Author: Carma Henry

     Today, I’ve asked world-class travel expert Dr. Terika Haynes to introduce herself as a recurring guest columnist. I don’t tell guests what to write but hopefully Dr. Haynes will opine about the benefits of travel for individuals of color and for Black organizations and businesses.

     We’ve all heard about the restrictive voter suppression laws that far-right state legislatures are passing. We’ve heard about the crackdowns on voting hours and mail-in voting, and even on giving food and water to voters in long lines. But we don’t hear enough about redistricting as another weapon being used to intimidate voters and keep us from exercising our constitutional rights. It is erasing us from Congress and state legislatures. We need to call it out and challenge it where we see it.

     It may be hard for many people to believe just how extreme Trump’s movement and his political supporters have become, and just how much of a threat to democracy they pose as we approach this year’s congressional elections. The January 6 committee has done democracy a big favor by dragging important truths into the light of day. We can’t turn away from them. To preserve our country and our freedoms, we must recognize that they are threatened. And we must act to protect them.

Former presidents and first ladies usually have their official White House portraits unveiled by their successors. However, former President Donald Trump spent much of his presidency attempting to erase Obama’s legacy and never held the traditional ceremony.

Whether you’re trimming trees and vegetation as a precaution for hurricane season or simply enjoying the outdoors this summer, Florida Power & Light Company reminds you to stay away from power lines.

     This past week, archaeologists in Tampa Bay, Florida reported the discovery of 328 graves under St. Matthews Baptist Church Cemetery. Gravesites that according to The Tampa Bay Times were supposed to be relocated nearly 70 years ago when the church agreed to sell the land to a group of developers. Back then, St. Matthews Baptist Church was fighting a mountain of city fees assessed to the segregation-era cemetery. Church leaders found hope in a trio of businessmen who agreed to take on the debt in exchange for the land.

     The Regular School Board Meeting for the School Board of Broward County is in session. The Honorable Board Chair Torey Alston presiding.

The City of Fort Lauderdale has received reports from the public of fraudulent phone calls from an individual claiming to represent the city. These calls are not legitimate and are not coming from the City of Fort Lauderdale.

      Ol’ Peter Traceit has been dredging through old police files to sort through some pretty interesting trails left in the sand for easy discovery. Seat 1 of the Broward School Board has quite the soiled past, sodded present and potential for quite the grimy future.

Just before 8 a.m. Saturday, authorities received a call from a man who said he and a hiking party saw the woman hiking alone on Capital Peak, which is about 14 miles west of Aspen. The woman fell when a rock she was attempting to grab onto gave way. The sheriff’s office contacted Mountain Rescue Aspen after being notified. The witness of the accident was able to provide the rescue group with the exact location of the woman’s body. The woman’s body was found and transferred to the Pitkin County coroner.