Florida’s orange crop is less than a third what is was 20 years ago , and most farmers blame citrus greening for the decline . The greening of the iconic orange fruit is caused by bacteria spread by a tiny insect called a psyllid. The bacteria constricts the plant’s vascular system, cutting off its ability to get nutrients and leaving blotchy yellow leaves and green oranges. But now an Immokalee research group is hoping to use another insect to combat greening: lady bugs.

Founded in 2003 by director by Gary Stroh, Cypress Lake High School's The A Cappella Group, or TAG , is heading to New York City to compete for the high school a cappella international title : the third trip for TAG to the international competition in the program's history, and the second year in a row the group will compete for the title.

The annual health ranking of Florida Counties is out, and while some Southwest Florida counties can claim bragging rights, others are looking at ways to improve.

Performance artist Tim Miller has made a career of mixing one-man performances with activism. The internationally-renowned writer and performer says he combines his work and social values to ask, "what do we want to see our country provide?"

Firefighters put their lives on the line to every day, but the dangers they face are not the same dangers faced by firefighters in years past. The smoke that comes from modern fires include particulates from very different materials; plastics, petroleum-based products, and chemical-treated woods.

It’s been a year of confusion for Florida’s roughly 400 death penalty cases . A series of court cases called the ultimate punishment unconstitutional , but a new law rapidly passed by lawmakers and signed by Gov. Rick Scott changes the state's death penalty to require unanimous juries to hand down a death sentence.

More than 70 percent of Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment last year to extend property tax exemptions to homes and businesses installing solar energy systems. Now, as lawmakers turn that amendment into law, a short Senate bill is clashing with a larger and more complex House version that introduces dozens of regulations for the solar industry.

Sharing poetry from and about Southwest Florida for more than 15 years, the Sanibel Poetryfest is gathering poets, authors, and writers at the Sanibel Public Library on Monday, Apr. 3.

The AARP was among the groups who applauded last week's failure of the U.S. House of Representatives' healthcare overhaul . The AARP vocally opposed the plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, calling the replacement plan an “age tax.”

Theaters in South Florida, and across the United States, Canada, and Europe, are screening the film adaption of George Orwell's dystopian classic 1984 on Tuesday, Apr. 4. The date was chosen because it's the day Orwell’s protagonist, Winston Smith, begins his fight against "Big Brother" by keeping a forbidden diary.