Brevard tops Florida's 2025 dengue fever cases
Brevard County led the state in locally transmitted dengue fever cases in 2025. And we remain under a health alert for mosquito-borne diseases today. More than half of Florida’s 62 dengue cases were caught in Brevard. The locally caught cases have puzzled experts who are trying to figure out why a disease typically found in the tropics is spreading for the first time in Brevard. Dengue (also called break-bone fever) is a viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people. Dengue can present "as a flu-like illness with severe muscle aches and joint pain, fever, and sometimes a rash.
IRL Workshop scheduled for Monday.
Brevard County Commissioners will host a Save Our Indian River Lagoon workshop on Monday, January 12, in Palm Bay. WFIT’s Terri Wright tells us more.
Monday’s meeting will center on updates and ongoing efforts to protect and restore the Indian River Lagoon. County officials say the workshop will provide the public with the latest information on restoration programs, progress to date, and future priorities, with time set aside for public comment so residents can share their feedback directly with county leaders.
The workshop begins at 5 p.m. at the Palm Bay City Council Chambers, 120 Malabar Road SE. The meeting will be recorded and posted online for later viewing, but it will not be livestreamed.
Court rules Florida Medicaid letters not in line with federal law.
A federal judge ruled this week that Florida violated the constitutional rights of poor people it removed from the Medicaid rolls. The judge said the state sent beneficiaries “vague, confusing and often incorrect and misleading” termination letters. U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard ordered the state to send appropriate Medicaid termination notices to roughly 500,000 low-income people whose benefits the state terminated.
NASA astronauts to come home early.
For the first time ever, astronauts will depart the International Space Station early due to a medical issue. NASA announced on yesterday afternoon that it has decided to bring the four astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-11 mission home from the ISS ahead of schedule due to a medical issue experienced by a crewmember in orbit. It will be the first medical evacuation in the history of the orbiting lab. But NASA officials stressed there's no reason to panic. The affected astronaut is in stable condition and should be just fine.
Florida retains title as Lightning Capital.
The state of Florida retained its title as Lightning Capital of the country in 2025. The Sunshine State edged out Oklahoma with 117 lightning strikes vs. 97 strikes. Seminole County was #1 in the country, based on lightning density. The nation as a whole saw 20% more lightning strikes last year. Fourteen states barely saw any lightning.
Jousts, feasts and fun at the renaissance fair.
The Space Coast Renaissance Fair takes place over two weekends this month in Viera. This event recreates a 16th-century European marketplace with artisans, live entertainment, falconry, jousts and ax throwing. What could go wrong? Find out this weekend and next.
It’s an unofficial holiday today.
Are you celebrating the holiday today? The New Year brings resolutions, but the second Friday of every January is for those who ditch their plans. Today is quitters day. It’s an unofficial holiday for people who have given up on their New Year’s resolutions. The most popular New Year’s resolutions, and therefore the most likely to be ditched, are saving more money, eating healthier, and exercising more.
