Thursday Briefing: Turtle Hospital Fundraiser Nets $7,000, Hall of Terror, Sean Kennards Piano Studio
Tonight: Partly cloudy with slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening, then mostly cloudy with slight chance of showers after midnight. Todays Briefing: Quick LinksIn Flagler and Palm Coast:Note: all government meetings noticed below are free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated. Hall of Terror, 7-10 p.m. at Fire Station 21, 9 Corporate Drive, Palm Coast. Hall of Terror takes those who dare through a haunted house and show at Palm Coast Fire Station 21. The Free Quit Smoking Now program meets from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at AdventHealth Palm Coast (in conference room C: enter main entrance, conference room to the right).
flaglerlive.comTuesday Briefing: FTIs Jalyn Clavizzao, Dune Restoration, Superintendent Search, Real Socialists, Hotel California at Auditorium
Today:Chance of showers and slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning, then showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Hotel California, A Salute to the Eagles at Flagler Auditorium, 7:30 p.m. Flagler Auditorium, 5500 East Hwy 100, Palm Coast, call 386-437-7547. Stetson University Concert Band, 7:30 p.m., Elizabeth Hall, Room 100 (Lee Chapel), 421 North Woodland Boulevard, DeLand. The Stetson University Concert Band, established in the fall of 2018, continues the Stetson Bands tradition of performance excellence Please join us for an evening of music. $10 adults, $5 youth and free for Stetson University students with an ID and ages 12 and under.
flaglerlive.comAmerican Airlines boosts outlook after busy holiday season
DALLAS — (AP) — American Airlines raised its forecast of fourth-quarter revenue and profit Thursday, boosted by higher fares and full planes capped off with a busy holiday travel period. American earned $1.12 to $1.17 per share in the fourth quarter, nearly double its previous forecast. Revenue was 16% to 17% above the same quarter in 2019, before the pandemic. A severe winter storm affected all U.S. airlines before Christmas, but American and most others were able to recover quickly; Southwest was not. American said revenue from each seat per mile rose 24% over the fourth quarter of 2021, an even sharper rise than it had previously forecast.
wftv.comA family who was headed to Tokyo to visit Disney and celebrate their son's 21st birthday is 'devastated' and out $7,000 after Southwest cancelled their flight
Jade Rodriguez said they missed their Japan flight after a Southwest cancellation: "Had we just been notified sooner, we would've driven and made it."
news.yahoo.comOrange County health officials issue blue-green algae bloom caution for Raccoon Lake
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health in Orange County is notifying residents of blue-green algae found in Raccoon Lake, near the boat ramp. Officials learned of the contamination after a water sample of the lake was taken on Tuesday. Read: Football fans gather for Cheez-It Bowl parade of bands in Winter ParkHealth officials urge residents to be mindful around this area because blooms have the potential to produce toxins. Read: Southwest says it plans to return to normal operations FridayThey advise people to take the following precautions:Do not drink, swim, wade or boat in waters with a visible bloom. Keep pets and livestock away from the waters where there is a bloom.
wftv.comFlorida gas prices return to more than $3 per gallon; here’s what experts predict for 2023
After weeks of falling prices, the average cost of gas in Florida recently reversed course. That’s a 5-cent jump from a day earlier, and a 12-cent increase from a week ago, when the average price per gallon dipped below the $3 mark in The Sunshine State. AAA: Average gas prices Average gas prices on Dec. 29, according to AAA (AAA)While it’s still 25-cents less than a month ago, the recent about-face no doubt has motorists wondering how high prices could climb as we head into the new year. To read GasBuddy’s full 2023 Fuel Price Outlook, click here. How are gas prices determined?
wftv.comWater crisis looms over Southwest as Colorado River dries up
A water crisis is unfolding in the nation's Southwest, as the Colorado River begins to dry up, the result of overconsumption, climate change and drought. Theodore Cooke, general manager of the Central Arizona Project, the state's largest renewable water supply, spoke to CBS News about what this could mean for the region moving forward.
news.yahoo.comEnvironmentalists want jaguars reintroduced to US Southwest
An environmental group on Monday petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to help reintroduce the jaguar to the Southwest, where it roamed for hundreds of thousands of years before being whittled down to just one of the big cats known to survive in the region. The male jaguar, named Sombra — shadow in Spanish — has been seen in southern Arizona several times since first captured on a wildlife camera in the Dos Cabezas Mountains in 2016, including a 2017 video by the Center for Biological Diversity. There are a handful of jaguars known to be living across the border in the Mexican state of Sonora.
news.yahoo.comFinding safe haven in the climate change future: The Southwest
This Yahoo News series analyzes different regions around the country in terms of climate change risks that they face now and will experience in the years to come. While climate change is not the sole driver of drought, scientists have shown that it makes them dramatically worse. Like every other region in the U.S., there are better and worse places to settle in the Southwest when it comes to climate change risks. But perhaps the most daunting thing about climate change is the number of threats it promises to unleash. Even in areas that do well on rankings of overall climate change risks, there are no real assurances.
