62-year-old Kissimmee man hit, killed trying to cross John Young Parkway
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – A 62-year-old Kissimmee man was fatally struck by a car while trying to cross John Young Parkway in Osceola County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Troopers said the crash took place around 2:30 a.m. Saturday near the intersection of John Young Parkway and The Oaks Boulevard. [TRENDING: Here’s where educators can get the vaccine | ‘Space hurricane’ found swirling above Earth | ‘We’re in the Black section:’ Couple says restaurant segregated diners]AdAccording to the crash report, the driver of a sedan was heading west on John Young when he hit the man, who was trying to cross from the south to the north side of the road. The pedestrian, who troopers said was not crossing in a crosswalk or at an intersection at the time of the crash, died at the scene. The crash remains under investigation, according to the report.
U.S. supply of Covid vaccine to substantially increase next month, manufacturers tell Congress
The supply of Covid-19 vaccine in the United States is slated to substantially ramp up next month with manufacturers doubling the pace of production, company executives said in prepared remarks to be delivered to Congress on Tuesday. Young also said Pfizer is on track to deliver 120 million doses by the end of March, with an additional 80 million doses to go out by the end of May. Moderna hopes to deliver 40 million doses per month, roughly double the current pace, he said. Nettles added that the company is confident it will provide 100 million doses in the first half of the year. More than 75.2 million doses have been delivered to states, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and over 64.1 million doses have been administered.
cnbc.comOpera Orlando premieres new opera by Florida composer John Young with two shows this weekend
click to enlarge Photo via johnyoung-composer.comComposer John YoungOver two performances this weekend, Opera Orlando is premiering the Tolstoy-based operaWritten by Sarasota composer John Young, featuring a libretto by Alan Olejniczak, with musicians from Alterity Chamber Orchestra , the the one-act, English-sung chamber opera is informed directly by the composer’s own battle with cancer — and it should trace the line between life and death in especially personal ways.The performances — at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19, and 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21 — will occur in theGrand Gallery Hall, and admission includes pre-show drinks, light appetizers and a post-show dessert reception where you can meet the cast and musicians.For safety, seating is limited and tickets are still available.If you go out, respect everyone’s distance, for all our sakes.
orlandoweekly.comJohn Young Parkway under I-4 is closing nightly for the rest of February
click image Photo courtesy FDOTclick image Map courtesy FDOTJohn Young Parkway under I-4 will be closing nightly for construction starting tonight and heading through March 1.Beginning around 10 p.m. Monday, Feb. 15, and continuing straight through Monday, March 1, both directions of John Young under I-4 will be closing for I-4 Ultimate-related construction work. John Young will reopen in the mornings at 5 a.m.Drivers on John Young Parkway during those hours of the night will be detoured to Rio Grande Avenue by the closures. printable map of the relevant detours and rerouting options (because your GPS will most likely go silent) can be found at the I-4 Ultimate website.
orlandoweekly.comSpaceX flying ex-football players, flight controller, Scout
The three Americans and one Japanese should reach the International Space Station late Monday for a five- to six-month stay, following Sunday's liftoff from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. A brief look at each:—Crew commander Mike Hopkins, 51, is an Air Force colonel and former space station resident who grew up on a hog and cattle farm in Missouri. He played football for the University of Illinois and, before becoming an astronaut in 2009, worked at the Pentagon. —Shannon Walker, 55, a Houston-born-and-raised physicist, also has lived before on the space station. She worked as a flight controller at NASA’s Johnson Space Center and then behind the scenes in the space station program, before becoming an astronaut in 2004.
Astonishing AI restoration brings Apollo moon landing films up to speed
NASA astronaut Charles Duke filmed Commander John Young as Young drove the Lunar Roving Vehicle, in footage shot on April 21, 1972 during the fifth day of the Apollo 16 moon landing. Astronauts on NASA's Apollo missions to the moon captured astounding movies of the lunar surface, but recent enhancements with artificial intelligence (AI) have really made the films out of this world. Experts have been remastering old films for decades, but the recent addition of AI has taken results to a new level, Niels said. And because movement in the films is so slow, the algorithm can generate more interpolating frames without digital artifacts. You can watch all of his AI-enhanced moon landing videos on the DutchSteamMachine YouTube channel , and you can find more of his projects on Patreon .
space.comMore than 100 Palm Coast protesters peacefully demonstrate following George Floyd’s death
PALM COAST, Fla. – Strangers united in Palm Coast for one purpose on Wednesday: to fight against injustice and discrimination following the death of George Floyd. The crowd of more than 100 people gathered in the Kohl’s parking lot for prayer, pictures and powerful messages before starting their march through the streets of Palm Coast. The protesters chanted the name of George Floyd and yelled, “no justice, no peace” loud enough for drivers to hear and honk in support. When people who are unarmed that look like me, that want to go home, that don't get that opportunity," said Joseph. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said three stores in the area closed during the protest out of an abundance of caution.
NASA astronauts go back to the future with capsule launch
(SpaceX via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – It’s back to the future as NASA astronauts launch again from the U.S. — aboard a retro-style “Right Stuff” capsule. SpaceX’s Dragon crew capsule outshines NASA’s old Apollo spacecraft in virtually every way. This fresh take on a vintage look will be on full display Wednesday when SpaceX plans to launch NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the International Space Station — a first for a private company. Russia’s workhorse Soyuz capsules, still in use after a half-century plus, have kept NASA astronauts flying to the space station. A test dummy soloed on last year’s Dragon crew capsule debut.
NASA's newest test pilots are veteran astronauts, friends
(SpaceX via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The two astronauts who will test drive SpaceX’s brand new rocketship are classmates and friends, veteran spacefliers married to veteran spacefliers, and fathers of young sons. Retired Marine Col. Doug Hurley will be in charge of launch and landing, a fitting assignment for the pilot of NASA’s last space shuttle flight. Hurley, 53, and Behnken, 49, are NASA’s first test pilot crew in decades. Crippen and the late John Young rode NASA’s first space shuttle, Columbia, into orbit on April 12, 1981. Hurley and Behnken — both two-time space shuttle fliers — were among four astronauts chosen in 2015 for NASA’s commercial crew program.
NASA, SpaceX bringing astronaut launches back to home turf
Elon Musk's SpaceX is the conductor and NASA the customer as businesses begin chauffeuring astronauts to the International Space Station. The drama unfolds from the exact spot where men flew to the moon and the last space shuttle soared from Kennedy Space Center. NASAs newest test pilots, Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, are launching from home turf with SpaceX presiding over the countdown. Plagued with software problems, Boeings Starliner capsule is still a year from launching with Ferguson and two NASA astronauts. In terms of launch power, the relatively small Falcon 9 has far less than the space shuttle did, another layer of safety.
Looking back, 60 years of WKMG coverage of Space Coast, launch history
As more and more resources were moved to the Space Coast, News 6 separated itself from other media organizations, understanding where the next stage of space could go. "It's wonderful, wonderful to be back home in Orlando," he said in front of a packed crowd. For the Apollo 10 mission, an estimated 1 million people traveled to the Space Coast to watch the launch in person. Yet, how we handle loss makes a big difference as the Space Coast has evolved into the epicenter of private space programs. "It's an age of miracles we live in, an age that keeps on beginning here at Cape Canaveral," Aycrigg said.