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A school district's book screening process didn't violate civil rights laws — but it should have done a better job of handling the process, the U.S. Department of Education says.

A Georgia school district's book bans may have caused a hostile environment, feds say

Forsyth County Schools didn't spell out its criteria to students, the Department of Education says, leaving the impression that diverse authors and characters were excluded.

The Wilson’s plover, whose year-round range in the United States is limited to southern Florida coastlines, is estimated to have a Floridian population of less than 1,000 birds.

Nesting season shorebirds have right-of-way on Gulf-front beaches over sunbathers

Millions of shorebirds use Florida's beaches and dune systems during nesting season, with about 20 species along the Gulf from February to August. Watch where you step.

USDA issues disaster declaration for Florida in wake of crop damage by 2026 freeze

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a USDA disaster declaration Wednesday that supports Florida's agricultural producers impacted by historic freezes. The declaration follows a bipartisan push by all members of Florida’s congressional delegation urging USDA to provide relief for farmers and producers devastated by the late January, early February freeze.

A Burmese python sits in the grass at Everglades Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in 2019. A yearly competition will begin in August for people to hunt and kill the invasive species.

Want to hunt pythons in Florida this summer? This professional has tips

Registration has opened for Florida's annual python hunting challenge. The competition is not for the faint of heart.

Volunteers, wearing the green vests, assist those who come to the center seeking food, water and supplies. A representative from Chick-Fil-A unpacks hot sandwiches donated by the restaurant chain.

Migrant workers among those experiencing food insecurity after Hurricane Ian

With three weeks having passed since Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida, some are still finding it hard to feed themselves and obtain basic household supplies. State agencies like the Florida Department of Emergency Management is pivoting away from offering immediate assistance, like food and water, and towards long-term recovery assistance as communities begin to stabilize.

The Army Corps has closed floodgates like this one, shown open during the release of tens of billions of gallons of polluted water from Lake Okeechobee during the past six weeks, to allow the environment to recover; whether the gates will reopen will be decided later this week

Army Corps puts two-week hold on polluted Lake O water flowing into Caloosahatchee

The Army Corps of Engineers has stopped releasing 3.5 million gallons of water every day from Lake Okeechobee into the Caloosahatchee River for two weeks to allow the environment to recover

Florida wildlife corridor expansion eyed; nearly $100 million possible

State officials next week could direct nearly $100 million to secure more than 35,500 acres of primarily ranchland for the growing statewide Wildlife Corridor, while keeping agricultural operations on the properties in place.Twelve land deals on the May 23 agenda before Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Cabinet involve conservation easements, which allow the current landowners to continue active hunting, farming and cattle operations. In exchange, the land would be kept from residential and commercial development.

Old C-43

News-Press storyteller Amy Bennett Williams regularly highlights Southwest Florida’s wondrous animal and plant life, some of her favorite lesser-known…

Hats

Hendry County may be a sparsely populated and mostly rural region, but it also holds a wealth of historic markers. In this week’s encore essay, News-Press…

From the “Fanatics: Thomas Edison, Connie Mack and Spring Training in Fort Myers” exhibit at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in downtown Fort Myers.

We mark the 100th anniversary of professional baseball in the City of Palms

We took the show on the road to the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in downtown Fort Myers because they were marking the 100th anniversary of professional baseball in the City of Palms. They have an exhibit up in the museum there called “Fanatics: Thomas Edison, Connie Mack and Spring Training in Fort Myers” and on Feb. 20 Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson officially proclaimed that day to be “Spring Training Day in Fort Myers.”

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