Over a dozen people from Central Florida will directly benefit from one of President Trump’s first acts in office. On Monday, Trump granted pardons to about 15-hundred people involved in the January 6th riot. The Orlando Sentinel reports at least 16 of them are from Central Florida. One of them is former police officer Nathan Tuck. He tells News 6 he has no remorse, and he’s so proud of January 6th.
A man caught creeping around a children’s bus stop in Polk County was arrested Friday after a concerned witness called authorities. The man, Jonathan Louis, is a registered sex offender, stemming from a 2004 conviction for lewd and lascivious battery of a teenager. When deputies made contact with Louis, they discovered that he lived near the bus stop but had no children that attend school. He was also unable to give a valid reason as to why he was standing among small children at the bus stop. Reports show that Louis failed to notify his parole officer of where he was residing. Louis is being charged with violation of probation for failure to register and loitering by sex offender within 300-feet of children.
An official at the Kennedy Space Center will temporarily lead NASA. President Trump has named KSC Director Janet Petro as acting NASA administrator. She’ll fill in until Jared Isaacman is confirmed by the senate. There’s no word on when that might happen. Petro is the first woman in charge of NASA.
Governor Ron DeSantis promises to be persistent when it comes to cracking down on illegal immigration. That’s what he said yesterday after President Trump issued executive orders on Monday addressing the issue. State lawmakers are meeting next week for a special session, and DeSantis says if nothing is done, he’ll call another one. He says he’s "not just going to let it go," and he’ll be like a dog that’s got you on the ankle.
Highlands County Officials are warning residents of a new scam going around via text messages. The Highlands County Tax Collector Office reports that they have been made aware of fraudulent messages targeting the public from persons claiming to represent SunPass. The messages are requesting prompt payment to avoid fees and contain a link directing recipients to a fraudulent website in an attempt to collect personal information. If you receive a message like this, it is advised to report it as spam and not click on any links. If you have a SunPass account, it is recommended that you contact SunPass directly, to confirm the validity of any information provided in the messages.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is embracing President Trump’s new name for the Gulf of Mexico. The governor referred to the "Gulf of America" in an executive order that declared a state of emergency ahead of the rare Winter Storm Warning for North Florida. Trump signed an executive order on Monday changing the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The newly-inaugurated president also signed an order calling for the renaming of Mount Denali to "Mount McKinley."
A Florida lawmaker is moving to pause changes to school start times before they take effect in 2026. Two years ago, state lawmakers passed House Bill 733. It prevents middle schools from starting earlier than 8 a.m., and high schools can’t start the academic day before 8:30 a.m. Clay County State Senator Jennifer Bradley has filed legislation to delete the requirement. She says local school boards need more time to discuss any changes.
Bill Nelson has some advice for the next leader of NASA. The former Florida senator posted on X yesterday a letter he wrote to the next NASA administrator. Nelson served as administrator under President Biden, but President Trump has nominated Jared Isaacman to replace Nelson. In his letter, Nelson writes that being administrator is an extraordinary honor and a remarkable privilege. He says NASA firmly embodies the can-do spirit that makes our nation exceptional. Nelson adds he hopes the next administrator leads our world into dazzling new dreams, and NASA’s success is the nation’s success.