wftv.comDrought, fire risk to stay high during third La Niña winter
The forecast means droughts that have punished the Great Plains and western states are likely to continue, the agency said. The continued La Niña climate pattern means that is likely to expand to the Gulf Coast as well, NOAA said. The Gulf Coast is also one of the parts of the country likely to experience higher than average temperatures, NOAA said. The winter weather is also expected to bring drought to the middle and lower Mississippi Valley, they said. NOAA's prediction does call for improved conditions in some drought areas, including parts of Montana and Idaho, but predictions call for a deepening drought in many others.
wftv.comWorker protests at airports spread nationwide over staffing and pay
Across the country, flight attendants and airport workers are responding a hailstorm of workplace issues related to pay and staffing levels—as airline travel in the pandemic recovery economic has been marked by an onslaught of canceled flights, labor shortages and widespread desperation.
washingtonpost.comHeavy rain hammers Las Vegas, turning famed strip into a river
Pockets of heavy rain and thunderstorms swept across the Southwest on Thursday night, prompting flash flood warnings in southern Nevada, far southeastern California and Arizona. The gusty storms knocked out power to many Las Vegas residents and flooded numerous roadways, including the famous Las Vegas Strip. Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas recorded 0.58 of an inch of rainfall from thunderstorms in just an hour, nearly double what the site typically observes for August. Surrounding
news.yahoo.comA Southwest passenger says the plastic barrier on her airplane window shattered during a flight to Las Vegas. An airplane expert says it didn't pose any safety threat.
A TikTok appearing to show a shattered plane window quickly went viral, but the broken plastic piece didn't pose any actual safety threat, an expert told Insider.
news.yahoo.com'It's not tolerable anymore': Southwest residents endure more severe heat waves thanks to climate change
This dramatic heat wave before summer has even officially begun isn’t a freak occurrence; it’s an increasingly common, and dangerous, condition due to climate change. Residents of some of the hottest cities say extreme heat is having a devastating impact.
news.yahoo.comRare wetland plant found in Arizona now listed as endangered
Arizona-Rare Wetland Plant This undated image provided by Robin Silver shows the Arizona eryngo near Sierra Vista, Ariz. Fish and Wildlife Service has placed the rare wetland plant on the federal endangered species list. Fish and Wildlife Service published the decision Friday in the federal register to list the Arizona eryngo as endangered and set aside nearly 13 acres (5 hectares) in southern Arizona as critical habitat. It historically grew in southwestern New Mexico at Las Playas Springs but hasn't been documented there since 1851, the Fish and Wildlife Service said. The Arizona eryngo is part of the carrot family and can grow more than 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall.
wftv.comNew Mexico tribes sue US over federal clean water rule
The pueblos of Jemez and Laguna are the latest to raise concerns over inadequate protections for local water sources in the desert Southwest. Jemez Pueblo covers mountainous and desert regions in northern New Mexico. The rule change, which took effect in June, narrowed the types of waterways that qualify for federal protection under the half-century-old Clean Water Act. New Mexico was among the states that went to court last May seeking to prevent the rule from taking effect. Jemez Pueblo depends on federal authority under the act to protect waters outside its jurisdiction.
Southwest Airlines orders 100 Boeing 737 Max planes
FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020 file photo, a worker uses a flashlight to inspect an engine on a Boeing 737 Max 8 built for Southwest Airlines at Renton Municipal Airport in Renton, Wash. On Monday, mach 29, 2021, Southwest said it's expanding its all-Boeing fleet with an order for 100 737 MAX airplanes. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)NEW YORK – Southwest Airlines said Monday it is expanding its all-Boeing fleet with an order for 100 Max jets instead of buying planes from Europe's Airbus. Southwest ordered the 150-seat 737 Max 7 and expects the first 30 to show up next year. AdCombined with past orders, Chicago-based Boeing is in line to build more than 600 Max 7 and Max 8 jets for Southwest through 2031. American and United had already resumed Max flights, and Alaska Airlines began using the plane too.
Forecast for spring: Nasty drought worsens for much of US
And nearly all of the continental United States is looking at warmer than normal spring, except for tiny parts of the Pacific Northwest and southeast Alaska, which makes drought worse. “It’s definitely something we’re watching and very concerned about.”NOAA expects the spring drought to hit 74 million people. AdMore than 44% of the nation is in moderate or worse drought, and nearly 18% is in extreme or exceptional drought — all of it west of the Mississippi River. AdWinter and spring wheat crops also have been hit hard by the western drought with 78% of the spring wheat production area in drought conditions, Rippey said. That leaves more of the energy to heat up the air, and the heat makes the drought worse by boosting evaporation.
