Deadly Plane Crash In Brevard County
(Titusville, FL) -- A pilot is dead after a fiery plane crash in Brevard County. It happened yesterday afternoon in Titusville at Space Coast Regional Airport. Police say a Velocity RG experimental plane crashed near the runway and caught fire. There's no word on a cause.
Cruz To Plead Guilty For Parkland Shooting
(Miami, FL) -- Nikolas Cruz is expected to plead guilty. It was reported yesterday the alleged Parkland school shooter will plead guilty to all counts of murder and attempted murder from the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. A court hearing is set for today, but the Sun Sentinel reports the guilty plea will be entered at another time. If Cruz does plead guilty, he'll avoid a trial and move to the punishment phase, which could lead to the death penalty.
DeSantis May Sue Biden Administration Over Workplace Vaccine Mandates
(Fort Myers, FL) -- Ron DeSantis may not wait until 2024 to challenge President Biden. The governor said yesterday he may sue the administration over a possible vaccine mandate aimed at businesses. The mandate, which has not yet been announced, is expected to require most businesses to mandate employees get vaccinated. DeSantis says the state may also pass a law that would allow employees to sue their employer if they're fired for not getting a COVID vaccine.
Miami City Commission Votes To Fire Police Chief
(Miami, FL) -- A brief but controversial tenure is over in Miami. The city commission voted yesterday to fire Police Chief Art Acevedo after just six months on the job. City Manager Art Noriega said he decided to recommend firing Acevedo because there was a tremendous disconnect, and Acevedo never earned the trust of the community. After the unanimous vote, Manny Morales was sworn in as interim chief, and he promised to get back to serving the public. Speaking outside city hall, Acevedo said the department was and continues to be in need of reform.
Tenants Protest Eviction
(St. Petersburg, FL) -- Some upset renters in St. Petersburg are making their voices heard. Residents of the Stanton Apartments and Hotel protested yesterday after they were told to move out by the end of the month. The company that owns the Cordova Inn next door is buying the property to expand the hotel. The tenants tell 10 Tampa Bay they need more time and financial aid to find a new place, but management isn't helping.
Bay County Schools Warn Parents Of Playground Violence Inspired By Netflix Show
(Panama City, FL) -- A new Netflix show is apparently causing problems in Bay County schools. In a Facebook post yesterday, district officials say some students are trying to hurt each other based on what they see in the show Squid Games. In the South Korean drama, characters play children's games, and those who lose are beaten to death. According to the district, even kids who don't watch the show are being influenced through gaming apps and video sharing platforms, and parents are asked to tell their kids not to engage in violent behavior.
Woman Has Near Miss with Meteorite
(Golden, British Columbia) -- A woman in British Columbia is thanking her lucky stars after a meteorite crashed through her roof and into her bed, landing inches from her head. Ruth Hamilton was jarred from sleep earlier this month by a loud bang and showering debris. She found the space rock, about the size of a melon, between her pillows. She called 911 but eventually the rock was linked to reports of an explosive fireball in the sky that night. Hamilton is sending the rock to scientists for examination but says she'd like to keep it as a souvenir when they're done.
TODAY IN HISTORY
2018, Sears filed for bankruptcy.
2009, Colorado authorities and military personnel were dispatched to track a helium-filled balloon, mistakenly believed to have lifted off with a six-year-old boy inside. When the balloon landed, authorities quickly discovered there was no one inside the flying-saucer-like balloon. The child was found hiding inside a cardboard box in the attic of his parents' house in Fort Collins.
1991, Clarence Thomas was confirmed as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. The 52-48 vote was the narrowest margin in nearly a century. At the age of 43, Thomas became the first black conservative and the youngest to be confirmed.