ULA Workers Going On Strike (Titusville, FL) -- United Launch Alliance workers are on strike after rejecting what the company calls its last, best and final offer. The union that represents about 200 workers at Cape Canaveral rejected a three-year contract offer yesterday. Picket lines could form this morning at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's south gate. ULA says it's disappointed things have reached this point, but the company is moving forward with its strike contingency plan in order to continue operating.
Woman Drowns In Rip Current On Cocoa Beach (Cocoa Beach, FL) -- A rip current is responsible for a woman's death at Cocoa Beach. Brevard County Ocean Rescue says the Oklahoma resident and two others were swimming this weekend when they got caught in the current. Lifeguards pulled all three to shore and performed CPR on the woman, but she was pronounced dead at the hospital. Her death came on a dangerous day that required 16 rescues.
Florida Polytechnic Investigating Anonymous Letter (Lakeland, FL) -- A critical letter by employees has the attention of Florida Polytechnic University. The Lakeland school is investigating the anonymous letter sent recently to the board of directors. The letter complains about delays to the new rec center, raises to school officials, and morale issues. School president Randy Avent tells "The Ledger" the letter may have something to do with ongoing contract talks with union workers.
Highlands County Deputy Shot (Lake Placid, FL) -- A fight over a cat now has a sheriff's deputy in a Lee County hospital and a man in custody. The Highlands County Sheriff's Office announced last night that a deputy was shot in Lake Placid and is in critical condition. The deputy '10News' identifies as 40-year-old William Gentry was shot in the head while responding to a home on Baltimore Way where neighbors were fighting after a cat was shot. Gentry was airlifted to Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers, and 69-year-old suspect Joseph Ables was arrested.
Man Punches 80-Year-Old School Cross Guard (Longwood, FL) -- An 80-year-old Longwood school crossing guard says he's staying on the job despite being punched in the face. The Seminole County Sheriff's Office says 36-year-old William Vindigni hit William Reynolds in the face in Longwood when he was crossing the road with two elementary school children. Reynolds managed to avoid most of the blow but did end up in the hospital as a precaution. The kids weren't hurt and Reynolds only suffered minor injuries. Vindigni was arrested after the incident.
Pre-Employment Marijuana Testing May Be A Thing Of The Past (Undated) -- More companies are nixing pre-employment marijuana testing. The tightening U.S. job market and the legalization of marijuana in some states is prompting many companies to relax their drug testing policies. As a result, some companies are dropping marijuana from pre-screening drug tests for potential employees. For decades, pre-employment drug testing has been a requirement at large American companies. But experts say marijuana testing excludes too many potential workers at a time when companies are struggling to fill jobs. A story from Denver over the weekend reported a woman on her way to a pre-employment drug test had tried to heat a urine sample in a convenience store microwave when it exploded in the appliance causing a mess she left behind in the store.
TODAY IN HISTORY:
2006, Lillian Gertrud Asplund, the last American to see the Titanic sink passed away at her home at the age of 99. Asplund was on the "unsinkable" ship when it hit an iceberg and sank 94 years earlier.
2004, testifying before Congress, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that he accepted full responsibility for a prison abuse scandal involving Iraqi prison detainees, but said he had no plans to resign.
1999, a Michigan jury ordered "The Jenny Jones Show" to pay 25 million dollars to the family of a gay man who was shot to death after revealing a crush on a fellow male guest on the show.
1975, President Gerald Ford formally declared an end to "the Vietnam era."
1945, Germany signed an unconditional surrender at General Dwight Eisenhower's headquarters in Rheims, France. It would end the European stage of World War Two.
1915, nearly 12-hundred people died when the luxury liner "Lusitania" was sunk by a German U-Boat off the coast of Ireland. The incident contributed to the entry of the United States into World War One.
1789, the first Presidential Inaugural Ball was held in New York City in honor of President George Washington and his wife Martha Washington. IT WASN’T LIKE THEY COULD GO HOME AND WATCH COVERAGE OF THE EVENT ON CNN!