FAA Ground Stop Strands Florida Travelers

A rare nationwide ground stop halted every departing flight at Florida’s airports for more than four hours Friday.

The FAA blamed a communications outage at the regional centers that guide planes between airports and lifted the stop at 8:15 p.m. It’s only the second nationwide ground stop since the Sept. 11 attacks.

By Friday night, Miami International had 470 delays and 134 cancellations, and Fort Lauderdale had 348 delays and 72 cancellations.

Keith Easterly, flying home to Philadelphia, said the agent checking bags at Miami International hadn’t even heard. “No one knows what to do,” he said.

Orlando International expects about 90 cancellations Saturday as airlines recover. Tampa had 203 delays and nine cancellations by 6 p.m.

At Miami International, one group of passengers sat on a plane for an hour before being ordered off. In Tampa, travelers could no longer board the trams out to the gates.

Dengue Outbreak Continues to Grow

Florida has confirmed 524 locally acquired dengue cases this year, its worst outbreak in decades.

Hillsborough County accounts for 407 of them, and Pinellas has 80. Health officials have called it the largest outbreak in any state since the 1940s. Cases have since surfaced as far away as Orange and Seminole counties.

Hillsborough has repeatedly extended its local state of emergency since declaring it Sept. 24, most recently through Nov. 19, with helicopters spraying neighborhoods day and night.

Most infections cause mild, flu-like symptoms. The county is urging residents to dump standing water, where the Aedes aegypti mosquito breeds.

Melbourne Flood Victims Ordered Out

Management at Melbourne’s Windover Palms apartments terminated leases on 90 flooded units and gave tenants until Friday to leave.

The complex took on water during historic Nov. 2 flooding across Brevard County, which prompted a state emergency declaration. Management told tenants repairs would take too long for them to stay.

Many residents said they got about two days’ notice. “This was my savior place,” said Mark Kamins, a 70-year-old disabled tenant who fears ending up homeless.

Kris Long moved in with his daughter this fall and hadn’t finished unpacking when the water hit. Their couches, beds, and televisions now sit piled along the street.

In a statement, Windover Palms said it’s working to help displaced families find alternative housing, temporary shelter, and local support services.

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➤ Statewide: AAA is cutting rates an average of 10% on its Florida Select Auto and Select Package Auto policies, its third auto rate cut this year. The company expects the change to save policyholders more than $35 million a year. (More)

➤ Volusia County: County officials closed several boat ramps along the St. Johns River and Intracoastal Waterway, citing submerged parking lots and hidden debris. Runoff from Brevard County’s floods is pushing the north-flowing St. Johns higher, and some ramps have no reopening date. (More)

➤ Osprey: An expert hired by the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation says the 100-year-old Blackburn Point Swing Bridge is worth saving. The county puts replacement at $65 million to $75 million, while a review the group commissioned estimates rehab at about $17 million. Commissioners take it up in mid-December. (More)

➤ Bay County: A 25-year-old jailed in Walton County on more than two dozen felonies now faces 34 more in Bay County, including burglaries and firearm possession. Deputies tied Tyler Mack Maroney to Oct. 13 car break-ins after noticing his pants in arrest body camera footage matched a suspect’s. (More)

➤ Miami: Rep. Carlos Gimenez, a Miami Republican and former Miami-Dade mayor, sent Tesla CEO Elon Musk a letter inviting the company to move its headquarters from Texas to South Florida. Gimenez cited the region’s infrastructure, workforce, and business climate. Musk hasn’t publicly responded. (More)

➤ St. Johns County: The owner of more than 1,800 acres near St. Augustine, home to the Indianhead Biomass site, held the first of several community meetings Thursday to ask residents what the land should become. A consultant for retired Army Col. Roy Hinman said residential development isn’t his primary interest. (More)

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➤ Florida Atlantic’s football team was grounded Friday by the FAA’s nationwide halt on departures ahead of Saturday’s game at Tulsa. Florida had already arrived for its game at Kentucky. (More)  

➤ No. 7 Miami will host Duke today as Blue Devils coach Manny Diaz returns to the program that fired him, while Florida will visit No. 11 Kentucky after losing four of its past five games. (See Preview)

➤ Florida State’s visit to Pitt on Friday marked its second game under interim coach Rick Stockstill, with the Seminoles entering as 3.5-point underdogs and two wins shy of bowl eligibility. (See Details)

➤ Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi was named an MLS MVP finalist, giving him a chance to become the first player to win the award in three consecutive seasons. Meanwhile, Orlando City’s Antoine Griezmann was named a finalist for MLS Newcomer of the Year after scoring 14 goals following his July arrival from Spain’s Atlético Madrid. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NCAAF | NHL | NBA | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer

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➤ Jefferson County kids can sell their own crafts, baked goods, and homemade gifts at Kids’ Biz Day on Dec. 5, from 8 a.m. to noon in the courthouse parking lot in downtown Monticello. Registration closes Nov. 23. (See Details)

➤ A firefighter’s family has adopted the kitten he and two fellow Oviedo firefighters pulled from a storm drain Nov. 8 as their shift was ending. “Our firefighters are always prepared for rescues, be it human or kitten,” the department said. (Read Story)

➤ Miss Brevard County Kayleigh Mollycheck and the St. Francis Hospice Foundation are raising $20,000 to present 1,000 American flags to hospice veterans and their families. Each $20 donation sponsors one flag, and the first 50 are already covered. (More)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country. 

➤ Seven veteran benefits go unclaimed by many military families, including one that scammers are eager to exploit. (Listen Now)

➤ Federal investigators have recovered part of the $6.3 billion stolen from Binance in the largest crypto heist in history. (Hear Details)

➤ The Coast Guard has launched a criminal investigation into an MSC cruise ship accused of illegally discharging oil at sea. (Hear Story)

What was your first business as a kid?

1. Lemonade stand
2. Mowing lawns
3. Paper route
4. Babysitting
5. Selling crafts or baked goods
6. Other
7. I never had one

Yesterday’s Results:

How cold does it have to get before you turn on the heat?

1. Below 60 degrees: 34%
2. Below 50 degrees: 26%
3. Below 70 degrees: 22%
4. I rarely turn it on: 18%

Who commanded Apollo 12, which launched on this day in 1969?

Show me the answer

If you’re a fan of our Trivia section, you’ll love our new book, The Flyover Book of Trivia 2027, an illustrated collection of 100 of our favorite questions and answers. (Buy It Now)