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Tag: florida

  • Christmas cheer with bone-chilling twist in Florida

    Most homes decorate for Christmas with lights, wreaths, maybe a few reindeer.But Ron Levine’s house in Cape Coral, Florida? It’s rocking nearly 50 skeletons, some towering up to 12 feet tall. Some say the house looks straight out of a “Nightmare Before Christmas”: Cape Coral edition.There’s a skeleton hot cocoa bar, a “dead gift exchange,” a crew of skeletal construction workers, and some lawn ornaments that even move.”It’s called Cape Skeleton,” said Levine. “It’s a resort for snowbird skeletons, basically. They start showing up in September…There’s a few of them that are here year-round.” Levine used to work with a haunted house in New York, and when he retired to Cape Coral, he brought his spooky talent with him. Levine said it started small, with two skeletons and a dog. But small didn’t last long.“First thing I saw was this lawn,” he said. “And my brain went into overdrive.”Now, the display has become something of a local landmark. Cars honk. Families stop to take pictures. Levine says even police officers slow down to get a look.“We have to take a breath,” Levine jokes. “And if we’re not breathing… we might end up here.”A Christmas hit or a Halloween that won’t die? Some neighbors absolutely adore it.“The elaborate displays, the way he changes it from Halloween to Christmas — I think it’s outstanding,” said neighbor Marcia Dunn. “So many kids stop by and see it. So many people love that he does it.”But others would rather save skeletons for October.“I don’t like it,” said neighbor Joey Guidice. “Right now it’s Christmas. I’d rather see Santa Claus, his elves, not skeletons.”The reason for the holly-jolly boneyard? Levine says, it’s simple.“You’ve got to find that spark of joy sometime in the day,” he said. “That’s what I hope to do. Whether someone’s heading to work or coming home from a bad day.”Whether you think it’s festive, freaky, or fantastically Florida, one thing is certain… You’ll never drive past this house without slowing down.Levine doesn’t have any code violations on record related to his lawn decor. In fact, the city says there’s nothing in its code of ordinances that regulates holiday decorations.”Cape Skeleton” might not be the Christmas tradition you expected, but it’s definitely the one you’ll remember.

    CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

    Most homes decorate for Christmas with lights, wreaths, maybe a few reindeer.

    But Ron Levine’s house in Cape Coral, Florida? It’s rocking nearly 50 skeletons, some towering up to 12 feet tall. Some say the house looks straight out of a “Nightmare Before Christmas”: Cape Coral edition.

    There’s a skeleton hot cocoa bar, a “dead gift exchange,” a crew of skeletal construction workers, and some lawn ornaments that even move.

    “It’s called Cape Skeleton,” said Levine. “It’s a resort for snowbird skeletons, basically. They start showing up in September…There’s a few of them that are here year-round.”

    Levine used to work with a haunted house in New York, and when he retired to Cape Coral, he brought his spooky talent with him.

    Levine said it started small, with two skeletons and a dog. But small didn’t last long.

    “First thing I saw was this lawn,” he said. “And my brain went into overdrive.”

    Now, the display has become something of a local landmark. Cars honk. Families stop to take pictures. Levine says even police officers slow down to get a look.

    “We have to take a breath,” Levine jokes. “And if we’re not breathing… we might end up here.”

    A Christmas hit or a Halloween that won’t die?

    Some neighbors absolutely adore it.

    “The elaborate displays, the way he changes it from Halloween to Christmas — I think it’s outstanding,” said neighbor Marcia Dunn. “So many kids stop by and see it. So many people love that he does it.”

    But others would rather save skeletons for October.

    “I don’t like it,” said neighbor Joey Guidice. “Right now it’s Christmas. I’d rather see Santa Claus, his elves, not skeletons.”

    The reason for the holly-jolly boneyard? Levine says, it’s simple.

    “You’ve got to find that spark of joy sometime in the day,” he said. “That’s what I hope to do. Whether someone’s heading to work or coming home from a bad day.”

    Whether you think it’s festive, freaky, or fantastically Florida, one thing is certain… You’ll never drive past this house without slowing down.

    Levine doesn’t have any code violations on record related to his lawn decor. In fact, the city says there’s nothing in its code of ordinances that regulates holiday decorations.

    “Cape Skeleton” might not be the Christmas tradition you expected, but it’s definitely the one you’ll remember.

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  • Weather looking clear for SpaceX’s Starlink launch Thursday afternoon

    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The weather is looking favorable as SpaceX prepares again for another Starlink launch Thursday afternoon.

    The company will launch its Falcon 9 rocket, carrying over two dozen Starlink satellites.

    SpaceX is targeting 3:26 p.m. for liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

    The 45th Weather Squadron shows clear skies over the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Thursday with no weather concerns.

    Sweet Sixteen

    The company said the Starlink Group 6-90 mission will be the 16th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched:

    Following stage separation, the first stage booster will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which is stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

    About the mission

    The 29 satellites will head to low-Earth orbit to join the thousands already there once deployed.

    SpaceX owns the Starlink company, where the satellites provide internet service to many areas on Earth.

    Dr. Jonathan McDowell, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, has been recording Starlink satellites.

    Before this launch, McDowell documented the following:

    Spectrum News Staff

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  • Economist says NASCAR owes $364.7M to teams in antitrust case

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — An economist testified in Michael Jordan’s federal antitrust trial against NASCAR that the racing series owes a combined $364.7 million in damages to the two teams suing it over a revenue-sharing dispute.

    Edward Snyder, a professor of economics who worked in the antitrust division of the Department of Justice and has testified in more than 30 cases, including “Deflategate” involving the NFL’s New England Patriots, testified on Monday. He gave three specific reasons NASCAR is a monopoly participating in anticompetitive business practices.

    Using a complex formula applied to profits, a reduction in market revenue, and lost revenue to 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports from 2021-24, Snyder came up with his amount of damages owed. Snyder applied a 45% of revenue sharing he alleged Formula 1 gives to its teams in his calculations; Snyder found that NASCAR’s revenue-sharing model when its charter system began in 2016 gave only 25% to the teams.

