News Update for 7/16/24

The Superintendent race is down one candidate as of Sunday evening. Donald Ridgeway announced that he is withdrawing from the race leaving two candidates- incumbent Brenda Longshore and former District School administrator, Chris Doty. Ridgeway’s announcement stressed that his supporters should vote for change and that his initial goal for joining the race was because of his concerns that the district ranks low academically in the State.

The search for a missing man is over after his body was pulled from a Polk County lake early yesterday morning. The sheriff’s office says the victim was discovered at Lake Annie near Waverly roughly 12 hours after he went kayaking. The man’s friends went out looking for him yesterday afternoon and eventually found his kayak upside down. He was reported missing around 3:30 yesterday morning. Authorities are trying to determine his cause of death.

Authorities are looking for the suspect who killed a 19-year-old near a Central Florida park. Orlando police gave an update yesterday, saying Christopher Dumesle was found shot by Lawne Park near the city’s Pine Hills neighborhood late Sunday night. Investigators believe a car that drove into a nearby house may be connected to the shooting. A second vehicle tied to the shooting was towed away with significant damage. So far, no suspect description has been released.

Drivers will need to pay close attention to their speed along Florida roadways throughout the week. The Florida Highway Patrol and FDOT are taking part in “Operation Slow Down” to reduce speed-related crashes and deaths on highways. The enforcement campaign kicked off yesterday with law enforcement agencies across the southeastern United States. State transportation officials say speed contributed to nearly ten-percent of deadly crashes between 2019 and 2023. People can expect additional state troopers and police on the roads through Saturday.

A suspect is in custody in connection to two separate murders in Hillsborough County. The sheriff’s office says 35-year-old Silvio Peralta is accused of killing a 31-year-old mother in a neighborhood near Tampa International Airport on Saturday afternoon before driving off with her car. Later in the day, authorities say he killed a man during an argument in the city’s Lowry Park North area. He was eventually arrested after a brief pursuit. Sheriff Chad Chronister says Peralta’s complete disregard for human life has forever altered the lives of two families.

Former President Trump’s classified documents case is being dismissed. Judge Aileen Cannon made the ruling Monday that the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith violated the Constitution. Trump was accused by the Feds of taking classified documents from the White House after he left office and illegally storing them at his Mar-A-Lago estate in Florida. Cannon said it seems the Executive’s growing comfort in appointing “regulatory” special counsels in the more recent era in this kind of situation has come with little judicial scrutiny.

The parent company of Salt Life is considering closing more than a dozen Florida stores. Delta Apparel Inc filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy late last month in hopes of finding a new buyer for its beach-themed brand. If a deal doesn’t go through by the end of next month, nearly one-hundred employees at 16 locations could be out of work. WARN notices sent to state officials point to financial difficulties and a lack of demand for its decision to sell Salt Life.

Central Florida lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are praying for safety following the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. State representative and RNC delegate Randy Fine posted several messages on X over the weekend praying for our country. Democratic House Representative Anna Eskamani of Orange County says political violence is never the answer and we should all be committed to community safety regardless of politics.

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