News Update for 1/10/25
An alleged drug trafficker was arrested Wednesday after a late-night traffic stop in Sebring. Around 11:23 PM, a Chevy Silverado was pulled over near US 27 and Flare Road after it was observed speeding and failing to signal. K-9 Goose was on scene during the stop and alerted to the presence of narcotics. A search of the vehicle lead to the discovery of two baggies in the glove compartment that held approximately 108.6 grams of a white crystal substance that field tested positive for meth and fentanyl. The driver of the truck, Catarino Dario Borjas-Moreno III of Avon Park, was subsequently taken into custody under the suspicion of drug trafficking. In addition to two trafficking charges, Moreno also faces several charges of possession and possession with intent to sell.
A convicted Sexual Offender in Lakeland has landed in more hot water after he assaulted a Deputy. Deputies with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office were searching for Curtis Novell Young Thursday afternoon, after he failed to comply with sex offender registration requirements. Young was located on foot in the area and when a deputy tried to speak with him, Young physically assaulted the deputy and stole the deputy’s firearm. Young then fled on foot and jumped into Lake Bonnet. After a perimeter was set up to contain Young and prevent him from escaping the area, deputies found him hiding in aquatic vegetation offshore. He was taken into custody and additional charges are still pending investigation.
A six-year-old Lakeland boy is dead after suffering critical injuries from an accidental shooting this past weekend. Police say the child died at Lakeland Regional Hospital on Tuesday. Authorities say the victim, Major Smith, his father, and brother had just returned to their home near the Valencia Heights neighborhood on Sunday afternoon when the boy found a gun in the car. No charges have been filed in connection to the incident.
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is working with Florida universities to create an advanced research hub. The facility signed an agreement Wednesday with the University of Central Florida, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the University of Florida. The partnership is meant to create new opportunities for students, while maintaining the Sunshine State as a top leader in the space industry. NASA officials are hoping to bring on more state schools in the near future. News about the collaboration came out on the same day Governor Ron DeSantis visited the Kennedy Space Center, where he floated the idea of relocating NASA’s headquarters to Florida.
Researchers with the University of Florida are trying to find a cure to a bacterial disease that’s hurting the state’s citrus industry. UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research and Education Center says it has made a breakthrough in the fight against citrus greening disease. Experts gave an update on Wednesday, saying they are testing a new type of citrus tree that can fight off the tiny insects responsible for transmitting the disease. The potential treatment is expected to take a few years to try out in the field before it’s determined to be successful. Florida’s citrus industry has experienced a 90-percent decline in production over the last two decades due to the disease and natural disasters.
A Florida healthcare agency is asking for a nearly seven-million-dollar budget increase to continue helping families in need. The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration sent a letter to state lawmakers late last month, stating the midyear spending hike would go toward staffing shortages and increase current salaries. The operation oversees the state’s Medicaid program for more than five-million residents and regulars nearly 50-thousand health care facilities. The proposal is waiting for the governor’s approval. If no objections are filed, the budget will take effect.
Governor Ron DeSantis is pledging more funds for the Everglades. Speaking yesterday in Palm Beach County, DeSantis said his budget for the next fiscal year starting in July will include 805-milion dollars for Everglades restoration. The governor also says he will recommend funding for other water quality projects, such as the removal of harmful nutrients from the Kissimmee River before it reaches Lake Okeechobee. DeSantis says Florida will continue to be “strong stewards” of not only Everglades restoration, but conservation at large in the state.
A Florida state representative is seeking an open state Senate seat. Republican James Buchanan filed paperwork to succeed Joe Gruters in District 22, which is made up of Sarasota County and part of Manatee County. Both Buchanan and Gruters are term-limited. Gruters has the backing of President-elect Donald Trump for his bid for Florida’s chief financial officer.
Matt Gaetz may be getting closer to decide what his next move is. The former Panhandle congressman said this week he’s starting to think about running for governor in 2026. He says he has a compelling vision for the state, and he understands how to fix the insurance problem. Gaetz says lawmakers should not hand the keys to the state over to the insurance industry,. He also says if he runs, he would be the most pro-consumer candidate on the Republican side. Gaetz tells the Tampa Bay Times he still has to pray on it and discuss it with his wife. He tells the New York Times he has also discussed the issue with President-Elect Trump.