Dates for Leesburg Bikefest announced

TRAVEL TIMES IN A FEW MINUTES. ALL RIGHT. WE ARE STAYING ON TOP OF BREAKING NEWS THIS MORNING FROM BALTIMORE, WHERE A MAJOR BRIDGE COLLAPSED INTO THE RIVER. CREWS ARE SEARCHING FOR MANY PEOPLE BELIEVED TO HAVE FALLEN IN THE WATER. WE HAVE WESH 2’S MEREDITH MCDONOUGH IN STUDIO WITH US. MAYOR. THAT BRIDGE WAS HIT BY A SHIP AND THE VIDEO IS JUST UNBELIEVABLE. SANIKA IT REALLY IS. TAKE A LOOK HERE. THIS IS VIDEO OF THE BRIDGE GOING DOWN. YOU CAN JUST SEE THE DEVASTATION HERE AND REALLY IT JUST DISSIPATES RIGHT OUT OF THE NIGHT SKY. LOCAL AGENCIES STARTED GETTING 911 CALLS AROUND 140 THIS MORNING AFTER A SINGAPORE FLAGGED CONTAINER SHIP, THE DOLLY, RAMMED INTO THE FRANCIS SCOTT KEY BRIDGE. NOW THE SHIP BOUND FOR SRI LANKA, REPORTEDLY HIT ONE OF THE SUPPORTS. NOW SEVERAL VEHICLES WERE ON THE BRIDGE AT THE TIME, INCLUDING ONE THE SIZE OF A TRACTOR TRAILER WHEN IT COLLAPSED. NOW, SO FAR, TWO PEOPLE HAVE BEEN RESCUED OUT OF THE WATER. ONE OF THEM WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH SERIOUS INJURIES. THE OTHER PERSON IS EXPECTED TO BE OKAY. OFFICIALS SAY THEY’RE STILL SEARCHING, THOUGH, FOR AT LEAST SEVEN OTHER PEOPLE, BUT THAT NUMBER COULD GROW. THIS IS A VERY LARGE INCIDENT. IT INVOLVES A VERY LARGE FOOTPRINT. MULTIPLE AGENCIES ARE OPERATING. THEREFORE, IN INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AS WE GET MORE INTEL AND AS OUR CREWS WORK THROUGH THE MORNING. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGIEG, RELEASING A STATEMENT THIS MORNING OFFERING THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SUPPORT AS OFFICIALS VOW TO LOOK INTO THE CONDITION OF THE BRIDGE BEFORE ITS COLLAPSE. A REMINDER, THOUGH, OFFICIALS SAY THAT NO CASUALTIES HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED AS OF THIS HOUR. WE ARE MONITORING THOUGH ANY AND ALL UPDATES THIS MORNING AND WE’LL BRING YOU THE VERY LATEST INFORMATION ONCE WE RECEIVE IT. SHELDON. ALL RIGHT. AND RIGHT NOW THERE IS A NATIONWIDE SEARCH THAT’S HAPPENING FOR THREE GIRLS WHO WERE REPORTED MISSING FROM NORTH CAROLINA, WHO MAY BE HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. WE’VE GOT THEIR PICTURES PULLED UP FOR YOU RIGHT NOW, SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE. IT’S BEEN MORE THAN A WEEK SINCE THESE GIRLS WERE LAST SEEN. TWO YEAR OLD JACQUELINE AND HER SISTER JUST. SIX YEAR OLD SUMMER. THEY ALL MIGHT BE WITH THEIR MOM, 28 YEAR OLD ALEXIS BAKER. POLICE SAY THAT THEY MAY BE TRAVELING IN A SILVER 2018 HONDA CIVIC WITH A TEXAS LICENSE PLATE RFP, 9721. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE ORLANDO POLICE DEPARTMENT. THIS WEEK, PARENTS IN OSCEOLA COUNTY ARE GETTING NEW ALERTS LETTING THEM KNOW IF THEIR CHILD IS ABSENT FROM SCHOOL. WESH 2’S TONY ATKINS REPORTS. THOSE NEWS ALERTS ARE GOING OUT EARLIER. THIS NEW POLICY IS IN EFFECT RIGHT NOW AND WITH THIS NEW POLICY, IT MEANS THAT ATTENDANCE CALLS. THEY’LL CONTINUE TO GO OUT IN THE AFTERNOONS TOWARD THE END OF THE SCHOOL DAY. BUT THEY’LL ALSO GO OUT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL DAY AS WELL. ALL OF THIS COMES IN THE WAKE OF THE DEATH AND DISAPPEARANCE OF MADELINE SOTO. SHE WAS ON HER WAY TO SCHOOL BACK IN LATE FEBRUARY, BUT SHE NEVER SHOWED UP. THE DISTRICT SAYS IT NOW WANTS TO BE MORE PROACTIVE, LETTING PARENTS KNOW EARLY IN THE DAY IF THEIR STUDENT IS ABSENT FROM CLASS. HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDANCE CALLS. THOSE WILL GO OUT AT 9 A.M. AROUND FIRST PERIOD. ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND THE NEW BEGINNINGS EDUCATION CENTER CALLS WILL GO OUT AT 10:00, AND THEN MIDDLE SCHOOLS K-8 SCHOOLS AND OSCEOLA COUNTY SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS. ATTENDANCE CALLS. THOSE WILL GO OUT AT 11. THE DISTRICT ALSO SAYS THAT THERE WILL BE AFTERNOON CALLS FOR HIGH SCHOOLS, REFLECTING THE ATTENDANCE BY EACH PERIOD. THOSE CALLS USED TO GO OUT AT 5:00. THEY WILL START TO GO OUT AT 3:45 P.M., AND THE DISTRICT ALSO SET UP A PORTAL FOR PARENTS TO GO INSIDE AND CHECK THEIR CHILD’S ATTENDANCE. WE DO HAVE A LINK TO THAT PORTAL ON OUR WEBSITE, WESH.COM REPORTING IN OSCEOLA COUNTY TONY ATKINS WESH TWO NEWS. THANK YOU. FROM OSCEOLA TO LAKE NOW WHERE THE SCHOOL BOARD WAS SET TO VOTE ON THE RECOMMENDED TERMINATION OF AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL LAST NIGHT, BUT IT DID NOT HAPPEN. EARLIER THIS MONTH, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT RECOMMENDED THE TERMINATION OF TRIANGLE ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL DEBBIE HARTOG. THE DISTRICT SAID THE RECOMMENDATION CAME AFTER THEY INVESTIGATED A COMPLAINT MADE AGAINST HARTOG BY A PARENT, WHILE THE DISTRICT HASN’T SAID WHAT THE ALLEGATIONS WERE, A PARENT IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES TO WESH TWO AS THE PERSON WHO FILED THE COMPLAINT AND ACCUSED HARTOG OF USING A RACIAL SLUR. THE PARENT ALLEGES THIS HAPPENED AFTER HER SON AND ANOTHER STUDENT GOT IN AN ARGUMENT ON THE BUS AND A RACIAL SLUR WAS USED. THE PARENT CLAIMS. HARTOG THEN USED THE RACIAL SLUR IN DISCUSSING THE INCIDENT WITH HER SON, ASKING HIM HOW HE WOULD FEEL IF SOMEONE CALLED HIM THAT THE RECOMMENDATION FOR TERMINATION IS NOT FINAL UNTIL THE SCHOOL BOARD VOTES ON IT, BUT THE DISTRICT TOLD WESH TWO HARTOG, QUOTE, REQUESTED AN ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING TO CONSIDER DISPUTED ISSUES OF FACT, AND THE SCHOOL BOARD IS REFERRING THE MATTER TO THE DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS FOR ASSIGNMENT OF A HEARING OFFICER. THE DISTRICT SAYS ONCE THAT HEARING IS FINISHED. THE OFFICER WILL GIVE A RECOMMENDATION THAT WILL THEN BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL BOARD. ORANGE COUNTY LEADERS WILL DECIDE TODAY IF THE COUNTY WILL END UP PAYING A BIG BILL FOR THE ONE PULSE FOUNDATION. THAT MONEY WOULD PAY OFF THE TAXES FOR THE FOUNDATION THAT IT OWES ON A BUILDING. WE’VE GOT WESH 2’S BOB HAZEN JOINING US IN STUDIO THIS MORNING, AND NOW BOB. THAT BUILDING WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A MUSEUM HONORING THOSE LIVES LOST DURING THE ATTACK. YEAH, THAT’S RIGHT. BUT IT NEVER CAME TO BE IN THE FOUNDATION IS NOW OUT OF MONEY AND DISSOLVED. SO ORANGE COUNTY LEADERS SAY THEY NEED TO PAY THIS BILL. THAT’S MORE THAN $50,000. THE TAXES ARE COMING DUE ON AN OLD WAREHOUSE ON KELLY STREET THAT IS AROUND THE CORNER FROM THE PULSE NIGHTCLUB AND THE ONE PULSE FOUNDATION HAD GRAND PLANS FOR A MUSEUM. THERE. IT USED $3.5 MILLION THAT IT GOT FROM THE COUNTY’S TOURIST DEVELOPMENT TAX TO BUY THE WAREHOUSE. FIVE YEARS AGO. BUT NOW THAT THE FOUNDATION HAS COLLAPSED, THE PROPERTY HAS BEEN DEEDED BACK TO THE COUNTY. IT WON’T GET FINALIZED, THOUGH, UNTIL LATE APRIL, BUT THE TAX BILL IS COMING DUE ON APRIL 1ST, SO TODAY, ORANGE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WILL VOTE ON WHETHER TO COVER THAT ALMOST $52,000 BILL FOR ONE PULSE. IF THEY DON’T, THE COUNTY COULD HAVE TO PAY EXTRA FEES AND PENALTIES, OR THE CONTROLLER COULD EVEN SELL A TAX DEED ON THE PROPERTY, WHICH WOULD MAKE THE OWNERSHIP EVEN MORE COMPLICATED. LEADERS STILL HAVE NOT DECIDED WHAT TO DO WITH THAT OLD WAREHOUSE. ONCE THE COUNTY DOES OWN IT. THE MAYOR SAYS IT’S LIKELY WE’LL HAVE TO TEAR THAT BUILDING DOWN. SHELDON BACK TO YOU. WE’LL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW BOB. THANK YOU. IT’S OFFICIAL. KIDS 14 AND YOUNGER WILL BE LOGGED OFF OF SOCIAL MEDIA. GOVERNOR DESANTIS SIGNED A CONTROVERSIAL BILL INTO LAW THAT’S INTENDED TO RESTRICT KIDS ACCESS ON SOCIAL MEDIA SITES. NOW, THE GOVERNOR VETOED THE FIRST VERSION OF THAT BILL, SAYING THAT A TOTAL BAN TO 16 YEARS OLD WENT TOO FAR FOR 14 AND 15 YEAR OLDS NOW NEED THEIR PARENTS PERMISSION TO SIGN UP FOR AN ACCOUNT. THE GOVERNOR CALLED THE NEW LAW A SAFEGUARD FROM ONLINE PREDATORS. NOW, WITH THINGS LIKE SOCIAL MEDIA AND ALL THIS, YOU KNOW YOU CAN HAVE A KID IN THE HOUSE. SO SAFE, SEEMINGLY. AND THEN YOU HAVE PREDATORS THAT CAN GET RIGHT IN THERE, UH, INTO YOUR OWN HOME. YOU COULD BE DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT, BUT THEY KNOW HOW TO GET AND MANIPULATE THESE DIFFERENT PLATFORMS. THE SOCIAL MEDIA LAW TAKES EFFECT IN JANUARY, BUT CRITICS ARE ALREAD

