Florida
Florida nurse accused of poisoning neighbor’s cats, pregnant dog
POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A Florida nurse is accused of poisoning two of her neighbor’s cats and a pregnant dog.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said on Thursday that Tamesha Knighten, 51, was arrested and faces several counts of felony animal cruelty.
Deputies said the two cats, Luna and Pancake, were found choking, foaming at the mouth and “in obvious significant pain.” The cats died within hours of each other. Then, four hours later, a pregnant Chihuahua, Daisy, was found dead by her owners, according to sheriff’s officials.
Knighten’s neighbors told deputies she threatened to poison their pets if the animals came into her yard.
“On the day that the pets died, they noticed Knighten pacing in her yard along the shared fence line. She had also yelled at the victims’ children that day, who were outside playing ball,” the sheriff’s office said in a release.
The neighbors said they noticed the cat “acting strangely” in the yard and Knighten, who was also outside, said the cat must be choking on a frog, according to sheriff’s officials.
Deputies found a white Styrofoam bowl near Knighten’s air conditioning unit that had “a white meaty substance mixed with a dark colored material.” Knighten denied having those kinds of bowls until deputies found a pack of them in her pantry, a release shows.
The sheriff’s office said deputies reviewed video from Knighten’s yard and saw her holding the bowl while wearing a blue glove. When asked why she was wearing the glove, she said it was to pick up papers in the yard, which deputies did not find evidence from, the release said.
“They told her the bowl looked like it contained tuna, to which she replied, ‘It wasn’t tuna, it was chicken.’ When asked what the chicken had on it, she called it her ‘special seasoning’ and said she put the bowl of food outside to ‘feed animals in the area,’” the sheriff’s office said.
Lab results showed the pets consumed Phorate, a pesticide found in insecticides, according to officials, which would have caused the animals to suffer.
“This suspect, despite all evidence to the contrary, repeatedly denied killing her neighbor’s pets, even telling our detectives that she’s a nurse and had too much to lose. Well guess what? These people lost their beloved pets in a most horrific way, and she lost her freedom by going to jail,” Sheriff Grady Judd said in the release.
In addition to animal cruelty, Knighten faces one count of depositing poison in a public area.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily:
Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
A SpaceX rocket soared into the Monday morning sky, starting off Memorial Day on Florida’s Space Coast with a rumble.
Liftoff occurred on time at 7:48 a.m. May 25 from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The mission, known as Starlink 10-47, featured a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the latest batch of Starlink internet satellites to orbit.
The rocket rumbled on a northeast trajectory, across the clearing morning sky. Showers had moved through the area overnight, but cleared in time for the liftoff, which marked the 35th of the year for Florida.
No Brevard County sonic booms were heard, as the Falcon 9’s first stage booster landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
When is the next Florida rocket launch?
Early risers are in for a treat, as the next liftoff is also set to occur in the morning hours.
The next launch from Florida is set for no earlier than 7:52 a.m. Friday, May 29 from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Expect to see a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lift off on another Starlink mission.
If needed, the May 29 launch window extends until 11:52 a.m.
Be sure to follow the FLORIDA TODAY Space Team at FloridaToday.com/Space for the latest updates from Cape Canaveral.
Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars.
The NEXT Weather Team is tracking another hot and humid day across South Florida on this Sunday Funday. The high humidity and extensive sunshine will make it feel like it is in the mid- to upper-90s across the metroplex and the lower Keys.
As South Floridians head to the beach and out on the water for this Memorial Day weekend, we have several alerts. On the beach, the rip current risk is high, which means beachgoers should stay on the sand and out of the water. On the water, we have small craft cautions in both the Atlantic and Keys waters.
The heat and humidity stretches through Memorial Day on Monday and into Tuesday. The rainy and stormy season returns to South Florida on Wednesday. We will see increased storm chances starting then and running through next weekend.
Feeling lucky? Florida Lotto jackpot was up to $27.50 million for Saturday, May 23, 2026, just before the Memorial Day holiday.
Will a $2 Florida Lotto ticket make someone a millionaire ahead of a federal holiday? As they say in the lottery business, “it could happen to you.”
After one lucky ticket from a BJ’s Wholesale Club Liquors in Clermont, Florida, matched all six numbers in the Wednesday, Feb. 4, Florida Lotto drawing for $21.5 million, the jackpot reset.
The 30th rollover occurred after no one matched all six numbers in the Wednesday, May 20, Florida Lotto drawing. That led to the grand prize increasing by more than $1 million for a whopping $27.50 million for Saturday, May 23.
Check back after 11:15 p.m. ET for Saturday’s winning numbers. We’ll see if there’s a Florida Lotto winner or another rollover just before the federal holiday, Memorial Day, which is Monday, May 25.
In case you’re wondering, Wednesday’s winning Florida Lotto numbers were 6-15-18-28-33-38. Double Play numbers were 4-5-13-15-24-39.
Below is what to know about lottery odds, how long to claim the cash option if you bought a ticket in Florida, and what happens to unclaimed prize money, according to the Florida Lottery.
Winning Florida Lotto numbers for Saturday, May 23, 2026?
Florida Lotto drawings are at 11:15 p.m. ET every Wednesday and Saturday, including holidays. Check back for Saturday, May 23, Florida Lotto numbers and the Double Play. We’ll see if there’s a winner or another rollover just before the 2026 Memorial Day holiday.
How do you play the Florida Lotto?
According to Florida Lottery game rules, Florida Lotto players pick 6 numbers between 1 and 53 or select a Quick Pick ticket. There are prizes for matching three to six numbers. Players who match two of 6 winning Florida Lotto numbers get a free ticket.
The Florida Lottery site states game add-ons include Double Play for $1, a bonus drawing where players could win up to $250,000 using the same numbers (Double Play drawings are held immediately after Florida Lotto drawings). Another Florida Lotto game add-on is EZmatch for $1 per play. If players match any EZmatch number to their Florida Lotto numbers, they instantly win that prize.
Tickets start at $2. Good luck!
When was the last Florida Lotto won? How long has the jackpot rolled over?
The Florida Lotto jackpot was last won on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. BJ’s Wholesale Club Liquors on South Highway 27 in Clermont, Florida, sold the winning Quick Pick ticket worth $21.5 million.
The new lottery jackpot reset at $1 million for the drawing on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. Below is a recap of lottery drawings for the latest streak.
- Saturday, May 23: $27.50 million
- Wednesday, May 20: $26.25 million
- Saturday, May 16: $24.5 million
- Wednesday, May 13: $23.5 million
- Saturday, May 9: $22.25 million
- Wednesday, May 6: $21.25 million
- Saturday, May 2: $20.25 million
- Wednesday, April 29: $19 million
- Saturday, April 25: $18 million
- Wednesday, April 22: $17 million
- Saturday, April 18: $16 million
- Wednesday, April 15, Tax Day: $15.25 million
- Saturday, April 11: $14.50 million
- Wednesday, April 8: $13.75 million
- Saturday, April 4: $12.75 million
- Wednesday, April 1, or April Fool’s Day: $12 million
- Saturday, March 28: $11.25 million
- Wednesday, March 25: $10.25 million
- Saturday, March 21: $9.25 million
- Wednesday, March 18: $8.25 million
- Saturday, March 14, Pi Day: $7.50 million
- Wednesday, March 11: $7 million
- Saturday, March 7: $6.75 million
- Wednesday, March 4: $6 million
- Saturday, Feb. 28: $5 million
- Wednesday, Feb. 25: $4 million
- Saturday, Feb. 21: $3.25 million
- Wednesday, Feb. 18: $2.50 million
- Saturday, Feb. 14, or Valentine’s Day: $1.75 million
- Wednesday, Feb. 11: $1.25 million
- Saturday, Feb. 7: $1 million
When is the next Florida Lotto drawing? What are the odds, chances of winning Florida Lotto lottery?
Florida Lotto drawings are held at 11:15 p.m. ET on Wednesdays and Saturdays, including holidays. According to floridalottery.com, players have a 1 in 22,957,480 chance to match all six numbers whether the jackpot is $1 million or $36 million. Prizes range from $2 to the grand prize jackpot, which varies.
The next Florida Lotto drawing will be on Wednesday, May 27.
How long do you have to cash in a Florida Lottery ticket?
Prizes for Florida Lottery must be claimed within 180 days (six months) from the date of the drawing. To claim a single-payment cash option, a winner has within the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to claim it.
Does the Florida Lottery reveal lottery winners? Can you stay anonymous if you win lottery in Florida?
According to Florida Lottery’s website, winners cannot remain anonymous: “Florida law mandates that the Florida Lottery provide records containing information such as the winner’s name, city of residence; game won, date won, and amount won to any third party who requests the information.”
However, the site states, the “names of lottery winners claiming prizes of $250,000 or greater will be temporarily exempt from public disclosure for 90 days from the date the prize is claimed, unless otherwise waived by the winner.”
Does Walmart sell lottery tickets? Where to buy lottery tickets in Florida
In Florida, most gas stations and some grocery stores sell lottery tickets. It’s harder to find a gas station that doesn’t sell Powerball, Mega Millions, Florida Lottery and scratch-off tickets than it is to find one that does.
Publix also sells lottery tickets and is known for selling many winning tickets. A lesser-known location is Walmart. Whether the Walmart location closest to you sells lottery tickets depends on your state and the store. Many Walmart locations in Florida have self-service lottery ticket vending machines or sell lottery tickets at the customer service desk.
You can use the “Where to Play” search tool on the Florida Lottery website to find a grocery store or gas station near you that sells lottery tickets.
(This story will be updated to include new information.)
Lianna Norman and Jennifer Sangalang are trending reporters for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, lotteries, rocket launches, Florida wildlife, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
-
San Francisco, CA6 minutes agoSF 19th Avenue repavement project complete, all lanes now open: Caltrans
-
Dallas, TX12 minutes ago11 Food Tours in Dallas That Let You Eat Your Way Across the City
-
Miami, FL18 minutes agoMiami Earns Two Seed as Regional Destination is set for the Path to Omaha
-
Boston, MA24 minutes agoThe 2026 Boston Red Sox are a chore to watch
-
Denver, CO30 minutes agoKalshi Promo Code DENVER: Get $10 Bonus for Memorial Day MLB, Knicks-Cavs Game 4 – Denver Stiffs
-
Seattle, WA36 minutes agoSeattle Mariners Minor League Roundup – Week Nine
-
San Diego, CA42 minutes agoBefore streaming and television, movies arrived by reel in San Diego
-
Milwaukee, WI48 minutes agoMilwaukee police investigate crash that left pedestrian with life-threatening injuries
