The former clerk of courts in Brevard County, Mitch Needelman, has been charged withbribery and bid tampering, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced Thursday.

With the Navy relying more on Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) in recent years, Mayport is set to become the home port for 14 of them by 2020. These surface vehicles are mostly used for operations near shore. The Navy recently concluded an enviromental study which found bringing the 14 LCS ships to Mayport would not have a major impact.

Florida A&M University's marching band will be making its first appearance since its 19-month suspension at the college's first football game of the season on Sept. 1 in Orlando. The band will be performing in the same place as it performed before its suspension.

Rep. Janet Adkins, R-Fernandina Beach, added her name to a growing list of supporters for state representative hopeful Blaise Ingoglia, who is running for the State House District 35 seat, which covers most of Hernando County.The seat is currently held by Rep. Rob Schenck, who must leave office because of term limits.

Former Congressman Allen West, a favorite of the tea party, who has opened the door to a political comeback in 2016, ripped the Defense Departments priorities on Thursday.

In a speech Thursday, President Barack Obama said the U.S. would be canceling an upcoming joint military exercise with Egypt in the wake of violent clashesbetween the military-backed government and supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood.

News emerged on Thursday that Allie Braswell, currently leading the Central Florida Urban League and a former Marine Corps vet, will run for the Democratic nomination to challenge Florida CFO Jeff Atwater. Braswell also worked for Walt Disney World as a diversity manager and with technology.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., continues to tour the state and call for the defunding of President Barack Obamas health care law. Rubio spoke in Pensacola on Wednesday and continued to throw jabs, insisting Washington can fund the government but defund the health care law.

National pundit Larry Sabato is decreasing U.S. Sen. Marco Rubios, R-Fla., chances for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 in his latest Crystal Ball rankings. Sabato believes Rubios chances are not as good as those of Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, U.S.Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

While two of the three 15-year-olds who savagely beat a 13-year-old boy on a school bus in Pinellas County were put on juvenile probation earlier this week, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) raised the punishment on Thursday. The 15-year-olds attacked the 13-year-old due to his informing school officials they were trying to sell him drugs. The beating, which took place in Gulfport, went viral since it was recorded and posted online.

A scheduled fire alarm testing at the Florida Capitol is scheduled for Wednesday evening from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m., but even a fire alarm can't put out the Dream Defenders protest in Tallahassee.

Former Congressman Allen West, who has left the door open to a political comeback, ripped President Barack Obamas Middle East policies on Wednesday and claimed the Muslim Brotherhood has infiltrated the American government.

The world just marked the 60th anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War, but a veteran from Florida is about to be honored for his service in that conflict. U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, R-Fla., will present the Purple Heart to Frank Trent of Indialantic on Friday.

House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, continued to push back against protesters demanding the Legislature hold a special session to repeal Floridas Stand Your Ground law on Wednesday afternoon. Earlier in the day, Weatherford noted there were not enough legislators who supported a special session to hold one. Not enough votes for Stand Your Ground special session, Weatherford posted on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon. Florida supports self-defense laws.

Rep. Alan Williams, D-Tallahassee, is making his voice heard on the Voting Rights Act. Williams will be speaking Wednesday in Atlanta at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church following a presentation by legendary civil rights activist the Rev. Joseph Lowery and others who are launching a 50-state project to "counter unfair and unnecessary voting restrictions that have resulted in voter discrimination throughout the country," according to a statement from Williams.