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The pace of life in Florida rarely slows down. Between long commutes, year-round heat that makes grocery shopping a chore, and schedules packed with work, kids, and everything else, finding the time to plan and cook healthy meals has become one of the quietly stressful parts of daily life for many residents. It’s not that I don’t care about eating well. It’s just that the traditional model of grocery shopping, meal planning, and cooking from scratch doesn’t necessarily fit into modern Floridian schedules. This reality is driving notable changes across the state, with more Floridians relying on ready-to-eat meal companies…

Florida continues to have one of the highest household relocation rates in the country. This is due to a steady mix of new residents moving in, longtime homeowners relocating within the state, and renters moving between cities as their leases expire. This high volume has created a busy and competitive moving industry across the state, but it has also created room for scrutiny as Floridians scrutinize licensing, insurance, and business practices before choosing a moving company. Those concerns are not unfounded. Although Florida requires companies that perform household moving within the state to hold a valid license through the Florida…

Big changes in life rarely come as a single, clean event. Illness, separation, bereavement, a child’s move, or a new caregiving role can quickly impact money, work, sleep, transportation, and the emotional climate in the home. At times like these, families need care services that are easy to find, easy to access, and provide a realistic view of how tired people are already. Even well-designed services can fail if they require families to pursue all the answers. First contact sets the tone Families under pressure need to know who will respond, what will happen next, and what information they will…

Step Up for Students, the nonprofit organization that manages Florida’s Educational Choice Scholarship Program, is highlighting the 25th anniversary of Florida’s groundbreaking Educational Choice Scholarship Program. The Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC) went into effect on July 1, 2001, after it was passed by the Florida Legislature and signed by Governor Jeb Bush. The program credited companies with directing state tax obligations to help low-income families send their children to the private schools of their choice. In its first year, FTC provided scholarships to 15,585 students. Today, Florida is a national leader in educational choice, with more than 540,000 students…

On June 23, 2026, the Jacksonville City Council unanimously approved an ordinance aimed at increasing the transparency, consistency, and efficiency of the City’s development review process by allowing applicants to utilize qualified private providers to review development plans. The ordinance recognizes that allowing delays will increase housing and business costs and provides applicants with an alternative if the city’s review is unnecessarily prolonged. For years, builders, engineers, and property owners have expressed frustration with permitting processes that are too often unpredictable. Instead of reviewing applications based on city-adopted ordinances and regulations, applicants frequently encountered new requirements not found in ordinance…

Just a stone’s throw from Oviedo Mall, you’ll find a hidden natural wonderland filled with vibrant plants, exotic birds, and hundreds of butterflies. Visitors can get an up-close look at the winged insects at Lucas Nursery’s Butterfly Encounter, a 4,000-square-foot space that houses one of Florida’s largest greenhouses of native butterflies. A popular attraction since 2004, this encounter has proven to be a timeless attraction for families, friends and couples alike. Monarch butterflies, swallowtail butterflies, atala and white peacocks are just a few of the more than 20 species of butterflies that guests may see while immersing themselves in this…

Q: I want to create a Fourth of July container garden. What can you combine to create red, white, and blue? A: Please feel free to stop by your local garden center and join us in our 250th anniversary celebration. Patriotically colored flowers include angelonias, blue days, pentas, salvias, torenias, and zinnias. Everything can be stored relatively small in a large container. Create it now and you’ll have red, white, and blue to offer all summer long. Feed monthly with a slow-release fertilizer to maintain moisture and encourage growth and blooming. Botany: Is it too late to add zinnias to…

South Florida real estate moves at a pace that requires homes to be ready and well-positioned quickly. Whether it’s a waterfront condo in Miami, a mansion in Palm Beach, or a new build in Boca Raton, the difference between a home that sells for its asking price and one that stays on the market is often determined by how the space actually feels, not square footage. Interior decorators understand this, and interior decorators that specialize in the South Florida market especially understand what buyers and residents here are actually looking for. That expertise is evident in the selection of furniture…

Below is an updated version with broader power and water usage context added. A new Rasmussen Report poll shows that a majority of likely U.S. voters oppose building large data centers in their communities, even though majorities say the issue should be handled by state and local governments, not Congress. A national telephone and online survey found that 52% of likely voters say they oppose the proposal to build a data center in their area, including 35% who say they strongly oppose it. 39% said they supported such a project, of which 15% said they strongly supported it. The findings…

Florida Attorney General James Usmeyer announced that a Collier County jury has convicted a Naples man of dozens of felonies in the Snapchat and Kick Messenger child sexual abuse materials case. Chandler Christian Jones, 30, was found guilty of multiple charges, including possession of child sexual abuse material, using computer services or equipment to solicit unlawful sexual activity from a child or person suspected of being a child, and transmitting child pornography by electronic equipment or equipment. “While we continue to arrest and prosecute the predators who use Snapchat to trade in vile content, Snap continues to fight us in…