After 10 Glorious Years, Sunshine State News and I Are Passing the Baton

State Attorney Angela Corey, now gaining national attention for her role in the Trayvon Martin case, announced on Tuesday that she is backing former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux for the Republican nomination to challenge U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., in November,

Gov. Rick Scott appointed Panama City Beach Mayor Gayle Oberst to the Florida Greenways and Trails Council. Oberst, 68, succeeds Greg Chelius. The term begins May 29 and ends Jan. 23, 2013.

Florida recorded $6.3 billion being spent at its seven cruise ports as the number of cruise passengers grew from 12.8 million in 2009-2010 to 13.5 million in the 2010-2011 fiscal year, according to the Florida Ports Council's Five-Year Mission Plan released Friday. Port of Miami, Port Everglades and Port Canaveral retained the top spots among the nation's cruise industry. Overall, Florida accounted for 59.7 percent of all U.S. cruise embarkations. Florida Cruise numbers*

Oy Vey! Five days after getting trounced in a GOP straw poll in Tampa, Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente went partisan at a synagogue in Delray Beach. One of three justices facing merit retention in November, Pariente made a case to keep her job -- by raising the specter of Republican Gov. Rick Scott. "This is on the ballot every six years and will be the fourth time I have participated in a merit retention election," she told an audience at Temple Emeth.