Man Arrested After Standoff With Volusia County Deputies
(Deltona, FL) -- A man is in custody after firing at deputies during an armed standoff in Volusia County. It happened yesterday in Deltona outside a home on Whitehorse Court. Dempsey Hadley was wanted for shoplifting at a Wawa on Howland Boulevard, and when deputies responded, Howland allegedly drove at one of them and fled an attempted traffic stop. Deputies followed him to his home, and Hadley refused to get out of his truck. As they approached, he allegedly shot at them, but no one was hit. Once inside his garage, he got out of the truck and went into the attic, and a short time later, the home caught on fire. Hadley went onto the second-floor balcony, but the SWAT team used a Bearcat vehicle to dismantle the balcony and bring him to the ground where he was arrested. He was taken to the hospital, but there's no word on his condition. The 56-year-old is facing charges that include attempted murder of a law enforcement officer.
Broward County Woman Killed In Domestic Shooting
(Miramar, FL) -- A woman is dead after a violent domestic dispute in Broward County. Miramar Police say 25-year-old Jessica Singleton was shot yesterday morning outside her home on DeSoto Drive. She was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. Investigators say two of her kids were with her at the time and witnessed the shooting, but they were not hurt. A 28-year-old man who has three children with Singleton was arrested. Derrick Feliciano Bargman-Williams is charged with murder.
Rubio Criticizes Prisoner Swap With Venezuela
(Washington, DC)-- A prisoner swap that brought a former Orlando resident back to the U.S. will do more harm than good. That's what Florida Senator Marco Rubio said yesterday after ten Americans were released by Venezuela. One of them was Orlando's Joseph Cristella, who was held in Venezuela for over a year. Rubio criticized President Biden for agreeing to release Colombian money launderer Alex Saab in the deal. Rubio calls Saab the architect of the Venezuelan president's corruption and money laundering operation that deprived resources from his people. Rubio adds this exchange will only embolden dictators to kidnap more Americans.
Florida Abortion Rights Group To Submit Petitions This Month
(Tallahassee, FL) -- A Florida abortion rights group is planning to make its next move by the end of the month in its fight to get an amendment on the 2024 ballot. Floridians Protecting Freedom says it's confident it has enough signatures to qualify by the February deadline. Elections officials have verified over 700-thousand of the petitions, which is more than 100-thousand short. The group is planning to submit more than enough by the end of December. The amendment would still need to receive approval from the state's Supreme Court before voters will decide on whether to protect abortion access in the state.
Spacecraft At ISS To Start Heading Back To Florida Tonight
(Cape Canaveral, FL) -- A team of astronauts aboard the International Space Station are working to send their latest research back to Florida later tonight. A SpaceX Dragon capsule filled with experiments and other supplies is scheduled to leave from the ISS at 9:05 p.m. It initially launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station last month. The mission home was supposed to take place last week, but bad weather along the Space Coast delayed the efforts until tonight.
Florida Among Most Dangerous To Drive During The Holidays
(Tallahassee, FL) -- Florida is one of the most dangerous states to drive in during the holidays. The latest report released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the Sunshine State is ranked number five on the list. Triple-A is predicting a record travel reason this year. More than six-million residents are expected to drive to their holiday destination between this Saturday and New Year's Day.
Study: Tesla Drivers Had Highest Accident Rates
(Undated) -- Tesla drivers had the highest accident rates over the past year than drivers of any other vehicle brand. That's according to a recent study of 30 automotive brands from LendingTree, which analyzed quotes from people looking to insure their own vehicles. Tesla drivers had 24 accidents per one-thousand drivers from mid-November 2022 to mid-November 2023. Ram and Subaru drivers followed closely behind. During the period of the study, researchers also found that Mercury has the best drivers and BMW drivers were the most likely to drive under the influence.
TODAY IN HISTORY
1988, Pan-Am Flight 103 exploded in the air over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people. The explosion was caused by a terrorist bomb.
1978, John Wayne Gacy, Jr., was arrested in Des Plaines, Illinois. He was eventually convicted of murdering 33 men and boys.