Justice Department Investigating SeaWorld For Disability Discrimination
(Washington, DC)-- SeaWorld Orlando is accused of discriminating against the disabled. The US Justice Department announced yesterday it's investigating United Parks and Resorts for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. United Parks and Resorts owns SeaWorld, Aquatica Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, which are all under investigation. The DOJ says it got complaints the parks are banning rolling walkers known as rollators. A DOJ official says it's committed to upholding federal civil rights laws so no guest is ever denied access or charged more because of a disability.
Lake County Accuses Kroger Of Breaching Deal
(Tavares, FL) -- Lake County may take action against one of its biggest employers. The county commission will meet next week to discuss Kroger's decision to close a warehouse in Groveland that employs over a thousand people. This comes four years into a 10-year contract Kroger signed with the county that included tax incentives. The county commission may explore having Kroger repay those incentives. The city of Groveland may do the same. The mayor tells Fox 35 he'll fight for every dollar.
DeSantis Reveals Tourism Tax Revenue Numbers
(Tallahassee, FL)-- Tourism officials are celebrating record-breaking numbers. Visit Florida has released its 2024 Economic and Fiscal Impact of Tourism study. It shows Florida welcomed a record 143-million visitors. Also, tourists generated an economic impact of over 133-and-a-half billion dollars. Governor Ron DeSantis said yesterday Florida remains the top destination for travelers because we prioritize freedom and safety.
Florida Resident Proposes Trump Co.
(Palm Coast, FL)-- A northeast Florida resident wants to create the state's 68th county and name it after President Trump. Trump County would consist of beach areas in three northeast Florida counties. Flagler County resident Jen Herold says barrier island residents aren't being represented by county governments that are based on the mainland. The proposed Trump County would extend from near St. Augustine to just south of Daytona Beach.
DA: Criminal "Enterprise" Hacked FedEx To Steal Packages
(Suffolk County, NY)-- Prosecutors on New York's Long Island say they've busted up a "sophisticated" porch pirate ring just in time for the holidays. More than a dozen people are connected to the alleged scheme where they hacked into the FedEx delivery system to track when and where packages showed up. More than 200 phones and other electronics were stolen between October 2023 and February of this year. Prosecutors called the group a criminal "enterprise," saying they had insider information that allowed them to hack into FedEx delivery systems and pinpoint Verizon and AT&T tracking numbers.
Mistaken Heating Oil Delivery In MA
(Medford, MA) -- Almost 400 gallons of heating oil was mistakenly pumped into the basement of a house with no oil tank Monday in Medford, Massachusetts. The delivery driver didn't realize the outside pipe was disconnected. Six residents are displaced while the oil that flooded the basement is cleaned up. It was intended for delivery to a house with the same street address. The mix-up is being investigated by the state Department of Environmental Protection.
Today in History
1922, archaeologist Howard Carter entered the tomb of King Tut.
1789, President George Washington used Thanksgiving Day to observe the adoption of the Constitution. It became the first national celebration of Thanksgiving.