    The suit is about the 2025 charter agreement, which was presented to teams on a Friday in September 2024 with a same-day deadline to sign the 112-page document. The charter offer came after more than two years of bitter negotiations between NASCAR and its teams, who have called the agreement “a take-it-or-leave-it” ultimatum that they signed with “a gun to their head.”

    A charter is similar to the franchise model in other sports, but in NASCAR it guarantees 36 teams spots in the 40-car field, as well as specific revenue.

    Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin for 23XI, along with Front Row Motorsports and owner Bob Jenkins, were the only two teams out of 15 to refuse the new charter agreement.

    Snyder’s evaluations found NASCAR was in fact violating antitrust laws in that the privately owned racing series controls all bargaining because “teams don’t have anywhere else to sell their services.” Snyder said NASCAR controls “the tracks, the teams and the cars.”

    Snyder repeatedly cited exclusivity agreements NASCAR entered into with racetracks after the charter system began. The agreements prevent tracks that host NASCAR from holding events with rival racing series. Prior to the long-term agreements, NASCAR operated on one-year contracts with its host racetracks.

    The Florida-based France family founded NASCAR in 1948 and, along with Speedway Motorsports, owns almost all the tracks on the top Cup Series schedule. Snyder’s belief is that NASCAR entered into exclusivity agreements with tracks to stave off any threats of a breakaway startup series. In doing so, he said it eliminated teams’ ability to race stock cars anywhere else, forced them to accept revenue-sharing agreements that are below market value, and damaged their overall evaluations.

    Snyder did his calculations for both teams based on each having two charters — each purchased a third charter in late 2024 — and found 23XI is owed $215.8 million while Front Row is owed $148.9 million. Based on his calculations, Snyder determined NASCAR shorted 36 chartered teams $1.06 billion from 2021-24.

    Snyder noted NASCAR had $2.2 billion in assets, an equity value of $5 billion and an investment-grade credit rating — which Snyder believes positions the France family to be able to pivot and adjust to any threats of a rival series the way the PGA did in response to the LIV Golf league. The PGA, Snyder testified, “got creative” in bringing in new revenue to pay to its golfers to prevent their defections.

    Snyder also testified NASCAR had $250 million in annual earnings from 2021-24 and the France family took $400 million in distributions during that period.

    NASCAR contends Snyder’s estimations are wrong, that the 45% F1 model he used is not correct, and its own two experts “take serious issue” with Snyder’s findings. Defense attorney Lawrence Buterman asked Snyder his opinion on NASCAR’s upcoming expert witnesses and Snyder said they were two of the best economists in the world.

    Slow pace of trial

    Snyder testified for almost the entirety of Monday’s session — the sixth day of the trial — and will continue on Tuesday. The snail’s pace has agitated U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell, who heard arguments 30 minutes early Monday morning because he was annoyed that objections had been submitted at 2:55 a.m. and then 6:50 a.m.

    He needed an hour to get through the rulings, and testimony resumed 30 minutes behind schedule. When the day concluded, he asked the nine-person jury if they were willing to serve an hour longer each day the rest of the week in an effort to avoid a third full week of trial. He all said all motions must be filed by 10 p.m. each evening moving forward.

    Bell wants plaintiff attorney Jeffrey Kessler to conclude his case by the end of Tuesday, but Kessler told him he still plans to call NASCAR chairman Jim France, NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps and Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress, who was the subject of derogatory text messages amongst NASCAR leadership and has said he’s considering legal action.

    NASCAR has a list of 16 potential witnesses and Bell said he wanted the first one on the stand before Tuesday’s session concludes.

    ___

    AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

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  • Miami Mayor-elect Eileen Higgins believes key to her victory was broad outreach

    Miami mayor-elect Eileen Higgins believes the key to her election victory Tuesday — the first for a Democrat in almost 30 years — was her outreach to people of all political persuasions.

    In an interview on CBS News just after the election, CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett asked her about the “Trump effect;” President Trump had endorsed her Republican opponent, drawing attention to the race.

    “I don’t know,” Higgins responded. “What I know is what I did. I worked. I knocked on doors and called Republicans, independents and Democrats all across the city of Miami — because you cannot become the mayor of this city if only Democrats vote for you. You can’t become the mayor of this city if only Republicans vote for you. You’ve got to have all three.”

    Higgins, who is also the first woman elected to be Miami mayor, won 59% of the vote Tuesday. She also pointed out that she has served for eight years on the county commission in the city, where she represents a Republican-leaning district.

    A former Miami-Dade County commissioner, Higgins defeated Republican candidate Emilio González, a former city manager who had been endorsed by both President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, in a runoff election. The mayoral race is officially nonpartisan, but it grew more politicized because of the Trump administration’s immigration policies and Mr. Trump’s endorsement of her opponent. 

    She said that her political party won’t matter as she takes on the responsibilities of the office.

    “The folks of the city of Miami know that I am a loud, proud Democrat,” she continued. “But when I get elected, the election’s over, and the time of service begins, and you serve everybody. Never, ever ask their political affiliation. If their street is flooded, if they need an affordable unit to live in, you don’t ask what party they’re from. You say, ‘Yep, we’ve got to figure out how to make that happen for you.’”

    Miami is heavily Hispanic, and a majority of residents were born outside the U.S. Higgins focused on issues including immigration, housing, flooding and city growth. 

    “Our city chose a new direction,” she told the crowd at her election night victory party. “You chose competence over chaos, results over excuses and a city government that finally works for you.”

    Watch the full interview on “The Takeout” at 5 p.m. ET, on CBS News 24/7. Download the free CBS News app.

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  • St. Petersburg unveils city’s first purpose-built water testing lab

    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Petersburg unveiled the city’s first purpose-built water testing laboratory on Tuesday, which protects the environment and aims to ensure drinking water flows during hurricanes.

