Author
We’ve lost another lion in FL: Sam Bell
We’ve lost another lion. Former State Rep. Sam Bell, a ferocious leader who fought for funds to help Florida’s children, died Tuesday in Tampa. Bell’s wife, former Education Commissioner Betty Castor, said Bell’s death was caused by kidney stones but was quite unexpected. Bell was 83 and served in the Florida House from 1974 to 1988. […]
We are losing our lions, the men and women who have given much of themselves to Florida
We are losing our lions, the people who have been Florida leaders for a long time. One by one we are losing a generation of the men and women who helped Florida become a decent place to live. The men and women who have given much of themselves to Florida and its well-being are leaving […]
‘We could save a lot of money if we got rid of the FL House and Senate altogether’
I’m wondering what happened to the Florida Legislature. I’ve kept up on happenings in the state Capitol over the years, and usually, lawmakers seemed to have brains and the guts to take action and solve the state’s problems. Now they merely bow down to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and do his bidding. We could save […]
Extraordinary FL women: Two sisters stronger than most men, and it’s hard to believe they’re gone
They were two of the strongest women I ever knew, stronger than most of the men, too. Janet Reno and her sister, Maggy Hurchalla, are both gone. Maggy, 81, died Saturday of complications that arose after a second round of hip replacement surgery. Reno died at 78 in 2016, after several years of declining health […]
Craig Waters honored for groundbreaking changes that opened the FL Supreme Court to the world
When Craig Waters took a job as a staff attorney for Supreme Court Justice Rosemary Barkett some 35 years ago, the court was struggling to recover from a series of scandals that saw three justices threatened with impeachment. One of their number died while a fugitive from drug smuggling charges. It was a court struggling […]
Hacked: It felt like we were in Password Hell, among other troubles
Hacked. I write as a warning to those who use the internet – and hope it helps some of you avoid the trouble we’ve had over the past two months. I was recently trying to make an HP printer work. It was almost new, but refusing to print anything after I put in a new ink cartridge. […]
In the volatile summer of 1966, young reporter Lucy Morgan met M. L. King Jr. in Grenada, Miss.
Watching the nation’s political figures react to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday this week reminds me of the day I met King and the many messages of that day. It happened in the summer of 1966, when I was just a year into a career as a reporter. I happened to be visiting relatives in […]
Late prisons chief was linked to legal precedents boosting defendants’ rights
His name appears in two of Florida’s most notable court decisions protecting the rights of prison inmates. But Louie Wainwright dedicated much of his life to running Florida prisons. His death at 98 on Dec. 23 in Tallahassee was announced recently by officials at the Department of Corrections. Wainwright was the head of the department […]
Carrie Meek spoke with the soft voice of a young girl — but you’d be wrong to treat her like one
Nothing shy about her. Carrie Meek, the legendary Florida office holder who died Sunday at 95 in her Miami home after a long illness, was a joy to be around. And she never met a stranger. She spoke with the soft voice of a young girl, but you would make a mistake if you tried […]
The demise of a notable law firm in Florida’s capital: The end of an era and a sad time
Tallahassee is a town that will always be full of lawyers. The presence of state government offices and the Florida Legislature requires a lot of watching from good legal minds. But there is not likely to ever be another law firm that will replace the notable firm started more than 40 years ago by former […]
FSU’s Askew School adopts rules forbidding unwanted sexual attention between students and faculty
Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part story about sexual harassment and misconduct allegations between a professor and female students and faculty during a period of more than 30 years at Florida State University. The professor resigned last year. TALLAHASSEE — Florida State University has launched a university-wide effort to address handling of sexual harassment […]
Former FSU grad student comes forward about professor’s unwanted touching: ‘I was petrified’
Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part story about sexual harassment and misconduct allegations between a professor and female students and faculty during a period of more than 30 years at Florida State University. The professor resigned last year. TALLAHASSEE — It was supposed to be a happy day. Claire Connolly had earned a master’s […]