Local:
Fort Myers Women Accused of Renting Out Evicted Apartment on Facebook
A woman in Fort Myers has been arrested after supposedly renting out her mother’s evicted apartment to unknown clients. According to NBC2, 33-year-old Jasmine Everett, was meeting with clients staging as a landlord and collecting $1,200 from the victims. According to the Fort Myers Police Department, Everett was using a fake account on Facebook Marketplace to rent out her mom’s recently evicted apartment and stage it as a current apartment. She was arrested by authorities for fraud and taken to the Lee County Jail. The victim was informed by neighbors that the apartment was not up for rent and of the scam.
New Restaurants This December From Bonita to Fort Myers
2023 was a year for bringing back old restaurants and the opening of new ones. According to the News-Press, at least 78 restaurants are either returning or opening in Lee County. Some of the newer sites include Thai Cafe 99, located in Cape Coral, which adds new recipes to the traditional Thai family meals. Other restaurants have decided to re-open such as Bayside Burgers and Beers. The site includes dishes from burgers to wings and more. The list goes on with places like The Causeway located in Bonita Springs and many more to come in the months ahead.
12-Foot Gator Captured at Coconut Point Mall
Shoppers at Coconut Point Mall were left in shock as the crew managed to wrangle up a 12-foot-long gator. According to NBC2, Lee County Deputies weighed the gator at 600lbs. The alligator comes close to the record held for largest in the state with a 14-feet, 3-and-a-half-inch male holding the title according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Website. LCSO said the gator will be taken and released in safer waters. The alligator was captured under the State Nuisance Alligator Program which focuses on protecting the wildlife and ensuring they can be at peace in their natural habitat.
State:
“Move Over” Law Continues Development in Florida
Florida recently expanded its “Move Over” law which requires drivers to move over or slow down when an emergency or service vehicle is stopped on the side of the road. According to NBC2, “The updated law now includes sanitation, utility, and waste collection vehicles in addition to police cars, ambulances, and fire engines. This expansion aims to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities among roadside workers at high risk of being struck by passing vehicles.” Drivers are required to move over a lane or slow down to 20mph below the speed limit when in the presence of a disabled vehicle. Some of the signs include a disabled motor vehicle being stopped and displaying warning lights or hazard lights, emergency flares or posting emergency signage or being stopped with one or more people visibly present.
Florida State Players Claiming To Be Champions If They Stay Undefeated
Brock Glenn, Florida State University’s quarterback, made a statement saying the Seminoles should “absolutely” be considered nation champions if they end the season being the only Power 5 team still undefeated. According to ESPN, the thought of having a banner raised has been talked about amongst players as the Seminoles plan on remaining undefeated in the Capital One Orange Bowl.
US Military Spaceplane Launching On Possible Higher Orbit Mission
U.S. military’s secretive X-37B robot spaceplane took off on Dec. 28 for its seventh mission. According to Reuters, The Falcon Heavy, composed of three rocket cores strapped together, roared off its launch pad from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral. The launch was recorded live on the SpaceX webcast. The launch was able to happen after going over hurdles of delays and false starts. Weather problems and technical issues added to the struggles, but the spaceplane was successfully able to take off with Thursday’s flight. This launch happened just two weeks after China released its very own third mission with its robot spaceplane, Shenlong. Few details have been revealed about the mission of the spacecraft that has carried out missions since 2010.
National:
Gypsy Rose Blanchard Released
On Dec. 28, Gypsy Rose Blanchard, a woman who admits to helping her boyfriend kill her abusive mother, has been released from prison on parole. According to CNN, “Blanchard pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2016 after confessing that she convinced her boyfriend to stab her mother Dee Dee Blanchard to death as she slept. Prosecutors sentenced her to 10 years in prison in a plea deal after attorneys uncovered the abuse she experienced at the hands of her mother.” Blanchard was a victim of Munchausen syndrome. The man who killed her mother, Nicholas Godejohn, was convicted of murder and sentenced in 2019 to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He admitted to the stabbing and stated he only killed the woman for Gypsy.
Colorado G.O.P Requesting Review Of Trump Ballet
Colorado’s Republican party had lawyers at the Supreme Court on Dec. 27 asking justices to overturn the ruling that would leave former President Donald Trump off Colorado’s 2024 primary election ballot. According to ScotusBlog, “Lawyer Jay Sekulow told the justices that the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision presents a constitutional crisis, national in scope. Sekulow warned of “catastrophic effects” if the state supreme court’s decision is allowed to stand.” Sekulow is urging the court to take action and, “to prevent the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision from having an irreparable effect on the electoral process.” Republicans and unaffiliated voters have claimed that Trump should not be on the ballot because he broke his promise to support the Constitution but engaged in insurrection.
Maine Bars Trump From Ballot, Supreme Court Weighing This Decision
On Dec. 28, Maine’s Democratic Secretary of State removed former President Donald Trump from the state’s primary ballot. This decision made for the first election official to take action with whether or not Donald Trump is going to be eligible to return to the White House under debate. According to AP News, the Trump campaign is planning to appeal the decision made by Bellows most likely leaving the nation’s highest court to make the final decision on the ruling.
