School lunches’ future unclear
With less than a month before school starts, it’s unclear if students who were previously eligible for free meals will still receive that food.
With the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” trillions of dollars were cut from social safety nets thousands of Brevard residents rely on like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP.
The fallout is likely to impact school lunches. In the past, kids whose families received food stamps or Medicaid were automatically eligible for free meals, and schools received federal funding to provide free meals based on the percentage of low-income students they served.
It’s not clear exactly how broad these impacts may be, or how quickly they may be felt. Brevard Public Schools did not respond to FLORIDA TODAY’s requests for comment on how they may be affected.
‘Very low risk’ on river
At Brevard’s southern border, near the St Johns River’s headwaters, the river’s levels are now at or near where federal regulations require opening levee gates to release water into nearby former pastures. That mimics the river’s historic natural flow before it was ditched and drained decades ago for farming.
But its levels now are nowhere near what would require more drastic measures, such as opening the floodgates to canals that flow to the Indian River Lagoon, water managers said during a July tour.
In the wake of recent flooding tragedies in states like Texas, North Carolina and New Mexico, management district officials assured that such flashflood events are extremely unlikely here, given the low-lying land. The shallow river has plenty of space to swell over very flat land.
Even a levee breach wouldn’t likely cause neighborhood flooding. That’s more driven by local tributaries and stormwater infrastructure failures.
Viera Company Sponsors 3v3 Summer Sled Hockey Challenge Fundraiser at Space Coast Iceplex
The Viera Company sponsored the recent 3v3 Summer Sled Hockey Challenge fundraiser at the Space Coast Iceplex in support of Space Coast Sled Hockey—a nonprofit that provides individuals with disabilities the chance to play sled hockey right here on Florida’s Space Coast.
Sled Hockey is an adaptive sport for individuals who are unable to play traditional hockey. The players are single and double amputees and paraplegics.
They are disabled veterans, adults who’ve suffered car and motorcycle accidents, and those with birth defects like spina bifida, autism, and MS. Players come primarily from Brevard County, with some coming from Orange, Seminole, and Indian River Counties.
The Avenue Viera is adding several new stores
Several new stores are being added to the Avenue Viera.
J. Crew Factory is the latest store coming to the outdoor shopping, dining and entertainment area. It will move into the space formerly occupied by Thrive Local.
Thrive Local, which sells locally made products, still has a location in the Eau Gallie Arts District.
J. Crew factory is a more affordable line of J. Crew apparel products.
Along with the J. Crew factory, there are a number of other stores that have recently opened, or have plans to open soon.
Jewelry designer Kendra Scott recently hosted a grand opening event.
Nordstrom Rack, which sells on-trend apparel, accessories, beauty products, home décor and more at up to 70 percent off, is scheduled to open mid-October.
The upscale clothing store Tommy Bahama and Let’s Plant it also will open before the end of the year.
Other new stores that have opened recently include American Eagle, Aerie and Southern Tide.