ReportWire

Tag: Human Interest

  • Central Florida Zoo’s Rhino Encounter offers hands-on experience with giant

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    SANFORD, Fla. — From immersive exhibits to intimate animal encounters, the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens is a busy zoo where learning comes to life.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens offers visitors a rare chance to get up close with a 2.25-ton rhinoceros, through its Rhino Encounter program

    • Guests can touch, feed and learn about rhinos while gaining insight into their care, diet and conservation

    • The program helps educate the public while supporting efforts to protect endangered rhinos in the wild, zookeepers say

    • The Rhino Encounter is available Friday through Monday, with pricing set at $25 for annual pass holders and $30 for non-pass holders

    It is focused on connecting people with wildlife in meaningful ways.

    One of the most unforgettable experiences is meeting PJ, the zoo’s 2.25-ton rhinoceros.

    Visitors can touch the massive animal and quickly realize just how unique the moment is.

    “It’s almost like hard, like stone. But you can, like, feel him breathing. It’s so warm. Still,” one visitor said during the encounter.

    Guests also get a behind-the-scenes look at how PJ is cared for, including feeding time.

    “And then he gets a few flakes of alfalfa hay,” a keeper explained.

    Rhinos may eat like horses, but on a much larger scale, consuming more than 100 pounds of food each day.

    Senior hoofstock keeper Maggie Funk describes PJ as far more approachable than many expect.

    “These guys are, like, gentle giants. He’s really sweet,” Funk said. “He really loves the interaction with people. And he loves getting scratches from them, too.”

    Visitors had their own creative ways of describing what it feels like to touch a rhino.

    “Imagine, like a mushy basketball,” Josh Brandel of Altamonte Springs said.

    Maggie Holley of Mount Dora added, “Hard to describe it. Rough. But, yeah, I feel the basketball kind of feel. I get that.”

    Emily Geist of DeBary shared a similar reaction, saying, “It’s actually kind of soft. Well, it’s hard to describe.”

    Like his wild counterparts, PJ loves to eat.

    Funk, who acts as both caretaker and chef, explained his daily diet.

    “So he gets two full bales of this coastal hay back here,” she said. “And then this alfalfa hay is his favorite food that we use for a lot of training.”

    That training happens inside PJ’s rhino chute, where he learns behaviors essential for his health and safety.

    Keepers guide him through actions like lifting his feet and opening his mouth for exams.

    “Pitch foot. Good boy. Good job,” Funk can be heard saying during one session.

    According to Funk, the training is critical for veterinary care.

    “He comes in here for all of his vet care that can include anything from a blood draw to foot care, to anything the vets need to look at,” she said.

    The Central Florida Zoo’s Rhino Encounter blends education, conservation, and a once-in-a-lifetime experience, offering visitors a chance to connect with the second-largest land mammal on the planet while supporting efforts to protect rhinos for generations to come.

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    Randy Rauch

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  • Buddhist monks, supporters battle freezing temperatures after winter storm

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    LOUISBURG, N.C. — The Buddhist monks aren’t slowing down despite the winter weather.

    For the past week the group journeyed across North Carolina on their way to Washington, D.C., through rain, sleet and sunshine. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Monday was Day 93 for the Buddhist monks on their Walk for Peace 

    • The monks will be out of North Carolina this week 

    • They are heading to Warrenton on Tuesday


    The monks were making their way through the state Monday, Day 93 of their Walk for Peace. The group has been welcomed and admired by thousands.

    “They’re walking in faith. They’re walking in faith,” said supporter Jeannette Bucher.

    Despite the road conditions after this weekend’s winter storm, the monks continue to walk while spreading their message. 

    Bucher said she and her friends were waiting at the airport in Louisburg for two hours. 

    “When I first saw them marching, I’ve been following them for months, and I just feel so blessed to be able to be here today. And I just can’t wait to be in their presence and just root them on,” she said.

    Louisburg native John Yarborough said he and his son grabbed their jackets and hats, then hit the road to see the monks.

    Yarborough said the group’s message, motivation and mission is nothing short of inspiring.

    “Because this world is about to be corrupt, there is so much hatred in this world, Black against white, that’s why we need peace,” he said.

    Yarborough said the Walk for Peace is the most exciting thing the area has seen in a long time. 

    “Something they have never been to here before, other than the civil rights stuff, when we used to march back in the day,” he said. “Other than that, that’s it.”

    Supporters seem to have one thing in common — they were ready to endure this weekend’s winter weather to support the message of peace for all.

    The monks are almost out of North Carolina but have a couple of more stops. 

    The group will be in Warrenton on Tuesday.

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

     

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    Jatrissa Wooten

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  • Shared struggles: How civil rights history shapes LGBTQ+ advocacy

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    The fight for equality is personal for millions of Americans, including Sheena Barnes. She’s Black and she’s bisexual — two identities that she says aren’t separate from each other and two that she advocates for every day.

    What You Need To Know

    • As the nation reflects on the legacy of the civil rights movement, the fight for equality continues to evolve

    • Marginalized groups are making their voices heard — pushing to make sure they get treated equally — among them LGBTQ+ advocates

    • One Ohio woman says her own life sits at the intersection of two movements 

    • Those movements have more in common than many realize

    “When I walk in the room, I’m Black first,” Barnes said. “They’re going to see my skin tone, my race before, you know, my sexual orientation.”

    Barnes, who’s the director of people and culture at Equality Ohio, made history in 2019 as both the first Black and first openly queer woman elected to the Toledo Board of Education. In her life, she said she’s dealt with both racism and homophobia.

    Sheena Barnes, who’s the director of people and culture at Equality Ohio, made history in 2019 as both the first Black and first openly queer woman elected to the Toledo Board of Education. (Provided)

    “I’m too black for this space in the LGBTQ space, and I’m too gay in the Black space and trying to navigate that world where you have to fight for both because they’re part of your whole liberation,” Barnes said.

    The modern Civil Rights Movement took shape in the 1950s — ending legal segregation and expanding protections under the law.

    The LGBTQ+ rights movement gained national momentum in the late 1960s — leading to nationwide marriage equality in 2015.

    They were different eras and different fights, but Barnes said they shared the same goal.

    “Martin Luther King Jr. stood for equality,” Barnes said. “He wanted everyone, regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, to have the freedom to, to live and thrive together.”

    Historically, to achieve this, she said people protest, they rally and they show up in court.

    The Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015, which legalized same-sex marriage, drew directly from another case, Loving v. Virginia from 1967, that struck down bans on interracial marriage.

    And Black LGBTQ+ leaders have long been central to both movements. Bayard Rustin, a Black gay man, helped organize the March on Washington, and Marsha P. Johnson, a Black transgender woman, helped spark the 1969 Stonewall uprising.

    But Barnes said while progress has been made, discrimination hasn’t disappeared — it’s shifted.

    “When you’re looking at what’s happening right now, especially in Ohio and other states, red states, they’re attacking our trans siblings because it’s easy, it’s an easy target,” Barnes said. “White supremacy doesn’t change the narrative, it just changes the people that it’s trying to oppress… the core of it is to make someone less than. So that way, you know, white, cisgender, heterosexual, Christian, able-bodied males who have higher income can always be on top.”

    According to national tracking groups, hundreds of anti-transgender bills have been introduced across the country in recent years. Advocates also report Black transgender women face disproportionately high rates of violence in the U.S.

    UCLA’s Williams Institute reports that transgender people are four times as likely to be victims of crime than cisgender people.

