Florida Times

Sarasota Theatre Festival Opens Regional Showcase for Local Performing Arts

Arts organisations in Sarasota have launched a multi-day festival featuring independent playwrights and community theatre productions aimed at attracting autumn audiences and supporting local performers.

Florida Business Leaders Focus on Digitalisation and Cybersecurity for Small Companies

Executives and technology entrepreneurs gathered in Orlando for a Florida Chamber of Commerce roundtable examining how smaller businesses can adopt cloud systems and cybersecurity tools.

Miami-Dade Schools Expand Digital Literacy and Coding Curriculum

Miami-Dade Public Schools have introduced new middle-school materials covering internet safety, media literacy and introductory coding to strengthen students’ digital skills.

South Florida Expands Historic Preservation Grants for Private Landmarks

Municipal governments are introducing additional matching grants to help property owners preserve historic buildings and architectural facades across several South Florida communities.

Central Florida Resorts Report Strong Autumn Booking Demand

Theme park and hotel operators around Orlando and Tampa Bay are reporting resilient autumn reservations, supporting employment and tourism activity despite softer travel conditions nationally.

Florida Begins Polk County Road Expansion to Ease Freight Bottlenecks

The Florida Department of Transportation has started widening a major Polk County arterial road to improve freight movement and accommodate continued population growth in Central Florida.

Southwest Florida International Airport Adds Seasonal Domestic Routes

The Fort Myers airport is expanding its autumn schedule with additional nonstop connections to destinations in the Midwest and Northeast as seasonal travel demand increases.

Jacksonville Port Reports Resilient Container Traffic Despite Global Shipping Volatility

Jacksonville Port Authority officials said cargo throughput remained steady through late September, supported by regional distribution demand and consistent automotive imports.

Florida Hurricane Season Nears Final Stretch With Low Cyclone Activity

Meteorologists say the Atlantic season is approaching its closing weeks with historically low accumulated cyclone energy and no major hurricane landfalls on the US coastline so far this year.

Florida Consumer Sentiment Edges Higher After Six Months of Declines

The University of Florida’s consumer sentiment index rose 0.3 points to 67.7 in September, breaking a six-month run of monthly declines while remaining subdued by longer-term economic pressures.

Florida Property Insurance Market Remains Under Regulatory Pressure

State regulators and insurers continue to confront affordability, premium stability and reinsurance challenges as homeowners across both coastal and inland Florida face elevated coverage costs.

Florida Housing Market Shifts Toward Buyers as Inventory Rises

Higher mortgage rates and increasing inventory are creating more negotiating power for buyers in parts of Florida’s entry-level housing market, while luxury waterfront properties continue to command firmer prices.

Space Florida and UK Space Agency Launch Joint Funding Programme for Aerospace Startups

Space Florida and the UK Space Agency are offering up to $350,000 in combined funding for collaborative research and commercial aerospace technology projects.

NASA Plans Uncrewed Starliner Test Flight Following Safety Modifications

NASA and Boeing are preparing an unpiloted CST-100 Starliner mission later this year to test spacecraft modifications and address technical problems identified during earlier flights and reviews.

NASA and SpaceX Prepare Crew-14 Mission From Kennedy Space Center

Four international astronauts are preparing to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Florida’s Space Coast for a six-month research mission on the International Space Station.

Florida Reports Fifth Death of Year Linked to Vibrio Vulnificus

State health authorities reported a fifth fatality associated with Vibrio vulnificus and renewed warnings about exposing open wounds to warm coastal waters or floodwater where the bacteria may be present.

Florida Counties Intensify Dengue Response as Locally Acquired Cases Rise

Public health authorities in several counties have stepped up mosquito-control measures amid hundreds of locally acquired dengue infections, increasing surveillance and preventive action against the mosquito-borne disease.

Florida Continues Executions Amid Legal and Ethical Challenges

Florida carried out another execution at Florida State Prison on September 29, extending a series of capital punishments this year as courts continue to consider challenges involving individual inmates and execution procedures.

Florida Property Tax Debate Intensifies as Local Governments Face Tighter Revenue Rules

State and local officials are debating property tax relief and municipal budgets as new restrictions tighten the conditions under which local governments can raise tax rates and voters prepare to consider further changes in November.

Florida Property Insurance Costs Dominate Homeowner Concerns Ahead of November Vote

A Pioneer Institute survey of 504 registered Florida voters found 80% of homeowners regarded property and flood insurance costs as a burden, while property taxes and housing affordability also ranked among the leading concerns.

Major Injuries to Key Players Impact Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are both facing significant offensive setbacks as star running back De'Von Achane and wide receiver Jalen McMillan both face long-term injury recovery.

Democratic State Representative Angie Nixon Advances Campaign for U.S. Senate

Florida State Representative Angie Nixon is intensifying her grassroots campaign for the United States Senate, running on a progressive platform focused on community investment.

Donald Trump Announces Florida Rallies to Support Byron Donalds Campaign

Former President Donald Trump has announced plans for major political rallies across Florida to support the Republican campaign of Byron Donalds as recent polling shows a tightening race.

