Florida
Your Florida Daily: Bill to deter left-lane drivers advances in Tallahassee, AAA reports increased demand for cruises
ORLANDO, Fla. – A bill to penalize drivers who don’t move to the right is ready to be heard by the full Florida Senate.
The measure passed its final committee on Thursday.
It would apply to highways with at least two lanes in each direction and speed limits of 65 mph or higher. Drivers would be prohibited from using the left lane unless they’re passing other vehicles.
The bill’s sponsor says his goal is to prevent people from using the right lane to pass slower traffic.
“In 2023 alone, there were 4,027 violations as a direct violation of passing on the right,” State Sen. Keith Perry, (R) Gainesville, said.
If the bill becomes law, violators would face a $158 fine.
A similar measure is ready for a full vote in the state House of Representatives.
Florida cruise industry on track for another record-breaking year
The cruise industry is off to a strong start in 2024.
Demand is red hot — including at Port Canaveral, according to AAA.
A new report from the auto club shows cruise lines saw record numbers of bookings last year with that trend carrying into 2024.
It might be a good idea to go soon if you’re planning one. AAA says the first three months of the year is the best time to take a cruise with larger discounts offered during what cruise lines call “wave season.”
And if you need to get a passport, you should allow at least eight weeks for processing.
Escaped kangaroo caught near pool at Florida apartment complex
A rare sight in a Florida neighborhood is making national news.
A kangaroo went wild in a Tampa apartment complex pool deck, a video from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office shows.
Hillsborough County deputies eventually surrounded the kangaroo and safely captured it.
It’s now back home after making sure the owner had proper permits but so far no one’s explained how it got loose or why they own a kangaroo.
Random Florida Fact
Here’s one for all you aviation buffs out there.
At the Epic Flight Academy in New Smyrna Beach exists a decommissioned DC-7 plane
It’s an old American Airlines passenger plane that could fly nonstop coast-to-coast in eight hours.
The DC-7 was built in response to a mandate that flight crews were restricted to only working eight hours in-flight within a 24-hour period.
Few of these planes remain today – less than 400 were built.
This aviation relic is open to the public for viewing as long as you call Epic Flight Academy for an escort.
Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
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Florida
Gas prices rise in South Florida amid U.S. and Israel’s conflict with Iran, as the stock market also reports a dip
Four days into the Iranian conflict, gas prices are rising at many stations in South Florida.
“I’ve traveled all over the United States,” says Stacey Williams. CBS Miami spoke to him as he was gassing up on the turnpike. He paid $66 for 20 gallons of diesel to fill his pickup truck. Williams has noted the fluctuations in fuel as he drives to locations for his work on turbines. He just spent three weeks at the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant south of Miami.
“The salary we get paid per hour does not add up to what we pay for gas, housing, and food,” he says.
Mitchell Gershon is also dealing with the higher gas prices. He has to fill three vehicles constantly for his business—Thrifty Gypsy, a pop-up store at musical venues. He’s back and forth from Orlando to Miami and says fuel is costing him 20% more. When asked how he handles these fluctuations, he said, “Have a little backup cash so you are ready for it.”
The rise in oil prices contributed to a drop in the stock market on Tuesday, which means some retirement accounts dipped, too. CBS Miami talked to Chad NeSmith, director of investments at Tobias Financial Advisors in Plantation, for perspective on the drop.
“We are seeing most of the pullback today. Yesterday was a shock,” he says. He’s not expecting runaway oil prices but says investors should stay in the loop: “Pay attention to your portfolio. Stick to your goals. Have a plan because these things are completely unpredictable.”
That unpredictability has Williams adjusting his budget. “You just cut back, cut corners, all you can do,” he says.
STARKE, Fla. (AP) — A man convicted of fatally shooting a police officer with his own service weapon during a traffic stop is set to be executed Tuesday evening in Florida.
Billy Leon Kearse, 53, is scheduled to receive a three-drug injection starting at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke. Kearse was initially sentenced to death in 1991 after being convicted of first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm.
The Florida Supreme Court found that the trial court failed to give jurors certain information about aggravating circumstances and ordered a new sentencing. Kearse was resentenced to death in 1997.
Kearse awoke at 6:30 a.m. He declined a last meal and has remained compliant throughout the day, corrections spokesman Jordan Kirkland said during a news conference. Kearse met with a spiritual adviser during the day but had no other visitors.
This is Florida’s third execution scheduled for 2026, following a record 19 executions last year. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis oversaw more executions in a single year in 2025 than any other Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. The highest number before then was eight executions in both 1984 and 2014, under former governors Bob Graham and Rick Scott, respectively.
According to court records, Fort Pierce Police Officer Danny Parrish pulled over Kearse for driving the wrong way on a one-way street in January 1991. When Kearse couldn’t produce a valid driver’s license, Parrish ordered Kearse out of his vehicle and attempted to handcuff him.
A struggle ensued, and Kearse grabbed Parrish’s firearm, prosecutors said. Kearse fired 14 times, striking the officer nine times in the body and four times in his body armor. A nearby taxi driver heard the shots and used Parrish’s radio to call for help.
Parrish was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died from the gunshot wounds, officials said. Meanwhile, police used license plate information that Parrish had called in before approaching Kearse to identify the attacker’s vehicle and home address, where Kearse was arrested.
Last week, the Florida Supreme Court denied appeals filed by Kearse. His attorneys had argued that he was unconstitutionally deprived of a fair penalty phase and that his intellectual disability makes his execution unconstitutional.
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Kearse’s final appeals Tuesday afternoon without comment.
A total of 47 people were executed in the U.S. in 2025. Florida led the way with a flurry of death warrants signed by DeSantis, far outpacing Alabama, South Carolina and Texas which each held five executions.
Besides the two Florida executions this year, Texas and Oklahoma have each executed one person so far.
Two more Florida executions have already been scheduled for this month. Michael Lee King, 54, is scheduled to die on March 17, and the execution of James Aren Duckett, 68, is set for March 31.
All Florida executions are carried out via lethal injection using a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.
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