Brevard cultural grants to be voted on today.
The Brevard County Commission will vote on grants for 44 major events, arts and cultural organizations, and sporting events this morning. WFIT’s Rick Glasby has details:
The proposed grants total over $800,000, and were unanimously recommended by the advisory Tourist Development Council. Florida Today reports that the guidelines for the grant program will shut out organizations that received funding in previous years. Now an event must attract over 5,000 visitors from outside Brevard. That number is based on tracking cell phone data. Among the groups to receive no marketing support this year are the Native Rhythms Festival, Space Coast Pride, Green Gables, Melbourne Arts Festival, and the Surfside Playhouse.
The grant money comes from the county’s 5% tax on tourist accommodations.
Florida Department of Education releases list of over 700 banned books in K-12 schools
Over the weekend, the Florida Department of Education released its yearly list of books that were “removed or discontinued” from the state’s schools last year.
According to the list, over 700 books were removed from Florida K-12 schools, an increase of almost 400 from the list the DOE released last year.
Brevard, Marion, Orange, Polk, Seminole and Volusia County Schools, all removed books last year with Volusia leading with 40 banned books including classics like Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye.”
Florida Freedom to Read Project Director Stephana Ferrell calls the list an undercount but says it’s concerning to see that even according to this state-released data, book bans are still increasing in the state.
“And right now, what's happening is one or two loud people in a particular district can dictate for all what is available, and it runs against, again, what a majority of parents are telling their school districts they want.”
In a statement the Florida Department of Education says, quote, “There are no books banned in Florida and sexually explicit materials do not belong in schools.”
Flesh-eating bacteria infections rise to 80 cases, 16 deaths
According to the latest data from the Florida Department of Health, there have been 80 cases of infection from the Vibrio vulnificusa or so-called "fleshing-eating" bacteria.
Vibrio vulnificusa is a naturally occurring and potentially fatal bacterial infection present in brackish water, which the storms pushed along the coast and into rivers and canals. If the bacteria infects a person, it can cause the skin and soft tissue around a wound to quickly break down. Treatment may require limb amputation to stop the rapid flesh deterioration, and the infection can be fatal.
Nationwide, Vibrio bacteria causes an estimated 80,000 illnesses and 100 deaths every year. About 52,000 of these illnesses are believed to come from eating contaminated food, but the bacteria are also often found in flood waters, something Florida has seen a lot of lately.
According to the FDOH 16 people have died in 2024.
Disney cruise ship rescues four people
Sunday a Disney cruise ship on its transatlantic sailing from the Netherlands rescued four people from a catamaran taking on water in the Atlantic OceanThe disabled 50-foot catamaran, was about 265 miles off the coast of Bermuda, when its escape hatch blew a gasket, causing the vessel to take on water. The crew of the Disney Treasure received a distressed vessel call and arrived at the vessel at about 1 p.m. The Treasure crew launched a lifeboat and rescued all four people. The Treasure remains on schedule to arrive at Port Canaveral on Tuesday. Its maiden voyage will be on December 21st.
More: www.floridatoday.com