Florida Named Sixth-Best State to Live In

U.S. News & World Report has ranked Florida as one of the best states to live in, coming in at No. 6 on the list. Florida was the only southern state to crack the top 10.

Analysts compiled the rankings by considering factors such as healthcare, education, roads, bridges, internet access, and other infrastructure, as well as the natural environment and fiscal stability of a state’s government.

In those individual categories, Florida was ranked first in economy, second in education, ninth in fiscal stability, 12th in natural environment, 13th in crime and corrections, and 15th in infrastructure.

Utah claimed the top overall ranking, followed by New Hampshire, Idaho, Minnesota, and Nebraska. Regionally, Florida outperformed nearby states, such as Georgia (No. 21), Texas (No. 29), and Tennessee (No. 32), as well as larger states like New York (No. 22), Illinois (No. 36), and California (No. 37).

How Readers Would Spend $3.5M

We recently asked what you would do if you won $3.5 million, and you responded! Your answers were fun, quite specific, and revealed a heart for generosity. 

Cindy said she would invest in land trusts to preserve more of Florida’s beauty and support wildlife education, especially for our “amazing black bears.” Another reader agreed, saying she would “save all the animals that need to be rescued!”

Mrs. E. would donate the majority of her money to help food banks at churches, the homeless, private schools, and help with building repairs at low-income apartments.

Richard said he would give a quarter of the proceeds to his wife, a quarter to his two children, a quarter to his church, and keep a quarter for himself, while Mike would pay off his children’s mortgages, buy a new boat, and spruce up his mancave.

Nate said he would take his sweetheart to Hawaii, and Terry said she would “never fly a commercial airline again! Private jets for me!”

Flying together with our sponsor

Thanks to all of you who submitted your Thanksgiving memories. These are a few of our favorites.

➤ Daniel in Cape Coral: While overseas flying support for the U.S. Army Special Forces, we ate one Thanksgiving dinner in our Huey helicopter.

➤ Jim in Longwood: Back in the late 40s and early 50s, I was living in Jacksonville. On Thanksgiving Day, Jackson High School and Lee High School played football in the Gator Bowl. My family would go to the game and then go out to eat, most likely at Morrison’s Cafeteria downtown.

➤ Nina in Palm Coast: Back in the early 70s, I worked at Baptist Hospital in Jacksonville, operating the heart-lung machine during open heart surgery. I was expecting 25 people for dinner, including my parents, who had driven down from North Carolina the day before. Thanksgiving morning, I got a call from the surgeon that I was needed at the hospital for an emergency open-heart surgery. I grabbed my purse and keys and left the day in my mother’s capable hands. I returned home that night to eat leftover turkey and dressing and was rewarded with stories of the day. The patient did very well.

➤ Bob: It wasn’t until the turkey was brought out of the oven that my mom and sister went looking for the sponge to wipe a spill, but couldn’t find it. As the carving began, the elusive sponge was found at the bottom of the roasting pan! We all laughed and said it added moisture. The turkey was delicious. 

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Are you taking advantage of your Amazon Prime perks this holiday season?

Whether you’re already a Prime member or considering signing up, here are 9 Prime member benefits you should be using as you do your holiday shopping! 

Are you eating turkey today?

1. Yes
2. No

Wednesday’s Results:

Do you prefer fresh or canned cranberry sauce?

1. Fresh: 35%
2. Canned: 35%
3. Neither: 30%

In which Florida city do some historians believe America’s first Thanksgiving was held?

Show me the answer