    What You Need To Know

    • St. Petersburg unveils new water testing lab on Tuesday  

    • The storm-hardened facility cost about $9 million and has 8 labs

    • The lab tests stormwater, beach surface water, drinking water and wastewater

    • Pinellas County, Hillsborough County and Gulfport also utilize the regional asset


    “Clean, healthy water is essential for everything we do,” said John Palenchar, Water Resources Director. “Whether it’s the water we drink, the beaches we enjoy, or the environment that we depend on that supports us.”

    The new facility cost about $9 million and is a nationally accredited environmental laboratory that prioritizes public health. City leaders held a ribbon-cutting on Tuesday and invited the public for a tour.

    Mayor Kenneth Welch said the new facility would stand up to storms much better than the old lab, which was in an administration building. Welch said staff was scrambling in the old lab after Hurricane Milton last year.

    “Our old retrofitted lab lost power,” he said. “Our staff had to run more than 180 drinking water tests in one day so that we could lift the boil water notice.” 

    The new lab is storm-hardened and has modern equipment. The facility has commercial power, backup generator power and a second backup generator.

    “This isn’t just about the hurricanes,” said Copley Gerdes, City Council Chair. “This is about making sure that every day, whether the sun is out or not, that our people have a place to do the work that is needed for our city.”

    There’s a total of 8 different water testing labs inside the facility. Palenchar said the metals lab tests to make sure the city’s industrial customers are properly disposing of their wastewater.

    “We have to ensure that they’re not discharging any of those metals  — those harmful metals  — into our system, because those would pass through our treatment,” he said. “Metals aren’t treated in a domestic wastewater plant.”

    Palenchar said the nutrients lab tests for nitrogen or phosphorous in surface water from Tampa Bay or the Gulf beaches, which can create red tide blooms.

    “The most, I guess, important nutrient that we measure in the Bay is nitrogen,” he said. “That really is an indicator of how much nutrient pollution is going into our Bay, which feeds algae growth and blocks the light from getting to the sea grasses.”

    Special overhead red lights are used in the chlorophyl lab to test water from Tampa Bay for plant matter.

    “If there’s a lot of plant matter like algae, algae is photosynthesizing. So it uses chlorophyl. That’s a good indicator of the cloudiness in the water,” said Palenchar. “It’s what the Tampa Bay Estuary Program uses to measure. It’s a performance measure of the health of Tampa Bay.”

    Palenchar said the microbiology lab is the most popular by the number of analysis run and impacts every single type of water.

    “Stormwater, beach surface water, drinking water, of course, and wastewater,” he said. “So all those different water types have microbiology components that need to be monitored to make sure that those waters are healthy for either human contact or, in the case of drinking water, for drinking.”

    Palenchar said the lab is a regional asset, which Pinellas County, Hillsborough County and Gulfport also utilize.

    Josh Rojas

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  • Massullo rolls to State Senate District 11 seat

    HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. – Republican Ralph Massullo Jr. has captured the State Senate District 11 seat.

    Massullo saw resistance from Democrat Ash Marwah, but he ultimately came out on top. District 11 covers Hernando, Sumter, Citrus and a small section of northwest Pasco County.


    Massullo, a Lecanto physician who previously served four terms in the Florida House of Representatives since 2016, will replace Blaise Ingoglia in District 11. Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Ingoglia to replace Jimmy Patronis as the state’s Chief Financial Officer, opening the seat.

    DeSantis expressed his support for Massullo early in the race.

    Massullo stressed during his campaign that his experience made him right for the seat.

    He said his platform is highlighted with his work toward protecting families, strengthening Florida’s economy and keeping children safe.

    Spectrum News Staff

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  • Voters head to polls Tuesday in State Senate District 11 Special Election

    HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. – Voters are heading to the polls today to decide the Florida Senate District 11 Special Election.

    Republican Ralph Massullo Jr. is running against Democrat Ash Marwah for the seat, which became vacant when Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Blaise Ingoglia to replace Jimmy Patronis as the state’s Chief Financial Officer. Patronis vacated that office after his election to Congress.

    Special Election Day is Tuesday, Dec. 9 and voting is open to residents in the district, which covers Hernando, Sumter, Citrus and a small section of northwest Pasco County.


    Massullo is a Lecanto physician who served four terms in the Florida House of Representatives since 2016. DeSantis has expressed his support for Massullo.

    Marwah is a Democrat from The Villages and is originally from India.

    He is an engineer by trade, and his background includes being an entrepreneur in the Pittsburgh area.

    Marwah and his wife retired to The Villages in 2016. Since moving to the area, he has been affiliated with the Democratic Party of Sumter County, Tutors for Kids, and The Villages Democratic Club.

    Republican Ralph Massullo Jr. (right) is running against Democrat Ash Marwah for the State Senate District 11 seat. (FILE IMAGES)

    He previously ran for the Florida House of Representatives District 52 seat in 2024, where he lost to incumbent John Temple, a Republican.

    In a recent appearance before the League of Women’s Voters, where he took questions along with Massullo, Marwah reiterated his stances in favor of affordable housing, addressing healthcare and increased funding for education.

    Massullo, meanwhile, has stressed during this campaign that his experience makes him right for the seat. He has highlighted his work toward protecting families, strengthening Florida’s economy and keeping children safe. 

    Spectrum News Staff

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  • SpaceX launches another batch of Starlink satellites

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — SpaceX launched another batch of Starlink satellites Monday evening from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

    The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at 5:26 p.m. EST, carrying over two dozen satellites. 

    The 32nd launch

    SpaceX said the Starlink Group 6-92 mission was the 32nd flight for the first-stage booster, B1067, which had previously launched:

    1. CRS-22
    2. Crew-3
    3. Turksat 5B
    4. Crew-4
    5. CRS-25
    6. Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G
    7. SES O3B mPOWER-A
    8. PSN SATRIA
    9. Telkomsat Merah Putih 2
    10. Galileo L13
    11. Koreasat-6A
    12. 20 Starlink missions

    Following the stage separation, the first stage landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which is stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

    About the mission

    The 29 satellites will head to low-Earth orbit to join the thousands already there once deployed.

