Disney Won't Fight Changes To Reedy Creek
(Lake Buena Vista, FL)-- Walt Disney World says it doesn't plan to fight the changes lawmakers are moving to make to Reedy Creek Improvement District. Walt Disney World Resort President Jeff Vahle said in a statement issued Friday that the company will let Governor Ron DeSantis take control of the Board of Supervisors that governs the area around the theme park.
Palm Bay Official Arrested For DUI
(Palm Bay, FL)-- Palm Bay Police on Saturday arrested City Councilman Peter Filiberto on charges that include DUI, cocaine possession and operating a motorcycle without a license. He was allegedly speeding on his motorcycle and ran two stop signs before he was pulled over. Police say the officer smelled alcohol on Filiberto's breath, and he refused to take a field sobriety test. Fox 35 News reports cocaine was also allegedly found in a shoe and a sock. Filiberto was elected to the city council last year.
College Board Calls Out 'Slander' By Florida Officials
(Undated) -- The Florida Department of Education is accused of slandering a black history course. The College Board on Saturday responded to the department's decision to ban an Advanced Placement African-American history course. The College Board says debate is good and healthy, but the dialogue surrounding the course has moved from healthy debate to misinformation. The board says while parts of the course changed, it was not because FDOE officials requested those changes. The board adds that Florida is attempting to claim a political victory by taking credit retroactively for changes they never suggested.
Waste-To-Energy Facility Catches Fire In Miami-Dade County
(Doral, FL)-- A waste-to-energy plant is damaged after a fire in Miami-Dade County. Covanta Energy in Doral on Northwest 97th Ave caught fire yesterday afternoon. No injuries were reported. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue says it started when some garbage ignited on a conveyor belt. It's expected it to burn for at least another day.
MSD Alum To Debut Musical Tribute To Victims
(Parkland, FL)-- A man who survived the Parkland school shooting is paying tribute to the victims. Tomorrow marks the fifth anniversary of the day 17 people were shot to death at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Musician Max Fink was a junior at the time, and he composed a piece called Forever and Always, a Reflection. The Florida Youth Orchestra will perform it for the first time next Sunday. Fink was a student of music teacher Matt Calderin, who's now the FYO's conductor. Two of the 17 victims were MSD band members Max Schachter and Gina Montalto, and Fink tells NBC 6 he composed the piece because he had so many built-up feelings and emotions that were hard to put into words.
CO Man Fighting HOA To Keep Toilet As Lawn Decoration
(Windsor, CO)-- A Colorado man is fighting with his homeowners association over their demand that he remove an unusual decoration from his lawn. Sean McGarry says he found a toilet sitting in his yard last October in Windsor, near Fort Collins. He found out later that his neighbors had placed the toilet there as a joke and he decided to run with the idea. He's decorated it for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, and was planning to do so for Valentine's Day. However, he received a notice this week that the HOA wants the toilet flushed for violating community standards. He's refusing to budge and has set up a GoFundMe account for donations to pay any fines leveled against him.
NJ Restaurant Bans Kids Under 10
(Tinton Falls, NJ)-- A New Jersey restaurant is stirring up quite the debate after management decided to ban diners under the age of ten. Nettie's House of Spaghetti said that the new rule will kick in next month. The restaurant explained in post on their Instagram account that "it's been extremely challenging to accommodate children" -- and citied noise levels, messes, and liability and some of the reasons for the ban. Parents' reactions in the comment section were mixed. Some appreciated the move while others said the trouble might be Nettie's patrons and not the kids.
TODAY IN HISTORY
2021, former President Donald Trump was acquitted in his second impeachment Senate trial. Fifty-seven senators, including seven of his own party, voted to convict Trump on a charge of incitement of insurrection. That was short of the two-thirds majority needed to convict.
1935, Bruno Richard Hauptmann was found guilty of first degree murder in the kidnapping death of aviator Charles Lindbergh's infant son. He was later executed.