University of Florida researchers’ new outreach strategy resulted in an increase in reports of invasive species for the state.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is slated to speak Tuesday morning with law enforcement in West Palm Beach.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is slated to speak Tuesday morning with law enforcement in West Palm Beach.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday is set to hold an education-related news conference in Orlando.

Video captured by the Palm Beach Police Department showed twin waterspouts swirling off the Florida coast on Thursday.

Researchers looked at several factors, including hurricane risk assessments and anticipated financial loss from hurricanes according to FEMA.

It was a weekend to celebrate a beloved family matriarch, surrounded by generations of her loved ones at her disco-themed 80th birthday party.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday morning is set to hold a news conference at the Palm Beach Police Department.

The transcripts of a 2006 grand jury that investigated Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual assaults of underage girls would be released to the public under a bill heading to Florida’s governor after it was unanimously passed by the Legislature.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday is set to speak at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the EAA Reservoir Project Site in Palm Beach County.

A Palm Beach County deputy was found dead Saturday after his concerned wife prompted a search for the deputy who was hunting in Columbia County.

A Florida mother is going to prison for 14 years for the death of her newborn daughter who was found floating off the Palm Beach County coast five years ago.

Officials say a seventh case of malaria has been documented in a southwest Florida county.

A co-founder of the popular Salt Life brand pleaded guilty Thursday to manslaughter with a firearm in connection with the 2020 death of a Lake City teenager, according to Palm Beach County court records.

Fighting the opioid epidemic by making treatment more accessible and comprehensive.

A South Florida woman has been arrested on charges that she voted in Florida and Alaska during the same election cycle over several years.

Sylvester Stallone’s wife Jennifer Flavin Stallone has filed for divorce after 25 years of marriage.

Consumer Reports warns you have to take one very important step to protect yourself in case something goes wrong – like getting scammed.

A Florida murder trial has been delayed for a sixth time in the case of a woman accused of dressing like a clown to kill the wife of her lover.

Two psychologists have found a homeless man accused of fatally stabbing a Florida teenager competent to stand trial.

If Palm Beach County School Board members get their way, people who address them at their meetings soon will have to refrain from saying their names or personally criticizing them.

Authorities say two toddlers were found dead in the backyard pool of a Florida home shortly after being reported missing.

The News4Jax I-TEAM is piecing together what happened in the moments before a tragic accident that killed UF Health Jacksonville CEO Dr. Leon Haley Jr.

The water was calm on Saturday and conditions were safe at the time of a personal watercraft accident in Palm Beach County that left UF Health Jacksonville CEO Dr. Leon Haley Jr. dead, according to the Coast Guard.

The gunman who killed a grandmother and her 1-year-old grandson inside a Florida supermarket had been threatening to kill adults and children on his Facebook page, but no one reported him.

Authorities say a man fatally shot a grandmother and her 1-year-old grandson inside a Florida supermarket before killing himself.

Authorities say a man fatally shot a woman and child inside a Florida supermarket before killing himself.

The “60 Minutes” story began with a powerful statement about the state’s vaccine distribution system.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Health on Wednesday requested an audit after more than 1,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses were spoiled in Palm Beach County. The department called on the Health Care District of Palm Beach County to complete the audit by Feb. 12. The request came after the district said last week about 1,160 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine spoiled after a refrigeration storage unit was unintentionally turned off. RELATED: Less than 1% of vaccine doses wasted, Florida health department saysAttempts to contact the district Wednesday for comment were not immediately successful. “In Florida, we have been diligent to preserve and utilize every single dose of the vaccine.

Chesneys No Shoes Reefs organization is helping to have an artificial reef installed off of Floridas Atlantic Coast. The organization and other marine groups donated and installed 13 reef balls on the ocean floor off of Delray Beach in Palm Beach County. (Photo by Rick Scuteri/Invision/AP, File)DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – Country music superstar Kenny Chesney's No Shoes Reefs organization is helping to install an artificial reef off of Florida's Atlantic coast. It will make up a 32-acre (13-hectare) underwater reef park known as No Shoes Reef 4. AdDelray Beach is located south of West Palm Beach.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A state appeals court Wednesday rejected a challenge to a Palm Beach County requirement that people wear face masks in businesses and other public places to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The 10-page ruling by a panel of the 4th District Court of Appeal upheld a circuit judge’s refusal to issue a temporary injunction to block the mask mandate. The order, which has been extended several times, includes exceptions to the mask requirement for such things as eating, according to the appeals court. Palm Beach County has been one of the hardest-hit areas of the state during the pandemic, with 103,495 reported cases and 2,125 resident deaths as of a Tuesday count, according to the Florida Department of Health. The 1st District Court of Appeal, for example, heard arguments in November in a challenge to an Alachua County mask requirement, though it has not issued a ruling.

