Tag Archives: Florida

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports: Police officers pulled over a 19-year-old recent graduate from Okeechobee High School because the headlight on his truck was out. Then they found handwritten pages detailing plans to kill everyone at his high school. Henry Horton IV, of Okeechobee, was arrested Thursday by Palm Beach County Sheriff’s detectives after they uncovered his plans for mass …

The Pensacola News-Journal reports: The former Calvary Baptist Church youth director arrested for hiding a camera in the church bathroom to record people and possessing child pornography was sentenced to 50 years in state prison Friday after taking a plea agreement. David Nims, 40, was charged with 25 counts of child pornography possession and 16 counts of video voyeurism, and …

Miami’s NBC affiliate reports: A Florida man and his three adult sons were sentenced Friday for selling a toxic industrial bleach as a fake COVID-19 cure through their online church. A federal judge in Miami sentenced Jonathan Grenon, 37, and Jordan Grenon, 29, to 12 years and seven months in prison, while Mark Grenon, 66, and Joseph Grenon, 36, each …

West Palm Beach’s CBS affiliate reports: Michael Dolce, an attorney from West Palm Beach who fought for child sexual abuse victims, pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to possession of child pornography. Prosecutors say when he was arrested in March, he had nearly 1,997 images and five videos of child sexual abuse materials on his laptop. He faces a possible …

Florida Politics reports: Attorney General Ashley Moody says she will ask the state Supreme Court to block a proposed abortion rights amendment from appearing on the 2024 ballot. Moody released an op-ed for Florida’s Voice where she argued that the measure’s ballot summary would mislead voters. If passed by 60% of voters, the amendment would prohibit the Legislature from banning …

Florida Politics reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis was born and raised in Florida, and spent much of his adult life in the state. Yet in all his 45 years on the planet, he says he never met someone who was mugged on the street, drawing a dramatic contrast to California. “My wife and I were in Southern California. We’re doing different …

Politico reports: Florida’s congressional Republicans are done with Matt Gaetz. They left the House chamber last night furious after Gaetz led seven other GOP members — and Democrats — to eject former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from his leadership post. They called Gaetz divisive. Disrespectful. Selfish. No other Florida Republican voted to oust McCarthy. Florida’s GOP delegation see Gaetz …

The Pensacola News-Journal reports: Nearly two decades after he stepped up for the first time to run for the Florida Senate, Don Gaetz, who served as that body’s president from 2012-14, has announced his intention to seek office once again. Gaetz, a Niceville Republican who is now 75, said Monday morning that he would be pre-filing the paperwork to formalize …

CBS News reports: Christopher Worrell, a member of the far-right Proud Boys group who was convicted for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, was taken into custody on Thursday after more than a month on the run. Worrell was captured by FBI agents while trying to “covertly return” to his home in Central Naples, Florida, the …

NBC News reports: The Supreme Court on Friday waded into the divisive issue of online censorship by agreeing to decide the constitutionality of laws in Florida and Texas that seek to prevent social media companies from banning users for contentious rhetoric. The laws, backed by Republicans, have been characterized by their supporters as hitting back at alleged censorship of conservative …

The Associated Press reports: Facing a backlash, Walt Disney World’s governing district will pay a stipend to employees whose free passes and discounts to the theme park resort were eliminated under a policy made by a new district administrator and board members who are allies of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The stipend will be $3,000 a year, which is around …

The Hill reports: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) defended his state’s updated and controversial Black history curriculum during the second GOP debate, decrying the “hoax that was perpetuated by Kamala Harris” regarding the new educational standards. “So first of all, that’s a hoax that was perpetrated by Kamala Harris. We are not going to be doing that,” DeSantis said when …

Jacksonville’s NBC affiliate reports: Early last month, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said it was made aware of allegations of misconduct by a church youth group leader, Gregory Norton. Norton, 58, was accused of sexually molesting a teen that he met through functions at Oak Hill Church: Church of the Nazarene, according to JSO. The incident reportedly happened years earlier at …

Popular Information reports: Librarians in public schools in Charlotte County, Florida, were instructed by the school district superintendent to remove all books with LGBTQ characters or themes from school and classroom libraries. Charlotte County school librarians sought guidance from the school district about how to apply an expansion of the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, better known as the …

Click Orlando reports: Travelers can officially ride a high-speed train from Orlando to Miami. After years in the making, Brightline on Friday launched its first trains from Orlando and Miami on the grand opening of its new connecting service. The rail system provides service between Miami and Orlando International Airport, with stops throughout South Florida. The high-speed train travels up …

CNN reports: Ron DeSantis on Wednesday said if elected president, he would not pay for further coronavirus vaccines for Americans. “Certainly, we’re not going to fund them,” the Florida Republican governor said during a wide-ranging interview with ABC News recorded Wednesday from Midland, Texas, where he announced his domestic energy policy. DeSantis in the ABC interview doubled down on recent …

NBC News reports: Florida’s top law enforcement officials were repeatedly warned by their own staff that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ claim that the state’s crime rate is at a 50-year low — a message he often uses as part of his presidential campaign — was based on incomplete data that makes the accuracy of the claim impossible to verify. Despite those …

From the Justice Department: Jason R. Moore, 43, of Milton, Florida, was sentenced to sixty years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to two counts of “Illicit Sexual Conduct in Foreign Places.” The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. Moore engaged in “Illicit Sexual Conduct in Foreign Places” from …

Radio Iowa reports: Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis says Donald Trump’s recent statements on the abortion issue show the former president’s “values” are out of step with Iowa GOP voters. Trump said during an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the six week abortion ban DeSantis signed into law this spring was a terrible mistake. “Donald Trump may think …

Yahoo News reports: Florida House Republican Representative Linda Chaney (R-St. Pete Beach) filed Monday House Bill 49 (HB 49) which aims to lift existing restrictions on the working hours and time of day that 16 and 17-year-olds can work within the state. Rep. Chaney introduced HB 49 on Monday, marking the start of what promises to be a contentious debate …