logo
Should Florida's State Parks be developed?

Should Florida's State Parks be developed?

Yahoo27-02-2025

Florida's state parks offer some of the most unique experiences in the country.
From fishing, camping, hiking and horseback riding to spotting and admiring some of our more unique wildlife like manatees and alligators there is literally something for everyone.
Not to mention only a handful of states can offer pristine surfing locations in their state parks.
That's why we here at the USA Today Network-Florida feel so strongly about preserving our state parks and supporting , or the "State Park Preservation Act." The bill would protect our state parks from developers, and prevent the construction of things like hotels, golf courses, pickleball courts and other commercial buildings in Florida state parks.
Protect our Florida state parks: Florida must protect state parks. New bill is a step in the right direction. | Our View
The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Gayle Harrell, is in response to a proposal last summer by Gov. Ron DeSantis called the "The Great Outdoors Initiative," that would allow commercial development in parts of Florida's state parks.
We want to hear from you.
Please take part in our poll which will stay open until April 10:
Do you support the State Parks Preservation Act?
Have you visited a Florida state park in the last year?
Please let us know in the comments section which state park is your favorite and why.
Contact Torres at jtorres@floridatoday.com. You can follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @johnalbertorres or on Facebook at facebook.com/FTjohntorres.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Poll: Should developers be allowed to build in Florida state parks?

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Three Florida men sentenced for torturing rival drug trafficker with hot sauce for 18 hours
Three Florida men sentenced for torturing rival drug trafficker with hot sauce for 18 hours

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Three Florida men sentenced for torturing rival drug trafficker with hot sauce for 18 hours

Three accused drug traffickers in Florida are heading to prison after they kidnapped a rival drug trafficker and tortured him for nearly 20 hours using hot sauce, according to federal prosecutors. Mario Espino, now 25, orchestrated the kidnapping and the 18-hour-long torture of Gadiel Leger, an alleged former partner in crime. The incident occurred in 2013 in Tampa, according to a Miami Herald report. According to court records, Espino was frustrated that he had been "cut out of Gadiel Leger's drug business" and "plotted to kidnap [him] and take over his drug business." Espino lured Leger to Tampa on the promise that he was going to repay an old drug debt, according to prosecutors. Once Leger reached Tampa, Espino's co-defendants, Jacob James Guest, 24, and Joey Lawrence Eugene Young, 25, abducted Leger and held him for ransom. The men contacted Leger's alleged "cartel drug sources" and demanded "10 kilograms of fentanyl" to secure his release, according to prosecutors. 'While Leger was held captive, Espino and Young tortured Leger by pouring hot sauce in Leger's eyes and anus,' Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Sullivan wrote in Espino's sentencing memorandum. According to Sullivan, Guest did not directly participate in the torture, but was present when it was taking place. 'While Guest did physically strike Gadiel Leger while he was held captive, Guest did not pour hot sauce on Leger like Espino and Young did,' Sullivan wrote in court documents. Leger was eventually rescued on October 11, 2023, when U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents and the Pasco Sheriff's Office found him in the back seat of a car that the defendants abandoned when authorities arrived. Law enforcement officers found Leger with a pillowcase covering his head and his wrists tied. Espino has been sentenced to 22 years and six months in prison. Guest was sentenced to 20 years in prison, and Young was sentenced to 25 years in prison, according to prosecutors. Guest's attorney told McClatchy News that he is "deeply remorseful for his actions." 'He is fully committed to utilizing his time in custody to learn, grow, and change, with the goal of reentering society as a responsible and productive person,' the attorney, Summer Rae Goldman, said. Prosecutors also revealed that despite Espino's role in the kidnapping and torture, he had previously assisted the government in bringing cases against other accused drug dealers in Central Florida, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Ahead of Young's sentencing, Sullivan gave an overview of his lengthy criminal history, writing that "the public needs to be protected from Joey Young." All three men pleaded guilty in the case, as did a fourth defendant, Jacob Paul Arjona, who has yet to be sentenced. Arjona pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, according to court records. His court-appointed attorney, Patrick Leduc, noted that Arjona was not involved with the kidnapping or torture. 'Mr. Arjona was not involved with the kidnapping of this other person," he said.

