Carjacking Suspect Arrested
(Sanford, FL) -- A man is facing charges for two carjackings in the span of an hour. Sanford police arrested Brandon Washington yesterday after alleged carjackings Monday in Seminole and Orange counties. Police say he stole a Honda Accord in Fern Park before ditching that car less than an hour later near Winter Park for a Kia Soul SUV. Officers tried pulling him over yesterday, but he ditched his ride and tried to get away on foot before he was caught.
Report Released Into Escambia County's EMS Billing System
(Pensacola, FL) -- Escambia County taxpayers may be out millions of dollars because of EMS mismanagement. The county last week completed its investigation into a billing software program bought by the EMS division two years ago. The report concludes EMS Chief Steve White took steps to make sure the purchase price was below the amount that would have needed approval by the county commission. The report also blames EMS management for six-million dollars in unpaid bills, and county commissioner Jeff Bergosh tells Channel 3 News a lot of that money is probably gone forever.
Tampa Attorney Files Federal Lawsuit Over Amendment Four
(Tampa, FL) -- A Tampa lawyer is doing his part to help ex-felons get the right to vote. Michael Steinberg recently sued the state in federal court over its interpretation of Amendment Four. The amendment passed by voters last year allows ex-felons to vote, but last week the governor signed a bill that requires ex-felons to first repay their fines and court costs. Steinberg says the law discriminates against the poor who can't afford to pay their penalties.
Restaurant Owner Asks Thief To Apply For A Job
(Miami, FL) -- A Miami restaurant owner is making an effort to get a thief to turn away from a life of crime. Liza Meli owns Barmeli69 on Biscayne Boulevard where someone recently broke in and stole cash and two cell phones. It's also where two women had their purses stolen from their cars last week. Meli tells Local 10 News if the thief wants to make money the honest way, she'll hire him.
Woman Arrested For Charging $5,000 Tip On Boyfriend's Credit Card
(Clearwater, FL) -- Clearwater Police say a woman was so angry with her boyfriend, she gave a restaurant server a tip for more than five-thousand dollars from the boyfriend's credit card. Detectives say Serina Wolfe admitted she did it without permission, and she was arrested for grand theft. She's in the Pinellas County jail. No word yet on whether the server will get to keep the money or have to give it back.
Baby Trump Gets Approval, Will Have To Stay Grounded
(Washington, DC) -- The Baby Trump blimp will be on the National Mall during President Trump's Fourth of July celebration. The National Park Service issued a permit to activist group Code Pink to inflate the 20-foot balloon on the Mall, but the Baby Trump will not be allowed to fly. The group will show off the inflatable caricature of Trump dressed in a diaper and holding a cell phone to protest the militarization of the Independence Day event. Activists have used the blimp to protest the president at various events around the country and world. Trump will address the country from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial Thursday.
Americans Love Their Hot Dogs
(Undated) -- July is National Hot Dog Month with the Fourth of July being a prime day for hot dog consumption. On Independence Day Americans will enjoy 150-million hot dogs. If those dogs were laid end to end it would be enough to stretch from Washington DC to Los Angeles more than five times. During the peak hot dog eating season which runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day Americans generally eat a total of seven billion hot dogs. That averages out to 818 eaten every second.
TODAY IN HISTORY:
1987, British millionaire Richard Branson and Swedish-born Per Lindstrand became the first hot-air balloon travelers to cross the Atlantic. The duo was forced to jump into the sea as their craft went down off the coast of Scotland.
1945, a passenger car rolled off the assembly line at the Ford Motor Company plant in Detroit, Michigan, for the first time in three years. Automobile production had stopped because of World War Two.
1878, John Wise of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was the pilot for the first flight of a dirigible.
1863, the Civil War Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania ended as the Northern troops forced Confederate soldiers to retreat.