Fact or fiction? Thereโs more than meets the eye with manatees
The gentle giants cruising Florida's waterways are one of the stateโs most beloved creatures. On the surface, they may seem like slow, gray lumps grazing on sea grass but there is more than meets the eye with the ancient anatomical and ancestral traits still visible in manatees today.
D-SNAP second phase opening for Orange and Flagler county residents affected by Hurricane Ian
The Department of Children and Families announced on Sunday that the second phase of the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or D-SNAP, will open on Monday, Oct. 17 for Orange, Flagler, Highlands, Manatee, Pinellas, and St. Johns counties.
Fact or fiction? Thereโs more than meets the eye with manatees
The gentle giants cruising Florida's waterways are one of the stateโs most beloved creatures. On the surface, they may seem like slow, gray lumps grazing on sea grass but there is more than meets the eye with the ancient anatomical and ancestral traits still visible in manatees today.
As manatee deaths continue to rise, Florida wildlife officials ask boaters to look out
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. โ Manatee deaths are on track to reach new records this year as the sea cows face multiple environmental threats, but Florida wildlife officials are asking boaters to take extra precautions this year to prevent adding to the problem. A combination of cold weather, a decline in seagrass due to development and contaminated waterways have put Florida on pace for its highest number of manatee deaths in a decade. Last year, the state recorded 637 manatee deaths for the entire year, and in 2019, there were 607. On Wednesday, the FWC issued a reminder to boaters to slow down and look out for manatees this spring. As water temperatures warm up, manatees begin to move away from their winter habitats, according to Florida wildlife officials.
Florida on pace for record number of manatee deaths in 2021
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. โ A combination of cold weather, a decline in seagrass due to development and contaminated waterways have put Florida on pace for its highest number of manatee deaths in a decade. Last year, the state recorded 637 manatee deaths, and in 2019, 607. AdThe largest number of deaths is in Brevard County, with 179, the newspaper reported. But the loss of sea grass there is forcing them into other areas. AdRose said there are probably more manatee deaths than the state has documented and the causes might not be accurately attributed.
Taco Bell is bringing back its Quesalupa
After five years, Taco Bellโs Quesalupa is back. Itโs like a quesadilla with an added crispy chalupa shell that creates a double layer of beef, lettuce, cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, and sour cream. [TRENDING: โManatee graveyard in Fla. | 6 major announcements from Disney | Fla. woman charged in US Capitol attack]The fan-favorite originally debuted in 2016. Taco Bell says this iteration has 50% more cheese. The item costs about $3 and it will be available Thursday, for a limited time, but users of the Taco Bell app can start ordering the Quesalupa on Wednesday.
Motorcyclist dies in Port Orange crash
PORT ORANGE, Fla. โ A motorcyclist was killed early Wednesday in a crash in Port Orange, according to police. The fatal wreck was reported around 12:40 a.m. near Country Lane and Taylor Road. [TRENDING: โManatee graveyard in Fla. | 6 major announcements from Disney | Fla. woman charged in US Capitol attack]Police said Coty Eldridge, of Port Orange, was the lone rider of the motorcycle and died in the crash. An investigation is being conducted by the Port Orange Police Department. AdAnyone who witnessed the wreck is asked to call Investigator Phillip Slease at 386-506-5838.
Disappearing seagrass hurting beloved manatees in Florida
The situation is threatening a number of species, including manatees, who depend on seagrass for food. An expert who has spent 40 years studying manatees in Central Florida said dead manatees are being found with nearly nothing in their stomachs. Essentially, itโs an emergency.โRose and others blame the seagrass loss for a spike in manatee deaths this winter. In all of 2020, there were 637 manatee deaths across Florida. AdThe Indian River Lagoon system stretches 165 miles from Volusia County south to Port St. Lucie.
Based on manatee, other animal predictions we have no idea who will win Super Bowl
Itโs almost time for the big game, and everyone wants to know who will win the Super Bowl, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the Kansas City Chiefs. Nicholas the dolphin, shown in the video at the top of the story, picked the Kansas City Chiefs. According to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Nicholas has correctly predicted the last six major sporting events. Hugh the manatee, with a selection record of 6-6, picked the Kansas City Chiefs to win, while his fellow manatee Buffett, who has a record of 10-2, picked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Itโs a house divided at the Mote Aquarium.
