WFTV Channel 9
Good Samaritan jumps in as shots are fired at a shopping center during road rage incident
- Title
- Good Samaritan jumps in as shots are fired at a shopping center during road rage incident
- Runtime
- 2:03
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- A road rage suspect is being held in jail on a $25,000 bond, accused of shooting into a car.
Good Samaritan Cody McWhorter was 100 feet away in the busy shopping center off Kirkman Road near MetroWest when he jumped into action.
“He yelled at the guy and then just stuck his firearm out the window and started blasting. And I counted 10 shots. “ Cody says the shots didn’t faze him because he served in the U.S. Army. “I took cover pretty quickly. And then when I saw the car coming this way, I knew he was going to evade and try to leave.”
According to investigators, the car of an innocent bystander was hit as he was driving past the Walmart Garden Center.
He later realized there was “a bullet lodged in his car mirror.” Cody told us, “I carry a medical bag in my work truck with me, so I brought that over there with me. But everyone was just counting shell casings on the ground.”
Read more: https://www.wftv.co...
- Title
- Elon Musk's The Boring Company selected to build tunnel network under Universal Florida
- Runtime
- 2:42
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Board members of a Universal-backed government entity selected Elon Musk's tunnel company to build a transit network under Epic Universe, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure Wednesday.
The network aims to connect the parks with hotels and major area attractions, including International Drive.
Three companies submitted bids. The Boring Company was the only one to propose an underground system, which the Shingle Creek Transit and Utility district board members indicated they preferred in their proposal request.
It's unclear how long this phased project will take or whether it will ever get off the ground. Tunnels are extremely rare in Florida due to a number of engineering and environmental factors. There will also be permitting issues since it will cross underneath major highways.
- Title
- Florida city cancels meeting, then holds it anyway to talk about controversial housing project
- Runtime
- 1:57
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Deltona commissioners are accused of continuing a meeting after a public notice went out saying it was canceled. Residents are now taking legal action against the city because they believe commissioners violated state law.
Eyewitness News tried to ask the City Manager if the city knew it could be violating state law, or if leaders were trying to avoid hearing public comment on a controversial housing project that was supposed to be discussed during that meeting. The city said it doesn’t comment on pending litigation.
A notice was posted on Deltona’s social media pages and website alerting the community the February 2 meeting was canceled because not enough commissioners could be in attendance. That meeting went on anyway.
A group of residents is now taking legal action. Their lawyer addressed the city during Monday’s meeting.
Dozens of residents were planning to speak out against a development during the public comment portion o...
- Title
- Stolen military explosives found in home in Florida's 'The Villages'
- Runtime
- 1:54
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Residents in part of The Village were evacuated following reports of suspected explosive devices found in a home.
The bomb squad and investigators were able to determine that the explosives had been confirmed stolen from the military.
The scene is now clear of any explosives.
The evacuation was ordered as a precaution to protect nearby homes. Authorities responded after a report from a complainant who found what seemed to be explosive devices inside a residence.
- Title
- Orlando approves $160M plan for downtown projects as businesses warn time is running out
- Runtime
- 2:37
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- The city of Orlando, Florida has approved a financing plan to pay for several multimillion-dollar projects downtown, a move city leaders say will shape the area’s future, but one that some business owners fear may come too late for them.
City commissioners approved the plan Monday to use $160 million in Tax Increment Revenue Bonds to fund a series of projects aimed at increasing foot traffic, improving walkability, and transforming underused spaces in downtown Orlando.
The city says the approach allows them to invest now in long-planned improvements while leveraging future tax revenue generated within what is known as the Downtown Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), which was created in 1980 to revitalize 1,664 acres in downtown.
During a council meeting and workshop on Monday, commissioners discussed the “Canopy,” a project that will be funded by the $160 million bonds.
The Canopy project promises to convert 10 acres of space...
- Title
- Shocking child abuse case rocks Florida daycare center, three workers charged
- Runtime
- 2:13
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Rockledge police arrested 3 workers for child abuse of children at a daycare center. But in court, one of the three got out of the child abuse charge, but is still accused of tampering with a witness.
Attorney Brynn Brito represents the families of two victims, “This is such a shock to our whole community in the city of Rockledge. I mean so many parents trusting, those professionals to take care of their children, and they did not. In fact, they abused their children. “ According to the arrest report, suspects Nativia King and Stacy Hamilton Jackson were arrested for aggravated child abuse and tampering with a witness.
According to Brito, “Very inappropriate disciplining involving striking children where children were coming home with bruises.” Investigators say the suspects abused the children with an open hand or a wooden spoon. Brito explains how the workers were caught, “Somebody blew the whistle and the videotape pretty much shows what was going...
