Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Monday that this year’s Gulf Red Snapper season will be extended to 126 days, starting on Memorial Day weekend.

As the end of his term nears, Gov. Ron DeSantis said he wants to make a major push to lower property taxes in Florida.

From freezing temperatures to tornadoes and hurricanes, weather in 2024 was memorable — especially for the people that it impacted the most.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is scheduled to hold a 9:30 a.m. news conference at Pensacola State College.

With the very real dangers at the beach, it’s understandable that first responders would be seeing red over the theft of warning flags meant to keep beachgoers safe.

News4JAx learned the names of the victims in Saturday’s single-vehicle crash in Bradford County that left a 3-year-old and an adult killed and three other children seriously injured.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday was sworn in to a second term.

Gov. DeSantis made three major announcements about restoration updates Monday morning alongside other state officials at the Charlotte County Disaster Recovery Center in Port Charlotte.

Florida residents and businesses likely will get hit with higher electric bills in 2023 as utilities continue to struggle with increased costs of natural gas.

Military bases statewide will receive a $3.4 million grant through multiple defense programs and local bases will receive roughly $1.9 million of that money.

Ron DeSantis will be able to weigh in about whether a Northwest Florida attorney should face sanctions for filing an appeal in a lawsuit aimed at closing beaches during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 1st District Court of Appeal on Wednesday issued an order allowing DeSantis to reply to arguments by Santa Rosa Beach attorney Daniel Uhlfelder, who contends that his appeal was not frivolous or filed in bad faith. Uhlfelder filed the lawsuit this spring to try to force DeSantis to close beaches statewide to prevent the spread of the disease. Leon County Circuit Judge Kevin Carroll in April ruled against Uhlfelder, spurring an appeal. In a 19-page response last Friday, Uhlfelder and lawyers Gautier Kitchen and Marie Mattox cited comments that Carroll made in April when he ruled against Uhlfelder.

The numbers showed an additional 246 inmates had tested positive since a Friday count and that an additional 324 inmates tested positive during the past week, according to the department. In all, 16,944 inmates have tested positive. At least part of the recent increase came at Walton Correctional Institution, where 315 inmates were reported to have tested positive as of Monday. Department reports last week showed that hundreds of inmate test results were pending at the Northwest Florida prison. The department also reported Monday that 3,540 corrections workers have tested positive, an increase of eight from a Friday count.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Much of the blue tarps that covered the battered homes across Florida’s Panhandle are gone, as the scars from Hurricane Michael two years ago begin to fade. And the state added a mental health coordinator as a component in its disaster recovery efforts. In addition to expanding mental health services, the new funding will be used to build playgrounds and rebuild preschools still awaiting help. Hurricane Michael damaged an estimated 60,000 homes. “The Florida Education Association has long called on the governor and lawmakers to fully invest in mental health professionals for our public school students,” Spar said.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Another state prison inmate’s death has been linked to COVID-19, bringing the total number to 132 since the pandemic began, according to information released Tuesday by the Florida Department of Corrections. Also, positive tests among inmates and corrections staff members continued to climb. An additional 82 inmate cases were reported Tuesday, bringing the overall total to 16,349. As of noon Tuesday, 136 inmate COVID-19 tests were pending, with the largest number, 35, at Graceville Correctional Facility in Northwest Florida. Also, an additional 25 corrections workers had tested positive, bringing the total to 3,147, according to the numbers released Tuesday by the department.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – An additional 30 state prison inmates and 16 corrections workers have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the overall total to 19,389 since the pandemic started, according to state numbers released Monday. As of a noon Monday count, 16,267 inmates had tested positive, up from 16,237 on Friday. Meanwhile, 3,122 corrections workers had tested positive, up from 3,106 on Friday, according to the Florida Department of Corrections. The number of inmate deaths related to the virus remained at 131. Tests were pending Monday for 148 inmates, with 50 of them at Blackwater Correctional Facility in Northwest Florida.

The disaster declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency covers all categories of public assistance for hard-hit Escambia County, including direct federal aid. Damage estimates from Hurricane Sally range from $2 billion to $10 billion. DeSantis' office on Wednesday activated the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan program through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The Florida Division of Emergency Management is also conducting damage assessments that could ultimately lead to federal assistance for individual residences. If it’s bad enough, it grants individual assistance to help victims like Holly and Wayne recover.

