Florida
Central Florida beaches prepare for spring break crowds
Central Florida beaches prepare for spring break
Spring Break 2024 is right around the corner; beaches in Central Florida are preparing for the influx of young tourists.
ORLANDO, Fla. – Spring Break 2024 is right around the corner; beaches in Central Florida are preparing for the influx of young tourists.
FOX 35’s Kelsie Cairns spoke to New Smyrna Beach, Cocoa Beach, and Daytona Beach officials.
Each city has its own approach to rule crackdowns.
Starting with New Smyrna Beach, you may remember the infamous Spring Break of 2022, with videos circulating online of high-school-aged kids taking over the streets and dancing on top of cars on Flagler Avenue.
New Smyrna is ensuring all bases are covered to curb the chaos this year.
“If this is the Spring Break where you were hoping to fill up a cooler with beer and head to NSB, then this probably isn’t the location you wanna pick,” says New Smyrna Beach Police Department Chief Eric Feldman.
“We welcome kids, we welcome everybody to enjoy our beach, but we want them to treat it as if it is their own backyard,” says Lisa Martin, City Commissioner.’
“When they come in, they’re going be greeted by an army of police officers smiling on foot – who will absolutely write you a ticket for not having your seatbelt on,” Chief Feldman said.
The city will be enforcing its 11 p.m. curfew for anyone under 17. The city has this rule year-round but will use extra resources to ensure it’s followed.
City leaders anticipate the biggest “kid crowds” in the third week of March.
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“Based on experiences we’ve learned over the last couple of years, we will have significant extra staffing this year,” Feldman said.
Martin said, “This is not the same crowd that spends in our shops and restaurants – it’s a different crowd, and they’re kids who wanna have fun.”
Bike Week in Daytona Beach begins Friday
Daytona Beach is preparing for an influx of bikers, and Bike Week kicks off on Friday and runs through the following Sunday. Over 400,000 bikers are expected, and local law enforcement will step up patrols to keep people safe.
Moving on to Cocoa Beach, Wes Mullins, the Chief of the Cocoa Beach Police Department, said, “We’re not Miami, but we’re also a town that has 2.5 million visitors a year.”
City Manager Wayne Carragino said, “We just want to get the word out, like we do every year, that anybody that has the intention of coming to Cocoa Beach and making a mess, drinking excessively, driving after they drink, and causing rowdiness, We’re just not going to put up with it.”
Mullins and Carragino want to ensure beach safety. Mullins said, “We’re staffed appropriately. We’re out on the beaches. We are out on the waterways and the roadways to ensure that everybody in the city of Cocoa Beach is going to be safe.”
Cocoa Beach and New Smyrna Beach have contacted state agencies for extra help on standby. FOX 35 contacted Daytona Beach officials, who said there would be no curfews for Spring Break.
FORT MYERS, Fla. – An injured manatee and her calf are recovering after authorities on a boat rescued them from the Orange River near Fort Myers on Thursday.
What we know:
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said its Marine Unit, Advanced Technology Support Unit, drone pilots and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission helped in saving the pair after the mother was found hurt in the water and in need of medical attention.
READ: Missing Florida man found stuck in mud without food or water for days: PFD
Video shows authorities pulling the frantic manatees safely onto the boat in netting before taking them to shore.
Courtesy: Lee County Sheriff’s Office
Both animals will be taken to ZooTampa for evaluation and medical care.
What we don’t know:
LCSO did not say the extent of the mother’s injuries.
By the numbers:
As of Feb. 20, there have been 85 manatee deaths across Florida in 2026, according to the FWC. Last year reportedly saw a total of 632 manatee deaths.
Dig deeper:
Earlier this month, the FWC began investigating a spike in manatee deaths, specifically in Lee County, where officials say 25 were found dead within a week.
READ: FWC investigating spike in manatee deaths over the past week
The FWC believes these manatee deaths could be from several factors: cold stress, a lack of seagrass and polluted waterways.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Trump threatens tariffs on countries that supply oil to Cuba
Trump warned Cuba to reach an agreement with the U.S. after signing an executive order to impose tariffs on countries that supply the island with oil.
HAVANA (Reuters) – Four people were killed and seven others were wounded on Feb. 25 after a speedboat from Florida entered Cuban waters and opened fire on Cuban forces, who returned fire, Cuba’s Interior Ministry said.
All four dead were aboard the Florida-based speedboat, and another six were injured, Cuba said. In addition, the Cuban commander of border patrol boat was wounded, Cuba said.
The wounded foreign attackers were evacuated and received medical attention, Cuba said.
The incident took place amid heightened tension between Cuba and the United States, which has blocked virtually all oil shipments to the island, increasing pressure on the Communist-run government. American forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas on Jan. 3, removing a key Cuban ally from power.
“Faced with the current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its commitment to protecting its territorial waters, based on the principle that national defense is a fundamental pillar for the Cuban state in safeguarding its sovereignty and stability in the region,” the Cuban statement said.
Reporting by Daniel Trotta in Havana.
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