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New charging stations for electric vehicles were installed on Miami-Dade County property at West Lot Garage on 220 NW 3rd Street, as part of its transition to low carbon transportation to combat climate change in Miami, Florida, Thursday, September 30, 2021.

'A baffling decision': DeSantis vetoes bipartisan bill to buy Florida more electric cars

The veto came days after former President Donald Trump slammed DeSantis and EVs.

State Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie gave a briefing after Hurricane Ian hit in September.

As 2023 hurricane season looms, Ian leaves behind lessons learned

As the 2023 hurricane season starts, memories are still fresh of Hurricane Ian causing billions of dollars in damage and pushing water across Southwest Florida barrier islands.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is forecasting a “near-normal” 2023 hurricane season, which will begin Thursday. One positive sign is that forecasters say odds are improving that a potentially significant El Nino weather phenomenon will form soon, which typically means weaker hurricane formations in the Atlantic.

Of the just under 1,500 separate proposals to the Florida legislature that would require $3.1 billion to fund is involving a water storage and treatment proposal (House Form 2445), filed by Rep. Kaylee Tuck, R-Lake Placid, for a project in Glades County. “This will provide significant nutrient removal, reduce discharge to the Caloosahatchee with high nutrient levels and provide a clean source of water to supplement dry season flows to the Caloosahatchee River,” the form said.

Lawmaker budget requests: Nearly 1,500 separate proposals would require $3.1 billion to fund

Florida lawmakers are championing hundreds of projects and seeking billions of dollars as they prepare for the start of the 2024 legislative session in January.Topped by $50 million requests for expanding water storage and treatment in the Lake Okeechobee and Caloosahatchee River basins and for speeding up private passenger rail between Orlando and Tampa, House members as of Monday morning had filed just under 1,500 separate proposals that would require $3.1 billion to fund.

Former President Donald Trump stands on stage during a rally in suburban Des Moines with Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird after receiving her endorsement on Oct. 16.

Three months out, the Iowa Caucus is Trump's to lose

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has moved most of his campaign resources to Iowa. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley is vising the Hawkeye state more too. But Donald Trump remains the front runner.

Taxpayer-funded petrochemical plants are polluting communities, report finds

A fleet of new plastics plants in the U.S. often release illegal levels of air pollution, even while receiving big tax breaks from state and local governments, the report found.

Colby Wottman, Supervisor with Restore Drilling, helps to guide the conduit off the cart as it is pulled underground. On Wednesday, FPL demonstrated how they are replacing overhead neighborhood power lines with underground lines to improve resiliency especially during hurricanes and severe weather and also enhance reliability in day-to-day conditions using the The Storm Secure Underground Program (SSUP). Trees and vegetation leading to downed power lines is the leading cause of power outages during storms. SSUP has brought underground lines to more than 400 neighborhoods. According to FPL, underground lines performed significantly better than overhead lines day-to-day and during severe weather – including six times better during Hurricane Ian in 2022 and 12 times better during Hurricane Idalia last year.

FPL asks more SWFL homeowners to bury power lines underground

The secret to a quicker hurricane recovery is hidden in the ground — at least if you ask FPL. The power company is promoting a new program to convince homeowners in older neighborhoods to do away with their overhead powerlines and agree to have them buried in the ground. The company said its research on power outages is clear.

Hurricane Helene caused damage to buildings in rural Madison County.

North Florida farmers hit again as Helene lays waste to crops

Ranchers, farmers and timber growers are reporting widespread damage from the wind and rain of Hurricane Helene, which raced through rural North Florida last week.Chicken houses had roofs blown off. Acres of sweet corn and carrots were laid horizontal. Irrigation systems have been uprooted. Fences were destroyed by fallen trees. Hay has been left wet and moldy in damaged barns.Incoming Senate President Ben Albritton, a Wauchula Republican and citrus grower, described conditions in fields across North Florida as “worse” than after Hurricane Idalia in August 2023. Idalia took a similar track, crossed many of the same fields and inflicted more than $400 million in damage to the industry.

One of 21 gray squirrel "kittens" is being fed at the von arx Wildlife Hospital in Naples while being nursed back to health after falling from its nest

Baby gray squirrels who fell from nests being nursed back to health at Naples wildlife hospital

Nearly two dozen newborn gray squirrels are healing at the von Arx Wildlife Hospital at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida after being found dazed on the ground after tree trimmers and high storm winds forced them from their nests

Acres of dead citrus trees line the south side of Corkscrew Road east of Alico Road in what, at one time, were productive groves of oranges and other citrus fruit.

Florida land dedicated to citrus crops continues to dwindle

The amount of land in Florida dedicated to growing citrus continues to shrink.Reports issued last week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Florida had 17 percent fewer acres used for growing oranges, grapefruit and other citrus than in 2023, though the harvest during the 2023-2024 growing season was valued 6 percent higher than the previous season.

Colt Gray, charged as an adult with four counts of murder, sits in a Barrow County courtroom on Friday during his first appearance for the Wednesday shooting at Apalachee High School, in Winder, Ga.

The Georgia high school shooting suspect won't face death penalty, judge says

The father and son arrested in connection with the Apalachee High School shooting appeared in Georgia court for separate hearings on Friday. They will remain in custody as the investigation continues.

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