DeSantis Administration Faces Backlash Over Re-hiring Lawyers Linked to Hope Florida Settlement

The Governor's office is facing criticism for renewing contracts with Mississippi attorneys who previously negotiated a $67 million settlement that funded the controversial Hope Florida initiative.

Scrutiny Grows Over Administration’s Role in Pressuring School District to Fire Teacher

Political controversy is mounting in Florida after records suggested the Attorney General pressured a local school district to terminate a teacher following a complaint from the family of a gubernatorial appointee.

Atlantic Hurricane Season Ends September Without a Single Hurricane for First Time Since 1914

In a rare meteorological anomaly, the Atlantic basin ended September without producing a single hurricane-force cyclone, providing significant relief to Florida's property insurance market and coastal infrastructure.

Florida Department of Transportation Announces Temporary Closure of I-275 Exit to Tampa International Airport

The Florida Department of Transportation has announced a planned nighttime closure of the primary northbound Interstate 275 exit to Tampa International Airport, warning travelers of significant detours and delays.

Florida Southern College Reopens Restored Frank Lloyd Wright Planetarium

The Lakeland campus of Florida Southern College has successfully completed restorations to its historic Frank Lloydarium, reopening the iconic architecture to students and the public.

Prime Waterfront Real Estate in Downtown Sarasota Listed Without Asking Price

A significant piece of undeveloped waterfront property in downtown Sarasota has entered the market without a set price, reflecting intense developer interest and rising luxury valuations along the Gulf Coast.

Treasure Island Commission Approves $10 Million Public Safety Facility

Following years of local debate, the Treasure Island government has voted to allocate $10.8 million for a new public safety building to modernize emergency infrastructure in the vulnerable coastal community.

Pinellas County Schools Remove More Books Following State Directives

Administers in Pinellas County have removed several books from public school libraries to comply with recent state memorandums, though officials notably retained Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye despite pressure over educational content.

Pasco County Voters to Decide on Special Tax for Teacher Compensation

Residents in Pasco County will soon vote on a ballot measure to approve a dedicated school tax intended to raise pay for teachers and district employees amid a highly competitive labor market.

Local Florida Governments Warn Property Tax Cuts Could Threaten Public Revenues

Municipalities and regional agencies, including the Tampa Bay water district, are warning that the upcoming Amendment Three property tax initiative could severely reduce local revenue and lead to service cuts.

Florida Scale Up High-Tech Mosquito Eradication Using Drones and Radiation

Public health agencies across Florida are expanding the use of automated drones and genetically modified, irradiated sterile insects to combat aggressive mosquito populations and prevent the spread of vector-borne diseases.

New Federal Legislation Could Overhaul College Athletics Compensation and Transfer Rules

The United States Senate has advanced a comprehensive bill aimed at regulating athlete payments and the transfer portal, which could fundamentally change how major Florida university athletic programs manage their finances and rosters.

Federal Officials Consider Diesel Tax Relief to Support Florida Agriculture and Marine Sectess

The White House is weighing emergency tax relief for red-dyed diesel fuel, a move intended to lower surging operating costs for Florida farmers, commercial fisheries, and the maritime logistics industry.

Florida Commerce Reports Slight Increase in September Unemployment Rate

The Florida unemployment rate rose to 4.5 percent in September, according to state data, signaling a modest cooling in the labor market following several months of rapid post-pandemic growth.

Florida Minimum Wage Increases as New Round of State Laws Takes Effect

The Florida minimum wage has officially increased following a voter-approved constitutional amendment, marking a significant shift in labor costs and payroll dynamics for the state's service industry.

Hillsborough County Jail Inmate Dies Following Unexplained Unresponsiveness in Cell

A 27-year-old inmate, Liam Thomas, has died at Tampa General Hospital nearly a week after deputies found him unresponsive in his cell at the Orient Road Jail, prompting a formal investigation into jail medical monitoring and detention co...

Pinellas County Sheriff Rules St. Petersburg Police Altercation an Excusable Homicide

The Pinellas County Sheriff has concluded that the death of a 48-year-old man, who was fatally tasered following a struggle with St. Petersburg police, was an excusable homicide based on body camera footage showing the man actively attac...

United States Coast Guard Rescues 40 People After Boat Capsizes During Brawl

The U.S. Coast Guard successfully rescued 40 individuals from the water after a violent physical altercation on board a vessel caused it to capsize off the Florida coast, prompting a large-scale maritime emergency response.

Security Officer Discharges Weapon at Armed Intruder at MacDill Air Force Base

A security forces officer at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa discharged a weapon against an assailant armed with a wrench who breached the installation's secure perimeter, triggering a base-wide lockdown and a joint military and local po...

Senator Marco Rubio Claims White House Invited Vladimir Putin to Miami Summit

Florida Senator Marco Rubio has ignited an international political controversy by alleging the Trump administration formally invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the upcoming Group of Twenty summit in Miami.