    “We’re losing too many people,” Barnes said. “I think the new unfortunate trauma of this time is we’re losing a lot of young people to suicide completion to, you know, substance abuse. And so we need to get real, real fast because the impact and devastation just from community rhetoric to legislation wise, they’re harming folks mentally and physically as we lose health care for those who need it.”

    At the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, Angela Phelps-White, the executive director, said protections matter because they make people feel valued. The Ohio Civil Rights Commission investigates thousands of discrimination complaints each year, most involving employment, housing and public accommodations. The most common bases, she said, are retaliation, disability and then race.

    “Everyone’s just fighting to be the true, authentic selves and to be able to live the life as they choose. That pursuit of happiness,” Phelps-White said. “We need to be able to live where we want to live, how we want to live. We should be the navigator of our own lives and not have other people dictate what we can and cannot have, simply because of how we identify.”

    Since 2020, the number of complaints filed has increased significantly — from a little more than 3,000 in 2020 to just under 8,000 in 2025. She said a significant increase in charges arose for the Commission from the passing of Ohio House Bill 352, also known as the Employment Uniform Law Act (EULA). So the Commission believes the increase in charges might be attributed to people having a better understanding of their rights, how to utilize the services of the Commission and knowing that the Commission is here for them.

    “Our mission is to promote positive human relations among the highest diverse population through enforcement of the anti-discrimination laws,” Phelps-White said. “The goal is to eradicate discrimination in any way possible.”

    The Commission enforces Ohio’s civil rights laws as they’re written, and Phelps-White said the state has more protections than people realize.

    “Ohio created its Civil Rights Act in 1959, five years before the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” Phelps-White said. “Federally, we protect more classes than the federal government does… Ohio sort of leads the federal government in that we have many bases for which someone can allege discrimination. So it’s not just race, sex, ethnicity, it’s age, it’s gender, military status, marital status, familial status, retaliation and we cover many areas. We cover housing and employment, housing, public accommodation, credit and higher education as it relates to disability.”

    Angela Phelps-White, the executive director of the Ohio Civil Rights Commission. (Spectrum News 1/Taylor Bruck)

    For people who live at the intersection of identities, Barnes said those protections are essential. She said even if you don’t like the difference, it doesn’t mean you can’t respect the difference.

    “Injustice is connected, just like freedom and liberation is,” Barnes said.

    But still, the two movements and even people within their own movement, sometimes resist one another. Some Black churches don’t accept LGBTQ+ people, and there are people in the LGB+ community who don’t support trans people.

    “I think it comes down to a simple formula,” Phelps-White said. “We have to embrace and respect each other’s differences. And once we do that and we quit trying to rank one cause over the other cause and realize that we all equally have the same goal and we come together, there is strength in numbers.”

    Both women said history makes one lesson clear: lasting change happens when movements learn from one another and when people stand together.

    “And this is why we need accomplices… for the movement of true equality for all and liberation for all,” Barnes said. “From the civil rights movement that we saw, a lot of our white, you know, sisters and brothers and siblings doing the groundwork with us because they knew that less harm would come to them just because of their appearance. And this is what we have to do in the LGBT community for our trans siblings, right now, because they are under attack more so than my rights are under attack as a bisexual, queer woman.”

    From the streets to the courts, the path to equality has followed familiar steps — and advocates say understanding that history may help shape what comes next.

    What protections exist for the LGTBTQ+ community in Ohio?

    In Ohio, sexual orientation and gender identity are currently not listed as separate protected classes under state law. However, Phelps-White said they have been protected statewide through Ohio Revised Code 4112 under the term “sex.”

    They’re also protected federally under the umbrella of sex discrimination following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County in 2020 which applies to employment nationwide.

    The group “Ohio Equal Rights” is collecting signatures in an effort to get two amendments on the November ballot this year — one to get rid of the ban on same-sex marriage in the Ohio Constitution and the other to advance discrimination protections, which would include sexual orientation and gender identity as separate protected classes.

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    Taylor Bruck

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  • Group builds outdoor pet houses ahead of winter storm

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    GASTON COUNTY, N.C. —  A group of volunteers is filling the gaps to help keep pets safe during the winter storm.

    What You Need To Know

    • AJ’s Landscaping and the Animal League of Gaston County have been building outdoor pet houses for those in need since 2018

    • The group partners with the Gaston County Police Animal Care and Enforcement

    • The initiative aims to keep pets safe during extreme temperatures, including the upcoming winter storm

    • Gaston County Police Animal Care and Enforcement recommends people to bring dogs inside, if not they say outdoor shelter is essential


    Melissa Lawing of AJ’s Landscaping and the Animal League of Gaston County are behind this effort that builds outdoor pet houses and offers straw for pets in need in the community. 

    Since its inception, Lawing said the group has built almost 800 outdoor pet houses. 

    This effort is in partnership with the Gaston County Police Animal Care and Enforcement. 

    Capt. Kyle Yancey said he advises dog owners to bring their dogs inside, whether it’s a garage, home or a storage building during the storm. If that’s not possible, he said outdoor shelter is essential.

    “We always encourage them to have some type of structure with four walls and a roof and preferably off the ground, so that they can have some insulation. So a lot of times the straw can be underneath the house. That helps insulate it. That can be straw inside the house,” Yancey said. 

    Volunteer Amanda Fifield spent part of her Friday helping build outdoor houses for pets ahead of the storm.

    “My biggest concern is they’re not going to have enough shelter, and they’re not going to have any heat, and they’re going to freeze to death,” Fifield said. 

    Fifield said their effort has had an impact in the community.

    “I think it’s making a difference for sure, because the dogs have a place to go,” Fifield said. 

    She recalls seeing the reaction of dogs when she has delivered dog houses and straw with Lawing before. 

    “To see the dogs as soon as they see the dog house or the straw, they just go right in after we get it all settled in, with all the straw and everything. They just go right in, and they’ll sit. Some get really excited, and they’ll jump around and jump in, jump out. You can tell it’s really loved,” Fifield said.

    Kenneth White has noticed the difference firsthand. While he plans to bring his dogs inside of the house during the storm, he’s grateful for the outdoor dog houses and fence the group built for his pets.

    “They have more room to play? They’re a whole lot more calm than they were before. It’s been a really big help,” White said.

    On Friday people were also stopping by AJ’s Landscaping to pick up free straw, including Teresa Christopher. She said she was picking it up for someone else’s dog houses. 

    “If you cannot bring them inside. It is very vital to have it, to try to keep them warm,” Christopher said.

    Fifield, who fosters dogs with medical needs, has witnessed the need for outdoor dog houses this week.

    “The dog that I picked up the other day, he was an outside dog. He’s only five months old, and he was going to weather the storm outside all by himself. It just breaks my heart,” Fifield said. 

    The dog will now stay warm inside during the storm with three other foster dogs and her six dogs. 

    She plans to continue giving back by helping dogs who need an extra helping hand.

    “I just want to do what I can to help out the dogs,” Fifield said.

    The group has 45 houses available this time around. Those interested can contact Gaston Police Animal Care and Enforcement for more information.

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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    Estephany Escobar

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  • View wild birds at Marine Science Center’s expanded aviary in Ponce Inlet

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    PONCE INLET, Fla. — Sitting in the shadow of the iconic Ponce Inlet Lighthouse is the Marine Science Center, where birds native to Florida find a home to share their stories with visitors. 

