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Oyster Radio
Great radio from the Apalachicola Bay in North Florida
Friday, January 27, 2023
Franklin- Sea Turtle Release!
Franklin County Commissioner Ricky Jones elected Chair of Apalachee Regional Planning Council
Tallahassee, Florida, January 27, 2023 - The Apalachee Regional Planning Council (ARPC) has unanimously selected Franklin County Commissioner Ricky Jones as chair of its 24-member Board.
ARPC is one of 10 regional planning councils in the state. Established in 1977, the Council is a regional convener and provides technical assistance in the program areas of economic/community development, emergency planning, transportation, housing, and resiliency. The Apalachee Region consists of Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, and Wakulla counties and their municipalities.
Commissioner Jones was first appointed to the Apalachee Regional Planning Council Board in 2017. His drive and determination to facilitate regional collaboration continues to be a defining asset to the Council, and the Region as a whole. “I am honored to serve as ARPC Chair and look forward to continued collaboration on behalf of the Apalachee Region.”
In January of 2020, the ARPC elected Commissioner Jones as Vice Chair under the leadership of Leon County Commissioner Kristin Dozier. “It was a pleasure to serve as Chair of the ARPC Board alongside Commissioner Jones. He demonstrated great thoughtfulness and innovation in the position, and I am confident that Commissioner Jones will continue to provide excellent leadership in his new role as ARPC Chair.”
In addition, the ARPC Board unanimously selected Jackson County Commissioner Jim Peacock as Vice-Chair, and Tallahassee City Commissioner Jack Porter as Secretary/Treasurer. Commissioner Peacock has served on the board since 2016, and Commissioner Porter was first appointed to the board in 2021.
St. George Island is getting closer to having a new playground at the public beach area
The old playground was torn down last year because it was no longer safe to use, so now the county is replacing it with new equipment.
The new playground will not only be safer, but will also be more accessible to children with mobility issues.
The new playground will include a larger play structure for children ages 5-12, a smaller companion structure with integrated shade for children ages 2-5, two independent surface mounted spinner pieces, and approximately 2800 square feet of inclusive turf surfacing.
There will also be a picnic pavilion, landscaping and low-voltage security lighting.
Unfortunately, there won’t be enough space for swings, though a smaller swing set might be placed to the west of the playground.
The equipment is made in America and includes hot dipped galvanized, aluminum, and high-quality PVC components all upgraded for coastal conditions.
The equipment and installation will cost about 288 thousand dollars which will be paid through a state grant, along with money from the St. George Island Civic Club and the Franklin County Tourist Development Council.
Franklin County’s legislative delegation will be in town on January 31st to hear from the public and from local government representatives
Franklin County’s legislative delegation will be in town on January
31st to hear from the public and from local government representatives.
The delegation includes state representative Jason Shoaf and State
Senator Cory Simon.
The hearings are a chance for the public to bring up items that the
legislature might be able to address during the next legislative session.
The hearings also offer a chance for local officials to request state
money for local projects.
The Franklin County Legislative Delegation hearing will begin at 11AM
at the Franklin County Courthouse Annex in Apalachicola.
The 2023 Regular session of the Florida Legislature is scheduled to
convene on March the 7th in Tallahassee.
Florida strawberries are grown all over, a new discovery in corn, and more UF/IFAS news
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For the week beginning January 23, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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