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Sunday, March 15, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1960, Key Largo Coral Reef Preserve, also known as John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, was established as the nation's first underwater park.

A panther hit by a car last year has a new role as a "conservation ambassador" at ZooTampa after rescuers determined he was unable to be released into the wild. Learn more in Et Cetera.

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Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Numerous Bills Die in Legislature

The Florida Legislative session came to a close Friday, meaning most bills remaining missed their chance to be passed and signed into law this year. However, lawmakers are expected to reconvene for a special session, as they failed to pass a budget.

Several education-related bills failed to pass, including measures to rename campus roads after Charlie Kirk, limit international college students' enrollment, and ban certain books in public schools.

A bill to restore the natural flow to the Ocklawaha River passed the House with a 107-3 vote but failed to be called for a final vote in the Senate.

The Senate also declined to call up a bill that would have made it easier for people to obtain public records after it passed the House with a 111-0 vote earlier this month.

In addition, the House last week cleared a bill that would make it harder to sue gun makers for liability in certain accidents, but the Senate never took it up on the floor.

Sesame Street Owners Sue SeaWorld

Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, has filed a lawsuit against SeaWorld for allegedly breaching a licensing agreement to promote the brand.

"While we did not want to end a partnership that has spanned 45 years, we have regrettably determined that the termination of our agreement is the only path forward," a Sesame Workshop spokesperson said.

They accused SeaWorld of ignoring the licensing agreement by withholding royalties and closing sites, including the temporary closure of Sesame Place San Diego.

SeaWorld has several Sesame Street-themed lands in its parks, including SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and Sesame Place San Diego in California.

Missing Girl Found in Palatka Motel

A teen reported missing from Ohio has been found safe in Florida, according to the FBI.

Madison Fields, 16, had been reported missing on Feb. 13. Law enforcement named a suspect in her disappearance, identified a Palatka motel where the suspect was believed to be, and upon arrival, found Madison there.

Family friend Alexis Thompson said, "I can imagine she's probably overwhelmed and confused as she's just a 16-year-old girl, but I really hope Madison knows how loved she is."

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➤ Statewide: The House voted Thursday to send two bills to Gov. Ron DeSantis for signing. One requires elementary students to be taught cursive and the other requires school districts to display portraits of Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in every public school. (More)

➤ Panama City Beach: Dozens of volunteers are offering free shuttle rides to college students during spring break, aiming to reduce drunk driving and pedestrian incidents. (Details)

➤ Daytona Beach: Mayor Derrick Henry called a recent video of an arrest that has been circulating on social media "troubling." The video shows an officer repeatedly punching a suspect in the face. (See Video)

➤ Miami: Zoo Miami abruptly closed on Friday after receiving a bomb threat that was believed to be a swatting call, officials said. (More)

➤ Hillsborough County: A proposed development could bring thousands of new homes to the northeast unincorporated section of the county, drawing pushback from residents concerned about the area's water supply, wildlife, traffic, and infrastructure. (More)

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➤ New Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Alex Anzalone, who already lived in Florida during the offseason, told reporters that he was happy to finally be "home" in his introductory press conference with the team. (More)

➤ No. 4 Florida men's basketball suffered an upset 91-74 defeat to No. 22 Vanderbilt yesterday in the SEC championship game, ending the Gators 13-game winning streak. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, USF dominated Charlotte 86-64 to advance to the AAC championship game, which will be played today at 3:15 p.m. If the Bulls can win, they will earn an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament. (More)

➤ Construction on a $280 million multi-purpose sports stadium in Homestead began this week. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2029. (More)

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➤ ZooTampa is welcoming Loper, a panther who was struck on a road in Southwest Florida last year, as a permanent resident after Loper recovered from his surgeries but was unable to be released into the wild. (See Photo)

➤ The Hollywood Police Department released bodycam footage of officers chasing a loose pig through the city last week, calling it a "hoof pursuit." (See Video)

➤ A South Florida nonprofit, Disney on Wheels, sent 64 children with complex medical conditions on a road trip to visit Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom this weekend. (See Video)

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