Gov. Rick Scott has canceled all his afternoon plans in order to travel to Kansas City, Mo., where his mother Esther has been seriously ill. The following message was posted on Scott's Facebook page. Please pray for my mother, Esther. She is in the ICU fighting an infection. This has been a tough year for our family. Ann lost her father in January and her mother in September.

Two men were arrested in Hamilton County Tuesday after they failed to stop at an inspection station and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services law enforcement officers found more than 500 pounds of synthetic marijuana in their truck.

State Rep. John Patrick Julien, D-North Miami, has announced his decision not to appeal his primary election defeat to Rep. Barbara Watson of Miami Gardens. In a letter to supporters, the Haitian-born legislator cites his reluctance to cause division and to make taxpayer foot the bill of a special election if he should prevail.

Sunshine State News has come across a flyer critical of the Florida Property Tax Amendment ("Amendment 4"), published by Broward County, that seems to fly in the face of state laws that prohibit local governments from expending taxpayer dollars on political advertisements. The fliers seem to One side of the flyer reads: "Broward Can't Afford Amendment 4

House Minority Leader-designate Perry Thurston, D-Plantation, released the following statement in advance of the Thursday release of Gov. Rick Scott's College and Career FIRST Education Agenda at the Market Watch -- Education Summit in Fort Myers.Here we go again. Its almost Halloween and Rick Scott is trying to disguise his horrific education record, Thurston stated.

A survey of the students in the Sunshine State Scholars program found Florida is doing a better job keeping the students from heading out of state to continue their education, the Department of Education announced Wednesday. A survey that contacted 62 of the states 67 science, technology, engineering and mathematics scholars from 2011 found that 36 settled into a Florida university or college for their freshman year.

Gov. Rick Scott has already ordered the state inspector general to investigate spending by the Florida State College at Jacksonville foundation, as well as a look at presidents' contracts throughout the state college system. State Sen. Steve Oelrich, R-Gainesville, believes more eyes should be looking into the possible fiscal shenanigans at the Jacksonville campus.

The Florida Commission on Ethics has dismissed two complaints against Democrat Keith Fitzgerald for a lack of legal sufficiency meaning there was no basis for the complaints. The complaints were filed as part of what the Fitzgerald campaign on Wednesday called "a smear campaign launched by incumbent Congressman Vern Buchanan and the Republican Party of Florida to distract voters from Buchanans own long record of investigations and poor ethical judgment."

Kelly Windes will get to join the Okaloosa County Commission a couple of weeks earlier than expected. Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday appointed Windes to complete the term of James Campbell, who was removed from office by the governor on Sept. 17, according to the Northwest Florida Daily News.

Death by oxycodone dropped 17.7 percent in 2011, with overall deaths from prescription drugs down 6.37 percent, according to a state report released Thursday by Attorney General Pam Bondi and Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey. The 2011 Medical Examiners Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons Report stated that drugs caused 9,135 deaths in 2011, with alcohol and prescription medicine causing more fatalities than illicit drugs.

Interim Florida Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart will preview the new student Common Core State Standards testing during a panel discussion at the Second Annual Market Watch Education Summit in Ft. Myers on Thursday. Gov. Rick Scott is the keynote speaker for the event being held at the Harborside Event Center, where he will introduce his education proposal for 2013, titled College and Careers 1st.

The Florida Retail Association has endorsed former state representative Aaron Bean, a Republican from Fernandina Beach, for the Senate District 4 seat. The Florida Retail Federation is pleased to support your candidacy for the Florida State Senate, District 4, Florida Retail Federation President and CEO Rick McAllister stated in a release. We believe that you will prove to be a strong voice for the retail business community in your district, and for the state.

Conservative Washington, D.C.-based Super PAC American Crossroads, which has ties to many prominent Republican leaders including legendary strategist Karl Rove, has pumped $2.1 million into Florida to run a pair of TV ads for one week that focus on President Obamas handling of the economy.

Associated Industries of Florida has backed Rep. Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange, in the state Senate District 8 contest against Democratic challenger Frank Bruno. We were impressed by your appreciation of the free-enterprise system and support for policies that will promote a prosperous economy for all Floridians, AIF President Tom Feeney stated in a release.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said Tuesday she plans to join the hundreds of thousands in Florida voting absentee for the general election. But instead of mailing in her ballot, she intends to deliver it in person to her county supervisor of elections. I heard people are getting letters back that their signatures dont match, Bondi said.So folks, if youre voting absentee dont scribble.