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WFIT's Local News Update October 21, 2024 AM

In-person voting begins Monday in Brevard.

 Today is the first day for Early, in-person, voting for the November election in Brevard. No matter where you live in Brevard you can vote at any of Brevard's Early Voting sites. Ten early voting sites are open from 8AM to 6PM Monday through Friday, and 8AM to 4PM weekends. Early voting runs through November 3rd.

- check VoteBrevard.gov for the locations.

You can also check that you're still registered to vote. Not registered? the deadline to register or change your party was Monday, Oct. 7. But Legal residents who are registered to vote but considered inactive may still vote at the polls with proper ID or by requesting a vote-by-mail ballot, and doing so will change their status back to active.

 Firefighters Rescue Over 20 Elderly and Disabled Residents Trapped by Faulty Elevators at The Lenox Merritt Island Complex

 Residents of The Lenox, an apartment complex in Merritt Island formerly known as Courtney Springs Village, are once again facing challenges with non-functional elevators, leaving many elderly and disabled individuals trapped in their homes. Just days after repairs were reportedly completed, multiple elderly and disabled residents found themselves unable to use the elevators, prompting emergency services to step in.

 
Friday night Brevard County Fire Rescue crews responded to help over 20 residents were stranded, many on the 10th and 11th floors, with some relying on electric chairs and other mobility aids. Firefighters carried them, along with their personal belongings, to their apartments.

 
This marks the second time in weeks that residents have been left in this precarious situation, raising concerns about the safety and reliability of the building’s infrastructure.

According to residents, the complex has faced five code violations in the past three years, and one elevator has reportedly been down for six months. some tenants claim the building management has repeatedly failed to address their concerns, leading to feelings of neglect and helplessness.

 Foam fouls Space Coast beaches

 A staggering amount of foam-like debris has washed up on Florida’s east coast beaches in recent days. Rick Glasby reports the likely culprits are Hurricanes Milton and Helene.

 The yellow foam stretched at least 150 miles from Palm Beach County up to Cocoa Beach. Mike McGarry of Brevard’s Natural Resources Department, called the volume of foam unprecedented. McGarry said he believes the foam is debris from homes and buildings destroyed by Hurricane Milton-spawned tornadoes. But an FAU professor says the debris is not from tornados. He thinks it’s from buildings destroyed by Hurricane Helene in the Big Bend area. The debris was then swept by the Florida current down the Gulf, through the Florida straits, and up the east coast Gulf Stream.

 

Central Florida K-12 schools receive special workforce development grants to train the workforce of tomorrow

 
The Florida Department of Education is awarding K-12 schools in Central Florida special grants to help train the workforce of tomorrow in high-demand areas.

The funding from these workforce development grants can be used to create or expand career and technical education programs in schools.

That could offer students more hands-on learning experiences and direct pathways to certification in high-demand areas like aerospace and healthcare.

Governor Ron DeSantis approved 100 million dollars for the program in this year’s state budget.

Individual districts and college systems applied for the funding.

 In total, the Florida Department of Education announced $62 million dollars in workforce development grants for K-12 schools and community colleges statewide.

More: www.floridatoday.com  

Terri Wright held the position of General Manager at WFIT from 1998-2023.