SpaceX Launch Scrubbed Due To Strong Winds
(Cape Canaveral, FL) -- Strong winds are to blame for changing SpaceX's plans. A launch set for yesterday morning was postponed after upper-level winds reached dangerous speeds. Another attempt will be made at 9:06 tomorrow morning from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. SpaceX is trying to launch 60 satellites into orbit to further its goal of bringing high-speed internet to remote parts of the world.
Boy Arrested For Stabbing Sister
(Ocala, FL) -- A boy is accused of stabbing his little sister in Marion County. Nine-year-old Treshaun Joseph was arrested yesterday for attempted first-degree murder. Ocala Police say Joseph stabbed the five-year-old several times at the Berkeley Pointe Apartments on Northeast 7th Street. There's no word on the girl's condition or a motive.
Sandy Hook Truther Arrested In Lake County
(Sorrento, FL) -- A Sandy Hook conspiracy theorist is accused of harassing the father of one of the victims. Lake County deputies yesterday arrested Wolfgang Halbig for allegedly posting online the Social Security number of Leonard Pozner, whose son died in the 2012 mass shooting at the Connecticut elementary school. The 73-year-old Halbig claims the shooting was a hoax perpetrated by the government to restrict gun rights. Pozner claims Halbig has been harassing him online for over a year.
Woman Arrested After Police Chase
(DeLand, FL) -- A woman is facing charges after refusing to pull over for police in Volusia County. DeLand Police were trying to pull over Sarah Yurman yesterday, but she took off toward Daytona Beach. After making a u-turn, her van went off International Speedway Boulevard and rolled over. Deputies and police pulled the 38-year-old from the van and arrested her, but there's no report on the reason they were trying to pull her over in the first place.
Teachers To Call For Change At Polk School Board Meeting
(Bartow, FL) -- Polk County's superintendent could be the center of attention at today's school board meeting. Members of the teachers union are expected to call for the removal of Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd. Polk Education Association members are upset because of an email she forwarded that they believe threatened to fire anyone who showed up at an education rally in Tallahassee earlier this month. The Lakeland branch of the NAACP, though, is expected to bring a busload of people to the meeting in support of Byrd, who is black, and the school board has moved the 5:00-p.m. meeting to Bartow High School to accommodate the large crowd.
Broward County State Rep. Criticizes LGBTQ Bills
(Tallahassee, FL) -- A Broward County lawmaker believes his colleagues should be ashamed of themselves for bills they have filed that affect transgender children. State Rep. Shevrin Jones yesterday criticized two bills that would ban giving children hormone treatments or sex reassignment surgery. Supporters say the bills protect children from treatments they're too young to understand the consequences of, but Jones and others say the bills would put transgender youth at risk.
Parkland Shooter's Assault Trial On Hold
(Fort Lauderdale, FL) -- The assault trial of the confessed Parkland school shooter remains on hold. Nikolas Cruz was back court this morning for the case which is separate from the deadly 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Cruz is facing numerous charges for allegedly attacking a jail guard and briefly taking his Taser. Jury selection was scheduled to begin today for the trial but the judge scheduled another hearing for next month.
Police Arrest 21 During Gasparilla Fest
(Tampa, FL) -- Tampa Police are reporting 21 arrests during this year's Gasparilla festival. The majority, 15, were for boating under the influence. Two people were arrested for felonies and four were busted on misdemeanor charges. Officers also shot and killed a pit bull after it attacked police mounted units.
Recent Studies Show Happiness Is Good For Your Health
(Rochester, MN) -- A number of recent studies show that happiness is good for your health. They've linked greater optimism with a lower risk for heart disease and a longer life. The Mayo Clinic offers tips on how to see the bright side of things, including fostering gratitude and surrounding yourself with people who believe in you. Its advice also includes exercising, eating well, maintaining your body weight and avoiding toxins.
Texas Man's Headaches Caused By Tapeworm
(Austin, TX) -- A Texas man is recovering following the removal of a tapeworm from his head. Ascension Seton officials in Austin say the man came in to the hospital after fainting at a soccer game. He told doctors that he had been experiencing severe headaches for months. An MRI revealed that the man had a tapeworm inside of his brain. Surgeons operated on the man to remove the worm, and he says his headaches have since stopped. Doctors believe the man contracted the tapeworm by eating under-cooked pork in Mexico more than a decade ago. His sister also had a tapeworm removed from her brain a few years ago.
TODAY IN HISTORY:
2016, toy maker Mattel released new tall, curvy and petite versions of the famous Barbie doll. The new dolls come after years of criticism. The company said Barbie's new looks are an effort to more accurately reflect real women's shapes.
1986, space shuttle Challenger exploded 72-seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral. All seven astronauts on board were killed. The blast was caused by a failure of the shuttle's rocket booster O-rings due to cold weather at launch time. The disaster occurred 25-years and one day after the fire at NASA's Apollo One launch pad which left three astronauts dead.
1985, 45 top recording artists from around the world participated in the "USA for Africa" project. The all-night recording session resulted in the song "We Are The World." The song became one of the biggest sellers in music history.
1878, "The Yale News" was published for the first time. It became the very first collegiate newspaper in the United States.
1878, the first telephone switchboard was installed in New Haven, Connecticut.