An Arcadia couple was stranded in the open Gulf of Mexico for more than six hours after their boat’s anchor failed while they were scuba diving about five miles offshore near Boca Grande. Antonio “Tony” Rivera and Brianna Rutledge surfaced from their dive around 2:30 p.m. to discover their unattended vessel had drifted away, apparently…
A still exploded Friday morning at Storm Distillery in downtown Inverness, sparking a massive fire that injured three people and forced the temporary closure of the courthouse square. The blast at the distillery, located on North Apopka Ave. near Courthouse Square, was powerful enough to be heard more than a mile away. It occurred shortly…
Reports now indicate Florida Commerce Secretary J. Alex Kelly sent a letter to Ft. Meade Mayor Jaret Landon Williams cautioning that the city’s proposed 4.4-million-square-foot hyperscale data center campus northwest of downtown remains far from ready to move forward, citing significant risks to Central Florida’s energy capacity, water resources and transportation infrastructure.  Kelly described…
Florida Highway Patrol reports indicate a 19-year-old Port St. Lucie man lost control of a Ford Escape while “showing off” at high speed Saturday, causing the vehicle to leave the road, strike a mailbox, become airborne and overturn into a water-filled canal on Southwest Rucks Dairy Road. Troopers responded shortly after 1:30 to the single-vehicle…
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis is renewing his push to strip legal protections from tech companies after reports that the suspected Florida State University shooter used ChatGPT extensively while planning last year’s campus attack. “For years, Big Tech has been allowed to profit from dangerous content with zero accountability, while victims are left with…
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Monday an expedited timeline for the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir, a key component of South Florida’s Everglades restoration efforts, with construction now scheduled for completion by 2029 — five years ahead of the original 2034 target.  Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle…
A Colombian national illegally in the United States has been charged with stealing more than $5,000 in backup batteries from cell towers in Central Florida, a theft that authorities say threatened emergency 911 communications. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced the arrest of 44-year-old John Serna of Miami. Investigators allege Serna and an unidentified accomplice…
Sebring International Raceway has long been featured in racing video games and simulators, but it may soon make its debut in one of the world’s most popular open-world franchises. According to an article published by The Drive, fan analysis of a crowdsourced map on stateofleonida.net and details from the 2022 Grand Theft Auto VI leaks…
Sebring International Raceway officials have announced that it will host the 75th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 20, 2027, launching a year-long celebration with the unveiling of a commemorative logo. The logo incorporates two parallel blue racing stripes on a white background—evoking the iconic livery of early 1950s American…
President Donald Trump said he would “certainly consider” offering Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis a position in his administration once DeSantis completes his final term as governor. Trump made the comment when reporters asked whether he might give DeSantis a job in the administration. “ I don’t know, but I’d certainly consider it,” Trump replied. “I…
