Florida's Latest News

Gov. DeSantis announces expansion of opioid recovery program as he signs new fentanyl laws

The Gov. Ron DeSantis administration is doubling up its efforts to break the cycle of addiction and reduce the number of overdoses by expanding a medication-assisted treatment program to an additional 17 counties across Florida.

DeSantis announced that the Coordinated Opioid Recovery (CORE) Network Model program was being expanded to serve 29 counties total. He made the comments at a press conference where he also signed SB 66 and SB 718.

SB 718 makes it a second-degree felony to recklessly expose a first responder to fentanyl if the exposure results in an overdose or serious bodily injury.

“If an officer says ‘Do you have drugs in your possession?’ and you lie and then the officer ends up getting exposed and harmed, we are going to throw the book at you and we’re going to hold you accountable,” DeSantis said. “We want to make sure that the people that wear the uniform are protected. This is an important step to be able to do that.”

Celebration of life and funeral planned to honor longtime Naples attorney John Passidomo

A celebration of life for well-known Naples attorney John Passidomo will be held later this month. The event is planned for April 26 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Baker Park, located along the Gordon River, at 50 Riverside Circle.

The celebration will be followed the next day by a funeral at Saint Ann Catholic Church, off Ninth Avenue South. The formal mass will be held April 27 at 11 a.m. All are welcome to attend.

Passidomo, the husband of Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, died last week, following a hiking accident at a national park in Utah. He was 72. His sudden death sent shock waves through the city – and beyond, breaking the hearts of the many lives he touched over his lifetime.

"John was the love of my life," Kathleen shared in a text to the Naples Daily News on Monday. "An amazing husband and father. I miss him every second of every day."

FSU-ACC lawsuit heads to Florida court. Here's everything you need to know about the case

Florida State vs. the ACC heads to Florida court Tuesday. Will this lead to FSU finally leaving for the Big Ten or SEC?

It's been a tumultuous year in what had already been a rocky relationship. The Seminoles, upset with the conference and its money issues for years, sued the ACC in December over its media rights deal and the exorbitant penalty they said it would cost to jump ship. The league countersued in North Carolina, where a judge ruled last week that the case could proceed.

Now with Clemson and ESPN joining the fray, the FSU-ACC fight heads to Leon County court. Here's what you need to know about the ongoing legal case and what it means for college football.

For years, Florida State leaders have been vocal in their displeasure over the conference's revenue sharing plan. Most complaints circle around the ACC's TV contract with ESPN, which extends through 2036 even as the network makes substantial cuts. The Big Ten signed a seven-year, $8 billion deal to air games between Fox, CBS and NBC that went into effect last season. For the 2024 season, the SEC starts a 10-year, $3 billion deal to move from CBS to ESPN.

Bill Gunter, 89, former congressman and state official, dies at Tallahassee home

Bill Gunter – a former Florida congressman, state treasurer and insurance commissioner in the 1960s through '80s – died at his Tallahassee home Monday afternoon. He was 89. 

Gunter’s death was confirmed by funeral director Rocky Bevis, who said he will be handling funeral arrangements. 

Gunter, who had been in home hospice care, died “peacefully, surrounded by his family,” Bevis said. A memorial service is planned; details are forthcoming.    

“Throughout his decades of leadership on both the state and federal level, Bill always worked in a bipartisan way, maintaining a high level of integrity, and has stayed true to his rural Florida values and the values of Floridians,” Economic Club of Florida chair Bill Moor said when Gunter was awarded the Stan Tait Memorial Award in 2021.