Rescued Sea Turtle Released Back to Gulf Waters

Gulf Shores, AL (Newsradio 92.3) -- A loggerhead sea turtle is heading home after months of recovery in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The nearly 100-pound turtle was found tangled in fishing line and hooks in October near Gulf State Park. Volunteers say this turtle had survived before — eight years ago, she was rescued off the coast of Africa in the Canary Islands after traveling thousands of miles across the Atlantic. On Wednesday, she was released back into the Gulf at West Beach. Volunteers hope she'll head south to warmer waters where she belongs.

Florida Jobless Claims Decline

Pensacola, FL -- The U.S. Department of Labor released a report Thursday showing Florida had fifty-two hundred fourteen unemployment claims filed last week. That's down from sixty-two hundred claims the week before. Over the past six weeks since the federal government shutdown ended, Florida has averaged about fifty-four hundred claims a week. Nationally, two-hundred-twenty-four thousand claims were filed last week, down from two-hundred-thirty-seven thousand the previous week. The nation has averaged about two-hundred-nineteen thousand claims weekly since the shutdown ended.

Florida Supreme Court to Review Marijuana Amendment

Tallahassee, FL (Newsradio 92.3) -- Attorney General James Uthmeier has formally submitted a recreational marijuana constitutional amendment to the Florida Supreme Court for judicial review. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the proposal February fifth. The political committee Smart & Safe Florida is sponsoring the amendment and has far exceeded the required petition signatures. However, the committee must submit eight-hundred-eighty thousand valid signatures by February first for ballot placement. As of Thursday, the state showed the committee had submitted about six-hundred-seventy-five thousand valid signatures. There's a dispute over signature validity stemming from state elections officials' decisions to invalidate certain petitions.