Central Florida visitors and residents urged to stay away from beaches ahead of storm

Storm forming over Florida beach – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Holly Mazour Over the past week, hurricanes have been quickly developing in the Atlantic. Despite the fact that Hurricanes Lisa and Martin had little effect on Florida, a new disturbance is building up in the Atlantic and might potentially affect Florida in some areas.

Florida teen wins the top prize after catching 28 pythons during annual challenge

Burmese Pythons in the Everglades, FL – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Heiko Kiera A 19-year-old man from the Sunshine State accomplished a great feat by capturing 28 Burmese pythons during a 10-day competition created to spread awareness about the serious threat invasive snakes pose on state ecology. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife

Florida citrus growers face tough year ahead with weakest crop since the Great Depression

Citrus fruit growing on crops — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Aoshi VN It’s possible that Florida citrus growers will produce the weakest crop since the Great Depression, which may be unduly optimistic for an industry still recovering from Hurricane Ian as the new season gets underway. On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released an initial

Florida will launch temporary toll rebate program for commuters

View of a tollbooth on the road at the entrance of Sanibel Island in Lee County, Florida. Sunpass holders go through an express lane to pay toll. – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by EQ Roy Republican Governor Ron DeSantis announced on Thursday that a six-month highway toll rebate program would start in Florida and be

Shaquille O’Neal’s famous chicken franchise, ‘Big Chicken,’ is coming to the Sunshine State

Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken Chain — Courtesy: Mike Coppola | Getty Images A “big” franchise is coming to the Sunshine State’s Panhandle in a “big” way. The Panhandle Restaurant Group signed a commitment deal with “Big Chicken,” whose founder is former NBA star, Shaquille O’Neal. O’Neal is primarily known for his years playing for the

Florida sees major decline in COVID-19 cases

COVID-19 Testing Site — Courtesy: Shutterstock — YES Market Media There has been a sharp decrease in coronavirus cases during the month of February. According to a report released by the Florida Department of Health, cases in the Sunshine State decreased by nearly 60 percent last week. Leon County’s cases also dropped by nearly 70

New laws could make craft beer much easier to find in Florida

Craft Beer Pour — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Antov Bannov Craft breweries are heading to Tallahassee to fight for new laws that could make your favorite beers easy to find. Among other requests, they want to be allowed to sell their beer wherever they’d like. Currently, they have to go through a distributor. Matthew Dahm of

Florida provides $5 million for Orlando’s bid to host 2026 World Cup

World Cup — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Image by: AGIF On Wednesday, Florida’s business-recruitment agency put $10 million into the pitch to help Miami and Orlando become host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament. The Enterprise Florida Board of Directors agreed to provide $5 million for each of the cities’ efforts, which are

Florida climate summit kicks off in Orlando

Climate Summit — Courtesy: Shutterstock — teerayuth oanwong Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer welcomed attendees to the 2021 Florida Energy & Climate Summit, held at the Florida Hotel & Conference Center in Sand Lake Road on Tuesday. This year, the summit is hosted by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Office of Energy and

Florida’s largest school districts ease up on masks

Running at School – Face Mask: Shutterstock — Monkey Business Images ORLANDO, Fla. — Two of Florida’s largest school districts are easing up on mask requirements this week. Beginning Monday, Orange County students will not be required to wear a face mask if their parents provide a note opting them out. High school students in