Weekend Launch At 60% Go (Cape Canaveral, FL) -- This weekend's rocket launch is looking iffy. SpaceX is planning a Falcon 9 launch for late Saturday night or early Sunday morning. Forecasters, though, said yesterday that weather conditions are only at 60-percent go. SpaceX announced yesterday the test firing of its main engines was successful.
Man Charged With Murder For Woman's Drug Overdose (DeBary, FL) -- A woman is dead from a drug overdose, and the man accused of selling her those drugs is charged with her murder. Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood announced the first-degree murder charge yesterday against DeBary 24-year-old Hunter Romaine.
He's accused of selling 33-year-old Ashley Barrett cocaine that was laced with fentanyl seven months ago. Chitwood says dirt balls like Romaine need to know every effort is being made to take them off the streets and put them in a cage.
Escambia Superintendent Regrets Opening Schools (Pensacola, FL) -- Escambia County's superintendent admits parents are right to be upset with him. Malcolm Thomas decided to open schools yesterday despite damage from Tropical Storm Gordon across the district.
Thomas says he made the decision Tuesday night based on what he knew at the time, but when he woke up yesterday morning he realized conditions were much worse than he expected. Schools were mostly empty, and Thomas says all absences will be excused.
Leon Judge Orders Scott To Release Travel Schedule (Tallahassee, FL) -- The governor's campaign staff is criticizing what it calls an irresponsible ruling by a judge in Leon County. Circuit Court Judge Charles Dodson ruled yesterday that Governor Rick Scott must publicly release travel records from his Senate campaign.
He was given 10 days to comply, but Scott's campaign plans to appeal. A spokesman for the Republican nominee's campaign says the ruling was politically motivated, and he accuses Dodson of being a liberal activist judge who is putting the governor's security at risk.
Gillum Running Mate Deadline Is Today (Tallahassee, FL) -- Today is the day we should find out who Andrew Gillum's running mate will be. The Democratic nominee for governor has until 5 p.m. to pick his lieutenant governor candidate. He has been said to be considering former Second District Congresswoman Gwen Graham among others.
Yesterday, Republican nominee Ron DeSantis chose Miami State Rep. Jeanette Nunez as his running mate.
Clone Could Mean Return Of Woolly Mammoth (Undated) -- Scientists say that if they can successfully clone a 40-thousand year old horse, they might be able to bring back another long-extinct species. The foal was found in the frozen subsoil of a Siberian crater known as the Mouth of Hell and they're now taking cells from it in an effort to clone the species back to life.
A researcher at Russia's Mammoth Museum said that the foal was perfectly preserved so they were able to get samples from what he calls a unique find for biotechnology research. A Russian-South Korean team of scientists claims that experimenting on the foal is the first step in their ultimate goal of bringing back the Woolly Mammoth.
Man Accused Of Lewd Behavior Against Pizza Delivery Driver (Callahan, FL) -- A bizarre case is being investigated in Nassau County where a man is accused of shoving his hand down a pizza delivery driver's shirt. Deputies say the driver showed up last week at Timothy Melton's home and he put his money, along with his hand, down her top.
The driver left the home crying and reported the 55-year-old to authorities. Melton is lewd and lascivious behavior charges but told officers he didn't see the harm in what he did.
TODAY IN HISTORY:
1995, Baltimore Oriole shortstop Cal Ripken played in his two-thousand-131st consecutive game to break Lou Gehrig's record.
1991, the name of Russia's second largest city was changed from Leningrad back to St. Petersberg.
1959, the Mattel Toy Corporation sold the first Barbie Doll.
1620, the Pilgrims set sail from Plymouth, England, on the Mayflower to settle in the New World.
1522, one of Ferdinand Magellan's five ships returned to Spain, completing the first successful circumnavigation of the world. Only 15 of the original 265 sailors survived the journey.