Florida

(The Center Square) – Steinbrenner Field is reportedly the 2025 home of Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays, with government decisions looming on 2026 and '27 before a new park opens in 2028.

The Tampa Bay Times, formerly the St. Petersburg Times, on Thursday broke news of the American League East ball club headed for the spring training home of the division rival New York Yankees. Tropicana Field, domed multi-purpose stadium home of the Rays since the team's 1998 inception, lost its roofing during Hurricane Milton in October.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is releasing additional water from the Medard Reservoir into the Alafia River to protect the structural integrity of the reservoir.

In preparation for potential impacts from Hurricane Milton, the District was releasing water and the Medard Reservoir was below normal operating level. However, the Medard Reservoir received nearly 7 inches of rainfall and the reservoir rose 6.5 feet as a result of Hurricane Milton. 

Emergency Operations Center at Level 2 activation

Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) officials are monitoring Hurricane Milton and have raised the activation level of the District’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to Level 2. The EOC provides direction regarding District activities before, during and after an emergency weather event.

Deploys Response and Recovery Assistance to North Carolina & Tennessee

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida is rapidly deploying recovery assistance to North Carolina and Tennessee to help with Hurricane Helene's impacts in Operation Blue Ridge. T

(The Center Square) – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday morning said time is still available for those in the path of Hurricane Helene in the Big Bend to evacuate, but that time is drawing to a close. 

He also urged those in Tallahassee, which has not been hit by a hurricane of this magnitude, to take the storm threat seriously despite a slightly eastward jog in the storm's predicted path.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is closing navigation on the Hillsborough River at Structure S-155 to meet safety standards.

Due to the high velocity of water from recent above-average rainfall, boat barriers will be put in place where I-75 crosses the Hillsborough River, restricting navigation in that area. The S-155 structure is part of the Tampa Bypass Canal System and located north of Morris Bridge Road and east of I-75. It can be seen from I-75 as you cross the Hillsborough River.

By Mixbook

(The Center Square) — A new report shows that insurance rates for property owners in the Sunshine State have increased exponentially over the past few years.

Florida TaxWatch released an in-depth analysis of Florida's property insurance market, examining underlying factors contributing to its instability and 42.5% rise since 2019. These include damages from hurricanes and litigation, which have put pressure on insurers and forced some to leave the state.