The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services acknowledges in a new report that early vaccination of seniors saved lives
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a report which validates Governor DeSantis’ Seniors First vaccination policy, declaring that “efforts to prioritize and vaccinate” those 65 and older “helped prevent hundreds of thousands of new COVID-19 infections and tens of thousands of deaths among seniors” and “directly correlate[s] to saving lives.”
“As the COVID vaccines first became available, I made it clear that in Florida we were going to put Seniors First to make sure the most vulnerable received the protection they needed,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Following Florida’s lead, earlier this year the federal government reversed course from prioritizing younger populations for vaccinations to recommending that states prioritize seniors age 65 and older. When I decided to put Seniors First, the data clearly showed that prioritizing vaccines for seniors would save the most lives. It was the right thing to do, and I am glad to see the federal government has continued to acknowledge this reality.” Continue reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the resignation of First Lady Casey DeSantis as Chair of the Florida Children and Youth Cabinet and the designation of State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo as the new Chair.
“I’m proud of the First Lady’s leadership as Chair of the Florida Children and Youth Cabinet,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Her commitment to children is unmatched, and she has continued to foster collaboration across state and local partners to benefit families in our state. As a mother, she understands that Florida’s youth need our support, love and care and we are all better for her leadership over the past three years.”
Originally appointed in 2019, First Lady DeSantis led the Cabinet with distinction, recognizing the bandwidth and horsepower of the talented group of individuals serving on the Cabinet. The First Lady continuously challenged members to take a holistic approach to addressing the needs of children in our state. Under her leadership, the Cabinet tackled critical issues and aided in the state’s pandemic response, notably including: Continue reading
November is military family appreciation month. During this month, families with members of the military, past and present, are honored and recognized for their commitment and contributions in support of our military and nation. November 11th is Veteran’s Day. Thank a member of the military for serving this country. It is important for them to hear your appreciation, but most of all, it’s respectful.
With the holiday season upon us, we should be thankful for the time that we have to spend with our family and friends. There are families that are separated because a member is away serving our country in the military or worse, they have sacrificed their life for our country. In reality, freedom is not free. It is important to reflect that these families have a difficult time coping with their situation. We should be thankful for those who make sacrifices and also for our families, friends, and the opportunities we have in this country.
November 25th is Thanksgiving Day. It began as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest of the past year. It is important to spend time with family and friends. Remember that there are families that are missing members because of their sacrifice both here and abroad. Continue reading
Homemade Butterfingers are the most addictive candy bars, maybe ever. These bite-sized chocolate bars are great for a Halloween bash, but they are also great for your everyday chocolate cravings!
Ingredients
- 3 cups candy corn
- 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 2 cups good quality chocolate – milk, dark, or even white!
Instructions
- Line a 9×9 inch baking dish with parchment paper (be sure to cover up the sides of the dish too), and set aside.
- In a large glass bowl melt the candy corn in the microwave. Melt it in 30 second spurts and stir it well in between each time. When it is completely melted add the peanut butter and stir to combine. Pour it into the prepared pan, spreading it out, and smoothing the top. Let the mixture cool completely, about an hour.
- When cool, remove the candy from the pan by pulling on the parchment paper. Place the parchment paper and candy on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut the candy into bite-sized pieces.
- Melt the chocolate and then dip each piece of candy completely into the chocolate. Remove and place on a piece of waxed paper until the chocolate is set, about 20 minutes.
- Serve or store in an air-tight container.
OCALA, Fla.—Because of a reduction in the demand for COVID-19 testing, Statlab Mobile, a COVID-19 mobile clinical testing service, will no longer offer free drive-through testing at the Florida Agriculture Center and Horse Park in Ocala.
Testing also ended at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion in Ocala on Oct. 11.
CovidTestFL.Org, a COVID-19 mobile clinical testing service, continues to provide extended-hours testing opportunities in Marion County. Call CovidTestFL.Org at 866-826-8430 for details.
