Florida's Latest News

Older American tourists give Europe’s first biometric Summer a one-finger salute

Europe’s new biometric border wants four fingerprints from American visitors.

Many of them would prefer to give it one particular finger instead.

The Entry/Exit System was declared fully operational on April 10, before the Summer crowds arrived and began testing what “fully operational” meant. Now airports are packed, connections are tight and older travelers are spending the opening minutes of their vacation trying to persuade a kiosk that they still possess fingerprints.

Under EES, passport stamps give way to facial images, fingerprints and digital travel records. The rules apply to Americans and other non-European visitors making short stays in the Schengen area.

On their first crossing, travelers register their passport details, face and fingerprints. Later checks are supposed to be faster because the information is already stored. The database also records entries and exits and identifies possible overstays, taking over from the passport stamp, which was administratively imprecise but at least made a decent souvenir.

Wildlife to benefit from Jupiter Narrows mangrove island protections

Work has begun to restore three mangrove islands and erase decades of erosion in the Jupiter Narrows area near Cato's Bridge.

The $1.2 million project, announced Aug. 19, will rebuild the coastal habitat and strengthen the ecosystem in the narrows, a stretch of the Intracoastal Waterway that extends from the bridge, off U.S. 1 north of the Loxahatchee River, north to Coral Cove Park.

It will install natural limestone breakwaters between the navigation channel and the three remaining islands, plant additional mangroves and improve nearby seagrass beds. Construction is expected to run through the fall and be completed in December.

"For decades, these mangrove islands have steadily eroded, threatening the health of the entire Jupiter Narrows ecosystem," Sue Panella, president and co-founder of Jupiter Narrows Conservation Alliance, said in prepared remarks. 

Gov. DeSantis clears $9M for military ship building infrastructure in Pensacola

Pensacola is getting a sizable economic boost to its shipbuilding industry.

Gov. Ron DeSantis this month approved $9 million to provide infrastructure improvements in order to expand the shipbuilding trade at the Port of Pensacola. DeSantis signed off on funding from the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund.

The money will go toward expanding the complex at the Port that produces U.S. Navy ships and is designed to create about 2,000 jobs.

“We have a strong economy because we have our priorities straight. We have delivered record tax relief while making strategic investments in workforce education, infrastructure, and economic development projects that bring industry and jobs to our state,” DeSantis said in a news release.

“We’re building on that track record with a $9 million investment to support the construction of two boatbuilding facilities at the Port of Pensacola. These facilities will produce complex Navy ship modules for submarines and surface ships.”

Pinellas eyes campus reserves to save Weedon Island

To save funding for Weedon Island Preserve, Pinellas County Commissioner Chris Scherer pitched cutting $500,000 from money being set aside for the county’s future government campus.

The county is facing a roughly $40 million budget shortfall, and County Administrator Barry Burton had recommended cutting funding for Weedon Island and Shell Key, two state-owned preserves that Pinellas leases and operates. The cut would save the county about $474,000.

Instead, during Thursday’s commission meeting, Scherer considered leveraging the county’s planned government campus near U.S. 19 and Ulmerton Road.

According to Burton, around $25 million will ultimately be available in reserves connected to financing the campus, with $7.5 million already earmarked in the current proposed budget.

What Scherer and Burton are referring to are reserves connected to the bonds being used to pay for the new government campus. The money, including unspent bond proceeds and premiums from when the bonds were issued, is being set aside as a buffer against unforeseen costs in future budgets.