State News
Wednesday, April 29, 2026 · Pinellas Park
SCSO Participating in Annual Torch Run for Special Olympics
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office participated in the 2026 Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics on April 17, raising awareness and funds for Special Olympics Florida.
DeSantis Signs Florida Law to Label, Defund Terror Groups
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a sweeping bill Monday granting Florida power to designate domestic and foreign terrorist organizations, backing his prior order targeting CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood. The measure, inked at USF Tampa, imposes felonies for material support and bars state funds to linked entities. Critics decry due process risks and free speech threats as the law eyes July 1 rollout.
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Florida Executes Willacy for 1990 Palm Bay Arson Murder
Chadwick Willacy, 58, met his end by lethal injection Tuesday at Florida State Prison in Starke, closing a 35-year saga for the brutal 1990 slaying of his Palm Bay neighbor Marlys Sather. Despite proclaiming innocence in his final words, Willacy became Florida's fifth execution of 2026 amid fierce debates over the state's lethal injection methods.[1][2][4]
Wednesday, April 29, 2026