Florida judge: Will on Jack Kerouac’s estate is fake; sides with writer’s daughter, nephew

CLEARWATER, Fla. — A lengthy dispute over the estate of Beat Generation writer Jack Kerouac has ended with a Florida judge ruling that his mother’s will was fraudulent.

Space station, shuttle crews say goodbye, close hatches; shuttle leaving after 11-day visit

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — With a flurry of hugs and handshakes, the two teams of astronauts making up the biggest orbiting crowd ever said goodbye Tuesday and closed the hatches between their spacecraft.

It’s a day of farewells for 2 space crews, with shuttle leaving after 1½-week station visit

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — They’ve spent the past one-and-a-half weeks together in space, and now it’s time for two teams of astronauts to say goodbye.

Police say man sleeping in dumpster sustains minor injuries after being picked up with trash

TAMPA, Fla. — Authorities said a man, who had been sleeping in a Dumpster, sustained minor injuries after he was picked up by a garbage truck along with the trash. Authorities said that when firefighters and paramedics arrived, they heard Kevin Hallaran, 52, banging on the metal sides of the sanitation truck asking for help.

Astronauts breeze through 5th and final spacewalk of space station visit as mission nears end

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Astronauts completed the last spacewalk of their shared shuttle and station mission Monday, breezing through some rewiring, camera setups and other outdoor chores.

Fla. jury found in favor of hospital that deported seriously brain injured Guatemalan man

STUART, Fla. — A South Florida hospital that quietly chartered a plane and sent a seriously brain injured illegal immigrant back to Guatemala over the objections of his family and legal guardian did not act unreasonably, a jury found Monday.

Astronauts go out on 5th and final spacewalk of space station visit, mission nearing end

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Astronauts took the last spacewalk of their shared shuttle and station mission Monday, taking care of a little rewiring and some other outdoor chores.

Astronauts get set for 5th and final spacewalk of space station visit, mission nearing end

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — After a week-and-a-half together, astronauts aboard the linked shuttle and station are preparing for the last day of spacewalking.

Wearing a sweater in the Florida heat, contractor from Texas wins Hemingway look-alike contest

KEY WEST, Fla. — Wearing a wool fisherman’s sweater in 90-degree heat, a Texas man won an Ernest Hemingway look-alike contest at a Key West festival honoring the late Nobel prize-winning author.

NASA patches space station’s air-purifying system; astronauts prep for 5th and final spacewalk

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A space station air purifier was working again Sunday after it shut down at the worst possible time, when company was still visiting and had swollen the on-board crowd to a record 13.

White beard, sweater and all, contractor from Texas wins Hemingway look-alike contest

KEY WEST, Fla. — A 55-year-old Texan wearing the requisite white beard and sporting a sweater won an Ernest Hemingway look-alike contest — one of the highlights of a six-day annual festival honoring the late Nobel prize-winning author.

All 13 astronauts relax on first day off in more than a week after 4 grueling spacewalks

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The astronauts in orbit, all 13 of them, enjoyed their first day off in more than a week Saturday after a series of grueling spacewalks.

Fla. governor’s office mistakenly praises anti-Semitic DVD sent by white supremacy group

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Despite the content of a letter bearing his signature, Gov. Charlie Crist does not want to share an anti-Semitic movie with all Floridians.

Spacewalking astronauts install fresh batteries, move slowly to avoid repeat of suit trouble

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Astronauts outfitted the international space station with fresh batteries in an extra-long spacewalk Friday, moving slowly and even loitering at times to avoid a repeat of the suit trouble that cut short the previous outing.

Florida police catch man running down a street with a stolen cash register

GREENACRES, Fla. — Authorities caught a Lake Worth man running down the street with a stolen cash register. Greenacres police reported that a 32-year-old man entered a restaurant Thursday afternoon and asked for change for a $10 bill. When the cashier asked to see the bill, the man reportedly began screaming, “I want change!”

U of South Florida students told to resume activities after report of gunman prompted lockdown

TAMPA, Fla. — Students and staff at the University of South Florida were told to stay indoors Friday after a man called police to say he was on campus with a gun, but authorities never found him and no shots were fired.

Gunman reported at University of South Florida; students told to stay inside, lock doors

TAMPA, Fla. — The University of South Florida remained locked down Friday after someone reported a gunman on campus.

Astronauts go out slow to to install batteries, finish leftover work on extra-long spacewalk 4

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — At Mission Control’s request, a pair of spacewalking astronauts took it slow and easy heading out to the far end of the international space station Friday, then tackled a series of critical battery changes.

Astronauts to install new station batteries, finish leftover work on extra-long spacewalk 4

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Astronauts are out on an extra-long spacewalk to give the international space station more fresh batteries.

Extra battery work awaits astronauts during spacewalk 4, includes unfinished work from 3rd

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Astronauts are aiming for an extra-long spacewalk Friday to give the international space station more fresh batteries.

Unlicensed contractors draw more scrutiny from legitimate builders, officials in slow economy

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — When custom homebuilder Bob Liddell started seeing the decline in the housing market more than three years ago, he decided to supplement his business with home remodeling. But he ran into a different problem — competing with unlicensed contractors.

Fla. jury begins deliberations in case of Guatemalan man illegally deported by hospital

STUART, Fla. — The case against a South Florida hospital that quietly chartered a plane and sent a seriously brain injured illegal immigrant back to Guatemala over the objections of his family and legal guardian was in the hands of a jury Thursday.

Fla. hospital defends deportation of brain-injured Guatemalan patient without health insurance

STUART, Fla. — All sides agree on one thing in the case of a South Florida hospital that secretly repatriated a seriously brain injured patient back to Guatemala.

Small plane makes emergency landing on Fla. interstate highway, takes off again from same road

EDGEWATER, Fla. — A small plane made an emergency landing on a Florida interstate and later took off again from the same stretch of road.

South Florida town council fires manager after learning he married porn star

MIAMI — A South Florida town manager who married a porn star last year was fired at an emergency meeting after the mayor and council members learned about it.

Astronauts cut spacewalk short because of suit trouble, return to safety of space station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Two astronauts cut short their spacewalk and hurried back to the safety of the international space station on Wednesday after a suit problem resulted in rising carbon dioxide levels for one of the men.

Astronauts cut spacewalk short because of suit issue, return to safety of space station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Two astronauts cut short their spacewalk and hurried back to the safety of the international space station on Wednesday after a suit problem resulted in rising carbon dioxide levels for one of the men.

Astronauts told to cut spacewalk short after replacing 2 station batteries, suit issue

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Two spacewalking astronauts have been ordered back inside early because of a spacesuit issue.

Florida woman arrested for setting up dentistry practice in her garage, police say

NAPLES, Fla. — Florida officials have arrested a woman for allegedly practicing dentistry in a garage she converted into an office with a drill set and black reclining chair. Rosa Maria Toledo, 56, was arrested Tuesday. In her garage deputies found a cabinet containing dental castings, molds, dental crown glues, partial dentures and bridges.

Spacewalking astronauts replace station batteries on third outing of shuttle Endeavour’s visit

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A pair of spacewalking astronauts plugged in some big, new, fancy batteries at the international space station Wednesday, working out on a distant ledge.