Brevard pauses Flock cameras.
The backlash against Flock cameras is gaining momentum in Florida. The Brevard County Sheriff's Office has paused its use of the Flock license plate reading system due to privacy concerns. Sheriff Wayne Ivey:
“There’s no doubt that Flock cameras and the data they collect are an amazing tool for law enforcement, that have assisted us in solving a significant amount of serious crimes. There’s also no doubt that the availability of the collected data to others has become a major concern to our citizens and their right to privacy. I fully terminated our agency’s use of Flock cameras along major thoroughfares throughout Brevard County, which are the only places our agency has ever installed the cameras.”
The County Sheriff has 19 cameras posted in its jurisdiction monitoring traffic along major highways. Local Brevard governments may also have the cameras installed along roads. Yesterday the Florida Department of Transportation issued a directive to remove Flock cameras along state roads. Concerns over the system grew after reports of misuse by law enforcement. Two weeks ago a Brevard sheriff’s deputy tapped into the system to review the location of his estranged girlfriend.
No debate allowed on new bear hunt.
Florida will be conducting a bear hunt again this year. But the Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission is not conducting public hearings to gather comments. Instead, applications to kill a bear will be accepted starting September 11th, with the hunt scheduled for between December 5th and December 28th. In the 13-county Central Florida area, 21 permits will be up for grabs. 1,400 bears call our area home. Once again, non-hunters are expected to flood the FWC with applications, under the Sierra Club’s “Bag a Tag - Spare a Bear” campaign. Last year Florida set the kill quota at 172 bears, but only 52 were shot, perhaps due to the Spare a Bear campaign.
Blue Origin builds for the future.
The rocket company Blue Origin plans to construct a 14 story payload processing facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The project will create an estimated 23 new jobs with an average salaries of $115,000.
And SpaceX has filed permits for a 55-acre Starship testing site in Brevard. The facility would conduct engine tests before the massive Starship rockets are moved to the launch pad. SpaceX says Starship launches from Florida could begin as soon as this year.
Oh, Canada!
Backlash from Canadian tourists has hit Florida. The first half of this year saw a 14% drop in visitors from Canada. The decrease may reflect an aversion toward President Trump’s rhetoric and his trade policies.
Four nabbed in Brevard palmetto berry bust.
Four people were arrested in Grant-Valkaria for allegedly harvesting 200 pounds of saw palmetto berries illegally. Harvesting palmetto berries without a permit and landowner authorization is a third-degree felony in Florida. There's some money in selling the berries. Worldwide demand for dietary supplements has created a black market in Florida that sends palmetto berries mostly overseas for processing.
Has your grocery shopping changed?
Florida Today asked its readers if the rising price of groceries prompted them to change their shopping habits. 44% of respondents said they are still shopping at the same stores, but taking advantage of BOGOs and sales. 33% said they had switched to a discount grocery, or bought lower-priced foods. And 22% responded they are still shopping at the same places and eating the same foods.
