Florida
‘Welcome to Florida’ billboard highlights bears, toxic water, dead manatees
TITUSVILLE, Fla. – A number of simplistic billboards tucked among the many pines alongside Interstate 95 close to Titusville welcome motorists to Florida: “House to bears. Poisonous Water. Lifeless manatees.”
The indicators present a rest room draining instantly into the lagoon, with a useless manatee, a sea turtle and some fish, Information 6 accomplice Florida At present reported.
[TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider]
“RIP 1,874 manatees 2021-2022,” the billboards say.
They’re paid for by the Bear Warriors United, the identical nonprofit group suing the Florida Division of Environmental Safety, accusing the company of failing to implement clear water rules by permitting too many septic tanks and sewage spills to foul and kill the ocean cow’s staple seagrass weight-reduction plan.
Septic tanks are among the many high contributors of extra nitrogen and phosphorus to the lagoon, research lately present. An excessive amount of of these two vitamins fuels algae blooms that block daylight to seagrass, killing the manatees most necessary meals supply.
Bear Warriors, which normally acts on behalf of black bears, combating to finish hunts, has taken up the manatee trigger within the wake of 800 manatee deaths final 12 months and a file 1,101 manatees deaths in 2021.
By way of Jan. 20 of this 12 months there have been 56 manatee deaths, together with eight deaths in Brevard. There have been 97 manatee deaths throughout that very same timeframe in 2021, and 68 deaths in 2018. The five-year common for a similar timeframe is 54 deaths, in keeping with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee statistics.
Environmentalists’ lawsuits greater than twenty years in the past led to Florida creating statewide arrays of go-slow zones, in hopes it will save the ocean cows from being killed by strikes from rushing boats.
However air pollution that fuels extra algae saved killing manatees, anyway.
Now environmentalists are suing the state once more, this time to cease the air pollution that boating teams lengthy had warned was a a lot greater long-term risk to the species than boats going too quick.
The manatee dying toll acquired so unhealthy that by in March 2021, the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had declared the die-off an Uncommon Mortality Occasion.
Then, in a first-of-its form pilot mission to attempt to stave off additional hunger, state and federal biologists fed manatees on the Florida Energy & Gentle energy plant final winter and thru the top of March 2022.
Bear Warrior’s initially filed go well with sought an injunction requiring DEP to:
-
“Completely stop its authorization and allowing of the discharge of nitrogen from septic tanks and wastewater vegetation” into the northern Indian River Lagoon;
-
An order requiring DEP to “present medical monitoring and veterinarian care along with correct dietary forage to all manatees within the northern lagoon till enough seagrass can maintain manatees there;
-
Orders enjoining DEP from issuing approvals for septic tanks or sewer plant hookups for brand new development throughout the northern lagoon watershed;
-
Declare that DEP has “by the way taken” manatees within the northern lagoon throughout the that means of the Endangered Species Act. The federal authorities defines an incidental take as unintentional however not surprising actions that end in a threatened species being killed, harassed or in any other case harmed.
“DEP has complete regulatory management over sewage,” Lesley Blackner, an legal professional on the case, stated through electronic mail. “Whether or not it goes into septic tanks or sewage remedy vegetation that dump instantly into the IRL (Indian River Lagoon) throughout rain occasions or leak into groundwater as a result of the system is overloaded and pipes break and rust. Using the IRL as a rest room has killed the lagoon and all of the creatures that decision it residence, together with manatees, Florida’s most iconic marine species.”
Copyright 2023 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
Florida
Top Florida GOP fundraiser joins Trump to launch GoFundMe for Helene victims; $3M raised
Helene aftermath: Community clears Helene damage in North Carolina
Community members in North Carolina rallied together to clean up damage and debris left behind after Hurricane Helene.
WASHINGTON − Former President Donald Trump’s fundraiser to benefit victims of Hurricane Helene has raised almost $3 million as of Tuesday afternoon.
It was set up on GoFundMe by Meredith O’Rourke, a high-profile political fundraiser from Tallahassee who is also national finance director for Trump’s campaign.
She organized a similar page this summer for victims of the shooting at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
More: Top Florida GOP fundraiser launches GoFundMe for Trump rally shooting victims
Trump’s campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung confirmed to USA TODAY that the GoFundMe page is legitimate and authorized by the former president.
O’Rourke has been a top fundraiser for Republicans for decades, including for Rick Scott’s and former Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam’s campaigns for governor. She also did a short stint in 2015 for former N.J. Gov. Chris Christie’s run for president.
The latest fundraiser has received over 16,000 donations, with $500,000 alone from former Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia, according to its page, and another half-million dollars from real estate investor Steve Witkoff, a Trump friend and supporter.
“All donations will be directed to help those most affected by Hurricane Helene,” the page reads. “Any level of generosity will go a long way for your fellow Americans who are suffering.”
Hurricane Helene, which had ravaged southeastern states including North Carolina and Florida, left more than 100 dead and millions without power. More than 30 inches of rain were recorded in some areas of western North Carolina, with houses and communities swept away.
President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit North Carolina on Wednesday, and Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s rival for the presidency, is also planning a visit to the disaster area. Harris received a briefing at FEMA headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Monday.
“Over the past few days, our nation has endured some of the worst destruction and devastation that we have seen in quite some time,” she said. “And we have responded with our best, with the best folks who are on the ground.”
A version of this story first appeared on USA TODAY. Contributing: Joey Garrison, David Jackson, John Bacon, Sarah Honosky and Jim Rosica.
Florida
Hurricane Helene leaves manatees stranded in Florida
Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said its teams are responding to reports of stranded manatees after Hurricane Helene ripped through the state last week.
Helene made landfall in Florida’s panhandle as a Category 4 storm last Tuesday night, bringing with it heavy rainfall, high winds and flooding that also struck other Southeastern states. As of Tuesday, the death toll from Helene had reached 159, the Associated Press reported, as search and rescue operations continue throughout hard-hit states.
The storm has also wreaked havoc on the wildlife caught in its path. The FWC said in a post to its social media accounts on Monday that its biologists were working to rescue manatees—a protected animal under Florida state law—that were beached.
“Manatees can become stranded during rough weather conditions, such as a hurricane or tropical storm,” the FWC said Monday in a post on its Facebook page.
It added in its post, “While our top priority has been to help residents and visitors of Florida recover from the impacts of Helene, we are also working swiftly to rehabilitate and conserve these gentle giants.”
Images of rescued manatees were shared by the FWC on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday afternoon.
Manatees are native to Florida and inhabit rivers, springs and coastal areas throughout the state. The nonprofit Save the Manatee Club, based in Florida, said in a release to its website last week that it was working with its partners, including the FWC, to “actively” monitor the aftermath of Helene and its impact on the manatee population.
“As Florida natives, manatees are well-adapted to the extreme weather events in our state,” the release read in part. “However, they do face significant risk during powerful storms. Storm surges can cause manatees to go far inland to areas they would not normally inhabit, where they can become trapped when the water recedes.”
The FWC urged the public to not attempt to handle any stranded manatees and instead call the state’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-392 to alert officials of the animals’ location.
It added that “manatees stranded by storms may need immediate medical attention from wildlife experts.” Residents can report incidents of other injured wildlife to the Wildlife Alert Hotline or submit a report online through this link.
Newsweek reached out to the FWC for additional information via email on Tuesday.
The FWC was deployed over the weekend as part of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ Operation Blue Ridge, a multistate agency effort to assist recovery efforts in North Carolina and Tennessee, according to a release from the governor’s office Sunday.
The FWC wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday that Operation Blue Ridge “also aims to help Floridians needing rescue in Western North Carolina, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the Tennessee Valley.”
“FWC stands ready to continue assisting our neighbors as they recover from Hurricane Helene’s effects,” the post added.
Florida
Florida State Fair announces 2025 theme, one-day flash ticket sale
TAMPA, Fla. – The Florida State Fair is already gearing up for its 2025 event.
The theme for the 2025 fair is ‘Let Your Fun Shine’ and, for the first time, a mobile app highlighting attractions, new fair food, agricultural events, exhibits, and more, will be available to fairgoers.
Advanced fair tickets are available for $5 with no added fees during a 12-hour flash sale on Tuesday, Oct. 1 from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. or while supplies last.
“The Florida State Fair is always looking to bring an improved experience to our guests, and this year we are focused on encouraging every fairgoer to let their fun shine,” said Cheryl Flood, chief executive officer of the Florida State Fair. “We are incredibly excited to offer families this low price with our first flash sale of the season, and we look forward to soon providing more resources for our guests to explore new features and plan their perfect day at the fair.”
READ: New Florida laws take effect Oct. 1: Here’s what you need to know
The Florida State Fair will open to guests at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 6, and runs through Monday, Feb. 17.
During the fair, all guests 17 years or younger must be accompanied by an admission-paying parent or guardian, 21 years of age or older with a valid ID beginning at 6 p.m. each evening.
The accompanying adult must show a valid ID for entry and can supervise up to four persons, 17 years of age or younger. Additionally, all admission gates will close at 9 p.m. daily.
Click here to purchase tickets during the flash sale on Oct. 1.
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
-
News1 week ago
Money for cutting-edge climate technology could dry up in a second Trump term
-
News1 week ago
Four killed, dozens injured in Alabama shooting
-
World1 week ago
Scholz’s SPD narrowly ahead of far right in east German state: Projections
-
News1 week ago
Cross-Tabs: September 2024 Times/Siena Polls in Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina
-
World1 week ago
Russian airstrike on apartment block in Kharkiv injures 21 people
-
World1 week ago
Czech main opposition party dominates regional elections
-
News1 week ago
Election 2024 Polls: Texas
-
Politics1 week ago
Elon Musk’s pro-Trump super PAC launches website to increase canvassers in battleground states