DeSantis Urges Floridians To Vote No On Abortion Amendment
(Coral Gables, FL) -- Governor Ron DeSantis is urging Floridians to vote against a measure that would protect abortion rights. The governor was standing alongside several health professionals yesterday as he encouraged people to vote "no" on Amendment 4. During his Miami-Dade County news conference, DeSantis claimed that if the amendment passes, it would eliminate parental consent for minors getting abortions.
Florida Election Websites Crash During Early Voting
(Tallahassee, FL) -- Election websites across Florida are back up and running after many of them crashed on the first day of early voting. A Tallahassee-based vendor, VR Systems, says the web pages displayed error messages yesterday because of high demand. Some elections offices, including Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, were forced to post backup versions of their sites in order to provide residents with basic voting information. This will not impact the tallying of ballots. Early voting is underway for much of the state ahead of Election Day on November 5th.
Cocoa Beach Hotel Faces Opposition Over Plans to Rent Public Park
(Cocoa Beach, FL)-- A new 400-million dollar hotel in Cocoa Beach is facing backlash over plans to rent part of Lori Wilson Park for up to 100 days a year. Critics argue that a private company should not have exclusive use of a public park, with former Cocoa Beach mayor Janice Scott leading the opposition. Residents have taken to social media, voicing concerns about preserving the park for public use rather than catering to a single hotel chain. The developer has yet to respond to these concerns.
Top Halloween Destinations
(Undated) -- Forbes is out with a list of the best Halloween vacation destinations in the U.S. At the top of the list is Salem, Massachusetts, site of the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Next up is Sleepy Hollow, New York, setting of the famous Washington Irving tale about the Headless Horseman. Then there's the Big Easy. New Orleans gets a top spot on the list for turning its Halloween celebrations up to 11. Anoka [[ Uh-no-kuh ]], Minnesota gets a spot on the list for its family friendly celebrations including numerous parades. It's back to the South for the fifth spot, Savannah, Georgia, considered one of the "most haunted" cities in America.
Today in History
1998, the government announced one of the biggest toy recalls ever. Parents were told to remove batteries from their children's Fisher Price "Power Wheels" cars and trucks because of faulty wiring that could cause the toys to burst into flames.
1969, Paul McCartney officially denied the rumor that he was dead.
1962, President Kennedy announced an air and naval blockade of Cuba, following the discovery of Soviet missile bases on the island.