DeSantis Pushes Schools of Hope Expansion

Gov. Ron DeSantis is advocating to expand the state’s Schools of Hope charter model, which would co-locate charter schools in underused public school facilities, saying during a talk in Orlando on Thursday that they will be located in places where parents aren’t as involved.

“This is not going to be something where a School of Hope is going to be coming in and descending on Palm Harbor or Destin…. I don’t think most Floridians are even going to know that there’s a School of Hope. Because quite frankly… a lot of Floridians aren’t spending a lot of time in some of these areas,” DeSantis said.

Meanwhile, in Duval County, the school board chose not to move forward with a resolution supporting an expansion of the Schools of Hope program, with one school board member criticizing attitudes at a recent Florida School Boards Association meeting.

“It wasn’t very pro traditional schools. I think we now have a moment to really stand in and stand up and say no, we care about our traditional public schools,” Duval County School Board Member Darryl Willie said.

Universal Orlando Death Report Released

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department has released its incident report ruling that the Sept. 17 death of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala on a Universal Studios Orlando roller coaster was an accident and providing the most-detailed account of the incident to date.

The deceased’s girlfriend told investigators that “it took employees three to four attempts to secure [Zavala’s] lap bar enough to get the green light to launch the ride.” He then hit his head on the bar as he reached the first hill and continued to hit it throughout the ride.

A doctor who jumped a fence to help as the ride came to a stop said she couldn’t find a pulse and noted that his femur was broken. “I couldn’t 100% be certain, but I was relatively confident at that point that he was lifeless,” she said.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department has closed their investigation after finding that no criminal acts occurred during the tragedy.

Live Grenade Found in Goodwill Donation Bin

A Goodwill in Palatka was evacuated on Thursday after a live hand grenade was discovered inside a donation bin.

Deputies secured the area while the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad removed the device. Authorities said the grenade was then safely detonated remotely at a secure site.

This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. A Goodwill spokesperson said several grenades were donated to a Jacksonville Southside store back in 2018.

➤ Tampa Bay: A year after opening, TrueScan, the area’s first full-body MRI center, reports that 95% of patients have clean scans, but 5% of patients discover a potential problem before it becomes symptomatic. (More)

➤ Jacksonville: Nonprofit developer Ability Housing opened its newest affordable housing complex this week on Jacksonville’s Westside. The Village at Cedar Hills brings 90 apartments to the neighborhood. (More)

➤ Marion County: A Kia driver taunted police officers, saying, “Y’all need faster cars!” after she was arrested for going over 100 miles per hour. (See Photo)

➤ Fort Lauderdale: A sewer overflow triggered a water advisory for parts of the Intracoastal Waterway on Friday, with officials urging residents to avoid recreational activities in the area. (More)

➤ Pasco County: The school district launched an incentive to hire more bus drivers and reward current employees for taking on more difficult routes after a shortage of drivers has been making some students up to 20 minutes late to class. (Details)

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➤ The Jacksonville Jaguars announced they’re hosting a naturalization ceremony for 96 new U.S. citizens at halftime of their game against the Jets tomorrow, continuing an eight-year standing tradition. (More)

➤ Tennis superstar Carlos Alcaraz said he had “a lot of fun” at the first-ever Miami Invitational, which transformed the Marlins’ ballpark into a tennis stadium for one night only last week. (More)

➤ Florida State’s football personnel manager Darrick Yray is leaving the school for UCLA, where he’ll take on a “similar role” with the Bruins. Yray was the architect of the 2023 Seminoles squad, which went 13-0, but his rosters have since gone 7-17. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer | Golf

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➤ Nearly 50 skeletons are part of a Cape Coral man’s Christmas decor. Drawing inspiration from his former employment at a haunted house, Ron Levine crafted a skeleton hot cocoa bar, a “dead gift exchange,” and more. (See Decor)

➤ Spaceflight photographer Jenny Hautmann is nearly fully recovered—four years and 18 surgeries after a catastrophic crash on State Road 407 in Brevard County. (See Photos)

➤ An 82-year-old veteran was the oldest graduate from Valencia College this year, earning an Associate of Arts degree after taking classes at the Poinciana campus. (See Photo)

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It’s National Hot Cocoa Day. Do you make yours with water or milk?

1. Water
2. Milk
3. Don’t drink cocoa

Friday’s Results:

Have you ever ridden on a pedal pub or party mega-cycle?

1. Yes: 24%
2. No: 76%

Where in Florida can you find the Prudential Building’s Rock of Gibraltar?

Show me the answer