Coastal Carolina baseball coach rips Florida coach Kevin O'Sullivan after reported outburst: 'Absolutely disrespectful'
Coastal Carolina baseball coach rips Florida coach Kevin O'Sullivan after reported outburst: 'Absolutely disrespectful'

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Coastal Carolina baseball coach rips Florida coach Kevin O'Sullivan after reported outburst: 'Absolutely disrespectful'

Florida coach Kevin O'Sullivan reportedly got into an altercation with tournament staff on Sunday over an apparent scheduling change. (John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Kevin Schnall made sure to call out Florida baseball coach Kevin O'Sullivan on his way out of the Conway Regional on Sunday. Schnall, who led Coastal Carolina to a 1-0 win over East Carolina to advance into the super regional round of the NCAA baseball tournament, called out O'Sullivan for a reported altercation on site earlier in the day. Advertisement O'Sullivan, according to multiple reports, had 'ripped into' tournament staff over a scheduling change. Specifics of that incident aren't known, but Schnall made sure to speak out about it after his team's win. 'Another coach disrespected our associate AD, who works as hard as anybody in our entire program,' Schnall said. 'He disrespected our field crew, who are the salt of the earth. These guys would do anything for our program. It's not OK. This needs to be brought up. Absolutely disrespectful. 'As a coach, it's our job to mentor young kids and the way he treated the two site reps, the way he treated our associate AD, the way he treated our field crew is absolutely unacceptable. That's what I'm most disappointed about. This is a national champion coach who thinks he can come in here and try to bully people around. "I'm disappointed. Somebody that a lot of coaches look up to, for him to act that way, I'm really disappointed. He disrespected a hall-of-fame coach who's the site rep here. That's all I've got to say.' Schnall didn't call out O'Sullivan by name, but his messaging was pretty clear. O'Sullivan has led the Gators to the College World Series nine times throughout his coaching career, and he won a championship with them in 2017. Regardless, Schnall came out on top. East Carolina beat Florida 11-4 to knock the Gators out of the tournament. Coastal Carolina then beat the Pirates in the final game at the regional. That pushed the Chanticleers, who are the No. 13 seed nationally, into the super regional for the first time since 2016. They'll take on Auburn in the next round.

Hundreds gather to light Acosta Bridge rainbow for Pride Month in protest of the new FDOT rule
Hundreds gather to light Acosta Bridge rainbow for Pride Month in protest of the new FDOT rule

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Hundreds gather to light Acosta Bridge rainbow for Pride Month in protest of the new FDOT rule

Hundreds of LGBTQ+ activists came together for two Pride events to kick off Pride month. People brought their children, dogs, and their loved ones to light the night rainbow in Jacksonville. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< 'The most important thing to us is simply to be treated equal to others,' said Don Tanner, who attended the events. The first event is the annual Acosta Bridge Pride March. The march started in 2021 after the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) threatened to turn off the pride lights on the Acosta bridge for Pride Month. The pride lights were kept on that year, and organizers for the event decided to keep it a tradition. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Amy Glassman is the organizer for the Acosta Bridge Pride March. She said she plans on putting on this event next year. 'Lights or no lights there will always be rainbows on the Acosta bridge in June at this event,' said Glassman. The second event is the Pride in our Freedoms Community Bridge lighting. The event first started in 2024, after FDOT launched its 'Freedom Summer Initiative,' which required all state-owned bridges to be lit in red, white, and blue from Memorial Day through Labor Day. In addition, the FDOT announced a few weeks ago that state-owned bridges will light red, white, and blue only on federal holidays through 2026. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] This was the first time that both of these events were held on the same day. As a result, hundreds of people came together from both events to light up the Acosta Bridge in rainbow colors on top of the red, white, and blue. Matthew McAllister is the organizer for Pride in Our Freedoms. He said the lights shining together are symbolic. 'Without freedom there can be no diversity. And with no diversity, there's really no point in having freedom.' said McAllister. 'You cannot separate one for the other. ' Action News Jax reached out to FDOT, asking if they will allow state-owned bridges to light up in Pride Month colors after 2026. So far, there has been no response. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store