Statewide

STEM education is getting a lot of spotlight for giving students what they need to build strong careers, and Alachua County schools are ahead of the curve. STEM labs have been in the works at some Alachua County elementary schools for years, but now the world is looking for more educators to provide leadership in this area.

Taxi companies in Tallahassee and Broward County are suing the state over app-based transportation services, alleging that Florida officials aren’t requiring Uber and Lyft to prove that the way they calculate trip distances — and charges — is accurate. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services certifies taxi drivers’ meters …

The city of Gainesville and the Florida Department of Transportation are proposing new programs to cut down on bicycle deaths and improve safety conditions for cyclists and pedestrians. The Centers for Disease Control recently published a report that shows Florida had the highest bicycle deaths rate in the country from 2008-2012.

Concealed Weapon Intake System, a voluntary program offered by the government, allows individuals to apply for or renew a concealed weapon license. Adopted by Marion County in April, people who serve in the military are receiving permits in less than a month.

The panel responsible for selecting the five nurseries where the state's first legal pot will be grown have been appointed by Florida health officials. There will be three members, the chief of the Office of Compassionate Use, an accountant and a member of Gov. Rick Scott's Statewide Drug Advisory Policy Council. 

Supporters of medical marijuana legalization went to court houses all over Florida on Friday in an effort to acquire the signatures needed to put the issue on the 2016 ballot. They need a total of 683,149 signatures, according to Ben Pollara, campaign manager for United for Care, an organization dedicated to legalizing medical marijuana.

Two people are dead after a single-engine aircraft crashed in Weirsdale, Fla. today. Marion County officials conducted early investigations before handing over to the FAA and NTSB.

Officials at Wild Waters Water Park in Ocala are moving forward with plans to phase out the park and turn it into an ecotourism site by 2016. Long-time fans of the park are protesting the loss of one of Florida's crown jewels. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection hopes to curb the 2 million gallons of water the park drains each month from Ocala's water system.

Dixie County residents are being pushed out of their homes as flood waters rise after heavy rain in the past 24 hours. About 45 homes and 30 roads have been affected throughout the county.

Council on American-Islamic Relations filed a lawsuit against Florida Gun Supply in Inverness, Fla. after Andy Hallinan, the owner, declared his store a “Muslim-Free Zone." Activists question what this policy implicates for all individuals who can be culturally profiled as Muslims in Florida.