April 26, 2024
News Service of Florida
State Looks to Remove Derelict Boats After Ian
Of 7,000 boats believed displaced by Hurricane Ian, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported Friday that owners of about 50 have given derelict vessels to the state.
With...
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Published on 10/31/2022
Ian Impacts Seen in Jobless Numbers
In the wake of Hurricane Ian, Florida continues to see its highest numbers of unemployment claims in more than a year, with some Southwest Florida resorts announcing large temporary layoffs....
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Published on 10/27/2022
Pension system funded at 83.4 percent
Florida’s pension system is 83.4 percent funded to meet its projected future obligations, according to a new state report.
As of July 1, preliminary numbers showed the pension system had...
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Published on 10/27/2022
Hundreds of thousands of Floridians apply for FEMA assistance following Hurricane Ian
More than 700,000 Florida households have applied for individual federal assistance after Hurricane Ian and another 130,000 are expected to apply, a Federal Emergency Management Agency official said Wednesday.
Also,...
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Published on 10/27/2022
Citizens insurance rates increasing
Citizens Property Insurance Corp. rate increases will take effect Tuesday, as thousands of homeowners a week continue turning to the state-backed insurer for coverage.
The increases, which apply to what...
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Published on 10/26/2022
Citrus Leaders Look to Weather Ian
Shifting about $1 million from marketing and public relations into reserves, the Florida Citrus Commission hopes to weather the impacts of Hurricane Ian, which exacerbated an already-anticipated decline in this...
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Published on 10/26/2022
Districts Miss Deadline on Teacher Pay Plans
After Florida lawmakers set aside $800 million this year to help raise educators’ salaries, 41 school districts have not submitted plans to distribute the money, according to the state Department...
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Published on 10/26/2022
Judge Refuses to Block Education Law
A federal judge has refused to block school districts from carrying out a new state law that restricts instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in classrooms, rejecting arguments by...
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Published on 10/26/2022
Matching Funds Top $11.55 Million
Florida has parceled out more than $11.55 million in matching funds in this year’s statewide campaigns, with about $10.75 million going to gubernatorial candidates, according to data posted on the...
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Published on 10/25/2022
Elections Officials Grapple with Misinformation, Myths
First came a contagion of disbelief in election results.
Then, a surge of public-records requests seeking details such as voting-system security processes.
Now, fears of being arrested for voting.
Elections...
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Published on 10/25/2022
Five Big Voter Registration Takeaways
Slightly more than 14.5 million voters are registered to cast ballots in the Nov. 8 election, according to a newly posted “book closing” report on the state Division of Elections...
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Published on 10/25/2022
Florida unemployment rate falls to 2.5%, lowest since 2006
Florida’s already-low unemployment rate dipped to 2.5 percent in September, though the numbers don’t take into account economic effects from Hurricane Ian.
A state economist said Friday that October numbers...
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Published on 10/24/2022
Special session eyed on taxes, insurance
Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday he plans to call a special legislative session to provide property-tax relief to people affected by Hurricane Ian, with the session possibly addressing property-insurance issues....
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Published on 10/21/2022
Florida jobless claims top 11,000
As Florida continues recovering from Hurricane Ian, first-time unemployment claims in the state are coming in at the highest numbers of the year.
The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday...
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Published on 10/20/2022
DeSantis, Crist make education issues key to governor's race
Education issues such as parental rights, school boards and teachers unions have become a key battleground in the race between Gov. Ron DeSantis and his Democratic challenger, Charlie Crist.
DeSantis,...
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Published on 10/19/2022
State Draws Challenges Over Pot License
Weeks after state health officials selected a Suwannee County man to receive a long-awaited medical marijuana license earmarked for a Black farmer, applicants who lost out on joining Florida’s growing...
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Published on 10/19/2022
Agriculture Losses Could Hit $1.56B
With its combination of punishing wind and widespread flooding, Hurricane Ian caused up to $1.56 billion in estimated losses for the state’s agriculture industry, according to a University of Florida...
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Published on 10/18/2022
Duke seeks to pass along tax savings
Duke Energy Florida on Monday filed a proposal to pass along $56 million in savings to customers after passage of a federal law that provides tax breaks for renewable energy....
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Published on 10/18/2022
Judges reject a protective order for Florida's health department in COVID data case
A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal on Wednesday rejected an attempt by the Florida Department of Health to prevent a deposition in a case about providing...
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Published on 10/17/2022
More than 600,000 mail-in ballots cast
The number of mail-in ballots submitted for the Nov, 8 general election has topped 600,000.
As of Monday morning, 602,949 ballots had been cast, up from 472,137 on Friday, according...
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Published on 10/17/2022
Citrus growers head into ‘tough' year
TALLAHASSEE --- Florida citrus growers face the possibility of producing the smallest crop since the Great Depression, which might be overly optimistic for an industry ravaged by Hurricane Ian as...
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Published on 10/13/2022
Feds deny increased gopher tortoise protections in Florida
TALLAHASSEE — Concluding that the animals are “not in danger of extinction,” federal wildlife officials Tuesday rejected listing gopher tortoises in Florida as endangered or threatened species.
The U.S. Fish...
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Published on 10/12/2022
Federal Transportation Money Flows to Florida
Florida is slated to get $2.65 billion this fiscal year for transportation projects as part of a major federal infrastructure law, the Biden administration announced Tuesday.
The money is part...
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Published on 10/12/2022
Here's what the 3 amendments on Florida ballot would do
Florida voters on Nov. 8. will decide whether to approve two property-tax cuts and the fate of the state’s Constitution Revision Commission.
Lawmakers placed the three constitutional amendments on the...
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Published on 10/11/2022
U.S. Supreme Court rejects Florida's request to hear the case over 'medically fragile' kids
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected Florida’s request to take up a dispute with the federal government stemming from concerns about “medically fragile” children being placed in nursing homes....
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Published on 10/10/2022
