Good Morning! On this day in 1958, the Dupont Plaza Center in Miami was officially dedicated during a large public ceremony attended by 2,000 people.
A strong cold front will sweep across the state tonight, with lows in the 30s expected in Northwest Florida by early tomorrow morning. Tuesday’s highs in the region are expected to struggle to reach the 60s. The front will bring rain and potential storms, with windy conditions. Stay safe.
The Justice Department announced multiple charges against Diego M. Villavicencio, 36, including two counts of interstate communication of threats, one count of impeding or retaliating against a federal official, and one count of threats against the President.
The indictment details messages allegedly sent by Villavicencio starting in September 2025, saying, for example, “I’ll be driving there to take a couple of shots at Trump and some of the other corrupt plutocrats.” He also allegedly threatened to assault, kidnap, and murder a member of Congress.
Villavicencio was taken into custody and arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Martin Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee. He entered a not guilty plea and faces up to 25 years in prison. His trial is scheduled for May 5.
State Hits Police Bonus Milestone
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that the state has reached a milestone by awarding over 10,000 $5,000 signing bonuses to new law enforcement recruits, totaling over $67.9 million to boost state staffing.
The bonuses are part of the Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Program instituted in 2022, which encourages law enforcement professionals from other states to relocate to the Sunshine State.
“Many of these new recruits have relocated to Florida from states where law enforcement has been defunded or demoralized by radical political agendas. We’re fortunate to have them here, and Floridians are grateful for their service every day,” DeSantis said.
The current fiscal budget includes $49 million for pay raises affecting over 16,200 state-sworn officers. This funding bumped the minimum base pay to $60,000 and secured 10% raises for entry-level personnel and 15% for veteran officers.
Lawmakers Decouple from Federal Tax Cuts
Lawmakers sent a bill (HB 7031) to Gov. DeSantis that avoids linking the state’s tax code to the changes made by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by Congress last year and signed by President Trump.
Both the House and the Senate, which control the nation’s third-largest state, declined to adopt federal tax reductions that would have changed the state’s corporate income tax law, instead passing their own targeted tax relief.
If the governor signs the bill into law, the measure would allow the state to retain an estimated $3.5 billion worth of corporate taxes.
The bill includes measures to help workers cover down payments and closing costs for first homes and introduces several new sales tax exemptions, including no sales tax on 20-pound or smaller propane tanks, home hardening, leases of tangible personal property, and certain firearm accessories.
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➤Starke: Gov. DeSantis signed a death warrant for Chadwick Willacy, convicted in the 1990 murder of his Palm Bay neighbor, who found him burglarizing her home. The execution is set for April 21. (More)
➤Palm Beach County: Early voting began this past weekend in a District 87 Special General Election to fill the Florida House seat formerly held by state Rep. Mike Caruso, chosen by the governor last year to become the court clerk. Republican Jon Maples and Democrat Emily Gregory won their primaries in January. (More)
➤Meanwhile, early voting began Saturday in South Tampa and West Hillsborough, as voters decide who will fill Lt. Gov. Jay Collins’ former state Senate seat. Republican state Rep. Josie Tomkow of Polk City is facing off against Democrat Brian Nathan. The election will be held on March 24. (More)
➤Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties: Members of the Navy Junior ROTC were told not to wear their uniforms for now following the terrorist attack on an ROTC classroom at Old Dominion University in Virginia on Thursday. (More)
➤Orange County Commissioners approved a program that allows housing to be built on religious-owned property, granting zoning flexibility so religious institutions can build affordable housing on or adjacent to their property. (More)
➤ Seminole County: Leaders approved a $1.05 million investment to help complete the Riverbend Landings Apartments in Sanford. The 146-unit complex is designed for families who earn too much for assistance but not enough to afford high rents. (More)
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➤ Team USA narrowly escaped with a 2-1 victory over the Dominican Republic yesterday in the World Baseball Classic semifinals at loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins. USA closer Mason Miller stranded the tying run at third base with this game-ending strikeout. (Watch Video)
➤ Florida men’s basketball earned a No. 1 seed in the men’s NCAA tournament and will play the winner of Prairie View A&M and Lehigh on Friday. (See Bracket)
➤ Meanwhile, Miami enters the tournament as a No. 7 seed, UCF as a No. 10 seed, and USF as a No. 11 seed. (See Bracket)
➤ The Orlando Magic took down the Miami Heat 121-117 on Saturday night, becoming just the second team in the last 30 years to win five games over the same opponent within the same season. (More)
➤No. 23 Florida baseball is off to a great start in conference play, shutting out South Carolina on Friday and Saturday to improve to 17-3 overall and 2-0 in the SEC. (More)
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➤ NASA announced a new launch date and time of April 1 at 6:24 p.m. for the Artemis II flyby moon mission, with April 2 also listed as an alternate. A third wet dress rehearsal of the massive rocket is not required. (More)
➤Port Tampa Bay officials said the port is expected to see 1.8 million cruise passengers this year, up from 1.66 million last year, and will set a record this March with 51 port calls. Port Tampa Bay is constructing a new cruise terminal to open in 2029. (More)
➤Spring break travel ramped up at Orlando International Airport (MCO) with a projected 7.4 million travelers during the seven-day travel period. Donations are being collected to support TSA workers during the government’s DHS shutdown. (More)
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➤ The Orlando Pride women’s soccer team and the Heart of Florida United Way announced a new community impact campaign called Assists for Good. For every Pride assist recorded during the 2026 season, the Orlando Soccer Foundation will donate $500 to community initiatives. (More)
➤ A Vero Beach Publix shopper won $10,000,000 after buying a winning Florida Mega Millions lottery ticket. (More)
➤ Naples held its 50th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday. One of the area’s largest celebrations, the parade featured numerous bands and floats. (See Video)
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Tallahassee Man Indicted for Trump Threat
