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Florida’s seven-day average of cases was at 9,693 on December 13, more than a 24.3 percent rise from the 7,797 average number of daily infections recorded on November 30. The state’s seven-day average of deaths was reported to be 98 on Sunday, a more than 34.2 percent rise from the 73 average number of daily deaths reported on November 30. Florida’s average case count has been climbing sharply since late October, while the average death toll has been increasing on a steep incline since early November....

The biggest annual soccer tournament in Florida, the Florida Cup, will bring some surprises to its January 2017 edition. The competition, which is held in Orlando, is going to have a Fan Fest, an NBA challenge, a Kart challenge and a Magic Kingdom parade. The event, which will take place between Jan. 7-21, gathers some of the greatest soccer clubs from around the world, including Atletico-MG, Bahia, Bayern Leverkusen, Wolfsburg, Sao Paulo, Vasco, Barcelona (Ecuador), Millionarios, River Plate, among others, and will have activities not only for soccer fans, but also for anyone that likes entertainment and different sports....

The jury on Friday rebuffed arguments by the prosecution that Main murdered his daughter, Makenzie, as a matter of “choice” to cause pain for his wife, Holly, after she said she wanted a divorce, reports the Daily Commercial. During the two-week trial, Main’s lawyers presented 70 mitigating circumstances, including of “fear of abandonment,” having suffered physical and emotional abuse as well as longstanding mental health issues. Assistant State Attorney Ryan Williams told the paper that mental health experts hired by the defense are “clearly biased” and had been paid roughly $100,000 to help Main’s lawyers make their case....

Dr. Ahmed Elhaddad of the Jupiter Medical Center spoke with CNN’s Pamela Brown on Sunday about staff members’ battered morale as they continue to treat desperately ill patients who chose not to be vaccinated against COVID-19. He told Brown: “We’re frustrated because we’re tired of seeing people die and suffer because they did not take the vaccine. The vaccine has been available since December 14th and it’s readily available....

Edward Lacourse, 75 was arrested in Fort Myers on Monday and faces an aggravated assault with a weapon charge, according to Lee County Sheriff’s Office records. His neighbors, who live next to Lacourse’s home at 13505 Marquette Boulevard, told police that he started verbally abusing them after becoming upset about a “Biden Flag” on their property. The victims reportedly said that in the 18 years they’ve lived on Marquette Boulevarde, they had never spoken to Lacourse....

Kyle George, 31, of Flagler County, was taken into custody last Friday after deputies from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office served a warrant at his Palm Coast residence. Investigators said the victim—whose identity has not yet been released—contacted the police on September 15 after he returned home from a vacation and found at least $2,900 in purchases had been made using his credit card without his authorization. George was eventually flagged as a suspect after the victim received a package containing parts for a Chevy truck....

The Miami Herald reported that a Nassau County deputy witnessed Aaron Thomas, 31, and Megan Mondanaro, 35, riding their bikes with no lights down the middle of South Fletcher Avenue (A1A Highway) in Fernandina Beach. Another vehicle almost clipped both of them, and that’s when the deputy pulled them over, according to the police report. The deputy said both Thomas and Mondarao smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot eyes, so he put them in the back of his patrol car....

Police reported that Richard Ellis Spurrier, 67, was giving people marijuana in downtown St. Petersburg. Upon investigation, authorities discovered 45 grams of the narcotic on Spurrier’s person. Spurrier was also in possession of a digital scale, a glass pipe and a prescription bottle with his name on it. Police also found a sword hidden inside Spurrier’s cane. Suprrier was released from custody on Sunday after being charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute....

On June 9 at 5:34 a.m., Santos stopped the unnamed teenager and inquired about where he lived. When the teenager recited his address twice, Santos exited his car and said, “You’re not going anywhere. You’re being detained.” The teenager responded, “I’m sorry?” and stammered while asking, “Can I go?” Santos recorded their encounter up to this point on his cell phone, but the transcript of his call to 911 showed that he identified himself to the 911 dispatcher as an off-duty police officer....

A 29-year-old man named Luis Martin Pages shot his 59-year-old mother, Miriam Gonzalez, to death at 5:22 p.m. on Sunday evening in their shared North Miami home after the two argued. According to NBC Miami, Pages asked Gonzalez if he could use her car on Monday to go job hunting. Gonzalez refused, telling her son that because of the Labor Day holiday, most businesses would be closed. According to CBS News, Pages then removed a jar of orange juice from the refrigerator....

Derick McKay, 36, was pulled over in his car by a deputy from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office after allegedly traveling 51 miles per hour (mph) in a 35 mph zone at around 9 a.m. last Thursday. Police said just prior to the stop he was acting suspiciously—making “furtive movements” in the vehicle. A police report noted that the suspect “appeared nervous and his hands were shaking.” McKay, who police said had not been wearing a seatbelt, denied that he was carrying anything illegal when initially questioned by the deputy, who smelled marijuana coming from the car....

The incident took place on Monday in the Pierpointe community of Pembroke Pines at roughly 3:40 a.m. Officers from the Pembroke Pines police responded to a complaint about a “suspicious person” last seen close to the community guard house, which is at 11900 NW 11th Street. The victim, a female guard, told police she had spotted the suspect walking into the community and approaching a dumpster. He was described as being late 20s to early 30s, wearing a blue Captain America T-shirt, a blue Captain America baseball hat and khaki cargo shorts....

Police with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office believe two men—43-year-old Brian Montalvo Tolentino and his suspected accomplice, 39-year-old Juan Burgos-Lopez—dug up and beheaded corpses on December 9 at the Edgewood Cemetery in Mount Dora, a central Florida city about 33 miles north of Orlando. The sheriff’s office reportedly identified Tolentino from DNA found on a smoked cigar left at the crime scene, according to CBS Miami. Police also found candles, a sacrificed bird and orange peels at the unearthed gravesites....

The women repeatedly ignored requests for them to wear face-coverings at the meeting, according to Volusia County Schools. Face-coverings must be worn by “all students, employees, visitors, vendors or any other persons, while in or on school board property,” when social distancing guidelines cannot be maintained, the school board said. No arrests were made but seven people were trespassed from the meeting, which means they are prohibited from returning to the property for a year....

The Florida Department of Health confirmed that a passenger traveling through the Palm Beach International Airport has tested positive for COVID-19 and told Newsweek that those that came into contact with the patient will be asked to self-monitor. The patient is said to be in isolation at this time. A video shared online by Cristian Benavides, a reporter for PIX11 News, appears to show a health official telling fellow passengers there is no need to self-quarantine—instead, they were “free to walk around....

While there were several factors in the Gators’ loss — such as a late lost fumble and the defense giving up 543 yards of offense — a “major factor” coach Dan Mullen listed by name was the crowd at Kyle Field, which was announced as 24,709, about 25 percent of capacity. Because of that, Mullen said, he wants university officials to allow fans to pack The Swamp for upcoming Florida home games, starting with the game vs....

The Gainesville Sun, citing someone with first-hand knowledge of the situation, reported the news Tuesday. The rare heart disease has been found in patients previously diagnosed with COVID-19, though the Sun could not confirm the issue was related to the disease. Johnson, along with a handful of other Gators players, tested positive for the coronavirus over the summer. Florida on Nov. 22 was forced to cancel its season-opening tournament because of team-wide coronavirus issues....

Rubio, Governor Ron DeSantis, and most statewide officeholders ran unopposed, but in the contested national-level races, the Florida primary was a Trumpian field day. The former president, whose Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach was raided by the FBI earlier this month, endorsed 14 Republican congressional candidates running in Florida: 13 incumbents and newcomer Anna Paulina Luna, who is running for an open seat vacated by Democratic gubernatorial nominee (and former Florida Republican governor) Charlie Crist....

Wilson, who has 30 receptions for 390 yards and one TD and also returns punts, injured his right foot Oct. 15 against Wake Forest, and even with an extra week (FSU was off last Saturday), he has been unable to practice this week. MORE: Clemson-FSU keys to victory “You’re talking about a guy who’s played a lot of games, and done a lot of things in a lot of big-time environments and atmosphere,” Fisher said of Wilson, who played on the Seminoles’ 2013 national championship team....

Steven Arauz was dismissed from his $49,000-a-year role as a sixth-grade teacher at Forest Lake Education Center (FLEC) in Longwood, central Florida, on June 23 shortly after featuring in an article published by online news site Gays With Kids. Arauz, who has an adopted son, told the Orlando Sentinel newspaper he had hoped the interview would lead to more children in Florida’s foster care system finding loving family homes....