More development for Palm Bay.
The St. Johns Heritage Parkway extension continues to attract homebuilders and buyers. WFIT’s Rick Glasby has details about another massive new development being planned for South Palm Bay.
Millrose Properties Florida was approved this past week for a zoning change that will allow them to build 1,600 homes and 760 multifamily units on 1,200 acres. The final project will include 145,000 square feet of non-residential use property for commercial real estate for a planned town center. If the project moves forward, all phases are expected to be completed by 2036.
Red-tide may be back on beach shores
Red-tide may be expected on Florida shores in the upcoming months. Red-tide is produced from an algae called Karenia brevis, that in large amounts, can discolor water and emit toxins in the air, irritating to humans. Higher risk concerns involve disruption to wildlife, as the algae brevetoxins can kill fish, birds, and other marine animals. Red-tide is most commonly observed on the west coast of Florida, in the water of The Gulf of America. However, as of today, no red-tide has been observed on the east coast of Florida
Desantis signs in a new voter act.
April 1, Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 991, Florida’s version of the national voter SAVE Act. WFIT’s Terri Wright outlines the changes.
The law requires new Florida voters to provide documented proof of U.S. citizenship when registering or updating their registration and eliminates student IDs and retirement center IDs as acceptable forms of voter identification. Voting rights groups have challenged the measure in court, arguing it creates unnecessary barriers to voting. Nationally, a similar proposal passed the House but appears unlikely to advance in the Senate despite pressure from President Trump. Critics warn the law could disproportionately affect older residents without birth certificates, first-time voters, people who lost documents in hurricanes or other emergencies, and women who changed their surnames after marriage. The changes are not yet in effect and are scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
You can check your voter status or register to vote at votebrevard.gov
Should school millage be continued in Brevard Public Schools?
Residents of Brevard county will be voting soon on whether school millage should continue to be implemented for Brevard Public Schools(BPS). School millage is a property tax that goes towards supplementing school operations, and employee compensation. BPS superintendent, Mark Rendell, says that school millage plays a role in pulling in and keeping teachers in BPS, accumulating to the county’s 93% retention rate.
Orion swinging on home.
The Artemis II crew exited the lunar sphere of influence yesterday afternoon, and are on the way back home. The astronauts' will spend four days trekking back home before landing down off the coast of San Diego, California, Friday evening.
The next rocket launch from Cape Canaveral is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 8:26 AM. A Falcon 9 rocket will send cargo to the International Space Station.
Manatee Melby
A juvenile manatee named "Melby" was released after being rescued in February from a Melbourne Beach storm drain.The manatee recovered at SeaWorld in Orlando from being underweight and having multiple wounds. Multiple local, state, and federal agencies collaborated on the complex, hours-long rescue effort.