County commissioners consider sales tax hike.
Brevard County faces a future funding shortfall for public works and infrastructure projects. County commissioners are considering a half-penny sales tax increase, which would require voter approval. At this week’s meeting, commissioners discussed raising money through a sales tax hike to fund infrastructure for transportation and flood relief.
Also at the meeting this week, Brevard County commissioners approved the final yearly plan for the Save Our Indian River Lagoon program under a sales tax that expires this year. The plan shifts focus to sewage treatment and septic-to-sewer conversions over muck dredging. Commissioners are also considering a referendum to renew the half-cent sales tax that funds the program.
Judge rules in favor of Jennifer Jenkins.
After nearly three years of contentious wrangling with the Brevard School Board, former board member Jennifer Jenkins won a court case. A judge issued a ruling favoring Jenkins, and ruling that Matt Susin’s call log delay was unreasonable. WFIT’s Terri Wright tells us more.
A judge has ruled that School Board member Matthew Susin improperly delayed producing public records, including call logs from his personal cellphone. The case stems from Jenkins' repeated records requests in 2022 and 2023, who alleged Susin conducted official business on his private device. Susin claimed no records existed and that his phone logs were not public, but the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and former County Commissioner John Tobia produced records showing communication with him.
The court will also determine responsibility for attorneys’ fees, with the School Board’s legal costs on Susin’s behalf estimated at more than $99,000.
Florida freeze expensive for growers.
The cost of freeze damage to Florida crops may cost growers up to $1 billion. The Florida Department of Agriculture reports the record cold weather devastated blueberry and sunflower crops, and damaged strawberry fields. You can help local farmers by buying produce with the Fresh From Florida label.
ULA Vulcan rocket suffers anomaly.
The rocket rumble you may have heard early this morning was a ULA Vulcan rocket sending a payload to orbit for the military. The liftoff at 4:22AM was uneventful, but shortly after launch video shows one of the four solid rocket boosters appeared to suffer an anomaly. ULA acknowledged the problem but said the payload was on a nominal trajectory to orbit.
Tomorrow morning, four astronauts hope to fly to the International Space Station. The SpaceX Falcon 9 is slated to liftoff at 5:15AM. Expect a sonic boom shortly after launch as the first stage booster returns to the Cape for a landing. Weather offshore has been an issue this week, and there’s still a moderate risk of strong winds and heavy seas in the emergency splashdown area in the Atlantic on Friday.
Funds withheld for NASA science missions.
The White House had pushed to cancel many NASA science missions. Now the news site Politico reports that the Office of Management and Budget is withholding money for NASA missions that study the Earth, climate-related efforts, and programs that study other planets in the universe. The move goes against Congress and a funding bill signed into law.
“I was misinformed.”
The mother of the Titusville teen killed on a cruise ship has walked back her statement. Anna Kepner’s biological mom now says she was misinformed about murder charges being levied against the girl’s stepbrother. Last week, the 16-year-old stepbrother appeared before a federal judge in a Miami courtroom, but all documents were sealed.
