Florida

When is spring break for Florida schools? For some it’s after the time change. Every county’s dates

Published

1 year ago

March 10, 2025

Press Room

When is spring break for Florida schools? For some it’s after the time change. Every county’s dates

Hours after the arrival of daylight saving time, students in 9 Florida counties start their spring break.
The majority of Florida counties have scheduled their spring break for the week of March 17.
In some counties, spring break won’t arrive until April.

The end is in sight for the 2024-2025 school year, but before Florida students put away their books, there are a couple of holidays to look forward to.

The big one is spring break, but schedules vary around the state, with most taking the week-long holiday in March. Others have to wait until April.

Students in nine counties are the “lucky” ones.

Spring break for them comes today, the day after the switch to daylight saving time, giving them a week to adjust to the time change.

➤ How many states have joined Florida to make daylight saving time permanent? See the list

Here’s the spring break schedule for all 67 Florida counties, but first, here’s what you should know about the upcoming time change.

When is daylight saving time 2025?

We turned our clocks forward one hour — losing an hour of sleep — at 2 a.m. March 9.

Spring break begins day after time change for 9 Florida counties

After the change to daylight saving time Sunday, March 9, spring break will begin March 10 for these nine Florida counties:

One Florida county schedules spring break week before time change

Students in Sumter County will be the first in the state to enjoy spring break.

They’ll be out of school from March 3-7, which means they’ll return to the classroom after a week holiday, hours after the time change.

Most Florida counties schedule spring break starting March 17

March 17-21 was the week chosen for spring break for the majority — 45 — of Florida’s 67 counties.

Flagler, Monroe and Okaloosa counties actually will begin the spring holiday the Friday before, March 14.

Spring break begins March 24 for 5 counties

Spring break won’t begin until April for 7 Florida counties

Most of the counties scheduling spring break for April, including Good Friday — on April 18 — during the week students will have off.

When is spring break in Florida schools? See alphabetical list

Are there any other holidays before end of 2024-2025 school year?

Yes. Some counties have scheduled a holiday for Good Friday on April 18.

The next holiday is Memorial Day. For students in some counties, the school year ends before the holiday on May 26. For those still going, they will have the day off school on the Monday.

When will daylight saving arrive? When does the time change?

Daylight saving time for 2025 will begin at 2 a.m. EST Sunday, March 9, 2025, and we fall back again at 2 a.m. EST on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025.

This means it will be darker in the morning, so watch for school children heading to the bus stop or heading to school.

What are 2025 federal holidays?

In 2025, there are 12 instead of the usual 11 federal holidays, although two fell on the same day.

Inauguration Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day both fall on Jan. 20 this year. Since 1965, federal employees in the Washington, D.C., area are entitled to a holiday on the day a president is inaugurated. President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn into office on Jan. 20.

Here are 2025 federal holidays:

Jan. 1: New Year’s Day
Jan. 20: Inauguration Day; Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Feb. 17: Washington’s Birthday. Many state and local governments designation it as Presidents Day.
May 26: Memorial Day
June 19: Juneteenth
July 4: Independence Day
Sept. 1: Labor Day
Oct. 13: Columbus Day
Nov. 11: Veterans Day
Nov. 27: Thanksgiving Day
Dec. 25: Christmas Day

Florida state holidays for 2025

When are 2025 Florida state holidays?

The Florida Department of Management Services lists the following days observed as paid holidays by state agencies:

Jan. 1, Wednesday: New Year’s Day
Jan. 20, Monday: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
May 26, Monday: Memorial Day
July 4, Friday: Independence Day
Sept. 1, Monday: Labor Day
Nov. 11, Tuesday: Veterans Day
Nov. 27, Thursday: Thanksgiving
Nov. 28: Friday after Thanksgiving
Dec. 25, Thursday: Christmas Day

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Florida

Rocket launch from Florida this weekend. Best places, beaches to watch

Published

4 hours ago

March 21, 2026

Press Room

Rocket launch from Florida this weekend. Best places, beaches to watch

A so Florida thing is coming up — amid spring break season. A rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, is scheduled to lift off this weekend.

SpaceX plans to launch a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a batch of Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit on Sunday, March 22.

