Parent Wants Info On Son's Attacker
(Bartow, FL) -- A Polk County mother's effort to learn more about a school beating involving her son appears to be going nowhere. Lauren Springfield addressed the county school board this week to discuss an incident last week at Blake Academy in which her 12-year-old son was attacked. Springfield wants to know what kind of punishment was handed down to the attacker, but the school says state law prevents them from doing that. Springfield told board members the emphasis should be on victims' rights and not sheltering the accused.
Judge Allows Convicted Sex Offender To Post Bond Pending Appeal
(DeLand, FL) -- Volusia County's sheriff is upset a man he calls a scumbag is no longer behind bars. A judge this week allowed convicted child sex offender Mark Fugler to post bail pending an appeal. The 61-year-old former Embry-Riddle professor was sentenced to 15 years in prison after a jury ruled he victimized a seven-year-old girl. Sheriff Mike Chitwood said yesterday he thinks Fugler's lawyers will draw this out so long that the Ormond Beach resident will never serve his sentence.
Woman Avoids Prison Time For Deadly Crash
(Orlando, FL) -- The driver in a deadly hit-and-run in Brevard County won't go to prison. A judge yesterday sentenced Orlando's Marylee Walker to two years house arrest and 15 years probation for the crash that killed a woman in Cocoa Beach five years ago. The victim's mother tells the Orlando Sentinel she's satisfied Walker will be held accountable, and she forgives her.
American Airlines Mechanic Denied Bond for Trying to Sabotage Plane
(Miami, FL) -- A judge is denying an American Airlines mechanic bond for allegedly trying to sabotage a commercial airliner out of Miami. Ahmed Alani is being charged with "willfully damaging, destroying, disabling, or wrecking an aircraft." He was arrested in July for trying to damage an aircraft's data system that reports the speed and pitch of the plane. Prosecutors say Alani had downloaded ISIS videos on his phone and had traveled to Iraq earlier this year.
Man Climbs Orlando TV Tower
(Orlando, FL) -- Orlando police are puzzled by a man's actions outside a TV studio. The unidentified man climbed a 400-foot tower outside News 6 yesterday on North John Young Parkway, and he remained there for about eight hours. Attempts to coax him down yesterday afternoon didn't work, but he finally came down around 7:30 last night. There's no word on why he climbed the tower, and no charges have been announced.
Plane Diverted To Tampa After Mid-Air Scare
(Tampa, FL) -- A Delta flight crew is drawing praise after a brief scare forced their flight to divert to Tampa. The flight from Atlanta was on its way to Fort Lauderdale yesterday when oxygen masks were suddenly deployed, and the plane was forced to land at Tampa International Airport. Delta blames the problem on a cabin pressurization irregularity. No one was hurt, and passengers tweeted how great the flight crew was for keeping everyone calm.
Use Alexa To Contribute To 2020 Presidential Elections
(Seattle, WA) -- Alexa is ready to take your money in a new way. Amazon will make presidential campaign contributions on your behalf starting next month. Simply tell the voice assistant Alexa which candidate you want and how much to donate. It can be anywhere from five to 200-dollars. The money will be taken from the default payment linked to your account. Companies can sign up on Alexa Political Contributions.
Texas Man Wanted For Divorcing Wife Without Telling Her
(Harris County, TX) -- Police in Texas are looking for a man who divorced his wife without letting her know. Harris County deputies say 51-year-old Paul Nixon forged his wife's signature and the name of a notary on legal papers in an effort to divorce her. The woman says she learned of her husband's divorce attempt only after confronting him for spending large amounts of money on jewelry, to which he replied that they were no longer married. The filed divorce decree has since been vacated. Police are now looking for Nixon on charges of felony aggravated perjury charges. If convicted, he could face up to ten years in prison.
TODAY IN HISTORY:
1994, the medical drama "ER" premiered on NBC.
1991, researchers discovered "The Iceman" in a glacier in the Alps. "The Iceman" is the most ancient human being ever found.
1957, the U.S. conducted its first underground nuclear test in the Nevada desert.
1947, Jackie Robinson was named baseball's Rookie of the Year.
1876, Melville Bissell patented the carpet sweeper.