Power Outage Closes Two Schools In Brevard County
(Titusville, FL) --Students at two Brevard County schools are getting an unexpected mid-week break. Southwest Middle School and Turner Elementary School in Palm Bay will be closed today because of a power outage. It happened last night, and the district says it didn't have enough time to restore power by this morning.
Governor Awards $4M For New Ballistics Center
(Fort Pierce, FL) -- Governor Ron DeSantis is awarding Indian River State College a four-million-dollar grant through the state's Job Growth Grant Fund. The school is opening a Center For Ballistics and Emerging Technology where students will learn to produce safety and security equipment such as bulletproof glass for police vehicles and ballistic assault barriers for law enforcement and the military. The project is expected to create more than 300 new advanced manufacturing-trained graduates over the next decade.
Fire Damages Orlando Homeless Shelter
(Orlando, FL) -- A homeless shelter is damaged after a fire in Orlando. The fire was reported yesterday afternoon at the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida on North Terry Avenue. The men's shelter on the main campus suffered water damage, but over 200 people were safely evacuated, and no one was hurt. Firefighters are still looking for a cause, but it doesn't look like arson. Shelter officials say those affected will stay at other shelters in the area for now. There's no word yet on just how much damage there was or how long it'll be before the shelter can reopen. In the meantime, the shelter is asking for donations of bedding, warm clothes and nonperishable food.
Woman Sentenced To Life For Setting Circle K Clerk On Fire In Escambia County
(Pensacola, FL)-- A woman will spend the rest of her life in prison for trying to kill a woman in Escambia County. Betty McFadden was sentenced to life yesterday after she pleaded no contest three months ago to attempted first-degree murder. The 32-year-old set a Circle K clerk on fire two years ago after the clerk told her to stop panhandling outside the store on North W Street. Another employee was burned while trying to help her coworker.
Former HOA Manager Arrested For Grand Theft
(Oldsmar, FL) -- A Pinellas County woman is accused of stealing from the HOA she managed. The sheriff's office announced yesterday that Oldsmar's Stephanie Lopez was arrested for grand theft and scheme to defraud. The 56-year-old managed the HOA at Mediterranean Manors while allegedly embezzling almost 25-thousand dollars from the HOA's funds. Deputies say she spent the money on her mortgage, new windows for her home, insurance, cable and Amazon items. Yesterday's arrest capped a nine-month investigation.
Crane Falls In Miami-Dade County
(Miami, FL) -- Miami-Dade County residents are lucky to have avoided injury after a crane tipped over. It happened around quarter-past-five p.m. yesterday on Northeast 110th Terrace. The crane wound up falling between two houses, and one sustained roof damage. A resident of that home says half the building is destroyed. It could have been worse, though. She also tells CBS News Miami the crane fell on the roof of the room where her baby's crib is. No one was hurt, but about a hundred people lost power. There's no word on a cause.
Super Bowl Political Bets Now Available
(Las Vegas, NV)-- Gamblers now have the opportunity to mix sports and politics. BetOnline Marketplace is offering a variety of politically charged Super Bowl prop-bets before Sundays big game. Some of the most popular bets include ten-to-one odds that Taylor Swift will endorse President Biden after the Chiefs win the game, if more people watch the Super Bowl or vote in the 2024 election, if Usher will say Biden's name during his performance, and if any jokes about either Biden or Trump are made in commercials during the game.
Today in History
1986, five-foot, seven-inch Spud Webb of the Atlanta Hawks won the NBA Slam Dunk competition.
1926, Walt Disney Studios were formed.