Protest Held Over Deadly Deputy-Involved Shooting
(Cocoa, FL) -- A grieving mother wants justice after her teenage son was shot to death by a deputy in Brevard County. Sixteen-year-old Angelo Crooms and 18-year-old Sincere Pierce were killed in last week's shooting during a traffic stop in Cocoa. A crowd gathered yesterday at Metropolitan Baptist Church to protest the deaths of the black teenagers, and Crooms' mom called for the two deputies involved to be charged. The sheriff's office says the teens drove toward a deputy while ignoring commands to stop, and the deputy fired his weapon while in fear for his life.
Ben Crump Hired To Represent Crooms Family
(Cocoa, FL) -- A high-profile civil rights lawyer is now involved in a case in Brevard County. The parents of 16-year-old Angelo Crooms have hired Ben Crump to represent them. In the past, Crump has represented the families of Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and others. Crump, this week, reviewed dash cam footage of the shooting in Cocoa that killed Crooms and 18-year-old Sincere Pierce, and he says it was a disturbing incident that documents the dangers of driving and riding while black.
Mayors Ask For Statewide Mask Mandate
(St. Petersburg, FL) -- St. Petersburg's mayor is among those calling on the governor to do more to address the coronavirus. Mayor Rick Kriseman and four other mayors yesterday asked Governor Ron DeSantis to issue a statewide mask mandate. They also want DeSantis to allow them to impose local restrictions. Kriseman says failing to deal with this now will make the economic catastrophe far worse.
Carnival Cancels More Cruises
(Miami, FL) -- There is more bad news for Florida's cruise industry. Miami-based Carnival Corporation announced that it is canceling all U.S cruises through January. Departures are also cancelled from seven ports through February, including Baltimore, Charleston, Jacksonville, Long Beach, Mobile, New Orleans and San Diego. The company is also suspending Carnival Legend sailings out of Tampa through March 26th. Carnival says it is working to meet CDC requirements to resume operations next year.
South Florida Hospitals Will Receive COVID Vaccines
(Miami, FL) -- South Floridians will be among the first to benefit from a COVID vaccine. Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital and Fort Lauderdale's Memorial Regional Hospital announced yesterday they'll be getting vaccine doses as soon as next month. Health care workers, nursing home residents and staffers, plus first responders, will be first in line for the vaccine. Pfizer and BioNTech said yesterday its vaccine is 95-percent effective, and Moderna this week claimed a similar success rate with its vaccine.
Polk County Girl Praised For Heroism
(Frostproof, FL) -- A Polk County girl is being praised as a hero. Fire Rescue workers yesterday presented six-year-old Esperanza Lopez with its 911 Hero award. Esperanza called 911 this month when her mother fell off a ladder at their home in Frostproof. The first grader was awarded her certificate at Spook Hill Elementary School, and Fire Chief Robert Welch says her actions show why it's so important for parents to teach their kids how to use 911.
"A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" Will Air On TV After All
(Undated) -- Welcome back, Charlie Brown. The holiday tradition of watching "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" is returning to TV, thanks to PBS. The show ran on CBS until 20 years ago and then moved to ABC. But it was recently revealed it was moving again to Apple-TV-plus. After an outcry, PBS picked up this month's special along with "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Apple-TV will still stream both for free.
Lawsuit Says Iowa Tyson Foods Boss Had COVID-19 Betting Pool
(Waterloo, IA) -- A new federal lawsuit claims that one Tyson Foods plant manager hosted a betting pool among supervisors wagering on how many workers would get COVID-19. The suit filed in Iowa says Tom Hart, boss of a Waterloo pork plant, avoided the building floor out of fear of getting the coronavirus. But, it also accuses him of then organizing the winner-take-all, cash buy-in bets among other supervisors and managers. Over two-dozen workers at the plant came down with COVID-19, but plaintiffs say production did not stop and possibly infected employees were encouraged to keep working. The lawsuit has been put forth by Oscar Fernandez, a son of one of the dead plant workers, and seeks unspecified damages for gross negligence.
TODAY IN HISTORY:
2015, Subway Pitchman Jared Fogle was sentenced to 15-years behind bars after pleading guilty to sex crimes and child porn charges.
1990, the duo Milli Vanilli was stripped of their 1989 Best New Artist Grammy after admitting they didn't sing on their album.
1965, Kellogg's Pop Tarts were created.
1953, baseball is ruled a sport not a business by the Supreme Court of the United States with a seven to two vote.
1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address as he dedicated a national cemetery at the Civil War battlefield.