Moderate To Severe Drought Conditions Reported In Central Florida
(Melbourne, FL) -- A lack of rain has Central Florida in a drought. The National Weather Service announced yesterday the area is under moderate to severe drought conditions. Drought conditions are ranked on a zero-to-four scale with four being the worst. Most of Central Florida is at a one, a moderate level, but parts of Lake County are at two, which is severe drought. Rainfall has been below normal through the dry season, and that may continue. The NWS says drier than normal conditions are generally favored through the end of April when the dry season ends.
Judge Considering Media Blackout For Sterns' Trial
(Kissimmee, FL)-- A judge is considering a media blackout for a sex crimes trial in Osceola County. Stephen Sterns is accused of raping and killing 13-year-old Madeline Soto, his girlfriend's daughter. His public defender was in court yesterday to ask a judge to block the media from the courtroom during his pre-trial hearings on the sexual battery charge. She claims pre-trial publicity will bias any potential jurors against her client. A lawyer representing local news outlets asked the judge to reject the request. The judge said he'll announce a ruling in less than two weeks. The trial is set for May 5th.
NCF Could Take Over USF-Sarasota-Manatee Campus
(Tallahassee, FL)-- Some University of South Florida students could be in for a big change. Sarasota Republican Senator Joe Gruters said on Wednesday the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus could merge with New College of Florida and the Ringling Museum of Art. Right now, Florida State University runs the museum. Gruters says state officials, including the governor, are involved in the talks. He tells the Tampa Bay Times the leading scenario is for NCF to oversee all three schools, but nothing has been finalized.
Owner of Escaped Kangaroo in Pierson Receives Fine
(Deland, FL) -- The owner of a kangaroo that escaped its Florida home last year has been fined and ordered to pay court costs. Scott Mitchell also must donate to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Wildlife Alert. Mitchell received his fine yesterday at the Volusia County Courthouse. The marsupial escaped its enclosure last October following a close encounter with a bear.
Florida Most Stressful State For ER Visits
(Tampa Bay, FL)-- A new study ranks the state of Florida number one for the most stressful Emergency Room visits. The rankings were compiled by insurance company Policy Guide and covered factors ranging from cost -- in which Florida also ranked first -- to number of admissions and number of inpatient days per one-thousand residents. Florida is one of four Southeastern states in the top ten, along with Kentucky at number five, Tennessee in seventh and Alabama in tenth. If you're looking for the least stressful E-R visits, Wyoming is the place to be.
Today in History
1965, Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and more than three-thousand civil rights demonstrators began their march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. An additional 25-thousand people joined the march along the way.
1963, the last inmates were transferred out of Alcatraz federal prison in San Francisco Bay following an order from Attorney General Robert Kennedy.