More money for lagoon restoration.
Gov. Ron DeSantis came to Brevard County yesterday to announce millions of dollars in water quality projects across Florida, including $100 million for the Indian River Lagoon. In his visit to the Marine Resources Council Lagoon House in Melbourne, DeSantis said the funding will help upgrade wastewater facilities, reduce runoff, and transition septic systems to sewer connections.
Local projects include $8.6 million for Melbourne’s Grant Street Water Reclamation Facility, and $5 million for septic-to-sewer connections in Palm Bay. Statewide, the aim is to remove millions of pounds of pollutants annually. While the grant allocations have been determined, specific timelines for project completion remain unclear. Officials have not yet provided details on when construction and infrastructure improvements will begin or how long they will take.
NASA reacts to nomination of new Chief Financial Officer.
NASA acting administrator Janet Petro reacted positively to the nomination of Greg Autry as the agency’s chief financial officer. Autry is currently the associate provost for Space Commercialization at the University of Central Florida. The NASA CFO is responsible for the agency’s $25 billion budget.
Meanwhile the massive pieces of the Space Launch System rocket are coming together in the Kennedy Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building. The core stage for the Artemis II mission was placed alongside the two solid rocket boosters over the weekend. For now, NASA is sticking with the pricey SLS as the rocket for its next two Artemis missions, although the future of the program could shift under the second Trump administration.
Brevard school board bans more books.
The Brevard School Board voted unanimously to remove more books from all grade levels yesterday. The school board agreed with the book review committee, and permanently banned three adult novels for sexual content. Former Florida Tech President, Anthony Catanese, is a member of the book review committee. Catanase thought the books were engaging, but questioned why the books needed to include sexual content to begin with.
Higher speeds on Florida highways?
A proposal to increase maximum speeds on Florida highways is moving forward in both legislative chambers in Tallahassee. The Florida House adding it Tuesday to a wide-ranging transportation bill. The proposed legislation would raise the speed limit on Florida’s interstate highways to 75 miles per hour.
Another piece of legislation being proposed in Tallahassee would permit teenagers as young as 14 to work overnight shifts. It’s part of an effort in the Republican-led Legislature to roll back major aspects of the state’s child labor laws.
A bill that would require Florida teens to get parental consent for contraception is also under consideration. It was approved by a Florida Senate panel yesterday.
Brevard apartment prices drop slightly.
Renters in Brevard County saw apartment listing prices drop slightly in the latest date from ApartmentList.com. The average apartment listed for rent at $1,432 in February, about 6% below the state average. It does not include single family homes for rent.
