Florida
Were any Florida ice skaters on the Washington DC plane that crashed? What we know
On Wednesday night, the unthinkable happened when a passenger plane with 60 passengers and four crewmembers aboard crashed into an Army helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport and fell into the frigid Potomac River.
American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, attempted to land and collided in midair just before 9 p.m. with the Blackhawk helicopter, which was carrying three people. Officials announced Thursday morning that they believe there were no survivors and 28 bodies have been found so far in the massive search effort, complicated by the river’s near-freezing water and low visibility.
Among the people on board the plane were a group of figure skaters, their coaches and family members returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, according to a statement from U.S. Figure Skating, the sport’s American governing body. Some skaters competing at the event had Florida ties.
“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement. A group of Russian figure skaters and other Russian nationals were also on board and Russia’s state news agency TASS reported that renowned Russian figure skaters Evgenia and Vadim Naumov, 1994 world pairs champions, were traveling as coaches.
The U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the most prestigious event for American figure skating and the final event before the World Championships, were held in Wichita from Jan. 20 to Jan. 26, awarding national championships in four categories — Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Pairs and Ice Dance — in junior and senior levels. According to U.S. Figure Skating, nearly 150 up-and-coming athletes stayed after the event for the National Development Team, an advanced training program for young skaters held Monday and Tuesday.
These are the current U.S. skaters with Florida ties.
Timmy Chapman, 24, of Orlando
Partnered with Ellie Korytek of Los Angeles, California. They began their partnership in March 2022. They were the U.S. junior champions in 2023 and 1st in the 2025 U.S. Pairs Final.
Korylek and Chapman competed in the Senior Pairs competition of the 2025 U.S. Championships in Wichita, and came in 7th, earning a score of 57.54.
It is not yet known if either skater was on the flight.
Valentina Plazas, 24, of Pembroke Pines and Maximiliano Fernandez, 29, of Miami
Teamed up in May 2020, Plazas (born in Bogota, Colombia) and Fernandez (born in Hialeah, Florida) were the first U.S. pairs team with both partners of Latin descent to compete in the World Championships. They were 14th in that, 3rd in the 2024 U.S. Championships, 2nd in the 2023 Golden Spin of Zagreb and 5th in the 2023 U.S. Championships, among others.
Plazas and Fernandez did not compete in the 2025 U.S. Championships in Wichita. Both skaters have posted messages on social media about the flight.
“My heart breaks for the skating community right now,” Plazas posted on X, formerly Twitter, Thursday morning. “The moment i heard i only imagined all the athletes and families coming back from the camp. This is a shock to the system”
Fernandez can also be marked safe. He posted “Prayers to all those on Flight 5342” last night, and “Just devastating. Praying for everyone who was on board” Thursday morning.
Annabelle Morozov and Jeffrey Chen trained in Estero
Morozov, 23, and Chen, 22, are from New York City and Fremont, California, respectively, but they trained in Estero.
They began their partnership in May 2024 and were 1st in the 2025 U.S. Ice Dance Final and 2nd in the 2024 Lombardia Trophy.
Morozov and Chen competed in the Senior Ice Dance competition of the 2025 U.S. Championships in Wichita, and came in 10th.
Has there ever been a similar tragedy in the figure skating community?
On Feb. 15, 1961, a plane carrying the U.S. national team U.S. national team to the World Figure Skating Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia crashed en route from New York City, USA to Brussels, Belgium. 72 people were killed.
The U.S. Figure Skating Memorial Fund was established to offer skating and academic scholarships to promising members of the national figure skating community in tribute to the lives lost in the crash.
(This story was updated with new information.)
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA)— A Florida mental health counselor walked into a surprising number of bats inside her office last week.
“We had about 50 bats. In the toilet, in the sink. All over,” Shaltala Boss, a licensed mental health counselor, said.
Boss has since moved her office due to maternity season, when it is illegal to exclude or remove bats from April 16 to August 14, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
“Any form of eviction during this time period will result in baby bats being trapped along with adult bats that may not have emerged. Trapped bats will attempt to escape and may end up in the living space of buildings,” FWC said.
Video provided by Boss showed a bat lying on the ground.
“You definitely didn’t want to come to counseling that day,” Boss said.
Boss has since moved to another location and said it is bat-free.
“Most bats will avoid humans at all costs and use natural roosting structures for shelter during the day. However, bats sometimes find their way into our homes and structures, which can present a health hazard,” FWC said.
