BROWARD COUNTY

Gov. Ron DeSantis holds a news conference in Fort Lauderdale.

A Broward County woman faces charges after authorities detained her for attempting to smuggle 56 guns across the Michigan-Canada border, Canada Border Services Agency announced Friday.

Police say a carnival worker shot fired a gun into the air during an argument with a co-worker and the bullet went through the window of a nearby assisted living facility and struck a 91-year-old woman.

Citing declines in COVID-19 cases, three county school boards this week decided to end mask requirements for students at all grade levels. The decisions by...

COVID-19 has had a staggering impact on the sheriff's department in Broward County, Florida.

Biologists were taken by surprise by a record number of leatherback turtle nests found along South Florida beaches this year.

ORLANDO, Fla. — (AP) — Two of Florida’s largest school districts are easing up on their masks requirement this week. Orange County Public Schools’ 60-day mask mandate expired Saturday. Eight school districts have defied Gov. Ron DeSantis’ order that only parents should decide if their children wear masks, not school district officials. In response, the Biden administration has sent $420,957 to Broward County Public Schools and $148,000 to Alachua County Public Schools to offset the fines.

The Miya Marcano Foundation is hosting its first fundraising event where they will release 1,900 butterflies in the 19-year-old’s honor next week.

President Joe Biden’s administration on Monday warned top Florida education officials to “reconsider your threatened actions” after the state said it would try to thwart attempts to use federal money to cover salaries of county school-board members who approved student mask requirements.

COVID cases are dropping, but there are signs that cases might surge as more people spend time inside due to cold weather.

Tumbling COVID-19 case counts have some schools around the U.S. considering relaxing their mask rules, but deaths nationally have been ticking up over the past few weeks.

President Joe Biden’s administration on Monday warned top Florida education officials to “reconsider your threatened actions” after the state said it would try to thwart...

The lawsuit against Broward County School District alleged negligence was a "contributing factor" that led to the massacre.

The lawsuit against Broward County School District alleged negligence was a "contributing factor" that led to the massacre.

"There isn't enough money in existence that would compensate the victims and their families adequately," an attorney representing the families said.

The families of those killed, wounded and scarred in the 2018 Florida high school massacre have reached a $25 million settlement with the district.

Some school districts that have imposed student mask requirements aren’t backing down, despite state threats of financial penalties and a revamped Department of Health rule...

Two people survived after their plane crashed in Miramar late Monday night, authorities confirmed.

Broward County deputies and paramedics responded to a 911 call after the caller said a woman fell 20 feet from a stripper’s pole, the Miami Herald reported. However, the owner of Scarlett’s Cabaret Miami in the village of Pembroke Park, said the woman fell from a 12-foot pole but was not seriously injured, the newspaper reported. Broward County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Veda Coleman-Wright told the Herald that dispatchers received a 911 call at about 8:25 a.m. EDT. The caller said the woman was dancing and fell from a pole to the dance platform, Coleman-Wright said. “The caller said the injury occurred about two hours before the 911 call,” Coleman-Wright told the newspaper.

A miracas-holding, dancing hard-shell taco GIF was posted to the Broward County government’s Facebook page Tuesday morning and it sparked social outrage, according to the Washington Post.

Seminole Classic Casino Hollywood The entrance sign to the Seminole Classic Casino is seen on June 13, 2019 in Hollywood, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images, File)BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. — An explosion Monday morning at the Seminole Classic Casino Hollywood injured 26 people, officials with the Seminole Tribe and Hollywood Fire Rescue told several news outlets. Gary Bitner, spokesperson for the Seminole Tribe, told WSVN that those injured included employees and customers. The incident happened around 9:50 a.m. as contractors were performing regular service on the casino’s fire suppression system, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported. The fire suppression system was on the second floor of the building, an area closed to customers, according to the Herald.

The state already started withholding funds from Alachua and Broward County's school districts.

The state already started withholding funds from Alachua and Broward County's school districts.

