Good Morning! On this day in 1766, John Bartram, the founder of modern naturalism and botany, concluded his journey through the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida to document the natural flora of the New World.
Need something to do this weekend? You might enjoy the Venice Sharks Tooth Festival on Saturday and Sunday in the “Shark Tooth Capital of the World.”
We’re sponsored today by World Concern, a nonprofit offering an opportunity to help earthquake victims in Myanmar.
Daytona Beach 🌤️ 76/61° | Ft. Myers 🌤️ 85/62° | Jacksonville 🌤️ 79/59° | Key West 🌤️ 77/73° | Miami 🌤️ 81/70° | Ocala 🌤️ 82/57° | Orlando 🌤️ 80/62° | Pensacola ☀️ 77/60° | Port St. Lucie 🌤️ 79/62° | Tallahassee ☀️ 82/56° | Tampa ☀️ 84/63°
Fluoride Debate Reaches Tallahassee
Communities around Florida have been voting on whether or not to keep fluoride in city or county water. State lawmakers are joining the debate and may soon ban adding fluoride and other non-purifying additives to water supplies throughout the state.
Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo is among the critics of fluoride in water. He spoke against the process at a press conference in Winter Haven last November.
On Monday, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he plans to tell the CDC to stop recommending fluoridation nationwide and announced that he is assembling a task force of health experts to study the issue.
The bill’s critics argue that local governments should decide on fluoride rather than the state. They also note the potential health benefits.
Monfort turned 108 on December 17, 83 years after being stationed in Pearl Harbor around the time the Japanese attacked the naval station.
When he celebrated his birthday in 2024, Monfort was named Florida’s oldest living World War II veteran. Staff at his assisted living facility are honoring him with his photo in the lobby.
Tucker the Giraffe Debuts at Disney
A newly born Masai giraffe named Tucker made his Walt Disney World debut this week alongside his mother, Mara, at Animal Kingdom’s Harambe Wildlife Reserve.
Tucker is the first giraffe calf born at Walt Disney World Resort since 2021. The Masai giraffe is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with around 30,000 giraffes remaining globally.
Through its partnership with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Disney has welcomed the births of various animals, including Hartmann’s mountain zebras, cotton-top tamarins, a rare addax, and an endangered Sumatran tiger cub.
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It’s fallen out of the news cycle, but we know you won’t forget these families.
A devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar and Southeast Asia, leaving behind devastation, death, and despair. Homes have crumbled, families are displaced, and critical infrastructure has collapsed. At this moment, there are more than three thousand reported dead, and aid groups have described the damage and needs as “staggering.”
➤West Central Florida: Residents in Pasco County and in Plant City in Hillsborough County voted in municipal elections on Tuesday. (See Results)
➤ Orange County: Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Andrew Bain to the county court as a judge. Bain was the state attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit, which serves Orange and Osceola. (More)
➤ Starke: Michael Tanzi was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. on Tuesday following a three-drug injection at Florida State Prison for the April 2000 murder of Janet Acosta, a Miami Herald employee. (More)
➤ Manatee County: With daily weapons screenings set to expand to middle schools, the school board unanimously voted to create a new position—guardian weapons detection system technician—to handle checks at each campus starting in August. (More)
➤ Palm Harbor: After years of fundraising, the FEAST Food Pantry opened its new facility this week. Four outside donation boxes allow 24/7 donations. (More)
➤ Reddick: Twenty-one trapped horses died in a barn fire when the roof collapsed. The cause of the fire is under investigation. (More)
➤ Miami Marlins center fielder Derek Hill made a full-extension dive to secure one of the best catches in recent memory on Tuesday. (Watch Video)
➤ Florida State women’s basketball guard Ta’Niya Latson, who was the leading scorer in D-I last season, has announced she is transferring to South Carolina. (More)
➤The Florida Panthers ended their five-game losing streak on Tuesday with a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. The win moves the Panthers two points away from tying the Tampa Bay Lightning for second place in the Atlantic Division. (More)
➤ LoanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins, will host Pool D during the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Venezuela and the Dominican Republic are expected to be the top two teams in the pool. (More)
➤Miami-based Brightline rail service has launched its first loyalty program, Brightline Rewards, offering passengers incentives based on the number of trips and miles traveled. (More)
➤Culver’splans to add 55 new restaurants in the U.S. this year, including 15 in Florida. The restaurant chain opened 53 locations in 2024. (More)
➤Diamond Springson Normandy Boulevard in Jacksonville will be Duval County’s first lagoon community when it opens this year with 2,700 single-family homes and townhomes. (See Photo)
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Families in Myanmar need emergency medical treatment, food, water, and vital services. World Concern has been working in Myanmar for decades, assessing needs, actively responding, and investing in the long-term rehabilitation of this place and its people. Please give today!
Your gift today can help provide: · Emergency medical care, medicines, and vaccinations · Safe water, hygiene kits, and sanitation services · Emergency shelter and essential supplies for displaced families
➤ Hurricane Helene swept 84 gopher tortoises through two miles of open water to their current home at Fort de Soto Park near St. Petersburg. (See Photos)
➤ During voter roll maintenance in March, Florida Democrats lost over 23,000 voters, three times as many as Republicans. (More)
➤ Babe Ruth’sspring training getaway home in St. Petersburg, which was built in 1924 in the Old Northeast neighborhood, is for sale for $1.86 million. (See Photos)
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Do you think communities should add fluoride to the water supply?
