Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas on Friday held up Lee County school leadership as a statewide model for improving struggling schools, praising Superintendent Denise Carlin as Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two major education bills into law. Kamoutsas specifically spotlighted Carlin’s work with the Lee County School Board to secure pay raises for teachers in the…

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday that Florida lawmakers are likely to hold a special legislative session in July to advance a constitutional amendment providing homestead property tax relief ahead of a ballot-printing deadline. DeSantis said legislators will first complete work on the overdue state budget before turning to the tax measure. The proposal would…

The Avon Park Chamber of Commerce has named Raquel Embrack-Scott as its new executive director, filling the vacancy left by former director Kamla Long. Embrack-Scott, who had been serving as interim executive director, officially began her permanent role on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. The chamber’s mission is to promote the interests of its members by…

The first direct commercial flight between the U.S. and Venezuela in nearly seven years departed Miami International Airport on Thursday, restoring nonstop service suspended since 2019. American Airlines Flight AA3599, operated by subsidiary Envoy Air, left Miami Thursday morning bound for Caracas. The departure marks the resumption of daily nonstop flights between the two countries….

SRO America is returning to the legendary Sebring International Raceway, where drivers and teams will tackle one of motorsport’s most historic and demanding circuits from May 8-10, 2026. The weekend will feature a full slate of SRO America competition, headlined by GT World Challenge America powered by AWS. Elite GT3 drivers and teams will face…

A nearly three hour workshop Friday morning by Highlands County school board members, has resulted in a call for a special meeting to discuss further budget cuts to the system. This time the focus will be on the main office of Superintendent of Schools Brenda Longshore. The planned afternoon session on May 11 will discuss…

In Washington, The House of Representatives has advanced legislation to restore temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitian refugees for three years. The bill (HR 1689) passed with support from all Democrats and 10 Republicans, including three from Florida: Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart, Carlos Giménez and María Elvira Salazar of Miami-Dade County. Florida is home to about…

Wildfire activity surged across Florida last week, with 82 active blazes burning nearly 7,800 acres amid ongoing drought conditions that have left soils extremely dry. The Florida Forest Service is increasing patrols to detect fires early. This past Wednesday, crews quickly responded to a small brush fire near Cantonment in Escambia County after spotting it…

No Florida city ranks in the top 100 for rental affordability nationwide, according to a new WalletHub analysis of 182 U.S. cities. Jacksonville placed highest among Sunshine State markets at No. 125 nationally, with renters spending 25.16% of median household income on rent and an overall affordability score of 46.61. St. Petersburg ranked No. 153…

The Florida Supreme Court has unanimously elected Justice John D. Couriel as the state’s next chief justice, effective July 1. The 47-year-old Couriel, a Miami native appointed to the court in 2020 by Gov. Ron DeSantis, will succeed Chief Justice Carlos G. Muñiz. Muñiz will complete his second two-year term as chief justice on June…