Florida
South Florida Catholics pray for Pope Francis amid health battle
As Pope Francis remains in critical condition, South Florida Catholics are turning to prayer, hoping for his recovery while reflecting on his legacy.
“We are receiving all the news and praying for him every day,” said Andre Kramer, a parishioner at St. Martha’s Church in Miami Shores.
Another churchgoer, Zully Mardival, echoed the sentiment, “We’re praying for his health. Yes, it’s true we’ve heard he’s in critical condition, but we do not lose hope.”
Archbishop of Miami Thomas Wenski addressed the Pope’s condition before Sunday’s service, acknowledging the uncertainty of the situation.
“He’s critical. It could go either way,” Wenski said. “Faith tells us if he gets better and goes back to work, it’s a win. But if he goes home to the Lord, it’s also a win. So we’re praying for a win-win here.”
Vatican reports “slight improvement”
The Vatican said Monday that while Pope Francis remains in critical condition, his health has shown “a slight improvement.” Officials confirmed he has not experienced further respiratory crises and some of his lab results have improved.
The 87-year-old pontiff was first admitted to a Rome clinic 10 days ago for a respiratory tract infection, later diagnosed as pneumonia and bronchitis. He underwent additional clinical tests on Sunday.
Despite his condition, the Pope has remained alert and aware, even acknowledging the global outpouring of support. On his official X account, he thanked people for their prayers, particularly children, saying, “Thank you for your caring and consoling prayers I received from all over the world.”
A legacy of compassion and advocacy
For many in South Florida, Pope Francis’ legacy is one of compassion, particularly for the poor and marginalized.
Robert Rodriguez, a parishioner in Miami Shores, emphasized the Pope’s focus on social justice.
Wenski highlighted the pontiff’s advocacy for migrants and immigrants, a pressing issue in the region.
“The Holy Father has spoken very forcibly in defense of migrants and immigrants,” Wenski said. “We feel his closeness, especially during these times when there is a lot of heightened concern over immigration and people feeling a bit fearful.”
TCPalm staff share their top restaurant recommendations in Vero Beach, Sebastian, Fellsmere.
Indian River County is home to many unique restaurants, far too many to choose from.
There are so many restaurants on the Treasure Coast to try, but it can be hard knowing where to start.
Here are the TCPalm staff’s recommendations for restaurants in Vero Beach, Sebastian and Fellsmere.
Indian River County restaurant recommendations
Olivia Franklin is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com, 317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.
Florida
Pilot program aims to build $200K homes in Central Florida to help low-income families buy, not rent
ORLANDO, Fla. – For many Central Florida families, the dream of owning a home feels further out of reach than ever.
With the median home price now topping $400,000, a new pilot program in Orlando is trying to change that by building new homes for about half the cost.
A lot off Quill Avenue in Parramore may not look like much right now, but organizers say it could soon be the site of a new home priced around $200,000 for low-income families.
“We just really wanted an opportunity to bring actual affordable housing to people who have basically been forever renters,” said Satrina Whithead with the GXVE Homes Initiative.
The GXVE Homes Initiative says the goal is to help families earning between $16,000 and $65,000 a year get a chance at homeownership. Whithead said the homes could range from 500 to 1,400 square feet, depending on the lot size and location.
The Orlando Regional Realtor Association reports the median home price in the area is now more than $400,000. Whithead said GXVE hopes to sell homes for about half that.
“There’s nothing wrong with profit, but at the end of the day, I want to help where the need is greatest,” Whithead said.
Organizers say they are already planning to build in Parramore and are working to close on two additional properties. They also say they have properties planned in Sanford and Mims, with a goal of bringing eight homes a year to Central Florida.
“You can pay 80 percent of your salary on rent just to have a place to live. So getting that number back down to around 50 percent is extremely important,” said Mike Harris, vice president of GXVE Homes.
Florida Made Tiny Homes, which is partnering with the organization, said it plans to build concrete homes that exceed safety requirements for the area.
“I don’t think there’s going to be anything available on the market in that price range, much less new construction,” said Dylan Grace, co-founder of Florida Made Tiny Homes.
Program organizers say they expect to start construction in the fall and hope to complete the first home within six to eight months after work begins. For more information please click here.
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ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A former Florida juvenile probation officer is facing more than 100 felony charges after investigators said she leaked confidential court and law enforcement information to people tied to a drug trafficking investigation.
Crystal Gaynell Ann Lawson was booked into the Orange County Jail on Thursday, according to Orange County Corrections records.
Investigators said Lawson improperly accessed the Comprehensive Case Information System, or CCIS, more than 100 times and shared information from active criminal cases with members of a drug trafficking organization.
FOX 35 Orlando reported Lawson was arrested on 113 felony counts of computer crimes for unauthorized access. Investigators said she allegedly accessed the database 106 times between January and May.
Lawson is accused of using the database to search for active criminal cases tied to members of the organization. Authorities said some of the information that was leaked included arrest warrants and documents connected to an active investigation.
Lawson was hired by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice in February 2022. As part of that job, she was given access to the CCIS database. Authorities said she was fired later that year after an arrest, but her database access was not terminated.
See also: ‘Elf,’ ‘Couples Retreat’ actor jailed with no bond after Florida arrest
Investigators said the leaks resulted in lost evidence, unrecovered assets and at least one person fleeing to avoid arrest before later being taken into custody.
Lawson previously worked for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, where she had access to the court information system as part of her job. Authorities said she was later fired, but her database access was not terminated.
Orange County Corrections records list Lawson’s case status as “presentenced” and show multiple entries for “offense against computer users.”
The records list the arresting agency as the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and show bond amounts of $10,000 on several listed case sequences. The jail record also notes an “ICJIS Affidavit.”
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