Citrus County Insurrectionist Charged
A Citrus County man has been arrested on felony charges for his involvement during the January 6th Capitol insurrection. Jesse James Rumson, of Lecanto faces charges for multiple felonies, including assault, obstruction of law enforcement during an official proceeding, and engaging in physical violence.
In the 25 months since the attempted coup, more than 985 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol.
School Board Boundary Changes
The Hillsborough County School Board is expected to vote today on boundary changes that could impact thousands of families in the district. School Board Officials are looking at four scenarios that would involve changing boundaries to address overcrowding and repurposing under-utilized schools.
More than a dozen public meetings in recent weeks have garnered thousands of participants.
Board members have debated as many as three options that would affect more than 20,000 students. Superintendent Addison Davis introduced a 4th option earlier this month that would affect only 15,000 students. Today’s special school board meeting at 10 a.m. will include board member debate and a public comments section.
New Tampa Memorial Unveiled
A new memorial was unveiled Monday to honor those buried in a forgotten African American cemetery discovered on the grounds of King High School in Tampa. Spectrum News reports the memorial features a white marble statue with bronze wings symbolizing a dove taking flight, along with markers at each burial site.
The burial ground, on north end of the school property, was used as a cemetery until 1954. The school district eventually bought the property and built King High School. Scans conducted on the property in 2019 found evidence of approximately 145 burials still intact. King is one of 5 confirmed burial sites that have been identified by archeologists. Another five sites have been identified but not yet surveyed.
Hillsborough County NAACP president Yvette Lewis, called the memorial at King a “start” but said it’s not enough. She now wants the city of Tampa, Hillsborough County and the school district to give reparations to the Black community for land she says was “stolen” by local governments.
Red Tide Reported Outside of Typical Season
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is keeping a close eye on red tide popping up along the Gulf Coast. Red tide has been detected in samples from Pinellas and Manatee counties and as far south as Monroe County over the last week. But, as WMNF’s Chris Young reports, it’s outside of the typical season.
