News Update for 11/13/24
The Avon Park Municipal Election is up for a recount after Last Tuesday’s close results. The difference in vote totals for the top vote getters came in at .26% which is under the .5% threshold for an automatic machine recount. The top vote getters were incumbents Brittany McGuire, Berniece Taylor, and Michelle “Shelly” Mercure, with Mercure being the third highest vote getter at 1,008 votes. The fourth highest vote getter, former councilwoman, Maria Sutherland, was close behind with 992 votes, prompting the recount. The Highlands County Canvassing Board has called for a machine recount of all 3,478 ballots to begin at 10 a.m. today at the Supervisor of Elections Office in Sebring. The recount will continue daily until it is finished.
The FEMA worker accused of telling staff to skip hurricane-damaged homes with Trump signs claims it didn’t just happen in Florida. Former FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington told “Unfiltered Roland Martin” she’s being made a scapegoat. Washington says she was just following FEMA protocol and it also happened in the Carolinas. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell called it a violation of the agency’s core values and principles.
A man described as a career criminal will spend nearly four decades in prison in connection to a Tampa Bay crime spree. Lakeland police gave an update Tuesday morning on 29-year-old Francisco Cabrera, after he was recently sentenced. Authorities say Cabrera robbed three Hillsborough County businesses at gunpoint and carjacked a victim in January of 2022. That same month, he led local and federal law enforcement on a high-speed chase into Polk County. He fired at least eight shots at authorities during the eleven-mile pursuit, which forced them to return fire. Police say Cabrera has previously pleaded guilty to attempted murder and other armed robberies.
The Orlando Science Center is going to try to break a Guinness World Record this upcoming weekend. The facility is going to attempt to make history for the most people flying paper rockets at one time. The minimum number needed for the record-breaking effort is 250 people. An official judge from Guinness World Records will be on site during the attempt. The center is inviting visitors ages eight and older to take part in the event at the Dr. Phillips CineDome at 1 p.m. on Saturday. There are limited seats, so people are encouraged to arrive early.
Rick Scott is building support ahead of a crucial vote. Senator Scott hopes to win today’s vote to be senate majority leader. Yesterday, he picked up the support of two more colleagues. Utah Senator Mike Lee and Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn endorsed Scott. Four other senators have already endorsed Scott, including Florida’s Marco Rubio. Today’s vote is set for 9:30 a.m.
The FAA is banning U.S. flights to Haiti for 30 days after three flights were hit with gunfire while landing in the country this week. A Spirit Airlines flight was hit Monday and diverted to the Dominican Republic. A JetBlue flight was also shot at, but the damage wasn’t discovered until the flight returned to New York. And, American Airlines said it is suspending flights through February after it discovered a plane had been hit following its return to Miami. The Federal Aviation Administration said in a notice that it was prohibiting aviation operations in the territory and airspace of Haiti.
A plan is in the works to enhance Florida’s Space Coast. State aerospace leaders have outlined a roughly 100-million-dollar proposal for six projects meant to benefit launches in Cape Canaveral. Some of the improvements would include upgrades to the area’s wastewater treatment facilities, revamped electrical infrastructure, and a Port Canaveral expansion. If approved, crews would also replace a NASA-owned bridge connecting the Kennedy Space Station and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The goal is to increase the number of launches from Brevard County. As of right now, the region has already broken its previous record set last year with nearly 80 launches.
Florida wildlife officials are offering safety tips ahead of manatee season. The official start is on Friday, which will kick off the time when hundreds of sea cows will make their way to the state’s natural springs or power plant outflows to stay warm. The FWC says it’s important for boaters to travel slowly, follow all manatee protection zones, and provide the animals with plenty of space. Nearly five-hundred manatee deaths have been reported in the state so far this year. Anyone who spots an injured or sick animal is urged to report it to the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC.