Gaetz Resigns House Seat
(Washington, DC)-- Panhandle Congressman Matt Gaetz has been appointed to join the Trump administration. The First District Republican resigned his seat yesterday to become attorney general. Gaetz's resignation is effective immediately. Governor Ron DeSantis will have to call a special election to fill the seat. House Speaker Mike Johnson says the seat could be filled as early as January 3rd.
Brevard County Election Is Tied
(West Melbourne, FL)-- A coin toss could decide the winner of an election in Brevard County. Four of five seats on the West Melbourne City Council have been decided, but Stephen Phrampus and Adam Gaffney are tied for the fifth seat after two recounts yesterday. The elections supervisor is waiting on overseas ballots that could arrive by Friday's certification deadline. If the race is still tied, the city charter calls for lots to be drawn to determine a winner. The SOE Tim Bobanic tells Spectrum News 13 that means a coin toss.
Orange County May Sue Elections Supervisor
(Orlando, FL) -- The man in charge of elections in Orange County could be in legal trouble. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said yesterday the county may sue elections supervisor Glen Gilzean. Demings is upset that Gilzean is using four million dollars from his budget to start college scholarships and retrain election workers who need new jobs. Gilzean says the money came from excess funds, but Demings says Gilzean should have returned the money to the county. Demings says he'll have discussions with county commissioners to see if litigation is necessary to recover the funds.
Local Haitians React To Travel Ban
(Orlando, FL) -- Local Haitians are troubled by a travel ban now in place for their home country. The FAA this week announced a 30-day travel ban to Haiti after two planes were hit by gunshots in Port au Prince. The Orange County Sheriff's Office held a community meeting yesterday in Pine Hills for residents from Haiti. The meeting was called before the travel ban was announced, but it was on the minds of those who were there. One woman says the situation in Haiti is terrifying and going from bad to worse. She tells WESH 2 News this travel ban is going to further hurt Haiti.
Lights On Surfboards Might Keep Sharks Away
(Sydney) -- Scientists in Australia believe the addition of carefully placed lights on a surfboard might protect against shark attacks. The researchers believe sharks are attracted to dark silhouettes. They experimented by dragging fake sea lions through the water. Sharks would typically attack the lures. When researchers wrapped the decoys in LED lights, the sharks ignored them. They believe that if a surfboard is adorned with lights, it may provide protection. But they emphasize there is no guarantee their assumption is 100 percent correct.
Today in History
1968, Yale introduced it's plan to educate both men and women.
1908, Albert Einstein's quantum theory of light was presented.
1843, Mount Rainier erupted in Washington state.