NASA Solar Probe Launched (Cape Canaveral, FL) -- A special NASA probe is on its way to the sun. The Parker Solar Probe blasted off atop a United Launch Alliance Delta Four Heavy Rocket from Cape Canaveral early yesterday morning. The probe is designed to study the sun by coming eight times closer to its surface than any other previous spacecraft.
NASA Contractor Arrested On Federal Child Porn Charges (Brevard County, FL) -- A NASA contractor has been arrested for allegedly using his government-issued laptop to view child porn. Brevard County’s Anthony Culotta could be sentenced to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.
Truck Crashes Through Home In Volusia County (DeLand, FL) -- A man is lucky to be alive after going on what his aunt called quite a ride in Volusia County. Nerissa Cain says her nephew was on his couch in DeLand yesterday afternoon when a truck crashed through the wall of the home on East Washington Street.
The couch was against the wall where the truck entered, and the impact forced the couch to slide across to the wall on the other side of the room. Despite her worst fears, Cain tells Channel 9 her nephew is fine.
Abandoned Flip Flops Lead To Arrest (Palm Coast, FL) -- A pair of flip-flops are credited with leading deputies to arrest a car burglary suspect in Flagler County. After arresting two other suspects this weekend, deputies noticed a pair of flip-flops stuck in the mud in Palm Coast on Red Mill Drive.
When Bunnell 18-year-old Wayne Williams emerged from the woods, deputies were waiting to arrest him. Deputies tell the Daytona Beach News-Journal that Williams and the other teenagers, including a 16-year-old, admitted to breaking into some cars around Ralph Carter Park.
McDonald's Golden Ticket (Undated) -- McDonald's is offering one loyal customer the chance to own a McGold Card. The contest is aimed at boosting the popularity of the new online ordering system. Whoever wins the McGold Card will be entitled to two free meals a week for the next 50 years, with a value of roughly 52-thousand dollars.
The promotion starts Friday and will continue through August 24th, and you can enter by using the McDonald's app to order a meal or by emailing entry@amoeentry.com. Entries are limited to one entry per day. The winner will be announced at the end of August.
Stick Shift Stumps Would-Be Carjackers (Bethesda, MD) -- Investigators are looking into an attempted Maryland carjacking that was foiled by a stick shift. Montgomery County police say two suspects confronted the driver at a mall garage last week as he was returning to his parked car but didn't get very far.
They took the victim's keys and started the vehicle, but ran from the scene when they realized it was a manual transmission. Nobody was hurt and the car remained unmoved.
TODAY IN HISTORY:
2008, U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps became the most decorated Olympic gold medalist after picking up two more gold medals at the Summer Games in Beijing, China to bring his career total to eleven. A group of four athletes, including Americans Carl Lewis and Mark Spitz, previously held the old record with nine.
1997, the cartoon "South Park" debuted on the Comedy Central Network.
1961, the East German government closed the border between the east and west sections of Berlin with a barbed wire fence. The move was made in order to keep people in the eastern section from moving to the non-Communist western side. The fence was later replaced by a concrete wall. The Berlin Wall stood until 1989.
1942, the Walt Disney classic, "Bambi," opened at New York's Radio City Music Hall.
1914, the first U.S. bus line was created. Carl Wickman started Greyhound.
1907, the first taxicabs hit the streets of New York City.
1889, William Gray patented the coin operated telephone.