A Vocational High School could be in the future for Highlands County. Last week the School Board of Highlands County approved a Five-Year Work Plan which includes the proposed building of the school. The plan indicates that $75 million dollars has tentatively been assigned for the 2027-28 fiscal year for the school, and, if approved- more funds may be obtained from the State to complete the project.
An uncooperative Winter Haven man, currently on probation, has landed himself back in jail after he allegedly interfered with a first responder at the scene of a car crash. While deputies with the Polk County Sheriff’s office were investigating a vehicle crash late Tuesday night, they said 23-year-old Sabastian Angel Suarez approached the scene and began asking questions about the incident. Suarez apparently wasn’t pleased with the Deputies responses to his questions and became belligerent. When deputies told him to step back and stop interfering with their work, or be arrested- Suarez continued to harass them. He was arrested and charged with violation of probation for willful child abuse, interfering with a first responder and two counts of resisting arrest.
Mote Marine Laboratory is marking what it calls a significant milestone in the fight against red tide. Officials announced yesterday three promising red tide mitigation technologies have completed rigorous lab testing and can now be tested and deployed in open water. Mote says the technologies target the organism that causes red tide without damaging the environment. Mote President and CEO Dr. Michael Crosby says these technologies will have a lasting impact on Florida’s environment and communities.
Governor Ron DeSantis is not a fan of the newly-passed immigration bill. It ends in-state tuition for undocumented college students and appoints the state’s ag’ commissioner as chief immigration officer. However, DeSantis criticized the bill as weak and toothless. He’s hinted toward a possible veto.
A Bartow man, has been sentenced to 20 years in Florida State Prison for the aggravated manslaughter of his 18-month-old daughter. According to reports, the incident occurred after 35-year-old Joel Rondon and his family returned from a Fourth of July party. Early on July 5th, 2023, Rondon’s family went inside their home, leaving the child in a car seat. Rondon later returned to the vehicle to retrieve cigarettes but failed to take the child inside. The infant was discovered deceased around noon the same day.
There are new developments in connection to a deadly hit-and-run in St. Petersburg. The Florida Highway Patrol says troopers have found the vehicle they say struck and killed a 37-year-old man on Friday. The Lakeland man was changing a tire on the shoulder of I-275 at the time of the crash. FHP says the suspected vehicle — a black 2024 Tesla Model X — was found on Tuesday at a home in Manatee County. Troopers are still trying to identify the driver.
President Trump wants SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to rescue two astronauts who are stuck on the International Space Station. Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were part of a Boeing mission that was supposed to last between eight and ten days. However, issues with their spacecraft have left them stranded since June. Trump blamed the Biden Administration for leaving the astronauts in space and said, "Elon will soon be on his way."
The city of Tampa is taking what it calls a groundbreaking step in addressing the health needs of the homeless. The city yesterday held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for an OnMed Care Station at the Tampa Hope homeless shelter. The care station is described as an indoor clinic-in-a-box that allows residents to have real-time consultations with a licensed clinician via high-def audio and video. During your live virtual visit, the doctor can get an accurate, real-time view of all vital signs, and hi-def thermal imaging cameras allow the doctor to examine your skin, eyes, ears and throat. Tampa Hope has over 200 residents, and it’s believed to be the first homeless shelter in America to offer this on-site care.