    SpaceX owns the Starlink company, where the satellites provide internet service to many areas on Earth.

    Dr. Jonathan McDowell, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, has been recording Starlink satellites.

    Before this launch, McDowell documented the following:

    Spectrum News Staff

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  • Florida Polytechnic turns to Lakeland Police Department after staffing losses

    LAKELAND, Fla. — As state leaders push to keep public university campuses safe, Florida Polytechnic University is now leaning on local law enforcement for help.

    The university started using the Lakeland Police Department for security after a major staffing shortage in its campus police force.

    At least eight officers have left the department since May, including the chief and deputy chief.

    What You Need To Know

    • Florida Polytechnic University’s campus police force has seen significant turnover, with at least eight officers — including the chief and deputy chief — leaving since May

    • The university is relying on the Lakeland Police Department for security support as it works to rebuild
    • Former leadership accuses the university of budget cuts, while university officials deny defunding


    Retired Deputy Chief Danny Houser was with the department from the very beginning. Starting in 2014, Houser says he and former Chief Rickard Holland helped build the police force from the ground up. They hired staff, brought in gear and equipment, and wrote the policies the department still uses today.

    “We prided ourselves on providing professional police service to our community, and our job was to give the best service to our students because they really were our customer base. That and the parents,” Houser said.

    But Houser says the dynamic shifted under new leadership, which he says led to resignations and early retirements.

    “They cut our funding by $84,000. Then they started talking about the officers, taking their take-home cars away from them,” he said. “And they wanted to cut out my position as the assistant chief, and they wanted to cut out the accreditation department.”

    Holland, who put in his two weeks’ notice in July, backed Houser’s claims in an email to Bay News 9.

    However, Florida Poly’s chief information officer, Cole Allen, denies any defunding. He says that while the university is relying on Lakeland Police for support, they’ve increased starting pay, boosted the police department’s budget, and invested in the school’s new public safety center.

    “This is going to give our officers the space they need, the facility they need, and everything they’re going to need to move into the next phase of our growing campus,” Allen said.

    Allen says the university has already begun hiring new officers and is looking to fill even more positions. As for Houser, he says he’s concerned about the department’s future without the people who helped build it.

    “It hurts. This wasn’t the way I wanted to go out,” Houser said.

    Alexis Jones

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  • December’s ‘Cold Moon’ will be the final supermoon of the year

    December’s full moon will appear in the sky this week. It’s the final full moon and third supermoon of the year, also known as the ‘Cold Moon.’ The Cold Moon gets its name from being closest to the winter solstice. It is also known as the ‘Moon Before Yule’ and the ‘Long Night Moon.’

    It reached its peak illumination at 6:14 p.m. EST on Thursday, Dec. 4, but it will be visible and appear full to the naked eye during the next couple nights.

    What You Need To Know

    • December’s full moon peaks Thursday evening

    • It’s the final full moon and third supermoon of 2025

    • The next full moon will be the ‘Wolf Moon’ on Jan. 3, 2026


    The Cold Moon will notably be the highest full moon of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The sun will be at its lowest point in the sky, which means that the moon will be at the opposite. That means that you will be able to see the bright Cold Moon for a longer period in the night sky.

    What is a supermoon?

    A supermoon is when the full moon happens at the same time the moon’s orbit is at its closest to Earth. The moon will appear brighter and larger than normal. This year’s Cold Moon will be the third supermoon of 2025, joining October’s ‘Harvest Moon’ and November’s ‘Beaver Moon’.

    Moon phases

    There are eight different phases of the moon. What phase follows a full moon?

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    Meteorologist Reid Lybarger

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  • December’s ‘Cold Moon’ will be the final supermoon of the year

    December’s full moon will appear in the sky this week. It’s the final full moon and third supermoon of the year, also known as the ‘Cold Moon.’ The Cold Moon gets its name from being closest to the winter solstice. It is also known as the ‘Moon Before Yule’ and the ‘Long Night Moon.’

    It reached its peak illumination at 6:14 p.m. EST on Thursday, Dec. 4, but it will be visible and appear full to the naked eye during the next couple nights.

    What You Need To Know

    • December’s full moon peaks Thursday evening

    • It’s the final full moon and third supermoon of 2025

    • The next full moon will be the ‘Wolf Moon’ on Jan. 3, 2026


    The Cold Moon will notably be the highest full moon of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The sun will be at its lowest point in the sky, which means that the moon will be at the opposite. That means that you will be able to see the bright Cold Moon for a longer period in the night sky.

    What is a supermoon?

    A supermoon is when the full moon happens at the same time the moon’s orbit is at its closest to Earth. The moon will appear brighter and larger than normal. This year’s Cold Moon will be the third supermoon of 2025, joining October’s ‘Harvest Moon’ and November’s ‘Beaver Moon’.

    Moon phases

    There are eight different phases of the moon. What phase follows a full moon?

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    Meteorologist Reid Lybarger

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  • Online holiday sales surge as local malls create new ways to draw foot traffic

    WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — Online spending surged to more than $14 billion on Cyber Monday, a 7% increase over last year, according to new data from Adobe Analytics. 

    But despite the jump in e-commerce activity, overall holiday spending is expected to soften as many families navigate tighter budgets.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Shops at Wiregrass is hosting its annual Symphony in Lights nightly through New Years Eve

    • Special events are helping local malls draw foot traffic, even as online sales surge

    • Retailers are taking advantage of a new sale called BOPIS – Buy Online, Pickup in Store to offer shoppers special sales and deeper discounts for entering the store

    • For a complete breakdown of holiday shopping sales to date, visit https://business.adobe.com/resources/holiday-shopping-report.html


    That shift has brick-and-mortar stores — especially shopping malls — searching for new ways to bring people through their doors.

