Regulators Approve Plan Regarding Citizens Insurance Policies
(Tallahassee, FL)-- Florida regulators are moving forward with a plan that could bring new life to tens of thousands of Citizens insurance policies. The state's insurance commissioner signed off on proposals earlier this week that could allow five private insurers to take on more than one-hundred-eighty policies starting in October. The state received approval to distribute as many as one-hundred thousand of those contracts. Citizens is backed by the state and its policy count more than tripled over the last three years. Florida leaders have previously considered shifting into the private insurance market due to the financial risks during hurricane season.
Convicted Brevard County Killer To Face Execution Tomorrow
(Raiford, FL) -- A Central Florida death row inmate is set to face his execution today. James Barnes dismissed all legal proceedings last month in order to proceed straight to the execution without delays. He was sentenced to death for the 1988 rape and murder of Patricia Miller in her Brevard County condo. At the time, he was already serving a life sentence for killing his wife. Barnes is scheduled to die by lethal injection at six o'clock this evening at the Florida State Prison in Union County. He is slated to be the fifth death row inmate executed in state this year.
Family Of Murdered Lawyer Sues Suspect
(Largo, FL)-- The family of a Pinellas County murder victim is suing the suspect.Steven Cozzi's [[COZZ-ee]] family recently filed a lawsuit against Dr. Tomasz Kosowski. Cozzi was a lawyer representing some of Kosowski's former patients in a lawsuit against the doctor when Cozzi went missing five months ago.He was last seen at his law office in Largo, and the building's owner is also named in the suit. Kosowski is charged with first-degree murder.Cozzi's body has not been found.
Brevard County Facing Teacher Shortage
(Titusville, FL) -- It looks like Brevard County will start the school year with fewer teachers than it needs.Classes are starting a week from today, and the school district has over 200 teaching vacancies. Teacher pay will soon go up, though, thanks to a millage rate increase that voters passed last year. Time will tell if that leads to more applicants. A district spokesperson tells News 6 we want to make sure work conditions are the best they can be and that teachers are given the tools they need.
Florida No Longer Top State To Retire
(Tallahassee, FL) -- Florida is no longer the best state to retire in. A study by financial services company Bankrate named the Sunshine State the best place for retirees last year. However, the state didn't even make it into the top five for 2023.Researchers compare the affordability, overall wellbeing, quality of health, weather and crime among each state before making the list. The best places were Delaware, West Virginia, Missouri and Mississippi. Florida was able to secure the eighth spot.
AR Traffic Snarl Caused By Spilled Cheese
(Prescott, AR)-- A stretch of highway in southern Arkansas is back open after crews cleaned a cheesy mess. A big rig that was carrying cans of nacho cheese overturned on Interstate 30. The yellow goo coated the pavement, shutting down traffic. Nobody was hurt. The Arkansas Department of Transportation joked in a post to social media, asking if anybody was ready for Taco Tuesday.
TODAY IN HISTORY
2019, a man shot entered an El Paso, Texas Walmart and killed 22 people and shot 24 others.
1984, Olympic U.S. gymnast Mary Lou Retton scored a perfect 10.00, accomplishing what no American woman gymnast ever had. She captured the gold medal in all-around gymnastics. She had to score a perfect 10.00 because her Russian competitor had just landed a 9.9.
1981, 13 thousand air traffic controllers in the U.S. went on strike, defying an order by President Reagan. The strike went on, causing cancellations of nearly 15 thousand flights. Reagan fired those who defied his order after 48 hours of striking.
1971, former Beatles member Paul McCartney formed a new group called Wings.
1492, Christopher Columbus set sail aboard the "Santa Maria."