Staff Reports
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
The Florida Sheriff’s Association (FSA) announced a new leadership team for 2021-2022.
Leading the group as president will be Levy County Sheriff Bobby McCallum. McCallum has spent 30 years working in the Levy County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the 8th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office.
“As president of the Florida Sheriffs Association, I look forward to working with our incredible leadership throughout the great state of Florida and our strong nation,” McCallum said in a written news release.
As president of the FSA, McCallum will preside over the association and work with the staff and board of directors to guide the efforts and direction of FSA and its 67 sheriffs. In his role as sheriff of Levy County, McCallum said his focus is on quality of life for residents.
“Proactively addressing public safety concerns while maintaining a wonderful quality of life for our residents has been my priority,” McCallum said.
Other FSA board appointments are Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis as vice president, Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper as secretary, Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell as treasurer.
Current FSA President Gilchrist County Sheriff Bobby Shultz will serve as the most recent past president.
Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma will serve as chair of the board, and Marion County Sheriff Bill Woods will be vice-chair.
The nonprofit was founded in 1893, but this year FSA members are celebrating 200 years of the Office of Sheriff in Florida.
“As we celebrate 200 years of the Office of Sheriff serving Florida, we understand that each of our communities is unique, and we take great pride in working together as a team, so our residents and visitors are safe and happy,” McCallum said.
Evening Reads
“Why not both?” via Katherine J. Wu of The Atlantic
“Something strange is happening in Britain. COVID cases are plummeting instead of soaring.” via Karla Adam and William Booth of The Washington Post
“The secret source who helped fuel Donald Trump’s big lie” via Mike Giglio of The New Yorker
“Cops at the schoolyard gate” via Kristin Henning of Vox
“Tick, tick, tick: athletes’ grueling wait for an Olympic moment” via John Branch of The New York Times
“Was the Olympic skateboarding really as unimpressive as it seemed?” via Christina Cauterucci of Slate
“Black TikTok creators grapple with how far to take strike: ‘Why should we have to leave?’” via J. Clara Chan of The Hollywood Reporter
“Where Marjorie Taylor Greene’s false claim about COVID-19 and obesity came from” via Kaleigh Rogers of FiveThirtyEight
“He wrote a gardening column. He ended up documenting climate change.” via Zach St. George of The New York Times
“Gov. Ron DeSantis wins again in legal battle over COVID protocols on cruise ships, but storm clouds are on the horizon” via Michael Moline of the Florida Phoenix
“A 20-foot sea wall won’t save Miami — how living structures can help protect the coast and keep the paradise vibe” via Landolf Rhode-Barbarigos and Brian Haus for The Conversation
Quote of the Day
“While some may want to stick their head in the sand and pretend that this pandemic is over or even worse, that this is just a seasonal virus that will go away, we are very much still in the middle of a major public health crisis in our state, in our nation, and in the global community.” — Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, criticizing Ron DeSantis’ COVID-19 response.
Bill Day’s Latest
Breakthrough Insights
