Funding Lacking For School Safety Plan (Titusville, FL) -- Plans to put armed security officers in every school are running into what Brevard County's sheriff calls a roadblock. A school safety measure passed by state lawmakers calls for almost 100-million dollars in funding to place armed security in schools, but Brevard School officials said at a workshop yesterday it won't be enough. Sheriff Wayne Ivey says the new law amounts to an unfunded mandate and neither his office nor the school district has the money needed. He estimates complying with the law will cost almost eight million dollars. "Florida Today" reports the district says it only expects to get about two-and-a-half million dollars from the state. WE’LL HAVE MORE ON TIS STORY DURING OUR DISCUSSION TODAY ON BML.
Freeh Moves Office To South Florida (Palm Beach, FL) -- If Louis Freeh leads the investigation into the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, he'll be able to do so from home. The former FBI director recently opened an office in Palm Beach as he pitches Broward County to lead the investigation into last month's deadly shooting. In addition to moving to the area with his wife, Freeh is moving the headquarters of his global risk management firm to the area. Freeh told the "South Florida Sun Sentinel" yesterday he has already made a proposal to county officials on how he can help them understand what happened in Parkland and, more importantly, how it can be avoided in the future.
Teen Baker Acted For Threats Against School (Davenport, FL) -- Threats to kill kids who snitched on him are responsible for a teenager being Baker Acted. Davenport 13-year-old Caesar Lopez was taken into custody this weekend after making the threats at a hospital. He was brought to the hospital after being found drunk on a sidewalk. Lopez had been expelled from Westside K-through-8 School, and Polk County deputies tell "The Ledger" he wanted to get revenge on classmates he believes are responsible.
Hard Drives Missing From Department Of Revenue (Tallahassee, FL) -- The personal info of some state residents could be compromised. Three external hard drives are missing from the Department of Revenue office in Tallahassee. The "Tampa Bay Times" reports the FDLE and the Office of the Inspector General are investigating. It's not known how many people may be affected.
Governor Signs Bill Providing Workman's Comp To PTSD Victims (Tampa, FL) -- Months of efforts by the sister of a Tampa suicide victim are paying off. Governor Rick Scott yesterday signed a bill that will allow first responders to get workman's comp for PTSD. Megan Vila pushed for the change after her brother committed suicide last year after suffering from PTSD after a 30-year career as a firefighter-paramedic. Vila was at the signing ceremony at the Tampa Firefighters Museum, and Scott singled her out for her hard work.
Brother Of Missing Man Says 'Something's Fishy' (Fort Lauderdale, FL) -- A man believes there's something fishy about his brother's disappearance. Constantine Theoharis was last seen over a week ago when he went paddle boarding off Fort Lauderdale, and there has been no trace of him, his board or his diving equipment since then. The 52-year-old disappeared on the same day he was due in court for not paying more than half-a-million-dollars in child support. Theoharis' brother tells NBC 6 he's 50-50 on whether his brother fled or drowned. I’D BE GUESSING…A.
Two Pilots Report UFO (Undated) -- Two pilots say they saw a UFO over Arizona. It happened February 24th. An American Airlines pilot reported to air traffic control that he saw an object flying at 40-thousand feet with a big reflection. The pilot was asked if he thought it could be a weather balloon but he didn't think that was the case. Another pilot for Phoenix Air in the same area also reported a UFO soon after. He also couldn't tell what it was but said it wasn't an airplane. No other aircraft were reported in the area, but it is possible it could have been a weather balloon since they aren't required to be reported to the FAA.
Woman Tries To Burn Neighbor (St. Albans, WV) -- A West Virginia woman is facing arson charges for allegedly trying to burn her neighbor and a building. WSAZ reports that deputies in St. Albans say they took Susan Scott into custody earlier this week after she dumped gas on the woman and a building and tried to torch both. Scott is accused of running away after lighting the fire but was caught a short time later. There are no reports of the victim being seriously hurt but she says the two have had multiple problems over the years. I’M PRETTY SURE THAT MEANS MY FRIENDS AT ST. ALBANS PD HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEM, TOO.
TODAY IN HISTORY:
2016, the FBI was able to crack the iPhone of San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook and "no longer required" Apple's help. The Justice Department withdrew its legal action against the company. Apple fought a court order demanding it create a way to break into the phone, saying doing so would damage users' privacy.
1996, Congress passed the line-item veto, giving the president the power to cut government spending by scrapping specific items.
1984, the Baltimore Colts moved to Indianapolis in the middle of the night.
1979, residents in and around Middletown, Pennsylvania, were evacuated following a nuclear meltdown inside the Unit Two reactor at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant. It is remembered as the country's worst commercial nuclear disaster.
1881, Barnum and Bailey formed their "Greatest Show On Earth."