The Flagler County school district has the third-highest rate of Covid infections among students and staff out of 38 Florida districts.

State's education chief says he's protecting parents' rights. Administrator says she's protecting students.

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. — A Florida AMBER Alert has been issued for two children from Deerfield Beach. FDLE said Zaynah Obidy and Zain Obidy were last seen in the area of the 4400 block of Crystal Lake Drive in Deerfield Beach. A Florida AMBER Alert has been issued for 5-year-old Zaynah Obidy and 6-year-old Zain Obidy. pic.twitter.com/fk8MSPaFqD — FDLE (@fdlepio) August 28, 2021Authorities said the children may be in the company of Max Carias-Carrilo and may be traveling in a 2011, black BMW 535 series, FL tag number PJH1B. Officials ask anyone with information on the location of Zaynah and Zain to contact law enforcement immediately.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued an Amber Alert Saturday morning for two children missing out of Broward County.

Hillsborough and Miami-Dade counties have become the third and fourth school districts in Florida to adopt stricter mask mandates, a day after school boards in Broward and Alachua counties faced threats of severe penalties for defying Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration, which says parents should decide whether their children wear masks.

Students in Florida's Broward County went back to school under a mask mandate Wednesday, even as their school board faced threats of severe penalties for defying Gov. Ron DeSantis. In Miami, Florida's largest school district with 334,000 students, a task force of medical experts recommended students should be required to wear masks when they return to classrooms next week. Superintendent Alberto Carvalho agreed and the school board was expected to meet to discuss the measure Wednesday.

The board, during an emergency meeting, voted to direct state Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran to “investigate” the actions of Alachua County and Broward County school officials.

At least two in Florida are facing sanctions and Arizona's governor is blocking extra funds from districts requiring masks.

After breaking a pandemic record with nearly 26,000 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, Florida had some good news to share on Sunday: the number of hospitalizations due to the virus fell for the first time in two weeks.

Less than a week before schools are set to reopen in Broward County, Fla., local union officials say three educators have died of complications from the coronavirus. None of them were vaccinated.

The deaths were all within a 24-hour period as classes are set to begin next week in the country's sixth largest school district.

The deaths were all within a 24-hour period as classes are set to begin next week in the country's sixth largest school district.

This week Broward County school officials pushed back against Governor DeSantis' ban on mask mandates.

A CBS affiliate and teachers’ union in Broward County, Florida has seized upon a local tragedy to attack Governor Ron DeSantis.

Florida’s health officials say the number of COVID-19 deaths jumped significantly from 600, reported in the previous week, to more than 1,000 reported this week.

Three teachers and a teaching assistant from Broward County schools died to COVID-19 on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Broward Teachers' Union said.

A Florida father was furious Wednesday after a 35-year-old suspect accused of raping the father’s teenage daughter in a restaurant was released from a Broward County jail.

“We are going to do whatever we can to vindicate the rights of parents,” DeSantis said.

An emergency rule in Florida will allow parents to use vouchers to transfer children out of public schools that require masks, but not everyone agrees with the move.

Schools are about to open in the state, and the governor says new COVID requirements are out of the question.

Schools are about to open in the state, and the governor says new COVID requirements are out of the question.

A Florida school district is “waiting for guidance” after reversing its initial mask mandate due to the governor’s executive order that bans mandates and threatens to cut funding from districts that do not comply.

Virus Outbreak Florida A group waits to get a COVID-19 test, Saturday, July 31, 2021, in North Miami, Fla. Federal health officials say Florida has reported 21,683 new cases of COVID-19, the state's highest one-day total since the start of the pandemic. The new number breaks a previous record for current hospitalizations set more than a year ago before vaccines were available. Last year, Florida hit its previous peak on July 23, with 10,170 hospitalizations. The addition of 1,126 more COVID patients in Florida hospitals was announced amid a power struggle between Florida Gov. This is horrifying.”The Republican governor said he wants parents to decide whether their children should wear a mask to school.

