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For the first time ever, a Florida Senate committee is delving into the causes of mass violence.

The hearing began with testimony from FSU researchers.

“And the years with the most mass shootings are 1980, 1992, 1993, and 2016,” said Dr. Jillian Turanovic with the FSU College of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

While mass violence is not increasing dramatically, despite public opinion to the contrary, hate crimes are exploding.

“The internet can act as an echo chamber where they just hear louder and hateful versions of their own hateful viewpoints,” said Dr. Brendon Lantz.

And the Department of Law Enforcement said horrific crimes are in many cases preventable.

“More than half communicated their intentions to harm a specific target to at least one third part and ofter times these revelations included their specific plans,” said FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen.

Moms Demand Action delivered 807 letters to the committee chair Tom Lee.

Most ask for better background checks.

“I think its the most doable, I think its the most effective,” said Kate Kile with MDA. “I think you can look to the states that have these laws and you can look at the reduction in homicides and reductions in aggregated assaults.”

No votes were taken, indeed no bills were before the committee.

Rather, the hearing was the beginning of a conversation about what might be done to stop random mass violence.

“We should get to the bottom of why this individual was not thinking the right way at the time, and make sure that when folks are having these episodes of not thinking right, not seeing things clearly, that we are able to de-escalate them as quickly as possible,” said Dr. Jay Reeve with the Apalachee Center, a mental health and substance abuse center in Tallahassee.

And Lee said the job now is to sort out what ideas can muster enough votes to become law.

Senators made clear that legislation to ban assault rifles, which account for about 25 percent of mass murders, is dead on arrival this year.

A petition is currently being circulated to put the ban before voters in 2020.

The man charged with stabbing five co-workers in the state capital on Wednesday appeared in court Thursday morning, where a judge found him to be a danger to the community.

41 year old Antwann Brown bowed his head as he waited for his first appearance before a judge.

Prosecutors told the court the proof of guilt was great.

“Numerous witnesses. He was found on the scene with blood, with a knife,” said Assistant State Attorney of Florida’s Second Judicial Circuit Doug Hall.

The Judge agreed.

“Mr. Brown, the court has great concerns for the safety of our community and and the court is going to be holding you with no bond,” said Judge Nina Ashenafi Richardson.

Minutes before the stabbings, the assailant called his pastor asking for a prayer and forgiveness for what he was about to do.

Prosecutors believe the attacks were premeditated because the assailant told one witness he had cornered “I’m going to spare you this time” just before he left the business and was captured.

Nat sot: “ I was scared. I ran,” said Brown’s co-worker Scottie Washington.

Washington, who only heard the commotion, said the violence surprised him.

“He was a good guy. You know, he was in training to be a pastor. I just don’t know what happened,” said Washington.

Brown lived in the Dwellings, a second chance community in a 220 square foot “tiny” house, paying $600 a month for room and board.

“Many clients out here didn’t know Mr. Brown,” said Monique Ellsworth, CEO of Connecting Everyone with Second Chances. “We sit down and try to really understand what are the needs of the person staying here. What goals and aspirations do they have related to housing or community? There’s a lot of fears on the property about what the rest of Tallahassee is going to thing about the people living out here.”

Brown is being represented by a public defender.

One of the three ballot initiatives hoping to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida has made a formidable opponent… Florida’s Attorney General.

AG Ashley Moody is looking to block the ballot initiative sponsored by Sensible Florida and has asked the Supreme Court to strike down the initiative, in part, because of its length.

The initiative would legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and over.

Sensible Florida Chairperson Michael Minardi said most of the amendment language establishes a regulatory framework for the industry.

“It is for the people of Florida and giving the plant back to the people of Florida . It is for the businesses of Florida,” said Minardi.

But Moody argues voters can’t fully understand everything it does based off of the required 75-word ballot summary.

She posted a photo on Twitter of the ten-page amendment hanging from the ceiling and spilling onto the floor, with the caption, “Longer than Article I of our State Constitution”.

We put the AG’s photo to the test, formatting both Article I and the proposed amendment exactly the same.

Both are about six pages, with the amendment about a fourth of a page longer and containing nearly 300 more words.

Of two other recreational marijuana amendments, the first is two pages long and the second is just one paragraph.

But Minardi said the level of detail in the Sensible Florida amendment is actually its strength.

