News Update for 10/3/24
A proposed zoning rule has been taken off the table by the Highlands County Commission, at least for the time being. On Tuesday, Commissioners rejected the county created rule which requires homes on one-acre parcels to have direct access to public roads – to ensure access to homes by emergency personnel, police and other public safety vehicles. Opponents say though, this rule makes it more difficult and costly to transfer land to their descendants. Under the new wording proposed, the transfer of the land would only be allowed if the property has legal direct fee-simple access to a publicly maintained road-a far cry from The Land Development Rules as they stand now- and an expensive endeavor. The rule has now been sent back to the Planning and Zoning Board for further review.
It’s up to a judge in Orange County to decide if a murder suspect’s interview with detectives can be used against her. Sarah Boone is accused of killing her boyfriend, Jorge Torres, four years ago. He was found dead in a suitcase. Prosecutors told a judge yesterday Boone told investigators he died while playing a game of hide-and-seek while they were drunk. Her lawyers, though, plan to use the battered spouse defense. They want the judge to throw out what Boone told investigators. They claim she wasn’t properly read her Miranda rights, and the detective who interviewed her was coercive and deceptive. The judge did not issue a ruling. Boone’s trial is set to start Monday.
Members of the International Longshoremen’s Association remain off the job at four Florida ports as they participate in a strike for higher wages and protections against automation. The strike is affecting containerized cargo operations at JAXPORT in Jacksonville, Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, PortMiami and Port Tampa Bay. The Florida Ports Council issued a statement saying they are hopeful the standoff between the ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance will soon come to a resolution. The council said it has genuine concern about getting much-needed supplies to storm-ravaged communities in Florida and up the Eastern seaboard.
Florida’s senators want the state’s farmers to get the help they need quickly. Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott sent a letter yesterday to the USDA. They ask Secretary Tom Vilsack to expedite support for Florida’s farmers and agricultural producers as they recover from Hurricane Helene. Over a dozen members of Florida’s House delegation, from both parties, also signed the letter. They say Vilsack’s support for their request would make a difference for Florida’s growers and ensure they can contribute to our food and national security.
It’s been a week now since Helene made landfall in Florida as a devastating Category 4 hurricane. The death toll stands at at least 190 across the Southeast with hundreds still unaccounted for. The remnants of the storm hit western North Carolina particularly hard but stretched all the way to Virginia where President Biden on Wednesday approved an expedited emergency declaration.
Two of Florida’s federal lawmakers are urging Congress to reconvene for a special session to pass supplemental aid for states devastated by Hurricane Helene. Republican Senator Rick Scott and Democratic Representative Jared Moskowitz want to make sure FEMA has the funding to help communities recover from the storm. Lawmakers don’t return to Capitol Hill until after the November election. Scott said in a statement that Floridians are resilient, but the response and recovery from the storm demands the full and immediate support of the government at every level.
Repairs are complete for a fuel supply line that feeds Orlando International Airport. The Central Florida Pipeline runs over 100 miles from Port of Tampa to OIA. It was damaged during Hurricane Helene, and fuel had to be trucked in to the airport the last few days. The company that owns the pipeline said yesterday it has been fixed, and operations have resumed. An OIA official tells the Orlando Sentinel the airport had plenty of fuel in reserves, and travelers were not affected.
The Florida GOP is accused of misleading voters about a marijuana amendment. Trulieve sued the Republican Party of Florida yesterday for defamation. Trulieve is the state’s largest medical marijuana company, and it claims the GOP is running an intentionally deceptive campaign against Amendment 3. That’s the amendment that asks voters to legalize marijuana for recreational use. The lawsuit is in response to ads that were mailed to voters and aired on TV. Trulieve supports the amendment, but the company says the ad falsely claims it does so only so it can have a monopoly on recreational marijuana. Florida Republican Party Chairman Evan Power says the ads are honest. He also tells The News Service of Florida Trulieve is trying to use law fare to silence us, but we will not be deterred.