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Florida sends detail of 35 foresters to South Carolina to help battle wildfires

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As wildfires torch the landscape in South Carolina near Myrtle Beach, Florida is sending some help to contain the blazes.

Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced that his agency has relief personnel on the way to South Carolina. The Florida Forest Service, under Simpson’s prevue, is sending a Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT) to support South Carolina’s frontline of firefighting. The Florida forestry contingent consists of 35 people.

“When a neighbor is in need, Florida will always answer the call for help. Just as we would count on South Carolina to stand with us in our time of need, we are proud to send our highly skilled wildland firefighting personnel to assist in their wildfire response,” Simpson said.

“The Florida Forest Service’s expertise in managing complex wildfire incidents will help protect lives, property, and natural resources. This is what true partnership looks like — states working together to meet challenges head-on and ensure the safety of our communities.”

Simpson added the decision to send firefighting help to South Carolina is part of the so-called Southeastern Compact, which is a pledge of mutual aid in times of crisis or emergencies among Southern states.

On Monday, hundreds of firefighters from across South Carolina managed to keep a large blaze in Horry County near Myrtle Beach from destroying any homes despite social media videos of orange skies at night and flames engulfing pine trees just yards away. Volunteers distributed cases of water and food to firefighters working long hours protecting homes and other structures.

The fire burned 2.5 square miles and was about 30% contained as of Monday evening, according to Horry County Fire Rescue. The department deployed drones as well as ground crews to respond to flare-up fires, reinforce break lines and set up portable sprinkler systems.

“We are glad to provide our neighboring state of South Carolina with the additional wildland fire response resources needed at this time,” said Florida Forest Service Director Rick Dolan.

“Through this deployment, the Florida Forest Service not only showcases its commitment to regional cooperation but also highlights the strength of the Southeastern Compact in enhancing wildfire preparedness and response capabilities. It is a vital tool for fostering resilience in the face of natural disasters and reinforces the importance of states working together to address shared challenges in wildfire management.”

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Material from The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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Despite suspension and ongoing investigation, Regina Hill files for re-election in Orlando

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Suspended Orlando City Commissioner Regina Hill announced she will seek another term in office, despite remaining under criminal investigation.

The embattled official told Facebook followers that she wants to continue in elected office.

“After much reflection, prayer and supplication in response to the enthusiastic requests of many community members, I’ve decided on this day, the beginning of Lent, to submit my paperwork to officially run for Reelection for office as the commissioner of District 5 to continue serving my beloved District 5!” Hill wrote.

“It is official, thank you all for your unwavering support and I look forward to continuing the transformative work that has been started and the divine purpose that God has entrusted me to fulfill!”

She also posted pictures of herself holding and filling out official candidate paperwork for the 2025 election cycle. Hill also already appeared as an active candidate in the city database.

She will run against current City Commissioner Shan Rose, who won a Special Election in June to fill the District 5 seat.

Hill held the seat from 2014 until her suspension last April.

Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Hill following an arrest on three counts of elderly exploitation of more than $50,000, one count of scheming to defraud of more than $50,000, one count of mortgage fraud of more than $100,000 and one count of fraudulent use of personal identification of more than $100,000.

Before the arrest, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) conducted a 13-month investigation into whether Hill took financial advantage of a 96-year-old. An FDLE report made public in January said Hill found the woman living in deplorable conditions, but then used a city-run “My Brother’s Keeper” program to have the woman removed from her home and then pressured family to have the woman sign over her power of attorney to Hill, as reported by WESH.

A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for April. If she beats charges against her, she will be allowed to return to office and serve out her current term.

Orlando will hold its city elections on Nov. 4 for the District 1, 3 and 5 seats on the City Council.


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Byron Donalds bucks NRCC, commits to town hall

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The Chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) advises members not to hold town hall events amid outrage over federal firings. But U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds is disregarding calls to avoid the public.

“I’m doing a town hall in a couple of weeks,” said Donalds, a Naples Republican, while appearing on the “Ingraham Angle.”

“And look, I would tell any Democrat that wants to come out there and astroturf my town hall, bring it, because we’re going to talk the truth, we’re going to talk about what’s really going on. I’m not afraid of you. It’s about time we get down to business here in D.C.”

Per multiple published reports, NRCC Chair Richard Hudson of North Carolina urged lawmakers to stick to virtual events during a closed-door caucus meeting, because activist groups were hijacking in-person gatherings.

Other Florida Republicans say they won’t have town halls, even virtually.

As reported by Jacksonville Today, U.S. Rep. John Rutherford prefers small, scheduled meetings.

“They want you to host these town hall meetings, and they will go there and just scream and holler, and act like fools, and I am not going to be a part of that,” Rutherford said. “That is what happened the last time, and I am not going to participate in that. People are welcome to come to my office. I will meet with one, two, three or four people, but I am not going to set up an opportunity for a mob to act out in front of media; ain’t going to do it.”


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Joe Gruters won’t take Senate down the ‘Gulf of America Trail’

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There won’t be a need for new road signs on U.S. 41 anytime soon.

Sen. Joe Gruters of Sarasota is withdrawing bill language (SB 1058) that would have named a stretch of highway spanning seven counties after the freshly christened Gulf of America.

The legislation proposed designating the portion of U.S. 41 between S.R. 60 and U.S. 1 in Miami-Dade, Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Sarasota, Manatee and Hillsborough counties as “the Gulf of America Trail.”

But the Senator tells WFLA the controversial name change proposal created an “unnecessary distraction of my own making.”

It’s uncertain whether the provision will be addressed by a withdrawn bill or just an amendment. The television station reports that Gruters still intends to pursue another plank of the proposal: requiring School Boards to “adopt and acquire” materials using the Gulf of America name.

This is the second Senate bill to address the Gulf of America nomenclature.

Sen. Nick DiCeglie’s measure (SB 608), which was filed earlier this month, would change 92 statutory references in Florida law to refer to the body of water along Florida’s west coast as the Gulf of America.

Both bills have House companions.

Rep. Juan Porras is carrying the House version (HB 549) of Gruters’ bill. Rep. Tyler Sirois is sponsoring the House version (HB 575) of DiCeglie’s proposal.

Tallahassee Republicans have quickly embraced the new name for the body of water that was called the Gulf of Mexico without controversy until earlier this year.

Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson is backing the President’s preference regarding government documents, pushing for changes on behalf of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Simpson’s goal is to rename the body of water as the Gulf of America “as quickly as possible … in all department administrative rules, forms, maps, and resources.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis was the first state official to use the new name in an executive order declaring a State of Emergency over a Winter storm last month. That order said the inclement weather was headed to Florida across the “Gulf of America.”

The declaration came the same day Trump made the name change official in his own executive order.

Despite the unity demonstrated by Florida Republicans, the name change has been controversial in some quarters domestically and beyond.

The Associated Press hasn’t accepted the Gulf of America designation.

“The Gulf of Mexico has carried that name for more than 400 years. The Associated Press will refer to it by its original name while acknowledging the new name Trump has chosen. As a global news agency that disseminates news around the world, the AP must ensure that place names and geography are easily recognizable to all audiences,” the news organization announced last month.

The AP has not been allowed at certain White House events in the wake of its decision, as the Trump administration has stood by the renaming of the body of water.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also rejects the name change, meanwhile, with her argument predicated on the United Nations’ Convention on the Law of the Sea.

“If a country wants to change the designation of something in the sea, it would only apply up to 12 nautical miles. It cannot apply to the rest, in this case, the Gulf of Mexico,” Sheinbaum said, as reported by NPR.


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