    The expanded aviary allows guests to see seabirds up close, including pelicans, gulls, and other coastal birds recovering from injury or illness, or those that can no longer go into the wild.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet has expanded its aviary and added a new education center
    • The aviary is home to birds recovering from injury or illness and those that can no longer survive in the wild
    • Visitors get rare, up-close encounters with pelicans, gulls, owls, and other Florida wildlife
    • The center has helped tens of thousands of animals while educating the public about conservation
    • MAP: View more Florida on a Tankful locations


    Nearly every day, education manager Shell Rossi introduces wildlife to guests, turning each visit into a hands-on learning experience.

    “Look what he’s doing with his head,” Rossi said during a presentation. “What’s he doing? Oh, look at that.”

    She encourages engagement, explaining animal behavior in real time.

    “He’s going to grab his food with his claws, and he’s going to squeeze it,” she said. “Everybody, give me your best squeeze.”

    Rossi said the Marine Science Center’s number of rescues speaks for itself.

    “Because we’ve helped 19,000 birds since opening, and 28,000 reptiles,” she said.

    While rehabilitation and release is always the goal, Rossi said some animals can’t return to the wild and instead become ambassadors for education.

    One of them is Bubba the owl.

    Pelicans are among the most common patients at the center’s animal hospital.

    “We get a lot of pelicans that come in — 90% have fishing line injuries,” Rossi said, highlighting the impact humans can have on wildlife.

    The Marine Science Center is more than just a bird sanctuary.

    Inside the new education center, visitors can meet snakes and gopher tortoises, study animals under a microscope, and attend a variety of presentations throughout the day.

    “Try and do animal presentations during the day,” Rossi said. “So, people could spend half an hour or three hours here.”

    Among her favorite moments is feeding the seahorses, and Rossi hopes visitors leave with a deeper connection to wildlife.

    “I hope that people would walk away with a newfound love of an animal that they have never seen before, and never been able to touch before, and then want to continue learning about it and wanting to help it,” she said.

    The Marine Science Center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

    Admission is $8 for anyone older than 13, $5 for kids aged 3 to 12, and free for children 2 and under.

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    Randy Rauch

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  • Local businesses find success following SPC ‘Grow Your Business’ program

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    TAMPA, Fla. — Jennifer Hill is not bashful about talking shop.  

    “My rent in downtown cost me more than five years here,” said Hill.

    She runs Peterbrooke Chocolatier Tampa Carrollwood, a franchise she and her daughter have owned for five years. 

    What You Need To Know

    • St. Petersburg College (SPC) just launched another Grow Your Business program. It is designed to provide entrepreneurs with the tools, strategies and confidence to scale their businesses and achieve measurable growth

    • Jennifer Hill and her daughter run Peterbrooke Chocolatier in Tampa Carrollwood. They said the course has brought them increased revenue and helped them with tough business choices

    • SPC says the last cohort of entrepreneurs gained an average of eight to 17 new clients and achieved revenue growth ranging from 20 to 40%, with some businesses experiencing peak increases of up to 86%

    • For more information about upcoming entrepreneurial programs at SPC, visit Entrepreneurship Certificate || St. Petersburg College


    They are experts in all things chocolate. 

    “Like water and chocolate do not get along at all, so you need to make sure they are extremely dry before you dip them,” said Sydney Morton. 

    The pair knows how to make the perfect chocolate covered strawberry, but when it came to running the business, they admit recently they were at a crossroads. 

    “We needed a little guidance, a little nudge,” said Hill. 

    That is where St. Pete College came in. They currently offer a sponsored Grow Your Business Course for small business owners. 

    “Lifelong learners are the ones who succeed. So any time that you can take a skill set and upskill, it’s going to it’s going to lead to success,” said Shawn Partin, St. Petersburg College. 

    He runs the course and said they program can help business owners in four key areas: growth, operational improvements, skill development and expansion. 

    It can also connect owners who may feel alone. 

    “Not only we helped them increase and improve their operations and their finances, which is always great, but also that sense of belonging and a sense of belonging to the community and to the college,” said Emmanuel Hernandez, Ph.D., Dean, SPC College of Business. 

    SPC says on average owners who took the course gained eight to 17 new clients and had a revenue growth range of 20 to 40%.

    For Hill and Morton, the class helped them with a key decision to relocate from downtown Tampa to Carrollwood. 

    “We saw the dollars per customer go up. We saw the clientele in six months repeating and repeating and repeating. We heard zero complaints about parking Is downtown parking was it was awful,” said Hill. 

    A choice that has paid off in many ways, thanks to that eight week course. 

    As a small business owner, you have to be able to do many things well and they will help you sort out what your weaknesses are and help you figure out if can you get stronger or can you delegate, which they did for me,” said Hill.

    Now her shop talk is back to all things sweet. 

    The class is for small business owners. 

    The next course starts the week of January 19th, 2026 on SPC”s Clearwater Campus. 

    To sign up, contact: Hernandez.Emmanuel@SPCollege.edu

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    Erin Murray

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  • Needs increasing in the mountains as cold weather moves in

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    BOONE, N.C. — With low temperatures in the mountains and some snowfall expected in the next few days, a pantry meant to help Helene victims is now seeing people in need of all types of help.

    What You Need To Know

    • Foscoe Home Team helped more than 600 people in five days

    • The nonprofit was started after Helene to help victims but has grown fast

    • They are in need of donations as temperatures are dropping in the mountains


    In just one hour, Foscoe Home Team Executive Director Sherrye Trice said two conversations had already brought her to tears. One, a woman calling to say she had no running water and no one to help. Another, a family in need with a 9-month-old baby.

    “It’s -11 degrees, wind chill faster and there’s tent communities in Foscoe,” Trice said.

    These are just two examples of what she says are the many people in need every day, which is why she is working tirelessly for the Foscoe Home Team. The team says it served hundreds of people in just five days last week.

    Trice started Foscoe Home Team after Helene. It started with food and grew fast. Now, people can come get food, diapers, hygiene items, blankets, heaters and warm clothing to get through the winter.

    “We need warm shoes, we need thick socks, we need sweaters; lined leggings would be great,” Trice said.

    They only have a handful of heaters left and three packs of water, according to Trice, and are in need of donations, fast.

    “This is the first interview. I’m begging, I’m begging someone to pay attention. I’m begging someone to take this up the chain to someone who has influence and funding,” Trice said.

    She says people here are struggling.

    “How many people in Foscoe have to live in a hot tent before people pay attention?” Trice said.

    The weather could make the struggle even more severe.

    “This is constant. There is no running water. There is no heat. Can you help us with our septic? We lost it during the flood. We applied with FEMA, we applied with Renew NC, we are paying our rent. Can you help us?” Trice said.

    Distribution and receiving worker Brandi Karlick said the organization has seen hundreds in need just in the last two days.

    “It’s not just hurricane relief; it’s life storm when you were originally financially fragile before the storm and then you lost the little bit you have. What is the plan for recovery here?” Trice said.

    Any donations can be sent directly to Foscoe Home Team.

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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    Rose Eiklor

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  • People build nest boxes for declining owl population

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    PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The smallest owl in Florida is becoming more rare.

    Experts in Pinellas County said the Eastern Screech Owl’s population has been declining in the southeastern U.S. over the last ten years. 

    There are efforts to help the bird rebound in Pinellas County.

    What You Need To Know

    • The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural extension in Pinellas County hosted a nest box building for Eastern Screech Owls

    • A natural resources agent said that the Eastern Screech Owl’s population has declined by 16% in the southeastern U.S. over the last ten years
    • The hope is the artifical habitats will help the population rebound

    • In 2025 , the extension distributed nearly 100 nest boxes over four different species


    The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Extension in Pinellas County is hosting nest box building events before the owl’s breeding season starts.

    Andrea Kiernan attended a nest box building event in January.

    “I love my birds, and the screech owls are absolutely adorable and anything we can help to give them a nest and let them have babies that’s what we’re going to do,” Andrea Kiernan said.

    Over the last ten years, the UF IFAS extension in Pinellas County said the Eastern Screech Owl’s population has declined by about 16% in the southeastern U.S.. 

    Natural resources agent Lara Milligan said that habitat loss is to blame. 

    “Just the cutting down of our natural areas. As we’re cutting down trees, we’re not only destroying their homes, but also their food chain, food supply and all the animals that they depend on to feed on and thrive and survive,” said Lara Milligan Natural Resources Agent, UF IFAS Extension Pinellas County.

    At their latest event, they distributed 19 boxes that will serve as artificial habitats. 

    “By providing these houses, hopefully they’ll be attracted to them and say, ‘Hey, like this is suitable habitat for me,’ raise their young there and help their populations to rebound,” Milligan said.

    A few screws later, Kiernan is all done. She plans to put the nest box in a tree in her backyard. 

    “They usually sit with their heads sticking out and sun themselves during the day. It’s pretty cool,” Kiernan said.

    Last year, the extension distributed nearly 100 nest boxes over four different species. 

    The UF IFAS Extension in Pinellas County will host another nest building event

    It’ll be at Brooker Creek Preserve on Feb. 21, 2026.

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    Tyler O’Neill

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  • Madeira Beach Snack Shack pilings in good shape

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    MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. — The pilings that support the iconic Madeira Beach Snack Shack appear to be in “good shape” after being flooded with seawater by Hurricane Helene 16 months ago, according to Community Development Director Marci Forbes.

    What You Need To Know

    • Community Development Director Marci Forbes said the substructure was in much better shape than anticipated

    • Forbes was able to inspect 14-of-45 pilings, after sand washed in from Hurricane Helene was removed in December 

    • The Snack Shack at Archibald Park has remained closed since Helene’s record breaking storm surge 16 months ago 

    • The next step in the process to bring the Snack Shack back is to get the 92-year-old building historically designated


    “The substructure as a whole is in much better shape than we had anticipated,” she said. “Some of the piles did exhibit some superficial pitting and wear and tear but… they’re not losing their capacity to withstand.”

    The city paid $30,700 in December to remove sand that had washed beneath the building by Hurricane Helene that had been preventing a proper inspection. Forbes said she was finally able to crawl beneath the Snack Shack and inspect 14 of the 45 pilings last week. The director believes those pilings she looked at are a good representation of the rest.

    “At first, I was a little thrown off because it had a soft exterior,” she said. “But as I started to go to the piles and look at them, I realized that was really the creosote layer on them. So once you can strip that away, the wood underneath seemed very, very hard. It didn’t seem too spongy.”

    Forbes delivered the good news to city commissioners on Wednesday and they were pleasantly surprised. City leaders want to try to save the Snack Shack which is beloved by the community and has remained closed since Helene. Forbes said had the pilings been rotten she would have recommended demolition.

    “It was good news to deliver,” she said. “I do want to be very careful with tempering those expectations because we will have to spend a little money. But it is nowhere near… what everybody was worried we would find.”

    Forbes did find some problems. She said that all of the metal straps which secure the building to the substructure are rusty and need to be replaced.

    The next step in the process to bring the Snack Shack back is to get the 92-year-old building historically designated. Forbes said that’s because it’s going to cost more than 50 percent of the value of the structure to repair the building, which was appraised at about $800,000.

    The city must first write a historical designation code into its land development regulations. To qualify as a Florida Heritage Landmark building, the structure must be at least 50-years-old, have regional or statewide significance and be approved by the state.

    Forbes said she expects the process to take between 6-to-8 months. In the meantime, the city will move forward with the design phase in order to start reconstruction as soon as the approval takes place.

    Mayor Anne-Marie Brooks has asked acting City Manager and Fire Chief Clint Belk to find a food truck which can be stationed at Archibald Park until the Snack Shack reopens.

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    Josh Rojas

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  • Lumbees remember past as they make new history with federal recognition

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    PEMBROKE, N.C. — The melody from a drum filled the Boys and Girls Club in Pembroke. Among those playing an honor song in tribute to the Lumbees who stood up to the Ku Klux Klan in 1958 was Tribal Chairman John Lowery.

    Recently he witnessed some new history for the tribe. He was in the Oval Office when President Donald Trump signed the legislation that gave the tribe the federal recognition it’s sought for decades. The president gave Lowery a special medal.

    What You Need To Know

    • The year-long celebration of federal recognition will include a visit with Gov. Josh Stein in February at the Executive Mansion in Raleigh

    • A big gala event to celebrate is planned for May at the football stadium at UNC-Pembroke

    • The tribe expects to soon be placed on a national registry of federally recognized tribes, which will make it eligible for many programs and scholarships


    “And to know that in 2025, I was standing in the Oval Office. You know, it’s a tremendous step for our people that we’ve not been allowed in certain buildings to standing in the Oval Office,” Lowery said.

    Newspaper clippings from 1958 told the story of the confrontation with the Klan that Lumbees remember as “The Battle of Hayes Pond.” It happened on January 18.

    Jack Lowery, who’s now a prominent attorney, was a college student back then. He’s not related to the tribal chairman. He remembered what happened.

    “There was a boy. I think his name was Marvin Lowery, took a shotgun and shot out the flood light that was lighting the platform for the Ku Klux Klan. When he did that, all hell broke loose,” Jack Lowery said.

    The confrontation with the KKK is remembered annually by Lumbees. And now after achieving federal recognition, there is a new anniversary to celebrate with equal fervor. That’s December 18, 2025. That’s the day federal recognition finally happened.

    “It took 137 years,” John Lowery said. “And to be honest with you, you’re right. It’s worth a year-long celebration.”

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

     

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    David Ivey

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  • Citrus County farm says cold weather will yield sweeter strawberries

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    FLORAL CITY, Fla. — Farmers in areas like Citrus County are taking precautions when it comes to protecting crops and agriculture during cold weather. It’s a livelihood for many businesses, like Ferris Groves.

    What You Need To Know

    • With some in the Tampa Bay area under a freeze watch, some are taking precautions when it comes to crops and agriculture

    • Farmers, like those at Ferris Groves, are preparing their fields for the chill

    • Farm manager Matt Reichenbach says their main goal with the frost protection is to make ice for the crops

    • Despite the chillier temps, those at the farm say the cold can be beneficial to the taste of the fruit


    In a field of strawberries, Ferris Groves farm manager Matt Reichenbach inspects the abundance of bright red fruit. While they look good and plenty right now, a freeze warning is in effect for overnight Thursday into Friday.

    “On a freeze, you want to protect these blooms and the green fruit,” said Reichenbach. “That’s the most sensitive.”

    Reichenbach has been working on the farm for about 11 years, so he’s no stranger to the cold weather they experience this time of year.

    “Our goal here with the frost protection is to make ice,” said Reichenbach. “The strawberry fields here have two irrigation systems … a drip and another sprinkler irrigation for frost protection.”

    It’s fighting cold with cold. Despite the chillier temps, Reichenbach says the cold can be beneficial to the taste of the fruit.

    “As long as we do our job right and everything goes smoothly, the cold really won’t affect too much. It makes the strawberries sweet,” he said.

    Strawberry season runs from Thanksgiving to Easter, but for the rest of the crew at Ferris Groves, it’s a 24/7 business with an assortment of products made available for locals and visitors alike.

