The recent high school grad quit his job over it. Quinton Desamours was emotional after attending his first protest in downtown Fort Myers. The speeches about participating in a nationwide movement against oppression had been so inspiring, he cried.So the next day, June 6, the 18-year-old scribbled “BLM”— for Black Lives Matter — on the front of his surgical mask and clocked into work at Publix on Lee Boulevard in Lehigh Acres.His manager quickly pulled him aside and told him to go home.“He said I was putting myself and the rest of the employees in danger and he couldn’t have me out on the...…The recent high school grad quit his job over it. Quinton Desamours was emotional after attending his first protest in downtown Fort Myers. The speeches about participating in a nationwide movement against oppression had been so inspiring, he cried.So the next day, June 6, the 18-year-old scribbled “BLM”— for Black Lives Matter — on the front of his surgical mask and clocked into work at Publix on Lee Boulevard in Lehigh Acres.His manager quickly pulled him aside and told him to go home.“He said I was putting myself and the rest of the employees in danger and he couldn’t have me out on the...WW…

/Community Convalescent Center reports that 56 residents and 17 staffers have tested positive for COVID-19.A Plant City nursing home is dealing with an outbreak of 73 coronavirus cases among staff and residents, the state is reporting.So far, 56 residents at the Community Convalescent Center, also known as Community Care Center, have tested positive for the virus and were transferred out of the facility, according to the latest figures released Tuesday morning. Seventeen staff members also tested positive.The medical condition of those 73 cases was not known early Tuesday. The state did not...…/Community Convalescent Center reports that 56 residents and 17 staffers have tested positive for COVID-19.A Plant City nursing home is dealing with an outbreak of 73 coronavirus cases among staff and residents, the state is reporting.So far, 56 residents at the Community Convalescent Center, also known as Community Care Center, have tested positive for the virus and were transferred out of the facility, according to the latest figures released Tuesday morning. Seventeen staff members also tested positive.The medical condition of those 73 cases was not known early Tuesday. The state did not...WW…

How did the coronavirus overwhelm a Seminole nursing home so quickly?Story by , and Times Staff Writersarjorie Blackman arrived for her shift at the Seminole Pavilion nursing home on a Saturday in April, stopping at the front door for a temperature check. The nurse had been tired and short of breath, and now, she had a slight fever. She didn’t know that a patient had died the day before after testing positive for the coronavirus.An immigrant from Guyana, Marjorie had gone back to school in her 50s to become a licensed practical nurse. Now 67, her three-hour daily commute was exhausting, and...…How did the coronavirus overwhelm a Seminole nursing home so quickly?Story by , and Times Staff Writersarjorie Blackman arrived for her shift at the Seminole Pavilion nursing home on a Saturday in April, stopping at the front door for a temperature check. The nurse had been tired and short of breath, and now, she had a slight fever. She didn’t know that a patient had died the day before after testing positive for the coronavirus.An immigrant from Guyana, Marjorie had gone back to school in her 50s to become a licensed practical nurse. Now 67, her three-hour daily commute was exhausting, and...WW…

/Seven months later, the shooting death remains an open case. Investigators said four Gaither High students were likely involved. TAMPA — One night in January, two teens broke into an apartment in the Citrus Park area, one of them armed. A man who lived there shot them both and only one survived.Two other teens stopped by deputies at the apartment complex were likely involved in the home invasion, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office reported at the time. The office said all four suspects were Gaither High School students and that criminal charges in the case were forthcoming. No names...…/Seven months later, the shooting death remains an open case. Investigators said four Gaither High students were likely involved. TAMPA — One night in January, two teens broke into an apartment in the Citrus Park area, one of them armed. A man who lived there shot them both and only one survived.Two other teens stopped by deputies at the apartment complex were likely involved in the home invasion, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office reported at the time. The office said all four suspects were Gaither High School students and that criminal charges in the case were forthcoming. No names...WW…

Video shows the man antagonizing Black Lives Matter protesters, but investigators say he acted in self-defense.If you are reading this on our mobile app, this story will not fully load. .ST. PETERSBURG — Javon Cloud crouched in front of City Hall, listening as the protest leader spoke.“Please pay attention to your surroundings,” she cautioned. “There are literal fascists out here trying to start a conflict.”Cloud, shirtless on a September night, wasn’t worried as he surveyed the gathering crowd. He’d always felt safe with the group.But it was three days after a grand jury in Kentucky had...…Video shows the man antagonizing Black Lives Matter protesters, but investigators say he acted in self-defense.If you are reading this on our mobile app, this story will not fully load. .ST. PETERSBURG — Javon Cloud crouched in front of City Hall, listening as the protest leader spoke.“Please pay attention to your surroundings,” she cautioned. “There are literal fascists out here trying to start a conflict.”Cloud, shirtless on a September night, wasn’t worried as he surveyed the gathering crowd. He’d always felt safe with the group.But it was three days after a grand jury in Kentucky had...WW…

/They were told their leader would remain in office despite losing the election. He won’t. What now?They descended on the nation’s capital hoping to disrupt a democratic election, then returned to Tampa Bay: a real estate broker, a tech adviser, a singing coach, a coffee shop owner and many more.Some were former tea party members. Others came to politics more recently. They organized in groups, calling themselves “Tampa Bay Trump Club,” “Community Patriots of Pinellas” and “deplorables.” For years, they had listened to one man’s word above all else: President Donald Trump’s.In the days...…/They were told their leader would remain in office despite losing the election. He won’t. What now?They descended on the nation’s capital hoping to disrupt a democratic election, then returned to Tampa Bay: a real estate broker, a tech adviser, a singing coach, a coffee shop owner and many more.Some were former tea party members. Others came to politics more recently. They organized in groups, calling themselves “Tampa Bay Trump Club,” “Community Patriots of Pinellas” and “deplorables.” For years, they had listened to one man’s word above all else: President Donald Trump’s.In the days...WW…

Notices from a real estate company run by two local leaders said some residents had until Oct. 8 to vacate their units. TARPON SPRINGS — The men in black vests began showing up to Glen’s Eureka apartments in mid-September — soon after the nine-unit building sold to a new owner, local attorney George Andriotis.They hassled residents and asked them when they were moving out, tenants say. They left notices on some doors, warning them to leave by Oct. 8 or have the locks changed. Residents say they have nowhere else to go during the pandemic. Many have health issues.“They have been pressing us...…Notices from a real estate company run by two local leaders said some residents had until Oct. 8 to vacate their units. TARPON SPRINGS — The men in black vests began showing up to Glen’s Eureka apartments in mid-September — soon after the nine-unit building sold to a new owner, local attorney George Andriotis.They hassled residents and asked them when they were moving out, tenants say. They left notices on some doors, warning them to leave by Oct. 8 or have the locks changed. Residents say they have nowhere else to go during the pandemic. Many have health issues.“They have been pressing us...WW…