Good Morning! On this day in 1953, songwriter and record producer John Charles Barrett, known professionally as Desmond Child, was born in Gainesville. His more than 80 top 40 writing credits include Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer, Aerosmith’s Dude (Looks Like a Lady), and Ricky Martin’s Livin’ la Vida Loca.
Hurricane Melissa intensified to a Category 5 on Monday. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami warned people in Jamaica to head to shelters and stay there. Melissa is set to make landfall in Jamaica today, before impacting Cuba tonight and the Bahamas on Wednesday. It’s the strongest storm on record to strike Jamaica. Florida is not expected to be impacted.
🎧Today’s episode of The Flyover Podcast brings you coverage of a bizarre story out of Maryland, where an AI-powered security system mistakenly identified a bag of Doritos as a gun. Police drew their weapons and handcuffed the snack-eating high school student, who said he feared for his life. How did a harmless bag of chips trigger such a dangerous mix-up—and what does it say about AI in school safety? Hear the details on today’s episode of The Flyover Podcast.
Watch your inbox later today for a note from our partner Compressa—they helped our own Editor-in-Chief, David, get back on his bike pain-free, and he’s sharing how it worked for him.
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Florida State Employees Lowest Paid in U.S.
State of Florida employees are the lowest-paid state government workers in the country, ranking 51st among other states and Washington, D.C., in terms of hourly wages, according to the online job site ZipRecruiter.
Florida’s nearly 100,000 state employees are paid thousands of dollars less than those in neighboring Alabama and Georgia, despite the state having the 16th largest economy in the world and the fourth largest among U.S. states, at $1.7 trillion.
Florida state workers earn, on average, $26,000 less than workers in Illinois, which has the fifth-largest economy, and $39,000 less than workers in New York, who provide services for the third-largest economy in the U.S.
The Sunshine State employs around 96 employees per 10,000 residents. The national average among states is 198 state employees per 10,000 residents.
Netflix Movie Refuels Murder Case Interest
A feud among Ocala neighbors over kids playing led to a 2023 murder and fueled a nationwide conversation about stand your ground laws. A Netflix documentary has brought the spotlight back to the case, garnering 16.7 million views in its first three days.
The Perfect Neighbor features police body cam video, 911 calls, and interviews in the case of 61-year-old Susan Lorincz, who shot and killed neighbor Ajike Owens, a mother of four, after a year of confrontations about children playing near her home.
Lorincz is serving a 25-year prison sentence after being found guilty of killing Owens, who was 35 years old, and had been knocking on Lorincz’s door. Lorincz fired a single shot through the locked door, killing Owens. She claimed she feared for her life.
The film has a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score from 67 critics, which is unusual for a documentary. Described as “a documentary horror film built with police footage,” it screened at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
Gleason Chosen as Favorite Florida Burial Buddy
Comedian and actor Jackie Gleason landed on a list of celebrities that people would most want to be buried next to. At No. 21, Gleason was Florida’s highest-ranking celebrity in the Choice Mutual life insurance agency’s survey of 3,128 people.
Best known for his role as Brooklyn bus driver Ralph Kramden in the TV show The Honeymooners, Gleason died at age 71 in Lauderhill in 1987. He’s buried at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Cemetery in Doral.
Singer, songwriter, and businessman Jimmy Buffett was the only other Floridian to make the list, ranking at No. 32. Buffett is listed as being buried at the Key West Cemetery. A memorial reef is planned for him in Key West.
Elvis Presley, Abraham Lincoln, and George Washington were the top three celebrities chosen as perfect eternal neighbors. Other famous people buried in Florida include Don Shula, Connie Francis, Leslie Nielsen, Rocky Marciano, and Perry Como.
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➤ Hillsborough County: Gov. Ron DeSantis has called a special election to replace former Sen. Jay Collins in Senate District 14. A primary will be held Jan. 13, with a general election on March 24. Collins resigned to become lieutenant governor. (More)
➤ Palm Beach County: Gov. DeSantis has also called a special election to replace former Rep. Mike Caruso in House District 87. A primary will be held Jan. 13, with a general election on March 24. Caruso resigned to become the county clerk. (More)
➤ Panhandle: On Monday, a morning storm in Bay and Gulf counties caused damage and power outages. In Mexico Beach, officials responded to a tornado that touched down at a campground near El Governor Beach Resort. (See Photos)
➤ Central Florida: Heavy rainfall and localized flooding impacted the area Sunday night. Brevard County experienced a road collapse, and streets in Lake County were closed due to submerged vehicles. (See Photos)
➤ South Florida: Overnight downpours Sunday into Monday flooded streets in parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties. Good Samaritans rescued an elderly man who was stuck in his vehicle with water up to his chest. (See Video)
➤ Statewide: Two bills were filed concerning safety measures for swimming pools on residential property, requiring that home pools have at least one safety feature in place. Florida leads the nation in unintentional drowning deaths among children aged 1 to 4. (More)
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➤ Former NFL tight end Antonio Gates is accused of hosting rigged poker games in Miami as the “face card” of the event, drawing in participants with his celebrity. It’s unclear if the allegations are tied to the FBI’s wider, mafia-related sports gambling probe. (More)
➤ Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin has emerged as a top contender for the Florida Gators’ coaching vacancy, but LSU is also expected to pursue the signal caller in the offseason, which could result in a bidding war. (More)
➤Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov scored his 1,000th career point against the Anaheim Ducks this weekend. The bench cleared to celebrate with him. Captain Victor Hedman also hit his own 800-point benchmark during the game. (More)
➤ Ravens quarterback and former MVPLamar Jackson is expected to return to action against the Miami Dolphins this Thursday night after missing the last three games with injury. (More)
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➤ The Florida Cattlemen’s Association released a statement on social media, saying President Donald Trump’s proposal to import more beef from Argentina to combat record-high prices “threatens American cattle producers.” (More)
➤ Construction on the Jacksonville International Airport’s new $300 million terminal hit a milestone on Friday, as workers installed the final steel girder during a “topping-off” ceremony. (More)
➤ New Smyrna Beach businesses are offering evening events to stay afloat during the quiet months of October through January. (See Video)
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➤ Students from Wildwood Middle High School in Sumter County are working to build a home as part of Habitat for Humanity’s Youth Construction Academy. The program offers on-site learning opportunities and technical education. (See Video)
➤ A Jacksonville mom shared her story of dialing 211, which connects to a free, 24/7 resource helpline run by United Way of Northeast Florida. Individuals and families can get support for utilities, housing, mental health, and other basic needs. (More)
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Have you watched the Florida movie The Perfect Neighbor on Netflix?
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Florida State Employees Lowest Paid in U.S.
