By the Numbers: Helene Insurance Claims

By the Numbers: Helene Insurance Claims

Nearly 40,000 insurance claims had been filed in Florida as of Sunday from Hurricane Helene, which made landfall Thursday night in Taylor County and caused widespread damage in the state. The number of claims and estimated insured losses will increase in the coming days and weeks. Here are initial numbers as of Sunday: — $434,696,041: […]

State Fires Back in Abortion Information Dispute

State Fires Back in Abortion Information Dispute

The News Service of Florida Attorneys for the state late Monday urged a Leon County circuit judge to reject a political committee’s request for a temporary injunction to block the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration from disseminating disputed information about a proposed constitutional amendment on abortion rights. A 26-page document filed in Leon County […]

DeSantis Declares Emergency as Hurricane Looms

DeSantis Declares Emergency as Hurricane Looms

By Jim Turner & Tom Urban, The News Service of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday declared a state of emergency for 41 counties as a storm system is expected to rapidly grow into a powerful hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. The system, expected to be named Helene, was forecast Monday to reach northern […]

Florida Jobless Rate Stays at 3.3 Percent

Florida Jobless Rate Stays at 3.3 Percent

By Jim Turner, The News Service of Tallahassee TALLAHASSEE — Florida’s unemployment rate remained at 3.3 percent in August as retirements continue to outpace efforts to grow the labor force. The Florida Department of Commerce on Friday estimated 368,000 Floridians qualified as unemployed in August, up 2,000 from July, while the work force of 11.044 […]

New College Plan OK’d Amid Concerns

New College Plan OK’d Amid Concerns

 By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida A five-year, multimillion-dollar effort to expand student enrollment and continue other major changes at New College of Florida was approved Wednesday by the state university system’s Board of Governors, despite some concerns about the spending. The Board of Governors approved a New College strategic plan, which will […]

Voter Registration Verification Lawsuit Filed

Voter Registration Verification Lawsuit Filed

By The News Service of Florida A non-profit advocacy group on Tuesday filed a federal lawsuit challenging the state’s process of verifying voter-registration applications, alleging it violates federal laws. The lawsuit, filed in the federal Middle District of Florida, focuses on the process for verifying voter-registration applicants’ eligibility. Prospective voters are deemed eligible by election […]

Court to Weigh Florida Gun Age Law

Court to Weigh Florida Gun Age Law

By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — A federal appeals court next month will hear arguments in the National Rifle Association’s constitutional challenge to a Florida law that prevents people under age 21 from purchasing rifles and other long guns. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week scheduled an Oct. […]

Beach Access Fight Goes to Appeals Court

Beach Access Fight Goes to Appeals Court

By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Waterfront property owners have gone to a federal appeals court after a judge last month sided with the Pinellas County town of Redington Beach in a dispute about public beach access. A notice of appeal, filed Tuesday, does not detail arguments that the group of […]

School Books Settlement Reached

School Books Settlement Reached

By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Authors of the children’s book “And Tango Makes Three” and parents of students have reached a settlement with the Nassau County school district that will lead to 36 books returning to school libraries after being removed last year, according to court documents filed this week. […]

Appeals Court Wades into FSU-ACC Fight

Appeals Court Wades into FSU-ACC Fight

By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — A Florida appellate-court panel heard arguments Wednesday in a two-state legal battle between Florida State University and the Atlantic Coast Conference over issues such as sports media rights Attorneys for the ACC went to the Tallahassee-based 1st District Court of Appeal in June seeking to […]