- Title
- Siblings found dead in Florida convenience store, police investigating
- Runtime
- 2:04
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Apopka police are investigating the deaths of two people found inside a convenience store Friday night.
Officers discovered the bodies of Schneita Swift and Ezra Swift inside Griffin’s General Store on West Michael Gladden Boulevard.
The discovery followed reports from the family that they had not heard from the siblings since Friday evening.
While investigators have not officially stated what occurred, the store owner reported that a shooting took place inside the building.
A growing memorial consisting of balloons, candles, and flowers now sits outside the business.
Read more: https://www.wftv.com/news/local/siblings-found-dead-apopka-convenience-store-police-investigating/ACJ5VFMFTJFSFJ6NTN33SLSYTU/
- Title
- 'Marriage fraud' scheme exposed: Chinese nationals paying US citizens for immigration status
- Runtime
- 2:31
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced on Wednesday a national marriage fraud scheme with ties to Jacksonville and the U.S. Navy.
This case involves Chinese nationals paying U.S. citizens, specifically some Navy service members, to marry them so they could evade immigration laws and become permanent residents.
Federal prosecutors say the recruited U.S. citizens involved would be paid thousands in cash installments for marrying the Chinese nationals, when the immigration status was obtained and then for divorcing their sham spouses afterward.
The government said the goal of some marriages was simply to gain citizenship. For others, prosecutors say it was so the Chinese national spouse could get a Common Access Card. The card eases the path to permanent residency. But there’s another key privilege.
“But in this instance, excuse me, it gives you access to military facilities, not only here in Jacksonville, but throughout the United S...
- Title
- Stepbrother charged in teen's 'violent and senseless' cruise ship death
- Runtime
- 2:06
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- The family of Anna Kepner was seen outside a Miami federal courthouse on Friday.
In a video obtained from Miami ABC affiliate WSVN, the family can be seen walking into the courthouse.
WFTV has learned Kepner's 16-year-old stepbrother was charged in her death aboard a cruise ship, months after his family named him the suspect in the case.
The 18-year-old's body was discovered aboard the Carnival Horizon wrapped in a blanket, under a bed and a pile of life jackets, according to ABC News sources. She had shared a cabin with her 16-year-old stepbrother, who is listed as a suspect.
ABC sources reported that Kepner suffered asphyxiation due to a bar hold, which left two bruises on the side of her neck. They also stated there were no signs of sexual assault and no drugs or alcohol in her system.
Read more: https://www.wftv.com/news/local/anna-kepner-18-died-by-suffocation-carnival-cruise-neck-bruises-found-fbi-probes/TJWPX3JBKRE...
- Title
- Florida flagged ‘potential noncompliance’ weeks before toxic railroad fire
- Runtime
- 2:49
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Marion County has launched a hotline to answer environmental and health-related questions about hazardous fire in Dunnellon.
According to an air monitoring report obtained by 9 Investigates, about 100,000 railroad ties soaked in creosote, a potentially cancer-causing wood preservative, burned in the fire.
State and local investigators are now monitoring air and soil quality as officials work to determine how the fire started and whether long-term environmental risks remain.
The rail ties are owned by Track Line Rail, which, according to documents on file with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, planned to begin a shredding and grinding operation on CSX-owned property. Marion County says it is preparing to take legal action against both private companies.
Read more: https://www.wftv.com/news/local/marion-county-launches-community-hotline-aftermath-hazardous-rail-tie-fire/7UM7FQ3CXVE6PJBOLSDQV633MM/
- Title
- Central Florida housing is about to get more expensive – again
- Runtime
- 3:10
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Central Florida is slowly running out of runway before it faces another housing squeeze and rapid rent increases, one of Orlando’s leading developers warned.
Craig Ustler, who was a driving force behind Orlando’s Creative Village, said his company and others were not building enough new housing units to meet the demand of people who continue to move to the metro area at a rate of 1,100 per week.
He said in the years after the pandemic, when Orlando went through a housing boom, his company would finish 16,000 units of housing per year – above their normal 10,000.
“We’re in this we’re in this gulf that nobody sees yet,” Ustler said, mentioning that it takes three years to see a project from start to finish. “You’re sort of living off that really big amount of supply that came on a few years ago, but that’s largely been absorbed… It’s going to probably get back to some of the really scary times that we saw with double digit re...
- Title
- Jealous rage led to wild chase, jail shooting in front of WFTV news crew
- Runtime
- 2:24
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Orlando police officers said a man accused of opening fire in the middle of John Young Parkway outside the Orange County Jail Wednesday told them he did it because he was mad at his ex-girlfriend and her new partner.
