Flock Cameras Face Vandalism and Suspensions

Palm Bay shut off its Flock license plate cameras Friday after City Manager Matthew Morton found they may not have been properly permitted or installed.

Morton and Police Chief Jeff Spears suspended the system after the City Council ordered a review of the vendor’s work.

The cameras are also being destroyed. Volusia County has lost six to vandalism with no arrests, and Clermont police found two poles hit July 31.

Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood’s office says plate readers factor into nearly every investigation involving a suspect vehicle, and that misuse calls for firings and prosecution, not shutdowns. Sumter County suspended its program in July after a detective ran searches on her ex-husband.

Apalachicola Oyster Season Reopens with Cuts

Apalachicola Bay’s oyster harvest reopens Oct. 1 with a cap of 2,560 bags, down from the 4,726 allowed last winter.

The five-month season runs through Feb. 28, and commercial oystermen will be held to 19 bags each, down from 31. East Hole reef missed the threshold to reopen, leaving Cat Point, Cat Point Spur, and Peanut Ridge.

It’s the second harvest since a nearly six-year shutdown, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the January restart showed restoration is working.

Oystermen landed more than 4,200 bags then, and the state has $10 million to rebuild 2,000 acres of reef by 2032. Apalachicola oysterman Roger Mathis called the smaller limit a disappointment.

DeSantis Praises Renner Without Endorsing Him

Gov. Ron DeSantis said former House Speaker Paul Renner would make a good governor, but stopped short of endorsing him.

At a news conference in Lehigh Acres on Thursday, DeSantis said his earlier objection was never about ability. “I think he’d be really good. He’s got a great record of policy,” he said.

The harder problem, DeSantis said, is name recognition in a state with this many media markets. Renner has polled in the low single digits since entering the race a year ago.

Rep. Byron Donalds, backed by President Trump, leads most polls ahead of the Aug. 18 primary. Donalds responded that he looks forward to working with DeSantis to keep Florida the best state in America.

Democrats’ likely nominee is former Rep. David Jolly, who has trailed Donalds by single digits in some polls.

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➤ Statewide: A state Auditor General report found the Department of Children and Families “significantly delayed” records auditors needed to review Florida’s post-pandemic Medicaid eligibility decisions, once taking eight months to answer one request. (Report)

➤ Fernandina Beach: Early voting opened Thursday on a citizen initiative to block paid parking downtown, where a yes vote ends the program and a no vote keeps it. Even if it passes, four of five city commissioners could overturn it. Election Day is Aug. 18. (More)

➤ Bradenton Beach: Documents filed with the city show the owner of the Pines Mobile Home Park wants shopping, dining, and recreation on the nearly three-acre Bridge Street site. The 86-unit, 55-and-older park has sat closed since Hurricane Helene’s surge flooded it in September 2024. (Details)

➤ Manatee County: Florida Highway Patrol troopers and Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies issued 137 citations and 43 warnings in four hours during a joint traffic enforcement operation on Interstate 75 on Thursday. (More)

➤ Plantation: The 4-H TechGarage team at South Plantation High School won its second straight national Solar Car Challenge title, driving all 656.7 available miles across Texas in a car the students built. The Broward and Palm Beach teenagers are already back in the lab chasing a third. (Watch)

➤ Marion County: A person has died from the flesh-eating bacteria Vibrio vulnificus, the second to be reported in the state of Florida this year. The previous death occurred in Palm Beach County. (More)

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➤ Tampa Bay Buccaneers GM Jason Licht said the team has “no plans” to trade Pro Bowl nose tackle Vita Vea, despite Vea requesting a trade earlier this offseason. His agent said this week he doesn’t see the situation ending any other way. (More)

➤ Miami Heat legend Udonis Haslem revealed this week that he became a minority owner of Ipswich Town, a recently promoted English Premier League soccer club that returned to the top flight for the first time in over two decades. (More)

➤ Former FSU quarterback Thomas Castellanos is suing the NCAA for access to the transfer portal after a separate federal ruling already granted him a fifth year of eligibility. (More)

➤ Florida sophomore Claire Stegall and incoming Gator Mohammed El Moussalit both advanced to the finals of the 1500-meter run at the U20 World Championships in Eugene. Stegall, the reigning national U20 champion, will race for gold tomorrow. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Golf | Tennis | WNBA | Soccer | Little League Softball World Series

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➤ ZooTampa in Lowry Park is using acupuncture to treat animals including Earl Grey, a 14-year-old black-bellied whistling duck that suddenly developed weakness in his right leg. (Watch)

➤ Hotdog and Donatello, two loggerhead turtles, swam back into the Gulf at Inlet Beach on Thursday after rehab at Walton County’s Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center. Hotdog, 105 pounds, got his name by arriving on the Fourth of July. (Watch)

➤ A Fort Lauderdale man is facing felony charges after allegedly jumping a fence at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, sneaking onto a parked JetBlue plane and falling asleep on board. (Details)

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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. Clicking the link will take you directly to these stories:

➤ Scammers can now clone your loved one’s voice, but this simple defense makes them harmless. (Hear More)

➤ Meta was ordered to pay a $567 million penalty over findings that it fueled a youth mental health crisis. (Listen Now)

➤ Louisiana health officials are warning residents after a deadly spike in flesh-eating bacteria infections tied to seawater exposure. (Podcast Available)

Apalachicola Bay’s oyster season is coming back. How do you take yours?

1. Raw
2. Fried
3. Chargrilled
4. No thanks
5. Other (Write in and tell us!)

Yesterday’s Results:

If money were no object, would you want a guaranteed evacuation flight in case of a hurricane?

1. No, making my own plan: 32%
2. Absolutely: 31%
3. No, staying put: 20%
4. Doubtful: 17%

Florida allows commercial oystermen in Apalachicola Bay to use only one kind of harvesting gear. What is it?

Show me the answer