Florida's Latest News

Conservative leaders to flock to Sarasota County for Charlie Kirk memorial

A memorial for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk will attract conservative leaders to the Florida county where he owned a home.

The Republican Party of Sarasota will host the memorial at Robarts Arena on Oct. 18 at 11 a.m. High-profile speakers include Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, Republican Party of Florida Chair Evan Power, and Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski.

U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, a Sarasota Republican, plans to address the crowd as well, as does state Sen. Jim Boyd, a Bradenton Republican in line to become Senate President. State Reps. James Buchanan and Fiona McFarland, both Sarasota County Republicans, will also speak, as will Republican National Committeewoman Kathleen King.

“We know the incredible importance of Charlie to the shift in young Americans toward traditional American, Christian conservatism,” said Republican Party of Sarasota County Chair Jack Brill.

Why controlled burns are critical for the health of Florida forests

People attending a recent presentation on the history of wildland fire in Florida walked away with a simple message: Fire is not the enemy.

"Of the 42 community types in Florida, 16 are considered fire-dependent," said Raelene Crandall, a fire ecologist and associate professor at the University of Florida, who led the talk, "Keep on Burnin': The History of Wildland Fire in Florida," at the Hogtown Creek Headwaters Nature Center. "If we don't burn it, we lose it."

The talk, part of Gainesville's Perspectives in the Park series, delved into the often-misunderstood role of fire in Florida's natural landscapes, blending Indigenous knowledge with modern science to reframe how the public views wildfire and prescribed burns.

One of the biggest messages that Crandall reiterated throughout the talk was that prescribed fire is not the same as wildfire.

Pinellas Commissioner Latvala in recovery after surgery, family says

Pinellas County Commissioner Chris Latvala is recovering in a hospital after receiving medical care, his father, Jack Latvala, told the Tampa Bay Times on Monday.

Jack Latvala, a former state senator, declined to share what his son was hospitalized for, but he said he will likely be there for another seven to 10 days. The issue, his father said, “came along really out of nowhere.”

“Chris is doing well, “Jack Latvala said.

Chris Latvala’s wife, Bianca Sabrkhani Latvala, posted on Facebook from Gainesville on Saturday that her husband had undergone surgery, saying it was a “very critical time” for him.

“We ask that your families and friends hold him in prayer to support him being the fighter we all know he is, and I pray that spirit serves him well now,” her post said.

Florida lawmakers start filing budget proposals ahead of the 2026 session

Lawmakers have started to file proposed budget earmarks for local projects as they return to the Capitol to prepare for the 2026 legislative session.

Only a handful of budget proposals have been submitted for the session that begins Jan. 13, but that will rapidly increase over the next few months as legislative leaders say another tight budget year lies ahead. The House and Senate on Tuesday will start the first of a series of committee weeks in advance of the session.

About 1,600 of such spending proposals, worth more than $2 billion, made it into a 2025-2026 budget that lawmakers sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis. He vetoed about 600 of the proposals.

As of Monday, six proposals had been filed in the House for the 2026 session, collectively seeking just over $5.5 million.

Rep. Yvette Benarroch, R-Marco Island, proposed spending $1.92 million for waterway improvements in Marco Island and $93,175 to repair the roof of a house eyed to house veterans in Collier County.