Good morning. Happy Sunday and Happy New Year of the Rabbit! This morning our news comes from NewsBreak.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has proposed legislation to permanently ban Covid mandates in the state. The proposal includes permanently banning mask requirements throughout the state, prohibiting vaccine and mask requirements in schools, prohibiting Covid passports in the state, and prohibiting employers from hiring or firing based on Covid vaccines. The proposal also aims to protect “medical freedom of speech” by protecting medical professionals’ freedom of speech, the right to disagree with the “preferred narrative of the medical community,” as well as the religious views of medical professionals. The proposal follows DeSantis’s repeated criticisms of Covid mandates and his signing of measures to protect Floridians from pandemic mandates set forth by local governments in 2021 – Ron DeSantis moves to permanently ban Covid mandates in Florida (The Guardian/NewsBreak)
The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources is advising citizens to use extra caution when encountering coyotes during the mating season, which is between January and March. Coyotes are becoming increasingly abundant in urban areas and males may be more territorial during this time. It’s important not to leave any food outside that would attract coyotes as they are more challenged for food during the winter months and may attack small dogs. Additionally, larger canines will be even more aggressive in March and April, which is “pupping season” as they will be protective and territorial about their new pups. If a coyote does become aggressive, it needs to be removed from the landscape – Virginia residents should be aware of possible increased aggressiveness in coyotes between January and March (Cheryl E Preston/NewsBreak)
Ohio State men’s basketball team defeated Iowa 93-77 on Saturday, ending a five-game losing streak. Freshman forward Brice Sensabaugh had a career-high 27 points and graduate guard Isaac Likekele recorded a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. The Buckeyes shot 56.3% for the game and outrebounded Iowa 36-29. The Hawkeyes were unable to find a rhythm during the second half and fell into a hole they couldn’t dig out from. The Buckeyes will next play against Illinois in a Big Ten matchup on Tuesday – Men’s Basketball: Buckeyes beat Hawkeyes 93-77, snap 5-game skid (The Lantern/NewsBreak)
The 8th Annual Jonesborough Chocolate Festival is a two-day event on February 10th and 11th, 2023 in historic Jonesborough, Tennessee, that will feature a wide variety of delicious chocolate treats from local small businesses. The festival is sponsored by the Jonesborough Area Merchants & Service Association (JAMSA) and proceeds go back to supporting local businesses and the community. The festival will have multiple time slots available, with a limited number of tickets sold per time slot. The festival will have a separate “Chocolate After Dark” option for patrons over 21, which will feature up to 10 beverage-tasting stops at participating businesses. Tickets must be purchased in advance and are sold in packs of 10 for $20. Early ticket pick-up will begin on February 6th and all check-in and pick-up will occur at the Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center – Chocolate Lovers Unite in Tennessee’s Oldest Town for Sweet Delights in February (John M. Dabbs/NewsBreak)
Patrons at a Greek restaurant in Bowling Green, Kentucky were outraged to see and hear what they believe was video footage showing the killing of Breonna Taylor at an event featuring John Mattingly, one of the officers involved in the 2020 raid, according to the local NAACP chapter and witnesses. Patrons weren’t informed that a GOP women’s club was hosting the event at the restaurant and may have been exposed to graphic depictions of the raid that led to Taylor’s death. Mattingly was the first officer to enter Taylor’s apartment on March 13, 2020, after Louisville police executing a search warrant used a battering ram to break the door down. The only officer charged in the botched raid, Brett Hankison, was acquitted of wanton endangerment charges in March – Patrons at a Kentucky restaurant outraged at video they believe showed Breonna Taylor’s killing (CNN US)
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