Amtrak Derails Miami Airport Station

An Amtrak station built at the Miami International Airport (MIA) eight years ago has remained unused since then and will remain so. After three decades of development deals, the government rail corporation has decided not to extend its train service to Miami.

In a short letter, the National Railroad Passenger Corp. said Amtrak determined that extending its Silver Meteor and Silver Star services from their current terminus in Hialeah to MIA would be financially prohibitive.

Transportation officials negotiating the final details of Amtrak’s station lease have described themselves as stunned by Amtrak’s decision not to proceed. Instead, Amtrak plans to enhance its Hialeah station, with work expected to begin in spring 2025 and continue through at least June 2028.

Florida’s Own ‘Forrest Gump’ Honored

Miami Beach honored its own version of Forrest Gump this week, hosting a “Run with Raven” event and renaming a South Beach street to Robert “Raven” Kraft Way.

Kraft became a local celebrity for running eight miles on the beach every day for the past five decades. The 74-year-old athlete began running as a way to get over his anger when song lyrics he had written were stolen from him and sold.

The city issued Kraft a special pass allowing him to continue running on the beach during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Florida Among Top States Utilizing AI

Florida ranks sixth nationally in recent research identifying states that are leveraging technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance productivity.

The study found that Florida averages 87.13 monthly Google searches per 100,000 residents for terms related to productivity-boosting technology and AI.

The Sunshine State ranks behind Wyoming, Delaware, Alaska, North Dakota, and Vermont, and it is just ahead of New York.

The University of Florida will hold an AI summit in Orlando from Feb. 17-19 for higher education administrators, faculty, researchers, and educational technology professionals exploring ways to integrate AI into their work.

Flying together with our sponsor

6 Foods PROVEN To Eliminate Inflammation

➤ Statewide: Former Florida Gov. Buddy MacKay died on Tuesday at the age of 91. MacKay, who lost the 1998 gubernatorial race to Jeb Bush, briefly served as governor for 23 days following the sudden death of Gov. Lawton Chiles. (More) 

➤ Tallahassee: Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a memo ordering all U.S. and state flags in Florida to fly at half-staff in honor of the late President Jimmy Carter until sunset on Jan. 28. (More)

➤ Statewide: Florida Power & Light proposed a four-year plan to raise base electric rates, totaling $1.55 billion in 2026 and $930 million in 2027. (See Details)

➤ Meanwhile, The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) opened the red grouper and lane snapper season on Jan. 1, advising Florida anglers to sign up for the state reef fish angler designation as soon as possible. (More)

➤ Fort Myers: A small plane crashed into a building at Page Field Airport on Wednesday, causing significant damage but no injuries. (More)

➤ Palm Beach County: A new parks master plan presented to county commissioners includes a sportsplex featuring more than a dozen championship fields and other amenities to attract tournaments year-round. (See Video)

➤ The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Jacksonville Jaguars will both send two players to the NFL’s 2025 Pro Bowl games, while the Miami Dolphins were one of four teams without a pro bowler on the initial roster. (More) 

➤ Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler made headlines with his strange answer when reporters asked if he wished to remain with the team. (See Answer) 

➤ The Miami Hurricanes have fired their defensive coordinator, Lance Guidry, after a frustrating season that saw them miss the playoffs despite having one of the most explosive offenses in college football. (More) 

Yesterday’s results: NCAAF | NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW 

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Kailo’s Flex™ is an all-natural pain patch, designed to quickly relieve pain anywhere on your body. It is the most flexible, comfortable and affordable pain patch device we have ever made! (See It Here)

➤ Minimum-wage workers in Florida will see a $1 increase in their hourly pay in 2025, bumping their wages to $14 per hour for non-tipped workers. This increase is part of a constitutional amendment approved by voters nearly five years ago. (See Details)

➤ Intercontinental Exchange, the company that operates the New York Stock Exchange, plans to invest at least $173 million to locate the headquarters of its ICE Mortgage Technology division in Jacksonville. (More)

➤ Florida Institute of Technology has announced plans to build a six-story student housing complex with 555 beds, boosting the campus housing supply by 27%. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ The easiest way to preserve all of your photos in one place. The PhotoStick® OMNI automatically finds, sorts, and saves up to 60,000 photos and videos across all your devices with just ONE click.  Over 1.5 Million People Use ThePhotoStick® OMNI!

Flying together with our sponsor

This Food Kills Knee, Hip & Back Pain

➤ Florida scientists have discussed whether the state is adequately prepared for a tsunami and have explored the likelihood of one happening. (More)

➤ In 2024, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rescued 112 manatees across the state. (See Photo)

➤ SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday, raising the Space Coast launch tally to a record 93 for the year. (See Photo)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Keep your hands warm all winter long. Check out CozyCharge, the rechargeable hand warmer that provides 8 hours of warmth whenever you need it. (See It Here)

It’s National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day. Are you a fan?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Never had one

Thursday’s Results:

Will you watch the 2025 Miss America pageant on Jan. 5?

1. Yes: 39%
2. No: 61%

Where was the Dinky Railroad Line?

Show me the answer