📮Posted: July 18 - 24th

Hi there and welcome to Posted, a weekly news roundup keeping you posted (😉) on our ever-changing city and State.

We’re trying out a new schedule, so these newsletters will be delivered on Tuesday mornings for the next few weeks.

Below are some stories you might’ve missed last week:

1. Toxic Waste: Coming to a Road Near You – Waste from phosphate-based fertilizer could be used for road construction, thanks to House Bill 1191 signed into law by Gov. DeSantis at the end of June. The bill allows the State’s Department of Transportation to study the use of phosphogypsum in road construction, which has already been banned by the Environmental Protection Agency. The phosphate industry is hoping a study from Florida can revive its campaign to normalize its radioactive waste for other uses.
2. Whitewashing Black History – A revised Black History curriculum was approved last week by the Florida Board of Education. The revision was prompted by the passing of House Bill 7 last year and “woke indoctrination”. The new standards require curriculum for middle school students to include “how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit,” according to a document posted by the Florida Department of Education. Some Democratic State Legislators said the new curriculum distorts American history and encourages children to look for the bright side of slavery, which doesn’t exist.
3. Blocked Book Ban Attempt - A local parent tried to get ‘I am Billie Jean King’ removed from school libraries after her then 2nd grader brought home the book and questions about sexuality – the book mentions King identifies as gay. The parent said the book is inappropriate because it “discusses sexual orientation, a topic that is prohibited by Florida law”, but the Leon County School Board unanimously voted to keep the book on library shelves because books with "incidental references" to LGBTQ people are not prohibited and removing the book would "limit all students and families from accessing this material freely when it may only be objectionable to some families."
4. Tragic Shooting on Mission Road – Two adults were killed on Sunday at the Mission Hill Apartments. After finding the two dead women, Tallahassee Police Department detectives identified a suspect, who took his own life after fleeing to Alachua County.

That’s all we have for now! See you next week! Also, we're still looking for an editor & volunteers to help with the Community Calendar! If you’d like to contribute, just text us at 850-270-8440.