People who lost their homes to the October 18th tornado in Polk County will now qualify for federal disaster loans. The tornado spawned off Tropical Storm Nestor and devastated the area around Kathleen. Ten homes were completely destroyed; another 15 were badly damaged. The Small Business Administration will oversee the loans. The S-B-A is setting up an outreach office to help people apply for the loans and will be in the community until November 26. Homeowners can apply for up to 200-thousand dollars to help repair their homes, and up to 40-thousand dollars to replace personal property.

People who lost their homes to the October 18th tornado in Polk County will now qualify for federal disaster loans. The tornado spawned off Tropical Storm Nestor and devastated the area around Kathleen. Ten homes were completely destroyed; another 15 were badly damaged. The Small Business Administration will oversee the loans. The S-B-A is setting up an outreach office to help people apply for the loans and will be in the community until November 26. Homeowners can apply for up to 200-thousand dollars to help repair their homes, and up to 40-thousand dollars to replace personal property.

News briefs from the state of Florida.

Florida News Briefs - Florida Podcast

News Briefs from the state of Florida.

Florida News Briefs - Florida

Florida - Federal disaster loans available to Lakeland tornado victims

Federal disaster loans available to Lakeland tornado victims


A stray dog caused an eight-vehicle collision on a Florida highway early Friday. The overnight wreck left three people with minor injuries, and shut down all westbound traffic on the I-10 in Jefferson County, Florida Highway Patrol said. The accident began when a sedan hit a dog, rendering the car QUOTE "inoperable" in the middle of the highway, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. A second sedan crashed into that vehicle, then a semi-tractor smashed into both cars and a concrete barrier wall. Debris reportedly scattered across the highway and impacted six other vehicles. A Florida Highway Patrol sergeant said the stray dog was killed in the crash. He did not know its breed.

A stray dog caused an eight-vehicle collision on a Florida highway early Friday. The overnight wreck left three people with minor injuries, and shut down all westbound traffic on the I-10 in Jefferson County, Florida Highway Patrol said. The accident began when a sedan hit a dog, rendering the car QUOTE "inoperable" in the middle of the highway, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. A second sedan crashed into that vehicle, then a semi-tractor smashed into both cars and a concrete barrier wall. Debris reportedly scattered across the highway and impacted six other vehicles. A Florida Highway Patrol sergeant said the stray dog was killed in the crash. He did not know its breed.

Overnight I-10 wreck involving eight vehicles kills dog, injures three people, FHP says

A "security incident" that shut down a Florida county's tax collection office was the result of hacking, Treasure Coast Newspapers reports. Little has been released about what type of breach occurred or whether taxpayers' confidential information was exposed. Officials initially blamed BlackByte for the attack before retracting their statement, TCPalm reports. BlackByte is a new type of ransomware, which is used to encrypt data, demanding payment in order to unlock it. The breach prompted the abrupt closure of the Martin County Tax Collector's Office more than a week ago, and the office is expected to re-open in a limited capacity on Monday. The Martin County Sheriff's Office announced it will suspend writing tickets to local residents for expired driver's licenses and license plates until the tax collector's issue is resolved.

A "security incident" that shut down a Florida county's tax collection office was the result of hacking, Treasure Coast Newspapers reports. Little has been released about what type of breach occurred or whether taxpayers' confidential information was exposed. Officials initially blamed BlackByte for the attack before retracting their statement, TCPalm reports. BlackByte is a new type of ransomware, which is used to encrypt data, demanding payment in order to unlock it. The breach prompted the abrupt closure of the Martin County Tax Collector's Office more than a week ago, and the office is expected to re-open in a limited capacity on Monday. The Martin County Sheriff's Office announced it will suspend writing tickets to local residents for expired driver's licenses and license plates until the tax collector's issue is resolved.

Expert: Ransomware attack on Martin County Tax Collector's Office could inflict data damage

The Seminole Tribe of Florida has reached agreements with five pari-mutuel facilities to help market sports betting. The gambling deal, which was negotiated by Gov. Ron DeSantis (de-SAN-tis) last spring and approved by lawmakers during a May special session, allows the tribe to operate online sports betting available to people throughout the state. The tribe has reached agreements with five facilities, including the Palm Beach Kennel Club, Hialeah Park Casino, and Tampa Bay Downs. The new Florida law will allow gamblers to place sports bets on smartphones or other online devices, with the bets run through servers on Seminole Tribe property. Pari-mutuels that enter contracts with the tribe will market sports betting at their facilities, and will receive a percentage of the profits.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida has reached agreements with five pari-mutuel facilities to help market sports betting. The gambling deal, which was negotiated by Gov. Ron DeSantis (de-SAN-tis) last spring and approved by lawmakers during a May special session, allows the tribe to operate online sports betting available to people throughout the state. The tribe has reached agreements with five facilities, including the Palm Beach Kennel Club, Hialeah Park Casino, and Tampa Bay Downs. The new Florida law will allow gamblers to place sports bets on smartphones or other online devices, with the bets run through servers on Seminole Tribe property. Pari-mutuels that enter contracts with the tribe will market sports betting at their facilities, and will receive a percentage of the profits.

Federal disaster loans available to Lakeland tornado victims

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