News Update for 8/15/24
There will soon be a new pet shelter option for residents in Highlands County. The Highlands County Sheriff’s Office will soon construct a new air-conditioned building to safely house family pets during storms that require evacuation. The shelter will be at the Animal Services Complex off Haywood Taylor BLVD. in Sebring. When there are no storm threats, the kennels constructed will double as a place to house adoptable dogs and cats. Construction is slated to begin in September.
A search is underway to find a woman who went missing in the Orlando area. Alabama resident Lea Marie Lankford was last seen last week at a hotel on University Boulevard while on vacation. She was reported missing on Monday after she didn’t show up to work. The police chief in Southside, Alabama says the 37-year-old was believed to be traveling alone in a gray Nissan Altima with an Alabama plate.
We’ll learn more today about a string of burglaries spread across six counties. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced yesterday he’ll release details today about a 17-month investigation into the South American Theft Group. He says the group is responsible for stealing more than one-and-a-half million dollars’ worth of items from the homes of small business owners. Judd tells News 6 all the suspects live in Orange County and are in the country illegally.
A New York man is in a legal battle with Disney over his wife’s death. Jeffrey Piccolo sued Disney for more than 50-thousand dollars after his wife died after eating at a Disney Springs restaurant last fall. He says the 42-year-old was allergic to nuts and dairy, and staff at the Raglan Road Irish Pub repeatedly assured her there were no nuts or dairy in her meal. Piccolo filed a wrongful death suit six months ago, but Disney, three months ago, asked a judge to toss the suit. The company claims Piccolo can’t sue because he agreed to settle disputes through arbitration when he bought a Disney-Plus subscription five years ago. Disney also says Piccolo agreed to arbitration terms when he used his MyDisney account to buy tickets to Epcot last year. In a filing two weeks ago, Piccolo’s lawyer said there’s not a single authority in Florida that would support such an argument. A hearing on the matter is expected to be held in October.
A Seminole County teen is making sure a fallen deputy isn’t forgotten. Fifteen-year-old Zechariah Cartledge and others ran a mile around the track at Tavares Middle School yesterday to honor Lake County Deputy Bradley Link. He was shot to death while on duty two weeks ago in Eustis. Cartledge ran while holding a law enforcement flag that he then gave to Link’s widow. Since founding Running 4 Heroes, Cartledge has run over 15-hundred miles, and his final run isn’t too far away. Cartledge tells Channel 9 he’ll retire from running December 30th, but he’ll continue to work with the nonprofit and recruit other runners to continue the tradition he started.
A detention deputy in Hillsborough County is facing charges after an incident with a neighbor. The sheriff’s office announced yesterday that Cory Faircloth was arrested Tuesday at his home in Brandon. Deputies say he got into an altercation with a neighbor on Blueberry Lane. The 55-year-old Faircloth is facing charges that include aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Faircloth has been a detention deputy for 27 years. Sheriff Chad Chronister says he’s deeply disappointed and troubled by Faircloth’s actions.
There’s a special day that seems to be made just for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Yesterday was National Creamsicle Day. The Bucs celebrated the day with about a hundred fans at Armature Works. Many were decked out in the team’s old-school creamsicle uniforms. One fan says if you don’t like the creamsicle look, then you’re probably not a real fan. Even Tampa Mayor Jane Castor was there. She tells News Channel 8 we’re excited about the season, excited about our team, and we’ve got it going on here in Tampa Bay.
Florida is getting sued over its law banning lab-grown meat. Attorney Paul Sherman says the Constitution does not allow states to protect their agricultural products at the expense of federally approved alternatives. Sherman’s group is suing on behalf of Upside Foods, one of two companies authorized to sell the non-farmed meat. They want injunctions against state officials and four local prosecutors to allow tasting events and other promotions. Governor Ron DeSantis said in signing the bill that “elites” are trying to create peer pressure to ban agricultural meat products and put people out of business.