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Florida
Need ideas for Valentine’s Day dinner? List ranks 8 most romantic restaurants in Florida
Valentine’s Day table setting HGTV Table Wars Wilfredo Emanuel
Wilfredo Emanuel, a finalist on HGTV’s “Table Wars,” gives a step-by-step guide on how to make a special Valentine’s Day table setting.
Landon Bost, Naples Daily News
Love is in the air. Or at least, it definitely will be once you sit down with a nicely prepared meal in an enchanting eatery.
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and if you haven’t locked in those prized dinner reservations, you might want to get on that quickly.
But if you still need ideas for where to take your significant other, FloridaRentals.com released their report based on eight restaurants in Florida that will certainly woo your partner.
Experts combed through customer reviews, menu, service, and ambiance to determine the most intimate and romantic spots in the state. From seafood scenes in the Panhandle to cultural delights in Southwest Florida, there’s something for everyone and their desires.
When is Valentine’s Day 2024?
Valentine’s Day this year lands in the middle of the week on Wednesday, Feb. 14.
Here are the study’s top eight most romantic restaurants in Florida:
The Cook & Cork, Coral Springs
Looking for a great atmosphere, fantastic wine list and delicious menu? The study says that The Cook & Cork is the perfect spot.
Located at 9890 W. Sample Road, the Coral Springs restaurant is already opening up reservations for the upcoming holiday. Their website promises that “love is on the menu,” adding that there will be specials in store.
The study highlights this award-winning Daytona Beach restaurant that offers upscale Italian cuisine. It further shares that The Cellar Restaurant “has an intimate atmosphere with an extensive wine list and menu with all your homemade Italian favorites.”
It’s found in the historic district of the beach at 220 Magnolia Avenue.
Seagar’s Restaurant, Miramar Beach
This well-known Destin-area steakhouse has an award-winning 600-label wine list, original fresh seafood dishes, and aged Prime USDA steaks. Nothing says romance more than the perfect combination of steak and seafood.
Seagar’s Restaurant is located at 4000 Sandestin Boulevard South in Miramar Beach.
The menu at The French is full of casual French classics, lighter fare and coastal dishes. Described in the Naples Daily News as a beautiful brasserie located on Fifth Avenue South, the atmosphere vibrant while its meals transports those to Paris.
Osteria Tulia, Naples
Along the same street, Naples’ Osteria Tulia serves up some of the most delicious rustic Italian cuisine inside a restored Italian farmhouse.
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, their website reminds patrons make sure to book their reservations now. You can even view their special holiday menu here.
Soco, Orlando
Located right in Orlando’s Thornton Park area, Soco offers contemporary Southern cuisine. The study notes that they have an award-winning chef that brings classic dishes to life with a fantastic twist.
Collage Restaurant, St. Augustine
Collage has an eclectic menu, which their website says focuses on local farms, seafood and international flavor profiles. Found at 60 Hypolita Street in downtown St. Augustine, patrons can dine on fresh dishes prepared from scratch.
Bonus points for taking your partner to the most romantic city in the entire state, as determined in multiple rankings within the last few years.
Kitchen, West Palm Beach
Described as a contemporary American Brasserie, the Kitchen strives to focus on flavorful, fresh food. The study mentions the homemade desserts as well.
It has two locations in West Palm Beach; one at 319 Belvedere Rd, #2 and the other at 5250 Donald Ross Rd, #100.
Florida
Traffic stop goes viral after Florida deputy accuses driver missing right hand of holding phone
PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Video of a traffic stop in Palm Beach County is going viral over an awkward exchange between the driver and a deputy who accused her of holding a phone while driving.
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“You drove past me holding a phone with your right hand, manipulating that phone,” the deputy tells 36-year-old Kathleen “Katie” Thomas.
“Obviously not,” Thomas says while laughing and holding up her right arm, showing that she’s missing her right hand.
“So you wanna call this a day?” she asks.
“I don’t want to call this a day. You had a hand up, manipulating,” the deputy responds.
“You just said my right hand,” Thomas counters.
“Well, I thought I saw your right hand,” the deputy says.
“So you didn’t,” Thomas responds.
Thomas posted the bodycam footage on Instagram and TikTok where it gained millions of likes.
In the video, although she shows the deputy she doesn’t have a right hand, the deputy doubled down.
