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It’s easy to overlook a story like this with everything else going on in this turbulent world, but sometimes, these small changes make the biggest splash. Publix just scrapped the item limits in its express lanes. Forget double-checking your cart, sweating over whether four cans of mushrooms count as one or four, or silently fuming at the person who clearly has too many groceries. You don’t have to do the awkward walk back to the regular lanes anymore. That’s all in the past.

U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds clinched the Republican nomination for Florida governor, while the Democrats picked former Rep. David Jolly on Tuesday night. With Ron DeSantis stepping down, he can’t run for a third straight term, the state faces a pivotal decision this fall on its political future. November’s race isn’t just about Florida. It’s a test of Donald Trump’s influence and whether Democrats can bring their party back to center stage in a state that’s shifted right since 20

Rescue teams in Colombia are still digging through rubble, a full week after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake shook the region. Nearly 300 people have lost their lives, and the number of those injured keeps climbing. The hospitals there are overwhelmed and running dangerously low on critical medicine and surgical equipment, they can’t even perform some surgeries right now. On Monday, Dan Newlin, a Central Florida attorney, sent two planes packed with over 5,000 pounds of m

By Monday at 11 a.m., just a day before the Florida primary, nearly two million people had already voted. That’s 1,913,737 Floridians, or about 14.2% of registered voters. Republicans cast 870,850 of these ballots, while 806,561 went to Democrats. Voters not tied to either major party, those registered with no party or with a minor party, accounted for more than 236,000 ballots. Breaking that down further, Republicans led in early in-person voting, turning out nearly 143,000

"I Voted" Florida’s primary election has arrived. Polls open statewide on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. And it’s a big one. Voters will choose party nominees to replace outgoing Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and fill the state’s special U.S. Senate seat. There are also congressional, legislative, and our own local races. Florida uses closed primaries, so only party-registered voters can pick party candidates. Nonpartisan races, like some school board contest

Bear cruising through Gulf Breeze neighborhood A Florida man’s regular morning took a turn when a black bear wandered through his front yard, stopping him in his tracks on his way to work. Michael Tullos, who lives in Gulf Breeze, stepped outside, ready to head for his van. But as he rounded the corner, he spotted the bear — big, shaggy, just ambling along. He didn’t waste a second. Tullos darted right back inside, still shaken, and grabbed his phone to share the whole thing

Lightning fans can breathe easy—the team’s not leaving Tampa anytime soon. On Wednesday, Hillsborough County commissioners backed a new lease extension in a 7–0 vote, locking the Tampa Bay Lightning into Benchmark International Arena for at least six more years. That means the Bolts are here through 2043. It’s a big statement about the team’s commitment to Tampa and the county. Commissioner Ken Hagan didn’t hold back: “Everyone knows what Jeff Vinik’s done for the Lightning,

Alligator found in Naples pool If you grow up in Florida, you just know—where there’s water, there’s probably a gator lurking. Locals try to warn visitors, but honestly, most people just shrug it off. Even with cooler temps in Naples, that didn’t stop a nearly 8-foot alligator from going for a midnight swim in someone’s backyard pool. “This is wild. Nobody believed it, not until we saw the video—especially when he started rolling around. He was huge,” said Rob Emhoff, who liv

Randall Spivey and Brandon Billmaier The timeline, what we know, who are Randall Spivey and Brandon Billmaier, and the unanswered questions. After four intense days searching the waters off Naples, Florida, the Coast Guard called off the hunt for Randall Spivey and his nephew, Brandon Billmaier. Both disappeared on December 19, and despite scouring nearly 6,700 square miles, crews couldn’t find them. Their families now face the grim truth. On Monday, December 22, as the sun s

Florida’s first Christmas didn’t look anything like the holiday we know now. Picture this: late 1539, cold air hanging over the Apalachee village of Anhaica, right where Tallahassee sits today. Hernando de Soto, hungry for gold, had dragged his huge expedition—soldiers, priests, craftsmen, and enslaved people—straight into the heart of Apalachee territory. They occupied the capital, but the Apalachee didn’t surrender quietly. Tension filled the camp; skirmishes flared up agai