    “We’re trying to do our best to keep it going and be apart of the legacy of Ferris,” Reichenbach said. “So it’s pretty cool to be a part of it.”

    A legacy that is nearly 100 years in the making. They take great pride in the farm to table freshness.

    “We’ve got a great supply of strawberries,” said Reichenbach. “This cold weather will just make them sweeter and continue to grow. We should have a great rest of season.”

    Showing even the smallest of fruit can have the biggest of impacts.

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    Calvin Lewis

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  • Montgomery Co L.O.S.S. Team helps loved ones navigate grief

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    Editor’s Note: This article discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, dial 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

    DAYTON, Ohio — With journals, grief guidebooks and materials at the ready, members of the Montgomery County Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors (L.O.S.S.) Team is ready to start the first support session of 2026.

    “About two years ago, Public Health of Montgomery County came to us and said there’s not really suicide resources available in our county,” said Montgomery County Prevention Coalition Manager Megs Francis.

    The coalition got to work, and volunteers like Colleen Callahan-Penquite and Lora Hammons stepped up.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Montgomery Co Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors (L.O.S.S Team) are beginning the first session of 2026

    • Trained and dedicated volunteers help people share their stories of grief and healing throughout 10-week sessions

    • Sessions are free, and the next round is open for April

    “I have two cousins and two uncles that killed themselves, and there’s such a stigma around it. In my huge Catholic family, it was never spoken of,” said Callahan-Penquite.

    “I ended up being a volunteer because I lost a friend I was mentoring to suicide,” said Hammons.

    According to the most recent statewide data from the Ohio Department of Health 2023 Ohio Suicide Report, more than 1,700 Ohioans took their own life — that’s a 1% decrease from 2022.

    According to data from the Montgomery County ADAMHS Board, as of January 2025 to mid-December 2025, there were 73 suicides — a 17% decrease from 2024 and the second year in a row for a countywide decrease.

    Volunteers like Callahan-Penquite and Hammons have been on the L.O.S.S. Team since the support sessions started in 2025.

    So far, there have been four sessions with 10 participants each time.

    The newer session was the largest with 17 participants.

    “These are volunteers who have been trained on an evidence-based curriculum who are facilitating these trainings,” said Francis.

    It doesn’t matter if the loss happened recently or decades ago, everyone is welcome.  

    “Facilitating these groups and being with other people who are going through that really helped me,” Hammons said.

    “For folks who have lost someone, they are at higher risk themselves. So by doing this kind of support group, not only are we helping make connections, helping with healing, but also helping to prevent future suicide deaths,” said Francis.

    The 10-week sessions are free, and many times, people have formed their own bonds to keep coming back.

    “It’s kind of casual but it’s very serious. We really like to make it personal. Everybody’s loss and grief is different, so we try to meet everybody where they are at and travel this journey together,” Hammons said.

    “You’re not alone. There’s many of us that grieve a suicide, and when we do it together, we’re always better,” said Callahan-Penquite.

    If you missed registering for this latest 10-week round of support sessions, the next group is open for April.

    The deadline to register is Jan. 29.

    For more information, click here.

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    Alese Underwood

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  • 2026 events honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day around Tampa Bay

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    BY

    Spectrum News Staff

    Tampa


    PUBLISHED 12:33 PM ET Jan. 14, 2026
    PUBLISHED 12:33 PM EST Jan. 14, 2026

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    Spectrum News Staff

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  • DeSantis to outline key goals in State of the State Address

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    TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to give his final annual State of the State address in the Florida House Chamber Tuesday around 11 a.m.

    In that address, the governor is expected to outline his goals for the 2026 legislative session, including his plans for two proposed special sessions.

    The governor, like the duties of the president, is tasked with providing a message at the start of each regular legislative session. This message should include information about the condition of the state, any proposals to reorganize the executive branch, and to recommend measures in the public interest, according to Article IV, Section 1, Subsection e in the Florida Constitution.

    In last year’s address, the governor touted the state’s economic performance, but he also took care to highlight his desire for lawmakers to act on insurance reform in the state. 

    So far, he has outlined a few things he would like lawmakers to tackle in this year’s legislative sessions. 

    AI Bill of Rights

    DeSantis announced in December he wanted to establish an artificial intelligence bill of rights for Floridians.

    The governor says there could be benefits to AI, but also warned about the potential dangers of the technology.

    “I think there is a technology that can enhance a worker’s productivity, enhance a business’s efficiency in ways that would be valuable, but I also think there are some who view it as a way to simply be able to have less people employed,” DeSantis said in December.

    The governor said Florida needs to protect young people from what AI can do to them, including so-called deepfake images and videos.

    DeSantis said he also wants to limit where AI data centers can be built in the state, and limit utility companies from raising rates to pay to power those data centers.

    The State Budget

    DeSantis announced the details of his last budget proposal last month. The proposal calls for $117 billion in spending, an increase of $2.2 billion from last year’s $115.6 billion in proposals.

    The governor highlighted expenditures for education, including $1.56 billion for teacher pay increases across the state, which is up slightly from the $1.5 billion DeSantis proposal for the 2025-2026 fiscal year budget.

    Other educational line items included $30.6 billion for the overall K-12 budget — up from $29.7 billion in the previous budget proposal — with an additional $1.7 billion earmarked for early childhood education, which is down slightly from the 2025-2026 proposal of $1.76 billion.

    DeSantis also announced a plan to spend $4 billion on the state’s university system, which is up slightly from his $3.9 billion proposal for 2025-2026.

    Additionally, he highlighted planned pay increases for state law enforcement, and said he hopes to extend the current recruitment bonus program, which pays out $5,000 for new recruits.

    DeSantis is proposing $118 million for pay increases for law enforcement and firefighters, which is slightly less than the $118.3 he proposed last year.

    For transportation, DeSantis outlined $15.4 billion for the Department of Transportation, as well as $14.3 billion for the state transportation work program. 

    DeSantis also outlined spending for health care across the state. The governor is seeking to spend $8.6 million for improvements to the State Veteran’s Nursing Homes, and $36.6 million for child welfare system funding that will help foster parents, caregivers, and community-based services. 

    Additionally, DeSantis is seeking to provide $159 million for behavioral health services, including preadmission diversion and discharge services. 

    DeSantis’ first budget proposal in 2019 was $90.98 billion. 

    Property Tax Reform

    The Florida House advanced a series of proposals designed to cut non-school property taxes through its first committees this past fall, a move that could change how local governments fund services and manage local finances.

    The proposals include a measure to eliminate the taxes immediately, and another to phase them out over 10 years.

    “This is about returning money to hard-working Floridians,” said Coral Gables Republican Rep. Demi Busatta Cabrera.

    Another proposal would eliminate non-school property taxes exclusively for homeowners 65 and older.

    “This is a targeted approach to help those who need it the most,” said Miami Republican Rep. Juan Porras. “Our most vulnerable communities, those who have built the cities and counties, the areas that we all represent.”

    The proposals include a police mandate that would require local governments to leave law enforcement budgets untouched.

    “I did not support defunding the police in 2020, and I am not going to support it today,” said Coconut Creek Democratic Rep. Christine Hunschofsky.

    It would require a constitutional amendment to alter the state’s property taxes. If passed by the Legislature, the proposal will go to voters in 2026 and would require at least 60% approval.

    “We should not be afraid to let the voters of this state, the same voters who elected each and every one of us, make the decisions for themselves, for their communities and for the state,” said Stuart Republican Rep. Toby Overdorf.

