Two rocket launches this morning.
There were two rocket launches this morning. SpaceX sent more Starlink satellites to orbit shortly before 2AM for its 52nd Falcon 9 launch from the Cape so far this year. Then, shortly after sunrise, ULA deployed Kuiper satellites for Amazon’s internet constellation. It was ULA second launch of the year.
How does Brevard sheriff’s deputies’ pay compare?
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey has asked for an 8.58% increase in his budget. Ivey says he is having trouble retaining staff due to low pay. Here’s how Brevard County compares to other central Florida sheriff’s deputies. In Brevard a first year deputy can make over $59,000 a year. Starting salary in Flagler County is nearly $62,000. In Lake County starting pay for a deputy sheriff is $56,000 annually. Marion County is $60,000. An Orange County first-year deputy would earn $62,500. And in Osceola County starting pay is $48,000. So Brevard County is somewhere in the middle of the pack for central Florida sheriff’s deputies.
Florida’s attempt to let teens sleep longer.
To give teenagers more time to sleep, the Florida legislature pushed for a new law that would require public high schools to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. and middle schools no earlier than 8 a.m. In 2023, Florida became only the second state to adopt such a requirement, and it asked schools to comply by 2026. This year, it all fell apart. Facing growing opposition from school administrators, who said the later times were unworkable and costly, the Legislature repealed the requirement last month.
Biological changes during adolescence keep many teenagers from falling asleep before 11 p.m., making it harder for them to get up early. Yet many Florida high schools require students to wake up before they are sufficiently rested. This despite scientific studies showing that later start times would improve learning outcomes. The American Medical Association recommends that middle and high schools begin no earlier than 8:30 a.m. But in Florida, only 24% of public high schools start that late. Nearly half begin before 7:30 a.m. In Brevard County the typical school day for Public Schools starts at 8:00 a.m.
Report a car crash via video chat.
If you’re in a minor crash on SR 520, now there’s a faster way to resolve any problems. You can video chat with the Florida Highway Patrol. The Desk Trooper program has been available on Central Florida Expressway Authority’s road for a while, but it’s just been rolled out in Brevard County. The goal is to resolve collision issues faster than if you waited for police to show up at the scene. The highway patrol prioritizes where to send troopers based on the severity of the crash, so minor ones are last in line. To use the program, dial *347 (*FHP) to connect to a dispatcher. If the crash is minor, you can video chat with a trooper who can file a crash report virtually.
Lightning strikes, again, and again.
Officials say the chances of being struck by lightning are one in a million. Yet last Friday, three people in New Smyrna Beach were hit. One was just entering the ocean when a lightning bolt struck him down. First responders performed CPR before taking him to a hospital. Then two more people were struck by lightning while golfing on Friday in New Smyrna Beach. Florida is known as the “lightning capital of the world.”
