Encore 👏

Some things in life are just better twice.

Doughnuts. Naps. And most importantly, News 6 phone banks.

I told you all two weeks ago today that I’d be going to the office to help with our Vaccine Day phone bank for a few hours and it turns out that event was such a success my bosses decided to do it again.

Guys, I was there and saw firsthand as the phones rang nonstop for hours straight. Seriously, those doctors and health care professionals didn’t even take bathroom breaks, that’s how busy they were.

More than 700 calls were answered and I know from talking to the AdventHealth team that evening that they were able to convince so many people that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.

Knowing the impact the last phone bank had on the community, we’ll be doing another one today from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and I’ll once again be your friendly online moderator.

You can submit your questions in advance here, participate in our live chat in the comments section at that same link or just email them to me at acutway@wkmg.com.

🧊 Hail no

That’s not technically hail, at least I don’t think, but that’s the only thing I could think to call it because no one has any idea what it is or where it came from. Well, it is ice, we know that, but why would a giant chunk of ice violently drop from the sky on an otherwise sunny day? It’s a MyStErY wHoOoOoOo. 👻 Maybe the angels were tailgating a little too hard in heaven? Or maybe a passenger in a private jet overchilled their Dom Perignon and needed to offload some of the excess? Whatever happened, the plunging chunk had enough force to break through the roof of a Palm City home. Now that their house looks like it fell under siege, let’s hope these homeowners have good insurance.

🦈 Too close for comfort

The fact that no one was harmed in the making of this story has left me absolutely dumbfounded. Seriously, that looks like the photo you’d use on a GoFundMe to help cover hospital expenses for someone who was hurt in a very unfortunate diving disaster involving a shark. Thank goodness that wasn’t the case. That very large, very pregnant bull shark looks like she’s coming right toward that diver but alas, she found other things to munch on. Hallelujah. A pregnant bull shark seems like just about the last creature I’d want to encounter but one Florida diver who also happens to be a talented photographer said the whole experience was actually incredible and he claims he wasn’t even that scared, although somehow I’m having a hard time believing that. If there’s one thing I know from being raised by a former scuba instructor it’s that no one will know if you get so startled you wet your wetsuit. Just saying. Regardless, you have to admit the photos are absolutely stunning.

🌴 Trouble in paradise

What a beautiful Clermont couple. Oh how I wish things were going well for them but alas, this is not a feel-good newsletter about marital bliss and you all already know I’m not much for romance. These two exchanged their vows in 2019 then had their honeymoon plans sidelined by the pandemic, like so many other newlyweds. Now that they’re fully vaccinated and case counts are down, they decided it’d finally be a good time to celebrate the rest of their lives together by taking a trip to Hawaii. They got tested for COVID-19 before their flight and were both negative, which is a requirement before heading to the islands. There was a bit of a hiccup though: They got rapid tests when they needed to get PCR tests. So, once they arrived in paradise, they were told they’d need to quarantine in the hotel for the entirety of their trip. To make matters worse, they didn’t even get the beachfront room they paid for.

🐻 Unbearable

I’m glad I haven’t eaten yet because this story would have me losing my lunch. It makes me sick thinking of the things people do to harm animals. That’s 👏 not 👏 O 👏K👏. A couple from Ocala has pleaded guilty to luring black bears with pastries and other baked goods so they could then be attacked by a pack of dogs. Ugh disgusting. On top of that, this husband and wife were stupid enough to document their crimes on video and post them online for Florida Fish and Wildlife to see. I actually remember when we first covered this story in 2018 when the couple was arrested along with some co-conspirators and the video had me in tears then like it does now. As if the content wasn’t bad enough, they’d reportedly post captions with “LOL” and other jokes about the tortured animals. Even though a guilty plea has been entered, the case isn’t over yet.

👮 Cop out

Since my faith in humanity is already at an all time low, let’s just go ahead and keep the pity party going with this next one that’ll have you raging. This former deputy was recently found guilty of planting drugs in cars during traffic stops, although he claims he didn’t do anything wrong, just like most criminals do. The explanation he provided during the trial was so sketchy the jury apparently had no problem seeing through it. His brilliant lie was that he found meth, marijuana and syringes in a bathroom at a park and was just too busy to report what would have been the biggest find of his career. He denied ever planting evidence and claimed the stash was just in his patrol car, where it was found, until he had time to turn it in. Likely story. 🙄 While he’s still waiting to be sentenced, more than 100 cases stemming from arrests he made have been dropped.

🐊 Grumpy gator

I’ve said and done some things I regret when I’ve been hangry and for that, I’m sorry. That’s also why I can empathize with the scaly star of our final story of the day. This 6-foot gator wrangled outside a Wendy’s probably just wanted a Baconator and a Frosty but since reptiles don’t know how to use the drive-thru, it ended up chasing patrons through the parking lot instead. Worried they’d lose a limb to the ravenous reptile, customers called the Lee County Sheriff’s Office to control the situation. Side note: You ever think the fact that our law enforcement officers respond to animal attack calls is a sign they have a bit too much on their plates? Keep that thought in mind because I plan to revisit that topic with you all in a few weeks. That being said, these brave deputies were able to wrestle and relocate this hangry gator to some place where it can find less human-y things to devour.

Again, now’s your chance to submit your COVID-19 questions either directly to me or by clicking here. If you prefer to call, the number is 888-436-6665 and the lines open at 4 p.m. today.