Florida

Read recent news stories and current events about Florida on Newser.com

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He Ate a Bad Oyster, Died 2 Days Later

Saltwater bacteria Vibrio vulnificus claims life in Florida

(Newser) - A man dined on oyster at an unnamed restaurant in Florida's Sarasota County, only to die two days later from a deadly bacteria. The 71-year-old died July 10 from a bacterial infection caused by the bacteria Vibrio vulnificus, reports the South Florida Sun-Sentinel . Though such infections are rare—only...

Fla. Couple Wins Fight With City Over Starry Night House

Mount Dora cited pair, told them they had to paint over Van Gogh tribute

(Newser) - A Florida mayor must apologize to a couple fined thousands of dollars for having their home's exterior painted to emulate a Vincent van Gogh masterpiece. The Mount Dora City Council unanimously agreed Tuesday that Lubomir Jastrzebski and Nancy Nemhauser can keep the blue-and-yellow paint swirled on their walls in...

Mom Blames 15-Year-Old's Death on Cookie Packaging

Florida teen missed peanut mention in Chips Ahoy made with with Reese's

(Newser) - A Florida mother blames the death of her 15-year-old daughter on what she calls confusing packaging for Reese's Chips Ahoy cookies, reports the AP . In a July 12 Facebook post , Kelli Travers-Stafford wrote that her daughter Alexi mistakenly ate one of the cookies at a friend's house despite...

Beach Closed After 2 People Bitten by Sharks

Fernandina Beach shuts down for a day

(Newser) - Once is happenstance—twice, you close the darn beach. That's what officials did at Fernandina Beach near Jacksonville on Friday after two people suffered shark bites, My Fox 8 reports. First up was a 30-year-old man surfing with his son, then came a 17-year-old boy, but luckily neither attack...

Police Told to Arrest Innocent Blacks: Probe

Former Florida police chief faces federal charges

(Newser) - Need to pin a crime on someone? Just pick up a black person. That was allegedly the unwritten policy of Miami-area police who have been accused of civil-rights violations, the Miami Herald reports. According to charges in federal court, former chief Raimundo Atesiano and two officers of the Biscayne Park...

He Was Having a Heart Attack. He Really Wanted to Finish His Sod

First responders stepped in for Gene Work and finished his chore while he had surgery

(Newser) - It was a hot, humid day in Pasco County, Fla., on Saturday, and Gene Work was trying to beat the clock to lay down sod in his yard so he wouldn't face a fine from his homeowners association. But the 40-year-old, who was working with his brother-in-law Mark Rouco,...

Kidnapped to Impersonate Aretha, She Became a Star
'I Was Scared': Kidnapped
Singer Becomes a Star
longform
Jul 7, 2018 5:30 PM CDT

'I Was Scared': Kidnapped Singer Becomes a Star

Vickie Jones took an unexpected road to success

(Newser) - She started as Mary Jane Jones, became Vickie Jones, performed as Aretha Franklin, and returned to the life of Mary Jane Jones—with a kidnapping, an arrest, and a spell of stardom in between, the Smithsonian reports. Jones was a standout gospel singer in ramshackle West Petersburg, Virginia, in the...

Cops Say She Drove 70mph While He Clung to the Hood

The two have a 'complicated relationship,' said the ex-boyfriend afterward

(Newser) - A Florida woman was charged with a misdemeanor after she allegedly drove nearly 20 miles at speeds of up to 70mph, with her ex-boyfriend clinging to the hood of their 2010 Mercedes, reports the Smoking Gun . Patresha Isidore, 24, and Junior Francis, 22, had an argument at a home in...

Thousands Gather to Mourn XXXTentacion

They lined up for hours to view murdered rapper's casket

(Newser) - Loudspeakers blasted songs by the late rapper XXXTentacion as thousands of fans chanting his lyrics lined up for hours at a Florida stadium Wednesday to see the performer laid out in a casket, two braids flowing over the side. XXXTentacion was gunned down last week at the age of 20....

Cops: Driver Intentionally Hit, Killed Dad Biking With 2 Sons

Parents say Mikese Morse was having a psychotic break

(Newser) - The parents of a Florida motorist accused of intentionally running over and killing a cyclist out for a ride with his two young sons said Monday that their son is a talented track and field athlete who struggles with profound mental illness. Michael and Khadeeja Morse told the AP they...

