February 5, 2021
The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association has named James (Jamie) Fussell Jr. as its new director of labor relations. He replaces Mike Carlton, who retired in November.
Fussell comes to FFVA from the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Office of General Counsel in Tampa. Prior to that, he held various positions in the public sector, including with the Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture, Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
“Jamie grew up in the agricultural industry in south Florida,” said FFVA President Mike Joyner. “His unique understanding of the industry coupled with his legal experience will be an asset and important resource for our members. We are very pleased Jamie has decided to join our team.”
This essay is featured in
Boston Review’s new book,
Climate Action.
Tallevast, Florida, is a predominantly Black, unincorporated community between Manatee and Sarasota Counties. If anyone outside of the area knows of the town of fewer than eighty homes spread across two square miles, it is likely because, about twenty years ago, its groundwater was discovered to have been poisoned by the manufacture of weapons-grade beryllium during the Cold War.
Environmental racism is global, but it is particularly common to Black communities in the U.S. South, where state authorities tend to allow more latitude to industrial polluters.
The plot will sound familiar: a polluting industry, privately owned but authorized by the state, is placed near Black homes, fouls the natural resources, and causes irreversible harm to the community’s health. Environmental racism is global, but it is particularly common to Black communities in the U.S. South, where state authorities tend to allow more
DeSantis budget on algae blooms offers plenty of irony floridaphoenix.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from floridaphoenix.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Coastal flooding from Hurricane Michael breached St. Joseph Peninsula, cutting off access to hiking and campgrounds.
Gulf County will soon receive $18 million in federal aid to reimburse Hurricane Michael recovery costs.
The funding comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency s Public Assistance grant program, which local governments and non-profits rely on to pay for costs following a major natural disaster. Michael was a Category 5 hurricane when it made landfall about 12 miles east of the county more than two years ago.
More than $15 million will cover costs to protect Indian Pass, St. Joseph Peninsula and St. Joe Beach from extensive dune erosion, according to a recent FEMA news release. The funding will pay for emergency berms and temporary levees to prevent flooding.