Florida/National News
(National News of Interest to
Floridians)
Index of Stories
2022
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Florida News 2022
(scroll down)
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December 1, 2022
06:00 am
ORLANDO, FL –
Orange County Convention Center
food-service workers have authorized a
strike, and the window for that action
opens today.
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November
30, 2022 07:00 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Lake City Medical
Center, an affiliate of HCA Florida
Healthcare, announced today an $88 million
investment to construct a new two-story
patient tower to meet the growing healthcare
needs of the community. The expansion also
includes increasing surgical services,
expanding the cath lab, and creating
additional beds in the ICU and
medical/surgical units.
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The actual history of what happened
in 1621 bears little resemblance to what
most Americans are taught.
Posted November 24, 2022 12:50 pm
PLYMOUTH, Mass. — Overlooking the chilly
waters of Plymouth Bay, about three dozen
tourists swarmed a park ranger as he
recounted the history of Plymouth Rock — the
famous symbol of the arrival of the Pilgrims
here four centuries ago.
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November
12, 2022 08:35 am
ST.
PETERSBURG, FL – Duke Energy Florida
restored power to 98% of Nicole impacted
customers within 12 hours of the
hurricane leaving Duke’s service
territory.
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October 31,
2022 09:45 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Florida gas prices
are set to rise 25 cents a gallon on
Tuesday. Florida's Motor Fuel Tax Relief
Act of 2022 suspended the state's 25.3
cent gas tax on October 1 for a
month-long gas tax holiday. Tomorrow,
Tuesday, the tax expires at midnight.
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October 27, 2022
10:12 am
TALAHASSEE, FL – Florida has seen record-high
enrollment for health insurance in
recent years, and the trend is expected to
continue as open enrollment through the
Affordable Care Act begins next Tuesday.
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October 26,
2022 06:45 am
WASHINGTON
& FLORIDA – More than $1.39 billion in
federal grants, disaster loans, and flood
insurance payments have been provided to
Florida and households to help jumpstart the
recovery after Hurricane Ian. FEMA has
provided $619 million to households and $322
million to the state for emergency response.
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October 21, 2022
08:30 am
TALAHASSEE, FL – The Clean
Water Act turns 50 this week, but parts of
it are being challenged in a case before the US
Supreme Court. The case, Sackett v. EPA, could allow
factories, hog farms, and wastewater plants to
pollute waters in states that lack strong
water-quality protections.
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October 13, 2022
1:05 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – As the scrutiny into
Governor Ron DeSantis’ move to transport
Venezuelan migrants to Martha's Vineyard mounts,
legal actions and investigations into Mr.
DeSantis are piling up.
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October 12, 2022
2:30 pm
TALAHASSEE, FL – Voting is one way to play a
pivotal role in Florida's electoral process.
Another way is by being a poll worker to help
ensure elections are administered fairly,
efficiently, and according to law.
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October 10, 2022
10:02 am
The World —
The World Health Organization (WHO), on this
year's 2022 World Mental Day, is promoting
“making mental health & well-being a global
priority for all.”
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October 3, 2022
12:45 am
GREENWOOD,
S.C. — On a lake where 1 to 2 pound spotted
bass are plentiful, catching a big
largemouth or two becomes paramount to
success. UNC Charlotte’s Louis Monetti did
just that on Semifinal Sunday at the Bassmaster
College Classic Bracket at Lake Greenwood
presented by Lew’s, landing a 6
pounder and a 4 pounder on his way to a 16
lb-14 ounce day.
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Florida is
not NY, and the aftermath of Ian is not NYC’s
“Christmas In July" blackout
October 1, 2022
1:20 pm
SOUTH
FLORIDA – With South Floridian's struggling
to get back to their homes, get power, find
lost loved ones, and put their lives back
together after the devastation of IAN, this
is not a good time to be a looter in
Florida.
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Columbia
County Dodged the Bullet, Many Others
Didn't
September 29, 2022
3:35 pm
TALLAHASSEE, FL — This morning, Governor Ron
DeSantis issued updates on Hurricane Ian at the
State Emergency Operations Center with Division
of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie
and the First Lady.
