The Florida Supreme Court has unanimously elected Justice John D. Couriel as the state’s next chief justice, effective July 1. The 47-year-old Couriel, a Miami native appointed to the court in 2020 by Gov. Ron DeSantis, will succeed Chief Justice Carlos G. Muñiz. Muñiz will complete his second two-year term as chief justice on June…
The Florida Department of State has officially designated Avon Park as a “Florida Main Street of the Month” for March 2026. The distinction places the city among only two programs selected for recognition out of more than 50 active Main Street organizations statewide. “We can’t even begin to explain how excitied we are right now,…
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor has revised controversial Tampa Police Department policies on immigration enforcement following a threat of removal from office by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. In a letter sent Monday to the attorney general’s office, Castor confirmed the department updated its guidelines, removing language that had drawn scrutiny. The revised policy takes effect…
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…
There’s a great new murder mystery – and it happens right here in Polk County. But don’t go looking for Lakeland’s Sun Gate Retirement Community, because it doesn’t exist (at least under that name.) “I have had numerous people ask me if this was based on their park,” said American Artist & Author Kris Courtney….
Wildfire activity surged across Florida last week, with 82 active blazes burning nearly 7,800 acres amid ongoing drought conditions that have left soils extremely dry. The Florida Forest Service is increasing patrols to detect fires early. This past Wednesday, crews quickly responded to a small brush fire near Cantonment in Escambia County after spotting it…
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…
No Florida city ranks in the top 100 for rental affordability nationwide, according to a new WalletHub analysis of 182 U.S. cities. Jacksonville placed highest among Sunshine State markets at No. 125 nationally, with renters spending 25.16% of median household income on rent and an overall affordability score of 46.61. St. Petersburg ranked No. 153…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced that the state will construct a new fishing pier on the Manatee County side of the Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge and undertake major renovations to the existing pier on the Pinellas County side, following structural damage from Hurricane Milton in 2024. Speaking at a news conference at Pier…
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…