    Democratic lawmakers on Thursday voiced concern over the effort to slash property taxes, which are the primary revenue source for local governments. The Florida Policy Institute estimates $43 billion would be needed to maintain current services if the House proposals are enacted.

    “We should not be putting our local governments in a situation where we’re taking away tools, only to have them shift that burden in some other way. That is actually going to have the most adverse impacts on the people who need our help the most,” said House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell, a Tampa lawmaker.

    The Senate has not filed any companion legislation, leaving the House to move forward alone.

    DeSantis has criticized the idea of putting multiple tax proposals on the 2026 ballot, calling it a poor approach.

    Congressional Redistricting

    The Florida House Committee on Congressional Redistricting met in December for the first time to consider redrawing congressional maps before the next census. 

    On the board is Orlando Democratic Rep. Johanna Lopez, who represents District 43.

    There have been mixed reactions after DeSantis announced his plan to call a special session next year, as early as March, so lawmakers can redraw Florida’s map.

    In order for a redistricting to happen, though, he still needs approval from the House and Senate, as the timing of his announcement would allow the Sunshine State to watch the U.S. Supreme Court, which is reconsidering parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 

    Voting rights advocates from the American Civil Liberties Union worry that this move could unlawfully benefit one party over another. Civil‑rights groups and voting‑rights advocates warn that a new round of redistricting could collide with Florida’s own constitutional limits.

    “To be perfectly clear, in Florida, it’s illegal and unconstitutional to draw districts to benefit one party over another,” said Abdelilah Skhir of the ACLU during a press conference at the Florida Capitol in early December.

    Meanwhile, some Republican leaders frame the push as part of a broader national battle over the congressional map. At least six other states are already revisiting their lines, and allies of President Donald Trump are urging Republican‑controlled legislatures to follow suit. Trump first made the call over the summer.

    “It will end in two very partisan draws in red and blue states, I would imagine,” said Florida GOP Chair Evan Power. “But that’s what they’re trying to do in California. That’s what they’ve done in Massachusetts. That’s what they’ve done in New York. That’s what they’ve done in Illinois.”

    Critics in Florida describe the governor’s plan as political, discriminatory, and potentially unlawful. They point to the state’s “Fair Districts” amendments, which ban maps that favor a party or an incumbent.

    “To the Legislature: Your constitutional duty could not be more clear,” said Jonathan Webber of Southern Poverty Law Center. “You can obey the Constitution or bow to political pressure, but you cannot do both.”

    Meanwhile, the Florida Senate has yet to formally publish an opinion, and unlike the House, Senate President Ben Albritton has not assembled a panel to brainstorm redistricting.

    DeSantis and Albritton met to discuss the plan, according to Florida Senate spokeswoman Katie Betta.

    “The Governor reiterated to the President what he has stated publicly — that the timeline for addressing redistricting should be next Spring,” Betta wrote. 

    State of the State History

    DeSantis has a history of using the speech to outline the successes of his administration in the state of Florida. During his State of the State speech last March, the governor outlined several statistics in the beginning moments of his address.

    In prior years, he used the power of the podium to advocate for his top issues, including improving education in the state, as well as tackling the high level of state spending, something that Florida House Speaker Danny Perez said he also wished to tackle in his acceptance speech in November.

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    Phillip Stucky

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  • Students with intellectual disabilities thrive with Project EDGE class at MTC

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    MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — At Manatee Technical College, there’s a program called Project EDGE that teaches students with intellectual disabilities work skills to increase their independence.

    What You Need To Know

    • It teaches students skills to become more independent

    • Justin’s class graduates in April, and Manatee Technical College said they plan to reapply for the grant so the program can continue

    Inside the classroom, Justin Torres is making significant academic progress.

    “It’s been really great. I have learned a lot in this class,” he said.

    Torres is part of the Project EDGE program at Manatee Technical College. EDGE stands for Empower, Develop, Grow, and Educate. The program is designed for students with intellectual disabilities. Torres has autism.

    “It’s like getting distracted really easily. It’s really hard to keep in one place,” he said. “It’s really been a struggle, but I’ve gone through it and I’m here.”

    The 900-hour class began last August. It teaches students skills to become more independent, which is a goal for Torres.

    “It’ll make me live an independent life like I want to,” he said. “I want to work every day so I can get my own house, start a family, protect my family. That’s my goal.”

    Carrie Walden is the instructor for Project EDGE. She says the program first started in 2024 thanks to a $1.2 million grant. All the graduates from the first year either moved on to MTC’s main campus, other colleges, or found jobs.

    “We work on resumes, interview skills, what to wear to an interview, and what questions might be asked,” she said. “We do a lot of customer service training and how to act when we’re at a job.”

    While Torres already has a job at Culver’s, he has bigger plans for his career.

    “Right now, I’m focused on being a barber,” he said.

    With Project EDGE, he is one step closer to reaching his full potential.

    Torres’ class graduates in April, and Manatee Technical College tells us they plan to reapply for the grant so the program can continue.

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    Julia Hazel

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  • Buddhist monks captivating U.S. on ‘Walk for Peace’ to arrive in North Carolina

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    A group of Buddhist monks and their rescue dog are striding single file down country roads and highways across the South, captivating Americans nationwide and inspiring droves of locals to greet them along their route. On Thursday, Jan. 15, the group is expected to arrive in Charlotte, North Carolina.

    What You Need To Know

    • A group of Buddhist monks is getting viral attention with their 2,300-mile Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C.

    • The monks say their aim is to promote mindfulness and healing and finding inner peace

    • When they reach the nation’s capital, they plan to request official recognition of Vesak, the day which marks the birth and enlightenment of the Buddha, as a federal U.S. holiday

    • Their journey has already attracted large crowds across five southern states and they are expected to arrive in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday


    In their flowing saffron and ocher robes, the men are walking for peace. It’s a meditative tradition more common in South Asian countries, and it’s resonating now in the U.S., seemingly as a welcome respite from the conflict, trauma and politics dividing the nation.

    Their journey began Oct. 26, 2025, at a Vietnamese Buddhist temple in Texas, and is scheduled to end in mid-February in Washington, D.C., where they will ask Congress to recognize Buddha’s day of birth and enlightenment as a federal holiday. Beyond promoting peace, their highest priority is connecting with people along the way.

    “My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and find peace,” said the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the group’s soft-spoken leader who is making the trek barefoot. He teaches about mindfulness, forgiveness and healing at every stop.

    Preferring to sleep each night in tents pitched outdoors, the monks have been surprised to see their message transcend ideologies, drawing huge crowds into churchyards, city halls and town squares across six states. Documenting their journey on social media, they — and their dog, Aloka — have racked up millions of followers online. On Saturday, thousands thronged in Columbia, South Carolina, where the monks chanted on the steps of the State House and received a proclamation from the city’s mayor, Daniel Rickenmann.

    The physical toll of the monks long walk

    At their stop Thursday in Saluda, South Carolina, Audrie Pearce joined the crowd lining Main Street. She had driven four hours from her village of Little River, and teared up as Pannakara handed her a flower.

    “There’s something traumatic and heart-wrenching happening in our country every day,” said Pearce, who describes herself as spiritual, but not religious. “I looked into their eyes and I saw peace. They’re putting their bodies through such physical torture and yet they radiate peace.”

    Hailing from Theravada Buddhist monasteries across the globe, the 19 monks began their 2,300 mile (3,700 kilometer) trek at the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth.

    Their journey has not been without peril. On Nov. 19, as the monks were walking along U.S. Highway 90 near Dayton, Texas, their escort vehicle was hit by a distracted truck driver, injuring two monks. One of them lost his leg, reducing the group to 18.

