Here's a local and state news update from Florida Today and WFIT. I'm Evan Niemczyk.
A wastewater plant in Pinellas County could soon get some upgrades to protect it from flooding. WUSF's Jessica Meszaros reports, the facility is threatened by sea-level rise, storm surge, and extreme rainfall.
"The South Cross Bayou Facility near Joe's Creek has 30-year-old pumps, which have reached the end of their service life.
The plan is to bring the facility up to current standards while increasing pumping capacity for future demand.
Pinellas is seeking to receive - and match - fifteen Million dollars [$15,000,000] from the Resilient Florida Grant Program.
"Bring up the voting card, please... Motion carries unanimously."
Commissioners recently voted to apply for the financial partnership with the state.
But the combined thirty Million dollars doesn't fully meet the projected cost of almost forty two Million [$41,824,000].
The money will help floodproof doors, and relocate windows and electrical wiring.
I'm Jessica Meszaros in Tampa."
An upcoming four-month sales tax "holiday" on certain camping and hunting gear runs from September 1st through December 31st. WFIT’s Terri Wright reports.
"Florida’s “Hunting, Fishing and Camping” sales-tax holiday begins next week, offering tax savings on outdoor gear and firearms. Unlike the back-to-school tax holiday, there is no price limit on firearms, bows, or related accessories.
The tax break also applies to fishing rods and reels costing $75 or less, tents up to $200, and camping stoves up to $50. But the key portion focuses on gun buyers. The holiday exempts ammunition, pistols, rifles, shotguns, and a range of firearm accessories from sales tax, regardless of price."
Heading into September, we can expect continued warmer-than-normal conditions... and continued high humidity across the Gulf Coast.
Zack Labe with Climate Central says that'll probably be accompanied by thunderstorms.
"On one hand, there will be added heat stress from the higher temperatures and humidity, but on the other hand, at least we will see some relief for the long-term drought that much of the state has been seeing, especially from earlier this year."
He says it's been one to three degrees warmer than average across much of the Gulf basin.
And winds blowing those warm water temperatures onshore are contributing to that higher humidity.
Labe says higher temperatures going into early September are made five times more likely due to human-caused climate change.
With 5 months left in Governor Ron DeSantis's term, the Florida Department of Health wants to remove four vaccines from school entry requirements.
They prevent chicken pox, hepatitis b, meningitis and pneumonia.
Doctor Rana Alissa is the president of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
She told the Florida Roundup on Friday, the four shots are needed because school children can come in contact with other kids and adults with weaker defenses, like those who have cancer, or an organ transplant, even eczema.
"Any kid with low immune system or immunodeficiency, the way we call it in medicine, is at risk, regardless of their vaccines. So yes, you're going to harm not only the child who is vaccinated. You might hurt an old person."
Lawmakers in Florida failed to agree this year on a plan to make it easier to opt out of vaccines for schoolchildren. The process proposed now would change health department rules.
For these stories and more, visit FloridaToday.com and WFIT.org. I'm Evan Niemczyk