UCF's Board To Vote On Whittaker Settlement
(Orlando, FL) -- UCF's board will take a step toward putting the brief Dale Whittaker era behind them. The board of trustees is expected to vote, today, on a 600-thousand dollar settlement with the former president. The board's chairman says the settlement will help avoid a lawsuit from Whittaker, who resigned, last month, over the school's spending scandal. The board is also expected to vote on keeping interim President Thad Seymour in place for another 15 months.
Road Sign Error To Be Fixed
(Sanford, FL) -- A contractor will have to buy a consonant. A road sign installed last week on I-4 is meant to guide drivers to Altamonte Springs, but one of the 'T's in Altamonte is missing, so the sign reads 'Alamonte Springs.' Part of I-4 to SR 436 was set to be closed last night so the sign could be replaced. FDOT tells Channel 9 the contractor will cover the replacement costs.
Portman Stars In Movie About NASA Astronaut Nowak
(Hollywood, CA) -- The bizarre story of a NASA astronaut who made headlines over a decade ago is hitting the big screen. A trailer was released this week of 'Lucy in the Sky,' starring Natalie Portman and Jon Hamm. Portman plays a character based on Lisa Nowak, who was arrested in 2007 after she drove from Houston to Orlando, while wearing a diaper, to kidnap her ex-lover's new girlfriend. The film is due out sometime this year.
Man Arrested In Fight Over Egg Rolls
(Milton, FL) -- A man is facing charges after a fight that started over egg rolls in Santa Rosa County. Keith Johnson is accused of pushing a woman at her home in Milton recently when he tried to get inside to eat her egg rolls. The 44-year-old is charged with battery. Deputies believe alcohol was a factor.
Punta Gorda To Pay For Study Of Pickleball Acoustics
(Punta Gorda, FL) -- One sports rise in popularity is causing problems in Charlotte County. In response to complaints about the noise coming from pickleball courts, the Punta Gorda City Council, yesterday, voted to spend four thousand dollars on an acoustics study. The city is planning to install a sound barrier around the courts at Gilchrist Park, and a camera will be installed to measure the length of play. The council is also looking for ways to address a lack of parking spaces at the courts.
Petition Drive Supports Flintstone House
(Hillsborough, CA) -- A petition drive is underway in support of the Flintstone House in California. The city of Hillsborough has declared the famous house a public nuisance because owner Florence Fang added statues of giant dinosaurs and various Flintstone characters to the property and made other improvements without permits. The petition demands the city drop its lawsuit and leave the Flintstone House alone, saying removing the statues would devastate childhood memories. The change-dot-org effort was launched yesterday and has gathered several hundred digital signatures.
Russian Police Investigating Unclothed Man In Gallery
(Moscow, Russia) -- Russian police are currently looking for a man who strolled through a state gallery in Moscow in his underwear. That incident, described as an "unsanctioned performance," was caught on video showing a young, bald man strutting around the leading art gallery in nothing but a red G-string. No artwork or visitors were harmed as the man also paused in front of various large paintings. Officials say the event was staged by modern artists who had left behind small pieces of art in the halls. This is the third incident involving an unwelcome visitor to that Moscow gallery.
TODAY IN HISTORY:
2016, President Obama met with President Raul Castro in Havana, before attending a state dinner at the Revolutionary Palace. In a joint statement with Castro, Obama said "it's a new day" in U.S.-Cuba relations.
2011, the perjury and obstruction of justice trial for baseball star Barry Bonds began in San Francisco. Bonds was accused of lying in testimony related to the government's investigation of a steroid scandal involving the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative. He was convicted on April 13th, 2011 on the obstruction of justice charge.
1989, Dick Clark announced he would step down as host of "American Bandstand."
1965, Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and more than three-thousand civil rights demonstrators began their march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. An additional 25-thousand people joined the march along the way.
1963, the last inmates were transferred out of Alcatraz federal prison in San Francisco Bay following an order from Attorney General Robert Kennedy.