Florida

How hospital workforce challenges fared in Florida in 2023

Published

2 years ago

January 14, 2024

How hospital workforce challenges fared in Florida in 2023

ORLANDO, Fla. — Editor’s note: This story is available as a result of a content partnership between WFTV and the Orlando Business Journal.

While Florida hospitals continue to see a nursing shortage, significant advances were made in 2023, according to data from the Florida Hospital Association.

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The nursing vacancy rate in 2023 was 13%, which is a vast improvement from 2022, when nursing vacancies in the state were at 21%. This is also below the national vacancy level of 16%.

While this was a marked improvement over 2022, it is still slightly above historical figures. Dating back to 1990, the vacancy rate typically hovered around 6% to 7%, with a low of 4% in 2009 and a high of 12% in 1990.

Read: 4 Central Florida neighborhoods ranked among best-selling U.S. communities

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Florida

Golf roundup: Austin Smotherman plays ‘boring, simple’ to expand lead in Florida

Published

6 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Golf roundup: Austin Smotherman plays ‘boring, simple’ to expand lead in Florida

Austin Smotherman will carry a three-stroke lead into the weekend at the Cognizant Classic at The Palm Beaches.

Smotherman followed his opening 62 with a 2-under-par 69 on Friday at PGA National’s Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. That brought him to 11 under, comfortably clear of Taylor Moore, who is in second after his second straight 4-under 67.

Cognizant Classic scoreboard

“Yeah, leading a PGA Tour event, come on, pretty awesome,” Smotherman said.

Smotherman, 31, is in fine position for his first win on the PGA Tour since turning pro a decade ago. He has won three times on the Korn Ferry Tour, including last June.

Afterwards, he credited himself with playing “Austin Smotherman golf.” When asked what that meant, he responded, “as boring and simple as it can be.

“That’s what I want to do out there. I feel like I ball strike it good enough to have that kind of boring golf, a bunch of fairways ideally,” he said.

He suffered three bogeys Friday after a bogey-free opening round, but the key stretch for him after starting on the back nine was between Nos. 17 and 3. He birdied four holes in that stretch, starting with a 54-foot bomb at the par-3 17th hole.

“Anything under par I thought would have been (good) following up a round like yesterday, which was a special one,” he said, “and try not to get too far ahead of myself thinking I’m going to make every long putt I’m looking at, like kind of was the feeling yesterday, and then today I still make a 55-footer on 17.”

Moore overcame a bogey in each half of his round with three birdies on either nine, more than counterbalancing the rough patches to earn his second straight solid score.

“I think very different 67s,” Moore said when comparing his rounds. “I didn’t hit many fairways yesterday, kind of grinded a lot, had a couple chip-ins, which obviously helps. I thought I struck the ball much better today. Drove it in the fairways on the par-5s, I felt like. Yeah, still had a few up-and- downs, obviously, with the tough windy conditions this afternoon, but overall I thought it was solid.”

Canadian A.J. Ewart had the round of the day, a 64 that powered him to 7 under for the week. He’s tied with Colombia’s Nico Echavarria (72), and Joel Dahmen is in fifth at 6 under after a second consecutive 68.

Ewart, who played for nearby Barry University in college, came in with some familiarity.

“We used to come and watch this tournament when I was at school. I think I came up here twice, maybe three times and watched,” Ewart said. “I had never actually played the golf course, but I felt like I knew it just from watching it.”

Irishman Shane Lowry, one of the most recognizable players in the field, is in a large knot for sixth at 5 under after posting a 67. Defending champion Joe Highsmith made the cut on the number at even par.

Notable players who missed the cut included Webb Simpson (1 over), Gary Woodland (2 over), Matt Kuchar (2 over) and Canada’s Adam Hadwin (3 over).

Kim maintains narrow lead in Singapore

Auston Kim maintained a narrow lead over three seasoned competitors with a 3-under-par 69 on Friday at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore.

Kim carded five birdies and a double-bogey at the par-5 16th hole at Sentosa Golf Club to move to 9-under par, one shot ahead of major champions Minjee Lee of Australia (64 on Friday) and Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn (67) and three- time LPGA Tour winner Haeran Ryu of South Korea (68).

Lurking two shots back at 7-under in the no-cut event are Australia’s Hannah Green (66), Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen (68), Sweden’s Linn Grant (69) and England’s Mimi Rhodes (69).

Kim, an LPGA Tour member since 2024, has been knocking on the door of her first tour win. The American has eight finishes in the top 10 and was the runner-up at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship last season.

“I think just sticking to my process. I’m trying to earn each shot and win each shot and win each day,” Kim, 25, said of her strategy heading into the weekend. “I can put a hundred percent of my focus into every single shot and try my best to execute each time, I’ll do well.”

Lee soared into contention with an eagle at the par-4 second hole and six birdies in a bogey-free round.

“I think just I holed a few more putts out there,” Lee said of the difference between Friday’s play and her opening-round of 72. “I holed a few long ones and I also holed out for eagle on the second. That always helps the score.”

Jutanugarn had six birdies, including three straight from holes Nos. 5-7, and one bogey.

Ryu collected four birdies in a round free of bogeys, but not free from pain.

“Today, my neck was so bad and I cannot turn it around, it’s so hard, my neck,” Ryu said. “But yeah, golf is not perfect. I just think about it, just hit the fairway and the green. Yeah, that’s good for me. There’s a lot of birdies, and yeah, I’m so happy.”

Angel Yin matched Lee for the low round of the day with a 64 to move into a tie for ninth at 6-under.

Defending champion Lydia Ko of New Zealand (72) remained a 2-under posting four birdies and four bogeys.

World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand is tied for 33rd at 1-under after a round of 70.

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Florida

FuelFest kicks off at South Florida Fairgrounds this weekend

Published

18 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

FuelFest kicks off at South Florida Fairgrounds this weekend

One of the hottest car shows in South Florida kicks off this weekend at the South Florida Fairgrounds. FuelFest Founder Cody Walker and actor and singer Tyrese Gibson joined CBS News Miami on Friday morning to break down what you can expect to see at the popular event.

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Florida

Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold named in Florida court filing

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold named in Florida court filing

Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold was named in a Florida court order that is connected to a robbery and kidnapping case. Court records show that the robbery and kidnapping were allegedly orchestrated by 23-year-old Boakai Hilton, by an associate of Arnold, in retaliation for two robberies that happened at an Airbnb Arnold was renting in Largo.

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