Governor Ron DeSantis

Gov. Ron DeSantis will be sworn back into office at noon Tuesday. Four years ago, he was a relatively unknown politician who won his gubernatorial bid by fewer than 33,000 votes. This time, he cruised to reelection with a nearly 20-point lead over his Democratic challenger and is a Republican presidential contender.

The funds are part of of more than $7.1 million in awards announced Tuesday by Governor Ron DeSantis for nine Florida communities through the Rural Infrastructure Fund program.

The funding was announced Monday at a news conference in Punta Gorda by state officials.Governor Ron DeSantis, First Lady Casey DeSantis and Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie highlighted said the funds would also address unmet needs such as transportation, food assistance, housing aid, clothing, and household goods.

Members of the Young Democratic Socialists of America at FGCU are organizing the protest against the governor's “Don’t Tread on Florida” tour stop at Alico Arena at 6 p.m. Sunday. The stop is at the end of a weekend of such campaign events across the state.

In 2010 the Southwest Florida county changed from a ‘Just in Case’ to a ‘Just in Time’ protocol for emergency management to avoid “over-evacuation.” The protocol was followed -- with potentially deadly consequences.

A memento in the shape of a inscribed memorial rock, brought to Sanibel Island and thought to have been tossed away by Ian, instead found its way back to the family of the person memorialized.

At San Carlos Park Elementary, Governor Ron DeSantis announced $2 million has been awarded to support local education foundations in six school districts hardest hit by the storm.

The properties affected includes real property, homes or businesses destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by Ian's impacts.

While DeSantis backed legislation that intensified scrutiny of school library books and instructional materials, Crist says he is betting on his ability to convince voters that he can reinstate “respect to educators.”

An open-government group has filed a lawsuit against the Florida Department of Transportation and a state contractor, alleging they did not comply with public-records requests stemming from controversial flights of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard.