ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A runaway emu ended up in handcuffs after trying to evade a St. Johns County deputy on Friday, Jan. 9.

What we know:

Cpl. Keisler responded to County Road 13 to capture the emu, but the large bird ignored his commands, kicked him several times using its large talons and fled on foot recklessly, according to officials.

After a short chase, deputies say Cpl. Keisler cornered the emu and secured it with a makeshift lasso. Body camera video that captured the chase shows the deputy handcuff the emu’s legs.

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What they’re saying:

“In my 25 years, I’ve never handcuffed an emu,” Cpl. Keisler said. “This is definitely a new one.”

St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office says the emu was reunited with its owners and returned home safely. All criminal charges against the emu were dropped, according to deputies.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Ahead of the coldest temperatures in years for Central Florida, the National Weather Service has issued a freeze watch for Friday morning.

A freeze watch means temperatures of 32 degrees or lower are possible.

Exterior pipes should be protected in Marion, Sumter and northern Lake counties where temperatures could be below freezing for four to six hours.

Plants sensitive to the cold should be covered or brought inside by Thursday evening.

It’s also a good idea to bring pets inside.

A strong Arctic cold front is expected to arrive Thursday morning. Temperatures top out in the upper 50s and lower 60s early in the day, but are expected to fall for most of the afternoon.

Temperatures will bottom out in the 20s and 30s across Central Florida.

This does not include the wind.

Parts of Central Florida could again dip below freezing Saturday morning.

A reinforcing shot of cold air arrives Sunday which could send parts of Central Florida back below freezing Monday morning.

A big warmup arrives late next work week and into the following weekend.

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A cruise ship that departed Florida has been hit by a norovirus outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC reported that 94 people fell ill on the Holland America Line cruise ship Rotterdam during its voyage between Dec. 28, 2025, and Jan. 9, 2026.

Those affected by the norovirus outbreak showed the typical symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.

The virus, which is highly contagious, is the number 1 cause of foodborne illnesses in the United States, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Symptoms appear between 12 and 48 hours after exposure and can include other symptoms like stomach pain, headaches, and fevers.

According to the CDC, 85 passengers out of 2,593 reported being sick. Nine of the 1,005 crew members reported being ill as well.

The CDC said Holland America Line and the Rotterdam crew increased cleaning and disinfection measures and quarantined those who fell ill to prevent the disease from spreading further.

CruiseMapper.com showed that the ship departed Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 28. The cruise line’s website also has several future voyages out of Fort Lauderdale as well.

8 On Your Side has reached out to Holland America for more information on the outbreak.