Republican Congressman Byron Donalds is trailing Democratic candidate David Jolly in the race to become Florida’s next governor, according to a new poll from Change Research, a Democratic-aligned polling firm.
The survey could be an encouraging sign for Florida Democrats, who have not won a statewide election since 2018 and have struggled as the state shifted steadily toward Republicans in recent election cycles.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican who is term-limited and cannot seek reelection in 2026, won a second term by nearly 20 percentage points in 2022, while Republicans have expanded their voter registration advantage and maintained control of every statewide elected office.
Still, some recent polling has suggested the push to replace DeSantis could be a bit more competitive than many have expected.
President Donald Trump last month again vocalized his support for Donalds, saying in part, “I know Byron well, have seen him tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and he is a TOTAL WINNER!” The president added, “Byron Donalds will be a truly Great and Powerful Governor for Florida, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement — HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!”
Trump won the Sunshine State by 13 points in 2024 against then-Vice President Kamala Harris and no Democrat has won the Florida governorship in more than 20 years.
When reached for comment regarding the new poll, Donalds’ campaign referred Newsweek to the X post of Gates McGavick, the team’s communications director. McGavick said in reaction to the poll, “I hear Change Research also sells tremendous ocean front property in Arizona.”
The campaign also referred Newsweek to Ryan Smith’s post on X, while saying he is also affiliated with the campaign. Smith said, “This is a push poll by Democrats for Democrats. The truth is, Florida Democrats will be crying in their kombucha on November 3 when @ByronDonalds is elected governor.”
What To Know
The Change Research survey found Jolly, a former Republican congressman who switched parties and entered the race as a Democrat, leading Donalds in a hypothetical general-election matchup.
Jolly has centered his campaign on affordability issues surrounding insurance costs, housing and healthcare, while Donalds has campaigned as a conservative successor who will attempt to enact Trump’s agenda and fight illegal immigration.
According to the poll, Jolly leads Donalds 47 percent to 42 percent and has a slightly larger margin among likely voters with 49 percent compared to 43 percent.
The poll surveyed 1,273 registered voters of which 1,015 said they will likely vote in the 2026 midterm election. The survey’s margin of error is 2.8 percent.
Also in the poll, Jolly garners 94 percent support from Democrats compared to Donalds’ 77 percent among Republicans.
What Other Polls Show
Another recent Change Research poll shows Jolly leading Donalds 46 percent to 42 percent. The poll was taken from May 13 to May 16 among 2,070 registered voters, of whom 1,593 say they will likely vote in the midterm election. The poll has a margin of error of 2.3 percent.
In a survey at the end of March by Emerson College Polling, Donalds landed 44 percent of the vote compared to Jolly’s 39 percent. The poll shows that 17 percent are undecided. It was taken from March 29 to March 31 among 1,125 likely voters and has a margin of error of 2.8 percent.
FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – A recent viral trend — dubbed the “Door Kick Challenge” — has been causing issues as of late in Central Florida.
The challenge involves teens covering their faces, kicking or pounding stranger’s front door when it’s dark outside, and sprinting off into the night.
[WATCH: FCSO releases footage of ‘Door Kick Challenge’ in action]
But on Wednesday, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly warned there could be deadly consequences.
According to the sheriff’s office, these pranks may come across as an attempted home invasion for some, and with Florida being a “Stand Your Ground” state, neighbors have the right to treat it as such.
[ Central Florida deputy consoles 12-year-old accused in door-kicking incident]
“Parents, keep an eye on your children. We know they want to have fun, but they are taking huge risks when they mask up and kick strangers’ doors,” Staly said. “Be the sheriff of your own home, talk to your kids, know their friends, and make sure they know the risks associated with doing what the internet tells them to do.”
But in a release, the sheriff’s office delivered the message in a “language” that teens may better understand:
“This door kick ‘challenge’ is not the side quest you think it is.
It’s trendslop, pure brain rot straight off the FYP. You think you’re the alpha chad of the cul-de-sac? Nah bruh, you’re one hoodie masked-up sprint away from priors. The kind of rap that gets you cancelled before you ever stack any clout. Zero drip in our jail’s barbershop-looking mugshots.
Okay, real talk. Florida is a Stand Your Ground state. A NPC wakes up to two randos kicking their door at 1 a.m. wearing sheisties — they don’t see a flex, they get the ick, and think your side quest is a home invasion. And no cap, you’ll get capped.
Taking an L on TikTok? Recoverable. Taking a round to the chest? There’s no respawn.
So skip this one, chief. Find clout elsewhere.”
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office
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