Former Gulfport City Council member and longtime community staple Michael Fridovich has passed away.

His death was confirmed by condolences from family, friends and political colleagues on social media. It was first announced by his brother, Tony Fridovich, on a Monday morning Facebook post.

“My brother Michael passed away yesterday Dec 14, 2025. He was 78. Life was a struggle these last few weeks and his breathing and heart just couldn’t handle it anymore. He hoped he made a difference in the world. His wish is to be cremated and no funeral. So please have a cigar or drink in his memory. He will be missed,” Fridovich wrote.

Gulfport Florida Facebook group administrator Wolfgang Deininger wrote a simple “rest in peace” to Fridovich in his group. The post garnered 111 reactions and 38 comments within a few hours after it was published. The comments were filled with condolences and warm messages about his impact to the community.

Others took to their own timelines, or made posts on Fridovich’s Facebook profile.

“Michael Fridovich, (your death) is a loss for Florida, our city, my family. Michael was a fantastic friend, a committed booster of Gulfport, and an outspoken advocate for the underdog. Cynthia and I were brought to tears at the news of his passing. He was someone our family could count on and he will be deeply missed,” Former State Representative Jennifer Webb wrote on her timeline.

Treasure Island and Madeira Beach Chamber of Commerce President Barry Rubin expressed similar sentiments.

“Our community has lost a giant, and I have lost a friend. Former Gulfport City Councilman Michael Fridovich has passed away. Thank you, Michael, for your service to our country during the Vietnam War and for all that followed in a lifetime of leadership. Your legacy will live on. You will be deeply missed,” Rubin wrote on his timeline.

Florida Veterans Coalition President Robert Groover recalled the day he met Fridovich 10 years ago in a post on his timeline.

“Just learned a dear friend and US Army Infantry Vietnam Veteran just passed away. I met Michael Fridovich over 10 years ago at a Veteran homelessness fundraising event where he and I spent the night as neighbors sleeping in boxes outside a church. We spent the rest of the night smoking cigars and talking about the military and politics and becoming best friends,” Groover said.

“He served on just about every board of every organization I have worked for the last decade. What an amazing guy and I will definitely be smoking some cigars at his ‘office’ in his honor.”

Local pastor and Suncoast Tiger Bay Club Director JC Pritchett said Fridovich and his loved ones will be in his prayers.

“The family and friends of Michael Fridovich are in our thoughts and prayers. Michael was a member of our club, was elected to the Gulfport City Council and served our country during the Vietnam War,” Pritchett wrote on Fridovich’s profile.

Florida Polytechnic University is the best in the state when it comes to undergraduate computer science education, and it’s among the best in the nation in data science.

That’s according to new rankings from Research.com, an online higher education resource. The university’s computer science program ranked No. 1 in Florida among public universities, while its data science program ranked among the nation’s Top 20 for all public and private universities.

“These rankings underscore the high quality of our programs, as well as the talent and commitment of our faculty and students,” university President Devin Stephenson said. “At Florida Poly, we’re building one of the nation’s strongest STEM-focused universities, and recognitions like this show the growing impact of our work.”

The school’s data science program ranked No. 18 overall and No. 11 among public universities nationwide. It was also recognized as the No. 4 most affordable data science undergraduate program nationwide.

“We continually refine our academic programs to ensure students are acquiring knowledge in the most relevant, forward-looking technologies,” Florida Poly Provost Brad Thiessen said. “Being among the nation’s best and most affordable programs strengthens our ability to attract ambitious students who want to innovate and lead.”

The rankings were based on factors including overall university quality, student program views, cost, post-graduation earning potential and research strength.

The school’s computer science program, while tops in the state among all public universities, also ranked No. 2 when including private schools.

“These awards are a testament to the institution’s dedication to academic excellence and student satisfaction with their programs,” Research.com said on its webpage for the ranking.

The new Research.com rankings follow other accolades for Florida’s youngest state university. The most recent U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Rankings put Florida Poly as the No. 1 public college in the South for the fifth consecutive year and No. 3 best value public school in the region.

The university also remains among the nation’s Top 30 public engineering programs without a Ph.D. for the fifth year in a row. In WalletHub’s 2026 College & University Rankings, Florida Poly ranked in the Top 10 nationally for overall career outcomes, No. 2 among public institutions and No. 5 among public universities for best cost and financing.

A triple homicide in South Florida this year is driving a renewed push by Democratic lawmakers to strengthen state protections against domestic violence.

Boca Raton Sen. Tina Scott Polsky and Rep. Robin Bartleman of Weston have filed twin bills (SB 858, HB 729) that would require law enforcement to seize firearms when domestic violence injunctions are issued and impose tougher penalties on repeat violators.

The proposal follows the February killings of Mary Gingles, her father, David Ponzer, and her neighbor Andrew Ferrin in Tamarac.

Gingles had sought domestic violence injunctions against her husband twice in 2024, and a Judge ordered him to surrender his firearms.

Under existing Florida statute, however, deputies are not required to collect those weapons when serving the injunction, nor are agencies required to document whether the surrender occurred.

The gun used in the killings could have been seized, but wasn’t.

Polsky and Bartleman’s proposal would change that. It would establish a mandatory process requiring law enforcement agencies to take possession of a respondent’s firearms and ammunition once a court orders their surrender under a domestic violence injunction.

It would also require documentation confirming whether weapons were collected and where they are stored. Further, the measure would raise the penalty for a second violation of a domestic violence injunction from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

“Deaths resulting from domestic violence, especially those involving the use of firearms, are not isolated incidents in our state. In fact, 217 Floridians lost their lives from domestic violence homicide in 2020, representing 20% of all homicides in our state, according to the Florida Department of Children and Families,” Polsky said in a statement.

“This bill is one way we can effectively cut the number of deaths caused by domestic violence down significantly. Domestic violence doesn’t just affect individuals; it affects entire families and our communities. This is a moment for the Legislature to say we see you, we hear you, and we will take action to stop this violence from shattering communities further.”

Bartleman said in a statement that too many families in Florida “know the tragic reality of losing someone to domestic violence.”

“We hear their stories every day. Victims murdered in their homes, children caught in the crossfire of violence they should never have to experience,” she said. “Each one reported the violence, each one tried to get help, and each one was left waiting for action that never came. We cannot keep asking survivors to risk everything while the system continues to fall short.”

Advocates argue the absence of an enforcement mechanism undermines judicial authority and leaves survivors vulnerable even after Judges recognize the danger. Kelley Joseph, Gingles’ lawyer, said in a statement that Polsky and Bartleman’s proposal would provide verification and accountability so law enforcement and courts can intervene effectively before violence escalates.

“Had the firearm at issue been properly seized when the domestic violence injunction was served, Mary might still be alive today, instead of leaving behind a four-year-old child who witnessed unspeakable violence,” Joseph said.

“By incorporating red-flag procedures into the domestic violence statute, this reform would ensure judicial oversight and reliable verification so law enforcement and the courts would have the tools needed to help keep more victims safe and alive.”

Both sponsors have worked for years on domestic violence and public safety policies. Polsky has supported legislation to expand gun control strictures and strengthen survivor protections, while Bartleman has backed reforms to improve police response to domestic violence and add privacy protections for sexual assault survivors.