Flagler County Principal On Leave Amid District Investigation
(Bunnell, FL) -- The principal of a Central Florida elementary school is on leave following a controversial student assembly. Flagler County Superintendent LaShakia Moore held a news conference yesterday apologizing for the incident at Bunnell Elementary School last week that reportedly singled out Black students.Officials say they called the assembly to try to encourage fourth and fifth graders to perform better on standardized tests, but apparently only Black students were called out of class.Moore says some parents have requested that their child be transferred to a new school. The principal and a teacher will remain on paid leave until a full investigation is complete.
Crime Ring Targeting Florida Boaters Shut Down
(Islamorada, FL) -- Nearly a dozen people are accused of operating a crime ring targeting Florida boaters. Monroe County police say the group of ten men stole two-and-a-half-million dollars worth of GPS boating systems from multiple marinas across the state. Police say the suspects burglarized businesses in 17 counties from Tampa Bay to Brevard County to the Florida Keys. The suspected ringleaders were identified as 19-year-old Juan Villegas and 22-year-old Lazaro Munos. More than one-hundred charges were issued to the group of suspects. One man, 43-year-old Milton Gonzalez, is still at-large.
UCF Police Warn Of Scams Targeting Students
(Orlando, FL) --Local college students should be aware of a scam that may be targeting them. University of Central Florida Police announced yesterday an uptick in sextortion incidents. Police say they have received several reports since Monday from students who claim they were extorted by people they shared explicit pictures with online. The scammers threaten to make the photos public unless the student gives them money or buys them gift cards. UCF Police ask any victims to contact them. Police say confidential victim specialists are available for support and advocacy, free of charge.
Sales Tax Holiday Starts Tomorrow
(Tallahassee, FL) --You can save on hurricane prep items starting tomorrow. The Florida Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday begins Saturday. It runs for two weeks until September 8th. You can buy items like portable generators, tarps, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers, tax free. A full list of eligible items is available at FloridaRevenue-dot-com.
Lego Releases Braille Bricks
(Billund) --Lego is now selling Braille versions of its toy bricks. The toymaker said the release of the Braille bricks "marks a significant milestone in the development of more inclusive learning through play experiences."The "LEGO Braille Bricks - Play with Braille" set will feature both Braille and printed letters, numbers and symbols on each brick. English and French versions of the set are now available to preorder on Lego's website.The release comes ahead of World Blind Awareness Month in October.
TODAY IN HISTORY
2022, California voted to ban the sale of all new gas-powered cars by 2035.
1950, President Harry S. Truman ordered the Army to take command of the nation's railroad service due to an eminent railroad strike.