Features

A man faces charges after allegedly punching a Florida congressman during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City. U.S. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, a Democrat from Florida, says the attack happened Friday night. Court documents show police arrested Christian Joel Young, 28, and charged him with aggravated burglary, assaulting an elected official, and assault. Utah House Minority Leader Angela Romero responded, “This is unacceptable, and I’m deeply sorry Rep. Frost had this

Popular meteorologist, Matt Devitt (Facebook photo) Matt Devitt spent ten years at WINK News, helping Southwest Florida get through some of its worst storms. Folks say he saved lives—especially when hurricanes like Irma and Ian hit. Now, WINK has been fired without any explanation after 10 years on the air, and honestly, people are shocked. On Saturday, January 10, 2026, Devitt broke the news on Facebook. “After 10 years, my time with WINK News has come to an end after being

Lake Eola's beloved swans Photo courtesy of City of Orlando As of January 6, 2026, Orlando officials confirmed that avian influenza, or bird flu, is behind the deaths of 21 birds at Lake Eola Park. The outbreak began on December 17, 2025, and it’s hit the swan population especially hard. Nineteen of the dead birds were Royal Mute swans. The others: one anhinga, one ibis. Before this started, Lake Eola had around 50 to 60 swans. City workers, together with the Florida Fish and

Photo posted on Reddit Publix just stirred up a storm with its regulars, and the internet’s not letting it slide. People are actually calling the prices “criminal”—and, honestly, when you see what they’re charging for meat, it’s kind of wild. It all kicked off with a Reddit post. Someone snapped a shot of a 1.23-pound cut of organic prime tenderloin at Publix, and the price tag was eye-popping: $49.99 a pound, so over $61 for that one steak. The poster didn’t hold back—“What

Pepper Park Beach in Fort Pierce A diver stumbled on a mortar that had washed up at Pepper Park Beach in St. Lucie County on Saturday afternoon, resulting in an evacuation of the beach. The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office arrived at 3302 N. Highway A1A around 3:30 p.m. after the diver called it in. Deputies cleared everyone from the beach, pushing people back at least 300 yards in all directions—no chances taken when you’re dealing with old explosives. The Bomb Disposal Tea

Over 300 manatee keeping warm at Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River Hundreds of manatee showed up at Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River on New Year’s Eve, all looking for a warm spot and maybe a little celebration, too. You could see about 300 of them packed into the springs. Outside, the air was cold—just 35 degrees. But the water? It held steady at around 66 degrees, thanks to the spring feeding the river. Some parts of the property stay off-limits to boats and swim

Florida experienced snow January 2025 We'll begin with serious political, business, and economic news. For the 2025 "Florida Man"-style highlights, scroll down. You don't want to miss it. Florida saw a wild ride in 2025—politics dominated headlines, cranes dotted city skylines, and the state’s population kept climbing. News felt relentless, with some stories grabbing the whole country’s attention. Politics and Legislation The political scene never let up. Big names shuffled i

Starting January 1, 2026, Florida rolls out three big laws aimed at health, insurance, and animal welfare. Here’s what changes: State employees now get breast exams—both diagnostic and supplemental—covered fully by their health plans. No more copays or deductibles. That’s SB 158. Next, HB 655 sets clearer rules for pet insurance. Insurers have to spell things out, play fair, and follow new standards for wellness programs. Healthcare providers can’t sit on your money anymore.

After the news broke about school closures in Orange County, residents in Central Florida started asking the obvious: why are there fewer students in these neighborhoods? The answer isn’t hidden in some complicated demographic study. Real estate experts point out something much simpler—nobody’s moving. Empty nesters are staying put. They raised their kids in these houses, watched them grow up and leave, but instead of selling and moving on, they’re hanging on to their homes.

