2025 Florida Highlights: From Serious to Silly (and everything in between)

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 into new seats—Governor Ron DeSantis put Ashley Moody in the U.S. Senate to take over for Marco Rubio, and tapped Blaise Ingoglia as CFO. President Donald Trump, now calling Florida home, threw his weight behind Byron Donalds.

Property taxes became a battleground. DeSantis and Ingoglia launched a campaign to slash or even wipe out these taxes, with their sights set on a 2026 constitutional amendment. Immigration sparked heated debate again. Florida passed a law making it a misdemeanor for undocumented immigrants to knowingly enter the state, but a federal judge blocked it not long after. Meanwhile, the Everglades federal detention center—nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz"—drew global outrage over its conditions.

Lawmakers made it much tougher for citizens to get constitutional amendments on the ballot. This move hit campaigns for legalizing recreational marijuana and protecting abortion rights especially hard. On guns, a state appeals court struck down Florida’s ban on open carry, giving a major win to gun-rights supporters.

Infrastructure and Economy

The Florida Department of Transportation bragged about finishing big projects ahead of schedule. I-4 now has new relief lanes, and the Howard Frankland Bridge Replacement pushed forward as part of the “Moving Florida Forward” push to keep up with all the new residents.

Aerospace shattered records—Florida counted 109 successful space launches. Construction even started on the nation’s first Advanced Air Mobility vertiport for air taxis at SunTrax. The state went after federal funds, landing $180 million to add new truck parking along I-4, all in an effort to tighten up supply chains.

The economy kept humming, with GDP expected to grow by 2.4%. Florida became a top spot for business relocations. But housing costs kept rising, and for the first time in years, just as many people moved out as moved in—Florida hit “balanced migration” status.

Health and Community News

Health scares and local stories made waves. Flesh-eating bacteria (Vibrio vulnificus) returned in the summer, triggering public health warnings. Near year’s end, lawmakers floated a bill to scrap several childhood vaccine mandates and allow over-the-counter ivermectin.

Education got a big boost—over $107 million went to expanding workforce training in high-demand fields. Schools rolled out some surprises too: cell phones banned in classrooms, and cursive handwriting made mandatory again.

Locally, a huge law enforcement push found 60 missing children in Tampa Bay. Meanwhile, Tampa’s Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) opened the country’s second-largest planetarium, giving Floridians another reason to look up.

Now for the "Florida Man"-style, Wild, Silly and Sad News of 2025

Florida’s 2025 headlines were wild, even by Florida standards. You had the usual “Florida Man” madness—picture a guy in scuba gear robbing a Disney Springs restaurant, tying up the staff, then swimming off into the night.

Or another guy stealing Smokey Bear signs from state forests and trying to sell them online, only to get busted by someone dressed as Smokey Bear. No joke.

Over in Tallahassee, someone stole a forklift, grabbed an ATM, and took both on a joyride across the city.

But it wasn’t all just bizarre crime sprees. Wildlife stories were everywhere. Authorities broke up a gator poaching ring in Central Florida, people kept dumping exotic pets—especially monkeys—into the wild, and rescue centers struggled to keep up. The state even ran a sanctioned black bear hunt, with 52 bears harvested. Researchers kept pushing efforts to control invasive Burmese pythons, while new studies hinted that flamingos might make a comeback if people step in and help. Scrub-jays, too, got some conservation attention.

Some stories were just plain strange. A man died from blunt force trauma after riding the Stardust Racers roller coaster at Universal Orlando.

In Merritt Island, raccoons took over a house, tossing furniture and eating all the cat food.

And maybe the most Florida thing of all—a 70-year-old woman bit a pit bull to save her own dog from an attack. Never a dull moment.

It snowed in Florida - Jan. 21

Florida doesn’t usually get much winter, but in January, North Florida woke up under a thick layer of snow. An Arctic blast rolled in and dumped 8 to 10 inches across the region—double the old record. The National Weather Service in Tallahassee confirmed the numbers. Nobody saw it coming.

Debris rains down on Florida after rocket explosion - March 6

SpaceX tried out another Starship test flight from Texas. Minutes after launch, the spacecraft lost contact and then exploded. SpaceX officials said the craft came apart soon after takeoff. Debris rained down over Florida, streaking across the sky and forcing airports across the state to halt flights. Drivers caught the spectacle on camera as pieces fell from above.

Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez arrested - June 5

Central Florida reeled in June when authorities arrested Sheriff Marcos Lopez, a well-known law enforcement figure. Officials accused Lopez of running an illegal gambling ring, complete with campaign kickbacks and personal payoffs. The group raked in more than $21.6 million in illegal profits, investigators say. Video showed Homeland Security agents taking Lopez away in handcuffs.

Florida woman dragged underwater by 11-foot gator - July 22

A 27-year-old woman swam in the St. Lucie River with her dog in July when an 11-foot alligator lunged and grabbed her hand. The gator yanked her under, then let go. She made it out alive, but not without damage—multiple broken bones and deep cuts to her right hand and wrist.

Man dies after riding Epic Universe roller coaster - Sept. 17

Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, 32, rode the Stardust Racers roller coaster at Universal Orlando. When the ride ended, staff found him unresponsive. Paramedics rushed him to the hospital, but he didn’t survive. The Orange County Medical Examiner said he died from multiple blunt impact injuries. They ruled it an accident.

Gator poaching ring busted in Central Florida - Sept. 25

Wildlife investigators tracked down four men who spent spring trolling Florida’s river system, snatching mostly small gators for meat and hides. In April and May alone, the group took at least 14 alligators, investigators said. Catching gators without a permit is a third-degree felony.

Plane collides with car during crash landing on Florida Interstate - Dec. 8

A dashcam captured the chaos as a plane crash-landed on Interstate 95 in Brevard County and slammed into a car. The driver, a 57-year-old woman, went to the hospital with minor injuries. The pilot and his passenger, both 27, walked away unharmed.