Southeast
Over 5,000 cold-stunned iguanas removed in two days during state’s record freeze
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More than 5,000 invasive green iguanas in Florida were removed during the state’s two-day exemption that allowed residents and visitors to capture the cold-stunned reptiles without a permit, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
The state wildlife agency announced this week that 5,195 cold-stunned iguanas were collected and brought to four designated FWC offices on Feb. 1 and Feb. 2 during South Florida’s period of record-setting cold temperatures.
“The removal of over 5,000 of these nonnative lizards in such a short time span was only possible thanks to the coordinated efforts of many staff members in multiple FWC divisions and offices, our partners and, of course, the many residents that took the time to collect and turn in cold-stunned iguanas from their properties,” Roger Young, FWC’s executive director, said at a Feb. 4 meeting in Tallahassee.
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Special regulations under an executive order allowed people to remove live, cold-stunned iguanas from the wild without a permit for two days only, the FWC said in a news release.
Of the 5,195 iguanas collected, 3,882 of them were amassed at the FWC’s office in Sunrise, about 13 miles west of Fort Lauderdale, the FWC said.
Florida wildlife officials said 5,195 iguanas were collected during the two-day exemption of the state’s law requiring permits to transport the reptiles. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Another 1,075 were collected at the FWC’s location in Tequesta, some 24 miles north of West Palm Beach.
There were 215 iguanas collected at the drop-off location in the Florida Keys and 23 nabbed in Fort Myers on the Gulf Coast.
FWC staff worked to coordinate the transfer of iguanas collected to permit holders, including for sale outside the state. Any of the reptiles that couldn’t be transferred to permit holders were humanely killed by trained staff, according to the FWC.
Green iguanas are a prohibited species in the Sunshine State because of their “negative impacts on Florida’s environment and economy,” Young said.
Green iguanas are an invasive reptile and a prohibited species in Florida because of their “negative impacts” on the environment. (iStock)
Because they’re an invasive species in Florida, iguanas can be humanely killed on a person’s property and are not protected except by the state’s anti-cruelty laws.
“If you encounter a cold-stunned green iguana, you should never bring it into your home or building to warm up,” according to the FWC’s news release.
When temperatures dip, iguanas lose the ability to move their muscles.
“Iguanas can recover from cold-stunning more quickly than you may expect — and, once recovered, can act defensively, with long tails that whip and sharp teeth and claws.”
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Low temperatures in Miami reached 35 degrees on Feb. 1, while lows in West Palm Beach hit 30 degrees — breaking records for that date, set in 1909, according to National Weather Service data.
Green iguanas were first reported in South Florida in the 1960s, according to the FWC.
When temperatures dip, they lose the ability to move their muscles and have been known to fall from trees, appearing dead. But they’re very much alive and in a state of paralysis, or torpor.
When temperatures drop, cold-stunned green iguanas drop from trees. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Many Floridians took advantage of the region’s rare winter freeze to round up the pesky reptiles that can damage people’s properties and “leave droppings on docks, moored boats, seawalls, porches, decks, pool platforms and inside swimming pools.”
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“In cleared habitats such as canal banks and vacant lots, green iguanas reside in burrows, culverts, drainage pipes and rock or debris piles,” according to the FWC.
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“South Florida’s extensive man-made canals serve as ideal dispersal corridors to further allow iguanas to colonize new areas.”
The FWC is no longer accepting live iguanas from the public, the organization said.
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Southeast
Illegal immigrant arrested after showing up to Florida Border Patrol office for contract IT work
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FIRST ON FOX: An illegal immigrant who reported to a U.S. Border Patrol site in Florida to perform some Information technology contractual work was arrested when authorities were made aware of his citizenship status, officials said.
Angel Camacho, a Venezuelan citizen, reported to a USBP center in Dania Beach, Florida, Jan. 6 to do some IT work when U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials began vetting him, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Fox News Digital.
During its investigation, it was revealed Camacho was in violation of U.S. immigration laws, authorities said.
Angel Camacho reported to a Florida U.S. Border Patrol center to perform contractual work when he was arrested, a Department of Homeland Security official said. (Getty Images )
“CBP vets all external visitors before allowing them to enter secure facilities to ensure safety and operational integrity,” DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement.
“During the vetting process, CBP uncovered this individual was a tourist visa overstay in the country for over five years.”
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This photo shows a U.S. Border Patrol patch on a border agent’s uniform in McAllen, Texas, Jan. 15, 2019. (Suzanne CordeiroAFP via Getty Images)
Camacho was arrested and transferred to ICE custody, Bis said.
His criminal history includes theft and resisting a Florida Highway Patrol officer, officials said. Federal authorities have nabbed several illegal immigrants in the process of trying to obtain employment in law enforcement and education.