Rockets here launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center near Merritt Island, Florida, or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and people in and around Brevard County usually have the best chance at seeing this phenomenon in the sky.

Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover and trajectory, a rocket launch from Florida’s Space Coast is sometimes visible as far north as Jacksonville Beach and as far south as West Palm Beach.

When there’s a nighttime launch window or very early morning, there’s an opportunity for unique photos — the rocket lights up the dark sky and the contrail after makes for a great photo.

Below is more information on the next rocket launch from Florida and suggestions on where to watch it in person (or virtually via the USA TODAY Network’s Space Team).

For questions or comments, email USA TODAY Network Space Reporters Rick Neale at rneale@floridatoday.com, Brooke Edwards at bedwards@floridatoday.com or Eric Lagatta at elagatta@usatoday.com. For more space news from the USA TODAY Network, visit floridatoday.com/space.

Is there a rocket launch from Florida today? Next launch is Sunday, March 22, SpaceX Starlink 10-62

Mission: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 29 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit.
Launch window: 10:43 a.m. to 2:43 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 22.
Trajectory: Northeast.
Location: Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Sonic booms: No.
Live coverage starts 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space: You can watch live rocket launch coverage from USA TODAY Network’s Space Team, which consists of FLORIDA TODAY space reporters Rick Neale and Brooke Edwards and visuals journalists Craig Bailey, Malcolm Denemark and Tim Shortt. Our Space Team will provide up-to-the-minute updates in a mobile-friendly live blog, complete with a countdown clock, at floridatoday.com/space, starting 90 minutes before liftoff. You can download the free FLORIDA TODAY app, which is available in the App Store or Google Play, or type floridatoday.com/space into your browser.

Where to watch SpaceX rocket launches from Melbourne, Rockledge, Cocoa Beach and Merritt Island, Florida

Pretty much anywhere in Brevard, you’ll get a view of the rocket launch − in certain areas, you can get an amazing view of SpaceX rocket boosters returning to the pads. The best view to watch a rocket launch from the Space Coast is along the beach. However, visibility will depend on weather conditions and people should make sure not to block traffic or rights of way on bridges and to follow posted rules at beaches.

If you are viewing the launch along the Indian River in Titusville from Space View Park or Parrish Park, look east directly across the river.

If you are farther south along the Indian River, look northeast.

Playalinda Beach or Canaveral National Seashore is the closest spot to view liftoff because it is almost parallel to Launch Pad 39A. On the beach, look south along the coastline (you can even see the pad from some spots).

Some hotspots to check out:

Jetty Park Beach and Pier, 400 Jetty Park Road, Port Canaveral. Note, there’s a charge to park.
Playalinda Beach, 1000 Playalinda Beach Road, Canaveral National Seashore. Note, there’s a charge to park, and access to Canaveral National Seashore isn’t always granted depending on capacity and time of day.
Max Brewer Bridge and Parrish Park, 1 A. Max Brewer Memorial Parkway, Titusville. Note, parking is available on both sides of Max Brewer Bridge.
Space View Park, 8 Broad St., Titusville
Sand Point Park, 10 E. Max Brewer Causeway, Titusville
Rotary Riverfront Park, 4141 S. Washington Ave., Titusville
Riverfront Park at Cocoa Village, 401 Riveredge Blvd., Cocoa (just before State Road 520 Causeway)
Cocoa Village, near the parks and shops or near the docks
Various parks on Merritt Island
Rotary Park, 1899 S. Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island
Kiwanis Park on Kiwanis Island Park Road on Merritt Island
Port Canaveral, with ships from Disney Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean
Alan Shepard Park, 299 E. Cocoa Beach Causeway, Cocoa Beach. Note, there could be parking costs.
Cocoa Beach Pier, 401 Meade Ave. Parking fee varies.
Lori Wilson Park, 1400 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Lori Wilson Park has a dog park, by the way.
Sidney Fischer Park, 2200 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Note, there could be parking costs.
Downtown Cocoa Beach, along Minutemen Causeway
Tables Beach, 197 SR A1A, Satellite Beach
The Tides on SR A1A in Satellite Beach
Various parks, including the Pelican Beach Clubhouse, in Satellite Beach
Pineda Causeway
Eau Gallie Causeway
Front Street Park near Melbourne (U.S. 192) Causeway and U.S. 1 in Melbourne
Indialantic boardwalk at Melbourne Causeway and SR A1A
Paradise Beach Park, aka Howard Futch Park, 2301 SR A1A, Melbourne (this is a beachside park)
Sebastian Inlet Park, 9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach (there is a cost to enter)