“To make sure that we have the people that want to be involved and cultivate for home use are able to do so and the businesses that want to get involved are able to do so and it’s done and set out clearly in that amendment. So our Legislature cannot thwart the amendment of the voters’ will again,” said Minardi.

The ballot initiative has gathered just shy of 90,000 valid signatures.

Minardi said Sensible Florida is ready to take on the Attorney General when the amendment goes before the Supreme Court.

A North Florida School district is being held hostage by hackers.

Wakulla County schools discovered a ransomeware attack last Thursday and the district and its insurer are still trying to decide if they should pay to regain the use of some critical software programs.

Wakulla Superintendent Robert Pearce said contact with the hackers was made over the weekend.

“They let us know we were being held ransom, and they assigned a bitcoin amount they wanted, and at this time, I’m not allowed to disclose that because this is sill under investigation and we are still in negotiation,” said Pearce.

No student data was taken, but the attack on the 5,000 student district has shut down software used by students to pay for lunches, details on school bus ridership, email and a library software program.

”We can’t get into those files right now. The good news is we can still operate,” said Pearce.

Investigators and the IT department are still sorting out the depth of the damage.

Until that’s known, the option of paying the hackers is still on the table.

“They will ninety nine and forty four percent certain that these folks are legit, have a key, and that’s its worth purchasing before our insurance company would do that,” said Pearce.

Kim Fitzgerald has two nephews in the high school.

“That concerns me. Having to pay, you know, but its just something that happens now-days,” said Fitzgerald. “I mean they are able to get into all of our information and do that, so, I guess we’re all kinda held ransom,, don’t you think?”

This the third known attack on a rural school district in the state.

At least two cities have paid a ransom in recent months including Lake City, which paid a half million dollars to get control of its computers.

In addition to the critical software the ransom-ware has disabled, about 50 classroom computers have been rendered useless and will likely have to be wiped clean.

Five victims are in the hospital after a mass stabbing at a construction material company in the state’s capital city Wednesday morning.

The suspect is in police custody.

One victim is in serious condition.

Police said suspect, Antwann Demetris Brown, got in a verbal confrontation with fellow employees at Dyke Industries Inc near the state capitol and was asked to leave.

Police said the suspect clocked out at 8:20 then allegedly began stabbing fellow employees with a pocket knife.

“He appeared that he actually had sought out certain victims,” said Tallahassee Police Department Interim Chief Steve Outlaw.

Police said employees took matters into their own hands and restrained the suspect, but he broke free when police arrived.

He was then apprehended about a block from the crime scene.

“It actually held him at bay at one point momentarily,” said Outlaw. “That delayed his escape which was very good for us.”

Police leadership was notified while attending a 9/11 memorial service.

“You can’t help but wonder, on the first blush when you hear that, is this related to the anniversary,” said Outlaw.

As of mid-day police said they were still interviewing the suspect, but police said they don’t believe the stabbings and the anniversary are linked.

However, the tragic incident, like the 9/11 terrorist attacks, is sure to be a date that lives in infamy for the victims.

“The time you walk into work that next morning, that’s a trigger point. And so you can’t help but have a flashback of what occurred the previous day and this will always be an anniversary day for some of the coworkers,” said Outlaw.

The suspect, Antwann Brown, has a non-violent criminal history dating back to 1996.

He now faces five counts of attempted 1st degree murder and an aggravated assault charge.

Victims are being offered counseling.

The mass stabbing comes as the Florida Senate prepares to hold hearings on mass violence starting next week.

A lengthy legal battle over a voter approved amendment to fund environmental programs isn’t likely to be settled anytime soon.

A new appellate court ruling has put sponsors back to square one.

When 75 percent of voters approved Amendment One in 2014, many believed they were guaranteeing a funding source for the environment.

The amendment allocated 33 percent of revenues from real-estate documentary stamps to the state’s Land Acquisition Trust Fund

“We want restored Florida Forever funding, which was $300 million. We want Everglades restoration, which was $200 million and we want some more money going to land management,” said Aliki Moncrief with the Florida Conservation Voters.

Instead of spending the money to purchase and maintain environmental lands, the Legislature used much of it to cover things like administrative costs.

Lawmakers’ spending choices spurred a lawsuit from environmental groups like The Florida Wildlife Federation.

“The Legislature has a history of ignoring what people put in the constitution. They just shifted this money to use it as an environmental slush fund,” said FWF President Preston Robertson.

