Florida's recap – Highlights from around the state – December 9th
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the some of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- There are now 16 flu outbreaks in Florida according to the CDC’s weekly update. All South Florida currently has an increasing flu activity with Miami Dade experiencing at least five outbreaks. Broward and Palm Beach County current have at least three each. 16 states currently have widespread outbreaks including Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina.
- Florida’s first conviction of a person to violate the “red-flag” order under the state’s Stoneman Douglas Safety Act, has been sentenced up to five years in jail. Jerron Smith of Deerfield Beach. Smith’s case was among the first brought in Florida under the state’s new law in March of 2018. Smith obstructed law enforcement from carrying out the order claiming he thought law enforcement would need a court ordered warrant to search his property. This case was closely watched in part due to that defense. The judge found that a lack of awareness of the law wasn’t enough to obstruct law enforcement from carrying out the search and confiscation of firearms under the law.
- Senator Rick Scott is calling for the end of the foreigner training program in the U.S. armed forces after Friday’s attack at Naval Air Base Pensacola. The FBI is investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism by a Saudi national, in the Royal Saudi Air Force, who was training in the program.