Burglars are targeting firefighters in Central Florida. According to officials, criminals are breaking into firefighter’s cars while they are on shift.

“It’s unconscionable, it’s criminal and it’s preying on folks that are literally taking an oath and willing to give their life to help serve the community,” John Westmoreland of Orange County Fire Rescue said. “The thought of their vehicles being broken into it’s sickening, and it’s maddening.”

Three fire stations in Orange County were targeted between June 30 and July 1: OCFRD Station 34 (4000 Winter Garden Vineland Road), OCFRD Station 44 (14230 Reams Road), and OCFRD Station 33 (1700 S. Apopka Vineland Road).

According to the Seminole County Fire Department, two of their stations (Stations 12 & 14) were hit on July 1.

“These crimes have been happening after midnight,” Westmoreland said. “There’s some indication that we’ve had some false calls and then the break-ins occurring afterwards.”

It’s a trend nationwide, according to Westmoreland. Over the last six months, a rash of similar incidents have been reported in Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Missouri, and Colorado.

Last year, FOX 35 reported half a dozen other instances of car burglaries targeting firefighters again in Orange and Seminole counties. That was when Seminole County firefighter John Baker had a gun stolen from his truck.

Now, stations in Seminole and Orange counties are taking steps to improve or reinforce security measures.

Most fire stations do have security cameras. There is no word yet on whether any of the burglaries were caught on camera.

FOX 35 was told no guns were reported stolen from the Seminole County stations. We’re still waiting to hear back from Orange County regarding the same question. 

MICANOPY, Fla. (WCJB) -The state of Florida now requires strippers to be at least 21 years of age.

A lawsuit filed by Serenity Bushey, “Cafe Risque”, and two other adult establishments claims the new law violates their First Amendment and equal protection rights.

Bushay’s attorney, Gary Edinger, says the law is unconstitutional.

“The idea that adult residents of the state of Florida don’t have the same rights as people who are a couple of years older than them… it doesn’t make any sense under the constitution.”

The federal suit claims at least nine women under the age of 21 perform at “Cafe Risque” and have since lost their jobs.

Edinger says the law doesn’t only apply to strippers at adult entertainment clubs.

“So whether they are performers, or cooks, or DJs, or security, they can no longer be employed,” he stated. “And that affects what you might think of as strip clubs, it affects adult theaters, and also adult retail stores.”

He also tells TV20 that the consequences are high stakes.

“If someone slips by with a particularly good fake ID that club is strictly liable,” he added. “If it’s a nude club such as ‘Cafe Risque’ in Micanopy that’s a third-degree felony, that means someone’s going to jail for that…”.

Edinger and Bushey are asking for attorney fees and calling for a permanent injunction on the law.

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PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — WPTV is continuing to dig deeper into Florida test scores just released from the state department of education. They show whether students are performing at grade level in a variety of subjects.

This was Florida’s second year of the progress monitoring testing style, measuring student success three times throughout the year.

Local school district leaders told WPTV education reporter Stephanie Susskind they really like it. But parents Susskind spoke to aren’t so sure yet.

“I just don’t get it. I truly don’t know how taking away one test to add three, there’s no logic to me. It doesn’t make sense,” said Palm Beach County mom of two Sheena Romano.

Romano shares a popular opinion with many parents Susskind heard from on Tuesday: there’s too much testing in school.

“You have the elementary school sitting three times a year for iReady to grade their progress. And then you have the [Florida Assessment of Student Thinking] to grade their progress. So it’s like, can we eliminate one?” Romano said.

North in St. Lucie County, Superintendent Dr. Jon Prince doesn’t disagree.

“Testing in Florida is rigorous,” Prince told Susskind. “I still say we’ve got a little too much assessment going on.”

But he does support the new style of progress monitoring testing using the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking, or FAST. It’s given at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year to measure what a student is learning and where they need to focus.

“It’s been a great blessing that we get these results back immediately. So we know exactly where these kids are weak,” Prince said.

Florida education leaders tout this state testing style as the first in the nation. It replaced the high stakes FSA exam, which was given once at the end of the year.

“We are finding there is a lot more interface between parents and schools,” Prince said. “OK, my kid didn’t do very well. What can I do as a parent? And what can we do to partner and help them perform better? So I think it’s helped not just student learning, but that interaction between parents and families and schools.”

While parents like Romano understand that perspective, they still feel there’s too much testing pressure on today’s students.

“I think a good teacher, just like a good parent, should be able to see the progress. If you are honed in on the children,” Romano said.

So why are these tests important? Not only do they measure student progress, but they are used to help determine school and district grades. Those are expected to be released later this summer.