Funeral director accused of giving families wrong ashes, abandoning mortuary, arrested in Orange County
The Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) said the on-site investigation at the Marion Graham Mortuaries in north Jacksonville is now complete, and investigators will be turning their findings to the State Attorneyโs Office.
Save a ton of money on cloud storage during this epic overstock event
Work stress is awful enough, and running out of storage space when you desperately need to save essential pics, documents and more is the very last thing you need. No matter what kinds of things you download and save on your devices, there just never seems to be enough storage space, and buying some online can be quite costly.
Early Black Friday Drops are here and this electric knife is on sale for $55
Meal prep can be time-consuming and strenuous, especially if youโre cooking for a large group of people. The Mighty Carver Electric Knife will take your cutting game to a whole new level and get a few laughs along the way. Itโs one of many exciting items featured in our early Black Friday drops collection!
Ships are sitting offshore containing items that we desperately need -- what can be done?
If youโre in the Jacksonville, Florida area, youโve likely seen the logjam of container ships sitting idly offshore. The vessels are packed with items destined for store shelves -- and theyโre things business owners and consumers desperately need delivered.
Governor announces $100 million for Hurricane Irma recovery
Ron DeSantis during a press conference in Key Largo. Ron DeSantis announced $100 million in investments for infrastructure and hardening projects to protect Florida communities against future hurricanes. DeSantis already announced Friday morning that he would be bringing Florida National Guard soldiers back from the Capitol. Last night, I ordered our Adjutant General to bring Florida National Guard soldiers home from the National Capital Region. โ Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) January 22, 2021This story will be updated with more details in the coming minutes.
Betty White says sheโs โblessed with good healthโ as 99th birthday approaches
American actress and comedian Betty White will be turning 99 on Sunday, WJXT reports. | Fla. begins COVID vaccine appointment system]In an interview, White talked about her health and happiness. โI am blessed with good health,โ she told People, โso turning 99 is no different than turning 98.โShe told People it is a sense of humor that keeps her going. You can lie to others โ not that I would โ but you cannot lie to yourself,โ White said. Betty White was born in 1922, in Oak Park, Illinois.
Driving Change: Lawmakers could make Florida โhands-freeโ statewide
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ Could Florida soon be completely โhands-freeโ when it comes to drivers and their cellphones? House Bill 91, also called the Dori Slosberg Hands-free Driving Law, is named after Slosbergโs sister, who was killed in a car crash in 1996. [TRENDING: How to get vaccine in Florida | Will vaccine work on new strains? Another Florida law prohibits drivers from even handling a wireless device when theyโre in a โdesignated school crossing, school zone or active work zone area.โ Slosbergโs new bill would expand that to include driving at any time. Currently, there are 25 states that prohibit drivers from using phones while driving.
The best meteor shower of the year this weekend
Spend some time under the stars Sunday to look for a dazzling display of shooting stars. The Geminid meteor shower will peak in one of the most reliable shows of the year, according to WJXT. The peak is expected to generate 120 meteors per hour flying 40 times faster than a speeding bullet. NASA says the best night to see the shower is Dec. 13-14, although fewer may be spotted before and after those dates. Lie flat on your back, put away your cell phone and look straight up to take in as much as you can of the 2020 Geminid meteor shower.
These Central Florida schools are closed due to Eta
OCALA, Fla. โ Several Central Florida school districts have canceled classes because of potential impacts from Tropical Storm Eta. The Sumter County School District said its schools will be closed Thursday but classes will resume Friday. UCF is monitoring Tropical Storm #Eta and its possible impacts in Central Florida, which could begin on Thursday morning. โ UCF ๐ท (@UCF) November 11, 2020Classes at the University of Florida were canceled Thursday and the campus will be closed, according to the university. UF Alert UF classes canceled, campus offices closed Thursday, Nov. 12 because of TS Eta.
