Orlando Bars Sue State
(Orlando, FL) -- Some Orlando bar owners accuse the governor of throwing out the baby with the bathwater. That's the phrase used by a lawyer who represents the owners in a lawsuit filed last week against the state. The owners claim the state violated their due process rights by ordering them, last month, to no longer serve alcohol on site. Owners of bars, like Irish Shannon's Pub, claim they have complied with safety guidelines, and the governor should focus on those who have not instead of punishing all bars.
Man Smashes Car Into Side Of Church, Sets It On Fire With Worshippers Inside
(Ocala, FL) -- A man smashed a car into the side of a Church building and then set it on fire with worshippers inside. Marion County deputies responded to the call of the incident at Queen Of Peace Catholic Church Saturday morning in Ocala. Deputies were able to arrest Steven Shields after a chase. Investigators say after Shields smashed into the building he grabbed a can of gasoline, doused the foyer and then started the fire. Crews arrived and put out the flames quickly. The parishioners escaped unharmed. Shields faces several charges including attempted second degree murder, arson and more.
DeSantis Discusses Reopening Schools
(Bradenton, FL) -- If Florida schools don't reopen, struggling students will fall further behind. That's what Governor Ron DeSantis said this weekend in Manatee County at Bradenton's Blake Medical Center. He said he's proud of the state's distance learning, but in-person learning is needed to close the achievement gap that has developed. He also says evidence shows kids are not likely to be spreaders of the coronavirus, but if parents aren't comfortable sending their kids back to school, he'll give them the choice to continue e-learning.
Miami Beach Mayor 'Not Going To Follow Mandate' To Reopen Schools
(Miami Beach, FL) -- A mayor in Miami-Dade County says he won't be pressured by Washington or Tallahassee when it comes to reopening schools. Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said yesterday he won't follow some mandate from President Trump or Governor Ron DeSantis that says everything has to be open. Both Trump and DeSantis have called for schools to reopen next month. Gelber tells CBS 4 News we're not going to put people in danger just because someone wants it to look like we're doing fine.
Florida Woman Gets Job As Dishwasher To See Husband
(Jacksonville, FL) -- A 57-year-old Florida woman is working as a dish-washer in her husband's nursing home so the pair can spend time together. Mary Daniel had not seen her husband for 114 days after his nursing home stopped allowing visitors amid the coronavirus pandemic. That is until she got a job washing dishes twice a week at the location. Daniel told "Today" she has been tested three times since starting her job, saying the last thing she wants to do is bring COVID-19 inside the facility. Now the couple is able to spend time together after her hour-and-a-half shifts.
TODAY IN HISTORY:
2013, a Florida jury delivered a not guilty verdict in the closely watched trial of neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in the 2012 shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin. The controversial verdict sparked protests around the country and a call for federal authorities to review the case.
1994, Tonya Harding's ex-husband Jeff Gillooly was sentenced to two years in prison for his part in the attack on rival skater Nancy Kerrigan -- he only served six months behind bars.
1960, Senator John F-Kennedy won the presidential nomination for the Democratic Party.
1863, angered by the mandatory Civil War military draft which gave exemptions to the wealthy, poor immigrant whites in New York City unleashed murderous hostility on innocent blacks and hanged them on lamp posts. "The New York Draft Riots" lasted three days and became one of the bloodiest race riots in American history.