“We want to thank Statlab Mobile, the Florida Horse Park and the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion for partnering with us, and helping ensure Marion County residents had multiple opportunities for testing during the pandemic,” said Department of Health in Marion County Administrator Mark Lander.
“Such partnerships have been invaluable in our efforts to provide Marion County residents with rapid, responsive COVID-19 testing.” Continue reading
Good afternoon,
My name is Kayla Hall with Genesis Reference Laboratories. October 11, 2021 we opened a new COVID-19 testing site located at the First Baptist Church of Ocala. We have partnered with Dr. David Kuhn, Marion County Health Department, COVID Test FL and the First Baptist Church to bring a more centralized and convenient testing location to the county. We are striving to educate the community on this new testing site as the two they are familiar with have limited hours and are due to dismantle here in the near future. We would like to broadcast this information and are willing to conduct interviews, etc to provide any and all necessary information.
Our demographic information is listed below:
Location: FBCO 2801 SE Maricamp Road, Ocala FL 34471
Hours: Monday-Friday 8am-6pm and Saturday 8am-2pm
This is a Free community testing site!
https://covidtestfl.org/
Adison – Age 13 – Virginia
I like the way my One-Der Wedge makes me feel. I use it almost every day, especially when I feel weak or I get anxious. Sometimes I nap on my One-Der Wedge , and if I’m on it before bed, I sleep better which helps me begin the next day feeling great.
Logan – Age 11- Virginia
I enjoy my time on the One-Der Wedge. I use it after homework and before bed. It helps me fall asleep faster. It makes me feel very peaceful and I feel good and when I get off of it when I notice that I’m not anxious anymore.
Bethany, Virginia
Using the One-Der Wedge I get instant peace and relaxation. My aches and pains just fade away which makes me ready to start my day! Continue reading
Dr. Robert Dreyfus
I know you want the best for your child. Unfortunately many parents cannot give their child a superior private or Christian education due to financial considerations. This is no longer a deterrent. If you are unhappy with the education your child is receiving from the public school they attend, your child can receive the Hope Scholarship. The Hope Scholarship pays $7,000/yr which will enable you to send them to a private or Christian school that will provide your child with a superior education. The Hope Scholarship is available to almost anyone.
Your child can receive the Hope scholarship if they have been:
- Bullied, threatened or harassed at school
- Intimidated by teaching that contradicts your moral values or
- Is in an unsafe learning environment
- Is made to wear a mask
To learn more about the Hope Scholarship call: 1-813-FL4-KIDS or 877-735-7837
Where do I start? The economy is slowing. If the increase of jobs and lifting the COVID restrictions, removing mandates, stop trying to teach Critical Race Theory, create jobs by finishing the wall on the southern border, reopen Gas supply lines…In other words put everything back like it was we have hope of a quicker recovery. There is a movement to turn our government into a socialist government where we won’t have free elections. The citizens of this country will have to do as the government says. I can not invasion the tax payers of this country following along and letting their children be taught socialistic views.
Here we need to read quotes from Thomas Sowell…
“No society ever thrived because it had a large and growing class of parasites living off those who produce.”
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“What is exactly is your ‘Fair Share’ of what ‘Someone Else’ has worked for?” Continue reading
Each month now for nearly 9 years I have provided this column predominantly about the CEP and the work we do. This month, I thought I would provide a little Q&A on the CEP for those who may not familiar with us.
What exactly is the CEP?
We are the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership or CEP for short. The CEP is the chamber and lead economic development organization for all of the Ocala Metro (Marion County). We do everything a traditional chamber does (but with a twist) along with leading efforts around Business Attraction (bringing new primary employers to the area), Business Retention (assisting existing businesses), and Business Creation (entrepreneurship). We have a staff of nearly 25 professionals who are working every day to deliver on these activities and help ensure this is a prosperous community for all of our residents. Continue reading