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September 23, 2022
10:25 am
TALAHASSEE, FL –
Despite being aimed at children in
kindergarten through third grade, Florida
teachers say what's often referred to as
the "Don't Say Gay" law has struck fear in
teachers and students of all grades.
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September 22, 2022
09:35 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL — The flow of state
school aid vouchers for private schools reached
an estimated $1.3 billion since the Florida
Legislature enacted the Family Empowerment
Scholarship (FES) program in 2019. These
findings are reported in a new research report
by Education Law Center (ELC) and Florida Policy
Institute (FPI).
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September 12, 2022
05:30 am
TALAHASSEE, FL – Experts are reminding
parents to schedule time to get health
screenings for kids and think beyond the basic
back-to-school physical.
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August 31, 2022
02:10 am
TALLAHASSE, FL —Florida’s first ever Tool
Time Sales Tax Holiday begins Saturday,
September 3 and ends September 9. Homeowners and
skilled craftsman can save on tools and other
eligible items.
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August 30, 2022
06:55 am
TALAHASSEE, FL – In the ongoing abortion
debate, people are being warned to be
mindful of deceptive practices in the
facilities known as Crisis Pregnancy
Centers.
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August 29, 2022
04:28 pm
FLORIDA
– A report yesterday from Rolling Stone details
how Donald Trump is catching on to what many others have
already noticed: Ron DeSantis is
blatantly “stealing” Trump’s style and
mannerisms in an effort to court Trump
donors and challenge the former
President.
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August 26, 2022
02:00 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Six of Columbia
County’s finest anglers (three teams of
two from the FGC bass fishing team) will
compete against the best college anglers
in the country during the Labor Day
weekend.
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August 20, 2022 05:00 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – The Inflation
Reduction Act means lower costs on
everything from prescription drugs, to
health care premiums, to home energy costs.The
Inflation Reduction Act takes on special
interests to lower costs for Floridians.
The new law will lead to cleaner, more
affordable home energy...
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Posted August 1, 2022 03:45 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – World
breastfeeding week begins today. It is a
worldwide celebration of the benefits of
breastfeeding. This year’s theme, “Step
Up For Breastfeeding,” has the World
Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF
calling on governments to educate and
support increased resources to
promote breastfeeding policies and
programs throughout the world,
“especially for the most vulnerable
families living in emergency settings.”
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Posted August 1, 2022 08:00 am
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Losing a loved one can
be traumatic, but when it happens to
children, it can leave them at risk of
anxiety, depression, and even
post-traumatic stress that can derail
their educational progress. Grief
experts say it's always a good measure
to seek help.
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Posted July 29, 2022 01:30 pm
LIVE OAK, FL - Suwannee Valley Electric
Cooperative (SVEC) recognized the handicap
that most of its 28,000 consumers face,
being on the short side of the digital
divide, by not having access to reliable
high-speed internet.
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Posted July 27, 2022 08:30 am
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Florida small
businesses looking for financial help often
have limited options, but there is a new
opportunity for assistance. A group of community lenders created the Southern
Opportunity and Resilience Fund (SOAR),
to help small companies and nonprofits
recover from the impacts of the
pandemic.
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Posted July 22, 2022 11:15 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Yesterday, between
8:30 am and 5 pm, Florida Gateway College
(FGC) held its second One Stop Enrollment
Day. Anyone who wanted to enroll or learn
about courses or financial assistance was
welcome. Current students could re-register.
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Posted
July 18, 2022 11:45 pm
ORLANDO, FL –
This is a moment of unprecedented
urgency for Floridians needing
behavioral health crisis care. The
COVID-19 pandemic has triggered increased mental
health and substance use disorder
treatment needs. A new national suicide
prevention hotline – 988 – is launching
in July.
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Posted July 15, 2022 07:15 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – After an extensive,
nationwide search, Florida Gateway College
has selected Chris Hackett as the new FGC
Athletic Director. Hackett comes to FGC from
Frank Phillips College, an NJCAA school
in Borger, TX. There, he served as
athletic director since 2020 and head
men's basketball coach since 2011.
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Posted July 7, 2022 07:40 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL - Yesterday was not a
good day for some folk in Alachua County.
