As tar balls washed up on a Florida beach for the first time, Panhandle and state tourism officials began grappling with how to escape a disastrous summer season for the local economy. Angst was most acute in Pensacola Beach, where the mostly-pellet-size oil globs began to appear early Friday.
Despite his long friendship and political working relationship with Gov. Charlie Crist, U.S. Sen. George LeMieux has made it clear he is staying within the Republican Party. LeMieux has ripped into President Barack Obamas response to the spill in the Gulf and has backed GOP candidate Marco Rubio for the U.S.
While Florida's East Coast ports maneuver to tie in with inland logistics centers, the state's largest cargo tonnage port keeps growing on the West Coast.
The Port of Tampa recently completed the latest phase of ongoing expansion at its container terminal, increasing the paved storage area from 25 acres to 40 acres.
DEMS, GOP SPAR ON PROSECUTOR FITNESS
PBS station managers made a big push last year to drive any trace of "sectarian" Christianity out of the taxpayer-funded broadcasting system, banning any church services or religious lectures that appeared on a handful of stations. They ultimately compromised and banned any new church programming.
Continuing his stunning -- some say long overdue -- fall from grace, former state GOP chairman Jim Greer was assailed by a Republican National Committee spokesman on Thursday.
Warily watching Florida's 770 miles of Gulf coastline -- as well as the political polls -- Gov. Charlie Crist on Thursday asked BP America's president to send $50 million more to the state.
"Due to the extensive nature of (the Deepwater Horizon oil spill), Florida's state agencies and local governments have incurred significant costs associated with planning and preparing for potential impacts," Crist wrote to Lamar McKay.
The University of Central Florida is getting nearly $6 million from the state budget for a new business incubator facility that will help it keep jobs in its area and boost the creation of high-tech, specialized small businesses looking for a way to get off the ground.
Gov. Charlie Crist defended his hand-picked Republican Party of Florida chairman, even when the heat was on Jim Greer to resign.
