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The University of Florida international student arrested near campus and sent to an immigration detention center has returned to Colombia, according to a new statement from his mother there.Felipe Zapata Velásquez, 27, was arrested March 28 for driving with a U.S. driver’s license that had been suspended since January 2024 and with an outdated vehicle registration. He was taken to Jacksonville by federal immigration agents after his arrest and told he could await his case’s resolution in jail in the United States or sign his self-deportation and return to Colombia, according to an interview on April 2 with his mother, Claudia Velásquez, by NTN24. The University of Florida international student arrested near campus and sent to an immigration detention center has returned to Colombia, according to a new statement from his mother there.Felipe Zapata Velásquez, 27, was arrested March 28 for driving with a U.S. driver’s license that had been suspended since January 2024 and with an outdated vehicle registration. He was taken to Jacksonville by federal immigration agents after his arrest and told he could await his case’s resolution in jail in the United States or sign his self-deportation and return to Colombia, according to an interview on April 2 with his mother, Claudia Velásquez, by NTN24. -
File/Lee Ann Anderson/Fresh Take FloridaA new cell phone ban could go into effect at the start of the next school year should the Lee County school board give an expected nod to the proposal when it meets Tuesday evening. -
In this installment from the StoryCorps Mobile Tour visit to Fort Myers in 2024, we hear Finzo Hall and his mother Marcia Robinson talk about immigrating from Jamaica to the U.S, Finzo’s determination to follow his dream of becoming a pilot, and helping other young people achieve their dreams through the powers of faith and resiliency. -
Lee high school graduation rates up, but still lagging; Gov. DeSantis declares school choice successThe School District of Lee County is proud to announce the graduation rate for the class of 2024 rose to 85.8%, setting a record high for the School District since new graduation standards were implemented in 2022. The 2019-2020 graduation rate was artificially inflated by the exemption for seniors from statewide, standardized assessment requirements stipulated in state law due to the COVID pandemic.
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Ideas for college students by legislators offer contradictory ideas. -
The education commissioner assured the State Board of Education that Gov. Ron DeSantis “will take nothing less than full parental choice.” -
There are a lot of students following safety precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but there are also a lot that are not, says Gainesville City Commissioner David Arreola. -
The Florida Education Association and other plaintiffs asked an appeals court Monday to reconsider a decision that backed Gov. Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran in a battle about reopening schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic. -
DeSantis made the case for quarantining symptomatic students and staff, but avoiding closing entire campuses. -
Manatee County Schools will be voting Tuesday on whether students can switch their learning choices between virtual and in-person. -
Florida shut down school and college campuses in March, with students shifted to online learning. DeSantis and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran have pushed heavily to reopen classrooms for the new school year. -
Teachers get money from the state to spend on their classrooms — but some pandemic must-haves are off limits. -
To that end, DeSantis said Thursday he’s willing to consider a college students’ “bill of rights” that would preclude state universities from taking actions against students who are enjoying themselves. -
Health experts say coronavirus cases are expected to rise as schools and bars reopen, and that masks are one of society's only defenses until a vaccine is available. -
The plaintiffs are relying in part on a provision in Florida law that prohibits people from possessing any firearm or other weapon, “including a razor blade or box cutter, except as authorized in support of school-sanctioned activities.” -
He faces a felony charge of computer use in an attempt to defraud, and others may be involved.
