Advocacy groups urge immigrants to know their rights.
Florida immigrant advocacy groups are increasing their efforts to help people without legal status prepare for encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. They say immigrants subject to removal from the country should designate a power of attorney, and have contact information for an immigration attorney. An estimated 1.2 million people without legal status live in Florida.
Couple arrested in Arizona for Brevard pool scam.
The owners of Legacy Pools, Charles and Kristin Black, were arrested in Arizona this week on charges of scheming to defraud. The couple allegedly spent over $2 million of company money on personal expenses, like travel and parties. Legacy Pools is accused of victimizing over 300 people in Brevard, Osceola and Orange Counties. They are awaiting extradition back to Brevard to face charges.
Housing the homeless in buses.
Many communities are pushing back against construction of new homeless shelters in Brevard County, so buses could soon be used to house the homeless. As Florida’s anti-camping law ramps up, The Brevard Homeless Coalition is spearheading the the project. Buying three buses will cost $750,000 and the homeless coalition wants to have them up and running by July.
Metered parking considered for downtown Melbourne.
The city of Melbourne is working on a parking management plan that could include installing parking meters in areas that previously had free parking. Downtown Melbourne merchants have complained to the city about the lack of customer parking. The city has paid for a study that documented existing parking numbers, peak demand times, plus hourly rates for meters, and areas which could be used for free long-term parking.
Opioid Epidemic Community Town Hall January 30 in Palm Bay.
Opioid overdoses and deaths have hit Brevard County hard in recent years. In an effort to address the ongoing threat posed by opioids, such as heroin and fentanyl, the County in partnership with the City of Palm Bay is holding a community town hall. Residents are invited to come and share their thoughts and experiences. The event will be held Thursday evening, January 30 at Palm Bay Council Chambers.
Florida is first state to adopt “Gulf of America.”
Florida became the first state to adopt the new name for the Gulf of Mexico. In an official advisory this week, the governor’s office referred to the Gulf of America, aligning with President Trump’s new nomenclature. The White House now officially defines the Gulf of America as extending to the boundary of Mexico and Cuba. That means the new name doesn’t officially include the bottom part of the Gulf.
A previous attempt to change a centuries-old name in Florida never caught on. President Lyndon Johnson renamed Cape Canaveral to Cape Kennedy in 1963. The change was so unpopular with locals, the government changed it back to Canaveral ten years later.
Facts you can share on National Florida Day.
This Saturday is National Florida Day - when we celebrate the strange and wonderful state we live in. Here are some facts you can share:
- Brevard County was carved out of a much larger St Lucie County in 1854. In 1905 it took on its current shape.
- Early Spanish explorers sailed along the Brevard coastline and gave Cape Canaveral its name.
- It has snowed in Brevard, but that was 48 years ago. In January 1977, the temperature dropped to 19 degrees and snowflakes fell.
