Florida's Latest News

Blaise Ingoglia provides firefighter cancer prevention funding to three municipalities

Florida Chief Financial Officer and Fire Marshal Blaise Ingoglia distributed nearly $200,000 in state grants to three municipal fire departments Wednesday to help prevent and treat cancer for first responders who go into dangerous situations that can expose them to carcinogens.

Ingoglia at a news conference in Lakeland said the help for firefighters and emergency medical technicians is long overdue.

“First responders are the backbone of our community,” Ingoglia said. “Florida is very fortunate to have the best firefighters in the nation. They respond quickly, efficiently and effectively … We must make sure firefighters have the equipment they need.”

The perils of being a first responder are much more intense now than they have been in the past, Ingoglia said. Firefighters have a higher risk of being exposed to chemicals and agents that weren’t a factor in the past.

“Local governments must fund our first responders as the first line item on the budget,” Ingoglia said.

Florida college enrollment projected to increase for third straight year

Despite Tampa Bay K-12 schools seeing a steep enrollment decline this fall, a preliminary report from a national nonprofit projected Florida’s college enrollment to increase for the third straight year.

Published Tuesday, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s Preliminary Fall Enrollment Trends report found that the nation’s college and university enrollment increased by 2% this fall semester compared to last fall, with undergraduate enrollment leading the way at 2.4%.

Florida, though, is projected to outpace national gains with a 3% increase across the board.

The report came days after the U.S. News and World Report named Florida the sixth best state to live in, ranking it No. 2 for education and No. 1 for higher education.

The study found shorter-term and trade programs are at the forefront of enrollment increases, growing 4% nationally — more than double the growth seen at public four-year universities and more than four times the growth at private schools.

New Florida agricultural technology center featuring AI under construction 

Construction started this week on a new center to advance agricultural technology and artificial intelligence, specifically for Florida farmers.

FloridaCommerce announced the groundbreaking of the University of Florida (UF) Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences Center (UF/IFAS) for Applied Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture. It’s part of the state’s push to advance agricultural innovation and competitiveness.

“Florida is leading the nation in innovation and technology and formally recognizing AgTech as a targeted industry highlights our state’s commitment to advancing technologies that safeguard America’s future,” said Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly.

“From information technology to data-driven systems that strengthen supply chains and resource management, the technology behind AgTech represents a vital frontier in both economic competitiveness and national security. By investing in these emerging technologies and supporting institutions like the UF/IFAS Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture, Florida is ensuring we remain at the forefront of innovation that protects and powers our nation.”

Florida Lawmakers Try Again to Curb Sports Betting-Related Corruption

It appears that some Florida lawmakers are once again trying to make it a crime to wager on sporting events when a bettor knows the fix is in.

Sponsored by Republican Rep. Dana Trabulsy, House Bill 189 could do just that, according to a proposed committee substitute for the legislation that was published on Monday.

Similar legislation was introduced earlier this year in the Florida legislature but ran out of time and died. Now, Sunshine State lawmakers look like they plan to try again to curb match-fixing.

The latest attempt follows more sports betting-related scandal, such as the indictment unsealed over the weekend charging two Major League Baseball pitchers with crimes in connection with an alleged scheme to rig prop bets. It’s possible lawmakers will be more receptive this time around to tweaking Florida sports betting law.

That said, the proposed prohibition on betting with knowledge the fix is in is attached to a lot of other gambling-related provisions. The nearly 100-page committee substitute has measures tied to horse racing, fantasy sports, and gaming regulation overall in the state.