusion of One of the gas and bed taxes, the Index Two sections 131st Year, No. 35 Weather Friday Saturday Sunday Looking Back ......... A-4 Sports .................... A-8 94˚ 96˚ 90˚ Religion .................. A-5 Entertainment ...... A-10 75˚ 74˚ 75˚ Community ............ A-7 Classiﬁeds .......... A-11 10% 30% 70% A-2 Perry News-Herald September 4-5, 2020 Council was divided 3-2 over virtual meeting issue CITY COUNCIL while three supported Zoom, but those who feel because I have underlying as quickly as I would have outbreak that could force continuing to meet remotely safe can go back to meeting conditions, I have to speak hoped. a large-scale quarantine or Continued from page 1 via Zoom video-conference in person in the council up for myself here. So if we “Right now it is still a little interruption in services. call. or by telephone call-in. room.” can, I would like to have too early. The numbers are Brown and City Public “With the mask ordinance “I can vote on staying “I would like to go meetings with me being able too high, and I am against Works Director Chester in place, we could modify with Zoom meetings, back to live meetings, to call in,” Hampton added. in-person meetings because McAfee explained that the council chamber and especially after the socialfiasco distance, separate “My wife (School Board there is not enough room the policy was necessary remove some seats to at the school board meeting and minimize contact,” Attorney Angela Ball) had to for us to space out correctly due to the small number limit the number of public last week where multiple Mayor Alan Hall said. go get an emergency test last up there,” Councilwoman of city employees in each citizens who could attend people came after testing “We (city council) are the Friday night after the school Venita Woodfaulk stated. department, adding that a so we maintain social positive (for COVID-19) only governing board in board meeting a week ago “Maybe by October.” COVID-19 positive case distance, as well as set up and had an adverse impact,” the county not conducting today,” Deming said. “As The city council did could potentially shut down a remote listening area Councilman Mike Deming live meetings in person I good as I have been about not take any action on the city utility services if several where the public could also said. “I would like to stay believe.” staying home, it could have recommendation, but Brown employees within the water, participate,” Brown said.

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