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Friday, April 11, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1986, a shootout between eight FBI agents and two serial bank robbers in Dade County ended with two agents dead and five wounded—and prompted law enforcement agencies to seek more powerful handguns.

This weekend you can saturate your senses with folk music, food, and fun from the seven Celtic nations at the Ormond Beach Celtic Festival.

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House and Senate Begin Budget Negotiations

The Florida House and Senate passed proposed budgets on Wednesday that differ by billions of dollars, leaving a little more than three weeks to reach an agreement on tax cuts.

The proposed Senate budget is $117.3 billion. The House proposal totals almost $113 billion and includes a $5.4 billion tax package, including a reduction in the state sales tax rate from 6% to 5.25%.

The Senate has outlined a less aggressive proposal to provide a permanent sales tax exemption on clothes and shoes costing $75 or less.

Senate President Ben Albritton expects the House and Senate to "end up somewhere in the middle" on a budget. The legislative session is scheduled to end on May 2, and the state's new fiscal year begins on July 1.

Unanimously Approved Senate Bills Advance

Several bills cleared the Senate with unanimous votes on Wednesday. The bills now await House approval.

A bill to increase penalties for using mobile apps or Bluetooth-powered tracking devices like AirTags while committing crimes would make it a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

The Fraudulent Use of Gift Cards bill raises the penalty for unlawful gift card use to a first-degree misdemeanor for offenses up to $750 and a third-degree felony for offenses above $750.

A House committee is considering a similar version of the Senate flood disclosures bill, which would require landlords to provide tenants with flood risk information before they sign a rental agreement.

The Wine Containers bill further loosens regulations for containers in which wine can be sold statewide, allowing for the use of additional recyclable containers.

Patterson’s Law, which provides additional rights to parents of children removed from homes by DCF, includes the ability to seek third-party opinions about a child’s well-being in certain circumstances.

Teacher May Lose Job over Student's Name

The violation of a Florida law giving parents more control over the names used for their children in school may result in the termination of a teacher.

Melissa Calhoun, a teacher at Satellite High School, referred to a student by a preferred name rather than his or her legal name without parental consent. Calhoun has been informed that her contract will not be extended "until the issue is resolved with the state."

As of press time, more than 16,000 supporters were calling for Brevard Public Schools to renew Calhoun's ten-month contract in May.

In a statement regarding Calhoun’s dismissal, the district wrote that it "supports parents’ rights to be the primary decision-makers in their children’s lives, and Florida law affirms their right to be informed."

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➤ Miami-Dade: Commissioner Kevin Cabrera was confirmed as the ambassador to Panama by the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, leaving a vacant seat on the 13-member Board of Commissioners. (More)

➤ Fort Lauderdale: The U.S. Coast Guard offloaded 48,000 pounds of drugs valued at over $509 million at Port Everglades on Wednesday. The narcotics, connected to cartel activities, were collected from 13 interdictions in the eastern Pacific Ocean. (See Photo)

➤ Statewide: The Florida Senate approved a bill confirming the Gulf of America name change, along with another bill requiring the change in materials at state agencies and schools. The House approved the bills, and they now go to Gov. Ron DeSantis for signing. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, House lawmakers questioned the state's main healthcare agency about a $10 million donation to Hope Florida Foundation, an organization launched by Gov. DeSantis and his wife Casey. (See Details)

➤ Palm Beach County: The Board of County Commissioners approved Palm Beach Atlantic's plan for financing a new $250 million, 25-story mixed-use dormitory in West Palm Beach to open in August of 2027. (More)

➤ Fort Myers: The Lee County Athletic Conference Hall of Fame inducted nine new members on Thursday. (See Inductees)

➤ Miami Marlins center fielder Dane Myers put his body on the line to secure the final out of the team's 5-0 win over the New York Mets on Wednesday, crashing into the outfield wall headfirst. (Watch Video)

➤ The Orlando Magic clinched the seventh seed in the NBA's Eastern Conference on Wednesday night with a dominant 96-76 win over the defending champion Boston Celtics. Orlando will host the No. 8 seed at the Kia Center on April 15. (More)

➤ The Tampa Bay Lightning forced overtime after trailing 2-0 early in their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. They ultimately fell 4-3 after Toronto wing Matthew Knies completed a hat trick with the game-winning goal. (More)

Yesterday's results: Masters | MLB | NBA | NHL | NCAABB | NCAASB | Soccer

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➤ Travel + Leisure Co., based in Orlando, is expanding its Margaritaville brand with a new timeshare resort in Kissimmee, expected to welcome guests in 2027. (More)

➤ Olsen Actuators and Drives, a British component maker, announced plans to open an office at Cape Canaveral to take advantage of growing demand in the U.S. space industry. (More)

➤ American National Bank, based in Broward County, moved closer to being acquired by United Community Bank for its $439 million in assets. United, which is based in Greenville, S.C., has now made three bank acquisitions in Florida since 2020. (More)

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➤ Downtown Orlando's Game Room & Social Club is preparing to reveal its recent transformation following an overhaul by the reality TV show Bar Rescue. (More)

➤ Florida's comeback victory over Houston in Monday's NCAA title game was the most-watched men's championship game in six years. The Gators' 65-63 victory averaged 18.1 million viewers on CBS, a 22% increase over last year's game. (More)

➤ A University of Central Florida alumna donated nearly $1 million to the Orlando-based school on its Day of Giving to support student scholarships, development, and experiential learning. (See Photos)

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