Pulse memorial on the fast track.
More than ten years after a shooter killed 49 people at the Pulse nightclub, the Orlando City Council unanimously voted to proceed with construction on a memorial next month.
The memorial will be built at the site of the nightclub on South Orange Avenue, Orlando, which the city demolished in March.
It will include a reflecting pool, Survivor Wall, visitor center and a pavilion for community gatherings as a tribute to what was at the time the largest mass shooting in U-S- history.
Buddy Dyer has been Orlando’s mayor for more than two decades. He won’t be seeking reelection next fall, and he’s made the memorial a personal priority before he leaves office.
“Commissioner Sheehan and I will term out in January, and we're going to make sure that that memorial is finished before we do.”
Orange County, the state of Florida and numerous charitable organizations are helping to finance the project, in addition to the 7-point-5 million dollars the city has budgeted for the work.
Construction work is slated to begin in November and finish by the end of next year.
Launch worth waking up for.
This morning’s SpaceX launch was one worth waking up for. At 6:33 am a Falcon 9 lifted off sending supplies to the International Space Station, including an experiment created by Florida Tech students. The launch was memorable for the gigantic “space jellyfish” that filled the Eastern skies. The Dragon cargo capsule is due to arrive at the space station on Thursday morning.
Apollo 11 jacket up for auction.
A rare Neil Armstrong Apollo 11 jacket is up for auction. The NASA inflight jacket is being auctioned by the American Space Museum in Titusville. The jacket didn’t make it to space. Armstrong wore his flight suit during Apollo 11 training exercises on Earth. But it could still fetch over $1 million. A portion of proceeds from the charity auction will help fund the nonprofit museum's operations and capital improvements.
Lawsuit alleges DraftKings operating illegal sports betting.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida has filed a lawsuit against DraftKings, alleging illegal sports betting operations in the state. A 2021 gaming compact grants the Seminole Tribe exclusive rights to offer sports betting in Florida. The lawsuit seeks to have DraftKings' operations declared illegal and to surrender any profits earned in Florida.
Robotics team makes a difference.
The Pink Team Youth Robotics is making a difference on the Space Coast. WFIT’s Terri Wright shares details.
The Pink High School Robotics Team consists of students from Cocoa Beach, Rockledge, and Space Coast Jr/Sr High School. The Pink Team is more than just a school club. They support the community, participating in over 100 outreach events, totaling more than 4,100 outreach hours!
From January to March, the students will prototype, design, fabricate, wire, and program a robot to compete at the Orlando Regional at UCF from March 18th-20th, 2027.
In addition to competing, the Pink Team works with Enable to build 3D printed wheelchairs and prosthetic limbs for people in need. Find out more on the web: thepinkteam.net
Worse than a bird in the hand.
And finally, 10 birds were found at Miami Airport stuffed in a man’s underwear. The man disembarked from a flight from Cuba, and attracted the action of airport custom’s agents. He appeared nervous and they noticed an “unexplained bulge” in his pants. He was charged with smuggling the birds into the US.
