Tampa Bay man, 31, posed as high schooler to have sex with Miami-Dade teen, cops say
A now-31-year-old man from the Tampa Bay area claimed to be 16 when he began an online relationship with a then-14-year-old girl from Miami-Dade County back in 2020, culminating in three sexual encounters with the still-underage girl three years later in South Florida, according to police.
US proposes removing wood stork from endangered species list
The ungainly yet graceful wood stork, which was on the brink of extinction in 1984, has recovered sufficiently in Florida and other Southern states that U.S. wildlife officials on Tuesday proposed removing the wading bird from the endangered species list.
Human traffickers force 8 Cuban migrants into prostitution, police say
Human traffickers coerced eight Cuban migrants into prostitution in Florida, so they could each pay their $60,000 debt to the smugglers who helped them to cross the U.S.-Mexico border, according to Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister.
Fla. deputy accused of using innocent person’s license plate info to fake drug report
A Florida deputy was fired Tuesday after superiors accused him of trying to hide his “incompetence” by creating a fake drug report using information pulled from the license plate of a random vehicle parked at a Walmart store.
After attacks, ‘huge’ police presence at Florida Pride event
Even before a gunman opened fire at an annual LGBTQ Pride festival in Norway, police officials in a Florida city that hosts one of the largest Pride celebrations in the southeast U.S. were gearing up for “all hands on deck” to make sure the three days of festivities went off safely.
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DeSantis proposes $216 million be set aside for teacher bonuses a year after start of pandemic
Ron DeSantis held a news conference Wednesday afternoon at a school in Pinellas County, where he announced that he is asking the Florida legislature to approve setting aside $216 million from the ESSER Fund to go toward bonuses for principals and full-time teachers at public schools throughout the state. If approved, principals and Pre-K through 12th grade teachers would each receive a $1,000 bonus with the third-round funds provided to the state from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. “The past year included so much uncertainty for our state’s students, parents and educators,” DeSantis said. “In Florida, we knew how important it was for our students to return to school, and our principals and teachers answered the call. The governor said ESSER Funds are also being distributed at the local level and he urged local leaders to do even more for educators in their communities.
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Alligator interrupts Florida couple’s poolside morning coffee and takes a swim
That’s when he turned around to see a massive alligator, between 7 and 9 feet long, on the lanai of his Pinellas County home. He says the alligator had gotten stuck under an end table right next to the pool. Tim Kelly had quite the surprise Friday morning when he heard growling while getting his morning cup of coffee. As he and his wife waited for the FWC to arrive, the alligator was able to free himself from the coffee table and splashed right into the pool. “We were just sitting here having coffee just watching him swim around in the pool,” he recalls.
Golfer drowns while searching for ball at Florida country club
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – A 74-year-old man was found dead after police say he drowned while searching for his golf ball at a country club in Florida. According to officials from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the tragedy took place at the East Lake Woodlands Country Club, Sunday morning, where 74-year-old Hermilo Jazmines was playing golf with a friend. “Jazmines ‘teed off near the third hole’ and ‘was last seen looking for his ball near the green,’” says the sheriff’s office. They later dispatched their dive team, which “located Jazmines submerged in the water near his putter.”AdJazmines was pronounced dead at the scene. In a press release released by the sheriff’s office, friends of the golfer say he enjoyed searching the golf course for lost balls.
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Hack exposes vulnerability of cash-strapped US water plants
Authorities say a hacker gained access to Oldsmar's water treatment plant in an unsuccessful attempt to taint the water supply with a caustic chemical. A local sheriff's startling announcement Monday that the water supply of Oldsmar, population 15,000, was briefly in jeopardy last week exhibited uncharacteristic transparency. Ad“I deal with a lot of municipal water utilities for small, medium and large-sized cities. The nation's 151,000 public water systems lack the financial fortification of the corporate owners of nuclear power plants and electrical utilities. Although such incidents have been relatively few, that does not mean the risk is low and that most water systems are secure.
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After hack at Florida plant, local officials say layers of security keep water safe
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – A day after Pinellas County authorities reported a cyber intruder’s failed attempt to poison the water on Friday at a plant near Tampa, officials in Miami-Dade and Broward counties said water treatment plants in South Florida are safe. A. Selcuk Uluagac leads Florida International University’s Cyber-Physical Systems Security Lab. AdThe Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department produces 320 million gallons a day of drinking water and serves nearly 2.3 million residents and thousands of tourists. In Broward County, there is a similar system of checks and balances. “Those chemicals are added manually.”Alan Garcia, the director of the Broward County Water and Wastewater Services, said the public has absolutely nothing to worry about.
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Hack exposes vulnerability of cash-strapped US water plants
Authorities say a hacker gained access to Oldsmar's water treatment plant in an unsuccessful attempt to taint the water supply with a caustic chemical. A local sheriff's startling announcement Monday that the water supply of Oldsmar, population 15,000, was briefly in jeopardy last week exhibited uncharacteristic transparency. Ad“I deal with a lot of municipal water utilities for small, medium and large-sized cities. The nation's 151,000 public water systems lack the financial fortification of the corporate owners of nuclear power plants and electrical utilities. Although such incidents have been relatively few that does not mean the risk is low and that most water systems are secure.
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In Florida city, hackers try to poison the drinking water
In this screen shot from a YouTube video posted by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri speaks during a news conference as Oldsmar, Fla., Mayor Eric Seidel, left, listens, Monday, Feb. 8, 2021, in Oldsmar, Fla. Authorities say a hacker gained access to Oldsmar's water treatment plant in an unsuccessful attempt to taint the water supply with a caustic chemical. AdIn May, Israel’s cyber chief s aid the country had thwarted a major cyber attack a month earlier against its water systems, an assault widely attributed to its archenemy Iran. The FBI, along with the Secret Service and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case. AdRussian state-backed hackers have in recent years penetrated some U.S. industrial control systems, including the power grid and manufacturing plants while Iranian hackers were caught seizing control of a suburban New York dam in 2013.

