Articles by Terry Spencer

Sand Hole Collapse at Florida Beach Kills Child, Can Happen Around US

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The collapse of a sand hole that killed a 7-year-old Indiana girl who was digging with her brother on a Florida beach is an underrecognized danger that kills and injures several children a year around …

Family of Florida Woman Killed by Alligator Sues Housing Complex for Negligence

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The family of a Florida woman killed by an alligator last year as she walked her dog in her backyard is suing the housing complex’s owner, alleging its employees fed the gator and didn’t …

Judge Says Lawsuit vs. Parkland School Deputy Can Go to Trial

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A lawsuit filed by families of the 17 people killed and other victims of the Parkland, Florida, school massacre against a former sheriff’s deputy who failed to intervene can go forward, a judge ruled, rejecting …

Parkland Deputy’s Legal Team Says He had No Duty to Confront Gunman

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A former Florida sheriff`s deputy is claiming he had no legal duty to confront the gunman who murdered 17 people and wounded 17 others at Parkland`s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School nearly six years ago, …

Global Empowerment Mission Provides Housing Assistance for Surfside Victims

Sharon Schechter escaped the South Florida condominium tower collapse with just the nightclothes she was wearing, so she cried shortly after when the Global Empowerment Mission gave her an electric toothbrush, a phone charger and a $500 gift card to …

Florida COVID Cases Jump 65% From Previous Week

Florida’s COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases again jumped significantly this week as the vaccination rate in rural counties where some of the worst outbreaks are occurring remains well below the state and national averages. About 5,300 Floridians are now hospitalized with …

Surfside Condo Collapse Rescue Workers Transition to Recovery Phase

A somber moment of silence marked the end of the two-week search for survivors of a Florida condominium collapse, as rescue workers stood at solemn attention and clergy members hugged a line of local officials while many of them sobbed. …

Search For Survivors at Surfside Condo Collapse Site Called Off

The search for victims of the collapse of a Miami-area high-rise condominium reached its 14th day on Wednesday July 7, as workers uncovered 10 more bodies from the rubble and officials sounded more and more grim about the prospects of …

Truck Driver in Accident That Killed 5 Kids Lied About Health: Safety Board

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A fiery 2019 Florida interstate crash that killed five children from a Louisiana church headed to Walt Disney World was caused by a truck driver who hid his long medical history becoming incapacitated and losing control …

Florida School District Hit with ‘Bizarre’ $40M Ransomware Demand

The computer system of one of the nation’s largest school districts was hacked by a criminal gang that encrypted district data and demanded $40 million in ransom or it would erase the files and post students’ and employees’ personal information …