Florida's Latest News

Gov. DeSantis issues state of emergency for Charlotte and Lee Counties after severe storms

Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a state of emergency in Charlotte and Lee counties on Friday in response to the severe storms impacting the area and displacing at least 300 individuals.

DeSantis issued the state of emergency via Executive Order 22-17, which designates Kevin Guthrie, the director of the Division of Emergency Management, as the State Coordinating Officer in order to manage response, recovery and mitigation plans to aid those affected.

Last Sunday, the Southwest Florida counties were hit with heavy rain, thunderstorms and two confirmed tornadoes. The storms resulted in widespread power outages and damage across Charlotte and Lee counties, according to the Governor’s Office.

The Executive Order is effective immediately and is set to expire in 60 days.

$50,000 grant benefits Florida Center’s Early Childhood Court Program

The Florida Center for Early Childhood recently received a $50,000 grant from the Bishop-Parker Foundation to benefit its Early Childhood Court Program in Manatee County.

The Florida Center’s ECC program is designed to expedite the process for young children who enter the welfare system. Families enrolled in the program receive intensive therapy, guidance, and increased opportunities for visitation, helping the child and family to bond and begin healing.

Funds from the Bishop Parker Foundation will help to purchase a transit van to ensure families can get to required appointments and meetings. A portion of the funding will also provide for additional therapy and counseling.

“The van is critical to the success of the ECC program as many of these families lack reliable transportation for the numerous visitations, medical appointments, therapy sessions, parenting classes and court proceedings they attend,” said Kristie Skoglund, CEO of The Florida Center. “We are grateful to the Bishop-Parker Foundation for helping us to support these struggling families.”

Florida gets estimated $4 billion bump in tax dollars

With lawmakers preparing to craft a new state budget, economists estimated Friday that Florida will collect nearly $4 billion more in general-revenue taxes than had been expected over two years.

The increased estimates come after federal stimulus money has helped fuel consumer spending and as the state’s economy has bounced back during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the economists warned of a slowing that could occur because of the end of stimulus money and anticipated interest-rate hikes that will affect the housing market.

Nevertheless, the new estimates were good news for lawmakers, who will negotiate a budget in the coming weeks for the 2022-23 fiscal year, which will start July 1. Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, issued a statement Friday that alluded to priorities he outlined during the Jan. 11 opening of the legislative session, such as raising wages for low-paid state workers.

Winter chill surges deaths of Florida’s starving manatees

Chilly temperatures are rekindling a manatee die-off in Central Florida’s Indian River. “Winter is here,” said Martine de Wit, a state veterinarian and scientist.

Along a Brevard County piece of the Indian River on Thursday, which turned warmer and sunny, a snapshot of the ominous, protracted plight of manatees came into vivid focus.

A pair of manatee calves lingered side by side nearly motionlessly in sun-pierced water not far from Florida Power & Light Co.’s shoreside electric plant south of Titusville. At their size, they likely would be clinging to a mother in normal circumstances, learning survival skills.

But manatees are suffering from starvation. Lush flats of seagrass they grazed on have been eradicated by a pollution-fueled ecosystem collapse. Mature males and females of nearly a half-ton and otherwise extremely resilient are perishing, taken down for good by the lethal synergy of cold and hunger, along with more vulnerable calves of barely 100 pounds.