School board agrees to Moms for Liberty settlement.
At last night’s Brevard School Board meeting, the board approved a settlement with Moms for Liberty. Brevard will pay lawyers representing Moms for Liberty over $560,000 to end a lawsuit over a public comment policy.
The school board also gave Superintendent Mark Rendell a $10,000 bonus and a contract extension, sparking some public concern.
Local road flooding in Cocoa.
A combination of rain, wind, and a full moon have contributed to road flooding and beach erosion in Brevard. Parts of North Indian River Drive in Cocoa have been flooded for days. Residents say even their mail is not being delivered, and they are asking for help from the county. The lagoon's tributaries kept rising this week. Water monitors in Turkey Creek, Crane Creek, Eau Gallie River and Haulover Canal rose about a foot over the past week.
And along Space Coast beaches, erosion is more pronounced in northern Satellite Beach. The National Weather Service in Melbourne says a coastal flood advisory and a high risk of rip currents will remain in effect through Thursday. The easterly winds keep pushing Sargassum seaweed piles onto local beaches and into beachside canals.
Here’s a traffic alert for Palm Bay: repair work began today on the bridge on Malabar Road, between Bending Branch Lane and Bavarian Avenue. The bridge was damaged during a vehicle crash, and repairs on Malabar Road will require single lane traffic for up to 12 weeks.
SpaceX prepares for Thursday rocket launch.
SpaceX is prepping for a launch of Amazon Kuiper internet satellites on Thursday. The Falcon9 should liftoff during a two hour launch window that opens at 9:34PM Thursday. This will bring the Kuiper constellation to 153 satellites, on its way to over 3,000.
Florida student arrested after ChatGPT question.
A 13-year-old Florida student was arrested after typing a disturbing question into ChatGPT during class. WFIT’s Terri Wright has more.
The message was flagged by the school’s AI monitoring system, Gaggle, which scans student activity for signs of threats, self-harm, or other concerning behavior. The student later told officers he was “just trolling” a friend. Online reactions were mixed—some praised the quick response given Florida’s history of school shootings, while others questioned the limits of such surveillance. The incident highlights the legal and ethical challenges schools face when technology detects potentially threatening language and shows how even a single message can carry serious consequences, regardless of intent.
Bunky’s Raw Bar has been duplicated.
Bunky’s Raw Bar is opening a second location, this time on Wickham Road in Melbourne. The Indialantic restaurant and bar has taken over Charlie and Jake’s and is gearing up for a soft opening next week. The menu will include favorites from Bunky’s beachside, with the addition of a craft brewery.
KSC deal for Brevard residents.
If you haven’t visited the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex recently, here’s your chance to get a highly discounted admission ticket. From Monday, October 13 through Sunday, October 26 adults can visit for $21 (tickets are normally $77). Be prepared to show proof of residency in Brevard, and consider donating canned goods and hygiene products for the Brevard Sharing Centers during your visit. And yes, the KSC Visitor Complex is open during the federal government shutdown.
