Could St. Johns Heritage Parkway become a toll road?
Brevard County Commissioners unanimously voted this week to move forward with a study on making the St. Johns Heritage Parkway a toll road. WFIT’s Terri Wright gives us details.
Brevard County Commissioners are asking the Central Florida Expressway Authority to conduct a feasibility study on converting the St. Johns Heritage Parkway into a toll road.
If approved, the road could become part of the CFX system, allowing the agency to use future toll revenue to help finance widening, extensions, and interchanges. Local governments currently can't afford with tax revenue and state grants alone.
The county calls the parkway a significant long-term transportation investment for southern Brevard and the Space Coast. CFX would conduct the study at no cost to local governments, examining technical, financial, environmental and community impacts before any final decision.
There is no current timeline on how long the study will take to complete or implement.
Florida approves new AI policies for schools.
Florida education leaders are putting new guardrails around the use of artificial intelligence in classrooms. The State Board of Education unanimously approved two new sets of AI rules Wednesday — one covering K-12 schools and another for Florida’s state colleges. Under the new K-12 policy, school districts across the state will have to develop local policies governing which AI tools can be used and how they can be used.
Parents and guardians will also have a role. If a student is going to directly interact with an A-I instructional tool, schools must get a parent’s opt-in. Robert Goodman is a Regional Director for Citizens Defending Freedom. He says A-I should never come at the expense of parental rights.
“The parent, not the school, not a vendor, not an algorithm, should make the decision. AI can be a useful instruction tool, but it should remain a tool.”
Florida’s state colleges will also have to establish policies spelling out when and how AI can be used. Students will not be allowed to use AI on graded assignments or assessments unless their instructor gives permission.
Launch draught continues.
There are no rocket launches in the immediate future for the Space Coast. The delayed flight of astronauts to the space station now may take off in early October. SpaceX reports it has fixed a problem with the crew capsule’s propulsion system.
The next flight of SpaceX’s massive Starship rocket is currently scheduled for next Tuesday from Texas. They hope to reach orbit with Starship on this attempt.
Health First to lay off over 200 employees.
Health First, one of Brevard’s largest employers, announced yesterday that is laying off 214 workers. The company claims most of the impact will be to management, clerical, and adminstrative positions. Three patient-facing programs will be impacted as a result of the layoffs. The company's Integrated Care Program and comprehensive health assessment program are being absorbed internally within Health First, while the Hospital at Home program is ending outright with no internal replacement named.
Brevard School board may consider changes to public comment policy.
One Brevard School Board member is considering a policy change that would allow more public input during board meetings. Board member John Thomas proposed a number of revisions to the policy, and passed out a memorandum to his fellow board members during a Tuesday off-site work session. Proposed revisions would allow public comment on agenda items before a vote and move non-agenda comments earlier.
