Hurricane Erin to remain offshore, but will bring 6-9 feet waves, rip currents to Brevard
Hurricane Erin, a Category 4 storm, is expected to bring life-threatening surf and rip currents off Brevard’s shores.
As of early Aug. 18, the huge storm had hurricane-force winds extending outward up to 80 miles from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extending outward up to 230 miles.
A high rip current risk remains in effect for Brevard County through Thursday evening.
The current forecast has Hurricane Erin closest to Brevard on Tuesday night when it’s expected to be about 450 miles east of Cape Canaveral.
Tuesday and Wednesday will likely see waves between 5 – 9 feet, which might result in minor beach and dune erosion, especially around high tide between 5 and 7 a.m.
14 candidates enter races for Florida Legislature seats within Brevard in 2026 election
The 2026 Florida Legislature primary elections are more than a year away. But candidates already are lining up to run in the House and Senate districts that include parts of Brevard County.
There are a total of 12 Republican and two Democrat candidates announced for the five Florida House seats and one Florida Senate seat that will be contested in Brevard in 2026. One of the Republicans has signed up to run in both a Senate and a House race, and says she will decide later in the campaign which one to pursue.
If more than one candidate of the same political party qualifies to run for a specific seat, there will be primary elections held on Aug. 18, 2026. The general election will be Nov. 3, 2026.
By filing candidate paperwork early, candidates can begin campaign fundraising, and are able spend money on mailings, fliers and media advertising designed to increase their name recognition with voters.
Brevard Zoo offers free admission to Florida children for all of September
Brevard Zoo is bringing back a popular deal.
Florida residents 11 years and under get free admission for the month of September. The deal is valid with a paying adult admission.
One paying adult can get up to three children admitted for free.
The offer cannot be combined with other offers and it is only available to Florida residents. Adults must present a state-issued photo ID or utility bill with an address and a matching photo ID.
The deal begins Sept. 1 and runs through Sept. 30.
Florida bear hunt rules face legal challenge from conservationists
A wildlife conservation group has filed a complaint against the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, saying it violated state law in how it developed rules to resume an annual black bear hunting season.
In a challenge filed Aug. 15 with the state's Division of Administrative Hearings, Bear Warriors United argued the FWC's rules for a December hunt are an improper use of its rule-making powers.
The group's attorney said the FWC did not follow its own procedures, violated its charter to include scientific data and public input in management decisions, and denied due process to the public.
Bear Warriors seeks to block the FWC from issuing any bear hunting permits until all legal appeals have been exhausted. The FWC does not comment on pending litigation.
Florida ended holding an annual bear hunting season in 1994 when the bear population was around 1,000. Bears have since increased to around 4,000, based on projections from a 2014 count.
A coalition of conservation groups have been working to block the hunt ever since FWC chair Rodney Barreto directed the agency’s biologists to develop a hunt last December.
Staff proposed a 23-day hunting season this December that includes 187 hunting permits. A permit entitles a hunter to harvest one bear from one of four bear management units, and there are seven BMUs across the state. Dates, locations, and quotas for future hunts will be determined annually by the agency's executive director.