Man wanted for questioning in Fort Pierce mass shooting no longer person of interest
The man wanted for questioning in the deadly mass shooting that left a mother dead and 11 others wounded during a Martin Luther King Jr. event in Fort Pierce is no longer a person of interest, ABC affiliate WPBF reports.
Gov. Ron DeSantis sticks to script as he dodges question about presidential ambitions
Gov. Ron DeSantis' answer about whether he’d serve a full four-year term if re-elected or run for president dodged the question instead of directly answering it. The question from Democratic challenger Charlie Crist and the answer from DeSantis weren’t spur-of-the-moment exchanges, but the kind of lines candidates prepare for and rehearse in advance of debates.
sun-sentinel.comNavy Seal veterans paddle from Key West to Fort Pierce for charity
Local non-profit Beyond the Teams consists of a group of Navy Seal veterans who take on challenges to raise money for charities associated with the Navy Seal Museum in Fort Pierce. Their latest challenge? Traveling from Key West all the way to Fort Pierce via canoe.
Federal Court Shuts Down Florida Tax Return Preparer
Today, a federal court in Fort Pierce, Florida, permanently barred a Florida tax return preparer from preparing federal tax returns for others. According to the complaint, Brandhi Shaw prepared tax returns in Belle Glade, Florida, at Premier Financial Services and Premium Financial Solutions. The complaint alleges that Shaw prepared tax returns that purposefully understated the tax her customers owed or overstated the refunds they were entitled to claim. Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers.
justice.govCoast Guard says 16 people missing off Florida coast; 1 rescued
The United States Coat Guard said 16 people went missing from two separate boats off the coast of Florida. Officials said 10 people went missing near Key West while six others disappeared off the coast of Fort Pierce. They were en route from Bimini, Bahamas, according to the Coast Guard, but the agency did not mention where their boat was headed. More here: https://t.co/BbN2wS8c4U#D7 #USCG pic.twitter.com/gUk7RQfz9P — USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) February 15, 2021The rescued man was transported ashore for medical treatment. Last week, the Coast Guard rescued three Cuban nationals who were stranded for more than a month on a desert island in the Bahamas.
cbsnews.comPolice: Miami man shot in face after complaining about slow service at smoothie shop
FORT PIERCE, Fla. – A 39-year-old man from Miami remains hospitalized after he was shot in the face Sunday after complaining about the service inside a Tropical Smoothie Cafe in Fort Pierce, authorities confirmed. According to Fort Pierce police spokesman Mike Jachles, the incident occurred just before 3:30 p.m. Sunday at the smoothie shop on Okeechobee Road. Jachles said the victim was complaining about the length of time it was taking for his order when a man entered the business, confronted the customer and shot him in the face. Anyone with further information about the shooting is asked to call Detective Joselito Simon at 772-577-0753 or Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers at 800-273-TIPS. All Crime Stoppers tips will remain anonymous and those with information that leads to an arrest may be eligible for a cash reward.
Body of trooper fatally shot on I-95 receives FHP escort
FORT PIERCE, Fla. – The body of a Florida Highway Patrol trooper who was fatally shot after he stopped to help a motorist was escorted across the state Friday morning. Trooper Joseph Bullock was killed Wednesday on Interstate 95 in Martin County. The tow truck driver, who hasn't been identified, said Reed was upset about having to pay for a towing service when he shot Bullock. Trooper Joseph Bullock was fatally shot by Frankin Reed III, who was then shot to death by a Riviera Beach police officer. (FHP, Martin County Sheriff's Office)Shortly thereafter, a Riviera Beach police officer who was passing by shot Reed, killing him.
He burned alive a parakeet named Jesus. Was that free speech?
Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida, which runs from Fort Pierce to Key West, seem to be getting more aggressive about online threats. A review of all cases since 2005 in which defendants were charged with communicating interstate threats found that 21 of the 39 total cases in the district since that year have been prosecuted since 2015.
sun-sentinel.com3 service plazas close on Florida Turnpike
Google StreetviewPALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. - Authorities are closing three service plazas on the Florida Turnpike ahead of Hurricane Dorian's impending tropical storm-force winds, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. The three service plazas are in West Palm Beach, Fort Pierce and Fort Drum. The closures affect the service plazas' convenience store, food plaza and fuel pumps. The West Palm Beach plaza closed at 5 p.m. Monday, the Fort Pierce plaza closes at 8 p.m. and the Fort Drum plaza closes at 8 a.m. Tuesday. For more information, visit the Florida Turnpike site."
'They want more disasters to happen,' Omar Mateen says in 2012 documentary
FORT PIERCE, Fla. – A clip from a 2012 documentary showing Omar Mateen at work was discovered Wednesday on YouTube. "They want more disasters to happen because that's where their money-making is," Mateen said in the video. It’s unclear if Mateen knew he was being taped for the 2012 documentary about the BP oil spill. "My son was a victim and got trapped in the scheme of this ISIS idea," Mateen’s father, Seddique Mateen, said. Seddique Mateen, who has been candid in his conversations about his son, wouldn't say if he thought his daughter-in-law could have prevented the attack.
FBI combs through homes of Orlando gunman and family
The FBI spent the night combing through the Orlando shooter's home in Fort Pierce, Florida. Omar Mateen lived about two hours from the scene of the massacre at Pulse nightclub. Investigators also seized evidence from Mateen's father's home in Port St. Lucie, Florida. David Begnaud reports from outside Mateen's home in Fort Pierce.
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