Page 6 - Florida Sentinel 5-14-21

Political
Gas Shortages Not Expected In Central Florida
GAS MAP
Gov. DeSantis Expands Private School Voucher Program
Despite the fact that Gov- ernor Ron DeSantis has declared a State of Emer- gency in Florida, there is not a gas shortage in Central Florida. Drivers are encour- aged not to panic.
The shortage came about last week after a ransome- ware attack was discovered on the Colonial Pipeline.
Russian Hackers known as Darkside, are believed to be responsible.
The Pipeline delivers s 45 percent of the East Coast’s fuel supply and has left con- sumers on edge.
"Since Colonial supplies the terminals every five days, and we’re now on day five of this shutdown, the terminal has started to run out of gasoline and as a result, many gas sta-
tions in the affected area are out of gasoline," said oil ex- pert Andrew Lipow, the president of Lipow Oil Asso- ciates.
GasBuddy.com’s lead pe- troleum analyst Patrick de Haan says Florida is not ex- empt – but it’s mostly north Florida and neighbors.
"So far in Florida, about 2.6 percent of gas stations are out of fuel. Most of the sta- tions that are out are in Mo- bile, Pensacola, that area. And also Tallahassee and Thomasville," de Haan said. "About 50 percent of stations in Mobile and Pensacola are out of fuel, and about 33 per- cent now in Tallahassee."
Those are cities that they expected a shortage in, he said.
visited Christ the King Catholic School in Jacksonville for a bill signing.
“We’re going on offense. We’re going to expand choice. We’re not going to be happy with the current amount of choice. We went on offense at the beginning of the school year by making sure all our schools were open,” DeSantis said.
The law takes effect July 1 and combines three existing voucher programs, two that provide vouchers for students with disabilities and a third that assists low-income fami- lies, into one program.
It also raises the income threshold to be eligible for vouchers from 260% of the federal poverty level to 375%, or from $68,900 for a family of four to $99,375.
It also expands how the money can be spent beyond tu- ition, such as transportation, instructional materials, fees for national standard achieve- ment tests and private tutor- ing.
The current law only allows students enrolled in public school to apply for vouchers. The new law will allow chil- dren who have been home schooled to also apply.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida’s school voucher pro- gram will be significantly ex- panded after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Tuesday that increases eligibil- ity to attend private schools at public expense.
The bill (House Bill 7045) is projected to allow more than 60,000 previously ineligible students to seek vouchers. The cost to the state will be an esti- mated $200 million.
DeSantis held a bill signing ceremony at a Miami-Dade County Catholic school sur- rounded by students in uni- forms. He said the expansion will give parents more choices on where to send their children to school.
“Obviously, wealthy parents have the world as their oyster. They can make whatever deci- sions they want,” DeSantis said. “But when you talk about low-income families, working families -- they may not have the luxury of being able to get their kid in the school of their choice without our assistance.” Later in the day, DeSantis
On Tuesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stopped by Christ the King Catholic School in Jacksonville to sign House Bill 7045.
Florida Reports 2,296 Coronavirus Infections, 52 Resident Fatalities
Florida’s resident death toll from coronavirus rose to 35,783 with the addition of 52 more reported fatalities on Monday while also adding 2,296 more cases to bring the total to 2,272,102.
With 715 non-Florida resi- dent deaths, including one re- ported Monday, the state’s combined total stands at 36,498. Each report includes deaths from several previous
VACCINATIONS
days, as it can take weeks and
sometimes several months for reports to appear.
New cases have continued to decline for the states with the highest number of cases per 100,000 people, including Florida, according to the latest White House report dated Sunday.
Florida had 126 new cases per 100,000 from May 2 to 8, a 21% reduction compared to the seven days before that.
Obamas Mourn Death Of Beloved 'First Dog' Bo
In a string of heartfelt tweets on Saturday, former Presi- dent Barack Obama an- nounced the death of his family's beloved "first dog" Bo.
"Today our family lost a true friend and loyal companion. For more than a decade, Bo was a constant, gentle presence in our lives—happy to see us on our good days, our bad days, and every day in between," Obama wrote.
Thousands responded im- mediately with condolences and pictures of their own dogs. Former first lady Michelle Obama took to Instagram to make her own announcement.
"This afternoon was a diffi- cult one for our family. We said
BARACK OBAMA AND BO
goodbye to our best friend— our dog, Bo—after a battle with cancer," began her thoughtful post.
"For more than a decade, Bo was a constant, comforting presence in our lives. He was there when the girls came home from school, greeting them with a wag. He was there when Barack and I needed a break, sauntering into one of our offices like he owned the place, a ball clamped firmly in his teeth," she wrote. "He was there when we flew on Air Force One, when tens of thou- sands flocked to the South Lawn for the Easter Egg Roll, and when the Pope came to visit. And when our lives slowed down, he was there, too—helping us see the girls off to college and adjust to life as empty nesters."
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