Minors arrested in Marion triple homicide; search continues for 3rd suspect

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods on Friday announced the arrest of two minors – 12 and 17 – and the search of a third suspect in connection with the murder of three minors in Ocklawaha last week. One teen was already in juvenile custody after being arrested by the Orlando Police Department the day after the murder; the other was taken into custody at a Marion County school. The third suspect, who is 16, was not located by deputies Thursday night, said Woods. Advertisement “Some... Read More

How do Florida juries decide if someone deserves the death penalty?

It took a jury about 40 minutes to decide that Louis Gaskin should die. Dubbed by the media the Ninja Killer because of the dark outfit he wore during his crimes, Gaskin had been found guilty of shooting Robert and Georgette Sturmfels as he burglarized their Flagler County home. His defense attorney offered little to weigh against capital punishment. Advertisement From what Thomas Stuckey remembers more than three decades after he served on the 12-person jury, they didn’t have much... Read More

Florida health official must testify in transgender Medicaid fight, court rules

TALLAHASSEE — A federal judge has rejected a request by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration to shield a top health official from testifying in a lawsuit challenging the state’s prohibition on Medicaid coverage of gender-affirming care for transgender people. State attorneys have been wrangling with plaintiffs’ lawyers seeking to depose Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Jason Weida, arguing that, under what is known as the “apex doctrine,” Weida should not have to... Read More

Surfside man plied wealthy family ties in an insider trading scheme. He’s going to prison

Surfside resident David Schottenstein, a member of one the nation’s richest families, has been sentenced to a year and a day in prison for an $3.5 million insider trading scheme … Click to Continue » ... Read More

Florida theaters keep watchful eye on Legislature’s drag drama

As actor Jos N. Banks dons a dress for Orlando Shakes’ hit production of “Kinky Boots,” theater officials around Central Florida are keeping a wary eye on a different drama playing out in Tallahassee. The Florida Legislature is considering a bill that puts restrictions on “adult live entertainment,” including drag performances — and puts the burden of keeping minors away on artistic venues. Proponents say the measure keeps children safe — the bill, in fact, is titled... Read More

SpaceX knocks out overnight Space Coast launch while Starship attempt from Texas could come soon

SpaceX went about its Falcon 9 business again with an overnight launch of a communications satellite from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, but over in Texas, the Starship and Super Heavy have been stacked and await the OK to go from the Federal Aviation Administration. The launch at 12:30 a.m. Friday from Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40 sent the Intelsat IS-40e satellite to geosynchronous transfer orbit. Attached to the satellite is a NASA instrument built by Ball Aerospace known as... Read More