Florida's Latest News

Florida Sheriffs Association names Chris Sprowls honorary Sheriff

The Florida Sheriffs Association is naming House Speaker Chris Sprowls an honorary Sheriff, saluting the outgoing lawmaker with a video featuring Sheriffs from across the state as well as Sprowls’ father, who is a retired New York Police detective.

The Sheriffs made the announcement Tuesday, recognizing the Palm Harbor Republican for work he’s done in the Legislature to support law enforcement.

“Speaker Sprowls is deserving of the title of honorary Sheriff because of his long-standing commitment to law enforcement and to the Sheriffs, and what he’s accomplished,” Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gaultieri said in the video.

“This is an honor that’s reserved for those people that have gone above and beyond, and it’s a chance for us to pay it back and to say to Speaker Sprowls, thank you for everything that you’ve done to support us over the last eight years.”

Florida State University College of Business finds success in 2022

Florida State University’s (FSU) College of Business was rated among the best in America across several departments in Monday’s release of the U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges 2023 Guidebook.” In totality, four programs within the college ranked inside the top twenty-five of their respective field.

The Dr. William T. Hold/The National Alliance Program in Risk Management and Insurance achieved a third overall ranking among all universities that offer it, while the real estate program climbed to fifth among public schools.

Meanwhile, the College of Business earned a ranking of twentieth among public schools in marketing, while accounting moved up three spots to twenty-first.

“We continue to place well in extremely competitive fields,” said Michael Hartline, dean of the College of Business. “We expect even greater achievements ahead and look forward to the heightened visibility our new showcase facility will provide.”

Board of Governors votes to hire Ray Rodrigues as Chancellor

The Florida Board of Governors (BOG) voted unanimously to begin negotiations with Sen. Ray Rodrigues to be the next Chancellor of Florida’s State University System. The hiring decision came at the same meeting where governors honored outgoing Chancellor Marshall Criser.

Rodrigues, an Estero Republican serving in the Legislature for the last 10 years, expressed gratitude and praised Florida’s higher education system as the best in the country.

“Florida has avoided the mistakes other states have made, either in neglect in their budget for higher education, or they offered the wrong incentives and were focused on enrollment instead of the success of the students.”

The sitting Senator also shared a personal biography as a first-generation college graduate, whose parents’ first time stepping foot on a campus was to watch his commencement at Berry College.

Florida appeals court weighs COVID-19 data fight

More than a year after the lawsuit was filed, an appeals court Tuesday waded into a fight about whether the Florida Department of Health should be required to provide daily COVID-19 data.

The lawsuit in Leon County circuit court has been on hold since January amid an appeal about testimony and information that could provide a window into the Department of Health’s refusal to release the data.

Circuit Judge John Cooper on Jan. 3 issued an order rejecting a Department of Health request for a protective order to prevent a deposition of a department representative about details of the agency’s decision-making. A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal heard arguments Tuesday in the department’s appeal of that order.