Florida's Latest News

Casey DeSantis announces $6M to support Hurricane Idalia recovery

More than $6 million in Florida disaster recovery funds are going to post-Hurricane Idalia work in the Big Bend region, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration says.

First Lady Casey DeSantis announced the awards, which will go to four projects in the area.

“Following Hurricane Idalia, we are bolstering resources for local governments to continue providing services and ensuring small businesses are able to keep their doors open,” she said in a statement.

“Through today’s awards and other programs, we are helping these communities rebuild while attracting economic development opportunities and equipping Floridians with skills to provide for their families.”

The Governor’s Office says the city of Crystal River, which Idalia devastated in late August, is on track to receive $5 million through the state’s Local Government Emergency Revolving Bridge Loan Program.

Florida lawmakers will look at providing extra funding for school vouchers

Florida lawmakers are gearing up to provide additional funding to a part of the state's school-voucher program that serves students with special needs, as some proponents of the scholarships say demand has outpaced supply.

The state Legislature is gathering for a special session starting Nov. 6 to address a range of issues. A joint proclamation from Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, and House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, said the session will include an effort to provide “a mechanism to increase the number of students served under the Family Empowerment Scholarship for students with disabilities.”

Passidomo sent a memo to senators on Oct. 20 saying the special session will deal in part with “additional funding for students with unique abilities.” Lawmakers will “address demand” for the program, Passidomo’s brief description of the plan said.

New bill to require NOAA to study hurricane warnings and preparedness, focusing on vulnerable groups

A bipartisan bill introduced this week by two Central Florida congressmen calls for research into hurricane warnings and preparedness, especially for seniors, people with disabilities, non-English speakers, and rural and urban populations.

In a prepared statement, Orlando Democrat Maxwell Frost says they deserve to have “the knowledge and tools necessary to protect yourself from a hurricane."

Seniors make up a high percentage of hurricane deaths, according to a bill summary from his office. "The Fixing Gaps in Hurricane Preparedness Act’s analysis will pave the way for new steps that protect all of us during hurricanes."

Frost filed HR 6080 on Thursday. Clermont Republican Daniel Webster is a co-sponsor.

It would require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to study preparedness and look at how the public receives, interprets and responds to hurricane forecasts and warnings.

Federal agency looks to Univ. of Florida in battle against citrus greening

The University of Florida (UF) has secured a total of $5 million from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to advance research against citrus greening.

The allocation, divided into five grants, will support various research strategies to develop citrus varieties resistant or tolerant to greening, which has marred Florida’s growers with significant difficulties in crop production over the past decade. When a tree becomes infected, it produces fruits that remain green, become misshapen, and taste bitter.

Citrus greening has severely affected Florida’s multibillion-dollar citrus industry, leading to decreased yields and forcing many producers to uproot and replant entire orchards, thereby raising production costs.

“These five funded projects illustrate the breadth and depth of our world-class citrus research program,” said Robert Gilbert, UF interim senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources. “We need every tool in our toolbox to combat [citrus greening] in an integrated manner, and this USDA-NIFA funding will be extremely helpful to UF/IFAS and our stakeholders.”