Man Convicted Of Inciting Violence At State Capitol
(Tallahassee, FL) -- A jury in Tallahassee took about four hours over two days to find Daniel Baker guilty of inciting violence at the state Capitol last January. Baker was arrested in January after posting online a Call to Arms in advance of President Biden's inauguration. He contended his comments were political rhetoric and not real threats, but the prosecution said Baker had the guns and the intent to incite violence. He will be sentenced August 16th.
Governor DeSantis Signs Voting Restrictions Into Law, Lawsuits Follow
(West Palm Beach, FL) -- Numerous lawsuits have already been filed in the wake of Governor Ron DeSantis' signing new voting restrictions he says will safeguard against fraud. In a ceremony in West Palm Beach that was aired exclusively on Fox News, DeSantis says the new law contains the strongest election integrity measures in the country, even though lawmakers acknowledged there were no serious irregularities last November. The new law includes ID requirements for voters who want to cast ballots by mail, and drop boxes must be at permanent locations and open during certain hours. Critics say the restrictions are designed to make it harder for some people to vote. The League of Women Voters of Florida, the Black Lives Matter Fund, Common Cause and the NAACP are among organizations that filed suits against the new law. Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried says DeSantis is an authoritarian dictator. She calls the bill unconstitutional. She says her office has filed a friend of the court brief to support the League of Women Voters in its lawsuit against the new law.
New Trial Ordered For Former Congresswoman Connie Brown
(Jacksonville, FL) -- A federal appeals court has overturned former Florida Congresswoman Connie Brown's conviction on corruption and tax evasion charges. Last night, the Eleventh Circuit US Court of Appeals ordered a new trial for Brown following her appeal over the removal of a juror who said the holy spirit told him Brown was not guilty. The appellate court ruled the juror should not have been dismissed over his comment. Brown was convicted of several tax and fraud charges in 2017 and sentenced to five years in federal prison.
Man Arrested After Stealing Police Cruisers, 60 Mile Chase
(Volusia County, FL) -- A man is in custody after allegedly stealing two police cruisers. I-95 was temporarily shut down yesterday afternoon as Volusia County deputies pursued the suspect. The chase lasted for 60 miles. No officers were injured in the incident.
Man In Custody After Stabbing Involving Uber Driver And Passenger
(Broward County, FL) -- A man is in custody after a stabbing at the end of an Uber ride. It happened at a Pembroke Park gas station around 6 yesterday morning. Authorities say the incident involved an Uber driver and a passenger. An Uber spokesperson says they are ready to work with police on the investigation.
Orange County Seeing Low Turnout For COVID-19 Vaccines
(Orange County, FL) -- Orange County is seeing low turnout for vaccine clinics, despite expanded efforts. They've offered up to one-thousand vaccine doses at each location such as West Orange Recreational Center, Meadow Woods Recreational Center, Econ Park Recreational Center, Goldenrod Recreational Center and Barnett Park. Still, only just over 500 doses were administered at the six sites on Wednesday. That means 90-percent of the available doses in Orange County were unused.
Man Survives Boat Explosion In Coconut Grove
(Coconut Grove, FL) -- A man is expected to be OK after surviving an explosion. Burt Kopela was working on his 34-foot boat in Coconut Grove when it blew up and caught fire, throwing him overboard yesterday morning. His son was on a separate vessel and jumped in the water to save his dad. Kopela was taken to the hospital but has already been released. It is unclear what caused the explosion.
Minnesota Woman Drives Through Ex-Boyfriend's Funeral
(Fargo, ND) -- A woman is pleading not guilty after allegedly driving through her ex-boyfriend's burial service in North Dakota. Police in Fargo say it started when Blair Whitten made negative posts about her ex on social media. When the ex-boyfriend's father told Whitten she was not welcome at the service, he claims she then showed up at the cemetery and tried to run him over in her SUV. There were no injuries, but Whitten was charged on Monday with reckless endangerment. After driving through the cemetery, Whitten claimed she was "careful not to hit anything."
Child Buys 51 Cases Of Popsicles On Amazon
(Brooklyn, NY) -- Four year old Noah Bryant of Brooklyn recently got on Amazon and bought almost three-thousand dollars worth of the Sponge Bob Square Pants Popsicles. A family friend created a Go-Fund-Me to help cover the bill after Amazon refused to issue a refund. Jennifer Bryant, the boy's mother, thanked donors as the account raised more money than needed to cover the bill. Bryant said that the surplus of donations would go towards helping her son's autism spectrum disorder.
TODAY IN HISTORY
2019, hackers demanded ransom in Bitcoin to unlock the city of Baltimore's computer system.
1945, Germany signed an unconditional surrender at General Dwight Eisenhower's headquarters in Rheims, France. It would end the European stage of World War Two.
1789, the first Presidential Inaugural Ball was held in New York City in honor of President George Washington and his wife Martha Washington.