Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) is taking measures to address a projected $100 million budget shortfall for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The district has been facing a consistent gap between its revenue and spending, leading to the depletion of reserves that had previously been used to cover the deficit. SuperintendentContinue Reading
A multi-agency operation led by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), in partnership with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) and the Florida Department of Corrections, resulted in 27 arrests after a three-day compliance check on registered sexual offenders and predators. The operation, called Operation Full Moon, aimed to ensureContinue Reading
United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that 48-year-old Joseph Rocco Quaranta of Dunnellon, FL, has pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Quaranta faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Continue Reading
Detectives have arrested 25-year-old Widnes Moricette of Naples on charges of second-degree murder following a fatal shooting on November 10, 2024. The incident began as a verbal dispute between Moricette and the 26-year-old victim inside Burlington at 12725 Tamiami Trail E. The conflict escalated outside in the parking lot, whereContinue Reading
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) arrested Michael Andrew Warden, 31, of Kissimmee, on 20 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The investigation started after FDLE received a cybertip about an online account sharing child sexual exploitation files. From the cybertip, the FDLE investigation identified Warden asContinue Reading
William Dennis Milstead, 64, of Port St. Lucie, was arrested by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) on November 13, 2024, for falsely impersonating a police officer and attempting to lease a residential property using fraudulent credentials. FDLE launched an investigation after a local real estate agency reported MilsteadContinue Reading
U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced 42-year-old Brett Avery Tipton of Rockledge to 80 years in federal prison for producing and distributing child sexual abuse material. The Court also ordered Tipton to forfeit the device used in the commission of the offense and to register as a sexContinue Reading
(The Center Square ) – The state of Florida is suing current and former federal employees personally for allegedly ignoring storm victim households solely because of their political affiliation. Attorney General Ashley Moody sued current and former Federal Emergency Management Agency officials for “conspiracy to discriminate” against Florida hurricane victimsContinue Reading
(The Center Square) – Steinbrenner Field is reportedly the 2025 home of Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays, with government decisions looming on 2026 and ’27 before a new park opens in 2028. The Tampa Bay Times, formerly the St. Petersburg Times, on Thursday broke news of the American LeagueContinue Reading
(The Center Square) – President-Elect Donald Trump named two more high-profile figures to his administration Wednesday afternoon, the latest in a flurry of presidential picks. Trump tapped U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., to serve as attorney general and former Democratic Congresswoman and Lt. Col. Tulsi Gabbard to serve as directorContinue Reading