Melissa Calhoun speaks out.
Former Satellite High teacher Melissa Calhoun has spoken out for the first time. She told News 6 how the controversy over a student’s name began:
“That student actually requested to go by a particular name, so like most teachers when there is a request, I simply complied.”
The law that Calhoun ran afoul of requires that a teacher get written permission from a parent before not using a student’s given name.
“There wasn’t any intention of subverting the parent’s wishes. This happened out of habit. And frankly, was an unfortunate oversight on my part.”
Melissa Calhoun, talking with News 6. Although a state board agreed she can keep her teaching license, Brevard will not hire her back, at least not until her period of probation ends.
New apartment complex coming to Cocoa Village.
The Cocoa City Council has given its approval for a seven-story luxury apartment complex to be built in the heart of downtown Cocoa Village. The complex will have over 200 apartments, a six-level parking garage, and retail space on the first floor. The site is at the northeast corner of Brevard Avenue and Church Street in Cocoa Village. The developer is asking for financial incentives to the tune of nearly $10 million.
Florida’s top pot regulator quits.
The head of Florida’s medical marijuana agency has quit his job. Christopher Kimball has stepped down as director of the Office of Medical Marijuana Use at the Florida Department of Health. The change in leadership was not publicly announced by the DeSantis administration. It comes as the state prepares to defend its decision to award 22 new medical marijuana licenses. Vendors who were denied licenses have filed more than 20 separate challenges to the awards.
ICE tries to poach local law enforcement officers.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is aggressively trying to recruit law enforcement officers to join ICE. Letters offering a $50,000 signing bonus have been sent out. Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey isn’t happy. He calls the recruitment campaign, a “slap in the face.” Police departments in Brevard and statewide were already struggling to keep up with recruitment goals. So far in Brevard, the ICE recruitment efforts appear to be directed mostly to the sheriff's office, while local police departments have not yet seen any impact. Despite his concerns about losing deputies to ICE, Ivey remains committed to assisting with efforts to remove undocumented immigrants from Brevard County.
New NASA head wants to put nuclear power on the moon.
The acting head of NASA wants to get nuclear power on the moon before China does. One of the first directives from Sean Duffy calls to speed up efforts to establish a nuclear reactor on the lunar surface. That would mean another Florida rocket launch with radioactive materials as the payload. Duffy wants a 100kw reactor, enough energy to power 80 homes, to be ready in four years. The Space Coast has seen launches carrying nuclear material before. In 1997, major protests took place ahead of the launch of the Cassini spacecraft because it contained plutonium.
Executive jet factory at MLB to expand.
The business jet manufacturer Embraer plans to expand production at Melbourne Airport. The $90 million expansion will boost the Brazilian aviation company’s capacity. Embraer has created more than 1,000 jobs on the Space Coast since 2008.
