Florida
South Florida first responders return home from Hurricane Milton response
Six days after the storm, the first responders from South Florida Task Force Two returned home to Miami.
The group of 110 firefighters from several departments, including Miami Fire-Rescue, deployed to the west coast as Hurricane Milton was making landfall. They headed to Sarasota and Clearwater, the hardest-hit areas, and jumped right into the fray.
“Our need is absolutely necessary, our members are trained in swift water rescue, in land-based search and rescue operations, they hit the ground running, these are true professionals, they’re ready to encounter and mitigate hazards that they are presented with in an austere environment,” said Chris Diaz, the task force leader. “Our members absolutely assisted members of the community in the Clearwater area, Sarasota area, Siesta Key, we were generally focused on search and rescue.”
The Miami team was in the thick of the most damages areas. Diaz said it can get emotional to comfort people who are going through their worst days.
“They’re humans, I mean they’re true professionals, they’re competent, they deliver outstanding work, however they’re humans, they know they’re going out to someone’s home that they may have lost,” Diaz said. “It’s great to be home, but I will say that we don’t know what’s brewing on the horizon and what you see behind me is 110 members that just got back from the west coast and they’re preparing all of our resources to be out the door within three hours if we get activated again.”
Hopefully, that won’t happen any time soon.
Diaz said without a doubt, lives were saved by the fact that most people in the evacuation zones heeded the warnings and left. He also praised FEMA and the state of Florida for prepositioning assets so as soon as the storm passed, the search and rescue operations could begin.
Florida
Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold named in Florida court filing
Florida
Video: Injured Florida manatee rescued by authorities, receiving medical care at ZooTampa
FORT MYERS, Fla. – An injured manatee and her calf are recovering after authorities on a boat rescued them from the Orange River near Fort Myers on Thursday.
What we know:
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said its Marine Unit, Advanced Technology Support Unit, drone pilots and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission helped in saving the pair after the mother was found hurt in the water and in need of medical attention.
READ: Missing Florida man found stuck in mud without food or water for days: PFD
Video shows authorities pulling the frantic manatees safely onto the boat in netting before taking them to shore.
Courtesy: Lee County Sheriff’s Office
Both animals will be taken to ZooTampa for evaluation and medical care.
What we don’t know:
LCSO did not say the extent of the mother’s injuries.
By the numbers:
As of Feb. 20, there have been 85 manatee deaths across Florida in 2026, according to the FWC. Last year reportedly saw a total of 632 manatee deaths.
Dig deeper:
Earlier this month, the FWC began investigating a spike in manatee deaths, specifically in Lee County, where officials say 25 were found dead within a week.
READ: FWC investigating spike in manatee deaths over the past week
The FWC believes these manatee deaths could be from several factors: cold stress, a lack of seagrass and polluted waterways.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Florida
Cuba says 4 killed after speedboat from Florida opened fire in Cuban waters
Trump threatens tariffs on countries that supply oil to Cuba
Trump warned Cuba to reach an agreement with the U.S. after signing an executive order to impose tariffs on countries that supply the island with oil.
HAVANA (Reuters) – Four people were killed and seven others were wounded on Feb. 25 after a speedboat from Florida entered Cuban waters and opened fire on Cuban forces, who returned fire, Cuba’s Interior Ministry said.
All four dead were aboard the Florida-based speedboat, and another six were injured, Cuba said. In addition, the Cuban commander of border patrol boat was wounded, Cuba said.
The wounded foreign attackers were evacuated and received medical attention, Cuba said.
The incident took place amid heightened tension between Cuba and the United States, which has blocked virtually all oil shipments to the island, increasing pressure on the Communist-run government. American forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas on Jan. 3, removing a key Cuban ally from power.
“Faced with the current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its commitment to protecting its territorial waters, based on the principle that national defense is a fundamental pillar for the Cuban state in safeguarding its sovereignty and stability in the region,” the Cuban statement said.
Reporting by Daniel Trotta in Havana.
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