That man, who they identified as Anthony Myles, was informed by a judge Thursday that he would remain in jail on no bond for now.
Myles has been charged with multiple second-degree felonies for the shooting. His arrest affidavit said he had been trying to reach the ex-girlfriend’s partner, calling him several times that morning.
- Title
- WFTV news crew dives for cover as shooting erupts at Orlando jail
- Runtime
- 2:09
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Orlando police say a suspect has been arrested after a wild shooting on John Young Parkway near the Orange County Jail.
Investigators say an innocent driver was shot.
Andrew quickly pulled to the next parking lot for safety, and we took cover behind cars as we ran back to see what was happening. We saw Orlando Police officers immediately surround both vehicles.
We also saw deputies from the Orange County Jail come out and assist.
Officers say they were responding to a domestic situation, which was a few miles from the shooting scene.
The suspect was chasing a victim by vehicle and started shooting several rounds into the victim’s car. On scene, we could see a white Cadillac with a bullet hole in the windshield and damage to the left side of the vehicle. We could also see a silver pickup truck that was damaged.
According to investigators a driver who wasn’t involved was struck by gunfire in a separate veh...
- Title
- Poop-laden vandal causes massive damage to Florida restaurant
- Runtime
- 2:10
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Imagine buying a building with plans to open a new business, only to have it vandalized and destroyed days before you move in. That’s what happened in Daytona Beach, and now police have launched an investigation into the property on South Beach Street.
From concrete poured down toilets and pipes to shelving ripped right out of the walls, the vandals who hit a building on South Beach Street left behind tens of thousands of dollars in damage.
Leon Geller bought the property and was set to take over on February 1st. The restaurant was open and serving customers the week before, and sometime in between, someone came in and destroyed it.
Read more: https://www.wftv.com/news/local/vandalism-investigation-underway-after-daytona-beach-property-destruction/S6AWKQJPXNB2NOHQ3HCQ3VV37I/
- Title
- Sandy Hook obsession led to Florida high school murder plot, report says
- Runtime
- 2:25
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- For months, a Lake Brantley 15-year-old formulated, wrestled with, and ultimately tried to carry out a plan to murder her high school classmate – all because she thought he resembled a school shooter she was in love with, an unredacted police report says.
The disturbing allegations behind the arrest of Isabelle “Jimmy” Valdez and Lois Lippert, 14, last month ultimately made prosecutors decide to charge the girls as adults this week.
Investigators wrote that Valdez, who was already on the FBI’s radar in connection to a series of threats made against the school weeks before, stalked the boy for months and took pictures of him, which she posted to her TikTok page, “I Love Sandy Hook.”
Read more: https://www.wftv.com/news/local/sandy-hook-obsession-led-seminole-county-high-school-murder-plot-report-says/ULOFHQQLJNFKRLDVKHSGP2OXYA/
- Title
- Conservation land under threat from new toll road
- Runtime
- 2:56
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings says the county is looking to hire outside attorneys to fight efforts by the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) to take county-owned land for a proposed toll road through eminent domain.
CFX plans to build State Road 534, a 14-mile toll road designed to relieve congestion on Narcoossee Road.
A little over a mile would cut through Split Oak Forest, a protected conservation area.
It would also cross through a portion of Eagles Roost Park, an Orange County-owned park adjacent to the preserve.
Read more: https://www.wftv.com/news/local/orange-county-hire-outside-counsel-fight-proposed-toll-road-through-county-land/UNYO5N2TQJHF3OW3GNUDHSSYVM/
- Title
- Florida police use trained otter to search pond for missing mom's remains
- Runtime
- 4:13
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Mount Dora, Florida detectives are following a “hit” from a specialized search otter named Splash in local pond near the home of Nicole Baldwin.
Baldwin disappeared in 2023. Investigators said they do not believe that Baldwin left her home on her own and are now investigating this case as a homicide.
Police say Baldwin was last seen on Nov. 2 by her 20-year-old daughter, the night after they celebrated her birthday. She was reported missing three days later.
Baldwin’s husband, 43-year-old Brett Baldwin, was arrested in December on federal charges stemming from an unrelated case.
Read more: https://www.wftv.com/news/local/dive-teams-checking-lakes-ponds-search-missing-mount-dora-mother-3/WBIFYATAGBDXZPB4VHVR56YPVI/
- Title
- COLD REALITY: 2,000 jobs wiped out after Florida freeze destroys blueberry crop
- Runtime
- 2:07
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- The big freeze over the weekend took a toll on blueberry crops in Central Florida, as well as jobs of those who work in the fields and the packing houses.
