DOGE Shuts Down Melbourne Social Security Hearing Office
As part of a nationwide effort to cut real estate costs, the federal government is closing a Social Security Administration hearing office in Melbourne on May 16. Located at 4740 Dairy Road, this office handles appeals for Social Security disability and other benefit disputes but does not provide general SSA services like benefit applications or card replacements.
The closure is part of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative, which is canceling nearly 800 leases nationwide, with most shutting down this year. Brevard County residents needing appeal hearings will likely have to travel outside the county, adding strain to those already facing legal and financial hardships.
Local disability advocates worry the closure could delay access to fair and timely hearings. Impacted residents can visit www.ssa.gov for alternative hearing locations and procedures.
Legislature wants parents, schools to play more active role in solving truancy
A bill that would encourage more family and school buy-in to fix school truancy has passed its first committee in the Florida House.
Families would be encouraged to participate in truancy meetings, even if it’s over the phone or virtually. And if they can’t be at meetings, the school has to send notes.
Republican State House Representative Fiona McFarland voted to approve the bill, saying it’s crucial for parents to be looped into what’s happening with a truant child.
“Without your bill, that whole process of remediation and figuring out what's happening to the kid could happen with the absence of a parent. I really appreciate and applaud you taking the family into this process.”
The bill would also require schools to have truancy prevention programs, update the state on the number of students at risk for truancy, and confirm that each student has a remediation plan.
A companion bill is in its first committee in the Florida Senate.
What's old is new again: Bill requiring cursive instruction progresses in legislature
A bill requiring public elementary school students in Florida to learn cursive has passed its second committee in the Florida House.
Republican State Representative Toby Overdorf, who introduced the bill, says cursive is useful in the classroom and everyday life.
“We must not lose sight of the foundational skills that connect us to our history and sharpen our minds. If our students can't read cursive, they can't read the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, or even a grandparent’s handwritten letter. Cursive writing isn't just a skill, it's a link to our heritage and a tool for lifelong learning.”
Under the bill, 2nd to 5th grade students would be required to learn how to write in cursive, and prove they are proficient in writing in and reading cursive.
Student proficiency would be determined by the individual student’s teacher evaluating a written work sample. The bill has a companion bill in the Senate.
Maslow launching Outerspace, his 'counterculture contemporary' gallery in downtown Melbourne
Christopher Maslow is launching Outerspace, a high-ceiling gallery with flexible floor space, to host private shows and receptions: think art installations, birthday parties, real estate closings, pop-up shows and more.
Maslow is a high-profile muralist who has contributed murals to downtown Melbourne, Eau Gallie and Miami's Wynwood Arts District
The grand opening is this Friday Outerspace 321, a group art exhibition. More than 150 artists will exhibit their works. There will be food, two music stages and performance art.
The gallery is on Palmetto Ave. Hours are 5 p.m. to midnight, and admission is free.
More: www.floridatoday.com
