Florida News That Impacts You – August 9th, 2024
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- Today is the start of Florida’s annual Python Challenge. The challenge got underway at midnight and runs through 5 pm on the 18th. $30,000 in prizes are available this year to winners in various categories as part of the state’s ongoing effort to rid the Everglades of invasive Burmese pythons. Over 600 python hunters are participating in this year’s challenge.
- Early voting gets underway statewide on Saturday. Palm Beach County will be operating 26 early voting locations from 7 am to 7 pm from the 10th through the 18th. In Martin County early voting is available from the 10th through the 17th from 8 am until 5 pm daily at two different early voting locations and Indian River County will operate three early voting locations from 8 am until 4 pm between the 10th and the 17th.
- Three buildings in the Villa del Sol condominium complex in Jensen Beach have been evacuated due to the buildings being deemed unsafe by a structural engineer. During a building inspection, called for by the state’s law following the collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, an engineer identified what are called “red flag” issues prompting an evacuation of 11 residents in the three impacted buildings.
- It’ll be cloudy and hot with occasional showers again today. Highs will be in the low 90’s. Temperatures will be about 5 degrees warmer than usual for this date. Debby is now a depression in North Carolina bound for the northeastern US. The National Hurricane Center is tracking a disturbance in the southern Atlantic moving towards the Lesser and Greater Antilles with a 50% chance of developing. It’s a system we’ll want to keep an eye on entering next week.
- Gas prices dropped another two cents on Thursday. The average price for regular unleaded in Florida is currently $3.38 per gallon. In Palm Beach County the average price is $3.56 per gallon, in Martin the average is $3.39 and in Indian River County the average is $3.38 per gallon.