    At The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel, efforts to boost foot traffic include festive events and in-person shopping incentives. 

    One of the biggest draws is the Symphony in Lights presented by AdventHealth, a choreographed light show set to music and capped off with artificial snowfall. 

    The event runs hourly from 6–9 p.m. each night through New Year’s Eve and has become a popular holiday tradition for families in the area.

    Also, retailers at the mall are also rolling out exclusive in-store pickup promotions to encourage shoppers to visit in person.

    Alexis Muellner, editor of the Tampa Bay Business Journal, said many retailers are now leaning into a strategy known as BOPIS — Buy Online, Pick Up In Store.

    “The notion that we will shop online and then go pick it up — there are opportunities for retailers in that situation to activate people on site with special deals, deep discounting, and experiences, which they are really leaning into,” Muellner said.

    He expects these types of hybrid shopping incentives to expand in the near future.

    Even with creative strategies, malls continue to face steep competition from online retailers. 

    Adobe Analytics reports that shoppers spent more than $40 billion online in just the first week of the holiday shopping season, and over half of those purchases were made on mobile devices.

    As retailers balance tightening consumer budgets with the convenience of online shopping, many brick-and-mortar stores are betting that unique experiences — and a few special deals — will help keep customers coming through their doors this holiday season.

    Jason Lanning

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  • Lecanto High School welcomes home actor, alumni Miles Teller

    LECANTO, Fla. — Lecanto High School faculty and students had a very special guest on Friday — alumni and actor, Miles Teller.

    What You Need To Know

    • Actor and Lecanto High School alumni Miles Teller returned to his hometown Friday for a special assembly with students

    • Lecanto High School announced the dedication of the Miles Teller Theatre at the Curtis Peterson Auditorium Friday
    • Teller and his wife — Keleigh Teller — presented a check during the assembly, donating $50,000 to the Citrus County Education Foundation
    • Teller’s visit celebrates the 20th anniversary of his high school graduation and honors the venue where he first began his acting career


    In a packed auditorium at Lecanto High School, the current crop of Panthers students welcome Teller home.

    Teller returned to his alma mater for a student assembly to celebrate the naming of the school’s theater in his own name.

    “I guess it was nice to know I’m still popular with the youth,” Teller said.

    Teller walked out to thundering applause on the very stage he once performed on as a student at Lecanto High School. And now, 20 years later, it has been named in his honor.

    “I was just in the dressing room earlier tonight and I was having all of these memories,” said Teller, who graduated in 2005. “I mean, that’s where I got ready to go on and perform. So, you think actors come from maybe certain drama high schools that have performing arts schools that have a lot of money put in the program. We just did it based on passion.”

    It’s that passion that drove Teller to pursue acting. Having starred in his high school’s rendition of “Footloose” where he played Willard Hewitt.

    It was a role he wold also play on the silver screen. To recognize Teller and his achievements, Lecanto High School announced the dedication of the Miles Teller Theatre at the Curtis Peterson Auditorium.

    “From now on, anyone who performs on this stage can begin dreaming their own dreams and may become the next Hollywood superstar,” said Dr. Scott Hebert, superintendent of Citrus County Schools.

    And that’s not all. Teller and his wife — Keleigh Teller — presented a $50,000 donation to the Citrus County Education Foundation during the assembly. 

    “There’s kids that are going to high school here that are truly homeless that are living in the woods who were abandoned by their parents,” Teller said. “It’s a horrible circumstance, bad hand to be dealt. And so any time I think you can help people that are underprivileged, everybody should have a right to an education and clean clothes and food.”

    Calvin Lewis

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  • 2025 Atlantic hurricane wrap-up; no hurricane made landfall in the U.S.

    For the first time in a decade, there was no direct landfall on the U.S. from a hurricane. Despite no landfalls, it was still an active season overall with 13 named storms and three Category 5 hurricanes.

    What You Need To Know

    • NOAA and Colorado State University forecasted above normal activity this year

    • First year since 2015 that no hurricane made a direct landfall on the United States

    • Hurricane Melissa was the most intense hurricane of the 2025 season, with winds of 185 mph and a pressure of 892 mbar


    Both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Colorado State University (CSU) predicted 2025 would have above-normal activity during their pre-season forecasts. With the latter predicting 16 named storms. 

    Total storms

    In the end, the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season was slightly above average with 13 named storms, five hurricanes and four major storms.

    However, the season didn’t feel all that busy, and that’s because most of the storms stayed out to sea, with no direct landfalling hurricanes this year. Thanks to a persistent weaker Bermuda High, many storms came close to the coast but curved northward out to sea before making direct landfall.

    Notable storms

    Even though storms did not make landfall, that doesn’t mean they didn’t cause damage to the United States. Hurricanes Erin and Imelda came close to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, causing coastal erosion. In the past five years, at least 11 homes have toppled into the surf in Rodanthe, N.C.

    Both storms ended up curving northward and then northeast out to sea.

    Two houses sit out in the heavy surf as Hurricane Erin passes offshore at Rodanthe, N.C., on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)

    Although no hurricanes made landfall in the U.S. this year, one tropical storm did—Chantal. It made landfall just one day after forming, moving inland near Litchfield Beach, South Carolina, as a tropical storm with winds of 60 mph on July 6.

    Flooding from Chantal in Saxapahaw. (Spectrum News 1/Jordan Kudisch)

    Heavy rainfall and flash flooding were the biggest impacts from Chantal. Radar-estimated rainfall totals up 9 to 12 inches were recorded in parts of North Carolina between Raleigh and Greensboro, causing significant flooding around Chapel Hill and nearby rivers.

    Fujiwhara Effect

    As Hurricane Imelda was churning off the coast of North Carolina, it was also about 400 miles from Hurricane Humberto, creating a semi-rare phenomenon called the Fujiwhara Effect. With the two hurricanes so close to each other, it looked as if a mega-hurricane was going to develop, but Bay News 9’s Chief Meteorologist Mike Clay said back in September, we should not be concerned about these storms colliding and forming a mega-hurricane.

