Florida
2 women sue popular Florida river cruise claiming they were drugged on board
Florida (WSVN) — A popular South Florida river cruise is being sued after two women say they were drugged on board. 7’s Heather Walker investigates.
Jungle Queen Riverboats is advertised as “fun for the whole family.”
The cruise includes a tropical island dinner, show and sightseeing in Fort Lauderdale.
Karren Hanson, suing tour boat: “We were there for some, you know, R&R, just to get away and enjoy some, you know, some girl time.”
But they say their girls trip took a turn shortly after they boarded the boat.
Heather Walker: “When did you realize something was wrong?”
Teresa Viscovich, suing tour boat: “Within 15 minutes.”
Longtime friends Teresa and Karren were expecting to have a good time, but after one glass of wine, they say things became foggy.
Teresa Viscovich: “My speech was slurred. I couldn’t walk right.”
They were confused, but one thing was clear.
Teresa Viscovich: “Something is very wrong.”
The next day, they called police.
According to the police report, the women “were concerned that their bartender … drugged their drinks.”
He was texting the women trying to meet up with them after the cruise.
Teresa Viscovich: “The way the bar is set up is, you can’t see anything he’s doing back there.”
Police investigated but found “no video on the cruise and no evidence of who, if anyone, had put anything in their drinks,” and the case was closed, despite the fact that the women had their hair tested, and the results showed they were positive for GHB, which the Drug Enforcement Administration says is known as a date rape drug.
Teresa Viscovich: “I’ve never done drugs a day in my life.”
The women are now suing Jungle Queens Inc. for failing to prevent drugging on a boat.
We went to the Jungle Queen to get a response.
A lawyer for the boat company sent a statement saying in part:
“Jungle Queens has taken the allegations … very seriously. Jungle Queens has worked hard at building a reputation … and the safety of their guests are of the greatest importance. We have conducted a thorough investigation and have concluded there is no evidence to support these baseless and defamatory allegations.”
Adding that after the cruise, the women “stated they had a great time in text message communications with a crew member.”
Jungle Queens Inc. filed motions to dismiss the complaints, saying the allegations were insufficient. But the case is moving forward, and the women continue to recover from that night.
Teresa Viscovich: “My vision doesn’t line up anymore. Now, it’s like this.”
Teresa says memory issues forced her to give up her nursing license.
Teresa Viscovich: “That was a tough one, because the way it goes is, once a nurse, always a nurse. That was a huge piece of my identity, and it’s gone.”
Both women say they suffer from severe anxiety.
Karren Hanson: “I don’t do a lot of social situations that I used to do because they don’t feel safe anymore.”
They still can’t believe one girls trip could change their lives so much.
Seniors evicted from care facility due to bankruptcy More than 100 people evicted from senior care facility due to bankruptcy
More than 100 local senior citizens are scrambling to find new homes after their senior living facility declared bankruptcy.
Florida
SNAP benefits will be changing in Florida starting Monday
TAMPA, Fla – New SNAP restrictions will start Monday in Florida.
What we know:
These changes will ban the purchase of many sugary sodas, energy drinks, candy and ultra-processed, shelf-stable prepared desserts.
Hunger Free America, an advocacy group, is against these restrictions.
Joel Berg, the CEO, said some regulation is a good thing, but he wants to see it support access to healthy foods as a choice.
“We do support mandates to mandate that healthier food is available in stores that do accept SNAP,” Berg said. “So, it makes a lot more sense to make it easier to get healthier food.”
Berg said these restrictions are unnecessary in achieving a healthier America.
“We should make America healthier again by making healthy food more affordable, convenient and physically available,” Berg said. “We shouldn’t micromanage the eating patterns of adults to try to achieve that goal.”
The other side:
This is part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, “Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic disease epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long.”
What they’re saying:
Berg said that these changes, on top of cuts to the program nationwide, will increase hunger.
“It’s not that low-income Americans don’t want healthier food; it’s that they can’t afford healthier food,” Berg said.
This coincides with the announcement that there will be cuts to WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, which supplies food to mothers and young children.
“President Trump’s budget just announced that he’s proposing taking away fruits and vegetables from the WIC program for pregnant women and children under five,” Berg said. “So, they’re taking away healthier food.”
The WIC cuts would take away $1.4 billion in fruit and vegetable benefits from 5.4 million people.
Big picture view:
The SNAP changes come as part of the MAHA movement and include more than 20 other states that will implement changes over the next two years.
The Source: Information in this story comes from WIC, SNAP and interviews done by Fox 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.
Florida
GALLERY: Barrett-Jackson ‘Super Saturday’ takes over South Florida Fairgrounds
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — The engines are revving for one final day of high-stakes bidding and family fun at the South Florida Fairgrounds.
Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction reaches its grand finale today with an action-packed “Super Saturday” lineup, promising to close out the weekend with a full slate of collector car sales, live entertainment, and fan attractions.
“Super Saturday,” presented by Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, officially kicks off at 8 a.m. when gates, food courts, and the exhibitor marketplace open to the public.
What to expect
- 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: The Fantasy Bid presented by Dodge begins early, running in tandem with the automobilia auction in the arena.
- 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Thrill-seekers can catch Dodge thrill rides on the Barrett-Jackson Performance Track.
- 10:00 a.m.: New amenities open to the public, including the Stella Artois, Staging Lanes, and Food Court patios, which offer shaded seating and auction views.
- 10:45 a.m.: The national anthem will be performed in the auction arena, signaling the start of the main collector car auction at 11 a.m.
- Afternoon Entertainment: DJ sets run from noon to 5 p.m. across the various patios, and a detailing clinic by Adam’s Polishes is scheduled for 2 p.m. near the South Showcase.
For those unable to attend, the whole event will be livestreamed throughout the day on the Barrett-Jackson website and the HISTORY channel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Today’s finale comes on the heels of a high-energy Friday that saw significant sales and notable celebrity interest.
Star power was evident throughout the day, particularly with vehicles tied to the Busch family. A 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible owned by Samantha Busch and a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Custom Coupe were among the day’s heavy hitters, each fetching $159,500. Kyle Busch’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Coupe also drew a strong bid, selling for $143,000.
Other Friday highlights included:
- 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Replica: $137,500
- 2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Mamba Edition: $132,000
- 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom SUV: $126,500
- 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom Convertible: $121,000
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With a festival-style atmosphere and high-profile sales driving momentum, organizers expect a busy crowd for the final push at the auction block today.
Florida
Bodycam captures life-saving rescue of choking baby by Florida deputies
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A quiet Monday turned into a frantic race against time when a deputy stepped in to save a choking 1-year-old’s life.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a call about a 1-year-old baby choking. Upon arrival, the responding deputy performed life-saving procedures to help the child breathe again.
See also: Two arrested after 6-year-old arrives at Florida school with bruises, deputies say
Body camera video shows a deputy holding the baby, flipping it over on its stomach, and beginning to pat the baby’s back.
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When the baby begins to cry, the deputy is heard saying, “he’s good.”
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