Virus Outbreak Florida A group waits to get a COVID-19 test, Saturday, July 31, 2021, in North Miami, Fla. Federal health officials say Florida has reported 21,683 new cases of COVID-19, the state's highest one-day total since the start of the pandemic. The new number breaks a previous record for current hospitalizations set more than a year ago before vaccines were available. Last year, Florida hit its previous peak on July 23, with 10,170 hospitalizations. The addition of 1,126 more COVID patients in Florida hospitals was announced amid a power struggle between Florida Gov. This is horrifying.”The Republican governor said he wants parents to decide whether their children should wear a mask to school.

A driver of a tanker truck is dead after the truck crashed and caught on fire on the I-595 ramp in Broward County on Sunday, according to Florida Highway Patrol.

Filed by a group of lawyers in Broward County, the lawsuit was filed on behalf of Floridians who say they lost work because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many who in some cases they say are facing eviction and having a tough time supporting their families.

Authorities say a 5-year-old Florida child who had been reported missing drowned in a residential pool.

He and co-creator Malcolm Barbour helped pioneer reality television with “Cops,” which premiered on Fox in 1989 and ran for more than 1,000 episodes.

Two young men and a woman, suspected of an armed robbery outside a Hialeah hotel, led police officers on a dramatic car chase that wound up in Broward County. Their silver Mercedes-Benz was eventually stopped in Hollywood, the three were taken into custody and the case might have remained largely anonymous, except for one thing.

Officials say a driver unintentionally slammed into spectators at the start of a Pride parade in South Florida, killing one person and seriously injuring another.

As part of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ continued effort to hamper local governments’ ability to impose pandemic-related infractions, the state’s clemency board on Wednesday pardoned any lingering financial penalties including those against a Broward County gym owner who at one point faced potential jail time.

A driver had quite the scare while on the road while moving on Interstate 75.

A driver had a scary experience traveling on Alligator Alley during a heavy rain storm in Broward County late Monday morning.

A Saturday morning police chase that spanned southern Broward and North Miami-Dade counties ended with one crash, three people arrested and four people — those three and a Miami-Dade police officer — being taken to a hospital, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Florida’s Department of Health on Monday announced 1,606 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 — the lowest single-day case count recorded since October. The state also announced 28 new deaths. Of those who died, 27 were residents.

We love manatees in Florida.

Florida’s Department of Health on Tuesday announced 2,805 new confirmed cases of COVID-19. The state also announced 97 new deaths. Of those who died, 94 were residents, the highest death increase since March.

Florida’s Department of Health on Monday announced 1,976 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 — the lowest count recorded since last month. The state also announced 59 new deaths. Of those who died, 58 were residents.

Florida’s Department of Health on Saturday announced 3,319 new confirmed cases of COVID-19. The state also announced 57 new deaths. Of these, 56 were residents.

A former South Florida sheriff who was removed from office by the governor because of his agency’s response to the Parkland school shooting that left 17 people dead has found a new job reviewing the footage of red light cameras.

They were fired for inaction during the February 2018 massacre at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that left 18 dead.

A Florida judge ruled Thursday that two deputies who were fired for inaction during a high school mass shooting in 2018 should be reinstated with back pay. Broward Circuit Judge Keathan Frink concluded that arbitrators last year were correct in ruling that the fired Broward County deputies, Brian Miller and Joshua Stambaugh, should get their jobs back, with back pay plus other benefits, the Sun Sentinel reported. One arbitrator had ruled in September that Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony acted 13 days too late when he fired deputy Stambaugh in 2019 for his conduct during the February 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Florida’s Department of Health on Tuesday announced 3,682 new confirmed cases of COVID-19. The state also announced 93 new deaths. Of those who died, 92 were residents.

The superintendent of the Florida school district where 17 students and staff died in a 2018 high school massacre has been arrested on a charge that he lied to a grand jury.

Hackers who sought $40 million in ransom from a South Florida school district that refused to pay have now published nearly 26,000 stolen files.

