Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 4-3-20

Local
The Florida Sentinel To Temporarily Stop Printing Tuesday’s Paper
The President and Publisher have decided to tem- porarily stop printing the Florida Sentinel Bulletin on Tuesdays due to the sudden impact of the Corona virus Crisis. We have reached this decision after care- ful thought and consideration. We are taking this ac- tion in part to help keep our employees, drivers, and distributors as safe as possible as a result of the Coro- navirus and its effect on all aspects of the community.
Funerals
The funeral notices will continue as usual, with the exception of the deadline changing from Wednesday at 10 a.m. to Tuesday at 10 a.m. We also request that all Memoriams adhere to this deadline as well.
We are all experiencing conditions and situations that we have never faced before. But as a result of these changes, the size of the paper will increase and we will be able to provide more news by printing once a week.
Birthdays And Paid Items
We request that you submit your wedding, birth- day, anniversary, graduation, etc., at least one (1) week before you want it to appear in the paper.
The final Tuesday edition of the Sentinel published on Tuedsay, March 31, 2020.
Beginning next week, the Sentinel will publish once a week, on Wednesdays. Please get all of your news into our office as soon as possible. You can also make payments with debit or credit cards by telephone.
In keeping with the Safer-At-Home order, you can contact employees by email at:
GENERAL INFORMATION:
James Johnson at frontfsb@gmail.com
NEWS:
Mrs. Gwen Hayes --- ghayesfsb@gmail.com Ms. Iris Holton --- iholtonfsb@gmail.com
ADVERTISING:
Ms. Betty Dawkins --- bdawkinsfsb@gmail.com Ms. LaVora Edwards, Legal Notices & Classified Advertising --- ledwardsfsb@gmail.com Terry Clark --- tclarkfsb@gmail.com Tommie Wilson --- twilsonfsb@gmail.com
CIRCULATION:
Harold Adams --- hadamsfsb@gmail.com
Thank you for your support
THE MANAGEMENT
Commissioner Provides Fast Facts On ‘Safer-At-Home’ Order
With the fast-paced move- ment of information and ac- tions taken by the Emergency Policy Group, Commis- sioner Stacy White wants to ensure that the basic facts of the County’s Safer-At- Home Order are heard, loud and clear. There has been wide circulation of misinfor- mation about Hillsborough County’s COVID-19 response and in the wake of that, the commissioner is providing the following fast facts.
What Is The Emergency Policy Group (EPG)?
It is a group comprised of:
* Three County Commis- sioners: Chairman Miller, Vice-Chair Overman, and Commissioner Murman
* Mayor of Tampa
* Mayor of Plant City
* Vice Mayor of Temple
Terrace
* Sheriff
* Chair of the Hillsbor- ough County School Board
What Does The EPG Do?
They provide the emer- gency response policymaking during a declared State of Local Emergency. Most often they are convened in response to natural disasters, such as hurricanes, but they are cur- rently meeting for a COVID- 19 response. As of Thursday afternoon, they have put into place the Safer-At-Home Order.
What Does The Safer-At- Home Order Mean? This order was made to
STACY WHITE Hillsborough County Commissioner
encourage our residents to stay home whenever possible, in order to curb the spread of the virus. Here are some highlights:
* You can still do all these activities: shop for groceries, take care of relatives, walk your dogs, and exercise out- doors.
* All businesses can still operate, with a few caveats: they must observe the Centers for Disease Con- trol guidelines for mitigating the spread of COVID-19 and they must obey all State of Florida emergency orders.
* There is no curfew in place or lockdown of Hills- borough County
What About Essential Versus Non-Essential?
On the federal level, the Department of Homeland Se- curity has a list of industries
considered “essential” to the infrastructure of the United States. There has been some confusion over this term, so it’s important to note:
* Local governments can adopt this list during states of local emergency, if they choose.
* Important To Note: with the adoption of the Safer-At-Home Order, the EPG has not done this.
* What This Means: since the Safer-At-Home Order does not adopt the categoriza- tion of businesses as “essen- tial” and “non-essential,” any business can remain in oper- ation as long as they abide by the CDC Guidelines and State of Florida Emergency Orders.
As a healthcare profes- sional, Comm. White advo- cates for common sense prevention measures. “I agree with the basic, common sense measures, such as maintain- ing social distancing and fol- lowing public health guidelines regarding hand- washing and sanitation. I know this is a stressful time to everyone here in Hillsbor- ough County, but I just want to ensure everyone is aware of the key facts of the matter.
“As long as you’re careful and take precautions, you can still go grocery shopping, walk your dog, and operate your business. We’re all in this together and we will make it through this as a com- munity.”
PAGE 4-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2020