Brevard residents to get opportunity to address legislators at Sept. 30 delegation meeting
Florida Sen. Debbie Mayfield has scheduled the annual meeting of Brevard County's delegation to the Florida Legislature for Sept. 30. Mayfield is the chair of the delegation.
During the meeting, local residents, public officials and representatives of organizations will get a chance to address the seven-member, all-Republican delegation on issues they would like the Florida Legislature to address during its 2026 session.
The legislative delegation meeting will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Sept. 30 in the Brevard County Commission Chambers.
Individuals and organizations wishing to be placed on the agenda to provide remarks to the delegation must complete an appearance request form by 5 p.m. Sept. 19.
Members of the public who want to provide comments to the delegation, but do not submit an appearance request form by the deadline, may complete a public comment card at the event. Public comments will be accommodated as time permits.
Melbourne digs deep to install largest baffle box to heal Indian River Lagoon
Melbourne is installing a $2.1 million baffle box to clean stormwater at Apollo Boulevard near General Aviation Drive. This is reported to be the largest baffle box in the world, with assurances that it will capture the worst of what enters the Indian River Lagoon.
Baffle boxes are underground concrete or fiberglass structures made up of chambers separated by internal walls called "baffles" that trap debris, trash, and other pollutants from stormwater that flows off streets and into storm drains after heavy rains.
“Nutrient-separating” baffle boxes also remove nitrogen and phosphorus — which can spur harmful algal blooms that kill seagrass and the fish and other marine life that rely on that habitat.
At 30-by-31-by-24 feet, the manufacturer, Old Castle Infrastructure, is calling it the largest baffle box in the world.
Annually, it will remove about 3,380 pounds of nitrogen and 479 pounds of phosphorus from stormwater before it enters the Indian River Lagoon.
Uthmeier: Let people under 21 buy guns
On Wednesday, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier urged the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down a 2018 state law that prevents people under age 21 from buying rifles and other long guns.
Lawyers in Uthmeier’s office, which typically defends state laws, filed a 17-page brief arguing the Supreme Court should take up an appeal by the National Rifle Association that contends the law violates Second Amendment rights.
Then-Gov. Rick Scott and the Republican-controlled Legislature passed the law after a February 2018 shooting at a Parkland High School that killed 17 people. The NRA quickly challenged the constitutionality of the law but lost in federal district court and at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The NRA went to the Supreme Court in May.
Uthmeier said in March he would not defend the law, but Wednesday’s brief appeared to go further by arguing the Supreme Court should take up the case and find the law unconstitutional.
U.S. News: 2 Brevard high schools in nation’s top 100
A new report from U.S. News and World Report ranked the top high schools nationwide and within Florida. West Shore Junior/Senior High and Edgewood Junior/Senior High made the top 100 in the country.
Brevard Public Schools Superintendent Mark Rendell commended the performance around the district in a statement sent to media outlets Aug. 21.
He siad it was great to see the hard work of students and staff recognized in the rankings, and that the community should be proud.
Rendell added that the rankings “underscore Brevard Public Schools’ mission to serve every student with excellence as the standard” and that the district will continue to expand access to “rigorous academic programs and fostering environments where students are empowered to succeed.”