Registering for March Democratic primary
Florida residents have until Tuesday to register to vote for the upcoming primary election.
Fewer than half of Pinellas and Hillsborough residents were registered for the 2016 primary, and fewer than half of those registered voted. People who intend to vote should check their status at the Election Office online, and residents can register online as well.
Florida’s Democratic primary will take place on March 17. Voters will not be able to participate in the election unless they are registered in the Florida Democratic Party. If anyone wishes to change parties, now is the time to do so.
SWAT encounter leads to fatal shooting
An investigation is underway after a Polk County SWAT team shot a murder suspect to death Sunday night.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to house in Poinciana after receiving multiple calls about gunshots. Rudy Arenas, 40, barricaded himself in the home of a relative, armed with a handgun, deputies said. A standoff ensued throughout Sunday night.
Arenas was suspected of shooting couple Orlando and Brenda Rivera. According to Sheriff’s Office, Arenas turned violent after Brenda called 911 amidst an argument between the pair and the suspect.
Orlando Rivera died at the scene after being shot four times. Brenda Rivera is in a local hospital where she is in stable condition.
Arenas barricaded himself for several hours, during which the SWAT team tried to negotiate with him. According to the report, he was shot and killed after trying to point the gun at the SWAT team.
Bike riding could be deadly hobby for Tampa Bay cyclists
New data from the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Department shows that the Tampa Bay area is one of the most dangerous places in the country for bikers and pedestrians.
In 2019, the number of pedestrians killed in crashes grew by almost 10%. Hillsborough County was number one in the state for bicycle fatalities.
Quarantined couple safe
A Citrus County couple were among 300 other Americans who arrived in Texas after others on their ship tested positive for the coronavirus.
Gay and Phil Courter were aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan when other passengers contracted the illness. As a result, the Courters were quarantined in their cabin for 12 days.
On Sunday, the couple were notified they were two of the many chosen to be flown back to the United States. Only passengers that displayed no symptoms were allowed to return.
Gay and Phil Courter will be quarantined for two weeks at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas before they are released.
Box of blessings
A Palm Harbor teen has found a way to help give back to her community and combat hunger.
Isabella Pawloski, 17, was motivated to help the hungry after finding out her mother struggled to get food from a pantry while raising Isabella.
The two boxes are set up outiside the Lutheran Church of Resurrection in Palm Harbor. Members of the community have already donated to the boxes.
“I’m hoping that this just shows the impact of giving a little, what it can do,” Isabella said.
If you’d like to help, you can visit the box in Palm Harbor and donate or email Isabella Pawloski at Isabella.pawloski@gmail.com for help starting your own box.
Producer: Sonu Trivedi
Anchors: Logan Semegram, Jailyn Montero
Reporters: Kaylen Alvarez, Alyssa Jones
In-studio reporter:
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