COUNTY 

Tallahassee Democrat 

Leon hires consultant to explore setting up county fire department 

County government is moving ahead at looking into the creation of their own fire station after voting unanimously to hire a consultant for nearly $110,000 to craft a report on what this new venture would entail. 

 

WDBO 

Walt Disney World files several lawsuits against Orange County 

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Walt Disney World has filed 15 lawsuits against Orange County over property tax assessments for its theme parks and resorts, claiming excessive taxation. 

 

WTSP 

Citrus County bans any new medical marijuana dispensaries from opening  

County commissioners reversed a November decision as local treatment centers warn a ban could raise prices and limit care. 

 

WCTV 

Voters to decide if they support combining Tallahassee governments 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – In a late-night vote, Leon County commissioners voted to add a non-binding referendum to the 2026 ballot that would allow voters to indicate if they want the City of Tallahassee and Leon County government to combine. 

 

Click Orlando 

‘It’s far more than we anticipated:’ Seminole County adds more vehicles to SCOUT service to meet demand 

News 6 examines SCOUT ride efficiency 

 

WUWF 

Okaloosa County joins the fight against an Alabama carbon dioxide storage hub 

Okaloosa County Commissioners unanimously agreed to reach out to state and federal legislators to oppose a 74,000-acre carbon storage hub potentially located in Florala, Alabama. 

 

WUWF 

Santa Rosa County considers new public fund for land conservation  

The Santa Rosa County Commission is looking at options for establishing a dedicated funding source for land conservation in the county. 

 

STATE 

WUWF 

Florida’s state parks need creative ways to raise more revenue  

Florida’s state parks are in need of repair. A new state study says a backlog of projects includes everything from staff housing to replacing septic tanks. 

 

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 

Midflorida Newspaper 

Trump eyes AI regulation amid Florida attention 

TALLAHASSEE — President Donald Trump on Monday pushed again for the federal government to control regulation of artificial intelligence as Florida lawmakers begin to delve into the effects of AI on the state. 

 

DOGE 

WPTV 

$344M overspending claim ‘not transparent,’ county administrator says 

County Administrator Joseph Abruzzo says Florida CFO’s speech was ‘based on personal opinion’ 

 

LEGISLATION 

Greene Publishing 

Proposed legislation seeks to correct problems created by Senate Bill 180 

Two bills introduced in the Florida Legislature for the coming 2026 legislative session aim to correct some of the problems created by last year’s controversial law that prevents local governments from updating their comprehensive plans and land-use regulations if they were affected by any of three major hurricanes in 2024.