Tag Archives: Florida

NBC News reports: In a criminal complaint filed on Jan. 4, U.S. postal inspector David Keith detailed how he found Miranda Farleigh, a 25-year-old former employee of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), had committed theft when she rifled through approximately 4,000 pieces of mail, all of which appeared to hold a holiday and/or greeting card. Farleigh’s parents also played a …

The Associated Press reports: Two county commissioners in central Florida were suspended from office Thursday, several weeks after being arrested and charged with lying during an investigation of possible Sunshine Law violations. Gov. Ron DeSantis issued two executive orders to remove Sumter County commissioners Oren Miller and Gary Search from their elected offices until their criminal cases are resolved, in …

Florida Politics reports: Two members of Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ staff on Wednesday compared a Jacksonville protester — who made a nonviolent stand refusing to leave a press conference — with the rioters last year who battered their way into the U.S. Capitol killing one police officer and injuring scores of others. DeSantis Press Secretary Christina Pushaw and another member of …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: Democratic lawmakers in Orlando and Jacksonville are seeking an audit of Florida Power & Light, following Orlando Sentinel reports revealing ties between the utility giant and the operatives who orchestrated the “ghost” candidate scandal in last year’s state Senate elections. Records recently obtained by the Sentinel showed the consultants who controlled Grow United Inc., the dark-money …

“The vaccine passports, you know, this requirement to get tested to go to school or to get on a plane. I mean, it’s just ridiculous. “This idea that, you know, that you could stop this with vaccines was unrealistic, but the policies are based on the idea that you can stop this with vaccines and mass testing and things like …

Click Orlando reports: A fourth resident of The Villages has been arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into voter fraud. Charles Franklin Barnes, 64, was booked into the Sumter County jail Tuesday night on a charge of casting more than one ballot in an election, a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Three other residents …

Tampa’s NBC News affiliate reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis’ press conference on COVID-19 was delayed Tuesday morning after it was disrupted by an activist who wanted to speak with him. The governor’s aid had asked people who weren’t reporters to leave the press conference, prompting Ben Frazier, the president of the Jacksonville Northside Coalition, to start arguing with him. They said …

Tampa’s CBS News reports: Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo said it’s time to stop “planning and living life” around COVID-19 testing. Dr. Ladapo announced the state will be the first to emphasize “high-value” testing versus “low-value” testing through a new plan. He used the example of an elderly grandmother given more testing consideration over an 8-year-old third grader. But …

The Daily Beast reports: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) blamed the Biden administration for COVID-19 woes in his state while accusing other state leaders of allowing “hysteria” to reign as they encourage mitigation measures against the virus that he claimed had little basis in sound science. “In terms of Florida, you look what’s going on in other states, they’re letting …

Miami’s ABC News affiliate reports: A new bill filed in the Florida Legislature would allow video and audio recordings in school classrooms, forcing teachers to wear microphones and allowing parents to review video of any ‘incidents.’ HB 1055 is sponsored by Fla. Rep. Bob Rommel (R-Naples). Cameras must be placed at the front of the classroom, capable of monitoring video …

The Miami Herald reports: In the early hours of New Year’s Day, two people vandalized Key West’s famous Southernmost Point buoy landmark by setting a fire right beside it. The blaze left a large part of the colorful giant buoy — right where it reads “90 miles to Cuba, Southernmost Point, Continental U.S.A.” — charred. There was “extensive damage” to …

Miami’s ABC News affiliate reports: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke at a public event in South Florida on New Year’s Eve. It happened Friday night at Miami Baptist Church in West Kendall. DeSantis has not spoken recently about COVID-19 despite the record numbers of cases seen across the state. When approached by Local 10 News’ Amy Viteri, one of DeSantis’ …

Mediaite reports: A campaign group seeking to unseat Florida governor Ron DeSantis has joined in the row over his recent absence from public view by flying a plane with a mocking banner over his state. Launched by Remove Ron, which is led by an activist who has stalked Florida beaches during the pandemic dressed as the grim reaper, the plane’s …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: Orange County officials said Wednesday the state has balked at opening testing sites amid a tidal wave of demand and denied a request this week for flashing signs to help provide information to people in miles-long lines. A state testing site, like one that was operated at the Orange County Convention Center in 2020, would alleviate …

NBC News reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis has been missing in action as Covid cases in the state have spiked to new heights, Florida Democratic officials charge. “Counties are overwhelmed w/ lines that stretch for miles,” state Sen. Shevrin Jones, a Democrat, tweeted Thursday. “It’s every man/woman for themselves, because leadership is MIA,” he added. DeSantis, a Republican and outspoken opponent …

Florida Politics reports: The Friends of Ron DeSantis political committee reported nearly $2.3 million in collections in December so far. And as politicians make an end-of-year push for dollars, it’s likely that number will grow higher once total figures reveal checks that came in the final days of 2021. Through Dec. 29, the committee on its website showed a total …

The Naples Daily News reports: A man suffered serious injuries Wednesday when he attempted to feed or pet a tiger after hours at the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens. According to Collier County Sheriff’s Office, a member of a third-party cleaning service, a man in his 20s, entered an unauthorized area near the tiger that was inside its enclosure. The …

The Miami Herald reports: Florida reported 46,923 new COVID cases, the largest single-day increase of COVID cases since the pandemic began and nearly double the previous peak during the summer, when the deadly delta variant was surging, according to Wednesday’s report to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based on Miami Herald calculations of CDC data. South Florida is …

The Associated Press reports: The mayor of one of Florida’s largest counties on Tuesday blasted Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, saying he has been missing in action during the latest wave of COVID-19, as some counties brought back mask mandates for government workers and other municipalities opened up new testing sites in response to overwhelming demand. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings …

First Coast News reports: A new park honoring the over 15,000 soldiers involved in the Confederate war effort is now open in North Florida. Kirby-Smith Confederate Park is located in Lincoln Villas in the Northeast Jacksonville area. The park is visible from the I-295 west beltway, and features Confederate flags, statuary and placards. The park’s website claims that the Confederate …