Florida Gov. Scott backs reservoir plan for troubled lake

After sidestepping the issue for months, Gov. Rick Scott said for the first time on Monday that he supports the state building a reservoir system south of Lake Okeechobee to help battle toxic algal blooms. While Scott said he supports building the reservoir system, he does not support having the state take private property. And, the governor has added conditions to his supporrt: he wants state legislators to set aside $200 million this year to repair the aging dike that surrounds Lake O. More from the Times/Herald and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

See also:
» Gov Scott urges Legislature to fund $200 million to help fix Herbert Hoover Dike

Time to deal? Florida legislators begin gambling talks

Florida legislators are starting negotiations over a new gambling deal. House and Senate members met Monday and the two sides have about three weeks left in this year’s session to reach an agreement. [Source: AP]

No Relief in Sight: Florida's wildfire risk continues to rise

More than 100 wildfires continue to burn in Florida, bringing the total land consumed this year to at least 126,000 -- exceeding the five-year average of how much is burned in a typical year. More from The Weather Network, WESH and WJHG.

See also:
» Commissioner Adam Putnam calls on Floridians to help combat arson

Florida’s legislators must act on economy and education, CEOs say

This week’s question to the Miami Herald CEO Roundtable: What one issue would you most like Florida legislators to act upon and what would you like to see done? [Source: Miami Herald]

Halt to Florida's rising gas prices could be short-lived

Rising gasoline prices in Florida and across the nation hit the skids over the weekend, bringing at least a temporary halt to rising prices at the pump that have increased through most of April, according to the AAA Auto Club. See the news release from AAA, here. Also read more at the Florida Times-Union and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Florida's leading economist on sporting events isn't an economist [WTSP]
The state of Florida spends nearly as much money every year on professional sports stadiums as it does maintaining the state's top tourist attraction, its beaches. However, the author of so many economic impact reports that support public sports subsidies may not be the expert economist state leaders believe he is.

› Two former OfficeMax directors bow out of reelection to Office Depot board [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Two former OfficeMax directors bow out of reelection to Office Depot board. Office Depot still has two remaining directors from OfficeMax: V. James Marino and Francesca Ruiz de Luzuriaga.

› Florida scientist finds Zika RNA in a second mosquito species [UF IFAS]
A University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences molecular biologist has found Zika RNA in a type of mosquito not often associated with the virus. UF/IFAS entomology associate professor Chelsea Smartt led a research team that found Zika RNA in Aedes albopictus.

› Jaguars owner Shad Khan facing stiffer competition for Shipyards this time [Florida Times-Union]
Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan ran away from the competition two years ago when the Downtown Investment Authority picked his firm to be master developer of The Shipyards, city-owned land that has been more field of nightmares than dreams.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› South Beach wants to save Art Deco gems before the seas rise. One solution: Jack them up [Miami Herald]
Decades after preservationists saved Miami Beach’s treasure-trove of Art Deco architecture from developers and politicians looking to tear it all down, they’re confronting a dire new menace: The relentless rise of the oceans that threatens to swamp the resort city’s low-lying historic buildings.

› Central Florida lawmakers sprinkle budget with local projects [Orlando Sentinel]
Tens of millions of dollars in local spending items were added to the budget by lawmakers this year, despite new rules imposed by the House to make them more transparent.

› In South Florida, green iguanas spread into suburban scourge [AP]
Perched in trees and scampering down sidewalks, green iguanas have become so common across South Florida that many see them not as exotic invaders, but as reptilian squirrels.

› House to intervene in Supreme Court case between Rick Scott and state attorney [Tampa Bay Times]
The Florida House is stepping into the legal battle between Gov. Rick Scott and Orlando-area State Attorney Aramis Ayala over the death penalty.