Seminole County Teen Arrested For School Shooting Threat
(Sanford, FL) --A Seminole County teenager is accused of threatening a school shooting. Sanford Police announced yesterday Timothy Thomas was arrested for an online threat. The 17-year-old allegedly posted a video in which he threatens a shooting at Seminole High School. Thomas attends Elevation High School. In the video, police say Thomas had multiple guns, vests and other items of concern. The guns, though, turned out to be airsoft guns, and police say no weapons were found in Thomas' home. He's charged with intimidation written/electronic threat or mass shooting/terrorism act. Police Chief Cecil Smith says the arrest most likely prevented a tragedy and saved multiple lives.
Seminole County To Vote On Hotel Fee
(Sanford, FL) --Visitors may soon pay more for staying in Seminole County. The county commission will meet tomorrow to vote on assessing hotel guests a nightly fee. The Tourism Improvement District Assessment would be one-dollar-and-75 cents. It would take effect April First for hotels with 60 rooms or more. Officials expect it'll raise over three million dollars a year and will pay for a new indoor sports complex. The proposal already passed its first reading last month.
Sternberg Reportedly Being Pressured To Sell Rays
(St. Petersburg, FL) -- Major League Baseball may be pushing for an ownership change in Tampa Bay. The Athletic reported yesterday MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and other owners are pressuring Stu Sternberg to sell the Rays. According to the report, the family of Edward DeBartolo [[duh-BART-uh-lo]], Jr. and Tampa businessman Dan Doyle, Jr. are interested in buying the team. According to Forbes, the Rays are worth over a billion dollars. The Athletic also reports MLB would want the team to move to Ybor City or Orlando if St. Pete is no longer an option. Pinellas County Commissioner Chris Latvala tells The Athletic he believes there'll be a new owner in the near future.
SXSW Festival Underway
(Austin, TX) --The SXSW [[ south by southwest ]] Festival is underway in Austin, Texas. Filmmakers and fans alike have gathered to celebrate the convergence of the tech, film, and music industries. This year's lineup includes 90 world premieres, 57 short films, and 19 new music videos. Nicole Kidman's latest film "Holland" debuted, as did Ben Affleck's "The Accountant 2" and Jenna Ortega's "Death of a Unicorn." Fans also got to see the brand new trailer for "The Last of Us" season 2, featuring Pedro Pascal. The SXSW festival will run through March 14th.
Today in History
1969, James Earl Ray pled guilty to the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. He was sentenced to 99 years in prison for the murder.
1862, the United States government issued its first paper money. The denominations were five, ten and 20-dollars.