Banks steps down as city attorney
The Apalachicola Times
A year and a half after she was chosen as Apalachicola’s city attorney, Kristy Branch Banks has stepped down, citing a growing case load in her Eastpoint private practice.
In announcing at the Feb. 2 meeting of the Apalachicola city commission her decision to resign, Banks, who a few months earlier had been approved by the commission for renewal of her contract, said she would stay long enough to assist in the transition.
“I would like to continue working with the commission until such time new legal counsel can be retained,” she said. “I love my hometown and I absolutely want to see things move forward in a smooth and productive manner.”
Concern over crowd sizes as COVID flexes
The Apalachicola Times
A spike in deaths related to COVID-19 throughout the county, coupled with a rise in the number of cases and a steady administration of vaccinations, can draw some attention.
This pandemic isn’t leaving without a fight, and may be coming out of its corner with a knockout punch in its gloves.
As of Tuesday, 10 people in the county had died due to the pandemic, a sharp increase over the four who for many months had been the total death toll.
Three of the victims have been between age 55 and 64, four under age 74, two under age 84, and one age 85 or older. One inmate has died at the Franklin Correctional Institution.
Doing the right thing
The Apalachicola Times
Franklin County distinguished itself Monday with its annual Martin Luther King Day celebration by having it, live and in-person.
With the rest of the Panhandle either going entirely virtual, or as in Tallahassee, postponing their event due to possible protests, Apalachicola staged a motorcade, complete with golf carts, bikes and those walking the route, and an outdoor service in which everyone stood, making the event one of the most physically active MLK Day celebrations in the 34 years in which it has been held in the county seat.
Organizer Dolores Croom said the local event’s founder, Apostle Shirley White, had suggested a scaled-down version of the celebration, which in recent years has meant a large gathering at the Fort Coombs Armory.
Legislators face closing bay, opening up lands
The Apalachicola Times
If Franklin County is going to have its say in the Florida legislature this spring, the two people who led the delegation hearing Tuesday night are going to voice it.
State Rep. Jason Shoaf, his first time as senior member of the duo, sat in front of a small audience in the commission chambers, together with newly elected state senator, Loranne Ausley, who was appearing for the first time in her new role.
They listened a lot more than they spoke, in fact they didn’t make their views clear on any of the issues being presented to them.