Governor, Cabinet approve protection of over 62,000 acres of working Florida farms, ranches
The Governor and Cabinet, sitting as the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, approved on Tuesday the preservation of over 62,000 acres of working Florida farms and ranches through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. The approval of rural lands protection easements totaling over $206,000,000 is the largest ever approved at a meeting of the Governor and Cabinet in the program's history. Rural lands protection easements prevent future development of the land and allow agriculture operations to continue to contribute to Florida’s economy and the production of food, timber, and other resources vital to the prosperity of Florida. More from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
State seeks to slam door on prison heat case
Saying the “Constitution does not mandate comfortable prisons,” Florida corrections officials want a federal judge to toss out a potential class-action lawsuit alleging the state has violated inmates’ rights because of hot conditions at a Miami-Dade County prison. Lawyers for the Florida Department of Corrections, Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon and Dade Correctional Institution Warden Francisco Acosta filed a motion Tuesday seeking dismissal of the lawsuit filed in October. The lawsuit, which names three Dade Correctional Institution inmates as plaintiffs, alleges violations of the U.S. Constitution’s Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment and violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and another disabilities-related law known as the Rehabilitation Act. More from the News Service of Florida.
Why Miami-Dade's apartment market is still tough for renters
Even with developers completing thousands of new apartments in recent years, Miami-Dade County is still the most competitive market in the U.S. for renters in search of a new place, a new report stated. According to RentCafe's rental market year-in report, Miami-Dade County is once again the nation's hottest rental market, a year-end title that the metro area has retained for the third consecutive year. Suburban Chicago, which tied with Miami-Dade in RentCafe's mid-year report, was deemed to be the second most competitive market in the U.S. More from the South Florida Business Journal.
Florida seeks help from Trump before instating new kids health insurance requirements
Florida is seeking to delay an expansion of children's health insurance until after President-elect Donald Trump comes into office. Earlier this month, the federal government approved the expansion of subsidized KidCare (the state’s Children's Health Insurance Program) to Florida’s most vulnerable families, those making up to 300% federal poverty line, or a family of four making less than $93,600. The expansion passed the Florida legislature in 2023 but implementation was delayed while Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration sued the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services over a federal requirement that said Florida must cover kids even when a family misses a monthly premium payment. The DeSantis administration lost that lawsuit. More from WUSF.
The Florida Man Games announce new plans for audience participation. What to know
“Florida Man” isn't just a phrase that inspired TV shows from HBO and Netflix. It’s what we call the kind of person who would walk into the street to wrangle an alligator (with no shoes on) or try to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a giant hamster wheel. In February 2024, a sort-of Olympic games for people who consider themselves “Florida men,” took place in St. Augustine, with teams of men competing in challenges like “beer belly sumo wrestling” and an “evading arrest obstacle course.” More from the Gainesville Sun.
Retail
Ahoy! Publix opens new store with boat dock in Florida
Craving a Pub Sub while enjoying a day on the water? Thanks to a new store opening in South Florida, Publix customers can ditch their cars and instead park their boats right outside the grocery store. On Thursday, Dec. 12, a new Publix store had its grand opening in Hollywood Beach. What makes this store unique isn't the fact that it's reportedly a 3-story building but rather what's outside the store — a private boat dock and ramp that leads right to its entrance.
» More from WTSP.
Engineering Fellowships
UF civil engineering professor to shape building policy as new Jefferson Science Fellow
Of the dozens of tenured faculty who’d applied, David O. Prevatt, Ph.D., became one of four U.S. professors selected by the U.S. Department of State to join its 2024-2025 cohort of Jefferson Science Fellows, and the long-time UF professor has embarked on the 12-month immersive experience in Washington, D.C. Prevatt is no stranger to the nation’s capital. In the aftermath of hurricanes and tornadoes that caused extensive damage to our communities, he testified before U.S. congressional committees in 2005, 2008, 2013 and 2022.
» Read more from UF News.