Stoneman Douglas safety commission working to combat rise in school threats
CHAMPIONSGATE, Fla. - School disturbances on campuses, whether by total strangers or those familiar to students, are becoming far too normal. That is according to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Safety Commission. "The incidents are going to happen, there's no question they're going to happen," said Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri. The commission, formed after the Parkland mass shooting in February 2018, is still working to reduce vulnerabilities in school safety and response tactics. The rise in school threats remains one of the biggest issues the commission is working to remedy.

Florida man kills victim after arguing for days, deputies say
BELLEAIR BLUFFS, Fla. - Authorities say a man chased down and killed another man inside the victims home after the two had been arguing and making threats for days. The Pinellas County Sheriffs Office said in a news release that David Murray Biggs, 22, was charged with first-degree murder. Detectives said Biggs and Darius Johnson, 24, had been arguing for the last couple of days. Murray Biggs drove to Johnsons home on Saturday, and the two began arguing outside. Johnson ran inside his home, but Biggs followed, forcing his way inside to continue shooting.

Officials: Florida man kills victim after arguing for days
BELLEAIR BLUFFS, Fla. - Authorities say a man chased down and killed another man inside the victims home after the two had been arguing and making threats for days. The Pinellas County Sheriffs Office said in a news release that 22-year-old David Murray Biggs was charged with first-degree murder. Detectives say Biggs and 24-year-old Darius Johnson had been arguing for the last couple of days. Murray Biggs drove to Johnsons home on Saturday, and the two began arguing outside. Johnson ran inside his home, but Biggs followed, forcing his way inside to continue shooting.
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Here is the list of Florida's MSD Public Safety Commission members
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. – The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety commission has 16 members and four ex-officio members. Here is the list:COMMISSION CHAIR: Pinellas County Sheriff Bob GualtieriVICTIMS' FATHERSRyan Petty is the father of Alaina Petty. He played an integral role in insuring that the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act moved through the Florida Legislature. He has met with local, state, and federal officials after his daughter's death. He has advocated for school safety improvements and has urged members of the Florida Legislature to enact effective legislation.