    This is Pannakara’s first trek in the U.S., but he’s walked across several South Asian countries, including a 112-day journey across India in 2022 where he first encountered Aloka, an Indian Pariah dog whose name means divine light in Sanskrit.

    Then a stray, the dog followed him and other monks from Kolkata in eastern India all the way to the Nepal border. At one point, he fell critically ill and Pannakara scooped him up in his arms and cared for him until he recovered. Now, Aloka inspires him to keep going when he feels like giving up.

    “I named him light because I want him to find the light of wisdom,” Pannakara said.

    The monk’s feet are now heavily bandaged because he’s stepped on rocks, nails and glass along the way. His practice of mindfulness keeps him joyful despite the pain from these injuries, he said.

    Still, traversing the southeast United States has presented unique challenges, and pounding pavement day after day has been brutal.

    “In India, we can do shortcuts through paddy fields and farms, but we can’t do that here because there are a lot of private properties,” Pannakara said. “But what’s made it beautiful is how people have welcomed and hosted us in spite of not knowing who we are and what we believe.”

    Churches, families and towns host the monks along their path

    In Opelika, Alabama, the Rev. Patrick Hitchman-Craig hosted the monks on Christmas night at his United Methodist congregation.

    He expected to see a small crowd, but about 1,000 people showed up, creating the feel of a block party. The monks seemed like the Magi, he said, appearing on Christ’s birthday.

    “Anyone who is working for peace in the world in a way that is public and sacrificial is standing close to the heart of Jesus, whether or not they share our tradition,” said Hitchman-Craig. “I was blown away by the number of people and the diversity of who showed up.”

    After their night on the church lawn, the monks arrived the next afternoon at the Collins Farm in Cusseta, Alabama. Judy Collins Allen, whose father and brother run the farm, said about 200 people came to meet the monks — the biggest gathering she’s ever witnessed there.

    “There was a calm, warmth and sense of community among people who had not met each other before and that was so special,” she said.

    Monks say peace walks are not a conversion tool

    Long Si Dong, a spokesperson for the Fort Worth temple, said the monks, when they arrive in Washington, plan to seek recognition of Vesak, the day which marks the birth and enlightenment of the Buddha, as a national holiday.

    “Doing so would acknowledge Vesak as a day of reflection, compassion and unity for all people regardless of faith,” he said.

    But Pannakara emphasized that their main goal is to help people achieve peace in their lives. The trek is also a separate endeavor from a $200 million campaign to build towering monuments on the temple’s 14-acre property to house the Buddha’s teachings engraved in stone, according to Dong.

    The monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha himself as core for attaining enlightenment. It focuses on the mind-body connection — observing breath and physical sensations to understand reality, impermanence and suffering. Some of the monks, including Pannakara, walk barefoot to feel the ground directly and be present in the moment.

    Pannakara has told the gathered crowds that they don’t aim to convert people to Buddhism.

    Brooke Schedneck, professor of religion at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, said the tradition of a peace walk in Theravada Buddhism began in the 1990s when the Venerable Maha Ghosananda, a Cambodian monk, led marches across war-torn areas riddled with landmines to foster national healing after civil war and genocide in his country.

    “These walks really inspire people and inspire faith,” Schedneck said. “The core intention is to have others watch and be inspired, not so much through words, but through how they are willing to make this sacrifice by walking and being visible.”

    On Thursday, Becki Gable drove nearly 400 miles (about 640 kilometers) from Cullman, Alabama, to catch up with them in Saluda. Raised Methodist, Gable said she wanted some release from the pain of losing her daughter and parents.

    “I just felt in my heart that this would help me have peace,” she said. “Maybe I could move a little bit forward in my life.”

    Gable says she has already taken one of Pannakara’s teachings to heart. She’s promised herself that each morning, as soon as she awakes, she’d take a piece of paper and write five words on it, just as the monk prescribed.

    “Today is my peaceful day.”

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • National nonprofit helps military spouses, veterans enter workforce

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    HOMOSASSA, Fla. — Military spouses are facing a challenge when it comes to being hired in the workforce.

    What You Need To Know

    • Military spouses experience an unemployment rate of around 20% to 22%, according to the U.S. Department of Labor
    • Many are underemployed or forced to accept part-time work due to unpredictable schedules
    • The nonprofit has helped with more than 110,000 hires


    According to the U.S. Department of Labor, military spouses experience an unemployment rate of around 20% to 22%, which is about four times higher than the national average. Many are underemployed or forced to accept part-time work due to unpredictable schedules. One nonprofit is helping change that.

    “We’re big kids. We just like to have fun.”

    At the Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins Historic State Park, Jasmine Then reflects on some old photos pictured with her husband.

    “We just love exploring, going to different theme parks,” said Then. “We actually went to Disney Sea in Japan as well.”

    Then is a proud military spouse. Her husband, Erick, serves in the National Guard. But because of frequent relocations and an unpredictable family schedule, Then experienced challenges when it came to finding work.

    “It’s been much more difficult than I thought it’d be,” she says. “I think, also, factoring in that we moved to such a rural area — we’re about an hour north of Tampa and that’s where a lot of the opportunities are. I am seeking remote work because I’m still a military spouse and my husband does deploy from time to time.”

    But help came when she discovered the nonprofit Hire Heroes USA. The national organization offers free career coaching, resume support and job search resources for veterans and military spouses.

    “What we do is just be a coach for these veterans and military spouses in their employment search,” said Kelly Grivner-Kelly, the serving spouses program manager with Hire Heroes USA.

    Through the nonprofit, Grivner-Kelly says, they have helped with more than 110,000 hires.

    “Military spouses are really one of the most educated and resilient workforces but they really face unemployment around 21% to 22%, which is four to five times higher than the national average,” said Grivner-Kelly. “So this is really an untapped talent pool but they’re struggling to find meaningful employment. A lot of that deals with having to move every two to three years.”

    Then fits that demographic. But there may be a solution ahead. 

    “I’ve submitted hundreds of applications, but there is some light at the end of the tunnel. I’m actually moving on to my third round of interviews this week for a talent acquisition coordinator role.”

    An opportunity that has come from the help of Hire Heroes USA and some self-perseverance.

    “There’s so much out there,” said Then. “Just take the time, do your due diligence and be your own self-advocate.”

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    Calvin Lewis

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  • Kent State University features first North African fashion exhibit in the world

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    CLEVELAND — More than 40 clothing pieces and accessories from 24 artists and designers across the world are now on display at Kent State University, and all of them share similar roots.

    What You Need To Know

    • More diversity, equity and inclusion efforts have made their way to runways in recent years, but the fashion industry continues to face significant racial disparities

    • Nearly 70% of Black employees feel fashion jobs are inaccessible, according to the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CDFA) and PVH Corp.

    • Kent State University is helping bridge this gap by exhibiting the work of one underrepresented community

    Sara Hume is a professor and curator at Kent State University’s museum. The building also houses Kent State’s School of Fashion, which is among the top 25 fashion schools in the world and ranks fifth nationwide. The exhibit, “A Meeting of Cultures: Fashioning North Africa,” showcases the work of contemporary designers who are from Morocco, Algeria, Libya and Egypt.

    Hume said, it’s the 30th exhibition she’s worked on campus, but the first of its kind the world.

    “North Africa is full of centers of fashion. When you think about Paris, London, New York, it’s big fashion centers, but really, Casablanca is [an] amazing place and Cairo has wonderful fashions that are coming out of it,” she said. “I really want to open eyes of of people in America, in Ohio, to this richness and diversity.”

    The exhibition opened in September after several years of planning. Hume said. The exhibit is part of her larger, ongoing project to spotlight fashion from different African regions and address a common misconception in an industry where Black and African designers have historically faced underrepresentation.

    “Back in 2016, I organized an exhibition, ‘Fashions of Southern Africa.’ And that exhibition looked at fashion of South Africa and Namibia and the idea, in doing sort of smaller regions of Africa, is the message that Africa is not a monolith,” Hume said.

    The space is divided into three section: our land, disruptors and threads. Altogether, highlighting the community’s diversity and contemporary concerns in the industry.

    Hisham Oumlil launched his brand in 2005, which aims to highlight the intersection of cultures. (Spectrum News 1/Tanya Velazquez)

    Hisham Oumlil is the only U.S.-based designer in the exhibit and is from Casablanca, Morocco.

    “We have the native atmosphere that we refer to as Berbers … we have the Black Africans, we have the Arab influence, we have the Byzantine, the Phoenicians and then we have the modern European influences. So it’s so very rich … It’s worth, representing, at the world stage.

    Oumlil, his fashion journey began in 1995 while studying and working in fashion retail in San Francisco.

    Now, Oumlil is helping spread awareness of Moroccan culture through his clothing brand Oumlil.

    “North Africans … we have always been a point of inspiration for European designers, for example. And so, to be celebrated, I think it’s really wonderful,” Oumlil said. “And it’s important, in continuing this, important dialog about the beauty of cultural intersections all throughout the world.”

    While fashion history is often told through a western lens, Oumlil said, he’s noticing the beginning of a broader shift toward equity.

    “It’s all an evolution, and it requires a collective sort of work and also an understanding from all the parties involved … by including more voices. into the fashion global, conversation,” Oumlil said. “… We have had very, very successful fashion designers who are originally from North Africa that have made very important contribution to the world of fashion.”

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    Tanya Velazquez

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  • Sacred Cherokee mound to be returned after more than 200 years

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    The ownership of a sacred Cherokee Mound is set to return to the Eastern band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) after a unanimous vote Monday. 

       What You Need To Know

    • A sacred mound is now set to return Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI)

    • The Noquisiyi Mound, also known as the Nikwasi Mound, is in Franklin, North Carolina

    • Returning ownership of the mound to the EBCI will ensure proper stewardship and preservation

    The Noquisiyi Mound, also known as the Nikwasi Mound, located in Franklin, N.C., is a site of historical and cultural significance for the EBCI, but has not been owned by the tribe for more than 200 years. 

    “I am proud of the work that led us here, and I am grateful to see Nikwasi returned to where it belongs, with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians,”  Principal Chief Michell Hicks said in a news release.

    Noquisiyi was once a Cherokee town that sat along what is now called the Little Tennessee River, appearing on maps as early as the 1500s. Today, this area is now known as the town of Franklin. 

    The Cherokee people were displaced from the land after facing attacks during both the Anglo-Cherokee War and the Cherokee-American wars in the 1700s, according to a Noquisi Initiative press release.

    Map of Cherokee Territory, 1760. Photo courtesy Library of Congress.

    After the displacement, the 1819 Treaty of Washington allowed for Na Ka Rebecca, a Cherokee woman, and her husband, Gideon Morris, to claim 640 acres around the mound, the press release explains. 

    However, the 1835 Treaty of New Echota revoked the couple’s ownership through the forcible removal of the Cherokee people from their land, better known as the Trail of Tears. 

    In 1946, plans from the private owner to flatten the mound raised alarms in the community, causing the Town of Franklin to purchase the mound in order to preserve it. 

    According to Hicks, in 2012, town workers sprayed weed killer on the mound in efforts to change out the grass variety.

    “This, unfortunately, left the mound brown and exposed,” Hicks said in a news release.

    “That moment made clear how vulnerable this place was and became the catalyst for our renewed push to bring Nikwasi under our care,” he said.

    In 2016, the EBCI created the Noquisi Initiative as a way to encourage the preservation and advocacy of the mound, while seeking to regain ownership. 

    Ten years after the formation of the Noquisi Initiative, the Franklin Town Council voted unanimously to restore ownership to the EBCI. 

    “This fight was about standing our ground and continuing to say what needed to be said,” Hicks stated.

    “That this land belongs to the Cherokee people and we are the ones responsible for its care, protection, and future,” he said. 

    Returning ownership of the mound to the EBCI will ensure proper stewardship and preservation, as guided by the values of the Cherokee people.

    Photo courtesy Noquisi Institute

    Photo courtesy Noquisi Institute

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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    Blair Hamilton

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  • Live venom extractions at Reptile Discovery Center in DeLand

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    DELAND, Fla. — A DeLand operation is quietly doing life-saving work one venomous bite at a time.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Reptile Discovery Center and Medtoxin Venom Laboratory in DeLand houses some of the most dangerous snakes on Earth, extracting venom used for antivenom, pharmaceuticals, and global research
    • Director Carl Barden says venom from “about 25 or 30 different species” is processed and shipped worldwide, turning deadly toxins into lifesaving treatments
    • The work comes with real risk—Barden has survived 11 snakebites, including a cobra bite that nearly killed him—but he says the danger is comparable to other high-risk jobs
    • The center is also open to the public, offering live venom extractions, educational exhibits, and up-close views of snakes responsible for bite problems around the world


    The Reptile Discovery Center and Medtoxin Laboratory is home to some of the most dangerous snakes on the planet, where venom is carefully extracted, studied, and transformed into life-saving treatments around the world.

    When you visit this laboratory, it’s a good idea to keep a safe distance.

    Here, some of the world’s most deadly snakes are laid out, and venom is methodically extracted from one dangerous snake at a time.

    “Venoms are produced here from about 25 or 30 different species, and they are processed and shipped all around the world,” said Carl Barden, director of Medtoxin Laboratories at the Reptile Discovery Center.

    Barden and his wife, Mara Barden, work as a team, safely guiding the reptiles to naturally bite down so venom can be collected.

    “We’re passionate about the work that we do here. It has a real-world impact—antivenom and a lifesaving drug,” Carl Barden said.

    That venom is used for antivenoms, pharmaceuticals, and research, with refrigerators full of compounds ready to be shipped.

    “This is the antivenom refrigerator,” Carl Barden said. “And this is where we store snakebite serums — antivenom from all over the world.”

    Some of that serum is kept solely in case Barden himself is bitten, and antivenom he would take with him to a nearby hospital to save his life, and it’s happened before.

    “I’ve had 11 snakebites in the last 35 years of collecting snake venom,” he said. “One of those was a cobra bite. That particular bite almost killed me, put me on a ventilator for 14 hours.”

    Despite the danger, Carl Barden believes the risk is no different from other professions.

    “If you look at the deaths from snake bites and snake handlers, the numbers are actually fairly low,” he said.

    Medtoxin is more than just a snake lab.

    Visitors are welcome to learn about reptiles and their role around the world, watch venom extractions from a front-row seat, and explore an outdoor walking trail home to various creatures.

    “So, things like king cobras and black mambas, kaboom vipers, puff adders,” Carl Barden said. “All of those snakes are on display at the Discovery Center, so people can come and see animals that are responsible for snake bite problems around the world.”

    Snakebites are a fascinating paradox: Snake venom, while deadly, holds the key to its own lifesaving treatments.

    The Reptile Discovery Center is open to the public Thursday through Sunday.

    Admission is $13.50 for adults, $12.50 for children ages 4 to 17, and free for children 3 and under.

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    Randy Rauch

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