Florida Archives

New salmonella outbreak tied to same Florida grower with tainted cucumbers last year

U.S. health officials are investigating a new outbreak of salmonella illnesses tied to a Florida grower whose tainted cucumbers were linked to more than 500 illnesses last year. Cucumbers grown by Florida-based Bedner Growers and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales are linked to at least 26 illnesses in 15 states. Nine people have been hospitalized. The outbreak was detected as part of a follow-up inspection in April to a 2024 outbreak that ended in August. Investigators traced that outbreak to untreated canal water. Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include diarrhea, fever, severe vomiting, dehydration and stomach cramps.… Continue Reading

Elliot Cadeau, UNC ponder emotional loss to No. 7 Florida after comeback falls short

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina guard Elliot Cadeau couldn’t hold back the tears as he walked off the floor at the Spectrum Center following the Tar Heels’ 90-84 loss to No. 7 Florida. The Tar Heels again suffered through a lackluster first half against a big-time opponent, only to awaken in the second half and turn a 17-point deficit into the 4-point lead. But the Tar Heels faltered down the stretch, the victim of poor rebounding and untimely mistakes. One of those belonged to Cadeau, who dribbled the ball off his leg and out of bounds along the baseline with 1:26 left in the game with the score tied at 84. North Carolina wouldn’t score again.… Continue Reading

Will Richard scores 22 points, No. 7 Florida holds off UNC rally to remain unbeaten with 90-84 win

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Will Richard scored 22 points, Alijah Martin added 19 points and No. 7 Florida held off a furious second half rally by North Carolina to remain unbeaten with a 90-84 victory in the Jumpman Invitational. R.J. Davis had 29 points and eight rebounds for the Tar Heels, who battled back from a 17-point first half deficit to take a 4-point the lead midway through the second half. Florida jumped out to a 35-17 lead after making 6 of 12 3-pointers, while UNC missed its first 11 shots from beyond the arc.… Continue Reading

North Carolina’s brutal schedule continues with games against No. 7 Florida, No. 18 UCLA up next

North Carolina continues one of the most daunting schedules in Division I basketball this week. The Tar Heels face No. 7 Florida in Charlotte in the Jumpman Invitational on Tuesday night, then head to Madison Square Garden on Saturday to face No. 18 UCLA, which is riding an eight-game winning streak. North Carolina already has lost to eighth-ranked Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse, No. 2 Auburn and No. 20 Michigan State in Maui and No. 6 Alabama at home, and earned what has turned out to be a marquee victory over No. 21 Dayton, which just entered the AP poll this week.… Continue Reading

Floridians cleaning up from Hurricane Milton are hampered by a widespread fuel shortage

CORTEZ, Fla. (AP) — Many Floridians spent much of Saturday either waiting hours in line for gas, trying to get home or beginning the arduous work of cleaning up after Hurricane Milton. Gov. Ron DeSantis said Saturday several fuel depots where residents could get 10 gallons of gas for free were set to open. Officials were also using state fuel stockpiles to replenish area gas stations. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration for the state and will Florida on Sunday to assess the damage. Moody’s Analytics estimates economic costs from the storm will range from $50 billion to $85 billion.… Continue Reading

Residents repair their homes and clean up after Hurricane Milton tore through Florida

LITHIA, Fla. (AP) — Florida residents are repairing the damage caused by Hurricane Milton and cleaning up debris. The storm smashed through coastal communities, tore homes to pieces, flooded streets and spawned a barrage of deadly tornadoes. At least 10 people are dead and rescuers are still saving people from swollen rivers, but many are relieved Milton wasn’t worse. The hurricane spared Tampa a direct hit, and the lethal storm surge that scientists feared never materialized. The state’s vital tourism industry is beginning to return to normal. Florida theme parks including Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld reopened Friday.… Continue Reading

Although Milton has moved on, at least 8 are dead and millions remain in the dark

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Rescue teams are plucking Florida residents from the flotsam of Hurricane Milton after the storm smashed through coastal communities. The storm tore homes into pieces, filled streets with mud and spawned a barrage of deadly tornadoes. At least eight people are dead. Arriving just two weeks after the misery wrought by Hurricane Helene, the system also knocked out power to more than 3 million customers, flooded barrier islands, tore the roof off a baseball stadium and toppled a construction crane. Despite the destruction, many people expressed relief that Milton wasn’t worse. The hurricane spared Tampa a direct hit, and the lethal storm surge that scientists feared never materialized.… Continue Reading

Tampa Bay hasn’t been hit directly by a major hurricane since 1921. Milton may be the one

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Fearful Florida residents are streaming out of the Tampa Bay region ahead of what could be a once-in-a-century direct hit from Hurricane Milton. Crews are working furiously to prevent furniture, appliances and other waterlogged wreckage from Florida’s last big storm from becoming deadly projectiles in this one. The preparations marked the last chance for millions of people in the Tampa metro area to prepare for lethal storm surges, ferocious winds and possible tornadoes in a place that has narrowly avoided a head-on blow from a major storm for generations.… Continue Reading

Florida communities hit three times by hurricanes grapple with how and whether to rebuild

HORSESHOE BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Brooke Hiers just a month ago left the state-issued emergency trailer where her family had lived after Hurricane Idalia slammed into her home on Florida’s Gulf Coast in August of 2023. Then Hurricane Helene crashed ashore. For the third time in 13 months, a 50-mile sliver of the state’s vast coastline took a direct hit from a hurricane. Hurricane Debby also had struck in August 2024. The hits in the windswept stretch of Florida’s Big Bend are forcing residents to reckon with the costs of living in an area under siege by storms that researchers say are becoming stronger because of climate change.… Continue Reading

Helene makes landfall in northwestern Florida as a Category 4 hurricane

CRAWFORDVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Helene has made landfall in northwestern Florida as a Category 4 storm as forecasters warn of “catastrophic” flooding along the Gulf Coast. The National Hurricane Center says Helene came ashore Thursday evening in the Big Bend area of Florida’s Gulf Coast. Officials have forecast storm surges of up to 20 feet and warned they could be particularly “catastrophic and unsurvivable” in Florida’s Apalachee Bay. Hurricane warnings and flash flood warnings extend far beyond the coast up into northern Georgia and western North Carolina. The governors of Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia have all declared emergencies in their states.… Continue Reading