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One Sierra Leone citizen was recently arrested as he was training to become a Pennsylvania corrections officer.
Another illegal immigrant, Ian Roberts, served as the former superintendent of Iowa’s largest district, Des Moines Public Schools, before he was arrested by ICE.
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Southeast
High school teacher arrested in alleged sex case involving student
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A Georgia high school teacher was arrested Wednesday after allegations of inappropriate contact between a teacher and a minor student surfaced at Lee County High School.
Danielle Weaver, 29, of Leesburg, is charged with child molestation and improper sexual contact by an employee, agent or foster parent, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI).
Lee County High School requested the Leesburg Police Department investigate the allegations on Feb. 3, and the GBI was called to assist the following day.
Danielle Weaver, 29, of Leesburg, Ga., is charged with child molestation and improper sexual contact by an employee. (Lee County Sheriff’s Office)
Investigators identified Weaver as the “subject,” and identified the victim as a student under 18 years old at Lee County High School, according to officials.
GBI agents continued the investigation along with the Leesburg Police Department, and arrest warrants were obtained for Weaver on Tuesday.
A Google Maps street view photo of Lee County High School in Leesburg, Ga. (Google Maps)
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Weaver turned herself in to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, and was later released on bond, according to a report from WALB News.
This investigation is active and ongoing, according to the GBI.
The incident allegedly happened at a high school in Georgia. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
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Once complete, the case file will be given to the Southwestern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
Leesburg is located in South Georgia, and is about an hour and a half north of Tallahassee, Florida.
Lee County High School’s communications team did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Southeast
Federal court clears way for Ten Commandments to be displayed in Louisiana public school classrooms
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A federal appeals court cleared the way Friday for a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms, lifting a lower court block and reigniting debate over religion in public education.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit voted 12-6 to lift a block first imposed in 2024, finding it was too early to determine the constitutionality of the law. Critics argue the requirement violates the separation of church and state, while supporters say the Ten Commandments are historical and foundational to U.S. law.
The court said in the majority opinion that it was unclear how schools would display the poster-sized materials, noting that the law allows additional content, like the Mayflower Compact or the Declaration of Independence, to appear alongside the Ten Commandments.
The majority wrote that there were not enough facts to “permit judicial judgment rather than speculation” when evaluating potential First Amendment concerns.
A federal appeals court on Friday lifted a lower court block on Louisiana’s Ten Commandments classroom law, bringing the measure closer to taking effect. (John Bazemore/AP)
In a concurring opinion, Circuit Judge James Ho, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, wrote that the law was constitutional and “consistent with our founding traditions.”
“It is fully consistent with the Constitution, and what’s more, it reinforces our Founders’ firm belief that the children of America should be educated about the religious foundations and traditions of our country,” Ho said, adding that the law “affirms our Nation’s highest and most noble traditions.”
Circuit Judge James L. Dennis, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, wrote in a dissenting opinion that displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms would amount to “exposing children to government‑endorsed religion in a setting of compulsory attendance.”
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A federal appeals court ruling on Feb. 20 allows Louisiana’s Ten Commandments classroom mandate to proceed for now. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images)
“That is precisely the kind of establishment the Framers anticipated and sought to prevent,” he added.
The ACLU of Louisiana and other groups representing the plaintiffs said they would pursue additional legal challenges to block the law.
“Today’s ruling is extremely disappointing and would unnecessarily force Louisiana’s public school families into a game of constitutional whack-a-mole in every school district,” the groups wrote in a joint-statement. “Longstanding judicial precedent makes clear that our clients need not submit to the very harms they are seeking to prevent before taking legal action to protect their rights.”
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Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry praised the appeals court decision on Feb. 20 allowing the Ten Commandments classroom law to move forward. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, file)
Republican Gov. Jeff Landry on Friday praised the court’s decision, writing on Facebook, “Common sense is making a comeback!”
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill issued a statement following the ruling, saying schools “should follow the law.”
“Don’t kill or steal shouldn’t be controversial. My office has issued clear guidance to our public schools on how to comply with the law, and we have created multiple examples of posters demonstrating how it can be applied constitutionally,” she said.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said schools should follow the Ten Commandments display law after a federal appeals court lifted a lower court block on Feb. 20. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Joseph Davis, an attorney representing Louisiana in the case, celebrated the court’s decision.
“If the ACLU had its way, every trace of religion would be scrubbed from the fabric of our public life,” he said in a statement. “That position is at odds with our nation’s traditions and our Constitution. We’re glad the Fifth Circuit has allowed Louisiana to display the Ten Commandments in its public school classrooms.”
Friday’s ruling came after the full court agreed to reconsider the case, months after a three-judge panel ruled the Louisiana law unconstitutional.
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A similar law in Arkansas faces a federal court challenge, while Texas implemented its own Ten Commandments classroom requirement last year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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