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Festivus

No joy: Festivus pole will be absent from Capitol this year

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An all-black “Festivus” pole will not be appearing in the Capitol rotunda this holiday season, according to a Department of Management Services spokeswoman. Maggie Mickler said Friday that South Florida-based activist Chaz Stevens emailed the department Thursday evening. He said “he will not be traveling to Tallahassee” to install the display. The department oversees state property and approves proposed holiday displays in the Capitol. Stevens said in a statement that unexpected family health issues prevented him from bringing the pole to Tallahassee this year. “And truthfully, with [Donald] Trump‘s…

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Chad Poppell quits as head of DMS

Another one bites the dust: Chad Poppell has resigned as Secretary of the Department of Management Services, the state’s real estate manager.

Vandals attack pentagram erected to protest Nativity scene

in Apolitical/Top Headlines by

A 300-pound metal sculpture of a satanic pentagram, erected as an atheist protest to a public park’s Nativity scene, was severely damaged on Tuesday when it was pulled to the ground by vandals. Atheist Preston Smith‘s 10-foot tall sculpture lay broken in Sanborn Square at noon. Tire tracks led from the twisted metal to the street. It appeared vandals had attached a chain from a vehicle to the sculpture and yanked it down, dragging it several feet. As local television…

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Approved: Black “Festivus” pole will be placed in Capitol

in Statewide/Top Headlines by
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The state has OK’d a politically charged “Festivus” pole for display in the Capitol this holiday season. The Department of Management Services, which oversees state property, cleared the pole to have a place in the plaza-level rotunda, spokeswoman Maggie Mickler said Thursday. The all black, six-foot-tall pole “will contain the names of all unarmed black men killed by police in 2016,” according to the application from South Florida activist and former blogger Chaz Stevens. Stevens now runs the Religious Liberty Project, which plans to put a…

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Chad Poppell quits as head of DMS

Another one bites the dust: Chad Poppell has resigned as Secretary of the Department of Management Services, the state’s real estate manager.

Capitol holiday display would pay homage to police shooting victims

in Statewide/Top Headlines by
Pabst Blue Ribbon

A South Florida activist and former blogger has again filed to erect a “Festivus” pole in the state Capitol this year as a holiday display. But this year’s pole has a politically charged twist, according to Chaz Stevens‘ application to the state. “The all black, six-foot-tall Festivus-inspired pole will contain the names of all unarmed black men killed by police in 2016,” Stevens wrote. The application has not yet been acted on by the Department of Management Services, which oversees state property. For the last few years,…

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Chad Poppell quits as head of DMS

Another one bites the dust: Chad Poppell has resigned as Secretary of the Department of Management Services, the state’s real estate manager.

Poll: Americans trust Donald Trump most to fight War on Christmas; GOP down on Festivus

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Americans are becoming less and less concerned about the “War on Christmas,” a new survey from Public Policy Polling finds. In 2012, PPP found 47 percent of voters nationally believed that such a thing existed to only 40 percent who didn’t. Now just 37 percent of voters believe in the War on Christmas to 42 percent who say it doesn’t exist. There’s the predictable party divide with Republicans believing 56/26 that there is a war and Democrats believing 26/55 that…

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“Disco pole” approved, “spaghetti monster” applies for Capitol holiday displays

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

A rainbow-colored pole with a disco ball on top has been cleared for display this holiday season in the state Capitol rotunda, its sponsor told FloridaPolitics.com on Thursday. South Florida blogger Chaz Stevens said the Department of Management Services, which oversees state property, OK’d his Gay Pride Festivus pole to be shown Dec. 21-28. Stevens was previously approved to put up a 6-foot-tall pole made of empty Pabst Blue Ribbon beer cans, meant to mark Festivus, the fictional holiday from a 1997 episode of…

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Chad Poppell quits as head of DMS

Another one bites the dust: Chad Poppell has resigned as Secretary of the Department of Management Services, the state’s real estate manager.

Group files to place menorah in Capitol rotunda

in Apolitical/Top Headlines by

A rainbow-colored pole with a disco ball on top may not be the only holiday display in the Florida Capitol rotunda this season. On Monday, a Department of Management Services spokeswoman said one other group had filed to place a display: Chabad Lubavitch of Tallahassee and FSU filed to place a 9-foot-tall menorah, representing the traditional nine-taper candle holder used during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Hanukkah began Sunday evening and ends next Monday evening, Dec. 14. The application was not filed until this past Thursday and…

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Chad Poppell quits as head of DMS

Another one bites the dust: Chad Poppell has resigned as Secretary of the Department of Management Services, the state’s real estate manager.

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