Author

Trimmel Gomes

With more than 11 years as a radio and television newsman, Trimmel Gomes has traveled the world searching and covering stories while working for major news outlets like NPR, PBS and ABC. He is a regular contributor for the ABC affiliate in Florida's capital city appearing across various programming to break down the latest in politics from Florida, Georgia and Washington.

Local

Advocates: Florida’s Redistricting Process Needs More “Sunshine”

Trimmel Gomes Sep 19, 2021

Every 10 years, Florida legislators redraw political divisions or boundaries for state legislative and congressional districts. TALLAHASSEE, FL -- After census delays, Florida lawmakers kick off the complex, once-a-decade process of…

Local

Bill to Ban Critical Race Theory Sparks Call for African American History

Trimmel Gomes Sep 16, 2021

Republican lawmakers across the country have proposed legislation to limit or forbid the teaching of such concepts as racial equity and white privilege. Photo credit: Kelly Lacy/Pexels. TALLAHASSEE, FL - State Rep. Randy Fine, R-Palm…

Local

“Help a Brother Out” – Florida Groups Rally to Resettle Afghan Refugees

Trimmel Gomes Sep 2, 2021

The State Department named Jacksonville among the top 19 "welcoming cities" for refugees, but organizations in other parts of the state also are gearing up to help with resettlement. File photo: PradeepGaurs, Shutterstock.com, licensed. …

Environment

Piney Point Pollution Could Overflow with Storms, Hurricanes

Trimmel Gomes Aug 17, 2021

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is seeking an emergency court hearing to transfer control of the troubled former phosphate processing plant at Piney Point from its owners to avoid another environmental disaster. …

Education

GoFundMe, Federal Aid Offered to School Officials in Masking Disputes

Trimmel Gomes Aug 11, 2021

This week, Gov. Ron DeSantis threatened to dock the salaries of district superintendents and county school board members who mandate mask wearing in schools. File photo: ShutterStock.com, licensed. TALLAHASSEE, FL - As the DeSantis…

Business

FL Dems: DeSantis Should Focus on COVID, Not Ben & Jerry’s

Trimmel Gomes Aug 4, 2021

Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop on 940 Elm Street at Stark Street in downtown Manchester, New Hampshire on Aug. 29, 2019. File photo: Wangkun Jia, Shutterstock.com, licensed. TALLAHASSEE, FL - Gov. Ron DeSantis is promising to block…

Business

Report: Power Companies Block Rooftop Solar Growth in FL, US

Trimmel Gomes Jul 30, 2021

The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) decided not to act to change the state's net-metering rule at its Sept. 17, 2020, workshop on Customer-Owned Renewable Generation. File photo: ShutterStock.com, licensed. TALLAHASSEE, FL - A…

Health

Beyond Olympics, USA Wheelchair Football Inspires Adaptive Athletes

Trimmel Gomes Jul 23, 2021

Founded just before the pandemic, the USA Wheelchair Football League is the first football league of its kind, for adults living with disabilities. Photo credit: Move United TAMPA, FL - Move United's USA Wheelchair Football…

Education

A Call to Build Black Women’s Futures by Canceling $50K in Student Debt

Trimmel Gomes Jul 16, 2021

According to the U.S. Census, on average, Black women were paid 63% of what non-Hispanic white men were paid in 2019. Photo credit ShutterStock.com, licensed. TALLAHASSEE, FL - With Black women carrying more student loan debt than any…

Crime

Advocates See DeSantis Veto of Juvenile Records Bill as Missed Opportunity

Trimmel Gomes Jul 9, 2021

According to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, more than 45,000 juveniles were arrested in the state from 2019 to 2020. Photo credit ShutterStock.com, licensed. TALLAHASSEE, FL - Republicans and Democrats alike are stunned by…

Economy

Report: Apalachicola, Other Estuarine Reserves Help Power Local Economies

Trimmel Gomes Jun 28, 2021

On Florida's northwestern Gulf coast, the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve supports 65 jobs and generates $46.4 million, including $15.1 million in labor income. Photo credit ShutterStock.com, licensed. APALACHICOLA, FL…

Health

Report Suggests Florida Gains in Child Well-Being Could be Temporary

Trimmel Gomes Jun 21, 2021

Nearly one in four adults living in households with children said they felt "down, depressed or hopeless," according to a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Photo credit ShutterStock.com, licensed. TALLAHASSEE, FL - An…

Business

Petition Urges Florida Governor to Keep “Vital” Unemployment Benefits

Trimmel Gomes Jun 14, 2021

A growing number of Republican-led states have withdrawn from the federal program, claiming it will be an incentive to get people back to work. TALLAHASSEE, FL - Laid-off workers are appealing to Gov. Ron DeSantis to reverse plans to…

Environment

Researchers Study Links Between Prey Fish, Predators and Algal Blooms

Trimmel Gomes Jun 10, 2021

Dakota Lewis, a graduate student at the University of Central Florida (UCF) and a 2020 fellow in the Forage Fish Research Program, has studied algal blooms and fish kills in the Indian River Lagoon, which stretches along 40% of Florida's…

Environment

As Toxic Algae, Other Issues Bloom, FL Environmental Secretary Resigns

Trimmel Gomes Jun 4, 2021

Florida's Blue-Green Algae Task Force outlined in 2019, "Increased delivery of nutrients to Florida's water bodies is widely recognized as the primary driver of algal proliferation and subsequent degradation of aquatic…

