Just a little while to go and the long national nightmare that is the Chicago Cubs' World Series drought may be over.

Citrus production continues to plummet in Florida, as the first forecast for the 2016-2017 growing season indicates a 14 percent drop in the state's orange crop.

Citizens Property Insurance policyholders have filed more than 1,100 claims regarding Hurricane Matthew as of Monday afternoon and more claims are expected, according to the state-backed insurer.

Meanwhile, an industry analysis projects overall losses from the storm being “manageable.”

Of the Citizens' claims, 963 came from property owners in Volusia, Brevard, Flagler, St. Johns and Duval counties, the regions hardest hit by the storm that battered Florida's coastline late last week.

Gov. Rick Scott expressed disapproval of lewd comments by Donald Trump that emerged Friday, but stopped short of condemning the Republican presidential hopeful.

With recovery efforts underway south of Brevard County after Florida's Southeastern coast was pummeled by Hurricane Matthew, Gov. Rick Scott warned Friday morning that the state is only half-way through the powerful storm.

With political appearances and conferences being called off and courthouses planning to close, the massive Hurricane Matthew was already having an effect Tuesday as it loomed over the southeastern horizon.

Gov. Rick Scott and the current members of the Florida Cabinet could be poised to make their largest outright purchase of land for preservation. 

With Florida businesses facing a 14.5 percent increase in workers' compensation insurance rates, state Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and a key Republican senator said they expect lawmakers to take action during the 2017 legislative session.

Emergency repairs to two underground parking decks at the Capitol and planned upgrades to a main entry plaza could reach $75 million.

Department of Management Services Secretary Chad Poppell, whose agency oversees the complex, said officials should have a better grasp on some of the costs in about a month when updated figures are available on the already-closed Senate garage.

"These projects are very complex, about half of the cost is just getting the building ready to work on," Poppell said.

Coming off their worst harvest in five decades, citrus growers in Florida have fewer acres to work with, as they struggle to maintain the state's signature crop against an incurable bacterial disease.

The citrus industry lost 4 percent of its grove land, 21,275 acres, over the past year, according to a survey released Monday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.