Ron DeSantis banned vacation rentals on March 27 in an executive order aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19. On Friday, DeSantis announced that vacation rentals could soon roll out the welcome mats again --- if county and state officials give the go-ahead. My vacation rentals account for half of my income so having that gone for the past two months has been tough," Brezing said. Commissioners in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Franklin counties, where vacation rentals also outstrip hotel accommodations, implored DeSantis to lift the ban. For us to be micromanaging vacation rentals, I am not sure that is the right thing to do, DeSantis said in February.

Marine researchers noticed some unusual activity over the weekend when a massive great white shark was recorded off the coast of the Northwest Florida. The shark, known as Unama’ki, registered a ping offshore of Cedar Key about 7:45 p.m. Saturday. “We don’t usually get white shark pings this far northeast in the Gulf of Mexico.”Unama'ki registered a ping Saturday evening offshore of Cedar Key. (Courtesy of OCEARCH)Unama’ki was originally tagged Sept. 20, 2019, off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, and registered its first ping about a week later. “As a big mature female, Unama’ki has the potential to lead us to the site where she gives birth and exposes a new white shark nursery.”

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – For Florida, the 2019 hurricane season will be remembered for a gigantic, nerve-racking scare over the Labor Day weekend. But Florida avoided a strike in September from Hurricane Dorian after the mega-storm devastated parts of the Bahamas. And with the Sunshine State still recovering from Hurricane Michael in 2018 and Hurricane Irma in 2017, this year’s season was more psychologically challenging than physically taxing for Floridians. By comparison, Hurricane Michael caused an estimated $7.4 billion in insured losses when it slammed into Northwest Florida in 2018. Otherwise, the six-month 2019 hurricane season had the smallest impact on Florida in four years.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Floridians in the Panhandle and Big Bend, including those in areas hit by Hurricane Michael last year, could see impacts this weekend from Tropical Storm Nestor. The storm won't have the 162 mph sustained winds that Hurricane Michael brought on shore near Mexico Beach on Oct. 10, 2018. But tropical-storm force winds can still cause minor damage, especially to property still unrepaired from Michael. "There is no such thing as just a tropical storm," Wool said. A tropical-storm warning was in effect Friday from Navarre to Yankeetown.

"The potential tropical system in the Gulf is expected to bring dangerous storm surge along Florida's entire gulf coast," the state division tweeted Thursday. "Please prepare for heavy rainfall, gusty winds, isolated tornadoes and coastal flooding." The potential tropical system in the Gulf is expected to bring dangerous storm surge along portions of Florida's Gulf Coast. Please prepare for heavy rainfall, gusty winds, isolated tornadoes and coastal flooding. FL Division of Emergency Management (@FLSERT) October 17, 2019The tweet came as the National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning from the border of Mississippi and Alabama to the Ochlockonee River in Florida and a tropical storm watch from the Ochlockonee River to Yankeetown.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - When Hurricane Dorian took a turn last month and avoided landfall in Florida, it largely spared the states insurance industry from getting hit with claims. Only 5,764 claims from Hurricane Dorian had been filed in Florida as of Oct. 4, with estimated insured losses at $19 million, according to information posted on the state Office of Insurance Regulation. By comparison, Hurricane Michael, which devastated parts of Northwest Florida last year, has generated about 150,000 claims and $7.16 billion in estimated insured losses. Hurricane Dorian flattened parts of the Bahamas and threatened Florida before staying off the states East Coast. Of the 5,764 claims filed, 3,113 involved residential property, the Office of Insurance Regulation numbers show.

The Florida Building Commission considers updates to the statewide building code every three years. A new statewide building code is expected to be finalized by December 2020, Campbell said. The Florida Legislature authorized the initial statewide building code in 2000. South Florida has the toughest wind resistance requirements; the building code requires that buildings be able to withstand 175 mph winds. The discussion about changes in the building code came just days after the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Michael, which caused massive damage in Northwest Florida.

This was a big story of the day for a brief period of time, said Ron Sachs, CEO of Tallahassee-based Sachs Media Group who helped organize Rebuild 850. Rebuild 850 leaders said Thursday they appreciated Grahams work, but they dont want her exit to be a distraction. This is not a partisan organization, said Rebuild 850 Co-Chairman Will Weatherford, a former Republican House speaker from Wesley Chapel. Sachs said he had discussed with Graham in August her use of Twitter and the intent of Rebuild 850 to be non-partisan. Anyone wishing to make a donation to Rebuild 850 can do so at Rebuild850.org.