Health

Report Highlights Challenges to Health of Older Americans

Trimmel Gomes May 25, 2021

The data showed seniors in Florida saw a 28% increase in frequent physical distress in the three years before the pandemic. Photo credit Shutterstock licensed. TALLAHASSEE, FL -- Even before the pandemic, seniors were experiencing…

Business

Lawsuit Launched Over Piney Point Wastewater Leak

Trimmel Gomes May 21, 2021

The FDEP, HRK Holdings, and the Manatee County Port Authority have all been named in the Notice of Intent to Sue, after April's leak of a phosphogypsum stack, releasing about 215 million gallons of wastewater into Tampa Bay and prompting…

Business

Laid-Off Florida Workers Left to Make Do as Businesses Get Relief

Trimmel Gomes May 10, 2021

Gov. Ron DeSantis says his executive order waiving the work-search requirement for those getting unemployment benefits will likely end May 29. Photo credit ShutterStock.com, licensed. TALLAHASSEE, FL - Laid-off workers who had to fight…

Local

Florida Sees Growing Need for Foster Families, Training

Trimmel Gomes May 7, 2021

In Florida, prospective foster parents work with local community organizations to complete the licensing process to become a foster parent. Photo credit ShutterStock.com, licensed. TALLAHASSEE, FL - May is National Foster Care Month,…

Local

Florida Republicans Ban Transgender Athletes, Send Bill to Governor

Trimmel Gomes Apr 29, 2021

The Florida Legislature has passed a bill that would block transgender children from playing on sports teams that don't align with their gender at birth. Photo credit ShutterStock.com, licensed. TALLAHASSEE, FL - Last-minute maneuvering…

Education

Misinformation About COVID-19 Shot Spreads Inside Florida Prisons

Trimmel Gomes Apr 23, 2021

Florida's Department of Corrections Secretary issued a recent statement, with a personal appeal to staff and anyone incarcerated to get the shot. But families and advocacy groups say good information is hard to come by from the inside, so…

Local

Civil-Rights Leaders Denounce Passage of Florida’s “Anti-Riot” Bill

Trimmel Gomes Apr 16, 2021

Protesters in Coral Springs, Florida. June 02, 2020 Photo credit YES Market Media via ShutterStock.com, licensed. TALLAHASSEE, FL - Despite emotional testimony from Democrats and civil-rights groups, Florida's Republican lawmakers…

Environment

Tampa Bay Braces for Red Tide Outbreak After Toxic Wastewater Leak

Trimmel Gomes Apr 9, 2021

The Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection is partnering with Tampa Bay area governments and the Tampa Bay Estuary Program to monitor water quality at locations affected by the Piney Point breach. File photo: Kristi Blokhin,…

Local

Despite Smooth Elections, Florida Bill Adds Restrictions to Vote-By-Mail

Trimmel Gomes Apr 2, 2021

Current Florida law prohibits offering voters assistance within 100 feet of polling locations. HB 7041 would expand that zone to 150 feet and prohibits giving "any item" to voters. Photo credit: Florida Capitol, Trimmel Gomes. …

Local

Opponents Call FL Bill Targeting Transgender Athletes Dangerous, Discriminatory

Trimmel Gomes Mar 25, 2021

The bills moving through Florida's Legislature appear to be on fast-track, with talk from insiders that the Senate version by Sen. Kelli Stargel - R-Lakeland - might skip one of its three committee stops. Photo credit: DCStockPhotography /…

Finance

Florida Misses Out on Medicaid Funding in COVID-19 Relief Package

Trimmel Gomes Mar 14, 2021

Florida continues to resist calls and significant financial incentives to expand Medicaid eligibility for nearly all poor adults and children in the state. Photo credit ShutterStock.com, licensed. TALLAHASSEE, FL -- The pressure is on…

Environment

Southern Communities Rally for Inclusion in Green New Deal

Trimmel Gomes Mar 12, 2021

One of the goals of the Green New Deal is to meet "100% of the power demand in the United States through clean, renewable and zero-emission energy sources." Photo credit ShutterStock.com, licensed. TALLAHASSEE, FL - Leaders of Southern…

Local

‘Anti-Riot’ Bill May Be Dead on Arrival in Florida Senate, Advances in House

Trimmel Gomes Mar 5, 2021

Triggered by the mostly peaceful protests after the police killing of George Floyd, sponsor Rep. Danny Burgess - R-Zephyrhills - said House Bill 1 would protect against agitators who destroy properties during public disorder. Editorial…

Local

Conservationists Warn of Power Grab in Florida’s Energy Policy

Trimmel Gomes Feb 26, 2021

A FPL Florida Power and Light solar tree at Young Circle Arts Park in Hollywood Florida. August 8, 2020. Editorial credit: Felix Mizioznikov / Shutterstock.com, licensed. TALLAHASSEE, FL - While Florida's electrical grid is more…

Health

Officials Call on DeSantis to Apologize Over Vaccine Threats

Trimmel Gomes Feb 19, 2021

Reporters raised concerns by some Manatee County officials that the new vaccine pop-up site in an upscale development was not in an area of most need. File photo: Juno Beach, Florida, June 30, 2020 Editorial credit: YES Market Media /…

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