The “silver tsunami” of homelessness.
Adults aged 55 and older here in Central Florida continue to be the largest and fastest-growing demographic experiencing homelessness. That’s according to the most recent count.
In Brevard, the Homeless Coalition also reported that 1 of every 3 homeless persons in their region are older adults, many unsheltered. Scott Billue founded Matthew’s Hope as a day center in Cocoa to provide homeless services. He says the increase is clear and becoming a real concern.
“I'm calling it the silver tsunami. It will go for the next 20 to 25 years, as these people die off and are leaving spouses behind, or becoming retired or losing benefits.. We have a crisis at hand that I really think our state legislators are ignoring.”
Officials with the U-S government say this rise will accelerate, potentially tripling the number of homeless seniors by 2030.
Air Force wants to know your feelings about Starship.
SpaceX is planning on bringing its massive Starship rocket to the Space Coast, and the Air Force is holding public hearings to gather your comments. SpaceX would like to launch up to 76 Starship-Super Heavy rockets from the Cape. The Air Force has done a draft environmental impact study, which shows few significant impacts from the launches. The final in-person public hearing will be held Thursday in Cocoa, followed by a virtual hearing on July 15th.
How to fight Palm Bay speeding tickets.
If you were ticketed by the automated school speed zone camera in Palm Bay, you can fight the fine. You have to go to court if you believe you were illegally ticketed. That’s what several drivers did yesterday. One woman won her case because she presented a minute-by-minute print out of how fast the car was going from a GPS tracker. The other drivers were not successful. The tickets that were argued in court were from April before police shut off the cameras indefinitely. Legal experts say you need to have hard evidence like GPS-verified data if you are trying to fight the tickets in court.
Florida to enact new school regulations.
The Florida Department of Education has begun writing regulations to implement some of the education-related bills lawmakers approved this year. The Department of Education held public meetings on the proposed regulations Tuesday, the first step in the rule making process. A proposed rule for high school students to more easily earn community-service hours was outlined. The rule change would allow high schoolers working as paid tutors to count their work hours as community-service hours. Another rule discussed Tuesday eliminates certificates of completion. The certificates are given to students who complete credits required to graduate but do not score high enough grade point averages to graduate. Lawmakers argued eliminating the certificate would encourage students to study harder. And a third rule will requires public school personnel to be trained to respond to allergic reactions, including administering epinephrine.
It’s a new world.
It’s been around since the 1964 World’s Fair, and lives on at The Magic Kingdom. But finally, it’s getting a refresh. The song, It’s a Small World After All, now has a new, final verse that will premiere at the Mouse House on July 17th. It was written by the original composer of the song just before he died at the age of 95.
