U.S.

Five of the 11 current Flagler Beach firefighters submitted their resignation earlier this month. City officials confirm five employees submitted resignations in April 2026 – within days of one another. Among these resignations is Deputy Fire Chief Jennifer Fiveash. 

Palm Bay residents are bearing their frustrations after asked to leave their homes on April 30 out of caution when a brush fire threatened nearby homes. The fire comes after the area caught fire twice earlier in the week.

James Yawn was said to be traveling at a high speed, weaving in and out of moderate traffic and driving aggressively without regard to the safety of others in the road, a Florida Highway Patrol report said. Yawn was described as having very red, watery glossy bloodshot eyes and white crust in the corners of his mouth, troopers said. He also showed indicators of being under the influence of cannabis, FHP said. 

John Ringleb, assistant fire chief with the City of Palm Bay, said another fire sparked Thursday within "The Compound." Officials have gotten a handle on the latest fire.

"You deserve to be safe in your home." A Florida woman is demanding change, accountability, and safety improvements after she said she was watched, attacked, and raped inside her apartment in Merritt Island. She claims her reports of unsecured doors and locks at her apartment complex were ignored, which allowed the alleged suspect to walk in and attack her. She and her attorney said Thursday they're planning to file a lawsuit against the apartment complex. FOX 35 is not naming the woman or showing her face. When reached by FOX 35, the apartment complex had no comment on the allegations or the alleged lawsuit.

Florida State University freshman and football athlete Ethan Pritchard was awarded with "The Doc Fauls Rise Above Adversity Award." The award honors those who rise above adversity. In August 2025, a day after FSU's opening win against Alabama, Pritchard was shot in the head while driving to his aunt's house. Officials said Pritchard was shot in a case of mistaken identity. He was in a coma for days. Today, he is walking and talking. Coach Mike Norvell fought back years in honoring Pritchard: "We are so fortunate to be able to be around a true walking miracle." "I just wanna say I appreciate everybody. Keep me in ya'll's prayers. I appreciate my family," Pritchard said, specifically mentioning his dad.

The Florida Supreme Court issued a ruling on Thursday allowing further DNA testing, continuing the stay of James Duckett's execution. In its ruling, Duckett wants the full results of the DNA testing he requested earlier and to have those results analyzed by a qualified bioinformaticist. Duckett, a former Mascotte Police Officer, was sentenced to death after being convicted in the 1987 rape and murder of 11-year-old Teresa McAbee. He was set to be executed on March 31, but that was stayed after a last-minute request to conduct DNA testing of a sample found on the girl's jeans. Those results came back inconclusive, records stated. Teresa McAbee was out with a 16-year-old boy on May 11, 1987. Both were approached by Duckett, a Mascotte Police Officer at the time. He allegedly told the girl to get in his patrol vehicle. She was reported missing. The next day, her body was found in Knight Lake. 

More than 40 students from several high schools in Central Florida, including Jones, Boone, Wekiva, and Dr. Phillips, received college scholarships from the Harris Rosen Foundation, named after Harris Rosen, founder of Rosen Hotels & Resorts.

Volusia County Deputy Jose Rivera is back at work, limited to "light duty" as he continues to heal. He sat down with FOX 35 News for his first on-camera interview since the shooting and since returning to work. Deputy Rivera responded to a disturbance call in Deltona in March, when he was shot twice. One bullet hit his body camera, which was on his chest. That bullet than ricocheted to his shoulder. He was also shot in the thigh. "I'm honestly feeling really great," he told FOX 35. "I'm healing good. My emotions are good. Overall, cause of my family, I'm happy."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and FDOT provided a first look at what the redesigned interchange between I-95 and U.S 1 would look like in Ormond Beach. According to officials, the redesign will include three bridges and extended on-ramps and off-ramps. A one-mile section on U.S. 1 will also be expanded to 6 lanes. Gov. DeSantis said construction on the interchange will happen one year sooner than initially planned -- starting in 2027. He said that was 15-20 years ahead of the originally planned schedule.