Good Morning! On this day in 2017, the Daytona Tortugas wore a commemorative jersey with the number 9 as part of Jackie Robinson Night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. Daytona Beach was the first city in Florida to allow Robinson to play during the 1946 season, a year before his big league debut, during which he wore number 9. April 15 is Jackie Robinson Day nationwide.
Happy Tax Day. Several restaurants and fast-food chains are helping their customers close out the 2025 tax season with special deals, including Del Taco, Krispy Kreme, and Subway. You can see a full list here. Have you filed your taxes yet? Reply to today’s Poll to let us know.
Mother’s Day is almost here, and our 2026 Mother’s Day Gift Guide is full of ideas to make shopping easier. Whether you’re looking for something meaningful, useful, or a little indulgent, you’ll find picks for every kind of mom, plus a few worth grabbing for yourself. Skip the last-minute scramble and browse the guide now.
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Milestone Reached in Everglades Project
On Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a milestone in the $3.9 billion Everglades Restoration project. All federally funded contracts have been executed to complete the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir by 2029, five years ahead of the expected timeline.
The project includes two major features: a treatment wetland that cleans water and a reservoir that will store excess water from Lake Okeechobee.
Calling it the largest environmental restoration in the history of the U.S., DeSantis said the state has dedicated $8 billion over the past seven years for Everglades restoration, which he called a priority of his administration.
“The July 2025 agreement between the State of Florida and the federal government has made all this possible by cutting red tape with an all-hands-on-deck approach,” DeSantis said.
Anna Kepner’s Stepbrother Charged with Murder
Months after the body of Titusville 18-year-old Anna Kepner was found under a bed in a cruise ship cabin, her 16-year-old stepbrother, Timothy Hudson, has been indicted as an adult on charges of murder and aggravated sexual abuse in her death.
The murder occurred while the family was on the Carnival Horizon in international waters en route to Miami. Kepner was sharing a room with Hudson and another teen, where the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida said Hudson sexually assaulted and intentionally killed Kepner “on or about Nov. 6-7.”
Court documents show the motion was initially filed under seal on Feb. 2. Hudson was indicted on March 10, and the case was transferred to adult prosecution and unsealed on Friday.
Kepner’s father, Christopher Kepner, released a statement that said the family is “deeply troubled that, despite the seriousness of the charges,” Hudson has not been taken into custody. Hudson wears an electronic tether while living with an uncle.
High Schoolers to Earn College Credits
Florida teens may soon have another option for earning college course credits in algebra and history while still in high school.
This week, the State Board of Education is scheduled to consider a proposal that would add the Florida Advanced Courses & Tests (FACT) to the list of courses that can count for credit at state colleges and universities, alongside Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate, and others.
The Florida Department of Education launched a pilot of FACT College Algebra in the 2025–26 academic year, with full statewide implementation scheduled for the coming school year. A pilot program of U.S. history is slated to roll out in the fall to selected high schools.
Lawmakers approved Florida providing its own accelerated classes in 2023, after Gov. Ron DeSantis raised concerns about the content of AP courses and argued that Florida could do without them.
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➤ Collier County: A 1,650-acre brush fire in the Picayune Strand State Forest south of I-75 caused evacuations on Monday. The fire was 40% contained as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the Florida Forest Service. (More)
➤ Tampa: Former Mayor Bob Buckhorn, who served from 2011 to 2019, entered the city’s mayoral race on Monday, making him the 10th candidate for the position. Political analysts said beating Buckhorn will prove difficult, as he has a million dollars for his campaign and left office with a 75% favorability rating. (More)
➤ Gainesville: Former NFL player and Sandalwood High School alum Chris Payton-Jones was identified as the man killed in a car crash on State Road 24 on Saturday. (More)
➤ Coral Springs: Supporters of slain Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen launched an endowment to preserve her legacy and support her loved ones following her death. (More)
➤ Broward County: Tamica Brown was arrested and charged with running an organized theft operation centered on stealing EBT card numbers and PINs and draining the SNAP benefit accounts of hundreds of victims. (More)
➤ Martin County: A federally funded beach restoration project from Stuart Beach to St. Lucie County, expected to be completed by May 1, resumed on Monday after the project was paused due to weather and beach erosion. (More)
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➤ The Tampa Bay Lightning host the Rangers tonight in their regular-season finale, with home-ice advantage against the Montreal Canadiens still in play for the first round of the playoffs. (More)
➤ The No. 8 seed Orlando Magic face the No. 7 seed 76ers in the NBA Play-In Tournament tonight at 7:30. (More)
➤Florida Polytechnic University named Derek Lower as its first-ever athletic director as they prepare to launch eight varsity sports this fall. (More)
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➤ The Coolest Thing Made in Florida competition kicked off on Monday, inviting statewide nominations for a bracket-style contest that spotlights products made across the state. (More)
➤ Jacksonville may offer up to $12 million to the Winn-Dixie Company to encourage the grocery chain to maintain and grow its operations in the city. Winn-Dixie is weighing options to relocate or invest $65 million in store renovations and in its headquarters on the city’s Westside. (More)
➤ Keystone Hotel in Pass-a-Grille, which was built by Bruno Reitano in 1945, was designated a heritage site by the state. A marker was installed in front of the St. Pete Beach property. (More)
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➤ Ybor City celebrated 140 years since its founding as Cigar City by having a 140-foot cigar rolled outside Hotel Haya, steps from the historic site where the first cigar was made on April 13, 1886, at the old Haya Cigar Factory. (See Video)
➤ Endeavour Elementary students on the Space Coast performed the school’s first-ever musical after winning a Disney Musicals in Schools grant and having 50 Disney Cruise Line employees help students sew costumes, paint sets, and coach the school staff. (More)
➤ Fort De Soto may be chosen as the production site of A Land Remembered, a multi-part TV series focused on three generations of Florida pioneers. Officials have not approved permits for filming, amid environmentalists’ pushback. (More)
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Milestone Reached in Everglades Project
