Republican Convention Will Be Scaled Back
(Washington, DC) -- Next month's Republican National Convention in Jacksonville will be scaled back because of surging coronavirus cases. President Trump moved the event from Charlotte, North Carolina to Jacksonville after a dispute with North Carolina's governor over social distancing requirements. The scaled-back convention in Jacksonville will likely result in fewer speeches, smaller crowds and the use of both indoor and outdoor venues. A facemask mandate may also be enforced.
Publix To Require Masks
(Lakeland, FL) -- Publix is taking further steps to control the spread of the coronavirus. The Lakeland-based grocer announced yesterday it will require shoppers to use face coverings in all stores, effective Tuesday. Exceptions will be allowed for children and those with medical issues.
Orange County To Impose Penalties For Mask Violators
(Orlando, FL) -- Orange County will be cracking down on businesses that defy the mask ordinance. Masks are required in indoor public places. Mayor Jerry Demings said yesterday he's working with state health officials to form strike teams that will visit businesses to find what he calls bad actors. Businesses could be shut down, but Demings says he hopes warnings will suffice.
Miami-Dade County Imposes Fines For Mask Violators
(Miami, FL) -- Not wearing a mask in Miami-Dade County could cost you. The county commission voted yesterday to fine people 100 dollars if they're not wearing a mask or some sort of face covering in public. Mayor Carlos Gimenez applauds the decision. He Tweets the faster we comply with these rules the faster we can return to normal life and get our economy rolling again.
Miami Mayor Considering Another Shutdown
(Miami, FL) -- Miami's mayor may take drastic action to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Mayor Francis Suarez said yesterday he'll meet with business leaders this morning to discuss a future lockdown. Suarez says he wants to get feedback from the business community, and he also wants them to realize the severity of the situation we're in.
Space View Park Monument Vandalized
(Titusville, FL) -- Work is underway to clean a vandalized monument to the space program in Brevard County. Graffiti was found this week on a monument at Space View Park in Titusville on Broad Street. The park features Neil Armstrong's hand prints. No arrest has been announced.
'Dead Body' Reported On Georgia Train Tracks Actually Sex Doll
(Allenhurst, GA) -- Georgia Police were apparently tricked by a sex doll recently. Deputies from the Liberty County Sheriff's office found a fully dressed "body" alongside some railroad tracks in Allenhurst, but due to protocol, they just covered it up with a sheet before calling it in. A local coroner then arrived, removed the sheet, and found that the body was actually a sex doll with realistic skin and features. Police now believe the doll was put there as some sort of set-up. One officer called it the weirdest encounter he'd ever had.
TODAY IN HISTORY:
2019, the World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak an international health concern.
2016, three police officers were killed and three others were wounded during an ambush shooting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in the wake of the death of Alton Sterling. The gunman, who was a former marine, was shot and killed by police.
2011, murder-acquitted Florida mother Casey Anthony was released from prison. Anthony received a four-year prison sentence for providing false statements to police, but was acquitted on murder charges related to the death of her two-year-old daughter Caylee three years earlier. Casey was given credit for time served as she awaited her murder trial.
1955, the Disneyland theme park opened in Anaheim, California.