Former Navy Capt. Ryman Shoaf went on the attack in the final days of his Republican primary challenge to U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., even as a former boss endorsed the incumbent congressman.

Crenshaw released a TV ad this week stressing his roots on the First Coast and playing up the fact that he heads home for the weekends.

The ad drew fire from the Shoaf campaign on Wednesday.

Gov. Rick Scott announced plans on Thursday to raise education spending to record highs, drawing fire from his leading Democratic opponent.

Scott proposed increasing education spending to more than $19.6 billion, increasing per-student spending to $7,176, which is $232 more than last year. The previous record high was $7,126 from 2007-08 when Charlie Crist, who was then a Republican, was governor.

Those of us who admit that we were not there, and do not know what happened when Michael Brown was shot by a policeman in Ferguson, Mo., seem to be in the minority.

Key West, and now all of Monroe County, is teaching the rest of Florida what it's got to do to protect coastal water: Build sewage treatment plants, make every building in every town connect.

I've written some variation of this letter many times over the last decade and each time I've set it aside, hewing to the old advice, "If you can't say something nice " But then, I am upbraided by supporters for leaving charges unanswered, saying silence is agreement.