After the Surfside building collapse, engineers say inspections are required for all buildings

Area of Surfside Building Collapse, Surfside, FL – Courtesy: Shutterstock — Kristi Blokhin According to recommendations by the state’s engineering associations made in the wake of the tragic Surfside building collapse, Florida should require nearly all large buildings to be inspected for any damages or structural problems within their first 30 years, with follow-ups every

Florida’s Fast & Furious: Florida bill seeks harsher penalties for street racing

Street Racing – Courtesy: Shutterstock — Bordovski Yauheni A new Florida bill seeks harsher penalties against illegal street racing, anyone filming or recording races, and spectators.  Senate Bill 258 is sponsored by Sen. Lauren Book and co-sponsored by Sen. Linda Stewart of Orlando, who said she has been fighting drag racing for several years. “It’s

Florida Senate will be led by the third woman in state’s history, Kathleen Passidomo

Florida Senate – Courtesy: Shutterstock — Cheri Alguire Naples Republican Kathleen Passidomo (R-Naples) has been formally named Senate President-designate. Once she takes charge of the Senate next year, she will officially be the third woman in the state’s history to lead the chamber.  After being selected by Republican senators to become president after the 2022

Miami-Dade schools’ mask mandate could be relaxed by end of the month

Superintendent Alberto Carvalho – Mask Mandate – Courtesy: Getty Images Miami-Dade County Public Schools could ease the mask mandate by the end of the month according to Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. On Wednesday, Carvalho stated that local rates of COVID-19 hospitalizations and infections have declined significantly since the start of the 2021-2022 academic school year, as

Florida digital drivers license set to launch by mid-November

DMV – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by RYO Alexandre Florida has its sights set on launching digital driver’s licenses next month, an initiative the state has been working on for several months. According to Florida’s politics, the ID’s are set to be released in mid-November by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Will Florida have a new state bird? Three bills were filed in Tallahassee to replace Mockingbird

Mockingbird – Courtesy: Image by Bonnie Taylor Barry TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Mockingbird has been Florida’s state bird since 1927, and now 94 years later, the Sunshine State has filed three bills to change it. In September, Tampa State Senator Jeff Brandes filed Senate Concurrent Resolution “rescinding the designation of the mockingbird as the state

Florida is short more than 5,000 teachers — A combination of the pandemic and low pay are to blame

School Teachers – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Drazen Zigic The Florida teacher shortage has worsened since the beginning of the new school year, with teacher vacancies surging to more than 5,000 according to data collected from the Florida Education Association. According to FEA President Adam Spar, there are also 4,000 openings for other school

Florida misses deadline to receive $2.3 billion in federal aid

U.S. Department of Education – Federal Aid – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Evgenia Parajanian Several Florida school districts are not happy and speaking up. According to a letter sent to the state Monday, Florida is the last state to submit its plans to the U.S. Department of Education that is required before more than

Florida sues Biden administration over “unlawful” immigration policies

Joe Biden – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by lev radin On Tuesday, the state of Florida sued the Biden administration over its border policies. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody filed the suit, alleging that the Biden administration’s catch-and-release policy is illegal and violates either an abuse of authority or a federal immigration law. The lawsuit

South Florida will welcome hundreds of Afghan refugees

Refugees Afghanistan – Courtesy: Idaho News 6 – Image by Scripps National The Sunshine State is set to become a safe haven for a large group of refugees fleeing Afghanistan. Kristen Bloom is the Founder and Executive Director of Refugee Assistance Alliance, an organization that aids refugee families once they are settled in South Florida.