Fire destroys 3,500-year-old Florida tree

A fire early Monday destroyed a 125-foot tall cypress tree in central Florida known as “The Senator.” At an estimated 3,500 years old, it was one of the world’s oldest trees.

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Maryland Lawyer Busted in Sex Sting wants Guilty Plea Removed

A lawyer from Maryland, who also is a children’s balloon entertainer, is accused of traveling to Central Florida in the hopes of having sex with who he thought was a 14-year-old boy.

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Study: Babies try lip-reading in learning to talk

Rock band Days of the New and ‘LA Ink’ TV star Amy Nicoletto will appear this March at Fort Myers’… This undated handout photo provided by Florida Atlantic University shows a baby, looking at a monitor, wearing a band that contains a little magnet that the head-tracker, Read More

Florida redistricting work product headed for judicial showdown

TALLAHASSEE – After more than two years of bickering over reforms meant to curb political abuses, the Florida Senate Tuesday plans to debate maps for congressional and legislative districts that preserve Republican majorities and, its authors say, meet legal muster with Fair Districts. But it Read More

FAMU Band Member Says He Was Verbally Harassed

A Florida A&M band member said he was verbally harassed by another member for not joining a subgroup of the band’s trombone section known as “Thunder,” according to a letter written by a band staff member to the head of the music department.

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Senate will try again to privatize prisons

From the News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — After being rebuffed by a judge for its effort to privatize several prisons because of the way lawmakers went about it, the Legislature will try again to shed several prisons, this time doing it in statute. The Senate Rules Committee on Friday Read More

Senate intent on taking its time on budget

TALLAHASSEE — A majority of the Florida Senate is pushing to delay passing a budget until later in the spring when economic conditions might ameliorate the need for deeper cuts to health-care or other services. Senate President-designate Don Gaetz , R-Niceville, and Minority Read More

NY Times: Genting — an instant force in gambling

The New York Times has a piece this morning on Genting’s aggressive approach in entering the New York market and notes its similar strategy in Florida. ***** Now, as Genting pursues multibillion-dollar projects in New York City at Aqueduct Racetrack and in Miami, its lobbying offers a Read More