“I’m asking you now; did you or not have your phone in your hand?” the deputy asks.
“I did not,” Thomas responds.
“You did not have your phone in your hand?” the deputy asks again.
“I did not,” Thomas responds.
“Hand to God, you didn’t have a phone in your hand?” the deputy asks.
“Hand to God,” Thomas says.
Court records show Thomas was given a $116 citation despite the presented evidence, but it was later dismissed at the request of the deputy involved.
Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.
Florida
Blue Origin New Glenn rocket explodes on launch pad in Florida
A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded Thursday night on a launch pad at Cape Canaveral in Florida.
The explosion occurred at about 9 p.m. ET. Blue Origin said there were no injuries from the incident.
“We experienced an anomaly during today’s hotfire test,” Blue Origin said in a statement. “All personnel have been accounted for. We will provide updates as we learn more.”
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station also confirmed in a separate statement that “all personnel have been accounted for and there were no injuries/fatalities.”
Blue Origin was scheduled to fuel the rocket Thursday evening ahead of a planned test firing of the rocket’s engines.
Blue Origin, which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, successfully launched its third New Glenn rocket last month.
This rocket was being prepared for the fourth New Glenn mission as soon as June 4 to launch 48 satellites for Amazon’s Leo internet service, which competes with Elon Musk’s Starlink.
The 48 satellites were not aboard the rocket during the test. It was not immediately clear how much damage the launch pad and ground equipment sustained, or how long it might take to repair it.
Space Launch Complex 36, where the explosion occurred, is the only launch pad equipped to launch New Glenn rockets.
The New Glenn rocket is key to Blue Origin’s and NASA’s moon base plans, and the explosion will likely be a setback. Next year, the New Glenn is supposed to launch another Blue Moon lander as part of the Artemis III mission in low Earth orbit.
In a social media post, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman wrote, “Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult. We will work with our partners to support a thorough investigation of this anomaly, assess near-term mission impacts, and get back to launching rockets.”
The New Glenn rocket had just been cleared on May 22 to return to flight after being grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration after an anomaly with the second stage during an April 19 launch.
In a statement Thursday, the FAA said it was aware that the rocket had “experienced an anomaly during a static fire test on the pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida,” adding that the “test was not within the scope of FAA licensed activities.”
The FAA also noted that “there was no impact to air traffic” from the explosion.
Bezos wrote on X Thursday night, “It’s too early to know the root cause but we’re already working to find it. Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it.”
Musk wrote: “Sorry to see this, I hope you recover quickly.”
Florida
Florida to pay Sumrall’s assistants a combined $11.2M in 2026
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida coach Jon Sumrall’s assistants will make a combined $11.2 million in 2026, a significant investment for a program desperate to win more often.
Offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner tops the list after signing a three-year, $6.6 million contract to leave Georgia Tech and join Sumrall in Gainesville. Faulker will get $2.1 million in 2026 – the first $2 million coordinator in school history – and has a $100,000 raise set for each of the next two years.
Only six college offensive coordinators were paid $2 million or more in 2025, according to CBS Sports. Fifteen defensive coordinators topped $2 million.
Florida defensive coordinator Brad White signed a three-year, $5.85 million deal that starts at $1.85 million and also includes a $100,000 raise in 2027 and 2028.
The Gators released the contracts Thursday in response to a public records request.
Sumrall signed a six-year, $44.7 million contract last year that averages $7.45 million annually. The Gators will dole out more than $20 million to Sumrall, his staff of 15 assistants and a front office led by new general manager Dave Caldwell.
Four of the assistants are scheduled to earn at least $1 million during their deals.
Defensive line coach Gerald Chapman and offensive line coach Phil Trautwine will join Faulker and White in the seven-figure club. Chapman, the lone holdover from former Florida coach Billy Napier’s staff, will make $950,000 this year and $1 million in 2027. Trautwine, meanwhile, starts at $750,000 and jumps to $1 million. Both signed two-year deals.
Their salaries show Sumrall’s commitment to rebuilding the team along both lines of scrimmage in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference.
Napier’s 12-man coaching staff was paid a combined $7.5 million in 2025. The Gators posted three losing seasons in Napier’s four years.
The rest of Sumrall’s staff range between making $350,000 and $600,000 annually, all of them on two-year contracts.
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