Two Accidents involving tractor-trailers, one
in a rest stop and one closing down the
interstate had the Florida Highway Patrol
and Gainesville Rescue busy.
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Posted July 6, 2022 07:22 am
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Community health
centers are calling on state and federal
lawmakers for added protections against
drug manufactures for drastically
cutting them out of a federal drug
discount program.
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Posted July 1, 2022 06:25 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Yesterday morning,
a crowd of approximately 300 gathered in the
heart of Florida Gateway College's main
campus to witness the ribbon cutting and
dedication of the new Quinn & Keith
Leibfried STEM building.
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Posted June 27, 2022 06:35 am
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Abortion rights
proponents are warning that most Republican
leaders in Florida are set on ensuring that
pregnancy is the only option, after the
governor recently vetoed funding for birth
control.
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Posted June 9, 2022 09:35 am
Florida grasshopper sparrow populations
were on the decline prior to 2019 due to
habitat loss, among other
factors. Without intervention, the
extinction of these tiny birds was a
real possibility.
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Posted June 6, 2022 05:05 am
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Florida lawmakers have signed
off on quick fixes to the state's property
insurance crisis - but critics say
the plan pays little attention to the
growing threat of climate change. Insurance
and risk-management experts
agree, Florida's special session was
necessary to curb insurance fraud.
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Posted
May 31, 2022 09:40 am
TAMPA, FL – A new AAA survey reveals that
a growing number of Floridians are more
concerned about this year’s hurricane
season, yet there’s still a large number of
residents who do not have an emergency plan.
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Posted
May 27, 2022 11:45 am
ORLANDO, FL –
Florida officials’ abrupt decision to
withdraw from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Youth
Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) continues to
worry advocacy groups, nonprofits, and
others across the state.
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Posted May 23, 2022 07:45 am
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Starting in July,
Florida students and families will
receive more information on the mental
health services they are entitled to.
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Posted May 19, 2022 05:00 am
A criminal case against former U.S. Rep.
Corrine Brown, one of the first Black
representatives elected to Congress from
Florida after Reconstruction, ended today
[yesterday] with her guilty plea to a tax
charge in a charity fraud case.
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Posted May 12, 2022 08:55 am
TALLAHASSEE, FL -
The new congressional map - crafted by Gov.
Ron DeSantis and approved by the
Republican-controlled Florida Legislature
last month, scatters more than 370,000 Black
voters from being able to choose their
representative - Circuit Court Judge Layne
Smith says that's unconstitutional.
The
ruling, which is expected to be
appealed, came as no surprise to
observers including those who say they
tried to work on a more fairly drawn
map.
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Posted April 28, 2022 07:35 am
WASHINGTON, DC – As the US military
continues to grapple with
rising suicide rates among its service
members, the head of one Veterans Service
Organization warns that a failure to take
care of active-duty personnel and veterans
could lead to a drop in military
recruitment.
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Posted April 25, 2022 07:45 am
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Governor Ron DeSantis
has been confronting a lot of issues
dealing with race and inclusion. The
latest is his signing into law his
version of Florida's new
Congressional district maps, which
heavily benefits Republicans and slashes
the number of Black districts in half,
from four to two.
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Posted April 18, 2022 08:20 am
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Florida's
redistricting saga continues Tuesday
when lawmakers return to Tallahassee for
a special session to essentially give
Gov. Ron DeSantis what he wants.
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Posted April 15, 2022 10:30 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Last night, the
Florida Gateway College board recognized
alumni and benefactor Mike Williams for his
support of the college. FGC board president Michael Crawford
thanked Mr. Williams for being a "long-time
supporter and great friend of the college."
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Posted April 14, 2022 07:15 am
WASHINGTON, DC – On March 31, 2022,
President Biden issued a proclamation
proclaiming April as Second Chance Month.
President Biden said, "by supporting people
who are committed to rectifying their
mistakes, redefining themselves, and making
meaningful contributions to society, we help
reduce recidivism and build safer
communities.”
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Posted March 31, 2022 09:20 pm
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Today, Federal District
Court Chief Judge Mark Walker struck down
Florida’s suppressive voting law, S.B. 90.
