Florida News Archive

Wildlife officials, now teaming with the state’s largest electric utility, have approved an unusual step of feeding manatees that face another winter of limited food supplies in Florida waters.

The major Florida citrus company and landowner Alico, Inc. saw harvested boxes of fruit decrease during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 but got a boost from higher prices linked to consumer demand for orange juice, the company said in federal Securities and Exchange Commission filings released Tuesday.

The number of Florida hospital inpatients with COVID-19 increased, but those in intensive-care units remained virtually unchanged, according to data released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

State regulators Tuesday approved allowing Florida Power & Light to collect an additional $810 million from customers in 2022 amid higher-than-expected costs for natural gas that plays a key role in fueling power plants.

Rep. Ralph Massullo, R-Lecanto, and Rep. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, have drawn new challengers as they run for re-election in 2022, while additional candidates have emerged to try to replace Rep. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, and Rep. Kamia Brown, D-Ocoee.

A proposal filed Monday by Sen. Randolph Bracy, D-Ocoee, aims to make Juneteenth Day a paid holiday for all state government employees.

The number of Florida hospital inpatients with COVID-19 remained relatively flat during the past week. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services data released Monday showed that 1,298 inpatients had COVID-19.

Money to market in-state tourism would increase under a budget proposal filed Monday by Rep. Jayer Williamson, R-Pace. Williamson, who filed 19 separate budget requests on Monday that totaled $26 million, included a proposal for $2 million to assist the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association for its “coordinated marketing, media and events program to promote Florida tourism to residents of the state.”

Average gasoline prices in Florida dropped four cents during the past week and are expected to continue to fall because of concerns about how the omicron variant of the coronavirus could affect global fuel demand, according to the AAA auto club.

A divided federal appeals court Sunday rejected Florida’s request to at least temporarily block a Biden administration rule that would require health-care workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19.