Most major US airlines ban guns in luggage for DC flights
Delta, United and Alaska airlines said Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021 they will bar passengers flying to Washington from putting guns in checked bags. The moves follow the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump and politically tinged confrontations on some flights. American Airlines is bringing back a ban on serving alcohol on flights to and from the Washington area — flights go dry starting Saturday through next Thursday. Price also said that it is “a good idea” to prohibit passengers from putting guns in checked bags if they are flying to Washington. Federal law allows passengers to put guns in checked baggage if they are unloaded and in a locked, hard-sided case, although airlines have the discretion to ban guns.
Southwest Airlines warns nearly 7,000 workers of possible furloughs
(AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)DALLAS – Southwest Airlines warned nearly 7,000 workers on Thursday that they could lose their jobs unless labor unions accept concessions to help the airline cope with a sharp drop in travel caused by the pandemic. The warnings went to 6,828 employees including more than 2,500 ground workers and 1,500 flight attendants represented by the Transport Workers Union and 1,221 pilots, who have their own union. Rivals American Airlines and United Airlines furloughed 32,000 workers between them in October. Jon Weaks, president of the pilots’ union, called the furlough notices “a sad milestone” in Southwest history. Southwest received $3.2 billion in federal aid this spring as its share of the $25 billion allotted by Congress to help airlines cover their labor costs through September.
JetBlue to stop blocking middle seats on flights
All rights reserved)ORLANDO, Fla. – JetBlue is the latest U.S. airline to announce it will stop blocking seats on flights. The company says it will reduce the number of middle seats it leaves empty starting Dec. 1. [TRENDING: COVID-19 closes early voting location | Can you get COVID-19 twice? Airlines have been blocking seats due to the coronavirus pandemic. Southwest announced last week it will start selling middle seats after Dec. 1.
Southwest to start selling middle seats in December
Southwest Airlines took a major financial hit in 2020 and now the company is making a big change in an effort to mitigate further losses. Southwest will start selling every seat on flights starting Dec. 1. Southwest passenger Linda Morsilli is not a fan of the move. “I loved the idea that they had a middle seat vacant,” she said. “Somebody my age, who is very vulnerable, we can’t fly if they have it so crowded.
Southwest to scale back cleanings after flights
All rights reserved)Southwest Airlines is cutting back on cabin cleaning procedures that were instituted because of the coronavirus pandemic. Scaling it back will mean changes including no longer sanitizing seat belts between flights. The company says cleanings will now focus on a few items like tray tables and lavatories. According to a memo sent to flight attendants, the move will reduce the time planes spend on the ground between flights. Southwest says it will limit plane capacity through the end of October to allow for middle seats to remain empty.
Southwest comes out on top in new airline survey
The JD Power survey of 10,000 business and leisure travelers was conducted from April 2019 to March 2020. Southwest had the highest satisfaction levels in a number of categories including baggage handling, boarding, check-in, costs and crew. The survey covered both short-haul and long-haul flights and Southwest was on top in both categories. Ironically, before the pandemic, JD Power noted that overall customer satisfaction scores were the highest they had ever recorded. A survey conducted in mid-April shows that now what air travelers value most are regular updates on safety and sanitization measures.
Southwest offering summer fares starting at $49
A tempting offer for those itching to travel again, Southwest Airlines is offering one-way fares starting at $49. Feel free to book Southwest flights only if you’re OK flying with some travelers not wearing masks on your flight. An internal memo by Southwest Airlines tells flight crews not to stop passengers from boarding if they refuse to wear a mask. The airline tells flight attendants to inform customers of the policy and ask them to comply, but not enforce it. Southwest's official policy says customers will be asked to wear the masks when social distancing is not possible.
Southwest jetliner hits, kills person during landing
AUSTIN, Texas – A Southwest Airlines jetliner hit and killed a person upon landing Thursday night at Austin’s main airport, CBS News reported. The Federal Aviation Administration said the pilot of Flight 1392 reported seeing a person on the runway shortly after the Boeing 737 touched down at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport statement on tonight's pedestrian fatality. pic.twitter.com/7xjwZq5sCy — Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (@AUStinAirport) May 8, 2020Southwest released a statement about the incident:Southwest flight #1392 arrived safely this evening at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) after being cleared to land on runway 17R. The Southwest aircraft maneuvered to avoid an individual who became visible on runway 17R shortly after touchdown.
These are the precautions airlines are taking to prevent the spread of the coronavirus
These are the precautions airlines are taking to prevent the spread of the coronavirusPublished: April 28, 2020, 1:04 pmHere's what airlines are doing to protect passengers and employees during the coronavirus pandemic.
Orlando passenger taken to hospital after becoming sick on Southwest flight
ORLANDO, Fla. – A passenger aboard a Southwest flight traveling from Orlando had flu-like symptoms, prompting an airport to issue a statement about the incident. The Rhode Island Airport Corporation said a sick passenger on Southwest Airlines Flight 153 arrived at T.F. Green Airport from Orlando on Tuesday. “A customer was reportedly experiencing flu-like symptoms, so our crews requested support for the individual from local EMTs. As always, safety is our uncompromising priority, and we follow all CDC reporting guidelines.”It’s not known if the passenger was tested for coronavirus.