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Duval County

Hurricane Irma claims near $4.2 billion

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Property-insurance claims from Hurricane Irma have approached $4.2 billion in estimated losses, according to the latest numbers from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.

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Man pleads guilty in beating death of 2-year-old after ‘accident’ on bed

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A Jacksonville toddler died after being struck with a plastic coat hanger until it broke because the 2-year-old girl had an “accident” on the bed of her mother’s boyfriend. Jamarius Devonti Graham used a belt and hangers in the past to teach the girl potty training — she had already been spanked an estimated 20 times — says a newspaper report. The Duval County state attorney’s office confirmed a medical examiner’s report, spokesman David Chapman told FloridaPolitics.com Tuesday. On April…

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Florida needs teachers, but high schoolers aren’t interested

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As Florida legislators consider ways to get more high-achieving charter schools into the state, school districts have another concern: getting more teachers into the state. The national teacher shortage is hitting Florida hard. Hillsborough County alone could use another 500 teachers. Advocacy group Teachers of Tomorrow identifies Florida as one of the top five states struggling to find educators, with a 5,708 teacher shortfall. The Florida Department of Education’s 2016-17 report on what subjects are in greatest need of more…

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Ft. Lauderdale massacre caps a miserable week for the military

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Last week’s news was overstuffed with upsetting reports about the mental health of military people. And that was before “troubled Army veteran” Esteban Santiago opened fire at the Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The armed forces have shrunk by 10 percent in recent years, but child abuse and neglect in military families are up. Way up. Some of our “heroes” will be spending time in the stockade, but at least they’ll have a roof over their heads. That’s more than we…

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Donald Trump tells backers to ‘watch the polls’ — but signups slow

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Donald Trump regularly warns his crowds to closely watch polling places to prevent Democrats from stealing the election. But his campaign has failed to enlist many to serve as official poll watchers in major population centers, according to spot checks by The Associated Press. In some key regions, Democratic monitors will far outnumber Republicans on Election Day. The Trump team seeks volunteers on his website to “Help Me Stop Crooked Hillary From Rigging This Election.” But it’s unclear what the…

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Rick Scott wants feds to declare ‘major disaster’ in Florida after Matthew

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In St. Augustine Monday for an event promoting tourism in America’s oldest city, Gov. Rick Scott reiterated his call for the federal government to approve Florida’s entire request for a “major disaster declaration.” The federal government has not approved funding, asserts the governor’s office, “for individual assistance or for permanent work to roads, parks, and government buildings in local communities.” Scott, who has been pushing for such since Hurricane Matthew, is understandably nettled. “Since Hurricane Matthew impacted our state, I have continued…

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Concerns over hurricane now turn to Jacksonville, Rick Scott says

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Matthew hurricane

All eyes are now on Jacksonville as Hurricane Matthew creeps its way up Florida’s Atlantic coast, Gov. Rick Scott said Friday morning. “This is still a 120 mph storm, and we are very concerned about storm surge,” Scott said during a briefing at the state’s Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee. He was surrounded by state Division of Emergency Management Director Bryan Koon, Federal Emergency Management Agency officials, and National Guard troops.  “It still has time to make a direct hit,” Scott said. “We are…

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