Mosquito-Borne Virus Infects Human for First Time
Mosquito-Borne
Virus Infects
Human for
First Time
new study
Jun 24, 2018 1:10 PM CDT

Mosquito-Borne Virus Infects Human for First Time

It took scientists 18 months to figure it out

(Newser) - A coastal virus that can cause a rash and mild fever has officially infected a person for the first time, NPR reports. Scientists say it took 18 months to figure out that a Florida teen who got sick during the Zika outbreak of 2016 actually had the Keystone virus, which...

Prosecutors Decide on Teens Who Taunted Drowning Man

State Attorney Phil Archer says no law forces you to help people

(Newser) - Florida prosecutors say they aren't charging a group of teens who taunted a drowning disabled man and recorded his death, the AP reports. State Attorney Phil Archer released a statement Friday announcing his office's decision not to criminally charge four juveniles and one adult for failing to help...

Mystery Illness Fells Dozens at Fla. Summer Camp

33 kids, 3 adults are stricken in Lake Placid

(Newser) - A Florida summer camp ended up falling somewhere between Meatballs and Friday the 13th on Thursday after dozens of kids came down with a mysterious illness. It began with an urgent-sounding tweet shortly after 8pm EDT from Highlands County Fire and Rescue noting a "mass casualty incident" at Lake...

This Is XXXTentacion's Killer, According to Cops

Dedrick Williams held without bail on first-degree murder charge

(Newser) - Police have made an arrest in the murder of 20-year-old rapper XXXTentacion, shot dead outside a Florida motorcycle dealership earlier this week. A 22-year-old was taken into custody Wednesday on a charge of first-degree murder, the Broward County Sheriff's Office confirms, per the Independent , identifying the man as Dedrick...

Florida Mall to Be America's Biggest—by a Long Shot

You'll definitely need a map

(Newser) - In an era of shuttered shopping malls, the biggest one in America is set to be built. Officials in Florida's Miami-Dade County last month approved zoning changes for a 6.2-million-square-foot shopping and entertainment center on a 174-acre site off the Florida Turnpike, complete with an indoor water park,...

Parkland Coach Was Accused of Sexually Harassing Students

Including shooting victim Meadow Pollack, months before the Feb. 14 massacre

(Newser) - A security monitor at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School has been slammed for not confronting the shooter on Feb. 14. Now the Sun Sentinel reports that 39-year-old Andrew Medina received a three-day suspension last fall after accusations that he sexually harassed two female students—including Meadow Pollack, who died in...

The Roller Coaster Car Derailed and They Plummeted

Daytona Beach's Sand Blaster derailed Thursday

(Newser) - Six people were sent to the hospital late Thursday after an 85-foot high roller coaster derailed in Daytona Beach, Fla. Two people fell as much as 34 feet to the ground from the Sand Blaster's front car, which was left dangling perpendicular to the beach boardwalk with two others...

Black Couple Handcuffed Over Waffle House Bill Dispute

They said they were overcharged by $1.50

(Newser) - Waffle House says its CEO has apologized to a woman who was handcuffed along with her boyfriend over a dispute over a $1.50 charge at one of its restaurants. Activist Shaun King says the black couple were handcuffed after they "refused to pay for a $1.50 overcharge...

Cops: Carjacker Foiled Twice by Drivers With Guns

That was after the first vehicle he tried to steal failed to start, say police

(Newser) - Florida's Christopher Raymond Hill had a really rough Friday. First, the 36-year-old tried to flee a Jacksonville Walmart with a stolen cash register only to find the SUV he'd jumped into wouldn't start, police say. Seeing another option, he allegedly used a knife in an attempted carjacking,...

4 Kids Dead After Orlando Standoff
4 Kids Dead After
Orlando Standoff
Jun 12, 2018 5:31 AM CDT

4 Kids Dead After Orlando Standoff

Gunman found dead in closet, police say

(Newser) - After nearly 24 hours, a standoff in Orlando ended with the outcome police were dreading. Police say all four children who'd been held hostage in a west Orlando apartment complex were found dead after SWAT officers entered the unit, the Orlando Sentinel reports. "A short time ago we...

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