Judge Walker ruled the Florida law violates
Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
and the First and Fourteenth Amendments to
the United States Constitution.
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Posted March 18, 2022 07:30 am
TALLAHASSEE, FL - The future of the
Sunshine State's solar industry now depends
on Gov. Ron DeSantis' veto pen. Solar-power advocates want the governor
to veto
a bill the Legislature passed at
the behest of the state's largest utility,
Florida Power and Light because they fear it
would gut the rooftop solar industry.
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Posted March 11, 2022 07:50 am
Florida – At its December 2021 meeting,
the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission (FWC) approved regulation changes
to help diamondback terrapin conservation by
preventing them from being collected from
the wild and drowned in crab traps.
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Posted March 5, 2022 10:15 pm
BOSTON – The national average price of
gasoline has just surpassed $4 per
gallon in the U.S for the first time
since 2008. It stands just 10 cents
below the record of $4.103 per gallon,
according to GasBuddy, the leading fuel
savings platform providing American
drivers with the most ways to save money
on gas.
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Posted March 4, 2022 07:24 am
Florida – It’s almost spring, and around
for 450 million years, it’s horseshoe crab
mating time again. The Florida Fish &
Wildlife Commission (FWC) wants to learn
more about these "living fossils," which
have been around since before the dinosaur.
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Posted March 1, 2022 10:58 am
TAMPA, FL - Florida's real estate market
is hot. It is important to protect
yourself from real estate investors who
may try to take advantage of the unwary.
It is always advisable to consult legal
counsel before signing a legal contract,
especially one as significant as a
contract for purchasing your home.
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Posted February 21, 2022 03:10 pm
TALAHASSEE, FL – Tomorrow, Tuesday,
February 22, more than 500 activists and
community members will gather at the State
Capitol to raise their voices in the fight
for reproductive freedom. The “Fight for
Repro Freedom” Day of Action is in response
to the abortion ban moving swiftly through
the Florida Legislature.
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Posted Feb. 19, 2022 10:30 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Rampant health and
health care disparities for Florida’s
minority populations and those who are
income challenged would be reduced by
Florida’s Agency for Health Care
Administration providing transparency on
Medicaid Managed Care Plans.
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Posted Feb. 14, 2022 06:55 am
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Florida Republicans
are proposing yet another sweeping
change to state election laws. The new
bill, CS/SB 524 - Election
Administration, would establish an
Office of Election Crimes and Security -
a slimmed-down version of Gov. Ron
DeSantis's "elections police" proposal.
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Posted Feb. 9, 2022 04:15 am
LIVE OAK, FL - The Suwannee River Water
Management District (District) announces
the launch of the water quality
campaign, Dive In. With an emphasis on
raising awareness of the ways everyone
can help protect the springs and water
quality, Dive In brings educational
resources and tools to the residents and
businesses throughout the District’s
15-county region.
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Posted Feb. 7, 2022 09:40 am
TAMPA, FL - Foreclosure rescue scams
abound. Scam artists are looking to part
you from your money with the promise
they can help. Then, they keep the money
and do nothing to help your mortgage.
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Posted Feb. 2, 2022 10:35 am
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Republicans in the
Florida Legislature are fast-tracking a
15-week abortion ban over
the objections of activists and medical
professionals.
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Posted January 7, 2022 08:35 am
TALLAHASSEE, FL - As the U.S. Supreme
Court deliberates the latest challenge
to Roe v. Wade, new abortion laws are
already in the works ahead of Florida's
upcoming legislative session. Encouraged
by possible federal changes,
conservatives are moving full speed
ahead in the Statehouse with proposals
like House Bill 167, which would require
doctors to conduct a test and inform a
pregnant person of a heartbeat.
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Posted December 30, 2021 02:45 am
TALLAHASSEE, FL - The Florida Department
of Corrections (DOC) now bans people in
prison from receiving traditional mail, such
as greeting cards and handwritten letters.
The DOC, with few exceptions, is requiring
that mail be scanned and sent
electronically.
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The Wampanoags Helped the Pilgrims Survive
for Their First Thanksgiving – They Still
Regret It
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