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TALHASSEE – Florida retains the sales tax “Holiday” every August for items back to school, but under a tax package released by House and Senate leaders on Friday night, sales taxes such as commercial leases and hurricane supplies and sunscreen will be eliminated. The House and Senate will vote for the tax package earlier this week, along with the state budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The tax package is projected to reduce state and local government revenues by about $1.3 billion in the future. Senate Speaker R-Trinity, Speaker Ed Hooper, told reporters Friday that tax cuts would not “get…

Gatorland’s latest rescue animal is a 9-foot crocodile found near Gainesville, with a bungee cord wrapped around his upper jaw. The reptile was captured by the Trapper and delivered to an attraction in Orlando, which will become his new home. His new name: Bungee. “Someone tried to catch this crocodile with a bungee cord. It was embedded deep inside his top jaw. This was a very dangerous situation for Bungee and he was able to kill him in the end, Gatorland president and CEO Mark McHugh said in a news release. Orlando’s Titanic Attractions add recovered necklaces to their artifact…

Question: I would like to plant some containers with colorful flowers in the summer. Do you have any suggestions? Answer: Why not try red, white or blue for your patriotic holiday that arrives in just a few weeks? We recommend a mixture of dwarf red pentas, low-growth white flower Zinia, and blue diffused torenia. If you start it, everything should be in full bloom by July 4th now. Fill the container with fresh soil and add slow release fertilizer after planting. Store in a moist, sunny place for displays that are supposed to last until summer. Q. A small white…

As Cubans on both sides of the Florida Strait began to accept what a new US travel ban meant for family reunion hopes, many flocked to social media of distress, including children seeking help.”President Trump, please reconsider family unity for residents,” said the 10-year-old in a video recorded by Hubber in Havana. The video was published by her mother, Lia Llanes, a permanent US resident in Miami, one of several Facebook groups Cubans are discussing the new ban.”I’m a child, like many others, waiting for an interview to reunite with their parents so they can grow up and become citizens…

Kelly’s homemade ice cream is known for its annual “Ice cream for breakfast” campaign, raising funds for Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital. The first clock is known for breakfast (and brunch and lunch). Now these beloved home businesses are gathering for sweet surprises. From June 20th to July 4th, children dine at participating Central Florida First Watch restaurants will win a free scoop of Kelly’s Signature Cake Batter n’ Sprinkles on their kids’ menu purchases, but the consumables will be the last. “The partnership with First Watch feels like this natural fit. The two local brands come together to create…

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – As the Israeli-Iran conflict intensifies, Florida lawmakers and a Tampa-based rescue nonprofit are launching evacuation efforts to help Americans, including families in the Tampa Bay Area, become trapped overseas. Hillsboro County volunteers and lawmakers are moving swiftly to help stuck Americans as the Middle East crisis escalates. State Senator Jay Collins’ Father’s Day looks different this year as he travels to war zones. “Think about Father’s Day today. What if it was one of my sons, my child? Don’t you want someone to go home and see their family? I mean, I’m my husband and dad.…

But, like Maurice said, it is also the effect they have on the people around them. The Merchand linemates, who formed the best third line in the playoffs, each performed breakouts during this year’s run, with Anton Landell scoring 17 points (6 goals, 11 assists) and Eetu Luostarinen scoring 18 points (5 goals, 13 assists). Top unit quarterback Jones helped Florida power play work at a solid 25.3%. Overall, the Panthers have 11 players who have already recorded double-digit points this postseason, as well as five players with at least 20 points. Sam Bennett (22), Matthew Kachuk (22), Merchand (20),…

MIAMI — Nearly 50 men spent hours in a small holding cell asking for water, food and medication. Instead, officers dressed in riot gear sprayed the room with rubber bullets and launched “flash bang” grenades.The men had overflowed a toilet in protest, and the ground was covered in putrid water. Smoke filled the air. Loud “booms” rang in their ears. Some men began to cry. Officers handcuffed them with zip-ties that cut into their wrists.Kneeling in water that soaked his socks and pants, Diego Rafael Medina Rodriguez, 26, thought: I’ve been through this before.But this was not the tear gas…

SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) — The huge milestone at Nathan Benderson Park brings back to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the high school Youth National Championship. The internationally famous three-day regatta concluded on Sunday. “It’s amazing for the community, both Manatee and Sarasota counties. We’ll take about 15,000 rowers, parents and friends to the race,” said NBP Chairman Michael Tuff. During this high stakes competition, the country’s top rosers showed off their skills. “All of these athletes competed in this championship in May throughout the season, then at regional championships, then at youth nationals, and we now have the fastest young…

They are your child’s middle school teachers. They are seniors who bag your groceries on Publix. They are bank tellers, nurses and neighbors. They may even be you. They are almost half of all Floridians, and they struggle to achieve their goals, new research finds.They are what United Way calls Alice. Limited assets, limited income and employed. A recent report from the organization shows that most of these 4 million Florida households have stable incomes, and are usually too many to qualify for state benefits such as food and childcare support. But they live to pay their wages.Only three states,…