President Donald Trump speaks during an event at the Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center on Oct. 3, 2019, in The Villages, Florida. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - President Donald Trump on Thursday swung through The Villages -- friendly territory amid an impeachment inquiry -- to announce health-care plans and, in the process, give Gov. But he is doing one of the best jobs in the whole country -- Ron DeSantis," Trump told the crowd in the Central Florida retirement mecca, which is a reliable Republican stronghold. Today, I'll sign a very historic executive order that does exactly that," Trump told the crowd of retirees. Under the certificate of need program, hospitals in the past have needed state approval before they could build facilities or add certain programs.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Pointing to dry conditions and high temperatures, the Florida Forest Service on Thursday warned about wildfire threats in the state. Almost every county in Florida is below normal rainfall for September, with dry conditions particularly affecting the Panhandle, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which includes the forest service, said in a news release. "Florida's dry conditions and high temperatures pose elevated wildfire threats throughout the state," Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said. State Forester Jim Karels, the director of the forest service, said conditions in parts of Northwest Florida are worsened by timber that was heavily damaged in last year's Hurricane Michael. News Service of Florida

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Though Hurricane Dorian stayed off Floridas East Coast, it has led to nearly 4,000 insurance claims and $18.8 million in estimated insured losses, according to information posted on the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation website. In all, 3,961 claims from Dorian had been reported as of Monday, with more than half -- 2,288 -- involving residential property. The massive Dorian caused widespread fears in Florida early this month before it steered away from the coast, sparing residents, businesses and insurance companies from costly damage. As a comparison, last years Category 5 Hurricane Michael, which decimated parts of Northwest Florida, caused an estimated $6.9 billion in insured losses, according to the Office of Insurance Regulation. Editor's note: In an article Tuesday, the News Service of Florida incorrectly reported the number of residential property-insurance claims from Dorian.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - With available numbers for the 850 area code expected to run out in March 2022, an additional area code is being pushed for the entire Northwest Florida region. People in Northwest Florida who have phones with the 850 area code would be able to keep their numbers. That would mean also using the area code in regions served by the 352 area code, including Gainesville; the 904 area code, including Jacksonville; and the 386 area code, including Daytona Beach. The 850 area code region was split from the 904 area code in 1997. The Public Service Commission is expected to pick an alternative during an Nov. 5 meeting, according to Sakina Deas, a commission public utilities analyst.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Amid concerns that the 850 area code will "exhaust" in 2022, state regulators are considering a proposal that could lead to an additional area code in Northwest Florida. Staff members of the state Public Service Commission will hold a workshop Sept. 6 after receiving a petition aimed at addressing a shortage of remaining phone numbers in the region served by the 850 area code. The North American Numbering Plan Administrator, an organization that works on area-code planning, filed a petition in June with the Public Service Commission saying that the 850 area code will "exhaust" during the first quarter of 2022. The petition recommends approval of what is known as overlay, which would involve assigning a new area code to the same area covered by the 850 area code. The Public Service Commission would ultimately have to sign off on a new area code, as it did last year when it approved a new 689 area code for parts of Central Florida.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Forensic experts are gearing up to conduct a high-tech sweep of the grounds at a notorious Northwest Florida reform school where survivors remain convinced bodies of long-lost boys are still concealed. The tests follow a search earlier this summer in one part of the Dozier site where 27 "anomalies" had been detected. Former Dozier students said Monday they remain convinced that officials --- if they search hard enough --- will find more bodies. More than 500 former Dozier students have alleged brutal beatings, mental abuse and sexual abuse at the school, which closed in 2011 after 111 years of operation. The resolutions acknowledged that treatment of boys sent to the facilities was cruel, unjust and "a violation of human decency."

Florida Bar spokeswoman Francine Walker said in an email that a letter of advice will be sent to Gaetz and made public likely on Friday. They are taking no disciplinary action against me & are sending a letter of advice, Gaetz tweeted. I thank the Bar committee members for their sound judgment.In February, Gaetz, a Northwest Florida Republican, accused Cohen, who is married, of having girlfriends on the eve of giving testimony to Congress. Democrats and other critics accused Gaetz, a major Trump supporter, of engaging in witness tampering. The Florida Bar has said it investigates potential conduct violations any time words of a Florida lawyer result in complaints.

