From hurricane season to homeowners insurance, there was a lot to talk about in Florida in 2023.
Education was top of mind for residents and legislators alike, from packed school board meetings to sweeping changes at Florida colleges. The environment was also a pressing issue, with red tide surging on beaches throughout the greateer Tampa Bay region.
Floridians continued to deal with the state’s plagued property insurance market as well. As for medical insurance, this year’s Medicaid redetermination process left thousands without coverage.
The 2023 hurricane season was marked by Idalia, which caused major damage to the state’s Big Bend region. Closer to home, the storm brought heavy flooding and beach erosion that has yet to be fixed.
In all, 2023 saw lots of changes for the Sunshine State. And even though it isn’t over yet, WUSF compiled a list of the top-read local stories from this year.
Here’s what you read the most in 2023:
Red tide is drifting north along Pinellas beaches and increasing in Manatee and Sarasota counties
By Steve Newborn | March 5
As red tide blooms moved up the coast, there were reports of high concentrations in places like Treasure Island, Long Bayou, Longboat Pass and New Pass. State environmental officials at the time said red tide drifted as far north as Sand Key, south of Clearwater Beach. Read more here.
Evacuation orders are issued for several counties in the greater Tampa Bay region
By Steve Newborn | Aug. 28
As Idalia advanced toward Florida, Hernando, Pasco, Citrus, Sarasota and Manatee counties issued evacuation orders. David DeCarlo, director of Hernando County Emergency Management, urged the public at the time to take the storm seriously. Idalia would move north and make landfall in Florida’ Big Bend region on Aug. 30 as a Category 3 hurricane. Read more here.
USF professor resurfaces after living underwater for 100 days
By Gabriella Pinos | June 9
Nicknamed “Dr. Deep Sea,” Joseph Dituri returned to dry land in June, resurfacing in Key Largo after spending 100 days underwater. The USF professor had been living in a lodge 22 feet below the surface, working on projects related to PTSD, traumatic brain injury and brain traumas. He previously broke the world record for the longest time living underwater without depressurization. Read more here.
Hundreds gather into the wee hours at a contentious Hernando County School Board meeting
By Meghan Bowman | May 31
In May, Hernando County School Board member Shannon Rodriguez reported a fifth-grade teacher to the Florida Department of Education for showing students a movie with a gay character. What followed was an hours-long school board meeting where hundreds of people lined up to speak during public comment. The board voted 3 to 2 against a vote of “no confidence” against Superintendent John Stratton. They also voted to remove the book “The Sun and Her Flowers” by Rupi Kaur from school libraries. Read more here.
DeSantis signed a massive school voucher expansion into law. Here's what parents need to know
By Joanna Keen | March 28
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 1 into law on March 27, expanding school vouchers and school choice for Florida households. We broke down the details surrounding the law, including eligibility, costs and reaction from Floridians. Read more here.
Red tide is now at Clearwater Beach and Dunedin Causeway
By Steve Newborn | March 8
As spring breakers arrived, so did red tide — and lots of it. There were reports of heavy concentrations of the toxin on Clearwater Beach, from Sand Key to Ozona and the Dunedin Causeway, and from Treasure Island to Fort DeSoto Park. Read more here.
Florida homeowners will face a projected 40 percent increase in property insurance rates
By Gabriella Paul | April 4
Earlier this year, the Insurance Information Institute predicted a 40% jump in Florida’s property insurance rates. Mark Friedlander, the institute’s director of communications, said at the time the average Florida homeowner paid $4,231 in property insurance. This was prior to Hurricane Idalia — which caused billions of dollars in insured losses — and a special legislative session about insurance in November. Read more here.
Red tide is getting worse along the Gulf beaches
By Steve Newborn | March 1
Red tide continued to move as far north as the Florida Panhandle. At the time, the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science warned that people visiting Sarasota, Manatee and Pinellas beaches could experience respiratory irritation. Read more here.
