Category: Florida

Sheriff’s Deputy Who Failed to Act During Parkland Massacre Acquitted on All Charges

A former Florida sheriff’s deputy, charged with felony child neglect and additional counts for failing to act during the 2018 massacre at a Parkland, Florida, high school, has been acquitted of all charges. Scot Peterson, a 60-year-old school resource officer at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. On Feb. 14, 2018, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, a former…


Sheriff’s Deputy Who Failed to Act During Parkland Shooting Acquitted on All Charges

A former Florida sheriff’s deputy, charged with felony child neglect and additional counts for failing to act during the 2018 massacre at a Parkland, Florida, high school, has been acquitted of all charges. Scot Peterson, a 60-year-old school resource officer at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. On Feb. 14, 2018, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, a former…


Florida Issues Statewide Emergency Malaria Alert

The Florida Department of Health issued a statewide alert after four people in Sarasota contracted malaria in locally transmitted cases, coming a day after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a similar notice for Florida and Texas. “All individuals have been treated and have recovered. Malaria is transmitted through infected mosquitoes,” said Florida’s Department…


DeSantis Vetoes Bipartisan Crime Reform Bill

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has vetoed a criminal justice reform bill that received almost unanimous support from both houses of the Florida state Legislature. The veto was issued without an explanation from the governor’s office. The bill in question, House Bill 605, aimed to modify the Florida statute related to the expungement of criminal…


DeSantis Aims to Push Disney Lawsuit After 2024 Elections

The Walt Disney Company in April filed a lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and seven other officials alleging harm to its business (pdf). In May, the governor announced his intention to run for president. The lawyers met on June 15 via videoconference and on Tuesday filed a joint report (pdf). Disney’s team proposed a…


Florida Sheriff Issues Warning About Rip Currents After Multiple Fatalities Reported

A Florida sheriff issued a warning to would-be swimmers and beachgoers after a spate of deaths occurred around Florida beaches, including former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett, in recent days. Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford, whose jurisdiction includes Panama City, issued the alert to tourists and locals, saying he’s angered by what he said were unnecessary…


10 Florida Summertime Destinations for a Relaxing Getaway

By Patrick Connolly From Orlando Sentinel Orlando—It’s the sweltering summertime in the Sunshine State and many resident Floridians are turning their vacations northward in search of cooler temperatures. But throughout Florida, there are pristine beaches to behold, shimmering springs to swim, and quirky attractions to explore. Some destinations have history abound, while others have modern…


Sen. Scott’s Video Notice to Socialists Draws Millions of Views, Discussion

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) published a video message to socialists and communists on Tuesday morning that garnered upwards of 38,000 replies and 26 million views on Twitter as of Wednesday. “Let me give a travel warning: if you’re a socialist, communist, someone that believes in big government, I would think twice—think twice if you’re thinking about…


Most Fatal Beach in America Is Revealed After 3 More Deaths Reported

A beach in Florida is the deadliest one in the United States after several more people died there due to rip currents over the past weekend. In 2023, Panama City Beach recorded the highest number of fatalities across U.S. beaches, according to data from the National Weather Service, a federal agency. Seven people died at the…


5 Teens Killed After Vehicle Lands in Florida Retention Pond

FORT MYERS, Fla.—An out-of-control car landed in a southwest Florida retention pond where it went underwater, killing all five teenagers in the vehicle, authorities said Monday. The accident in Fort Myers, Florida, happened either late Sunday or early Monday, killing three woman and two men, all ages 18 or 19, according to officials with the…