News Update for 8/13/24
Central Florida cities are cracking down on speeding in school zones this year by implementing speed enforcement cameras. Eustis Police Chief Craig Capri said Eustis is the first city in Florida to install the devices and that some drivers are already experiencing the consequences of speeding through the zones. Capri said one driver had five citations in just two days, and another hit 80 mph in the school zone. Violators caught on camera are then sent tickets of up to $100. In Orlando, similar cameras could eventually be coming to some school zones, in late June, Orlando City Commissioners voted unanimously to install cameras in high-risk areas. Last week, St. Cloud leaders also signed off on speed-enforcement cameras in school zones.
There was a tragic accident to start the new school year in Sarasota County. FHP says a 12-year-old girl was run over by her mother at the drop-off line in front of Booker Middle School. Troopers say the girl got out of her mother’s car, and dropped some supplies on the ground. She crawled under the car to retrieve them, and was injured when her mother pulled forward and ran over her. The girl is said to be in critical condition at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.
Ten Florida counties including Manatee and Sarasota are continuing under a major federal disaster declaration due to Tropical Storm/Hurricane Debby. Federal disaster assistance can include grants for temporary lodging and home repairs and other disaster-caused expenses. That funding may be even more important as the National Hurricane Center has issued its first advisory for Tropical Cyclone Ernesto. The wave that is located about 805 miles east-southeast of Antigua shows signs of organization and is traveling west at 26 miles per hour.
An Orlando resident is back home with quite the souvenir from his time in Paris. Omari Jones arrived at Orlando International Airport yesterday with the bronze medal he won for boxing in the Olympics. The 156-pounder was the only American boxer to win a medal. He got a hero’s welcome at OIA with fans greeting him with chants of ‘USA, USA.’ Jones tells News 6 it feels great knowing all his hard work and dedication paid off.
A puppy thief is at large in Oviedo. Officials with Save A Life Pet Rescue say a woman made off with the dog during a weekend adoption event at a PetSmart store on Vidina Place. The suspect was caught on surveillance footage taking the four-month-old female American Bulldog/bully mix, named Kitchen. The rescue says if the puppy is safely returned there will be no questions asked.
FEMA workers are on the ground in Sarasota County. They were in Laurel Meadows yesterday to help residents hit by Hurricane Debby sign up for financial assistance. One resident says this will come in handy as her husband is in rehab, and they don’t have flood insurance. Meanwhile, Sheriff Kurt Hoffman was telling residents to be aware of contractor scams. He says residents should ask a contractor for their license, check that it’s valid with the state and make sure you don’t become a victim twice.
Another chapter is coming up in the legal drama involving Florida State University and the ACC. News Service Florida reports a federal appeals court in Tallahassee has decided to hear oral arguments between the two sides on September 11th. The Atlantic Coast Conference wants the court to issue a stay against a lawsuit FSU filed in Leon County against the conference. The ACC argues a lawsuit it filed in North Carolina against FSU should take priority over FSU’s lawsuit.
A key member of the Miami Dolphins defense may be closer to returning from injury. Edge rusher Jaelan Phillips was taken off the Physically Unable to Perform, or PUP, list yesterday. The 25-year-old was able to practice as he tries to return from an Achilles tendon injury he suffered last season. It’s too soon to tell if Phillips will be ready for Week One of the regular season, but he says he has been doing everything humanly possible. He also says he feels very fortunate to be doing what he loves again, and this ordeal is going to make him a monster.