Ron DeSantis has given the chain sole distribution rights for the coronavirus vaccine in Palm Beach County. “I don't understand.”Publix declined comment Wednesday on vaccine distribution in the Belle Glade area, referring questions to the governor’s office. There are 67 Palm Beach County Publix stores distributing the vaccine — but it does not have any stores in the county's northwest corner. But vaccine access has been a concern among advocates for the poor and communities of color statewide. Some say the Belle Glade issue should cause state officials to re-examine whether all Florida residents 65 and older have easy access to the vaccine.

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – Divers recovered the body Monday of a 24-year-old pilot whose plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Palm Beach County, the U.S. Coast Guard said. Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office divers found the body inside the Piper PA-28, the Coast Guard said. Abhishek Patter was the lone person on the single-engine plane, which crashed Sunday night near Boynton Beach Inlet, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. Witnesses said they heard a loud boom and then the plane nosedived into the water. The plane was flying from Palm Beach County Park Airport to Merritt Island Airport, about 140 miles (225 kilometers) north, officials said.

Florida is now approaching 1.6 million confirmed cases, with nearly 10,000 new cases and about 160 additional deaths reported Tuesday. Ron DeSantis said he wanted more Floridians vaccinated but the state was constrained by limited vaccine supplies of the federal government. So far, some 700,000 senior citizens have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, he said. In all, nearly 1.1 million shots have been administered in Florida, state officials said. DeSantis said 67 of the grocer's stores in Palm Beach County — the largest Florida county to take part in the program — would begin offering vaccinations by appointment.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The number of people hospitalized in Florida with “primary” diagnoses of COVID-19 topped 5,000 on Tuesday, as case numbers and deaths continued to climb. As of early Tuesday evening, 5,103 people were hospitalized with primary diagnoses of COVID-19, up from 4,931 during a Monday count, according to the state Agency for Health Care Administration website. Miami-Dade County had the largest number of people hospitalized Tuesday with 932. It was followed by Broward County, with 514; Hillsborough County, with 300; Duval County, with 286; Palm Beach County, with 283; Pinellas County, with 241; Orange County, with 234; Polk County, with 155; Pasco County, with 136; Escambia County, with 126; Sarasota County, with 125; Lee County, with 124; Osceola County, with 119; Lake County, with 114; Volusia County, with 110; and Collier County, with 109.

Lei Wang, 41, and Shen Mingbi, 60, each pleaded guilty in Palm Beach County circuit court to one count of soliciting another to commit prostitution, records show. Kraft had pleaded not guilty but issued a public apology for his actions. Hua Zhang, 59, pleaded guilty last month to two misdemeanors. Lei Chen, 45, pleaded guilty to eight counts of offering to commit prostitution in February. Police say the recordings show Kraft and other men engaging in sex acts with women and paying them.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – With thousands of additional COVID-19 cases being reported every day, the number of people hospitalized with the disease continues to mount. As of early Monday evening, 3,243 people in Florida were hospitalized with “primary” diagnoses of COVID-19, up from 3,118 on Sunday afternoon, according to Florida Agency for Health Care Administration numbers. The increase came as Florida reported an additional 4,663 cases on Monday, bringing the overall total to 889,864 since the pandemic started, the state Department of Health reported on its website. Also, 17,559 Florida residents and 216 non-residents had died of COVID-19. Miami-Dade County had the most COVID-19 hospitalizations on Monday, with 465.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – More than 21,500 lionfish were removed from state waters in just over five months through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s fifth-annual “Lionfish Challenge.”The total of 21,569 fish caught between May 22 and Nov 1 was down from the 23,451 lionfish removed in the 2019 challenge and a record 28,260 lionfish caught when the event was held in 2018. The state commission has been using the challenge to target the invasive species. The state sets no minimum size or daily bag limit on lionfish, which can be caught year-round. In 2018, legislators approved a law that set up a program to target invasive species including pythons, tegu lizards and lionfish. Under the program, the commission can enter contracts with people to capture or destroy the species on public lands and in state waters.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The number of people hospitalized with “primary” diagnoses of COVID-19 has substantially increased during the past two weeks, topping 2,900 on Monday, according to numbers posted on the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration website. The total of 2,902 hospitalizations late Monday afternoon was up from 2,777 on Sunday. It also was up from 2,474 a week earlier and 2,252 two weeks earlier, numbers compiled daily by The News Service of Florida show. The increase in hospitalizations has come as the state has seen thousands of new COVID-19 cases each day. Miami-Dade County had the most people hospitalized late Monday afternoon at 402.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A founder of the Salt Life clothing brand who’s facing a manslaughter charge in the death of an 18-year-old woman at a Florida hotel is due in court next week. Hutto was arrested last Friday in Jacksonville, about 280 miles from the hotel, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Investigators have not said how they believe Hutto is connected to Duncan’s death or if they had a relationship. RELATED: Salt Life co-founder held in Lake City teen’s deathHutto and some friends started Salt Life in 2003, its brand aimed at boaters, surfers and fishermen who spend time on the ocean. Hutto will be transferred to Palm Beach County, where he will face an initial court hearing and more details will be released.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A Florida school district is scrambling to find substitute teachers after a large number of full-time teachers chose to stay home as students returned to brick and mortar classes for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began. The Palm Beach County school district said 944 teachers did not show for work on Monday when students who chose the in-school option returned to classrooms. The number was slightly lower — nearly 894 teachers, or roughly 1 of every 13 — on Tuesday, the Palm Beach Post reported. Officials said 387 substitute teachers were called in to assist on Tuesday across the district, which consist of 180 campuses. The concerns causing teachers to stay home is also making some substitute teachers uneasy about accepting assignments.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A Florida teachers union wants a district superintendent fired for his handling of school reopenings while the state Wednesday reported more than 13,000 people have died of COVID-19 in Florida since March. The union representing Palm Beach County teachers is calling for Superintendent Donald Fennoy to be fired because its members have “lost all faith” in his ability to successfully reopen campuses next week. Katz said he plans to formally make the termination request to school board members at a board meeting later Wednesday, the Palm Beach Post reported. Earlier this week, school board member Barbara McQuinn ruled out the possibility of a change in the district’s administration, saying it would be too disruptive. Palm Beach schools are scheduled to reopen for in-person classes Monday.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – A veteran Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy has died from coronavirus, according to the agency. According to the Palm Beach Post, Angela Chavers was 44 years old and is survived by her son and niece. On April 4, deputy Jose Diaz-Ayala became the first deputy in Palm Beach County to die from the coronavirus. That brings the average daily reported deaths over the past week to 109. In the first half of August, the seven-day reported deaths average usually exceeded 170 deaths.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Supreme Court on Friday unanimously rejected Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appointment of a circuit judge to the panel and ordered him to name a new justice by noon Monday. When DeSantis named Francis to the high court, he had already missed the constitutionally mandated deadline of March 23. Well, that’s what the Florida Supreme Court gave him with this case: Strict constructuralist,” Thompson said. On Friday, Democratic State Sen. Perry Thurston called for the resignation of the nine-member Judicial Nominating Commission that improperly nominated Francis for the high court.

Ron DeSantis cautioned Floridians to remain on guard after Isaias was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm Saturday afternoon. Dont be fooled by the downgrade, DeSantis told reporters during a Saturday afternoon press conference at the state Emergency Operations Center. A hurricane warning was in place from Boca Raton in Palm Beach County to the Volusia-Flagler county line. The county is under a hurricane warning, a tropical storm warning, a coastal flood advisory and a high surface-wind advisory. Palm Beach County Mayor Dave Kerner acknowledged the difficulty of facing the threat from Isaias at the same time as coping with the pandemic.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A federal judge in Florida ordered Mrs. Florida 2016 to spend a month in jail for stealing her mother’s Social Security checks rather than using the money to pay for nursing home care. Turk, who lives in Highland Beach, must report to prison March 2. She and her lawyers sought to convince the judge that she’s suffered enough and didn’t deserve prison or house arrest. Attorney David Tarras said that since Turk pleaded guilty in September to a misdemeanor charge of Social Security fraud, she’s been harassed on social media. She brought a check for $46,000 to court to reimburse the government, the attorney told the judge, adding that should be enough.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - A hunter was airlifted to a hospital after an alligator attack near a wildlife reserve in Florida. According to 12 News, Martin County Fire Rescue said they found James Boyce, 46, in DuPuis Management Area in Loxahatchee on Saturday morning, a reserve bridging southwestern Martin County and northwestern Palm Beach County. At first, rescuers weren't been able to locate Boyce after the initial call of an alligator attack came in. Boyce was taken to a hospital for treatment and his condition was not immediately known. FWC said Boyce was hunting for hog with his wife when he was bitten on the right leg by an alligator, according to 12 News.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - A person was airlifted to a hospital after an alligator attack near a wildlife reserve in Florida. According to 12 News , Martin County Fire Rescue said they found the person in DuPuis Management Area on Saturday morning, a reserve bridging southwestern Martin County and northwestern Palm Beach County. At first, rescuers weren't been able to locate the victim after the initial call of an alligator attack came in. The person was taken to a hospital for treatment. It is unclear why the person was in the reserve, but the area is known for recreational activities like hunting, camping, hiking and fishing.

via CNN(CNN) - Public schools in Palm Beach County, Florida, have begun enrolling Bahamian students who evacuated devastated islands after Hurricane Dorian, a school district spokeswoman said. Fifteen Bahamian children had enrolled as of Tuesday, Julie Houston Trieste said. The young evacuees are welcome at any district school and can register at a central welcome office, she said. HOW TO HELP DORIAN SURVIVORSThe White House has increased staff to help expedite the processing of US visas for Bahamian evacuees, Florida Gov. And no shelters are open for Bahamian evacuees in Florida, DeSantis said.