Florida First Lady Updates State Disaster Relief Fund
(Jacksonville, FL) -- Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis says this is only the beginning when it comes to relief efforts from Hurricane Ian. While in Jacksonville earlier today, she said the Florida Disaster Fund has raised 45-million dollars with the help of 62-thousand donors.Volunteer Florida is working with nonprofits in Southwest Florida, the area hardest hit from the storm, to distribute funds to those in need.
SunRail Resumes Normal Services Today
(Orlando, FL) -- The SunRail is back to normal operations in Central Florida. The commuter rail says it will resume regular schedules at all 16 of its stations from Volusia to Osceola counties starting today. Crews have completed repairs after Hurricane Ian caused damages to several stations late last month.
Teen Arrested In Deadly Brevard County Shooting
(Mims, FL) -- A teenager is facing charges for a shooting that killed another teen in Brevard County. Deputies yesterday arrested 19-year-old Exzaviar David for last week's shooting in Mims that killed a 16-year-old boy. David is facing charges that include second-degree murder. Another 19-year-old suspect was arrested on Sunday. Sheriff Wayne Ivey says the shooting was random.
Two Arrested For Polk County Shooting
(Bartow, FL)-- A father and son are facing charges for what the Polk County sheriff calls one of the craziest things he has ever seen. Sheriff Grady Judd yesterday announced the arrests of the two for shooting at a woman Saturday in Winter Haven on Cypress Gardens Road. Judd says 73-year-old Gino Colonacosta and his 15-year-old son were in their apartment at the Arbours at Garden Grove when they got an alert on their doorbell camera. The two apparently thought the home was being broken into, so they armed themselves and went outside to look for a burglar. There was no one there, but Judd says they saw a woman sitting in a car dozens of yards away and when she ignored their demand to get out of the car, they fired seven shots. The woman was not hurt, and the two suspects are facing charges that include attempted murder.
Polk County Schools To Offer Air Traffic Control Training
(Bartow, FL)-- Polk County schools will be home to a first-of-its-kind training program. The school district recently announced it'll offer classes on air traffic control operations. The district will partner with Bartow Executive Airport and Washington Consulting Group for the 10-month program. Registration starts next month, and classes will start early next year. An airport official tells ABC Action News it has become difficult to find ATC personnel due to a high retirement rate.
Manatee County K9 Expected To Recover From On-Duty Injury
(Bradenton, FL)-- The Manatee County Sheriff's Office has good news about a K9 that was hurt while chasing a suspect. The seven-year-old police dog Loki was cut with a knife on his nose and face last week. He was taken to the hospital and got 12 stitches. The sheriff's office said yesterday he'll make a full recovery and be back on duty in a couple weeks. Loki is a seven-year veteran of the sheriff's office, and he's credited with helping deputies make 250 arrests.
NH Roadside Message Board Displays Vulgarity About President Biden
(Manchester, NH)-- The New Hampshire Department of Transportation is investigating after a digital roadside sign was altered to display a vulgar message about President Biden. Yesterday morning, the message board along Interstate 93 South in Manchester included a four-letter word followed by "Biden." The mobile message board was supposed to read "Shoulder Closed." DOT says if the person responsible is caught, they could face charges for tampering with construction equipment in a work zone.
'Edward Scissorhands' On The Loose In Texas
(Fort Worth, TX)-- Residents in one Fort Worth, Texas neighborhood say they're getting fed up with the activities of somebody they're calling "Edward Scissorhands." The unidentified man is trimming their trees in the middle of the night without their permission. One resident has caught him on surveillance video around 3 a.m. He's reportedly trimmed about a dozen trees on three streets, and it may cause a problem with the HOA. Neighbors say they have filed police reports, but it's unknown if he'll face any charges if caught.
Couple Finds Rare Coins While Renovating Kitchen Floors
(United Kingdom)-- An English couple received quite the surprise when they discovered over 800-thousand dollars worth of rare coins while renovating their kitchen floors. British coin specialist Gregory Edmund says the North Yorkshire couple found the gold coins while working on their 18th century home in 2019. The coins were linked to a merchant family and date all the way back to 1610. The haul recently sold at auction for over 850-thousand dollars.
TODAY IN HISTORY
1977, New York Yankees slugger Reggie Jackson earned the nickname "Mr. October" by hitting three home runs on three successive pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Six of the World Series. The Yankees went on to win the series four-games-to-two.
1968, the U.S. Olympic Committee suspended Tommie Smith and John Carlos for giving the "black power" salute as a protest during a victory ceremony at the Summer Games in Mexico City.
1892, the first long-distance telephone line between Chicago and New York was formally opened.
1867, the U.S. took formal possession of Alaska from Russia. America bought the state for seven-point-two-million-dollars.