SpaceX completes resupply mission
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. โ The SpaceX Cargo Dragon undocked from the space station Tuesday morning and completed the splashdown off Floridaโs west coast. A day after the weather postponed the undocking, Dragon got the green light to undock around 9:05 a.m. Tuesday. ๐ The upgraded @SpaceX cargo Dragon successfully undocked from the @Space_Station at 9:05am ET & is on its way back to Earth for splashdown on Jan. 13, west of Tampa off the coast of Florida. @ISS_Research will be delivered to researchers at @NASAKennedy: https://t.co/Dqltf5ME8X pic.twitter.com/esYxtUmBfH โ NASA (@NASA) January 12, 2021Back at the space station, the crew onboard is preparing for upcoming spacewalks planned for Jan. 19 and 25. Commander Mike Hopkins and pilot Victor Glover, who both flew aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon in November, will conduct both spacewalks.
New Oreo โBrookieโ cookie hits store shelves
You know about brownies and youโve heard of Oreos. Now introducing the Brookie-o, the love child of an Oreo and a brownie. The tasty treat features Oreoโs original chocolate wafers with a three-layered filling of brownie cream, original cream and cookie dough cream. [TRENDING: Manatee found with โTrumpโ etched into skin | Carnival says 2020 bookings are strong | Hereโs how to register for COVID-19 vaccine]Theyโre on sale now but only for a limited time. The cookie company hit the market in 1912 and about 100 years later, it got big into the new flavor game.
Lake County to offer appointment-based COVID-19 vaccinations
LAKE COUNTY, Fla. โ Starting Tuesday, Lake County will now offer shots of Pfizerโs coronavirus vaccine via appointment. The Florida Department of Health in Lake County has a limited number of vaccines to be distributed to Floridaโs priority groups including long-term care facility residents and staff, persons 65 years of age and older and health care workers with direct patient contact. Registration opened at 2 p.m. and the appointments were filled within minutes. [TRENDING: Manatee found with โTrumpโ etched into skin | Carnival says 2020 bookings are strong | Hereโs how to register for COVID-19 vaccine]โWe have been listening to concerns from our community and wanted to expedite appointment-based immunization for our residents and vulnerable seniors,โ Lake County Board Commission Chairman Sean Parks said in a news release. The Florida Department of Health will also continue first come, first serve vaccinations.
Woman hit twice, killed on Sand Lake Road in Orlando
ORLANDO, Fla. โ A 54-year-old Orlando woman was struck and killed by two vehicles and may have been run over by others Monday night in Orange County, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The fatal crash happened at 9:10 p.m. on Sand Lake Road near Voltaire Drive. [TRENDING: Manatee found with โTrumpโ etched into skin | Carnival says 2020 bookings are strong | Hereโs how to register for COVID-19 vaccine]The FHP said a car driven by a 17-year-old Orlando girl and another vehicle driven by a 60-year-old Florida man struck the woman, who was crossing Sand Lake Road. The victim then may have been run over by other cars, with the drivers unaware of the incident, troopers said. Anyone who might have been involved is asked to call the FHP at 407-737-2213.
Manatee found in Florida river with โTrumpโ scratched on its skin
CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. โ A manatee was recently spotted swimming along the Homosassa River with the word โTrumpโ scraped onto its skin and now, a federal investigation is underway. Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating. Fish & Wildlife Service is investigating the harassment of a manatee...reported to federal authorities over the weekend discovered w/ words "Trump" scraped in its back ...discovered in Blue Hole on the Homosassa Riverโ (via @CitrusChronicle )-Insurrectioning wildlife? Fish and Wildlife Service. Fish and Wildlife Service is aware of this incident and is working closely with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Florida likely to end 2020 with more manatee deaths than usual
To the contrary, researchers were tracking more manatee deaths than usual this year. Brevard County far and away led the state with 143 manatee deaths by early December. Of the counties around greater Tampa Bay, Manatee saw the most deaths by Dec. 11 at 25, fifth in the state. โI donโt see that weโre in a position to be able to relax in terms of what the future holds for manatees,โ Rose said. If you see an ailing manatee, the state asks that you call and report it to 1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922).
Man shot, killed by Orlando police in Baldwin Park identified
ORLANDO, Fla. โ A 34-year-old man was killed in an officer-involved shooting when he pointed a gun at investigators Wednesday night in Baldwin Park, according to the Orlando Police Department. [TRENDING: Manatee found decapitated | Santa, Mrs. Claus spread COVID-19 | Grammy winner saves Fla. theater with $20,000 donation]Orlando police on Thursday identified the man as Adam Robertson. According to police, officers responded to a domestic call around 8:30 p.m. in the 5300 block of Baldwin Park Street. Police said authorities were getting ready to negotiate with Robertson when he came outside and pointed a gun at the officers. One officer, identified by police as Mike Zambito, shot and killed Robertson, officials said.