The Orange County School Board just took a big step toward possibly closing seven schools. On Tuesday night, during a long work session, board members agreed to let the district start the rezoning process for families at Bonneville, Chickasaw, Eccleston, McCoy, Meadow Woods, and Orlo Vista elementary schools, plus Union Park Middle School. These schools are on the chopping block, and the board’s decision opens the door for the district to move forward. Superintendent Maria Va

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has a hypothetical he floated at Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting: “What if we didn’t have tolls in Florida?” He said this while the state has been using a budget surplus to pay down debt sooner than scheduled. So it got him thinking, at least out loud, about tolls on state roads, including the Turnpike. “We’re going to be able to be paying off taxpayer-supported debt … ,” DeSantis said. “But what about these tolls? I know other folks have purview on that

The AKC® National Championship presented by Royal Canin is back on December 13 and 14, 2025, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. This year, 5,557 dogs will compete for the title of America's National Champion. That’s a lot of fur, ambition, and excitement packed into two days. Alongside the main event, 1,602 puppies and juniors are chasing the Puppy/Junior of the Year title in the AKC/Royal Canin National All-Breed Puppy and Junior Stakes. Another 1,040 dogs wi

Orange County Public Schools is thinking about closing up to seven schools, and the reason is pretty clear: fewer kids are enrolling. Over the last three years, the district lost more than 8,300 students. For the 2025-2026 school year alone, enrollment dropped by 5,539 students—a nearly 3% dip. With fewer students, the district expects to lose $41 million in state funding, maybe even more. That kind of loss stings. On Tuesday, Dec. 16, the Orange County School Board will meet

On December 7, 2025, the community will come together at Englewood’s Veterans Park on W. Dearborn Street to mark the eighty-fourth anniversary of Pearl Harbor. The ceremony starts at 1 p.m., organized by VFW Post 10178 and Auxiliary, Lemon Bay High School NJROTC, Rotunda West American Legion Post 113, and the Veterans Honor Guard. Danny Fuson kicks things off with introductions. Rev. Ronnie Jackson leads the opening prayer before the Lemon Bay NJROTC steps forward for the Ple

On Sunday, Trump administration officials sat down with Ukrainian negotiators in Hallandale Beach, just north of Miami. Their goal: find a way to end the war in Ukraine and prepare for the high-stakes talks happening this week in Moscow with Vladimir Putin. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner—all key players—joined the conversation, digging into the details of a possible peace deal. The first draft, a 28-point proposal, expected Ukra

The exterior of the Lewis Spring House, the only residence in Florida designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright designed one private residence in Florida, and it’s called the Spring House. In 2025, the Tallahassee landmark hit the market for $2.1 million. Its curving, pod-like form stands out as one of Wright’s final hemicycle designs—an architectural treasure tucked away just north of U.S. 27, not far from the interstate. The house sits quietly in the

Orlando pro Sandra Changkija made history on Sunday, becoming the first woman to win the Assistant PGA Professional Championship in the tournament’s 49 years. She shot an even-par 72 at the Dye Course at PGA Golf Club and finished three shots ahead of the field. Changkija, once an LPGA Tour player, now works as an assistant pro at Lake Nona in Orlando. Out of 132 players, just two were women. The PGA of America sets course yardages so women play about 85% of what the men do.

Blue Origin just pulled off a major milestone. Early Thursday, Jeff Bezos watched from Launch Control as his company launched the massive New Glenn rocket—321 feet tall, named after John Glenn—into the sky over Cape Canaveral. Four days of bad weather held things up, but when the skies finally cleared, the rocket thundered off the pad, carrying two NASA Mars orbiters. Once the rocket released the orbiters, the real show began. The booster turned around and stuck the landing o