Dates for Leesburg Bikefest announced

Updated: 3:34 PM EDT Mar 26, 2024

ABOVE: A look at the top storiesThe Leesburg Bikefest is coming up next month, and the city says it’s ready to welcome motorcycle enthusiasts. According to the city of Leesburg, this is the 27th year of Bikefest. This year, the annual event will run from April 26-28.”We are thrilled to welcome riders from near and far to experience the excitement of Leesburg Bikefest,” said Maggie Lyden, the special events manager for Leesburg. “This event is not just about motorcycles; it’s about community, a passion for the open road and a passion for music. We can’t wait to see everyone come together and celebrate.”For the schedule and more Bikefest info, visit this website.

LEESBURG, Fla. —

ABOVE: A look at the top stories

The Leesburg Bikefest is coming up next month, and the city says it’s ready to welcome motorcycle enthusiasts.

According to the city of Leesburg, this is the 27th year of Bikefest. This year, the annual event will run from April 26-28.

“We are thrilled to welcome riders from near and far to experience the excitement of Leesburg Bikefest,” said Maggie Lyden, the special events manager for Leesburg. “This event is not just about motorcycles; it’s about community, a passion for the open road and a passion for music. We can’t wait to see everyone come together and celebrate.”

For the schedule and more Bikefest info, visit this website.