Brevard faces gap in funding for road projects.
Brevard County faces an 83% funding shortfall for needed road projects. between 2030 and 2050. The Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization prioritizes projects based on data like accident rates and traffic congestion, but funding is a continuing problem. Some of the biggest projects on the TPO's priority list are unfunded, including widening State Road 528 from four to six lanes and widening from six to eight lanes of Interstate 95 from the St. Johns Heritage Parkway to Fiske Boulevard.
Over 1,100 immigrants arrested in Florida.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the State of Florida arrested over 1,100 immigrants. The operation set a record for the highest number of arrests in a single week by any state in ICE’s history. Of the arrested individuals, 437 are from Guatemala, 280 are from Mexico, 153 are from Honduras, 48 are from Venezuela, and 24 are from El Salvador.
Rocket launch tonight.
SpaceX is targeting a late-night Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral today. The one hour launch window opens at 11:40 p.m. The Falcon 9 will fly toward the southeast, providing good views along the Space Coast.
Sebastian treasure hunter wants more.
A Sebastian treasure hunter is seeking a 20-year permit renewal to continue salvaging artifacts from 10 Spanish shipwrecks. Sam Guttoso, manager of a salvage company based in Sebastian, has applied for a permit to continue searching the 10 shipwreck areas. Over 100 Spanish coins were discovered on the sites in 2015. The 1715 shipwrecks led to Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties being called the Treasure Coast.
Cocoa Beach considers rules for E-bikes.
Cocoa Beach is considering new rules for e-bikes in the city. The police chief cited growing safety concerns with more kids riding them around town and no regulations currently in place. Police have recorded bikes hitting speeds of 35 miles-per-hour on city sidewalks.
State appeals in manatee protection fight.
A U.S. district judge last month ruled that the state has violated the Endangered Species Act as manatees face threats in the Indian River Lagoon. Now the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has gone to a federal appeals court to challenge that ruling. An environmental group had argued that the state was responsible for discharging pollutants into the lagoon that led to the demise of seagrass, a key food source for manatees.
Calls for an investigation of Hope Florida.
Two Florida congressional Democrats have asked federal officials to investigate allegations that the Hope Florida Foundation inappropriately diverted Medicaid funds to two unrelated political committees last year. The Hope Florida Foundation is the non-profit affiliated the charity started by Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis. The congressional request marked the first time that officials in Washington have called for a federal investigation into the Hope Florida matter.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Hope Florida charity resigned last week. In his resignation letter, he wrote that the $10 million was spent without the knowledge of the charity’s board of directors.
