Four Hospitalized In Boat Fire
(Titusville, FL) -- A Good Samaritan is credited with saving people after a boat fire off Brevard County. Coast Guard personnel at Port Canaveral and Titusville firefighters responded to the scene yesterday afternoon. The Coast Guard says a Good Samaritan rescued eight people onboard. Four of them were taken to the hospital, but there's no word on their conditions.
DeSantis Hints At Lifting Bans On Elective Procedures
(Weston, FL) -- The governor appears ready to lift at least one restriction put in place during the pandemic. Governor Ron DeSantis was in Broward County this weekend at the Cleveland Clinic in Weston. He indicated he'll be lifting a ban on elective surgeries that he put in place over a month ago. The ban was enacted to prevent hospitals from being overrun with patients, but DeSantis says that danger appears to have passed.
DeSantis Announces More Testing
(Orlando, FL) -- Steps are being taken to ramp us coronavirus testing in Florida. Governor Ron DeSantis announced yesterday in Orlando that the state is buying more testing equipment for three labs. The first two testing machines should arrive in about a month, and DeSantis says the machines should help the state test an extra ten-thousand samples a day. He has also announced that pharmacists will be allowed to perform tests, and contracts have been signed with two labs to handle 18-thousand tests a day.
Jacksonville Lab Making COVID-19 Test Kits
(Jacksonville, FL) -- A Jacksonville lab is doing its part to help the country get ahead of the coronavirus curve. Sonic Healthcare Bernhardt Labs started making COVID-19 test kits last week and shipping them around the country. They've already made over 100-thousand kits, and they hope to eventually make over a million. One official involved with the program tells News4Jax more tests will give national health experts more info they can use to make wise decisions.
USF-St. Pete Trying To Connect Students With The Elderly
(St. Petersburg, FL) -- A Tampa Bay college is trying to get two isolated groups to connect during the pandemic. USF-St. Petersburg has started St. Pete Friends to connect college students and senior citizens through phone or video chats. A USF official says the seniors will welcome having someone to talk to and can act as mentors to the students. Those interested can visit USFSP.edu for more info.
DeSantis Wants Public Feedback On Reopening State
(Tallahassee, FL) -- Before the governor reopens the state, he wants to hear from you. The Re-Open Florida Task Force has posted a website for residents to submit public comments. The task force says the comments will be a critical component when it comes to reopening the state. You can find the link at FLGov.com/COVID-19.
Canadian Court Rules Rock, Paper, Scissors Is Game Of Chance
(Quebec City, Quebec) -- A Canadian Court is answering one of the great mysteries that has perplexed man for ages: Is rock, paper, scissors a game of chance, or skill? The court ruled that it's a game of chance and let a man back out of a more than half-million-dollar bet on the outcome of a best-of-three series. Edmund Hopper had taken out a mortgage on his home to pay the debt. The Quebec Court of Appeal ruled he does not have to pay it back, saying the wager violated Quebec law because there was no skill involved and the amount was excessive.
English Woman Gives Birth During High Speed Chase
(England) -- A British couple is facing no charges despite leading police on a high speed chase, which ended in the woman giving birth. The Sun reports 43-year-old Ilian Head and 40-year-old Maria raced down Bristol streets at up to 90-miles-per-hour in a Ford Fiesta to reach a hospital before Maria gave birth. Police cruisers began to chase the car after it ran two red lights and tailed them for 10 miles before pulling into St. Michael's Hospital. With the vehicle surrounded, Mr. Head stepped out and yelled that his wife has just had a baby. Little Ilina Head was born in the swerving vehicle just before it reached the medical center. The Heads' two-year-old daughter was also in the back seat.
TODAY IN HISTORY:
2011, in an attempt to silence critics who continued to question his place of birth, President Obama posted a copy of his birth certificate on the White House website to prove that he was born in Hawaii and is indeed a United States citizen.
1965, R-C Duncan received a patent for "Pampers" brand disposable diapers.