15-year-old Florida driver crashes SUV into pool, deputies say
FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. โ A 15-year-old was taken into custody Sunday after crashing an SUV into a swimming pool at a home on Eastwind Drive, according to the Nassau County Sheriffโs Office. The sheriffโs office said the crash happened shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday, News 6 partner WJXT reported. The 15-year-old driver, who does not have a license, tried to get away on foot, but a deputy and K-9 caught up with him and arrested him, the Sheriffโs Office said. [TRENDING: 2020 Voter Guide | What to expect if Trump wins | What to expect if Biden wins]Deputies said the SUV had two teenage passengers inside. No one was injured in the crash, deputies said, but two homeowners had damage from the crash.
Florida man, 67, hit girl in face with flagpole in spat over Trump, deputies say
ORANGE PARK, Fla. โ A Florida man was arrested last week after striking a 12-year-old girl in the face with a flagpole during a small rally for President Donald Trump near an intersection, authorities said. Norbert Logsdon Jr., 67, of Orange Park, was charged Sept. 16 with child abuse without great bodily harm and later released on bail, the Florida Times-Union reported. The girl had been riding in a car with her mother, who exchanged taunts with Logsdon as they waited to turn into a nearby restaurant, officials said. A video that the mother posed on Facebook appears to show Logsdon approach the vehicle, stick the flagpole through an open car window and hit the girl. A deputy who later interviewed the girl noted redness on her face.
SeaWorld offers Florida teachers free admission for a year
All rights reserved)SeaWorld is offering free admission to Florida certified teachers for the next year, the theme park announced Thursday, according to WJXT. The teaching community deserves our thanks now more than ever, SeaWorld said in a press release. Teachers can pre-register online using the ID.me process to receive the SeaWorld Florida Teacher Card eVoucher. The Teacher Card provides Florida teachers with unlimited admission to SeaWorld Orlando through Aug. 31, 2021. For more information on the teacher card, click here.
FSU will allow tailgating at football games this season
Tailgating at Florida State football games will go on this season, reports News 6 sister station WJXT. The school released guidelines on tailgating Thursday morning and confirmed that it will permit fans to gather in the parking lot around Doak Campbell Stadium. We are glad to be able to offer tailgating to our fans for the 2020 home football season, and we realize that it is an important part of the game day experience for many ticket holders, said FSU athletic director David Coburn in a statement. On Wednesday, Alabama and Auburn both said they would not allow tailgating this season. Georgia announced ticket plans and stadium capacity on Wednesday, but athletic director Greg McGarity said a decision on tailgating would be made later.
Lawsuit filed against โTiger Kingโ star Carole Baskin over millionaire husbandโs disappearance
TAMPA, Fla. โ Thereโs a new chapter for the โTiger Kingโ saga. Lewis is the missing millionaire who was married to Big Cat Rescue founder Carole Baskin, News 6 partner WJXT reports. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister had already reopened the law enforcement investigation a few weeks after the Tiger King series debuted on Netflix. The Tiger King documentary extensively covers repeated accusations that Carole Baskin killed her then-husband and possibly fed him to her tigers. โBut hopefully with all this help that we now have one day soon we and you, too, will know the truth and will all finally know happened to my dad.โ
Woman who coughed on brain tumor patient at Florida Pier 1 store faces charges
Witnesses identified Hunter as a woman seen in a viral video berating store staff and coughing on another woman who filmed the incident. It took 30 seconds to end 15 minutes of aggressive... Posted by Heather Reed Sprague on Thursday, June 25, 2020While watching the woman, Sprague took out her phone and began recording. Hows that?The woman can then be seen coughing on Sprague before walking out of the store with her children in tow. Sprague, who described herself as a brain tumor patient, was wearing a mask at the time. She filed a police report four days after the incident, saying she had not been feeling well since it happened.
Next stimulus package will include another $1,200 payment, reports say
ORLANDO, Fla. Americans making less than $75,000 a year are poised to receive another $1,200 stimulus payment from the federal government, according to a report by The Hill. In the same report, it shows that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told reporters that the payout method would be the same as the previous stimulus package, according to News 6 sister station WJXT. The March bill provided a one-time $1,200 check to Americans who made less than $75,000 per year. CNBC reported Senate Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday, the Senate will be releasing the full details on the second stimulus bill next week. Forbes reported more information on what could else could be in the stimulus package and troubling issues on the timeline to pass the next stimulus bill.
Mayor agrees Jacksonville is not ready to provide security for Republican National Convention
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ Mayor Lenny Curry said Tuesday he was not surprised that Sheriff Mike Williams warned Monday that the Jacksonville Sheriffโs Office is not prepared to provide adequate security for the Republican National Convention. โHe knows what heโs talking about clearly, so the position he takes is we are not prepared for this right now. Williams was absent from Tuesdayโs news conference, and the question was posed to Undersheriff Pat Ivey: How many personnel will be needed to provide adequate security? But your security plan is set. For the security plan to be solid, you allot for those changes.
Bombshell announcement made after 3 accused in killing of Ahmaud Arbery plead not guilty
BRUNSWICK, Ga. The three Glynn County men accused in the murder of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery appeared via video conference Friday at an arraignment hearing, pleading not guilty to all charges. Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory, are accused in the shooting of Arbery as he jogged through their neighborhood in late February. There are texts to support the DOJs investigation, Assistant District Attorney Jesse Evans said. Gough also argued a motion requesting that District Attorney Joyette Holmes be removed from the case, calling into question the way she was chosen. Arberys lawyers accuse the Brunswick district attorney and Waycross district attorney of trying to protect the McMichaels because they have ties to law enforcement.
Republican National Convention will test attendees daily for coronavirus
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Officials with the Republican National Convention will conduct daily coronavirus testing for those attending the event in August, according to a report from News 6s sister station WJXT. Erin Isaac, the spokeswoman for the host committee of the Jacksonville portion of the convention, said in an emailed memo on Monday that everyone attending the convention within the perimeter will be tested and temperature checked each day.Isaac didnt say how the committee will conduct testing. The exact schedule for the Jacksonville portion of the convention hasnt been publicized yet, but an earlier itinerary shows President Trump will give his acceptance speech at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on August 27, the last day of the convention. The Vystar arena can hold 15,000 people, but its possible a limit could be placed on the number people allowed inside. To keep up with the latest news on the pandemic, subscribe to News 6s coronavirus newsletter and go to ClickOrlando.com/coronavirus.
Re-Open Florida Task Force given sobering economic data
News 6 partner WJXT reports DeSantis opened Monday afternoonโs initial meeting of the Re-Open Florida Task Force saying he wanted to โget the economy back in a safe way.โThe governor had announced the group would include elected officials, business, education, tourism and community leaders. You can listen in to the meeting that was streamed on The Florida Channel. Potential GDP scenariosChart from the Florida Chamber of Commerce (Florida Chamber of Commerce)SLIDES: Re-Open Florida documentsSouth Florida remains a hot spot for coronavirus, with Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties having 56% of the 26,660 total cases, according to the latest figures from the Florida Department of Health. The state has now tested nearly 268,000 people -- about 1.3% of Floridians -- and about 10% of those tested were positive. Working groups were assigned to each of the high, medium and low-risk industries, which may reopen on different schedules.
Sheriff: โWe have found nothingโ in search for 2 Florida children
Williams said the Sheriffโs Office was utilizing state and regional partners and โevery resource we can getโ to find the children. โWeโve got a heavy focus in the trailer park today, and, obviously, itโs extended into the wooded area,โ Williams said. According to the Sheriffโs Office, the boy is said to be on the autism spectrum but will communicate with others. If you live in the area, search your property. pic.twitter.com/gSocgwTsC4 โ Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) December 16, 2019On Sunday night, JSO Public Information Officer Christian Hancock said the children could be anywhere in Florida or Southeast Georgia.
Attempts to rescue manatee stuck in tire foiled by pollution, other factors
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. โ Crews in Volusia County faced complicated conditions Tuesday while working to capture a manatee stuck in a tire at Blue Spring State Park, according to wildlife officials. The tire poses a risk to the manatee because โthe animal is continuing to grow and the tire is not,โ park ranger Michael Watkins said. A manatee is spotted Fernandina Beach with what appears to be a bicycle tire around its belly. FWC and SeaWorld spent hours trying to rescue a manatee that has a bike tire around its waist. โThe SeaWorld Rescue team were sent out this morning to assist FWC with this rescue โ the team was not successful in getting this manatee, but we will continue our efforts when requested again by FWC,โ a SeaWorld Orlando spokesperson said.