Misc

The lead group fighting the proposed “Hometown Democracy” amendment collected $4.7 million between April 1 and July 16 compared to $138,573 for the group that put the measure on the ballot in November. Amendment 4 would require voter approval of changes by cities and counties to comprehensive land use plans. Supporters say the amendment is […]

Scattered tar balls continued to wash up along the Florida Panhandle coast on Monday but federal and state officials said there appeared to be much less oil in Gulf waters from the formerly spewing BP oil well. The well off the Louisiana coast has remained capped since July 15 after gushing since an explosion and

University of South Florida researchers have confirmed that two subsea clouds of micro oil droplets found in May were from the BP oil spill. Their findings suggest that the oil spilled between April 20 and July 15 raises the possibility that the spill poses a threat to fish and sea life off the Florida coast

State officials on Thursday trumpeted the reopening of federal waters far off the southwest Florida coast that had been closed to fishing because of the BP oil spill. Florida officials had pressed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to reopen waters where they said oil no longer was found. NOAA on Thursday reopened 26,388 square

Florida’s globally known cave explorer, photographer and Florida springs advocate Wes Skiles died Wednesday while filming off the coast of Palm Beach County, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday. (See statement attached as comments). Based in High Springs with Karst Productions, Skiles, 52, was a former member of the Florida Springs Task Force.

A federal judge has issued yet another ruling against Georgia in a tri-state water dispute but in doing so also has ruled against Florida, according to news reports. Alabama, Florida and Georgia have been fighting in federal court over water in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system since 1990. The issue pits growth in Alabama and Georgia

A possible tropical storm in the Atlantic Ocean posed a threat to Florida later this week and to efforts to permanently seal the BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico The BP oil well since April 20 has fouled Escambia County beaches, threatened the state’s tourism economy and caused political upheaval. A special session

With the BP oil spill again having sounded calls for more attention to energy alternatives, some renewable energy supporters said Tuesday they remain hopeful the Legislature will take up the issue this summer. “I don’t think anybody expected [the House to adjourn in] 53 minutes,” said Mike Anthiel, executive director of the Florida Alliance for

The Florida Legislature on Tuesday adjourned within three hours after opening a special session on oil drilling called by Gov. Charlie Crist. Crist had called the session to last four days to consider placing a state constitution ban on the ballot in November. But House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, told the House shortly after the

In 2009, Rep. Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, argued in favor of lifting the ban in state law against oil drilling in Florida waters. Supporters of placing a ban on oil drilling in the state Constitution say you don’t have to go far back in history — only to 2009 — to show why one is