    “In the Atlantic, if two tropical systems are close enough, they can ruin the environment for both, just like we are seeing right now with Humberto and Imelda. There just isn’t enough ocean space.”

    Hurricanes Imelda and Humberto are located about 400 miles from each other in the Atlantic. (NOAA)

    The smaller or weaker storm will usually circle around the bigger one, as the larger storm will eventually dominate or potentially even fully absorb the smaller system. In this case, Imelda was the larger storm and fully absorbed Humberto.

    Category 5 storms

    Three hurricanes this year reached Category 5 status with wind speeds over 155 mph. Those storms include Hurricane Erin, Humberto and Melissa.

    Erin formed in the western Atlantic on Aug. 11 and rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane on Aug. 16 with winds of 160 mph. It brushed past the northern Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola before moving past the U.S., bringing life-threatening surf and dangerous rip currents up the East Coast.

    Coastal flooding was worse along the Outer Banks of North Carolina, especially during high tide, forcing thousands to evacuate and closing Highway 12 on Hatteras Island, and tidal flooding led to rescues in Margate City, New Jersey.

    A section of N.C. 12 at the north end of Buxton is flooding before the Tuesday afternoon high tide as Hurricane Erin continues moving northwest across the Atlantic Ocean. (N.C. Department of Transportation)

    Hurricane Humberto became a hurricane two days after forming into a tropical storm. It rapidly intensified into a Category 4 storm and then, 24 hours later, it reached peak intensity as a Category 5 hurricane with winds of 160 mph. It moved between the United States and Bermuda and brought large swells and dangerous rip currents to the U.S. East Coast and squally weather to Bermuda.

    Melissa was a late-season Category 5 hurricane and the most intense storm of the season. It became a tropical storm on Oct. 21 and by Oct. 25 it had undergone rapid intensification, becoming a Category 4 hurricane. Melissa nearly stalled in the Caribbean Sea and, thanks to favorable conditions, it achieved Category 5 status on Oct. 27.

    The church of Lacovia Tombstone, Jamaica, sits damaged in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

    It reached peak intensity with winds of 185 mph and is now tied for third for the most intense Atlantic hurricanes on record (since 1851) with a pressure of 892 mbar. It made landfall near New Hope, Jamaica, on Oct. 28. Over 100 fatalities were reported due to Melissa.

    Forecast models

    The forecast for Melissa was notably a challenge. Weather models were showing inconsistent tracks run-to-run.

    The National Hurricane Center, surprisingly, relied on Google’s DeepMind, a new AI weather model-over more traditional models. Data showed the AI model outperformed traditional physics-based models and aligned with the National Hurricane Center’s forecasts when came to track error.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

     

    Meteorologist Stacy Lynn, Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • Airlines adopt software fix for Airbus A320 after plane has sudden altitude drop

    Airlines around the world canceled and delayed flights heading into the weekend to fix software on a widely used commercial aircraft after an analysis found the computer code may have contributed to a sudden drop in the altitude of a JetBlue plane last month.

    Airbus said Friday that an examination of the JetBlue incident revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls on the A320 family of aircraft.

    The FAA joined the European Union Aviation Safety Agency in requiring airlines to address the issue with a new software update. More than 500 U.S.-registered aircraft will be impacted.

    The EU safety agency said it may cause “short-term disruption” to flight schedules. The problem was introduced by a software update to the plane’s onboard computers, according to the agency.

    In Japan, All Nippon Airways, which operates more than 30 planes, canceled 65 domestic flights for Saturday. Additional cancellations on Sunday were possible, it said.

    The software change comes as U.S. passengers were beginning to head home from the Thanksgiving holiday, which is the busiest travel time in the country.

    A COMAC C919 aircraft flies during the first day of the Singapore Airshow in Singapore, Feb. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian, File)

    American Airlines has about 480 planes from the A320 family, of which 209 are affected. The fix should take about two hours for many aircraft and updates should be completed for the overwhelming majority on Friday, the airline said. A handful will be finished Saturday.

    Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel.


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    American expected some delays but it said it was focused on limiting cancellations. It said safety would be its overriding priority.

    Air India said via the social platform X that its engineers were working on the fix and completed the reset on more 40% of aircraft that need it. There were no cancellations, it said.

    Delta said it expected the issue to affect less than 50 of its A321neo aircraft. United said six planes in its fleet are affected and it expects minor disruptions to a few flights. Hawaiian Airlines said it was unaffected.

    Mike Stengel, a partner with the aerospace industry management consulting firm AeroDynamic Advisory, said the fix could be addressed between flights or on overnight plane checks.

    “Definitely not ideal for this to be happening on a very ubiquitous aircraft on a busy holiday weekend,” Stengel said from Ann Arbor, Michigan. “Although again the silver lining being that it only should take a few hours to update the software.”

    At least 15 JetBlue passengers were injured and taken to the hospital after the Oct. 30 incident on board the flight from Cancun, Mexico, to Newark, New Jersey. The plane was diverted to Tampa, Florida.

    Airbus, which is registered in the Netherlands but has its main headquarters in France, is one of the world’s biggest airplane manufacturers, alongside Boeing.

    The A320 is the primary competitor to Boeing’s 737, Stengel said. Airbus updated its engine in the mid-2010s, and planes in this category are called A320neo, he said.

    The A320 is the world’s bestselling single-aisle aircraft family, according to Airbus’ website.

    ___

    Associated Press writers Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo and Jennifer Kelleher in Honolulu contributed.

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  • Lightning beat Rangers 4-1 and extend winning streak to 7 games

    NEW YORK (AP) — Brandon Hagel scored twice and Jonas Johansson made 12 saves as the Tampa Bay Lighting beat the New York Rangers 4-1 Saturday to extend their winning streak to seven games.

    Nick Paul and Jake Guentzel also scored and Nikita Kucherov had three assists as the Lightning ended New York’s three-game winning streak. Tampa Bay is 7-0-0 since Nov. 18 and has outscored opponents 30-10 in that span.

