Brevard man arrested for LA fires.
It was the most destructive fire in LA history. It destroyed much of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood last January. And now authorities in California have made an arrest. A 25-year-old from Brevard County is accused of lighting the fire on New Year’s Day. Jonathan Rinderknecht of Melbourne was arrested Tuesday. On Wednesday Rinderknecht appeared in federal court in Orlando, shackled in chains. If convicted of destroying property by fire, Rinderknecht faces between five and 20 years in prison plus a $250,000 fine. The Brevard man was working as an Uber driver in California, and after dropping off a passenger in Pacific Palisades, he walked up a trail and is accused of starting the fire.
SpaceX plans launch for this evening.
SpaceX is targeting 9:34PM tonight to launch a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The mission is to deploy 28 satellites for Amazon’s Kuiper constellation. The 45th Weather Squadron predicts only a 45% chance of favorable conditions. Clouds and lightning combined with rough seas in the booster recovery zone may delay the launch.
Florida AG commissioner wants to simplify student lunches.
Florida’s agriculture commissioner says the state legislature should remove ultra-processed school lunches from the menu. Commissioner Wilton Simpson says if pending federal legislation doesn’t pass, Florida will act. Last year a similar bill was introduced in Tallahassee but died after pushback from lobbyists in the food and beverage industry. The FDA is in the process of defining just what ultra-processed foods are.
Bryan Lober accused of ethics violations.
The Florida Commission on Ethics has found probable cause that former Brevard County Commissioner Bryan Lober misused his office for personal gain through improper county credit card spending. WFIT’s Terri Wright tells us more.
The finding moves the case to a public hearing, where Lober could face penalties ranging from fines to a public reprimand. The investigation, launched after a referral from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, centers on more than $40,000 in purchases made with a county-issued card. Lober avoided criminal charges only because the statute of limitations expired. He stopped cooperating with investigators after resigning from office.
Whole Foods set to open in November.
Start saving up now. Brevard’s first Whole Foods Market is set to open in less than a month. The market, located on Viera Blvd in Rockledge, will open on November 6th. It will feature 450 local items from Florida.
Publix to allow open carry of guns.
Public supermarkets is changing its policy. It is now allowing Floridians to openily carry guns in its stores. The change came after an appeals court overturned the state’s ban on open carry. Now, businesses now have the option to prohibit openly displaying a firearm. Publix is choosing to open their 900 stores in Florida to weapons.
Re-name a road in honor of Charlie Kirk - or lose state funding.
A Florida legislator wants to require every college and university in the state to rename an on-campus road after Charlie Kirk. Or the school will lose its' state funding. Kevin Steele filed the bill this week in Tallahassee, but it won’t be considered until the legislature convenes next year.
