Florida

DeSantis signs Florida state parks bill born from outcry over golf course plans

Published

11 months ago

May 22, 2025

DeSantis signs Florida state parks bill born from outcry over golf course plans

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A bill to restrict Florida from building sports facilities and large lodges on state parks is now a law.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 209 Thursday, which the state legislature passed unanimously.

The uproar came last year after the Florida Department of Environmental Protection issued a news release about the “Great Outdoors Initiative” and later used social media posts to briefly outline plans for nine parks.

Perhaps the biggest target of opponents was a proposal to add three golf courses at Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Martin County, which is in Harrell’s district. Other parts of the initiative that drew heavy criticism included proposals to construct lodges with up to 350 rooms at Anastasia State Park in St. Johns County and Topsail Hill Preserve State Park in Walton County.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration paused the proposal after the uproar, but State Sen. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, and Rep. John Snyder, R-Stuart, filed bills to block the possibility of such development in the future.

“I think we were all dismayed last summer when suddenly out of nowhere these plans were revealed to pave over our state parks with pickleball courts and golf courses and hotels and lodges,” Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, said at one committee meeting. “You (Harrell) are right when you say that is not the purpose of our state parks.”

Instead, state officials will be required to focus on “conservation-based recreational uses” in state parks and preserves, such as camping, cycling, hiking, birding, fishing, or nature study.

The law allows for the construction of cabins with maximum capacities of six people at state parks, rather than hotels and lodges.

It also requires state officials to provide a report to the governor and the legislature regarding parks with amenities or areas that need upgrades or repairs, along with detailed spending at the parks and plans to address any specific needs.

That report is due by Dec. 1.

The new law itself takes effect July 1.

Information from News Service of Florida was used in this report.

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Related Topics:Featured Florida Florida Legislature Government Politics state parks

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Florida

Secretive push to build new Florida slaughterhouse endangers Lake O

Published

4 hours ago

April 30, 2026

Press Room

Secretive push to build new Florida slaughterhouse endangers Lake O

America has had a long love affair with cowboys. We picture them riding, roping, and ranching and just swoon. But we don’t like thinking about what happens to the cattle they’re tending, and how these critters wind up as the millions of burgers sold by McDonalds. To go from cows on the hoof to burgers […]

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Florida

Truck driver’s body found after he disappeared in Florida

Published

16 hours ago

April 29, 2026

Press Room

Truck driver’s body found after he disappeared in Florida

The body of Alejandro Jacomino Gonzalez, 41 was discovered in coastal Georgia, according to FBI officials.

The body of a truck driver was discovered in Georgia nearly two weeks after he went missing from a Florida rest stop, officials said.

Alejandro Jacomino González, 41, of Miami, picked up vehicles in Georgia on April 16 and was transporting them to Miami. He stopped at a rest stop in Brevard County, Florida on April 17 about 1:21 a.m. and rested for several hours.

The truck’s GPS showed shortly before 8 a.m., the truck “traveled one exit south and then turned north toward Jacksonville, Florida,” according to the FBI.

“Shortly after, González stopped responding and the truck was reported missing,” the FBI said.

The truck, without some of the vehicles González was transporting, was located in Port Wentworth, Georgia. Three vehicles were recovered in Florida, FBI officials said.

González’s body was located in coastal Georgia. Details on how he died, when and how his remains were located were not provided.

FBI seeking help from public in case of killed Florida truck driver

The FBI is seeking anyone who has photos or video from the Brevard County rest area in Grant-Valkaria, Florida between 1 a.m. and 8 a.m. April 17.

Officials are especially interested in the southern portion of the rest stop, near the ramp reconnecting to Interstate-95. Images can shared through an online form.

Michelle Spitzer is a journalist for The USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA. As the network’s Rapid Response reporter, she covers Florida’s breaking news. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.

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Florida

No. 10 Florida State softball comes up short on the road at Florida

Published

1 day ago

April 29, 2026

Press Room

No. 10 Florida State softball comes up short on the road at Florida

The Florida Gators defeated the Florida State Seminoles 4-3 in a midweek softball game.
Florida State initially led 2-0 before Florida tied the game and later took the lead.
The Seminoles tied the game again in the fifth inning, but the Gators scored the winning run in the bottom half.
No. 8 Florida defeated No. 10 Florida State 4-3 in a midweek softball game.
FSU initially took a 2-0 lead but could not overcome Florida’s subsequent scoring rallies.
The Seminoles will next play a road series against Boston College starting May 1.

No. 8 Florida handed No. 10 Florida State a narrow midweek loss, edging the Seminoles 4-3 Tuesday night at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

It was FSU’s first loss at Gainesville in five years.

FSU (43-8, 18-3 ACC) matched UF hit for hit for much of the game but could not overcome a pair of early deficit swings, falling to the Gators (46-8, 16-5 SEC) for the second time this season.

The Seminoles scored three runs on seven hits and drew three walks. Ashtyn Danley and Kennedy Harp each went 2-for-3, and five different FSU players recorded hits.

FSU struck first in the second inning. Singles by Bella Ruggiero and Harp, along with a walk to Shelby McKenzie, loaded the bases. Hayley Griggs followed with a soft single to left to plate Ruggiero, and Isa Torres added a sacrifice fly to score McKenzie and give the Seminoles a 2-0 lead.

Florida answered with two runs on two hits in the bottom of the third to tie the game, then pushed ahead 3-2 in the fourth on an RBI single.

The Seminoles responded in the fifth, again loading the bases. Anna Hinde lifted a sacrifice fly to deep right, allowing Torres to tag and score to tie the game at 3.

Florida regained the lead in the bottom half of the inning with a solo run and held the Seminoles scoreless the rest of the way to secure the 4-3 victory.

Bella Dimitrijevic started for FSU and worked three innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits with one strikeout in her 13th start of the season. Marlee Gaskell (2-1) relieved in the fourth, pitching 2 1/3 innings and striking out three while surrendering five hits. Makenna Reid entered in the sixth and recorded two flyouts to keep the Seminoles within a run.

Florida State will resume ACC play with a road series at Boston College beginning Friday, May 1, in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

How to watch FSU softball vs. Boston College

Date: Friday, May 1
Time: 4 p.m. EST
Where: Harrington Athletics Village, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
TV/Stream: ACC extra

Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics and Big Bend Preps for the Tallahassee Democrat. If you like to pitch a story on a high school athlete, don’t hesitate to get in touch with him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.

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