    The Rangers heard boos from the Madison Square Garden crowd as they fell to 2-8-1 at home where they have been shut out five times and scored once on three other occasions. New York is 11-4-1 on the road.

    Hagel scored at 10:53 of the opening period as his shot deflected off Rangers defenseman Carson Soucy’s skate. He made it 2-0 with his team-best 15th goal at 8:57 of the second when he slid his own rebound past Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin.

    Defenseman Darren Raddysh and Kucherov assisted on both goals.

    Kucherov has a nine-game points streak of four goals and 14 assists. He leads the Lightning with 32 points. Raddysh has 11 points in his last seven games.

    J.T. Miller ruined Johansson’s shutout bid with his seventh goal at 17:31 of the second. Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad assisted.

    Paul scored at 2:02 of the third to make it 3-1. Rookie defenseman Charle-Edouard D’Astous also assisted.

    Guentzel added an empty-netter at 19:41.

    Fox left the game at 7:03 of the third after he was checked hard into the boards by Hagel. Fox’s left arm appeared to absorb the brunt of the hit.

    Shesterkin made 31 saves.

    The Lightning outshot the Rangers 11-2 in the first. New York didn’t register its first shot on goal until the 9:29 mark.

    The Lightning were missing injured defensemen Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak, as well as forward Brayden Point, out for a fourth-straight game.

    Up next

    Rangers: Hosting the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.

    Lightning: At the New York Islanders on Tuesday.

    Associated Press

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  • Make Money Not War: Trump’s Real Plan for Peace in Ukraine

    Three powerful businessmen—two Americans and a Russian—hunched over a laptop in Miami Beach last month, ostensibly to draw up a plan to end Russia’s long and deadly war with Ukraine.

    But the full scope of their project went much further, according to people familiar with the talks. They were privately charting a path to bring Russia’s $2 trillion economy in from the cold—with American businesses first in line to beat European competitors to the dividends. 

    Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

    Drew Hinshaw

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  • Fuzzy Zoeller, two-time major champion haunted by racist joke about Tiger Woods, dies at 74

    Fuzzy Zoeller, a two-time major champion and one of golf’s most gregarious characters whose career was tainted by a racially insensitive joke about Tiger Woods, has died, according to a longtime colleague. He was 74.

    A cause of death was not immediately available. Brian Naugle, the tournament director of the Insperity Invitational in Houston, said Zoeller’s daughter called him Thursday with the news.

    Zoeller was the last player to win the Masters on his first attempt, a three-man playoff in 1979. He famously waved a white towel at Winged Foot in 1984 when he thought Greg Norman had beat him, only to defeat Norman in an 18-hole playoff the next day.

    But it was the 1997 Masters that changed his popularity.

    Woods was on his way to a watershed moment in golf with the most dominant victory in Augusta National history. Zoeller had finished his round and had a drink in hand under the oak tree by the clubhouse when he was stopped by CNN and asked for his thoughts on the 21-year-old Woods on his way to the most dominant win ever at Augusta National.

    “That little boy is driving well and he’s putting well. He’s doing everything it takes to win. So, you know what you guys do when he gets in here? You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not serve fried chicken next year. Got it?,” Zoeller said.

    He smiled and snapped his fingers, and as he was walking away he turned and said, “Or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve.”

    That moment haunted him the rest of his career.

    Zoeller apologized. Woods was traveling and it took two weeks for him to comment as the controversy festered. Zoeller later said he received death threats for years after that moment.

    Writing for Golf Digest in 2008, he said it was “the worst thing I’ve gone through in my entire life.”

    “If people wanted me to feel the same hurt I projected on others, I’m here to tell you they got their way,” Zoeller wrote. “I’ve cried many times. I’ve apologized countless times for words said in jest that just aren’t a reflection of who I am. I have hundreds of friends, including people of color, who will attest to that.

    “Still, I’ve come to terms with the fact that this incident will never, ever go away.”

    It marred a career filled with two famous major titles, eight other PGA Tour titles and a Senior PGA Championship among his two PGA Tour Champions titles.

    More than winning was how he went about it. Zoeller played fast and still had an easygoing nature to the way he approach the game, often whistling between shots.

    He made his Masters debut in 1979 and got into a three-way playoff when Ed Sneed bogeyed the last three holes. Zoeller defeated Sneed and Tom Watson with a birdie on the second playoff hole, flinging his putter high in the air.

    “I’ve never been to heaven, and thinking back on my life, I probably won’t get a chance to go,” Zoeller once said. “I guess winning the Masters is as close as I’m going to get.”

    Zoeller was locked in a duel with Norman at Winged Foot in the 1984, playing in the group behind and watching Norman make putt after putt. So when he saw Norman make a 40-footer on the 18th, he assumed it was for birdie and began waving a white towel in a moment of sportsmanship.

    Only later did he realize it was for par, and Zoeller made par to force a playoff. Zoeller beat him by eight shots in the 18-hole playoff (67-75). Zoeller’s lone regret was giving the towel to a kid after he finished in regulation.

    “If you happen to see a grungy white towel hanging around, get it for me, will you?” he once said.

    He was born Frank Urban Zoeller Jr. in New Albany, Indiana. Zoeller said his father was known only as “Fuzzy” and he was given the same name. He played at a junior college in Florida before joining the powerful Houston golf team before turning pro.

    His wife, Diane, died in 2021. Zoeller has three children, including daughter Gretchen, with whom he used to play in the PNC Championship. Zoeller was awarded the Bob Jones Award by the USGA in 1985, the organization’s highest honor given for distinguished sportsmanship.

    ___

    AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

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  • 12 detained in Florida Keys amid increasing immigration enforcement

    U.S. Border Patrol agents stage for an operation in the Winn Dixie parking lot in Key Largo Friday, Nov. 21, 2025.