News Service of FloridaTALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Alleging an unconstitutional taking of property, a Pinellas County greyhound-kennel owner has filed a lawsuit against the state because of a dog racing ban approved by voters in November. Voters in November approved a constitutional amendment, known as Amendment 13, that will shut down Floridas decades-old greyhound racing industry by a Dec. 31, 2020 deadline. The Florida Greyhound Association went to court last year in an unsuccessful attempt to keep the constitutional amendment off the ballot. Carey Theil, executive director of the group GREY2K USA, which helped lead efforts to pass the constitutional amendment, said 11 tracks had racing when the amendment passed. Christine Dorchak, president and general counsel of GREY2K USA, disputed the arguments raised in the DArcy lawsuit and said the kennel owner is not owed compensation.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Floridas retail industry is gearing up for this years back-to-school sales tax holiday on clothes, classroom supplies and computer equipment, with the state offering the tax break for five days starting Friday. Our members tell us they (shoppers) take the money that they save and then buy other things with it: chargers, cords, ancillary items that support that technology.Last years back-to-school tax holiday lasted three days and didnt include computer equipment. Florida economists have projected shoppers during the sales-tax holiday will save $41.7 million, which accounts for the biggest part of an $87 million tax package (HB 7123) lawmakers approved this spring. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Florida's Back-to-School Sales Tax HolidayWithout computer equipment and limited to three days, the holiday in 2018 was projected to save $32.7 million for shoppers. Ron DeSantis also included other issues, such as a reduction in the sales tax on commercial leases from 5.7 percent to 5.5 percent.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Floridas retail industry is gearing up for this years back-to-school sales tax holiday on clothes, classroom supplies and computer equipment, with the state offering the tax break for five days starting Friday. And the return to the tax holiday of computers and certain accessories with price tags up to $1,000 --- including items such as personal tablets, laptops and monitors --- is expected to create increased sales. Our members tell us they (shoppers) take the money that they save and then buy other things with it: chargers, cords, ancillary items that support that technology.Last years back-to-school tax holiday lasted three days and didnt include computer equipment. Florida economists have projected shoppers during the sales-tax holiday will save $41.7 million, which accounts for the biggest part of an $87 million tax package (HB 7123) lawmakers approved this spring. Ron DeSantis also included other issues, such as a reduction in the sales tax on commercial leases from 5.7 percent to 5.5 percent.

MARIANNA, Fla. - No additional human remains were discovered as forensic experts completed a review of 27 sites around a shuttered Northwest Florida reform school where the remains of more than 50 people were unearthed in 2015. More than 500 former Dozier students have alleged brutal beatings, mental abuse and sexual abuse at the school, which closed in 2011 after 111 years of operation. In 2017, the Florida House and Senate passed resolutions formally apologizing for the abuse of juveniles sent to Dozier and a related facility in Okeechobee. The resolutions acknowledged that treatment of boys sent to the facilities was cruel, unjust and "a violation of human decency." Secretary of State Laurel Lee said in a statement that her department is committed to seeing the entirety of the investigation through.News Service of Florida

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Floridians still recovering from Hurricane Michael are among the people being advised to brace for what could be the 2019 hurricane seasons second named storm. The National Hurricane Center reported Monday a storm system had an 80 percent chance of forming into a tropical depression, bringing heavy rains along parts of the northern and eastern U.S. Gulf Coast. Ron DeSantis tweeted an advisory to residents in North and Central Florida to prepare for the possibility of heavy rains and flooding. We are actively monitoring this weather system as it advances to the Gulf of Mexico, DeSantis tweeted Monday. While it is premature to determine the potential impact to Floridas Gulf Coast, heavy rain looks like an increasing possibility.The Category 5 Hurricane Michael made landfall Oct. 10 in Mexico Beach and caused massive damage in parts of Northwest Florida such as Bay, Gulf, Calhoun, Liberty and Jackson counties.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Visit Florida, the states primary tourism marketing arm, is beginning the new budget year with $26 million less in funding. One casualty of the cut was the closing of a rural welcome center on the state line in the Florida Panhandle. Yearly, 300,000 vehicles cross the Alabama-Florida state line on U.S. Highway 231 in Jackson County. Well be assuming operations of this welcome center, said Jennifer Adams with the Northwest Florida Tourism Council. The $26 million cut was a compromise to keep Visit Florida running for another year, but it begs the question: Do the counties taping up to run the welcome center prove that Visit Florida isnt needed?