Billy Jean Louis

2 weeks ago | kbindependent.org | Billy Jean Louis

TALLAHASSEE — Prosecutors have opened an investigation related to the Hope Florida Foundation, the nonprofit behind the welfare program that has been touted as the signature achievement of first lady Casey DeSantis. A public records custodian in the office of Second Judicial Circuit State Attorney Jack Campbell confirmed the existence of “an open, on-going investigation” Tuesday in response to a records request from The Associated Press.

2 weeks ago | wlrn.org | Billy Jean Louis

Growing up in the 1980s, when the island prospered from exporting natural resources like cocoa, cotton, coffee and mangos, Haiti was a haven for locals like Jude Guillaume. “I cry every morning,” said Guillaume, security officer for the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, as he directed traffic around the complex this week. He said that since gangs took over Port-au-Prince, the country’s capital, and started burning houses and killing people, Haiti is no longer the same.

2 weeks ago | kbindependent.org | Billy Jean Louis

Growing up in the 1980s, when the island prospered from exporting natural resources like cocoa, cotton, coffee and mangos, Haiti was a haven for locals like Jude Guillaume. “I cry every morning,” said Guillaume, security officer for the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, as he directed traffic around the complex this week. He said that since gangs took over Port-au-Prince, the country’s capital, and started burning houses and killing people, Haiti is no longer the same.

3 weeks ago | kbindependent.org | Billy Jean Louis

A group of advocates for wildlife protection are organizing multiple rallies on Saturday across Florida in opposition to a plan to reinstate a trophy hunt for black bears. “The only justification the FWC [Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission] has given for having the hunt is to offer an opportunity for trophy hunters to bag a bear,” the group Bear Defenders said in a statement announcing the protests. “This decision is not rooted in sound science or necessity,” the group said.

3 weeks ago | kbindependent.org | Billy Jean Louis

Gina-Love Pierre, an 18-year-old at Miami Central Senior High, said that without financial aid, her chances of attending college are slim. “I want to study culinary arts – the art of cuisine — because I love cooking,” said Love, a senior, attending the April 29 college fair in Liberty City sponsored by the Belafonte TACOLCY Center. The Liberty City nonprofit aims to play a key role in reducing the costs of college for low-income families.