Police and fire chiefs demand change to ‘dire’ radio system after Parkland failures

“You may not believe it’s broken, but it is broken,” Okaloosa County Sheriff Larry Ashley, a member of the commission, told Henry. “It broke in the airport incident, it broke in the Parkland incident, and it just broke here weeks ago. … And the fear at least from this commission is it’s going to happen again, in the next mass killing.” ... Read More

Ex-deputy Scot Peterson must stay in jail until he turns over his passport. It’s in North Carolina.

The legal definition of a caregiver is a parent, an adult household member, or someone else who is responsible for a child’s welfare, like a teacher during school hours, the defense motion said. “The definition … expressly excludes law enforcement officers acting in an official capacity,” the motion said. ... Read More

Three Ways to Lead Differently in a Church Breaking the 200 Barrier

There is a sociological shift pastors must navigate as church attendance rises above 200. Many pastors, church planters, and church leaders often wonder what missteps often prevent churches from successfully breaking the 200 barrier—that is, surpassing 200 attendees in their weekly attendance. Some churches—in an effort to cross this number successfully—take courses like my Breaking the 200 Barrier or similar classes like my friend Carey Nieuwhof’s class. But in... Read More

Fort Lauderdale raises limit on campaign contributions

The decision came on the heels of another big campaign change — moving mayoral and commission elections from spring to November. Suddenly, candidates face a competition for attention between local and federal races, most of which already have the $1,000 cap. An increase in donations could be a boon for struggling runners, but it could also increase the influence of a single donor, corporation or political action committee. ... Read More

Parkland shooting commissioners: Embarrass school districts into complying with state security law

“I want their names public,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, a, member of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission. “I want them called out. I want to make sure there is a guardian or school resource officer on every campus across this state full time when school gets back in. And us sitting here and keeping quiet is enabling what they’re doing.” ... Read More

Florida students are more conservative than you think — and that’s good | Opinion

TPUSA is built on the ideals of fiscal responsibility, free-market economics and limited government. As we close out the school year in Florida, TPUSA has added 24 new chapters over the past nine months, making it a presence on 39 Florida colleges and high school campuses. About 9,000 Florida students claim membership in TPUSA. Nearby, there are a vibrant TPUSA chapters on the campuses of Florida International University, the University of Central Florida, Miami Dade College at Wolfson,... Read More

Former Democratic Party boss wants job overseeing Broward elections

“I’m here as an advocate to have all voters in Broward County be treated like customers, and no one has an edge over the other. And that’s why you will find that there are a lot of independents and Republicans, and of course many Democrats, who are supporting this effort, because they know I will administer it fairly, cleanly and with tremendous transparency,” he said. ... Read More

How Road Trips Teach Me to Trust Jesus

As I approach this season of pilgrimage, Scripture offers me a theology of travel. My husband, Daryl, experiences more wanderlust than I do. He grew up in Southern California, traveling across the valley for high school basketball games, taking class field trips up the coastline, and loading up the church van for missions to Tijuana. On our family Sabbath, it’s Daryl who takes us out on the road around Southern California. When I ask where we’re headed, he smiles and nearly... Read More

The Unfortunate Pedigree of the Missional Church

Why we need to rethink the church: Part 1. A few years ago, I was interviewing Rob Bell for Christianity Today about his book, Jesus Wants to Save Christians. He wrote something in the book that surprised me (imagine that, Rob Bell saying something surprising). So I asked him to clarify himself: “What to you is the purpose of the church?” “The purpose of the church,” he replied, “is to make the world a better place.” That’s what he had said in the... Read More