Florida
Warm and sunny weekend ahead in Central Florida
Surface high pressure is helping keep Central Florida warm this weekend, Spectrum News 13 meteorologist Zach Covey said.
West winds, the hottest winds Central Florida can get, are also contributing to the area’s warmth, Covey said.
The high today will be 92 degrees and the low will be 66 degrees.
President Trump has insisted that a Florida oil magnate has no influence over US policy toward Venezuela.
“There is a story about a man named Harry Sargeant III in The Wall Street Journal,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday. “He has no authority, in any way, shape, or form, to act on behalf of the United States of America, nor does anyone else that is not approved by the State Department.”
“Without this approval, no one is authorized to represent our Country,” he added.
Sargeant, a Marine veteran and the owner of International Oil Trading Company, has long sought to open up Venezuela’s oil market — even cozying up to now-arrested dictator Nicolas Maduro in the past while betting that sanctions relief or renewed US engagement would reopen the country’s energy sector to American firms.
Supporters in the WSJ report referenced by Trump described Sargeant as a dealmaker who could help revive Venezuela’s collapsed industry, while critics argued his approach risked enriching insiders and legitimizing the authoritarian government in Caracas.
Trapped manatee rescued from storm drain beneath Melbourne Beach road
Numerous agencies came together to rescue a manatee trapped in a stormwater baffle box in Melbourne Beach.
A juvenile male manatee dubbed “Melby” is on the mend at SeaWorld in Orlando, after unknown hours trapped in a Melbourne Beach storm drain.
Florida wildlife officials say it was a quick call from the public to a wildlife hotline and a fast response from local, state and federal agencies that kept Melby’s life from just going ‘down the drain.’
Now, Melby’s on the mend — and hungry.
“He showed some interest in food during his first night, which is an encouraging sign,” Kristen Turner, spokeswoman for Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said Tuesday via email. “His condition continues to be evaluated.”
Firefighters, multiple agencies step up to save ‘Melby’
Just after 9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9, Brevard firefighters helped to excavate and remove Melby from a storm drain with the help of multiple partners.
Melby measures about seven feet in length and weighs about 410 pounds. Rescue workers from several agencies, including FWC, Brevard County Fire Rescue and others, converged on Neptune Drive in the beachside community to extract the manatee.
“During the initial onsite health assessment, responders noted the manatee was underweight and had multiple open wounds on the underside near the tail and flippers,” Turner added. “The manatee was alert and moving at the time of rescue but had been exposed to shallow, cold water and likely had been inside the culvert for an extended period of time.”
FWC can’t say for sure if cold drove Melby down the drain but that’s the most likely reason.
“While rare, manatees are naturally curious may enter culverts and similar structures, and these situations often go unnoticed,” Turner added. “In many cases, animals are not found alive. This rescue had a positive outcome because someone immediately called the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline, allowing responders to act quickly.”
The manatee was pulled from the underground baffle box after utility workers dug through several feet of concrete to reach the trapped mammal.
Workers continued their efforts for several hours as the nighttime chill descended on the area. Heavy equipment was brought in to slice into the roadway and remove the drain lid as lights glared.
A tow truck lifted Melby out of the drain.
It was not immediately known how or when the manatee — a native, threatened Florida species which lives in many of the state’s waterways — wandered into the storm drain.
The rescue drew attention from residents along with media, even with efforts to pull Melby from the drain being livestreamed on YouTube. Manatees are typically drawn to warmer waters during the winter.
What if you see a sick, stranded or dead manatee, or other distressed wildlife?
If you see an injured, distressed, or dead manatee, or any wildlife in need of assistance, please call the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922). Your call may save an animal’s life.
Jim Waymer covers environment and local government. Contact him at (321) 261-5903 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com. Follow him on X at @JWayEnviro.
Florida
Vehicle bursts into flames after deadly crash involving wrong-way driver in Broward, Florida Highway Patrol says
A crash involving a wrong-way driver in Broward County left two people dead on Wednesday morning, according to information provided by the Florida Highway Patrol.
According to FHP, the crash was reported northbound on U.S. 27 at mile marker 37 just after midnight.
The preliminary investigation showed that the front of a Range Rover collided with the front of a Nissan Altima before coming to rest blocking the northbound lanes of the road.
FHP said that after the crash, the Range Rover caught fire and the driver was trapped inside. The driver of both the Range Rover and Nissan Altima were pronounced dead at the scene, according to FHP.
While the investigation was underway, all northbound lanes of the road were closed. However, the road reopened just before 7 a.m.
No other information was released.
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