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Your Florida Daily: Excessive heat, Floridian wins Mega Millions $1.58B jackpot

Plus: Daytona Beach’s canine ambassador

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A large part of Florida is under an excessive heat warning today meaning it could feel like 115 degrees or even higher.

Doctors at AdventHealth said clinics have seen a 115% increase in patients seeking care for heat-related illnesses in the last two weeks.

“It’s a little bit of everybody. So it’s a mix of people that are outside for longer than an hour. And so that can be people that work outside, people that are traveling outside,” Dr. Andrew Little said.

The heat is also top of mind for local school districts as almost all start the new year Thursday.

Orange County said it will move recess indoors if the conditions get too dangerous.

Other districts are also closely watching student-athletes with Volusia County banning any outdoor practices before 5 p.m.

Mystery in South Florida after more than two dozen vehicles are found at the bottom of a lake.

The vehicles were found over the weekend in Doral by an underwater search team that specializes in missing persons cold cases.

Investigators said at least 30 vehicles were found including one that was previously reported stolen.

At this point though, police said no human remains have been found in the water and none of the vehicles have been linked to any cold cases.

(AP Photo/Mike Stewart) (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

And a very lucky person in North Florida is a whole lot richer after winning last night’s $1.58 billion Mega Millions jackpot.

The lone ticket was sold at a Publix in Neptune Beach.

That’s just east of Jacksonville in Duval County.

The winner, whoever they may be, now has the option of taking payments over 30 years or a lump sum of about $783 million.

Brownie the Town Dog (Halifax Historical Society)

Brownie, a large, brown, short-haired stray dog, lived in Daytona Beach and became known far beyond his seaside home as Brownie the Town Dog.

He showed up to the Daytona Cab Company sometime in 1939 and the owner took a shine to the friendly dog and built him a dog house out front.

Brownie quickly became known up and down Beach Street and across the country with merchants and tourists all donating money to keep Brownie well cared for.

After 15 years as the official goodwill ambassador for the town, dozens attended his funeral and the mayor gave the eulogy.

Brownie’s grave is now marked with a bronze statue in Riverfront Park.

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