Watch some rocket launches with NASA on Prime Video

Watch NASA+ content with Amazon Prime Video

NASA content, including some rocket launches, is available to watch through NASA+ on desktop, both from its official site and YouTube. The platform is also available to download as a mobile app on smartphones.

All NASA+ content is also available to those who have Prime Video downloaded on any of their devices – whether it be a smartphone or smart TV.

The content, which does not require a Prime subscription to view, is one of Prime Video’s FAST channels (free ad-supported television). Viewers can find it under Prime’s Live TV section at the top of the screen when they open the app.

Lianna Norman and Jennifer Sangalang are trending reporters for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, rocket launches, Florida wildlife, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.

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Florida

Gov. Ron DeSantis orders flags to be flown half-staff for Florida soldier who was killed in the Iran war

Published

17 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Press Room

Gov. Ron DeSantis orders flags to be flown half-staff for Florida soldier who was killed in the Iran war

CBS Miami Team

March 20, 2026 / 3:53 PM EDT
/ CBS/News Service of Florida

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday ordered Florida and U.S. flags at the state Capitol and all local and state buildings to be flown at half-staff on Saturday to honor U.S. Army Reserve Capt. Cody Khork, a Winter Haven resident, who was killed in Kuwait by Iranian drone strikes on March 1.

“Capt. Khork served our Nation with honor and dedication in the United States Army since 2009. He served as a Multiple Launch Rocket System/Fire Directions Specialist and was commissioned as a Military Police Officer in 2014,” a release from DeSantis’ office states. “He is remembered not only for his service to our Nation and State but as a true American hero who exemplified the values of patriotism, leadership, and selfless service. Our prayers go out to the family he leaves behind.”

Khork, 35, was one of the first U.S. casualties after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes at Iranian military and political leadership targets on Feb. 28.

A 2008 graduate of Lake Region High School in Polk County, Khork joined the National Guard in 2009.

He served overseas in Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Poland, and Kuwait and was posthumously awarded the rank of Major.

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Florida

Central Florida man arrested after Miami Beach hit-and-run crash leaves 2 pedestrians dead, police say

Published

1 day ago

March 20, 2026

Press Room

Central Florida man arrested after Miami Beach hit-and-run crash leaves 2 pedestrians dead, police say

Updated on: March 20, 2026 / 8:35 AM EDT
/ CBS Miami

A central Florida man has been arrested after Miami Beach police say he hit and killed two pedestrians on Collins Avenue and then fled the scene on Wednesday night.

Miami Beach police said that around 9:07 p.m., a black Nissan Sentra, which was being driven by Adan Negron-Morris, 42, of Lakeland, was spotted heading eastbound on 71st Street toward Collins Avenue in a reckless manner, and without the vehicle’s headlights on.

Negron-Mossis ended up speeding past a Miami Beach police officer who was conducting a high-visibility patrol detail in the area of Indian Creek Drive, and that officer was attempting to respond just as several 911 calls were being made about a reckless driver in the area, police said.

Negron-Morris then turned left onto Collins Avenue, and police said he eventually hit two pedestrians at the intersection of 73rd Street and Collins Avenue.

Miami Beach police said the vehicle continued to 74th Street and Collins Avenue and came to a stop. At that point, police said Negron-Morris got out of the car and fled into a nearby Walgreens.

Witnesses were able to direct responding police officers to Negron-Morris’s location, and he was taken into custody.

Police said that oofficers in the area immediately began to render aid to the two pedestrians who were hit until Miami beach Fire Rescue could arrive at the scene. Both victims were then rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition, where they later died.

Miami Beach police said that a DUI investigation was immediately launched after the incident, and Negron-Morris was taken to the Miami Beach Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division.

Negron-Morris has since been charged with leaving the scene of a crash with death and vehicular manslaughter.

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