Lake Wales launched Polk County's first open-container ACE district, letting patrons stroll downtown with drinks as the city pushes a Walesbilt hotel restoration and streetscape upgrades.

A Bahamian businessman rescued from a Florida plane crash was indicted in Manhattan on new drug and firearms charges, court papers show. The case links to a wider DEA probe.

The first RS‑25 engine for Artemis III arrived at Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building, a key milestone as teams ready the SLS for a 2027 orbital test.

Heat Advisory in effect Friday with highs near 95°F and storms likely after 1 p.m.; cooling‑center access has been expanded.

UF’s athletic budget jumps $30.4M to about $235.7M as revenue sharing, coach buyouts and football spending drive the increase. The shift tightens the squeeze on smaller sports.

After a contentious work session, Orange County commissioners put off adopting higher transportation impact fees while staff recalculates charges tied to surging road costs.

The Supreme Court agreed to hear Kian v. Florida, a challenge to the state’s use of six‑person juries that could force the justices to revisit a 1970 precedent and reshape criminal trials here.

NASA selected Relativity Space to fly the Aeolus Mars climate orbiter from Cape Canaveral; the mission will map winds, dust and temperatures to sharpen models and landing forecasts.

Senators Rick Scott and Ashley Moody say the Senate’s FY‑2027 NDAA would direct roughly $935M to Florida bases, funding hangars, ranges and infrastructure from Homestead to the Space Coast.

A $180M INFRA award will fund 917 truck parking spaces along I‑4, with three sites in Seminole and Volusia moving into construction this summer. The build aims to ease dangerous roadside parking and modernize the corridor.

Primitivo Antonio Batista of Clermont claimed a $21.5M Florida Lotto jackpot and chose an $11.75M lump‑sum payout. The winning Quick Pick was sold at BJ's in Clermont.

Cinderella Castle's multi-month repaint is finished: the moat is refilled and the castle returns to a classic 1971‑inspired palette. The Magic Kingdom view is back for summer visitors.

The Florida Supreme Court ruled that appeals panels must review denied requests for below‑guidelines sentences, remanding the Parrish case and resolving a split among districts. The decision could revive appeals across Florida.