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Here's how Mulberry football built on last season's success at Polk County 7v7
AUBURNDALE — Mulberry created a lot of positive momentum in its athletic program in the past year. In football, the Panthers won seven regular-season games for the first time since 2008, which was only their second seven-win season in 40 years; they had their fourth-consecutive winning football season for the first time since the early '80s.
People-focused CEO and chairman of Lakeland fertilizer company dies
Polk County entrepreneur Jack Harrell Jr., CEO of Harrell’s, died in his home in Lakeland on July 13 after a battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor. Harrell was 68. He received his diagnosis six months ago. Harrell’s, a 500-employee manufacturing company focused on fertilizer and turf maintenance chemicals,...
Florida's back-to-school tax-free holiday is coming up. What to know
With the new school year quickly approaching, you can expect some juicy back-to-school sales to crop up soon, too. Most scholarly sales happen around one of Florida’s many tax-free holidays. The next one up on the calendar is the back-to-school tax-free holiday, which stretches across two weeks at the end of July and the beginning of August.
TIMELINE: Afternoon showers, storms expected along I-4 in Florida on Monday
ORLANDO, Fla. - Our Monday morning begins on a dry, warm and muggy note across Central Florida. Plan for temperatures around the upper 70s and low 80s as you head out the door. This afternoon, highs will be a few degrees above normal region wide, topping out around the mid...
Historic Black communities often overlooked before and after disaster strikes
Weather watchers everywhere were astounded to see Hurricane Beryl ramp up in just two days from tropical storm strength to a Category 5 behemoth packing wind speeds of 165 mph. Its July 1 emergence as a Category 4 storm and growth the next day to Cat 5 strength were the...
DeSantis signed a number of new school laws. Here's what you should know before August
After an onslaught of controversial Florida bills that were signed into law in 2023, parents and students might be apprehensive about what new laws might impact them in the 2024-2025 school year. This year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a number of laws that deregulate public schools, expand school choice,...
Monday July 22 is final day to register to vote in August Florida primary elections
If you’re not someone who consistently stays in the loop on politics and elections, an election year can be a confusing time, especially if you live in Florida. Many people might be wondering what exactly is the difference between Florida’s presidential preference primary, the actual primary election and the general election. That’s a...
Have shark attacks increased in Florida? Expert says no
A shark bit a child last week near Crandon Park, off Key Biscayne, leaving him with a minor superficial wound to his leg, just days after a man spearfishing off Key West was badly bitten by a bull shark. These are just two of the latest shark attacks that have...
Girl's death, other issues, spark concerns involving other Florida facilities run by TrueCore
TAMPA, Fla. — Last month, the I-Team reported that the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice ended a five-year, $31.5 million contract with TrueCore Behavioral Solutions after a 15-year-old girl was found dead at Lake Academy in Tampa. We are now digging into the company’s record and hearing from others...
Republicans want to take Florida educational model nationwide with party platform
In its political platform adopted earlier this month, the Republican Party pledged to implement universal school choice, boost parental rights and promote "patriotic" standards for civics education.In other words, under former President Donald Trump, education across the country would look a lot like it does in Florida.Why it matters: Florida in recent years has been thrust into the national spotlight for its hyper-conservative approach to education, serving as a test kitchen for policies that public education advocates say undermine students' and teachers' rights.Some have criticized the state's Department of Education for its push to include Judeo-Christian ideas in public schools,...
Which Floridians would benefit from $17/hour
Data: Oxfam America; Chart: Axios VisualsMore than a quarter of Florida workers — mostly women, Black and Hispanic — would benefit from a raise in minimum wage to $17, according to new data from Oxfam.The organization revised its definition of a low-wage worker this year, from those earning less than $15 an hour to those earning less than $17.State of pay: This fall, state minimum wage increases to $13 per hour for non-tipped employees and $9.98 per hour for tipped employees.Flashback: Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2020 to make the minimum wage $15 by 2026. It will increase by a dollar on Sept. 30 every year until then.After that, the minimum wage will be adjusted each year for inflation.The big picture: Just 13% of U.S. workers earn less than $15 an hour; two years ago, that number was 31.9%, per Oxfam.
As student aid requests lag in Florida, groups step in to help some fill out FAFSA
By summertime, most prospective college students know which school they're attending and how much they have to pay in tuition. But not Viviana Gonzalez. The Sumner High School graduate started filling out the FAFSA, or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, back in January. But a technical issue prevented her from completing the parents' portion of the form for months.
Bainum Family Foundation commits $100 million to early education
The Bainum Family Foundation has announced a five-year, $100 million commitment to early childhood education. The largest investment in the history of the foundation will expand its geographic reach beyond Florida and Washington, D.C. Through initiatives including WeVision EarlyEd, the foundation will use its resources to define ideal child care and make it real for families now and in the future. Moreover, the funding will provide grantees and partners with the stability they need to support young children and their families while advancing transformative ideas and solutions to pave the way toward a more equitable future.
Sam Greco Endorsed by FL NFIB, FL Chamber of Commerce, St. Augustine Business Coalition
It has been an exciting week on the campaign trail for Sam Greco. NFIB’s Florida PAC, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, and the St. Augustine Business Coalition have all thrown their support behind Greco in the past week. Greco’s campaign continues to gain momentum. He now has the support...
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