I-95 South Ramp Closed Indefinitely
(Jacksonville, FL) -- Efforts are underway to stop coronavirus patients from crossing the Florida-Georgia line. FDOT announced yesterday the ramp from I-95 South to US 17 is closed indefinitely. Governor Ron DeSantis called for a checkpoint to be set up this weekend to find people from New York and other hotspots who are entering the state. FHP says it's directing drivers to a weigh station where they'll be asked a series of questions and be told to self-quarantine for two weeks.
Man Arrested For Spraying People With COVID-19
(Jacksonville, FL) -- A Jacksonville man is facing criminal charges related to the coronavirus. David White is due in court today for allegedly spraying contents from a bottle labeled COVID-19 inside a business. The 50-year-old allegedly sprayed the contents on the doors yesterday at the unidentified business. It's not known what was in the bottle.
Seminole County Enacts Social Distancing Order
(Sanford, FL) -- Social distancing is no longer just a suggestion for shoppers in Seminole County. A social distancing order was announced last week.It went into effect last night. It requires stores to make sure customers are no closer than six-feet apart in checkout lanes. Also, occupancy is limited to 30-percent of the store's fire code capacity.
Church Not Complying With Social Distancing Guidelines
(Tampa, FL) -- A church in Hillsborough County is putting worshippers in danger. That's what Sheriff Chad Chronister said yesterday about The River at Tampa Bay Church. In its live-streamed service yesterday, viewers could see several people in attendance after the county, last week, issued a Safer-at-Home order. The church says it would be wrong to close its doors in a time of crisis, and its attorneys are in contact with the sheriff's office lawyers.
Infected Passengers Heading To Port Everglades
(Fort Lauderdale, FL) -- A cruise ship carrying some coronavirus patients is heading our way. Holland America announced last night it has received permission for the Zaandam to make its way to Port Everglades, but it's not clear if the ship will be allowed to dock. The ship is carrying two people who have tested positive for the virus, and over a hundred others have reported flu-like symptoms. Four people onboard have died, but it's not clear if they died from COVID-19.
Trantalis Opposes Allowing Infected Ship To Dock At Port Everglades
(Fort Lauderdale, FL) -- Fort Lauderdale's mayor is trying to overturn what he calls a completely unacceptable decision. Holland America's Zaandam cruise ship, which is carrying at least two coronavirus patients, announced yesterday it has received permission to sail toward Port Everglades. Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis Tweeted yesterday the community is already in a health crisis, and it can't afford further risk. He says the Coast Guard and Homeland Security should find a Navy base where passengers can be dealt with in a more controlled environment.
Survey Finds 12-Percent Workers Lack Clothes In Video Meetings
(Undated) -- As many companies transition to having their workers work-from-home, some employees are taking advantage of that. A new survey by interactive presentation tool company Mentimeter found 12-percent of responders don't use video capabilities while in meetings because they are partially clothed or naked. The survey of 15-hundred people also found 44-percent admitted they dressed in more professional attire for video meetings.
See's Suspending Operations Due To COVID-19
(San Francisco, CA) -- A world-famous confectioner is suspending operations because of the coronavirus pandemic. See's Candies said on its website "In recognition of the guidance provided by local health authorities -- See's has suspended the production and shipping" of its sweet treats. This is just the second time in See's 99-year history that it temporarily halted operations. The first time was during World War Two. See's was founded in 1921 in Los Angeles. The candy maker moved its headquarters to San Francisco in 1936 and is still based in The City by the Bay.
Armed Vigilantes In Maine Try To Force Neighbor To Quarantine
(Vinalhaven, ME) -- Maine police are investigating after a group of armed vigilantes tried to force a man to self-quarantine. The man, who resides in Vinalhaven, called police last week when he noticed the group outside of his home shortly after his cable went out. He told officers that they cut down a tree to block his driveway and yelled at him to remain inside. The vigilante group left before local deputies managed to arrive. As the man, and others on the island, are from out of state, police believe the group thinks that those residents are under some order to self-isolate. Police say there is a general advisement, but any individual is still free to move about as they please. The man and his roommates had been living on the coastal island for about a month prior to the incident.
TODAY IN HISTORY:
1998, German automaker BMW purchased Rolls Royce in a deal worth 570-million-dollars.
1995, a federal court in New York struck down the "don't ask, don't tell, don't pursue" policy that allowed homosexuals to serve in the military under certain conditions. The judge declared the policy unconstitutional.
1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot by a would-be assassin as he left Washington's Hilton Hotel. Three other people were wounded in the attack. Reagan spent the next two weeks in a hospital recovering from his wounds. John Hinckley Junior was ordered to spend the rest of his life behind bars for the attack.
1964, "Jeopardy," aired on NBC Television for the first time. Art Fleming was the host.
1867, the United States purchased Alaska from Russia for just over seven-million-dollars.