    U.S. Border Patrol agents stage for an operation in the Winn Dixie parking lot in Key Largo Friday, Nov. 21, 2025.


    Photo by Nick Rodriguez

    Federal agents detained 12 people during an immigration enforcement operation in the Florida Keys last week.

    U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations issued a press release Friday saying its agents participated in the operation with the Border Patrol on Nov. 21. A CBP Blackhawk helicopter was also used in the operation, the agency said.

    Customs said the 12 people agents took into custody were illegally in the U.S. from countries including Nicaragua, Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia and Guatemala. The agency said the people were taken to the Border Patrol’s station in the Middle Keys city of Marathon to be processed for removal from the country.

    Agents were pulling cars over that morning in the southbound lanes of U.S. 1 at mile marker 105 in front of the Winn-Dixie supermarket in Key Largo, a witness told the Miami Herald.

    A U.S. Border Patrol agent approaches a car pulled over during an immigration operation in Key Largo Friday, Nov. 21, 2025.
    A U.S. Border Patrol agent approaches a car pulled over during an immigration operation in Key Largo Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. Photo by Nick Rodriguez

    Customs said all of them had “prior charges and convictions” for offenses including re-entry after deportation, driving under the influence, illegal concealed carry of a weapon, drug possession with a weapon, battery and domestic violence.

    As of Friday, none of the people’s cases have shown up in public federal court records.

    Increased immigration enforcement in the Florida Keys

    Since the Trump administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants, Border Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have ramped up operations in the Keys, according to court records.

    Much of the enforcement effort appears to be happening around the Big Pine Key area in the Lower Keys.

    But, increased operations appear to be happening in the Upper Keys as well. The Florida Keys Weekly reported that on Nov. 17, a man and 16-year-old boy were pulled over on the way to drop the teen off at Coral Shores High School on Plantation Key, where he is a student.

    Both were detained, the newspaper reported. ICE could not immediately be reached for comment on where the boy is being held. Monroe County School District Deputy Superintendent Amber Acevedo told the Herald that she “did not have specific information” about the incident.

    On Sunday, Border Patrol agents pulled over a Ford pickup truck at mile marker 99 in Key Largo because “law enforcement databases indicated that the registered owner is an illegal alien residing in the United States,” a Border Patrol complaint filed Tuesday states.

    A handcuffed man sits in a U.S. Customs Air and Marine Operations boat off Rodriguez Key Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025.
    A handcuffed man sits in a U.S. Customs Air and Marine Operations boat off Rodriguez Key Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. U.S. Customs and Border Protection

    According to the complaint, the driver, Lucas Jimenez-Ramos is a citizen of Guatemala illegally living in the U.S. The complaint states that he was previously deported in October 2019. He now faces a charge of “re-entry of a removed alien,” the complaint states.

    Also this week, a Customs Air and Marine Operations crew stopped a boat Tuesday off Rodriguez Key, a small uninhabited island just offshore of Key Largo, to conduct a “vessel document check,” the agency said in a statement.

    A man on the boat was a Venezuelan citizen “illegally present in the United States after deportation,” the statement said. He was also taken to the Border Patrol’s station in Marathon to be processed for removal.

    David Goodhue

    Miami Herald

    David Goodhue covers the Florida Keys and South Florida for FLKeysNews.com and the Miami Herald. Before joining the Herald, he covered Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. He is a graduate of the University of Delaware.

    David Goodhue

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  • Changes taking shape at Treasure Bay

    TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. — Treasure Island is looking to the future of 17 acres of waterfront property. Treasure Bay is a city-owned recreation complex that was hit hard by last year’s hurricanes. Vice Mayor Tammy Vasquez said even before the storms, it was in rough shape.

    What You Need To Know

    • Recent changes to the Treasure Bay recreation complex in Treasure Island include the construction of a new walking path, a new kayak launch and improvements to tennis courts

    • Talks about making improvements began years before Hurricane Helene damaged the site last year

    • Commissioners discussed possible future improvements at a workshop earlier this month

    • Some residents said they’d like to see the site’s golf course restored, but the mayor and vice mayor were among those who said while a golf feature may be added down the road, bringing back the course in its former state doesn’t make sense


    “It has been in talks for years,” Vasquez said of efforts to revitalize Treasure Bay. “Our parks and rec department has been amazing. We’ve gotten grants for a living seawall, which is, environmentally, just amazing.”

    A city staff member said during a Nov. 4 workshop that work on the seawall was expected to wrap up by the end of the month. Construction is also underway on a walking path, there’s a new kayak launch, and improvements are being made to the tennis courts. Commissioners also discussed possible future amenities for the site. Vasquez said that could include expanding the playground and adding a splash pad and waterfront band shell. A number of residents at the workshop told commissioners they want to see the restoration of Treasure Bay’s former golf course.

    “Many of our residents want that golf course. It’s part of our heritage,” said Commissioner Arden Dickey.

    “Both in 2017 and 2021, interested citizens participated in meetings and expressed their will to restore the golf course. Both times, staff and commission did not choose to listen,” said resident Pat Patterson.

    (Spectrum News/Sarah Blazonis)

    Vasquez and Mayor John Doctor were among those who said they didn’t think bringing back the course in its former state made sense, saying they want the site to get more use than was seen at the course.

    “Not necessarily going back to a full golf course like it was before because it was old and it was very, you know, it was a small group of people. So, we definitely want to attend to them,” Vasquez told Spectrum News.

    She said that could mean the addition of a Pop Stroke-like feature. 

    Others were concerned about parking problems additional amenities could cause, as well as what kind of events would be hosted at a band shell.

    “That’s the one thing that I do have a question about is the concerts and noise and what time it would be done,” one resident said.

    Vasquez said those are all issues that can be discussed before the city moves forward with anything. For now, she said it’s good to see change finally taking shape.

    “It’s progress, and if there’s one thing we need in Treasure Island as a whole, it’s progress,” she said.

    (Spectrum News/Sarah Blazonis)

    Sarah Blazonis

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