Here's a Local and State News update from Florida Today and WFIT. I'm Evan Niemczyk
Port Canaveral has approved $5M for a new fishing dock and facilities. WFIT’s Terri Wright explains.
"Port Canaveral commissioners approved the next phase of a waterfront project supporting the commercial fishing industry. The investment will fund a 16-slip fishing dock, fish-cleaning stations, office space, and storage facilities, improving seafood handling and distribution while strengthening the local fishing economy."
Construction on the commercial fishing waterfront project is expected to be completed in early 2027.
Many Floridians are beginning their celebrations for the nation’s 250th birthday today. Meteorologist Megan Borowski from the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network says that as we head to the beach and barbeques, there are a few weather hazards to be cognizant of over the next few days,
"Right so the big attention getter is the heat dome that is building over the eastern half of the United States. Thankfully we aren’t going to get the worst of the heat from that high pressure center, but feels like temperatures are likely to reach the triple digits each afternoon over the next few days. And nighttime lows won’t cool down that much either. The other hazard to watch this weekend is for evening thunderstorms… the best chance for those will be across the southern two thirds of the peninsula. The big takeaway here is to seek shelter if you hear thunder. Even if it’s not raining, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to the storm to be struck by lightning."
Megan also says that the risk for rip currents will be elevated at some Atlantic and Gulf beaches.
A federal audit found nearly $300,000 in spending by the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program was "not allowable.” WFIT’s Rick Glasby has details:
"Program officials say the issue arose from starting lagoon cleanup projects before federal grant money was officially in hand. While that helped clean up the lagoon, it caused conflicts with some federal audit requirements. Dr. Dwayne DeFreese, executive director of the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program, says the bottom line is no funds were misused. No projects were negatively affected, nor were any federal funds required to be returned."
The Palm Beach County zoning commission unanimously recommends turning down the controversial A-I data center known as "Project Tango."
The unanimous decision comes months after intense pushback from residents in the western part of the county.
The commission met late last week and said evidence was insufficient to guarantee the safety of nearby communities and schools.
Here’s board member Susan Kennedy.
"That the project fails to meet the county’s standards, including consistency with the comprehensive plan, consistency with the ULDC compatibility with the surrounding uses, design minimizing adverse impact, design minimizing environmental impact in adequate public facilities."
Following the zoning meeting, a highly anticipated vote by the Palm Beach County Commissioners is scheduled for July 15th. That's when County Commissioners will determine the final fate of the Project Tango campus.
For these stories and more, visit FloridaToday.com and WFIT.org. I'm Evan Niemczyk.