Valerie Crowder
Valerie Crowder is a freelance reporter based in Panama City, Florida. Before moving to Florida, she covered politics and education for Public Radio East in New Bern, North Carolina. While at PRE, she was also a fill-in host during All Things Considered. She got her start in public radio at WAER-FM in Syracuse, New York, where she was a part-time reporter, assistant producer and host. She has a B.A. in newspaper online journalism and political science from Syracuse University. When she’s not reporting the news, she enjoys reading classic fiction and thrillers, hiking with members of the Florida Trail Association and doing yoga.
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Two bills recently filed in the state legislature seek to give every local elections supervisor the option to operate countywide polling sites on Election Day, instead of restricting voters to designated precinct sites. -
They say the proposal would force them to spend a lot of money notifying voters to renew their absentee ballot requests every year.
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Florida’s Hispanic residents are more likely than whites to contract COVID-19 and die from the disease, yet early vaccination data shows they’re getting the shot at lower rates. Coronavirus vaccine misinformation and mistrust are contributing to the disparity.
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Florida is experiencing a resurgence of coronavirus cases following the holidays. The state is continuing to rely on its vaccination, testing and public education strategies to curb the spread of the virus, even as health experts predict another spike in deaths in the coming weeks.
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They're staying away from online appointments, opting for scheduling by phone or filling out a paper application instead.
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A Facebook live video shows Republicans in Bay County discussing how to illegally register to vote in the state's Senate runoff elections.
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Floridians recovering from pandemic-related income losses can still get help paying past-due rent and mortgage bills.
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Some areas in the Florida Panhandle are struggling to attract visitors as they continue to recover from Hurricane Michael.
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After Hurricane Michael devastated the region, many people fled their storm-damaged homes. Now down-payment assistance loans are helping put people back into neighborhoods in communities that are still recovering.
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Permanent housing remains out of reach for many low-income residents two years after Hurricane Michael.