Despite an initial court victory in 2018, which found 185 appropriations totaling more than $420 million unconstitutional, the groups are now facing a major setback.

An appellate court sent the case back to the trial court without deciding whether the funds are being misused.

For environmental groups, it’s a major disappointment.

“We’re going back to trial and having to argue this all over again,” said Robertson.

The appellate court focused its decision on a narrow aspect of the initial ruling.

It rejected the original judge’s determination that Amendment One funds could only be spent on lands purchased after the amendment took effect in 2015.

For the time being, lawmakers will still be free to use Amendment One money how they see fit, including in the legislative session that begins in January.

However, Moncrief said it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way.

“They could fix all of this by passing a budget that actually has actually allocates more funding to programs like Florida Forever and not to business as usual expenses,” said Moncrief.

The court battle is now four-years-old and there’s no clear end in sight.

The clock is ticking.

The amendment is set to expire in 2035.

There are five pending amendments for the 2020 ballot that seek to make marijuana more available, but only one of the five appears to have the financial backing to get to the ballot.

Make it Legal Florida is the newest and richest kid on the block when it comes to pushing for legal marijuana.

In its first month it has contributions of just over a million dollars, all coming from two marijuana growers.

“We’re going to get on the ballot,” said Nick Hansen, who is in charge of the campaign.

A recent poll found bipartisan support for recreational marijuana at 67 percent with little drop off when voters were tested with opponents likely arguments.

A 60 percent vote is needed for approval.

“A super majority of Floridians want access, safe and legal access to cannabis,” said Hansen.

Another group, Sensible Florida has collected less than $200,000 in over two years.

Attorney John Morgan, who ran the successful 2016 effort to get medical marijuana on the ballot said it is still possible for one of the groups to get on the ballot, but it’ll be an uphill battle.

“You know, at this late date, you’re going to have to spend ten to fifteen million to get the signatures on the ballot,” said Morgan.

Like the other 11 states with legal marijuana, both petitions limit pot sales to people over 21.

“I’m a father of five, so I completely understand that,” said Hansen. “And I think every parent should know that responsible adults should have access, but there should be safeguards in place from the industry and regulators.”

But Morgan, who sometimes bills himself as ‘Pot Daddy’ said the campaign is going to face well-heeled opponents.

“Never underestimate how important this is to the pharmaceutical industry that this not become an alternative,” said Morgan.

All of which could make the 2020 campaign to legalize marijuana, the most expensive the state has ever seen.

The University of South Florida, The University of Florida, and Florida State University all learned they are in the top 25 nationally for public universities Monday.

Florida State is overjoyed after climbing eight spots over last year’s ranking.

Florida State began the year ranked 26th nationally by US News and World Report.

It expected to crack the top 25, but the administrators, and even teh Governor was blown away by Its number 18 ranking.
“To go from 26 to 18 is a remarkable assent,” said Governor Ron DeSantis.

FSU is tied with Penn State at 18.

FSU Board Chair Ed Burr was quick to point out the new ranking didn’t cost students.

“Without raising tuition a dime,” said Burr.

Instead, FSU used state money to hire faculty and lower class sizes.

“We now offer over 50 percent of Florida State University classes with fewer than twenty students,” said FSU Provost Sallie McRorrie.

Student Morgan Pleasants said she chose FSU for the setting.

“This campus feels like home,” said Pleasants.

While Jacksonville’s Jalicia Lewis came for other opportunities.

“I have an experience to tell people, employers, graduate schools, that I came from a place that was invested in my growth,” said Lewis.

Seven out of ten, or 72 percent of the students who enroll at FSU, graduate in four years.

It is the best graduation rate in the state.

“We had sixty thousand applications last year,” said FSU President John Thrasher. “These students, these students come here already motivated. All we have to to is make sure they have the pathway correct on where they want to go.”

The number 18 ranking brings high expectations of cracking the top 15 quickly and then into the top ten.

FSU has risen 25 spots among public universities since placing No. 43 in 2016.

FSU moved up to No. 38 on the 2017 list and then to No. 33 on the 2018 list.

Early damage estimates in the Bahamas range from three to ten billion dollars and many in Florida are looking for ways to help our neighbors to the east.

Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture is warning residents to be wary of scam charities and is highlighting tools that can make sure your donations make the biggest impact.