A naval mine washed ashore in Broward County where many people usually go to relax on the beach, News 6 partner Local 10 reported.

That roadside encounter, in November, was the exception rather than the rule when it comes to enforcing a new Florida law against texting and driving. AdBut the new law against texting is rarely enforced, according to official state figures. The report also contained at least one major error – discovered after the fact by a news reporter – that overcounted texting tickets by hundreds. AdIn Miami-Dade County, with an estimated 2 million drivers, police wrote 295 texting tickets, or about six each week. Those provisions make the texting law difficult to enforce, said Kinsey, the Alachua County sheriff’s sergeant.

Florida’s Department of Health reports that 30,065 state residents have died and more than 1.8 million have been infected. Officials say 530 people who live outside the state have died of the virus in Florida. On Monday, there were 4,147 COVID-19 hospitalizations in Florida, according to a state online census of hospital beds. AdGeller noted that there are 340,000 seniors in Broward County and only about 250,000 of them will want the vaccine when it is first available. We will continue to work to ensure that every senior in Florida that wants a vaccine, will receive a vaccine,” he said.

Yet, with Valentine's Day on Sunday marking the three-year milestone, the trial of 22-year-old Nikolas Cruz is in limbo. Another is the sheer magnitude of the case, with hundreds of witnesses from Feb. 14, 2018, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. But prosecutors won't budge on seeking the death penalty at trial. Ad“Going for the death penalty will not bring our loved ones back to us. His defense isn't focused on his guilt or innocence; it's more about sparing him from the death penalty, his lawyers have said in court.

CBS MoneyWatch took a deep dive into Florida's vaccine rollout, comparing vaccinations rates with demographics on income and race across the state's 67 counties. Residents of Florida's 10 counties with the highest incomes had a vaccination rate of 9% — that's nearly double the 5% vaccination rate of people living in the state's 10 poorest counties. Statewide, the first-dose vaccination rate for Floridians is 6%. Palm Beach County, which is home to former President Donald Trump, illustrates the problems with Florida's vaccine rollout. Florida was among the four states STAT found that had the highest gap in vaccination rates between rich and poor.

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Florida man has struck again, this time targeting garbage trucks in Broward County. A man was seen wearing black garbage bags and goggles at the Waste Pro facility in Pompano Beach on Oct. 18, according to deputies. Video recorded at the building shows the man lighting a garbage truck on fire, then torching several more as he made his way back toward the front gate. Before leaving, the video shows him putting a clear bottle of liquid inside a building, which he then also set on fire. If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477 or online at browardcrimestoppers.org.

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Denisse Higgins-Tuffley says her business as a courtroom analyst for insurance defense cases went from flourishing to flat when COVID-19 forced courts to shut down last year. When her business came to a halt, she told News 6 she applied for unemployment benefits, complete with 1099 tax forms. “I have a spreadsheet and it looks like they owe me $14,000,” the frustrated courtroom analyst said. She told News 6 the DEO needs a separate website to accommodate self-employed workers who find themselves out of work and in need of weekly benefits. The DEO is usually able to update accounts presented by News 6 in five business days.

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – A Broward County private school assistant has been out of work for more than 25 weeks. She said her decision to help her community at the polls on election night cost her eight weeks of unemployment benefits. Krista presented a letter from the Broward County election commission to News 6. The DEO will not deem her eligible for benefits from Nov. 1 to Nov. 7 because she was paid about $250 for working on election night. If you have an unemployment benefits issue email makeendsmeet@wkmg.com

Air travelers head into, head out of South Florida for holidays despite COVID warningsFORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Some South Florida counties have put into place a short-term curfew over the holidays in an effort to discourage the spread of the new coronavirus. “Christmas and New Year’s holidays are known for large gatherings," Broward Mayor Steve Geller told mayors during a conference call Tuesday. “We are expecting a spike in cases here.”The temporary curfew, from Christmas to Jan. 4, is meant to stop people from moving around and gathering for parties. Midnight mass and travel to and from work are exempt, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Ron DeSantis' order removing restrictions on bars and restaurants, and they are “speculative and arbitrary,” wrote U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal.

Long-term care residents and staff members at facilities in Broward and Pinellas counties began receiving Covid-19 vaccinations Wednesday after Gov. Ron DeSantis directed “strike” teams to use the state’s supply of a coveted Pfizer vaccine at the facilities. DeSantis also directed 21,450 doses be sent to the Florida Department of Health to help at long-term care facilities. DeSantis said Broward and Pinellas counties were chosen because of the large number of long-term care facilities located in those areas. DeSantis this month said he could have every long-term care resident vaccinated by the end of December.

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Officials with the FDLE canceled the AMBER Alert for Stella Turley just after 2:30 p.m. Sunday. ***ORIGINAL STORY***Officials have issued an AMBER Alert after a child was reported missing in Broward County. According to investigators, 2-year-old Stella Turley was last seen near the 2300 block of Northwest 9th Avenue in Wilton Manors. Officials say she was last seen wearing a dark blue dress with red and white stripes. Ammon was last seen wearing a floral shirt, dark colored leggings and carrying a small handbag.

But it was not the first time Douglas had seen the jail security footage, or at least, some it. Ivey refused to release the security video showing what happened to Edwards, citing security exemptions to the state’s public records laws. The video Ivey showed him was at most 20 minutes long and focused on the altercation up until Edwards was placed in the restraint chair, Douglas said. “We actually showed it to Greg Edwards' brother. In fact, I think he was upset at his brother (Edwards), for, for what he had just witnessed from it,” Ivey said.

ORLANDO, Fla. – ***10:54 p.m. Nov. 10, 2020***The Tuesday 10 P.M. update has the track of Tropical Storm Eta making Landfall in Florida sometime on Thursday afternoon. People who live there should make plans to be ready for Tropical Storm winds of 35 to 55 mph, some gust may be much stronger. Latest track of Tropical Storm Eta released. (WKMG)Forecasters predicted more heavy rainfall Tuesday in Cuba and in South Florida, where as much as 23 inches were expected to accumulate. Tropical Storm Eta was squatting off western Cuba on Tuesday after drifting away from South Florida, where it unleashed a deluge that flooded entire neighborhoods and covered the floors of some homes and businesses.

Tropical Storm Eta is parked off the western coast of Cuba, dumping rain. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Theta — which formed overnight and broke a record as the 29th named Atlantic storm of the season — is chugging east toward Europe on the cusp of hurricane status. The system now has a 70% chance of becoming the 30th named storm. Never before have three named storms been twirling at the same time this late in the year, Klotzbach said. The overall message is that everyone in the area should pay attention to Eta, Brennan said.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A San Antonio family was certain they would never see their beloved pet again, after it was stolen from their yard six years ago. The dreams of that family are coming true as the missing canine was found in South Florida, according to News 6 sister station WPLG in Miami. His family reporting him missing from their back yard in 2014. “I posted everywhere I could, all the animal shelters in San Antonio and surrounding areas,” said Debi Vazquez. The family drove 19 hours from San Antonio to Fort Lauderdale for this reunion.

WILTON MANORS, Fla. – A woman and her dog were mauled by an aggressive dog Sunday while walking in a Wilton Manors neighborhood. Now, Broward County Animal Control has removed that aggressive dog from the home, according to News 6 sister station WPLG in Miami. On Monday, Wilton Manors police and Broward County Animal Control arrived at the house and Animal Control could be seen taking the dog. Animal Control said the dog is now in quarantine after the dangerous and bloody attack. She told Maria and her injured dog to get into her car, but the aggressive dog tried to jump in, too, the woman said.

She said parents received robocalls from the school informing them of positive cases on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The dashboard listed 9 staff and 11 students who have tested positive since Oct. 9. The two South Florida school districts were the last in the state to let students choose to return to classrooms. HospitalizationsThe state reported 227 new hospitalizations on Tuesday, meaning the state has seen a total of 47,352 patients admitted into a hospital since March in relation to COVID-19. Currently, there are 2,072 people with the virus hospitalized in Florida, according to the state Agency for Health Care Administration.

click to enlarge AdobeWith dozens of additional deaths reported each day, more than 16,000 Florida residents have died of COVID-19, according to numbers released Monday by the state Department of Health.Florida reported 54 resident deaths Monday, bringing the total to 16,021. The state also reported 1,707 additional COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 756,727.The largest numbers of resident deaths have occurred in Southeast Florida, where Miami-Dade County has had 3,547, Broward County has had 1,515, and Palm Beach County has had 1,497, the Department of Health numbers show. The next-highest numbers are in Pinellas County, with 801 resident deaths, and Hillsborough County, with 751.Also hard-hit have been nursing homes and assisted living facilities. As of Monday, the state reported 6,496 deaths involving long-term care residents and staff members.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Broward County Sheriff’s office fired two top administrators earlier this week after a woman who went into labor in her jail cell was not given medical care despite screams of pain. The Miami Herald reported that the sheriff’s office fired Col. Gary Palmer and Lt. Col. Angela Neely Thursday after a review of the incident, which occurred late last month. “The baby’s head was coming in and out and in and out and they finally broke in,” she said. The 28-year-old woman was in custody on burglary charges stemming from a Sept. 6 incident in Lighthouse Point. Bretas has since been released and her son is in the custody of the Department of Children and Families, the Sun Sentinel reported.

Florida has more than 974,000 people of West Indian ancestry — a Caribbean category that excludes Hispanic nationalities such as Cuban. A conservative estimate for the number of Jamaican voters in Florida stands at 91,000, because many may not report Jamaica as their country of origin. Haitian voters are estimated at about 115,000. Shawn Myers, a voter in Broward County who is Jamaican American, said he would vote for Biden and Harris, just to unseat Trump. Omphroy said she identifies with Harris as a first-generation daughter of immigrants, and she also thinks the candidate is easy to like.

March 2: The Florida Department of Health issues guidelines to stop the spread of the coronavirus, asking residents not to travel to certain areas overseas. March 22: The day ends with 937 confirmed cases in Florida residents and 70 confirmed cases in non-Florida residents, totaling 1,007 Florida-related cases. There were 1,227 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Florida: 1,147 Florida residents and 80 non-Florida residents who tested positive in the state. Florida releases the names of long-term care facilities that have experienced coronavirus cases among their residents or staff. May 4: With a total of 36,897 coronavirus cases statewide, Florida slowly begins to reopen.

Pawn shops, for example, saw business increase in Broward and Miami-Dade but drop in Palm Beach County, according to the data. Sales increased at Delaware Chicken & Seafood as “people went crazy stocking up on meat and eggs and all that,” manager Linda Cenko said. - Skilled crafts flourished in Palm Beach County as sales increased in numerous categories of home and business services. - Paint, wallpaper and hardware dealers in Palm Beach County were also hard at work. Pawn, which has nine stores in Broward County, said families came in to the company’s nine Broward County stores looking for anything that would keep the kids occupied.

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. A small plane made an emergency landing Wednesday morning at Mile Marker 40 on Alligator Alley, officials from the city of Weston confirmed via Twitter. According to Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Arlene Salac, the single-engine Mooney M20R made the emergency landing at 9:50 a.m. According to Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Yanko Reyes, the pilot, identified only as a 45-year-old man, reported a mechanical issues on that plane that affected the engine. Reyes said the pilot was forced to land the plane in the right emergency shoulder. The driver of the landscaping truck was also not injured, authorities said.

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. Police in Broward County found themselves in the middle of a wild chase Tuesday night. Officers in Cooper City had to tap into their roping skills after a bull got loose and started running up and down residential streets. Police say one officer tried to use a rope to lasso the animal, but it didnt work. Authorities were eventually forced to call a professional for help. Its unclear who owns the bull or how it got loose.

FILE- In this Oct. 21, 2019 file photo, former Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel appears before the Senate Rules Committee concerning his dismissal by Gov. Ron DeSantis, in Tallahassee, Fla. Israel is running against Sheriff Gregory Tony in the upcoming Florida primary. (AP Photo/Steve Cannon, File)

Whether your child will be returning to the classroom in person this fall or not, WPLG reports Floridas back-to-school sales tax holiday will allow you to save some money next month. The sales tax holiday was passed by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Broward County has already announced that it plans to begin the school year Aug. 19 with virtual learning. Miami-Dade County has not yet set a start date and has acknowledged that the school year could begin later than usual. Full details of the tax holiday can be viewed at this link.

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. The death penalty trial of the man charged with killing 17 people at a Florida high school is off indefinitely because of restrictions related to the coronavirus outbreak, a judge said Monday. Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer said in a hearing held remotely that its not even clear when the Broward County courthouse will reopen to the public. His lawyers say he would plead guilty in exchange for a life prison sentence, but prosecutors are forging ahead with a trial. Scherer said that is impossible now, and another issue is how to keep social distancing and masks for jurors. Broward County has had more than 11,300 coronavirus cases and 373 deaths, according to the Florida Department of Health.

Published: May 20, 2020, 7:57 pm Updated: May 21, 2020, 7:31 amTALLAHASSEE, Fla. More than 1,700 COVID-19 tests in Florida were damaged, according to the Florida Department of Health. These tests were issued at drive-thru and walk-up test sites in May, according to the department of health. The Department of Health says 1,702 tests were damaged in transit. Anyone who used a damaged test will have to be retested. Someone who used a damaged test will be contacted as soon as possible, according to the Department of Health.

Baker is charged with four counts of armed robbery with a firearm and four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm. He turned himself in at the Broward County Jail. (Broward County Sheriff's Office via AP)FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. NFL cornerbacks DeAndre Baker and Quinton Dunbar were released from Broward County Jail on Sunday, a day after surrendering on felony charges stemming from a cookout at a Miramar home. Baker and Dunbar were attending the cookout Wednesday night when a fight broke out, and Baker pulled out a handgun, the warrant said. Baker, Dunbar and two other men began robbing people of thousands of dollars, watches and other valuables, witnesses told investigators.

So, why would we want to dissuade people from going to be in shape? DeSantis said during a news conference in Doral. The first phase included allowing restaurants and retail outlets that had closed because of the virus to reopen with 25 percent indoor occupancy. Any additions to DeSantis first phase would begin Monday, when Miami-Dade and Broward will be allowed to join the other counties. DeSantis first phase of the recovery effort loosely follows recommendations from the White House and a DeSantis-created task force on reopening the state. DeSantis said his announcement Friday should closely follow the proposals from Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

Ron DeSantis held a news conference in Doral Thursday to announce that he would allow both Miami-Dade and Broward counties to enter phase one of his plan to reopen Florida. On May 3, the governor said that all Florida counties could enter phase one of reopening the following day except for Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. DESANTIS EXECUTIVE ORDERThe three counties were singled out and excluded from reopening due to higher than average rates of coronavirus infections in the region. “These counties have seen the lion’s share of the state’s epidemic, but they are trending in a positive direction,” DeSantis said in March. [READ MORE: Everything you need to know about phase one of reopening Florida]“Dade and Broward both submitted plans that I have approved,” DeSantis said.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – As coronavirus cases increase in Central Florida, state lawmakers are ramping up testing sites. The new site in Orange County comes in the form of a drive-thru tent. While the tents have been constructed in the parking lot of the Orange County Convention Center, a date of when operations will begin has not been released. RELATED: INTERACTIVE MAP: Here’s where to get your drive-thru coronavirus test“It’s not going to get done overnight. “If you’re ten feet away from somebody, you’re protecting yourself, you’re going to be fine.