Wildfire Season Peaks In Florida
(Undated) -- Wildfire conditions across Florida are the worst they've been in decades, according to state officials. Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson says firefighters have already responded to more than 21-hundred wildfires this year. He says severe drought conditions and dead vegetation are helping to fuel the flames. According to Simpson, many counties will need at least a foot of rain before drought conditions improve.
Kissimmee City Council Pauses Ethics Complaint Process
(Kissimmee, FL)-- Questions are being asked about the costs of investigating ethics complaints in Osceola County. The Kissimmee City Commission voted yesterday to pause the process it uses to handle ethics complaints against city officials. That process calls for the city to forward complaints to a special prosecutor, but the city attorney says the special prosecutor costs the taxpayers almost 500-dollars an hour. Mayor Jackie Espinosa and Commissioner Janette Martinez are currently under investigation, but the city attorney says the complaints that led to those investigations could have been handled instead by the Florida Commission on Ethics.
Grieving Mom Asks For Stricter E-Bike Regulations In Orange County
(Orlando, FL) -- A grieving mother is pleading for changes after her son was killed in an e-bike accident in Orange County. Colton Remsburg's mom, Ashley, went before the county commission yesterday. Her 13-year-old son was riding an e-bike in Lake Nona last week when he was hit by a pickup truck. Ashley asked the commission to require e-bike and e-scooter riders to take driver safety courses. She says it's not because parents are failing but because every additional layer of education matters. Fox 35 reports commissioners may also require helmets and impose a speed limit.
Tampa Police Update Pursuit Policy
(Tampa, FL) -- After a deadly crash, Tampa Police are making changes to their pursuit policy. An internal memo released yesterday to the Tampa Bay Times reveals the changes were made after four people were killed in Ybor City last year. FHP troopers chasing a suspect in November stopped their pursuit when he entered Ybor City, but the suspect wound up driving onto the sidewalk and hitting the victims. Under the new policy, TPD officers cannot ask officers from another agency to pursue a suspect if the chase would violate TPD policy. Also, officers cannot provide portable police radios to other agencies unless they get approval from a higher up. Police did not request troopers to chase the suspect, and the TPD has not said if the trooper who started the pursuit had a police radio.
Broward School Board To Take Legal Action Against County Tax Collector
(Fort Lauderdale, FL)-- It may be up to a judge to settle a dispute between the Broward County School Board and the county Tax Collector. The board voted yesterday to pursue legal action against Tax Collector Abbey Ajayi. The board accuses her of withholding 5-and-a-half million dollars meant for the school district. Ajayi tells the South Florida Sun Sentinel the money is a commission fee that's allowed under state law.
NFL Awarding Super Bowl LXIV To Nashville
(Nashville, TN)-- The NFL has announced Nashville as the host city for Super Bowl LXIV [[ 64 ]]. The league announced the Music City as the home for the February 2030 championship game during an NFL owners meeting in Orlando, Florida. The decision marks the first time Nashville will host the Super Bowl.The next three Super Bowls have been scheduled for Inglewood, California, Atlanta, Georgia, and Las Vegas, Nevada.
Today in History
1899, Jacob German of New York City became the first driver ever arrested for speeding. He was taken into custody after being observed driving his taxi over the posted 12-mile-per-hour speed limit.