Gas tax Increase?
Brevard County commissioners are weighing whether to ask voters to approve a local gas tax increase to help fund road resurfacing and repair projects. WFIT’s Terri Wright has details:
Currently, the county collects a 6-cent local fuel tax per gallon. Commissioners are considering asking for between 1 and 5 cents more to generate additional revenue for transportation needs. Rising construction costs are already forcing cutbacks. Instead of 50 miles of resurfacing completed this past fiscal year, only 40 miles are planned for the next. Road reconstruction will also shrink from 7.5 miles to 5 miles. A referendum could appear on the ballot in 2026.
Supplies for Space Station on hold.
The 11,000 pounds of supplies destined for the International Space Station have yet to arrive. The Cygnus spacecraft, launched on Saturday from the Cape, was due to arrive this morning, but thrusters on the cargo craft failed to fire correctly. Flight controllers are evaluating the issue. Meanwhile, the arrival of Cygnus is on hold.
In other space news, expect rocket rumble early Thursday morning. SpaceX has scheduled a Falcon 9 launch, with a four hour window opening at 5:30AM Thursday.
COVID vaccines hard to get in Brevard.
Hoping to get a COVID-19 booster? You might have a problem getting it in Brevard, or all of Florida for that matter. None of the major pharmacies in the county has the vaccine, though the FDA approved updated boosters last month. But under the updated approvals, only those over 65 or people with existing health problems are approved to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The new rules have led to widespread confusion about who can get the boosters and delayed its rollout. As of now, there are limited places for those eligible in Brevard to get a booster shot. Health First officials said the COVID-19 vaccine booster is being offered in its physician offices, but not its pharmacy.
Which Florida university will erect a Charlie Kirk statue?
New College of Florida plans to build a statue of Charlie Kirk, the right-wing activist killed in Utah last week. According to a social media post by the school, the Kirk statue will be displayed on its Sarasota campus. It will be privately funded. New College was transformed by Gov. DeSantis who appointed new, conservative leaders to run it.
Hurricane expected to form by the weekend.
The National Hurricane Center says that the tropical depression that formed in the Atlantic today will most likely be a hurricane by this weekend. Megan Borowski of the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network has details:
So this morning, an area of thunderstorms over the eastern Atlantic has organized enough to be called Tropical Depression Seven. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center project that it will strengthen into a Tropical Storm over the next 12 to 36 hours, and likely a hurricane by the weekend. Its name will be Gabrielle. I will note that just behind Tropical Depression Seven is another tropical wave that right now has a low chance for development over the next week or so. Good news is that neither Tropical Depression Seven, nor the area behind it, pose an immediate threat to the United States.
Megan reminds us that the peak of hurricane season is upon us, and even though there are no storms immediately threatening our area, it is always a good idea to keep emergency supplies stocked, and to keep an eye on the forecast.
