POCKET-DIALING 911 LEADS TO FLORIDA MURDER CHARGE
Authorities in South Florida say a man is charged with murder because he was overheard discussing the killing when his cellphone pocket-dialed 911. The Broward Sheriff's Office says 24-year-old Scott Simon is charged with first-degree murder in the May 5 shooting of 33-year-old Nicholas Walker. Walker was shot while driving his car onto an Interstate 95 on-ramp.
PANEL TO EXAMINE CONDEMNED MAN'S COMPETENCY
Gov. Rick Scott has appointed a panel to examine whether a man set to be executed next month is mentally competent. Scott issued an order Wednesday granting a temporary stay for 49-year-old Marshall Lee Gore, who is scheduled to die by lethal injection on June 24. Gore's attorneys claim he's insane. The order states a three-doctor commission is to meet next Tuesday and give Scott a report the next day.
SURGEONS REMOVE TIGER'S BASKETBALL-SIZED HAIRBALL
A 400-pound tiger needed help from veterinary surgeons in Florida when he couldn't hack up a basketball-size hairball by himself. The 17-year-old tiger named Ty underwent the procedure Wednesday at a veterinary center in the Tampa Bay area community of Clearwater.
PHOTOGRAPHER WILL REOPEN EVERGLADES WONDER GARDENS
A photographer is planning to reopen former animal attraction in southwest Florida as a botanical garden. Everglades Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs closed its doors last month after 77 years. Wildlife photographer John Brady says he and the owners of the Everglades Wonder Gardens property have agreed to convert the attraction into gardens that host community events.
MAN CHARGED WITH SELLING AFRICAN ELEPHANT TUSKS
A New Mexico man is facing federal charges in the Florida Panhandle after authorities say he sold two African elephant tusks. The U.S. Department of Justice reports that a grand jury in Pensacola indicted Charles Kokesh Tuesday on three counts, including violating the Endangered Species Act and making a false statement.
PROM NIGHT CRASH HEROES HONORED
The Rotary Club of Weston will honor 20 Western High School seniors who demonstrated courage and selflessness on their way to prom earlier this month. The group stopped to rescue seven people, including two kids, who were trapped in an overturned mini-van on I-595 near Hiatus Road. The van flipped over in front of the students’ limousine as they were headed to Fort Lauderdale.
More Local Stories:
