The National Weather Service in Miami said the tornado hit late Saturday afternoon with winds of 100 mph (160 kph) near Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center and headed northeast toward the coast.

Storm damage forced authorities in the coastal city to close major roadways as workers cleared debris and inspected wreckage. Images from the scene showed cars flipped over on top of each other, cracked tree limbs resting on vehicles and homes, as well as other debris littering streets.

The Palm Beach Gardens Police Department has not reported any major injuries or fatalities. A spokeswoman for the city said officials have deactivated emergency protocols and were working through lingering issues Sunday.

The National Weather Service had placed a large stretch of central Florida under a tornado watch on Saturday afternoon as thunderstorms were cutting across the state.

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Some teachers say they are living in fear as principals and Broward County school administrators each say it is the other’s responsibility to approve future remote work.

“Some of us have conditions that specifically state if we catch this virus, we’re dead,” said Anne Skurnick, a computer science teacher in Pembroke Pines, who has been teaching remotely due to the effects of medicine she takes for rheumatoid arthritis. “No one is taking responsibility for extending accommodations.”

The district wants to eliminate “overflow rooms,” where students sit in large areas with students from other classes and take online classes from a remotely working teacher.

“They’d rather us take a leave and have no certified teacher to teach,” Skurnick told the newspaper. “So it’s better to have a sub than a teacher from home?”

The issue could affect other districts. In Palm Beach County, there are 818 teachers working remotely, while Miami-Dade County has around 800 teachers working from home. South Florida has been especially hard-hit by COVID-19.

“Assignments are subject to change based upon the needs of the schools,” said Gonzalo La Cava, human resources chief for Palm Beach schools, told the newspaper. “There is no guarantee on the length of time an employee may be permitted to continue to work remotely.”

Miami-Dade Superintendent said the district is not currently “contemplating changing the process.”

All Broward County teachers worked remotely until October when schools reopened.

The district reviewed about 5,000 requests for remote work and approved about 2,000, 1,700 of whom are teachers. Priority was given to employees with certain health conditions such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease that could make the effects of COVID-19 more serious.

The teachers taught both students remotely learning and those who had returned to school.

“It was the expectation that if we continued e-learning, we would continue accommodations,” School Board member Debbi Hixon said.

As many students struggled, Superintendent Robert Runcie pledged to bring more kids back to campus. But parents of only 39% of students said they will return for the semester that begins Jan. 13, according to a school district survey. That’s up from 26% in the fall semester.

The district sent a letter Dec. 16 to remotely working teachers that said their principal or supervisor would let them know if they could keep working at home.

A statement from Chief Communications Officer Kathy Koch said principals decide whether to extend the accommodations, “based on the operational needs at each individual school,” the newspaper reported.

In an email this week, Lisa Maxwell, executive director of the Broward Principals and Assistants Association, instructed her members not to approve any remote work for next semester. She said they have no authority to extend accommodations past Friday.

“A principal is not choosing between Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Jones and judging whose medical issue is more worthy.”

Anna Fusco, president of the Broward Teachers Union, says many teachers have notes from doctors saying they should work remotely due to health conditions.

“So who do you think will get the blame legally when these teachers get the illness and die?” Fusco wrote in an email to School Board members.

“Our teachers and support staff deserve to have a straight-forward answer. They are not shown they are valued,” Fusco wrote. “They all should be getting medals for going above and beyond during this stressful time. Instead, they are being put in such a compromised position to not keep their career.”

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South Florida teachers ordered back to classrooms next week

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Owners and art lovers, Evan and Ann Griffith, have been bringing their bold and colorful aesthetic to the South Florida community ever since opening their first gallery in Lake Worth. Surviving the economic recession, the young couple moved to Palm Beach Gardens where they found a permanent home in idyllic PGA Commons.

“I remember we were walking around the space and it suddenly struck us that we were standing in our dream gallery,” recalls Evan. “I love the aesthetic sense, the old world meets new world design influences, and the Mediterranean-style architecture at PGA Commons. It’s a very supportive environment for a gallery.”

Celebrating their 20th anniversary, the Griffiths credit their thriving success to the living artists they showcase in their gallery, many of whom have been with the couple since the very beginning.

“This was not always an easy path. We were starting our own business at the same time that artists were developing their careers,” says Evan. “But to watch them flourish and become successful has always been immensely gratifying.”

When the gimlet-eyed Griffiths aren’t nurturing new talent, they enjoy spending their summers traveling the country in search of promising and up-and-coming artists. When asked what motto has never let him down, Evan responds, “Never stop, especially when times are tough.” Then he smiles as he looks around his prominent, art-filled empire. “And ‘hakuna matata’ for every day.”

To celebrate the special milestone, Studio E Gallery is hosting “20/20: 20 Years, 20 Artists,” an interactive exhibit that showcases the 20 resident artists who have made a positive impact on the local community and beyond.

Studio E Gallery in PGA Commons is located at 4600 PGA Boulevard, Suite 101, Palm Beach Gardens. Season hours of operation are Monday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sundays, noon to 3 p.m. For more information, please call 561.799.3333 or visit studioegallery.com.

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Studio E Gallery is celebrating 20 years in Palm Beach County and for this special milestone, they are hosting the “20/20: 20 Years, 20 Artists” exhibit.

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