Good Morning! On this day in 1972, Hurricane Agnes made landfall in the Panhandle. Agnes killed 119 people and caused $3 billion in damages.
Playing with Legos has been a favorite way for kids to while away their time. Now, they’re building robots with them to win competitions. Check it out in the North Florida section.
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We’re flying today with our sponsors GoDonut, the last phone stand you’ll ever need!
A major reform to mental healthcare in Florida was signed into law on Friday by Gov. Ron DeSantis, an issue that is a prime focus of First Lady Casey DeSantis.
The “Mental Health and Substance Abuse” act calls for a $50 million investment in mental health services, and includes new standards for involuntary mental health treatment.
The measure also includes a broader definition of licensing for mental health practitioners, and a modernization of Florida’s Baker and Marchman Acts for the first time since they were approved in 1971 and 1993, respectively.
State Representative Patt Maney, R-Shalimar, who introduced the bill, said he considered this a “monumental step” forward in mental health care in the state.
Atlantic Storm Tracking Toward Florida
The National Hurricane Center is monitoring a potential storm developing off the east coast of Florida that could impact much of the coast.
The storm’s quick movement will limit its potential for strengthening but a tropical depression or low-end tropical storm could form. Poor beach weather and more rain is expected along the already-battered southeast coast.
Meanwhile, a storm developing in the Gulf will likely form into a tropical storm, forecasters say, heading for Mexico and not expected to land in the U.S.
Panthers Lose Game 5
The Florida Panthers dropped another game to the Oilers last night, cutting their Stanley Cup Final advantage to 3-2.
Connor McDavid put on another clinic for Edmonton, scoring twice and assisting on two more goals in route to a 5-3 win. He now has 42 points in 23 playoff games—five shy of Wayne Gretzky’s 1985 NHL record of 47 points in a single postseason.
The Panthers will regroup and head back to Alberta for Game 6 on Friday, 8 ET. Head coach Paul Maurice had this to say after last night’s game: “I’m not feeling deflated, neither is the hockey team. They’re not feeling deflated. A little grumpy.”
➤ PortMiami: The world capital for cruise ships unveiled “shore power” on Monday, allowing cruise ships to turn off their engines and plug into landside electricity. Authorities say the system cuts pollution, saves fuel, and cuts noise. (More)
➤ LaBelle: Hendry County leaders say a new $300-million cargo hub dubbed Airglades, now awaiting approval by the FAA, could transform the rural county’s economy by creating more than 1,400 new jobs. (More)
Central Florida
➤ Largo: The national convenience store chain Wawa opened its first drive-thru site in Florida last week. The drive-thru focuses on a limited menu of deli sandwiches, wraps, and breakfast Sizzlis. (More)
➤ The Lakeland Linder International Airport is offering commercial flights for the first time in more than 10 years. Avelo Airlines now provides nonstop service between the Polk County airport and Tweed-New Haven Airport in southern Connecticut on Thursdays and Sundays. (More)
North Florida
➤ Gainesville: Alachua County commissioners will pay $3.8 million to buy the West End Golf Course and create a recreational facility, ending an ongoing debate about the fate of the property. (More)
➤ Daytona Beach: The inaugural “First Lego League’s Florida Sunshine Invitational” begins today at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to determine which team has created the best robot. The competition includes 50 teams from 16 countries, including six from Florida. (See Panama City Team)
The Panhandle
➤ Tallahassee: A special magistrate recommended a pay raise for lieutenants in the firefighters union and a higher increase for firefighters than what the city had offered, breaking a year-long stalemate over Tallahassee Professional Firefighters’ contracts. (More)
➤ Panama City Beach: Police Chief J.R. Talamantez was removed from his position late Monday pending an investigation into an unspecified complaint. Deputy Police Chief Chad Lindsey has been appointed acting Police Chief. (More)
➤ Florida State defeated North Carolina 9-5 Tuesday to advance in the Men’s College World Series. Meanwhile, Florida was scheduled to play Kentucky, but the game was postponed until today. (More)
➤ Marlins center fielder Jazz Chisholm reached base a season-high five times on Monday, including a game-tying RBI triple in the 6th inning. (See Video)
➤ The Jaguars and Buccaneers announced their training camps will start on July 23rd. Fans can view team practices at Miller Electric Center and AdventHealth Training Center. (More)
➤ 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)
➤Orlando-based Tupperware will close its last U.S. Factory in January and move production to Mexico, according to a WARN notice filed by the company last week. The iconic food storage brand appointed a new CEO, Laurie Ann Goldman, in October. (More)
➤ The Cannabist Company, a major national marijuana distributor, announced that it’s in the process of divesting its entire asset portfolio and licenses in the Florida market. (See Why)
➤ Miami-based Related Group led a joint venture last week that won one of the largest construction mortgages to close this year in South Florida, $400 million to build 50 luxury condos on Fisher Island. The enclave off Miami Beach is one of the country’s wealthiest ZIP codes. (More)
Flying together with our sponsor
➤Check out our latest sponsor, ButcherBox, offering their best-selling box, the Custom Classic. Choose six of their high-quality options and get up to 14 lbs of meat and seafood, and you’ll get a free upgrade and $60 off. It’s an exclusive deal for Flyover Florida. (See it here)
Flying together with our sponsor
The GoDonut is super simple… no setup or assembly required. Just set down your phone, tablet, or e-reader on the GoDonut stand and enjoy!
Unlike other complex gadgets, there’s no intricate mechanism or multi-step process here. To adjust the angle of your device, simply reposition your phone inside one of the two grooves. That’s it! And the best part? Its compact design means you can just place the GoDonut in your pocket and go.
➤ Lakeland: A Florida man was taken into custody on Saturday after his phone tipped off deputies that he was hiding from them in the ceiling. (More)
➤ Clearwater: Animal shelter volunteers rallied Monday outside the Pinellas County Courthouse to seek “Justice for Dexter” as the man accused of killing Dexter, an adopted dog, went on trial for the crime. (See Details)
➤ “CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular,” a nighttime lagoon show with drones, fireworks, and projection mapping, debuted this week at Universal Studios Florida. (Video)
Flying together with our sponsor
➤With natural ingredients, the AquaPure removes contaminants from your produce, greatly reducing the amount of harmful chemicals that you are ingesting. It removes up to 99% of pesticides & bacteria found in produce.(See it here)