One week ago, the US Coast Guard called off its search for Randall Spivey and Brandon Billmaier, two fishermen who vanished on the Gulf. The FBI has since stepped in, but the two men are still missing, and the news has gone quiet. Usually, when people disappear, you get regular updates, press conferences, fresh leads, something. This case? Silence. Here’s what happened. Randall Spivey, a Fort Myers attorney, and his nephew Brandon Billmaier set out for a fishing trip early Fr

From Tarzan to Today: How Hollywood and Nature Collide at Silver Springs and Fort De Soto If you’re looking for the real Hollywood monkey connection in Florida, the actual stars—those famous Rhesus Macaques from the old Tarzan films—live up near Silver Springs, outside Ocala. Back in the 1930s, a film crew brought in a bunch of macaques from Southeast Asia to make the springs look like an “African jungle.” They let the monkeys loose on an island, and honestly, the animals jus

The latest update on the Fort Myers missing fishermen, interviews with their families and unanswered questions. The Coast Guard has called off its search for two missing boaters off the coast of Southwest Florida after three days of relentless searching by air, by sea, and with help from volunteers. On Monday, officials announced the suspension, saying they’d covered a search area bigger than the state of Connecticut but found no trace of the men. “There’s no decision harder

Rigs, the therapy dog At the December 12 Service and Achievement Ceremony, the Melbourne Fire Department officially welcomed Rigs, their very first therapy dog. The team celebrated Rigs alongside firefighters who earned promotions and awards that night. Rigs joins the Peer Support Team—a group of firefighters trained to help each other handle the tough and often tragic calls they face. Over the past few years, this team has worked to expand how they support their colleagues.

Randy Spivey, left, with his nephew, Brandon Billmaier, photo courtesy of the Lee County Sheriff's Office The search for Randall Spivey, a 57-year-old attorney from Fort Myers, and his nephew, 33-year-old Brandon Billmaier, stretched into Monday morning with no sign of the missing men. They disappeared after a fishing trip off the coast of Naples on December 19. The U.S. Coast Guard said it would keep searching through the night, both by air and sea. On Facebook, family membe

This holiday season, AAA predicts around 122.4 million people will hit the road—or take to the skies—in the U.S. between December 20 and January 1. Out of those, airlines expect over eight million folks to fly within the country, but most travelers—close to 110 million—will drive. All eyes are on Orlando International Airport, which looks set to break records. Central Florida is shaping up to be the country’s top spot to ring in the New Year. Orlando’s airport expects its big

Foreclosures are climbing across the country, and Florida’s now leading the pack. Tampa, in particular, stands out, as last October, it had the highest foreclosure rate among the nation’s large cities. One out of every 1,373 homes there got a foreclosure filing, according to ATTOM Data. For a lot of people who bought homes during the frenzy between 2020 and 2023, this is turning into a nightmare. Realtors are seeing families who realize they can’t sell without losing money. T

Come celebrate on Friday, December 12, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., as Everglades National Park opens the new Marjory Stoneman Douglas Visitor Center in Everglades City. After Hurricane Irma destroyed the Gulf Coast Visitor Center back in 2017, the park needed something stronger and smarter. Now, this two-story building stands in its place—built to last, built for the future, and built to honor Marjory Stoneman Douglas, the woman whose passion turned the Everglades from over

Behind every statistic, there’s a story   Florida Experience Magazine is exploring the process of divorce in Florida in our four-part series, “Divorce: Florida-Style.”   Part One   If you’re reading this, perhaps divorce is weighing on your mind—or maybe you’re already in the thick of it. Or you might simply be divorce-curious. If you live in Florida and you're researching divorce, you’ve got plenty of company.   Florida has a reputation for high divorce rates. We’re regularl

The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season wrapped up on November 30. Forecasters started out expecting a wild, above-average year, but things settled down and ended up pretty close to average. What really stands out? None of the five hurricanes made landfall in the continental U.S. That hasn’t happened in ten years. By NOAA’s standards, 2025 actually qualifies as an above-normal season. There were about as many named storms as usual, fewer hurricanes than average, and more major hur

Florida likes to say the first Thanksgiving in the future United States happened in St. Augustine, way back in 1565. Spanish settlers landed there, held a Mass of Thanksgiving, then sat down to eat with the local Seloy—one of the Timucuan tribes. This wasn’t your typical turkey-and-pumpkin-pie affair; picture salted pork, garbanzo beans, and sea biscuits. The date was September 8, 1565. That’s 56 years before the Pilgrims showed up in Massachusetts. The site? Not far from tod