Explosions Heard In Brevard County
(Palm Bay, FL) -- A refrigeration issue appears to be the cause of several explosions in Brevard County. The explosions happened yesterday morning in Palm Bay at FAR Chemical near US One and R.J. Conlan Boulevard. A Fire Rescue official says the refrigeration issue sparked a fire that spread to some barrels containing chemicals, and the explosions sent a black smoke cloud into the air that could be seen from miles away. No one was hurt, but one woman tells Florida Today she was worried the explosion was going to wipe out her whole neighborhood.
DeSantis Vetoes Tobacco Bill
(Tallahassee, FL) -- Governor Ron DeSantis yesterday vetoed a bill that would have raised the smoking age from 18 to 21. The bill also applied to vaping and those who supported it say it would have lowered teen vaping rates. DeSantis, though, says raising the age to 21 would have driven smokers onto the black market.
Unemployed Floridians To Get Federal Benefits
(Tallahassee, FL) -- Those left unemployed by the coronavirus are in line for what the governor calls critical support. Governor Ron DeSantis announced yesterday that eligible residents will soon receive jobless benefits through the Federal Lost Wages Assistance Program. Recipients will get an extra 300 dollars a week. Payments may be received as early as this week.
Man Bitten By Shark In Volusia County
(DeLand, FL) -- A hungry shark is responsible for hurting a Seminole County man. Volusia County Beach Safety says a shark bit the 54-year-old man on the hand yesterday at Canaveral National Seashore. The Winter Springs resident was apparently surf fishing, and while he was releasing a fish he caught, a shark up to five-feet long sank its teeth into the fish and the man's hand. The man was able to drive himself to the hospital for treatment.
Pinellas Teachers Want Hybrid Classes Eliminated
(Largo, FL) -- Pinellas County teachers want an end to a policy they say is unfair and disgraceful. Teachers yesterday told the school board they want the district to eliminate hybrid classes, in which some students are in the classroom but others are online at the same time. The teachers union says it's impossible to adequately teach both sets of students simultaneously, and the hybrid model denies students the quality education they deserve. The school board did not agree to eliminate hybrid classes, and the issue will be discussed again next week.
Body Spray Bottle Used In Hold Up
(Panama City Beach, FL) -- A bottle of body spray appears to have been used in a gas station robbery in Bay County. Deputies say Tevin Powell robbed a Marathon gas station on Thomas Drive Sunday morning. The 28-year-old allegedly hid a body spray bottle under his shirt in a way that made it look like a gun, and he made off with cash and e-cigarettes. After he was found at a nearby apartment complex, deputies say Powell confessed.
Trans Women Claim Police Humiliated Them
(Miami, FL) -- Transgender women may sue Miami-Dade Police over what one calls a dehumanizing and embarrassing experience. Gabriela Amaya Cruz is one of three transgender women arrested in July at a Black Lives Matter rally. They claim police used excessive force to arrest them, and after taking them to jail, they were treated like men, even though they identify as women. Amaya Cruz tells NBC 6 it was degrading, and she feels like police were erasing her identity.
New Shield Protects Birthday Cake From Germs When Blowing Out Candles
(Undated) -- There's a new way to blow out birthday candles amid the pandemic. A Florida dentist has invented the Top It Cake Shield. It looks like a see through box. The cake gets sealed inside and the candles are put into the flat top instead of the cake itself. The creator says this can help prevent germs from landing on the icing. It comes in three sizes and is said to be made from FDA-approved recycled plastic.
TODAY IN HISTORY:
1977, the first T-R-S 80 computer sold at Radio Shack.
1963, a federal injunction was issued to Alabama Governor George Wallace as he ordered police to keep African-American students from enrolling in white schools.
1926, the National Broadcasting Company, NBC, was created by the Radio Corporation of America or RCA.
1776, the Second Continental Congress authorized the use of the name "United States." It replaced the name "United Colonies."