Okaloosa County Commissioners plan to discuss the possibility of reopening local beaches on a limited basis. All public beaches were closed on March 17th and all Gulf-front beaches on March 24th. Those closures are set to expire on April 30th, the same expiration date of Governor Ron DeSantis’ “Safer At Home” executive order. Public Safety…… MORE
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FLORIDA EXECUTIVE ORDER EXTENDED
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has extended his executive order that suspends rentals of vacation properties to April 30th. The order said renting to individuals coming into Florida from other countries and other states, posed a risk to Florida residents because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The order does not apply to hotels, inns and resorts or…… MORE
HIT-AND-RUN VICTIM DIES
The Florida Highway Patrol says a 13-year-old boy, struck by a vehicle last week on Quintette Road in North Escambia County in a hit-and-run crash, has died. Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille said the driver who left the scene – 58-year-old Robert Etheridge, of Cantonment – will be charged with leaving the scene of an…… MORE
FLORIDA VISITATION SUSPENSION
The Florida Department of Corrections has extended the suspension of visitation at all correctional institutions in the state. DOC Secretary Mark Inch said the suspension will remain in effect through April 30th, but that date will be evaluated in consultation with public health experts. Inmates will continue to have access to their loved ones through…… MORE
FLORIDA GAS PRICES
Florida gas prices fell another six cents last week, but will likely be affected by the deal made by OPEC and its oil producing allies over the weekend. That deal will cut oil production by 9.7 million barrels per day – the largest cut in history – and ends the price war between Saudi Arabia…… MORE
XFL BANKRUPTCY
The XFL has filed for bankruptcy. The football league had eight franchises this season and played five games out of a planned 10-game schedule and had decent TV ratings and deals with ESPN and Fox. But the WWE-backed XFL canceled the rest of its season because of the coronavirus pandemic, suspending operations and laying off…… MORE
WALTON COUNTY BEACH MOTION DENIED
An emergency motion that would have exempted several Walton County property owners from the order closing the county’s beaches has been declined by Federal Judge Roger Vinson. The original suit was filed April 6th, four days after the Walton County Commission voted in emergency session to amend a standing ordinance and close privately owned as…… MORE
FLORIDA UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS
Unemployed workers in Florida are still trying to get through to the Department of Economic Opportunity’s website to file unemployment applications. Many have been trying for weeks without success as the website cannot handle the huge surge in applications. Governor Ron DeSantis said he’s added 2,000 state workers to try to sort through the growing…… MORE
DIVER MISSING
The Coast Guard says one diver is missing and another seriously injured after being hit by a boat near the Hathaway Bridge about 3 p.m. Saturday. Four recreational divers were swimming near the bridge and one was hit by a passing boat and transported to Bay Medical Center with serious injuries. Another diver is missing.…… MORE
FLORIDA CRIME RATE
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement says the crime rate in Florida dropped 6.3 percent in 2019, marking the 49th consecutive year the state has seen a decline. Violent crimes dropped by 2.7 percent and property crime rate dropped 6.9 percent. The FDLE said Escambia County saw a 4.1 percent decrease in their crime rate,…… MORE
