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Florida to get federal money to help design tests to assess students' math, English skills
Florida is part of a consortium of 26 states that will receive a total of $170 million in federal funding to help develop new tests to assess students’ mathematics and language arts skills, the U.S. secretary of education announced Thursday.

Florida's population growing again, UF researchers estimate
After the recession caused Florida to lose population for the first time in more than 60 years, the state’s population is growing again, according to preliminary estimates released Thursday by the University of Florida.

FWC votes to open East Coast snook season Sept. 17
But Gulf Coast, Monroe County and Everglades National Park will remain catch and release until Sept. 1, 2011

Dry air makes Tropical Storm Gaston fizzle as Hurricane Earl weakens
Tropical Storm Gaston, which quickly grew into a tropical storm on Wednesday, fell apart Thursday afternoon.

Chiles out of race, will back Democratic nominee Sink
Many Democratic activists had been encouraging Chiles -- son of the former senator and governor and a lifelong Democrat before he dropped his party registration in June -- to leave the race since he entered three months ago.

Students to take new FCAT, end-of-course exams
For the first time, there will be no ninth-grade math Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Instead, most high school freshmen will take a new, computer-based Algebra I end-of-course exam in May, which will count toward 30 percent of their grade.

Study: Number of illegal immigrants in state drops
The Washington-based Pew Hispanic Center stated that nationwide the number of illegal immigrants went down as much as 8 percent between 2007 and 2009.

FWC opens snook for East Coast anglers Sept. 17, but will remain catch and release on West Coast
Snook season will be closed from Dec. 15, 2010 through Aug. 31, 2011

Veterans Affairs seeks land for new national cemeteries
The Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking land on which to build two new national cemeteries to serve Veterans in the Cape Canaveral and Tallahassee areas.

Florida Supreme Court keeps 3 amendments from ballot
The state Supreme Court on Tuesday affirmed lower court rulings to strike three ballot amendments proposed by the Legislature concerning redistricting, the new federal health care law and property taxes.

Florida developers look to foreign investors for funds
The U.S. Employment-Based visas, known as EB-5s, are gaining popularity worldwide, especially among wealthy Chinese who face a backlog to enter other U.S, residency programs and who seek to educate their children in the United States, immigration experts say.

Passing Hurricane Earl to cause high swells, rip currents this week
Ocean swells from the predicted off-shore passing of Hurricane Earl should peak Thursday with up to 11-foot seas offshore and surf waves 9 feet tall.

Republican leaders reach out to Rick Scott
After criticizing McCollum for having Tallahassee insiders and special interests bankroll his campaign, Scott is now beckoning lobbyists for contributions and schmoozing with legislative leaders and ``Tallahassee insiders'' he used to scorn.

Florida may shut down pens used to train dogs to capture foxes, coyotes
NAPLES — Christin Tank couldn’t believe her eyes the first time she saw what happens inside fox pens.

Get used to it - airwaves expected to be flooded with attack ads through Nov. 2
Eager for a respite from the political attacks of the primary season? Anxious for a nuanced debate over Florida’s jobless rate, the housing market, the cost of healthcare?

Shortage of duct testers may slow A/C rebates
Air conditioning contractors say there are so few people certified to perform the tests that it may cause a bottleneck as Florida residents vie for 10,000 rebates, worth $1,500 each, on new energy efficient residential air conditioning systems. Only three types of professionals are allowed, under state guidelines, to perform the sophisticated duct testing required by the program.

Florida black bears surge out of forests, into suburbs
A black bear showed up in Weston, prowling gated communities and city streets before wildlife officials hit it with a dart at a busy intersection. Another visited Universal Orlando and hung out at the Hard Rock Hotel's pool until it was captured. Road kills and complaints of bears in garbage have soared, particularly north of Orlando where a booming bear population is bursting out of the Ocala National Forest.

Storms expected to swell surf on Treasure Coast to dangerous proportions
Hurricane Danielle is steering far away from the Treasure Coast, but local lifeguards are still on alert because it is expected to produce 3- to 5-foot waves this weekend, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne.