A list of food bank volunteer opportunities near Orlando using data from VolunteerMatch

After taking office this month, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson said Friday the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has dropped a lawsuit against the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in a dispute involving information about a concealed-weapons license applicant.

Inspectors were back at the Orlando FreeFall thrill ride at Icon Park on Monday, testing it yet again and sending the ride carriage into the air, even while leaving the seats on the ground and raising only the top half of the carriage.

When scientists destroyed the first nest of so-called murder hornets found in the U.S. recently, they discovered about 500 live specimens inside in various stages of development. The first murder hornets nest — found in a tree and destroyed in late October in Whatcom County along the Canadian border — was about the size of a basketball. It was located after state scientists trapped several hornets and attached radio trackers to some of them using dental floss. —76 queens, nearly all of them new virgin queens. Murder hornets also have been found in British Columbia, Canada.

MAITLAND, Fla. The U.S Department of Agriculture and Florida State Agricultural Commissioner Nikki Fried sent warnings about mystery seeds being mail to people, a News 6 viewer said she might have received some of the seeds in question. Louis Inglessis said that over the past three weeks, she's received two enveloped in the mail from Uzbekistan, filled with seeds. I cant image who got my name, why they did, or why they would send seeds to me, said Inglessis. I was tempted, but I decided not to.Inglessis said that she will now turn the seeds over to to the Florida Department of Agriculture. State officials said that more than 630 Floridians have reported receiving the mystery seeds in the mail.

As of Tuesday, the Florida Department of Health reported 2,783 new cases of COVID-19 and 55 new deaths from the virus. Floridas positivity rates has been as low at 4% but on Monday it was 10%, according to the Florida Department of Health. Again, like last week, the Florida Department of Agriculture disputed the governors statements about Floridas farmworkers. If the Florida Department of Health is concerned about spread among Floridas farmworkers, that has not been communicated to the Florida Department of Agriculture. The Florida Department of Health has not communicated to our department any specific concerns about agriculture and COVID-19, Ripple said.

Florida reported its highest rate of new coronavirus cases Friday since the pandemic first arrived in state, when asked about the increase in positive cases Gov. However, DeSantis also attributed the new cases to farm workers or long-term care facilities. Heres what the data shows the following counties reported from June 8 to June 11:Collier County reported 223 new cases. Florida reported 7,033 new cases over a period of five days, the counties the governor mentioned make up 17.7% of new cases this week. The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration is tracking COVID-19 infections, along with the DOH at nursing homes, assisted-living facilities and long-term care facilities.

A cat food company is issuing a nationwide recall over possible salmonella contamination. The Utah-based company Go Raw is recalling its Quest brand 2-pound frozen bags of beef cat food. The recall was put into place after the Minnesota Department of Agriculture found a sample tested positive for salmonella. Federal health officials say salmonella can not only affect animals that eat the products but can be a risk to humans who handle it. For more information, including specific UPC codes, go to FDA.gov.