News Update for 8/02/24
Tuesday evening ended in celebration for the Avon Park Ozone All-stars. The Red Devils won the Diamond Youth Baseball Division II World Series Championship against Team Texas. Seven innings resulted in a 9-8 victory for the Red Devils, bringing the first youth baseball World Series in a long time back to our community. Avon Park dropped its second game in the bracket 6-5 to Alabama on Saturday then won four games in a row to ultimately claim the title. Coach Bo Jackson said that the win can be attributed to several things, but most importantly that every kid on the team played a huge role in the success and that they put in a lot of hard work.
Friends are mourning the victims of a deadly fire in Hillsborough County. A vigil was held yesterday in Plant City for four people who died in Wednesday’s house fire. The sheriff’s office identified the victims as Chase Bowman, his wife, Jessica, and her mother, Judy Foster. Friends identified the fourth victim as Jessica’s brother, Joseph Clites. A man who lived at the home was arrested for allegedly setting the fire. Deputies identified him as 25-year-old Shawn Gossett. A woman who knows Gossett and the victims tells 10 Tampa Bay she can’t imagine him doing something like this.
A city in Polk County is in the middle of a renaissance. That’s what Lake Wales City Manager James Slaton said recently. The city announced in June it received almost 23 million dollars from the US Department of Transportation to remake the historic downtown. Four streets will get expanded ADA accessible sidewalks, more shade tree canopy cover and raingardens, lighting, underground high-speed fiber and streetscaping. The goal is to attract more shoppers and help businesses. Slaton tells ABC Action News we’re rebuilding this town and improving the conditions of all the people that live here.
Most of Florida is under a State of Emergency. Governor Ron DeSantis issued the emergency yesterday ahead of Invest 97L. The state of emergency covers 54 counties. DeSantis says there are reports that Invest 97L could develop into a tropical depression over the weekend and early next week over the Gulf near the peninsula. He warns that could lead to heavy rain with up to 12 inches possible over the next seven days.
Officials with OneBlood say they’ve been working with cybersecurity experts and federal, state and local agencies to overcome a ransomware attack on its software system. The non-profit blood center says it continues to collect, test and distribute blood but it’s working at reduced capacity. OneBlood has been working all week to determine the scope of the attack. Officials ask people not to take the blood supply for granted and anyone who is eligible to donate is urged to make an appointment as soon as possible.
A Florida dad is accused of throwing his ten-year-old daughter out of his car during the night. The father was arrested Tuesday in Kissimmee. Witnesses say they saw a man throw the girl and her toys from a vehicle before fleeing the scene. Osceola County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of a juvenile being left unattended and when they got to the scene, the girl approached the patrol car and was reportedly visibly distraught. Records show the father is facing a felony charge of child neglect with great bodily harm.
The state’s largest property insurance carrier wants to raise rates. Citizens Property Insurance Corporation asked state regulators yesterday to approve a rate hike. The average policyholder would see an increase of more than 13 percent. Citizens is backed by the state, and they want to raise rates to encourage policy holders to buy plans with private companies to reduce the state’s liability. Citizens has over a million customers, and it wants to get under a million by the end of the year.
UCF football fans may notice a different kind of team this season. The Knights held their Media Day yesterday ahead of their season opener August 29th against New Hampshire. UCF is coming off a 6-and-7 season in its first season in the Big 12. Head coach Gus Malzahn says the motto this season is TNT, Tough and Together. He says he wants this year’s team to be more disciplined, hard-nosed and physical.