Cocoa’s grant for Brightline station rejected.
The City of Cocoa was rejected for a $47 million Federal grant to help pay for a new Brightline passenger rail station in the city. The grant would have been the biggest funding component of the project. The Cocoa station — which would be a new stop along Brightline's Orlando-to-Miami route — would be located on an undeveloped site off Clearlake Road, near State Roads 524 and 528. Cocoa City Manager Stockton Whitten says he is not deterred by the rejection. The city plans to reapply for the Federal Railroad Administration grant funding in December. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration approved more than $2.4 billion in funding for rail improvement projects in 41 states, but the Cocoa project was not among them. Whitten believes that Brightline is still interested in a station in Cocoa.
Veterans Day activities.
Here are some of the ways to celebrate veterans day around Brevard. All US parks, including the Canaveral National Seashore, is offering free admission to veterans. From November 11-17, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex lets active duty, retired, and reserve military in for free. The Valiant Air Command in Titusville is hosting an open house this Saturday and Sunday. Active military and veterans get in free. So do all Florida residents with a canned food donation. From November 9 -11, military members and veterans get free admission to the Brevard Zoo. Veterans Day parades are happening this Saturday in Palm Bay and Cape Canaveral.
Brevard's Sirois named Florida House majority leader.
Florida Rep. Tyler Sirois, a Merritt Island Republican, has been named as the new House majority leader in Tallahassee. It’s one of the top leadership positions in the Florida House of Representatives. Sirois was also named as chairman of a new House Security & Threat Assessment Committee. Sirois said his holding a leadership post in the House will help him pursue initiatives in the interest of his Brevard County constituents, such as widening of Ellis Road, as well as limiting overreach of government.
Florida’s environmental head to step down.
The head of Florida’s environmental agency has quit after the plan to convert some Florida parks into golf courses backfired. Shawn Hamilton will be replaced by the chief of staff of the state’s division of bond finance. Hamilton had more than ten years experience working within the Department of Environmental Protection. State Representative Lindsay Cross, a St. Pete Democrat and environmental scientist, is concerned his replacement has no notable environmental background.
Abortion funds may fall short.
After Amendment 4 fell short on Tuesday, groups that help Floridians travel to other states for an abortion worry about funding. The groups have been spending more after Florida's six-week ban on abortion took effect earlier this year. The head of one group called the current spending levels unsustainable. Jessica Hatem, of the Emergency Medical Assistance abortion fund, says her group can’t keep spending over half a million dollars every year to provide travel and assistance.