With Lisa Parsons resigning from the Putnam County School Board, Gov. Rick Scott appointed someone familiar with the schools in that county to replace her.

On Tuesday, Scott named David Buckles, who is currently an adjunct professor at St. Leo University, to replace Parsons. Buckles is very familiar with Putnam County schools since he was the Putnam County Schools superintendent. He also was the chairman of the North East Florida Educational Consortium which is based in Palatka. Buckles will serve until November 2014.

Former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux offered his thoughts on the federal shutdown on Tuesday.

Once again, lawmakers in Washington, D.C., are demonstrating the need for better leadership at the highest levels of government, LeMieux wrote supporters on Tuesday. The frequency of partisan standoffs is increasing, our national debt continues to grow, and government crises over spending and debt are worsening with no real solutions on the horizon. Washington is beyond broken; it is chronically dysfunctional."

A new poll shows a close battle in the special election for an open Florida House seat in Pasco County. Peter Schorsch over at St. PetersBlog commissioned St. Pete Polls to look at the race between Republican Bill Gunter and Democrat Amanda Murphy. The poll finds the two candidates knotted together with 44 percent apiece.

With the federal shutdown on hand, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., called Washington broken and urged the passage of a bill cutting off congressional salaries during the shutdown.

The failure by both parties and the White House to reach agreement and avoid a shutdown is yet another example of why Washington is broken, Buchanan said on Tuesday. Its time to put aside the partisanship and do whats in the best interest of the country.

Attorney and Navy veteran Paul Renner has a solid head start in his bid for an open Florida House seat. Renners campaign announced on Tuesday that it had brought in more than $60,000 during the third quarter of 2013.

I am humbled by the outpouring of support from our community, Renner said in a statement. If I am given the honor of serving, I will be a vocal advocate of common-sense conservative policies that will help return Florida to economic stability and prosperity.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is looking to remind hunters, fishers, hikers, campers and others that the federal shutdown could change their plans.

Former U.S. Rep. Allen West, who earlier in the day called for the removal of all 100 senators and 435 congressmen if they let the federal government shut down, ripped into Democrats in Washington late on Monday.

U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., who sits on the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, will be speaking at the First Coast Defense Expo which will run from Oct. 16-17 at Cecil Field. The event is being sponsored by Jacksonville Aviation Authority, the Florida League of Defense Contractors, and the Jacksonville Chamber.

Public Policy Polling (PPP), a firm with connections to Democrats across the nation, released a poll on Tuesday which finds President Barack Obama is upside down in the Sunshine State.

While Obama won Florida twice, the new poll finds 46 percent of those surveyed approve of his performance in the White House while 48 percent disapprove of it.

Public Policy Polling (PPP), a firm with connections to Democrats across the nation, released a poll on Tuesday which finds former Gov. Charlie Crist leading Gov. Rick Scott. Crist takes 50 percent when matched up against Scott who garners 38 percent.