Teachers say they can't live and work in Florida anymore
By Nancy Guan | Nov. 30
With rising rents, poor pay, and the passage of laws like the Stop WOKE Act and what critics called the “Don’t Say Gay” law, some teachers are leaving Florida for good. Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association, said the impact of these bills has led to more and more teachers leaving their positions. Read more here.
Red tide is back in Pinellas County — and worse in Sarasota, Manatee
By Steve Newborn | Feb. 22
In late February, red tide was getting worse in parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast, with high levels found in Sarasota Bay, Nokomis Beach, and Service Club Park. The toxin was also found along the coast of Pinellas and Manatee counties. Read more here.
What parents should know about PragerU Kids videos, which can now be shown in Florida schools
By Kerry Sheridan | Aug. 9
In 2023, Florida became the first state to approve videos by PragerU Kids for public school students in kindergarten through sixth grade. PragerU is a nonprofit organization that says it “offers a free alternative to the dominant left-wing ideology” in its content. We spoke with Jessica Wright, the vice president of the Florida Freedom to Read Project, about what parents should know about PragerU Kids’ videos. Read more here.
New College students plan an alternative commencement with ex-Trump appointee speaking at graduation
By Cathy Carter | May 10
2023 saw the start of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ conservative overhaul of New College of Florida. In May, students planned their own graduation event after Dr. Scott Atlas, former President Donald Trump's special coronavirus adviser in 2020, was chosen to speak at commencement. A GoFundMe for the alternative event raised over $132,000. Read more here.
Huge turnout expected as Sarasota School Board votes on asking Bridget Ziegler to resign
By Kerry Sheridan | Dec. 11
On Oct. 4, a woman filed a complaint with the Sarasota Police Department against Florida GOP chair Christian Ziegler, accusing him of sexual assault. Following news of the complaint, calls mounted for Christian’s wife, Sarasota School Board member Bridget Ziegler, to resign from her position. Two school board members, Black community leaders and public school advocacy groups said Bridget should step down. The Sarasota School Board ended up voting 4 to 1 on Dec. 12 to ask her to resign, although the vote was non-binding. Read more here.
Florida is one of two states declining federal waivers to help with Medicaid unwinding
By Stephanie Colombini | July 7
The Medicaid redetermination process has left millions of people in the U.S. without coverage. Florida, along with Montana, declined to use waivers approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to help with the unwinding. The Department of Children and Families disenrolled about 260,000 children from Medicaid by mid-November. Read more here.
Here are the disaster items you can buy during Florida’s tax-free hurricane holiday
By Tashie Tierney | May 30
The start of hurricane season meant tax-free holidays, the first of which lasted from May 27 through June 9. Supplies like toilet paper, pet food, trash bags and ice packs were exempt from sales tax. Read more here.
Red Tide continues its march north through Gulf coast beaches
By Steve Newborn | Feb. 24
After Hurricane Ian caused red tide to emerge in Charlotte and Lee counties, southerly winds were blamed for moving the toxin up the Gulf Coast. Not even the Florida Keys were safe; the toxin was found at the time in waters north of Key West. Read more here.
Photos: The aftermath of Hurricane Idalia in the Tampa Bay area
By WUSF Staff | Aug. 30
From downtown Tampa to Homosassa, Hurricane Idalia left a mark on the Tampa Bay region. We documented the flooding, beach erosion and damage left by the storm across several counties. Check out the photos here.
A Tarpon Springs resident watches and worries as an island from his childhood changes
By Jessica Meszaros | Aug. 1
As part of our six-week series “Our Changing State,” we spoke with 52-year-old Chris Powell, who has boated to Three Rooker Island in St. Joseph Sound since he was three years old. Powell talked about changes in the island’s environment, the increase of human activity in the area and more. Read more here.
Red tide may be decreasing in the Tampa Bay area, according to the latest report
By Mark Schreiner | March 18
Following a bad outbreak of red tide on Pinellas County beaches, high levels of the toxin appeared to subside. At the time, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported heavy concentrations of red tide in just one site, the Largo Intercoastal Marina. Read more here.
