Governor Announces Expanded Scholarship For Special Needs Students
(Longwood, FL) -- A new proposal could make it easier for kids with special needs to go to the school of their choice. Governor Ron DeSantis was in Seminole County yesterday to visit Longwood's Pace Brantley School. While there, he announced a plan to allow more students to receive funding from the Gardiner Scholarship, which provides those with special needs an average of 10-thousand dollars a year. There's currently a waiting list for the scholarship, and DeSantis' plan would allow 19-hundred more students between the ages of three and 22 to receive funding.
Fox News Channel To Broadcast From Brevard County
(Melbourne, FL) -- Brevard County will be in the national spotlight this week. Fox News Channel has announced plans to broadcast tomorrow morning from Melbourne at the Indian River Colony Club. Florida Today reports guests at the At Ease Club will be asked for their thoughts on tonight's State of the Union address, and you'll be able to see it on Fox and Friends during its Breakfast with Friends segment. Indian River Colony Club describes itself as a patriotic 55-and-over community originally built for retired military officers.
Lakeland To Move Confederate Monument
(Lakeland, FL) -- Plans are in place to move a controversial symbol of the past in Polk County. The Lakeland City Commission yesterday voted to move a Confederate monument from Munn Park to Veterans Park. The vote comes after a federal lawsuit blocking the move was dismissed. The move is scheduled for the end of the month, and it's being funded by red-light camera revenue.
Parents Ask Runcie To Resign
(Parkland, FL) -- With just three words, Broward District Superintendent Robert Runcie could provide parents with a sense of peace and hope. That's what parent Doug Kruse said yesterday after he and other parents in Parkland had a closed-door meeting with Runcie. After the meeting, Kruse told the Sun Sentinel the three words he wants to hear from Runcie are 'I resign immediately.' About ten others at the meeting also asked Runcie to resign for what Kruse calls epic failures.
Woman Confronts Store Owner Over KKK Figurine
(Pensacola, FL) -- An item for sale in an antique store is causing controversy in Pensacola. A woman yesterday posted a photo on Facebook of a KKK figurine at Uncle Billy's Antique Mall on West Cervantes Street. Ericka Boussarhane, in her online post, asked why a business would sell such an item, especially during Black History Month. The store's manager tells the News Journal the item is a part of history, and if anyone is offended, they can shop elsewhere.
Consumer Spending Up For VDay Though Fewer Plan To Celebrate
(Washington, DC) -- With Valentine's Day less than two weeks away, consumer spending is up for the day though fewer Americans are actually planning to celebrate this year. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans plan to spend an average of 161-dollars-96-cents on their loved ones. That's up 13-percent from last year and easily tops the previous record set in 2016. Total spending is expected to exceed 20-billion-dollars, which is an increase of six-percent compared to last year. However, only 51-percent of Americans say they'll celebrate Valentine's Day this year, down from 55-percent last year. The number of consumers that celebrate Valentine's Day has trended downward over the past 12-years while spending has generally been on the rise.
TODAY IN HISTORY:
2017 , The New England Patriots became champions for a fifth time after completing the biggest Super Bowl comeback ever in Houston.
2016 , Twitter announced that it shut down more than 125-thousand accounts since the middle of 2015 for promoting terrorist acts.
2002 , a federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, indicted the man dubbed the "American Taliban" on ten charges. John Walker Lindh was accused of conspiring to kill Americans with Osama bin Laden's terrorist network.
1971 , the Apollo 14 astronauts, Alan Shepard Jr. and Edgar Mitchell, landed on the moon.
1953 , Walt Disney's full length animated feature "Peter Pan" debuted.
1850 , Frank Baldwin patented the first adding machine. It was 20 inches high and weighed ten pounds.