Congressional redistricting impacts Brevard County.
When the Florida legislature approved a new congressional map for the state it changed Brevard’s district. District 8 previously ran the length of Brevard, but generally stopped at the St Johns River to the west. Now District 8 swings further west, taking in sections of east Orange, the University of Central Florida, Central Florida Research Park, all the way to Pinewood Reserve. One politician from Orange County said he fears the new district might not be in tune with the needs of Orange county residents. Samuel Vilchez-Santiago said he doesn’t think the people of East Orlando have much in common with the people of Brevard County.
KSC Director retires.
NASA announced Friday that Janet Petro, Director of Kennedy Space Center, is retiring. Petro was the 11th director of KSC and the first woman to lead the facility. She grew up in Brevard County and graduated from Satellite High. Kelvin Manning has stepped into the role of acting center director.
In other NASA news, in Washington a House appropriations subcommittee advanced a spending bill that would keep overall NASA funding at 2026 levels, rejecting a 23% cut proposed by the White House. The bill goes to the full committee on May 13.
Another blow to Boeing. NASA says it’s not ready yet to schedule the next flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft to the ISS. Boeing and NASA continue to work through the problems found in the 2024 Starliner test flight.
Spirit Airlines calls it quits.
Spirit Airlines has shut down operations and canceled all flights. The move came after Government bailout talks with the Florida-based carrier failed to reach a deal. So what should you do if you’re holding a ticket for a Spirit flight. Hopefully, you charged it. Contact your credit card company. If you booked your flight using any other method, including a voucher, credit or Free Spirit points, you’ll have to wade through the bankruptcy process. Several other airlines are offering “rescue fare discounts” to soften the blow.
Third drowning in a month.
Another person has drowned off the Space Coast. A 17-year-old drowned in the surf off Lori Wilson Park on Saturday. That’s the third drowning death in less than a month in Cocoa Beach. Brevard County lifeguards safely brought a 12-year-old to shore during the same rescue attempt. The National Weather Service issued another warning for a high risk of rip currents through early Tuesday.
Another sloth dies.
Another sloth from the now-defunct Sloth World has died at the Central Florida Zoo. Eleven sloths remain in the zoo’s care. WFIT’s Terri Wright has more.
Although the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has closed its inquiry, the state attorney general says a criminal investigation into the case is still ongoing.
PETA has filed a complaint with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement seeking aggravated animal cruelty charges against Sloth World owner Benjamin Agresta and former vice president Peter Bandré, linking them to the deaths of up to 52 sloths at the now-bankrupt attraction.
According to PETA, Bandré — founder of the Sea Turtle Preservation Society and president of Incredible Pets Inc. — has promoted himself as an expert and author on sloth care. The group also says his name began disappearing from company records weeks before the case gained national attention, and that Sloth World’s website and social media accounts were cleared of prior content.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, neither Sloth World nor Sanctuary World Imports held the federal license required to exhibit animals to the public.
