BROOKSVILLE — Former Hernando County Commissioner Nick Nicholson will not seek reinstatement to the board, according to a letter he sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this month.When Nicholson pleaded no contest to three prostitution-related charges in November and the judge withheld adjudication on the misdemeanors. His attorney said he took the plea deal so he could get back on the commission. Local public officials at the time strongly opposed the idea.In his letter to DeSantis, Nicholson said that he received notice that he could request a hearing to determine the final disposition of his case. State Senate President Bill Galvano issued a memo in January stating that he had chosen Senate special counsel Christie Letarte to serve as special master if Nicholson requested a hearing before the Senate."Even though I feel the charges and circumstances surrounding my suspension were unfounded," Nicholson wrote, "they were settled in court, and I was not found guilty of the … [Read more...] about Nick Nicholson won’t seek reinstatement to his Hernando County Commission seat
Rental assistance hernando county fl
Hernando County set to settle website accessibility lawsuit, one in a wave filed by prolific plaintiffs
On New Year's Eve, Hernando County joined the company of dozens of other Florida public entities when it was sued by a Daytona Beach man who said the county's website didn't comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Now, after a county commission agreement last week, Hernando is set to be among those who have paid the man.It's one piece in what legal experts have called a growing wave of website accessibility lawsuits against municipalities.The Hernando settlement hadn't been finalized earlier this week, so details weren't available. But earlier this month, the Flagler County Commission approved a nearly $16,000 settlement in a similar case involving the same plaintiff, Joel Price. Price was set to receive $1,200 and his attorneys $14,500.Price, who is a legally blind Navy veteran, according to the lawsuit, has filed similar accessibility suits against more than two dozen Florida municipalities, according to public records. Several of the suits contained strikingly similar lines … [Read more...] about Hernando County set to settle website accessibility lawsuit, one in a wave filed by prolific plaintiffs
Things to do in Pasco and Hernando counties starting Feb. 22
FestivalsSunwest Crab and Shrimp Festival: Put your bets in on a crab race or pose with a mermaid at this festival with an arts and crafts show, live music, carnival rides, crab races and lots of seafood. The festival will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Feb. 22, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 23 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 24 at SunWest Park, 17362 Old Dixie Highway, Hudson. There will be carnival rides, a cornhole competition, crab claw-eating contest and lots of seafood. The Landsharks, a Jimmy Buffet tribute, will be at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Proceeds benefit the Stano Foundation and Gulfside Hospice and Pasco Palliative Care. Admission is free on Friday, $5 Saturday and Sunday. Call (727) 674-1464.Paulie Palooza Music Festival: The annual event will be from noon to 9 p.m. Feb. 23 along Main Street in Zephyrhills. Bands will perform throughout the day. There will be vendors, auction items and a “wet” zone with the street’s local brewery and bars. The lineup of bands includes Shades of … [Read more...] about Things to do in Pasco and Hernando counties starting Feb. 22
Things to Do in Pasco and Hernando counties starting Nov. 9
This Week's HighlightsMusicFriday Night Live: Bands performing include Actual Bank Robbers at 6 p.m. and Slickwood at 8 p.m. Brooksville Main Street hosts this live outdoor concert series that includes a food truck rally, full bar and family games in the park. Visit historicdowntownbrooksville.com. 5-10 p.m. Free. Hernando Park, 205 E Fort Dade Ave., Brooksville.Salute to Veterans concert: The PHSC Foundation presents its fifth annual ‘Salute to Veterans’ performance. Featuring the Victory Belles, a vocal trio performing the music of the 1940s. The show will include a musical salute to each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. Get tickets online at phsc.tix.com. 2 p.m. Nov. 9. $10, U.S. military veterans pay $5. Pasco-Hernando State College Performing Arts Center, 10230 Ridge Road, New Port Richey. (727) 816-3707. phsc.edu.Songs Across America: The Hernando Jazz Society performs at 2 p.m. Nov. 11 at Wellington at Seven Hills clubhouse, 400 Wexford Blvd., Spring Hill. Admission … [Read more...] about Things to Do in Pasco and Hernando counties starting Nov. 9
Volunteers shell out hours to build oyster reef off Hernando County
HERNANDO BEACHOver the past 30 years, waterways along Florida’s Big Bend region — from Apalachee Bay, down through Hernando County and into Pasco — have seen a nearly 90 percent decline in the oyster population, research shows.Local environmentalists in Hernando for years have plotted to fight the problem, which is caused in part by poor water quality. They wanted to build a stronger, man-made habitat where the organisms can thrive, said Brittany Hall-Scharf, a Florida Sea Grant agent based in the county.The work finally paid off last month, when volunteers helped build an artificial reef in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Hernando Beach near Centipede Bay. Made of about 50,000 pounds of recycled oyster shells, the reef will serve as hub that newborn organisms can adhere to, so they can survive, reproduce, and contribute to the area’s dwindled population. It’s the first of its kind in Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties.Although oysters can’t be … [Read more...] about Volunteers shell out hours to build oyster reef off Hernando County