News Update for 9/16/24
One Central Florida mother is pushing for a change she believes will make schools safer. This hits home after the scare in some Highlands County schools on Friday, when a social media post made the rounds threatening school violence. Highlands County law enforcement and school officials placed some schools under a controlled campus as they investigated the claims, ultimately determining that there was no active threat. Lisa Clark, a Seminole County Woman, thinks she has a solution to help to prevent school violence like this. She has started a petition to get metal detectors installed in schools. She’s the mother of a student at Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs. That’s where a student was arrested last week for having a gun on campus. Over two thousand people have already signed the petition.
The Polk County fire chief has resigned. Hezedean Smith stepped down following allegations that he oversaw a toxic workplace with low morale. His resignation will be effective as of September 30th. The move comes after Smith was placed on two weeks of administrative leave, which will remain in effect. Assistant Chief Shawn Smith will serve as interim chief.
A crew that made history in outer space is back on Earth. Members of Polaris Dawn splashed down yesterday morning in the Keys. The crew members took part in the first commercial spacewalk, and one of them even played the first violin solo in space. They also conducted dozens of experiments in what SpaceX calls an action-packed schedule.
A man is in custody after apparently trying to kill Donald Trump in Palm Beach County. The FBI says the assassination attempt took place yesterday while Trump was playing golf at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. Secret Service agents confronted the suspect when they saw his rifle protruding through a fence. It’s not clear if he fired any shots. Trump was not hurt. Sheriff Ric Bradshaw says the suspect ran from the scene and drove off. He was pulled over in Martin County near Palm City and arrested. He was identified as 58-year-old Ryan Routh of Hawaii. He’s due in federal court this morning.
A man is accused of shooting a dog in Lake County. Leesburg Police have arrested Peter Lynch for animal cruelty. The 24-year-old allegedly shot a nine-month-old puppy last month at Value Pawn on West North Boulevard. According to police, Lynch told officers the puppy and another dog charged him, and he shot in self-defense. The LPD, though, says surveillance video shows Lynch walked toward the dogs, and they never acted aggressively. Channel 9 reports Lynch is due in court next month.
A deputy is hurt after a drunk driving crash in Hillsborough County. The sheriff’s office announced yesterday Deputy Ivan Clark was seriously injured in an on-duty rollover crash. It happened Saturday night in Ruskin at 15th Street and East College Ave. According to the sheriff’s office, Clark was responding to a call about a reckless driver when he was hit by a pickup truck. Clark’s unmarked Chevy Tahoe rolled several times, and Clark was ejected. He was airlifted to the hospital and is in stable condition. The driver who hit Clark was identified as Uriel Garcia Nestor. Deputies say his blood alcohol level was above the legal limit, and he was driving with a suspended license. The 25-year-old is facing charges that include DUI with serious bodily injury.
UCF football can enjoy some well-deserved time off. The Knights are now 3-and-oh after winning their Big 12 opener. They beat TCU 35-34 Saturday in Texas. UCF rallied from 21 points down to pull out the win. That’s tied for the largest come-from-behind win in program history. The Knights are off this week before hosting Colorado September 28th.
State officials are looking for young artists across the Sunshine State to participate in the Florida Fish Art Contest. Winning artists will get state and national honors, along with prizes. Students in kindergarten through 12th grade can enter the contest by submitting artwork featuring a fish from an official fish list, and a short piece of creative writing about the chosen species. Since the contest began in 1997, more than 85-thousand youth in 46 countries have participated. Submissions must be received by February 28th of next year.
Employees at AT&T in the southeast are returning to work today after a deal was reached over the weekend with the Communications Workers of America. The new contract includes just under a 20-percent pay increase with an additional three-percent for wire technicians and utility operators. The agreement will go to union vote at a later date. The deal has ended a 30-day strike affecting workers in Florida, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.