Cancer-Causing Chemicals Found In Cocoa Beach Water (Cocoa Beach, FL) -- Cocoa Beach officials are reviewing what they call surprising results from groundwater testing. Results released yesterday found cancer-causing chemicals in water used to irrigate Cocoa Beach Golf Course.
The levels of PFOA and PFOS found in Cocoa Beach were six times higher than the levels found in Satellite Beach the day before. Cocoa Beach officials tell Florida Today more testing will be done in the next ten days.
Witnesses Describe Erratic Behavior Of Murder Suspect (Tampa, FL) -- After apparently killing her daughter, witnesses say a Tampa woman may have targeted another child. After police say Shakayla Denson threw her four-year-old daughter into the Hillsborough River yesterday, residents of a nearby apartment complex say she showed up there displaying bizarre behavior.
They say she was reciting numbers, got into someone's car and tried to get a child to get in with her. They tell 10News the boy did not get into the car, possibly avoiding another tragedy. The charges against Denson include first-degree murder, but police have not revealed a motive.
Judge Knocks Greyhound-racing Ban Off Ballot (Tallahassee, FL) -- A circuit judge is kicking a greyhound-racing ban off the November ballot. Leon County Judge Karen Gievers says Amendment 13 is misleading, inaccurate and incomplete.
The proposal was designed to ban commercial greyhound-racing in Florida by the end of 2020, but Judge Gievers says the language on the ballot does not make it clear it would also affect slot machines used at dog tracks. Supporters say they will quickly appeal the ruling.
Back To School Sales Tax Holiday Under Way (Undated) -- Parents and retailers are now in Florida's back to school sales tax holiday period. Through Sunday back to school items will be sold without tax.
Those items include clothing, footwear and other accessories selling for 60-dollars or less per item and traditional school supplies costing less than 15-dollars per item.
NASA Says First Commercial Astronauts Could Take Flight Next Year (Houston, TX) -- NASA will introduce the astronauts who will make the first space flights on commerical rockets today. The first commercial astronauts could be in space as early as next spring.
SpaceX plans to launch its Crew Dragon rocket in November. If everything goes smoothly, then it could launch it again with a crew on board in April. Boeing is also working to put pilots into space. It plans to launch its CST-100 Starliner late this year or early 2019. It is targeting a flight with a crew on board for mid-2019. NASA has been relying on Russian Soyuz spacecraft to carry astronauts from other nations to the International Space Station since retiring the Space Shuttle program in 2011.
Firefighter Resigns Over Firehouse Sex (Petaluma, CA) -- A California firefighter is no longer fighting flames after a sex-on-the-job scandal. According to the Press-Democrat, Bret Hughes confessed to having sex with a woman while on duty in multiple locations.
The newspaper has obtained court record that say he had sex with the woman at fire stations, notably in a training room and inside several Petaluma locations. The 28-year-old firefighter and paramedic resigned in January after admitting to having consensual sex at least ten times with a woman who was not a fire department employee. Top officials with the Petaluma Fire Department insist the hanky-panky was an isolated incident.
TODAY IN HISTORY:
2015, Cecil the Lion became a Beanie Baby. Ty Incorporated's founder and chairman says he hopes to raise awareness for animal conservation and comfort those saddened by the loss of Cecil the Lion.
1984, Olympic U.S. gymnast Mary Lou Retton scored a perfect 10.00, accomplishing what no American woman gymnast ever had. She captured the gold medal in all-around gymnastics. She had to score a perfect 10.00 because her Russian competitor had just landed a 9.9.
1981, 13 thousand air traffic controllers in the U.S. went on strike, defying an order by President Reagan. The strike went on, causing cancellations of nearly 15 thousand flights. Reagan fired those who defied his order after 48 hours of striking.
1971, former Beatle Paul McCartney formed a new group called Wings.
1933, the Mickey Mouse Watch was introduced to consumers. The watch sold for $2.75.
1492, Christopher Columbus set sail aboard the "Santa Maria."