Witness shares video of plane crashing into Lake Hiawassee
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. โ A witness shared a video of a plane crashing into Lake Hiawassee from Tuesday afternoon. The Orange County Fire Rescue said the pilot only had minor injuries and was able to escape from the plane after the crash. At the 9-second mark of the video, you see the plane come into the sight of the camera. About 14 seconds later in the video, the plane crashes into the water. At the 33-second mark, you hear the reaction from a witness at the lake.
Electrical Water Pageant returning to Walt Disney World
A Disney cast member performs a backstage inspection of the Electrical Water Pageant, the long-running nighttime show that will soon return to Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.ORLANDO, Fla โ Walt Disney World said it will soon bring back the fan-favorite, The Electrical Water Pageant. According to Walt Disney World website, the nighttime experience will return on Dec. 20 at 8:45 p.m. The 14 whimsical floating barges display a number of enchanting images like dolphins, seahorses, and turtles as it makes its way across the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake. The display has been unavailable for guests to experience since the reopening of Walt Disney World back in July. A Disney cast member performs a backstage inspection of the Electrical Water Pageant, the long-running nighttime show that will soon return to Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Walt Disney World)[TRENDING: Manatee found decapitated | Santa, Mrs. Claus spread COVID-19 | Grammy winner saves Fla. theater with $20,000 donation]โThough it has been here since 1971, there are a few changes to each of the Electrical Water Pageant barges.
LIVE RADAR: Front bringing heavy rain, big cooldown to Central Florida
ORLANDO, Fla. โ We are pinpointing a front that will move across Central Florida on Wednesday. The front will come in as a squall line, with heavy rain and some strong wind gusts. Most of the heavy rain will push out Wednesday night. Orlando will reach a high in the upper 70s. Expect 40s and 50s across the region early Thursday morning, with highs in the 60s Thursday and Friday afternoon.
Hungry manatee munches on flooded Florida yard
FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. โ While the extra rain and flooding Tropical Storm Eta brought to the state has many Floridians irked, the wildlife is absolutely loving it. The caption from the footage blames high tide and Tropical Storm Eta for the water woes. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said tropical storms, hurricanes and other wild weather can pose some problems for manatees. โManatees can become stranded or trapped during and after a hurricane or tropical storm. Anyone who encounters a stranded, trapped, injured or dead manatee can call FWCโs Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.
Coronavirus: Which are the deadliest Florida counties for COVID-19?
ORLANDO, Fla. Miami-Dade has the most deaths from the novel coronavirus, but two other counties Martin and Manatee rank higher in deaths per 100,000 population, News 6 partner Florida Today reports. Florida Today obtained the statewide coronavirus deaths from the Florida Medical Examiners Commission. For some counties, the medical examiners numbers will be higher, for others lower. This can distort the death rate for counties with smaller populations and fewer cases, compared to larger populated counties with more cases. Florida Today created the interactive below so you can search to see how your county fares.
Wheelie! Manatee with tire stuck around belly spotted again at state park
ORANGE CITY, Fla. โ A manatee with a bicycle tire wrapped around its stomach was spotted again Thursday at Blue Spring State Park in Orange City. The manatee, nicknamed Wheelie, was first seen at the park last month. A group of wildlife experts worked for days to catch the manatee but were not successful. The manatee was spotted Thursday on the Save the Manatee camera at Blue Spring State Park, and the sea cow still had the tire around its belly. Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission say workers have been made aware and are monitoring the situation.
Attempts to rescue manatee stuck in tire foiled by pollution, other factors
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. โ Crews in Volusia County faced complicated conditions Tuesday while working to capture a manatee stuck in a tire at Blue Spring State Park, according to wildlife officials. The tire poses a risk to the manatee because โthe animal is continuing to grow and the tire is not,โ park ranger Michael Watkins said. A manatee is spotted Fernandina Beach with what appears to be a bicycle tire around its belly. FWC and SeaWorld spent hours trying to rescue a manatee that has a bike tire around its waist. โThe SeaWorld Rescue team were sent out this morning to assist FWC with this rescue โ the team was not successful in getting this manatee, but we will continue our efforts when requested again by FWC,โ a SeaWorld Orlando spokesperson said.