Free Community Bulletin Board for Indian Oaks, FL

Over 17,300 packages of the drug 7-OH have been removed from Florida retailers in 23 counties since the state banned the substance from commercial sale in August.

Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson issued a news release explaining that state agents have inspected stores across the state and removed the drug from shelves as directed.

"These 'wellness' products are nothing more than vape shop morphine, and we will continue using every tool at our disposal to educate and protect families, and make sure these products have no place in our communities," Simpson said.

The drug 7-OH was readily available at smoke shops, vape stores, convenience stores, and gas stations before the ban. It is a derivative of the Kratom plant.

Researchers are proposing a new hurricane rating system to better communicate the storm's potential impact.

“We know that wind only accounts for less than 10% of fatalities in general, but yet our current category system is based on wind alone. Storm surge accounts for closer to 50% and rainfall accounts for closer to 30%,” said Jennifer Collins, a hurricane researcher at the University of South Florida.

The new scale is called the Tropical Cyclone Severity Scale and it provides a different category for each hazard such as wind, storm surge, and rainfall, along with a combined final category.

"Frequently, people use the storm’s category to decide whether to evacuate, that’s incredibly dangerous, because if they hear it’s only a tropical storm or Category 1, too often no alarm bells go off, and they see no cause for concern," 

On Wednesday, Florida's 1st District Court of Appeal ruled that the 1987 statewide open-carry ban on firearms is no longer constitutionally enforceable, requiring gun laws to be rooted in historical tradition.

The case stemmed from the July 4, 2022, arrest of a man in downtown Pensacola carrying a visible, holstered pistol and a copy of the U.S. Constitution. The three-judge panel in Escambia County vacated the man's sentence.

Attorney General James Uthmeier announced he will not appeal to the state Supreme Court, making Florida an open-carry state. Gov. Ron DeSantis praised the decision and said the Second Amendment "says what it means and means what it says."

Several elected officials from Parkland—the site of the state's deadliest school shooting—criticized the decision as dangerous. Restrictions on carrying firearms in sensitive locations, such as schools and courthouses, will remain in effect.

Lawmakers will be back in Tallahassee next month to convene committee hearings, including the new House Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting announced by House Speaker Daniel Perez last month.

Rep. Mike Redondo, a Republican first elected in 2023 to represent part of Miami-Dade County, will chair the 11-person committee. The committee will explore questions related to redistricting before the next decennial census. The Senate doesn't have a similar panel.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said he's intent on a mid-decade congressional redistricting that would help Republicans maintain control of the U.S. House in 2026. A new survey shows Floridians may disagree.

Watchdog group Common Cause surveyed almost 500 Floridians from all political affiliations, finding that 55% oppose the idea of redistricting, 26% support it, and 19% are undecided.

At a press conference in Valrico on Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo announced the state is establishing its own Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission.

The initiative mirrors that of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the federal level.

Dr. Ladapo announced that the Florida Department of Health will work with DeSantis to end all vaccine mandates in the state—"every last one of them," Ladapo repeated several times.

First Lady Casey DeSantis and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins will chair the Florida MAHA Commission. Dr. Ladapo and a list of experts in various health and medical fields will also serve on the commission.

 Watch here.

Attorney General James Uthmeier is investigating a camera maker with Chinese ties that watchdogs warn could put footage from U.S. baby monitors, nanny cams, and doorbells in the hands of Beijing spies.

Uthmeier said he has issued a subpoena to Lorex, which was previously owned by China's Dahua Technology, as part of an investigation into consumer protection and data breaches.

Available at retailers like Target and Home Depot, Uthmeier expressed concern that Lorex misled Floridians about the privacy and security of its cameras and apps.

"The Chinese Communist Party cannot be allowed to spy on American children. Florida will not tolerate it, and we will hold bad actors accountable," Uthmeier said.

Love Bombing Florida's West Coast

As the west coast of Florida continues to recover from last year's back-to-back hurricanes, a movement to "Love Bomb the Locals" is helping small beach town businesses.

Gayle Guyardo, host of Tampa's Bloom TV, is spotlighting local entrepreneurs weathering the decline in tourism and helping to rally residents and visitors to lift up local businesses with intentional support.

Tamás and Christina Kiss, the duo behind Pineapple Cove Vacation Rentals, came up with the idea. Small businesses don't pay for the media coverage, which includes interviews, photos, and footage that can be used for marketing and social media.

The effort is fueled by the Love Bomb Squad—a group of monthly supporters who believe in the mission to support local businesses.

On Monday, Attorney General James Uthmeier held a press conference in Live Oak to announce that truck weigh stations around the state will also serve as ICE checkpoints as part of a new immigration enforcement initiative.

The new partnership with federal agencies will check for English proficiency while continuing agricultural inspections along major interstate highways. It follows the arrests of two truck drivers found to be in the country illegally with licenses from other states.

Officials said that the 23 interdiction stations "will serve as critical enforcement points to stop human smuggling, fraudulent documents, and unsafe commercial vehicles."

Illegal immigrants are unable to obtain driver's licenses in Florida. Uthmeier said that sanctuary states that provide illegal immigrants with licenses are creating a "major liability." Nineteen states, plus Washington, D.C., issue licenses regardless of immigration status.