A quick search for ‘Dorian’ on GoFundMe turns up nearly 6,000 results.

Many of the drives have pulled in tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried says there’s a risk in donating to pop up charities.

“Since Dorian we’ve seen about 140, give or take, charities that have popped up. Our staff has been working overtime to check those charities to make sure that they actually are valid.” Said Fried. “We are starting to see some that aren’t registering properly that unfortunately may be not legit.”

And when a scammer rakes in donations, reputable charities like the American Red Cross suffer.

“For us personally it takes money out of what could go to help the people,” said Sharon Tyler, Chief Executive Officer of the Tallahassee Red Cross.

To make sure you don’t fall victim to a bogus charity, the Florida Division of Consumer Services is urging residents to vet charities through its Check-A-Charity Tool.

“We are going to have zero tolerance,” said Fried. “So anybody who even thinks about defrauding our citizens or our people in general, know that we are going to come after them.”

You can also call 1-800-HELP-FLA to check a charity.

The Division’s call center fields about 700 to 1,000 calls a day.

Charities are the number one inquiry.

Tyler called the tools offered by the state invaluable.

“I think it really behooves everybody to know who you are giving to,” said Tyler.

Those who violate Florida’s charity statutes can face a wide range of fines depending on the offense and could also be charged with a third degree felony.

Click this link to visit the Division of Consumer Services main charity page.

Governor Ron DeSantis said the state will send water not needed to quench Floridians after Dorian to the Bahamas, while still maintaining a supply in case another storm approaches.

With the storm gone, state officials conceded they were never confident the storm would make a sharp turn North.

State Emergency Planners applauded the Governor after he thanked them.

Dorian’s damage estimates are minimal, likely in the tens of millions, and primarily to the state’s beaches.

With the storm in the rear view mirror, a relaxed chief executive conceded he was never sure Dorian would make the projected turn North.

“We were on edge that whole time,” said DeSantis. “My theme song was the Byrds, turn, turn turn, just like can it please turn as quickly as possible?”

In May, the Governor left a note in the Western Wall in Jerusalem asking Florida be sparred this hurricane season.

“I mean last week the storm was a beeline, a buzz saw across South Florida, and it kinda stalled out and turned pretty dramatically turned 90 degrees to the north,” said DeSantis. “So if we had a hand in assisting that, I’m not going to argue with the big guy upstairs.”

DeSantis also said the real life drill will help in future storms.
“This really helped a lot of these folks hone their skills and try to make us even better going forward,” said DeSantis.

The Governor also said the state will follow up with nursing homes, many of which don’t have required generators.

The Governor reported two Florida deaths attributed to the storm, including one man who passed in a shelter.

The cause of death is unknown at this time.

While Florida was relatively unscathed by Hurricane Dorian, the strong surf and high tides took a toll on the east coast.

The damage to the beaches came in the heart of sea turtle nesting season.

While hurricane Dorian didn’t produce the devastating winds on Florida’s East Coast that had been anticipated, it did cause massive waves, which resulted in significant beach erosion.

“Not only can that affect this year’s nest, but if there’s been significant erosion the habitat that’s available for turtles as well as beach nesting birds just won’t be there next year without intervention,” said Executive Director of Audubon Florida Julie Wraithmell.

During the storm some, like one officer seen in a video posted to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Facebook Page, did make efforts to save baby turtles.

Immediately after the storm photos like the ones taken in Brevard County by UCF scientist Erin Seney showed devastating losses.

“The Southern part of Brevard County is one of the most densely nested beaches in the country,” said Seney who is part of the UCF Marine Turtle Research Group. “We’re probably looking at a pretty high nest loss.”

Teams are already preparing survey the beaches, but exact losses likely won’t be known for weeks.

On a positive note, while nesting grounds on the east coast suffered losses, turtles don’t put all their eggs in one basket.

Nests on the Gulf shores got away unscathed.

“We can be hopeful that the nesting activities both for turtles as well as for beach nesting birds elsewhere in the state will provide some resiliency for the overall population,” said Wraithmell.

Wratmell added that while damaging, the greatest threat to turtle nesting grounds is not hurricanes, but human infrastructure.

In particular, seawalls, which can cause significant beach erosion.

If you do come across damaged nests or even surviving hatchling the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission urges you not to interfere.

Instead, you should report the nests directly to the agency by calling the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC.