Condemned murderer David Alan Gore, whose crimes at the northern end of the Treasure Coast nearly three decades ago were called heinous by Gov. Rick Scott, was executed Thursday night. Gore, 58, was put to death by lethal injection just after 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison in Stark. Gore spent 28 years on death row for the 1983 death of 17-year-old Lynn Elliott in Vero Beach.

Gov. Rick Scott will continue his lets get to work days Friday at Tampa International Airport, where he will spend time at the JetBlue and Southwest ticket counters, airport Skycap and the airport communications center. A release from the governors office states the airport was selected to demonstrate the economic impact of Floridas airports to tourism and international trade.

Opponents are turning up the heat on a Florida law that allows utilities to charge for costs of nuclear power plants that might never get built. At a news conference Thursday, the opponents announced support for a legal challenge by the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy to the constitutionality of the prepayment statute before the Florida Supreme Court.

St. Lucie County Commission Chairman Chris Dzadovsky, a Democrat from Fort Pierce, has been suspended from office by Gov. Rick Scott. Dzadovsky was charged Monday after he allegedly took a pool heater from the home of his deceased ex-fianc, according to TCPalm.com.

Royal Dutch Shell says a sheen of oil, 10 square miles in size, has been spotted in the Gulf of Mexico. The company said that it hasn't determined the cause of the sheen, estimated in size to be the equivalent of six barrels of oil. Said Fox Business, Shell issued a statement Thursday saying its operations in the Gulf are "normal with no sign of leaks" and that there are "no well control issues associated with our drilling operations in the area."

There will be no stay in the execution of David Alan Gore by Gov. Rick Scott as has been requested by the Florida Catholic Conference. Scott told reporters Thursday in the Capitol that he is praying for Gore, Gores family and Gores victims, but that he is upholding the law of the land and doesnt take signing the death warrant lightly. His crimes were heinous, he was convicted and he was sentenced to death, Scott said of Gore on Thursday.

With a charge filed in the death of Trayvon Martin, Gov. Rick Scott said he hopes to move forward with the task force into the Stand Your Ground law and other personal self-defense laws. On Wednesday, Duval County State Attorney Angela Corey announced that neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman will be charged with second-degree murder in the Feb. 26 shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford. He is expected to plead not guilty to the charge.

Months after smoke from a brush fire helped cause a deadly crash along Interstate 75, the state has approved money for message boards near Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, south of Gainesville, to provide warnings of conditions in the area beginning July 1.

In pursuit of prescription-writing privileges, Florida nurse practitioners have taken their campaign to You Tube. In the above video, a nurse practitioner, nicely accompanied by the Downton Abbey soundtrack, displays a set of cards detailing how the Florida Medical Association blocked legislation that would allow the state's nurse practitioners to work at "full scope," and notes that under the FMA's monopoly, Florida became an "epicenter" of pill mill abuse.

Amid the Republicans' alleged "war on women," female employees in the Obama White House earn considerably less than their male colleagues, records show. According to the 2011 report compiled by the White House, female employees earned a median annual salary of $60,000, which was about 18 percent less than the median salary for male employees ($71,000).

Unless there is a last-minute halt by the U.S. Supreme Court today, David Alan Gore will be executed by lethal injection at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison in Stark. Gore, tied to the murder of four teens and two women in the Vero Beach area nearly three decades ago, is set to die for the death of 17-year-old Lynn Elliott. Gov. Rick Scott signed the warrant for Gore on Feb. 28.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica will conduct a hearing next week into waste, fraud and abuse at the U.S. General Services Administration. The GSA, which came under fire recently for a boozy, gift-laden junket to Las Vegas, has a lot to answer for, the Orlando Republican said. The Las Vegas conference was the tip of the iceberg," said Mica, who will convene a hearing next Tuesday with the working title of "GSA's Squandering of Taxpayer Dollars: A Pattern of Mismanagement, Excess and Waste.

A state Department of Education study reported Wednesday that charter schools are outperforming regular public schools. Comparing FCAT data, the annual survey found that charter students scored better across the board last year. This report clearly demonstrates that charter schools are a viable option for parents, said Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson. Charter schools offer a wide range of educational environments to meet the needs of students and their families.

From the Washington Post's Wonkblog comes news of a report just out from IBISWorld that looks at 10 industries demonstrating, as the researchers put it, exceptionally sour performance in the United States. There are various reasons, from the advent of new technology to trade competition. Nevertheless, here's the list: 1. Photofinishing. 2. Newspaper publishing. 3. Appliance repair.

A day after former "Saturday Night Live" comedian-turned-activist Victoria Jackson joined conservative opponents of Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnams energy bill, House Democratic ranking member Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, urged Gov. Rick Scott to sign the bill, HB 7117. I am 100-percent positive that Governor Scott will look to someone a lot more qualified than a washed-up comedian for advice on Floridas energy future, Clemens stated in a release.