Regional

Hospitals told to go to DOH for vaccines

TALLAHASSEE — With frustrations mounting amid a constrained supply of covid-19 vaccines, Florida’s top public-health official urged hospital executives on Tuesday to turn to county health departments if they need to vaccinate newly hired staff members and patients.

Guardian ad Litem program draws scrutiny

  TALLAHASSEE — The head of Florida’s guardian ad litem program defended the agency’s efforts Tuesday to a Senate committee, following a report that said the organization’s funding has increased while the number of children it represents has dropped.

Dunn receives A+ pro-life rating

WASHINGTON — Neal Dunn couldn’t do any better — at least not when it comes to pro-life legislation — according to a national advocacy group. Dunn, the Republican representative from Florida’s Second District, which includes Columbia and Suwannee counties, received an A+ rating from the Susan B.

State bill offers businesses protection vs. covid lawsuits

TALLAHASSEE — Florida businesses would be protected from coronavirus lawsuits if they made a good effort to follow state-issued guidelines to prevent the spread of covid-19 under a proposal approved Monday at its first Senate committee stop. While Republican Gov.

Senators favor collecting online taxes

TALLAHASSEE — A proposal that could pump more than $600 million a year in tax dollars into coronavirus-damaged state and local coffers got off to a quick start Monday in the Florida Senate.

DeSantis requests feds send more covid-19 vaccines

MIAMI — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says the flow of covid-19 vaccines has been stagnant and the state needs more to meet the increasing demand from residents.

Impeachment case against Trump sent to Senate

WASHINGTON — House Democrats delivered the impeachment case against Donald Trump to the Senate late Monday for the start of his historic trial, but Republican senators were easing off their criticism of the former president and shunning calls to convict him over the deadly siege at the U.S. Capitol.

Trump impeachment trial set for early Feb. start

WASHINGTON — Opening arguments in the Senate impeachment trial for Donald Trump over the Capitol riot will begin the week of Feb. 8, the first time a former president will face such charges after leaving office.

State: Area unemployment rates drop in December

For the first time in three months, the local unemployment rate dropped in December. According to figures released Friday by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the jobless rate in both Columbia and Suwannee counties decreased by 0.

Skipper named Suwannee's Teacher of the Year

LIVE OAK — At a loss for words Tuesday night when announced as the Suwannee County School District’s Teacher of the Year, Becky Skipper kept it simple. “Have to do a wooo!” exclaimed Skipper, a fourth-grade math and science teacher at Suwannee Springcrest Elementary School.