With less than a 26% voter turnout in Highlands County yesterday, the unofficial election results are in. Sheriff Paul Blackman had an overwhelming lead over his opposition John Singha garnering 83.47% of votes and will be re-elected for a 3rd term as Highlands County Sheriff. Incumbent Brenda Longshore seems to have clinched another term as Superintendent of Highlands County Schools, but only by a very small margin over challenger Chris Doty. The difference, a mere 98 votes. Longshore had 50.30% of the votes and Doty had 49.70%. Provisional ballots may still prompt a recount even though Longshore is slightly above the .5% margin. School Board District 2 incumbent Donna Howerton defeated Lauren Hartzell Bush with 52.68% of the vote and will serve for an eighth term since she was first elected in 1996. Mason Whidden, who was running against Javita McKinney in the School Board District 3 race, won with 78.72% of the vote. The newly elected officials will be sworn in on November 19th, when the School Board holds its reorganizational meeting.
Four Central Florida businesses are accused of running illegal gambling operations. The state’s Gaming Control Commission says the facilities in Brevard County shut down last week after authorities found nearly 160 slot machines. Agents searched properties in Coca and Port St. John, which led to the recovery of more than 280-thousand dollars in cash. Arrests are pending. The commission says slot machines are only legal in certain parts of Miami-Dade and Broward counties, as well as facilities operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
Dozens are facing charges following a summer crackdown on human trafficking in Hillsborough County. Sheriff Chad Chronister [[ KRON-is-ter ]] says they set a record for arrests on the first day of the operation — and then another one on the second. One-hundred-48 suspects were arrested. Eleven of those face charges of trafficking. Chronister says they also recovered seven trafficking victims including two juveniles.
Orange County is working on a new plan to attract filmmakers to Central Florida. Officials had gathered yesterday to discuss the newly unveiled incentive program for production companies. To qualify for financial benefits, companies must spend at least 400-thousand dollars in the county, shoot more than half of the project in the area, and hire a certain amount of local workers. The goal is for the county to play a major role in the film industry, while creating more jobs.
Orlando International Airport is getting national recognition. The Airports Council International-North American has released its 2023 traffic summary, naming the Orlando facility as the busiest airport in Florida and the seventh busiest in the country. Officials used the cargo and passenger data from more than 270 airports to issue their rankings. The new report shows that MCO has experienced the largest overall growth at 15-percent. The airport also saw a nearly 12-percent increase in travelers last year compared to 2022.
Florida Democrats are celebrating the outcomes of some school board races across the state. The party supported eleven candidates in yesterday’s primaries, and seven won while two will compete in runoffs. Meanwhile, Governor Ron DeSantis backed 23 school board candidates around the state, but only six won. Eleven lost, and five will have to compete in runoffs in November. One race is too close to call. Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried wrote on X ‘it’s called a DeSetback.’
The Florida Department of Education is trying to help school districts implement a new law. The law signed by the governor this year allows chaplains to volunteer in public schools, but concerns were raised after the Satanic Temple said it wanted to participate. FDOE Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr. released what he calls a model policy yesterday that ensures credible chaplains can volunteer in schools. The policy details what kind of chaplains from what kind of religious organizations can participate in the program. It also allows school principals to deny anyone from serving as a chaplain if the principal believes the chaplain won’t fulfill the program’s purpose.