Local Stories for May 2012
Stories for Thursday, May 31
New gun law would put convicted felons found with guns in prison for 10 years
Governor Rick Scott signed a law that will make violent, gun-carrying convicted felons have mandatory 10 year sentences if they are caught with a gun in their possession again. The new law may make communities feel safer, but it could also cost taxpayers more. "This is going to have a ...
Registered sex offender, 1 other arrested in Orange County drug raid
Agents say a dangerous drug ring is out of business after they raided an Orange County home and arrested two people. On Thursday night, Orange County investigators descended on the house off Hiawassee Road in the Orlo Vista neighborhood. SWAT members were acting on a search warrant after getting complaints ...
Fern Park residents upset over neighbor's junk-filled yard
Some residents of Fern Park are upset with a neighbor they said has junk piling up in his front yard. Neighbors along Higland Drive said the yard is disgusting and code enforcement isn’t doing enough to make the homeowner clean it up. “Most the time, I won't even look over ...
Residents concerned as water levels drop along Harris chain of lakes
St. John River water managers will be holding a public meeting in Leesburg Thursday as residents look for answers to low lake levels. Some residents want officials to open a pair of dams and release water into the lake and the rest of the Harris chain of lakes. But until ...
Police charge Brevard County man in opium, cocaine trafficking ring
Federal authorities said they busted an opium trafficking operation that involved a Brevard County businessman. Authorities have been looking into the operation since 2008, but they didn’t arrest Homayon Borzorg until last week. Investigators aren’t sure how long the operation was going on, but they said the drugs were shipped ...
Man stabs Orlando homeless shelter employee
Authorities said an employee who was attacked at an Orlando homeless shelter is in critical but stable condition. Investigators told WFTV that Don Miles was in the parking lot for the men's pavilion at the Coalition for the Homeless Wednesday night when a man stabbed him. Witnesses said they had ...
Contractor claims he's owed $86k for work on Amway Center
A contractor said he still hasn't been paid everything he's owed for installing seats in the Amway Center. The president of Dem Development Corporation, Eugene Roberson, said he was supposed to receive a lump sum of $360,000, but never received a final payment of $86,000 once the work was finished ...
Walt Disney World's Art of Animation resort opens
Walt Disney World's Art of Animation resort opens The Art of Animation is the newest place to stay at Walt Disney World. The multimillion dollar project is the first new hotel there in 10 years. With all the fanfare expected from Disney, the Art of Animation resort officially opened for ...
Lake Mary doctor arrested on hit-and-run charges in fatal motorcycle crash
Channel 9 was there Thursday when a Lake Mary chiropractor accused in a hit-and-run bonded out of jail. Dr. Kevin Wynne was charged after police said he struck a motorcyclist in Volusia County and then left the scene. The Florida Highway Patrol said Wynne hit Sabra Vocaturo, 50, with his ...
Family members defend mom accused of child neglect
An Orange County mother accused of neglecting her four young children is still in jail and now family members are speaking out in her defense. Tiffany Rundell is accused of leaving her children home alone in filthy conditions. She was arrested Tuesday night. One of Rundell's relatives emailed WFTV Wednesday ...
Sheriff's deputy saves infant who fell into pool
A 22-year-old sheriff's deputy saved a 1-year-old boy who had fallen into a backyard swimming pool. The family of William Timmons said the boy had turned blue and wasn't breathing when Volusia County Sheriff's Deputy Cody Cochran arrived at their home on May 25. A frightening 911 call made by ...
Cops: Crook stole car, crashed into pawn shop
Sanford police are looking for a man who tried to pull off a smash and grab at a pawn shop early Thursday morning. The crook left the car, with the windshield wipers going, embedded in the wall of the Cash America Pawn on 17-92 near State Road 46A around 3 ...
SpaceX Dragon returns to Earth, splashes down in Pacific Ocean
Triumphant from start to finish, the SpaceX Dragon capsule parachuted into the Pacific on Thursday to conclude the first private delivery to the International Space Station and inaugurate NASA's new approach to exploration. "Welcome home, baby," said SpaceX's elated chief, Elon Musk, who said the old-fashioned splashdown was "like seeing ...
Stories for Wednesday, May 30
Deputies search for Orange Co. school bus stop flasher
Orange County deputies are on the lookout for a man who they say is flashing middle school children at their bus stop on East Colonial Drive, near Chickasaw Trail. They said he has appeared there three times in the past week. The students told their parents, who then called school ...
Officials: Men vacationed four years on Disney property without paying
Investigators said three men outsmarted Walt Disney World security and took lavish, free vacations inside the parks for nearly four years. Officials said Joseph Geiger, Robert Falk and Steven Nero allegedly racked up more than $15,000 in charges in just one month and never paid for any of them. Deputies ...
Low Lake Dora water levels force Tavares to close seaplane ramp
Low water levels on Lake Dora have forced the city of Tavares to close its new seaplane ramp. The lake is down three feet since the seaplane base opened in 2010. On Wednesday, workers installed a 7,000-pound steel plate to lengthen the ramp. "The water levels are not high enough ...
Judge lowers fine to $12K in SeaWorld whale trainer's death
WFTV has learned a judge has lowered the fine imposed against SeaWorld for a whale trainer's death. Osha initially fined SeaWorld $75,000 after Tilikum the whale killed trainer Dawn Brancheau in 2010. However, SeaWorld appealed the fine and a judge lowered it to $12,000. Brancheau died Feb. 24, 2010, when ...
Man attacked by home invaders in Osceola County
Osceola County investigators said two armed men attacked a homeowner at about 10 a.m. on Wednesday. The home invasion happened near East Lake Toho, where Buenaventura Boulevard meets Boggy Creek Road in the Veerasammy Estates. "It appears he was home alone at the time of the incident," said Twis Lizasuain ...
Candidate in state attorney race blames Lamar for Cady Way killings
The race for state attorney of Orange and Osceola counties is heating up. On Wednesday, one of the candidates running against Lawson Lamar blamed Lamar for not doing more to put a suspect charged in the Cady Way Trail slayings behind bars before the attack. Candidate Ryan Williams held a ...
Daytona Intl. Speedway to host Battle at the Beach during Speedweeks
Officials at the Daytona International Speedway gave WFTV more details about a smaller track inside the speedway that will be used for a new event called "Battle at the Beach" that will be held during Speedweeks in February. The event will fill in two days during Speedweeks when there are ...
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