At H & A Farms, owner Michael Hill says his blueberry crop was wiped out because of the cold snap over the weekend.
“This whole farm is a complete loss," he said.
They have a thousand acres of blueberry plants around the state. He cut into a blueberry to show us the inside.
“That’s all brown, it’s supposed to be green.” Hill says they pack 40-percent of Florida’s blueberries, which go to stores like Publix, Aldi and Costco. And because these berries died, Michael says he will no longer need the 2,000 workers to pick them in the fields or the hundreds needed to pack them.
Read more: https://www.wftv.com/news/local/cold-reality-blueberry-crop-loss-wipes-out-2000-jobs-central-florida/AH4OET7GPZG4TEFZE6M6QQ4XKY/
- Title
- Florida police pull DOZENS of people out of 'drug house' in early morning SWAT operation
- Runtime
- 2:52
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Only Channel 9 was on scene as Daytona Beach police collected evidence from two known drug houses after serving search warrants early Tuesday morning.
The properties are on N. Oleander and N. Hollywood avenues.
Police Chief Jakari Young said the home at N. Oleander will be officially boarded up and declared a public health and safety issue.
This is the second time Eyewitness News has been at the house in less than a month.
Neighbors came to us for help after dealing with aggressive people coming and going from the house.
Read more: https://www.wftv.com/news/local/daytona-beach-police-raid-known-drug-houses-early-morning-swat-operation/QQWHZ3GAGFASTLIF2PSHZVB57Y/?tbref=hp
- Title
- Florida orange farmers fear crop destruction after windy, frozen weather
- Runtime
- 5:56
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- After this weekend’s arctic blast, Central Florida farmers are assessing the damage to their crops.
“We’re going to go through and make sure the irrigation lines are working because tonight we will have another freeze,” Tara Boshell, with the Showcase of Citrus, said. “We don’t want to chance anything. If they made it 2 nights, we want to keep it going.”
Boshell believes that the majority of their 4,000 trees will likely experience some degree of damage due to the cold.
“Because of the winds we had 2 nights ago, it blew all of the irrigation mist toward the east,” Boshell said. “It put a lot of additional ice on some of the branches. When all of this melts off, we’ll probably see some split branches.”
This grove was reset three years ago and is expected to produce next year.
Boshell said that because of the freeze, she expects a smaller harvest of the crop.
Read more: https://www.wftv....
- Title
- Florida road caves in, growing 'ground depression' shuts down traffic
- Runtime
- 2:25
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Crews in Lake County are working to repair damage left behind after a depression opened up.
Drone 9 spotted a large hole that opened in the center of Empire Church Road near Bear Lake Road in Groveland.
Deputies in Lake County said drivers need to avoid the area as crews work to fill the depression.
WFTV crews could see construction workers tending to the road where traffic had been shut down.
Story: https://www.wftv.com/news/local/large-sinkhole-swallows-roadway-lake-county/XD3EKWBSBNHNHL2F6EUS2L3DMY/
- Title
- Massive pile of train ties burns in Florida, sending hazardous smoke into the air
- Runtime
- 0:14
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Marion County Fire Rescue teams are actively fighting a large fire involving a stockpile of railroad ties in Dunnellon. The incident was reported on February 1, 2026, near East McKinney Street and North Williams Street.
The fire involves wood treated with creosote, which can emit toxins and heavy, irritating smoke when burned. Emergency workers are actively addressing environmental safety issues while working on fire suppression.
Officials recommend residents avoid the area to allow emergency crews to operate safely. Nearby residents might notice strong odors or heavy smoke and should keep their windows and doors shut.
- Title
- Florida Sunday forecast: below freezing temperatures and windy conditions
- Runtime
- 5:50
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- We are still on weather alert through Monday morning due to extreme cold in Central Florida.
Central Florida still has multiple warnings in effect for this cold weather.
The wind has finally settled enough that a wind advisory is no longer necessary. That said, we are likely to still see some breezes up to 20 mph through tomorrow afternoon. This will lead to lower wind chills during the morning hours.
Another freeze warning has been issued for all of Central Florida again tonight due to extreme temperatures.
Some areas in Central Florida, including Ocala, The Villages, and Palm Coast, could once again fall below freezing before midnight.
Orlando, Sanford, Kissimmee, and others are still expected to reach the upper 20s.
Read more: https://www.wftv.com/news/local/central-florida-freeze-warning-continues-extreme-cold-carries-into-monday/5FY5D6VUUNBBFOTL6XLHNZT3AI/
- Title
- New $45 TSA 'ID fee' starts at airports Sunday
- Runtime
- 2:13
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Beginning Sunday, air travelers in the U.S. without a REAL ID or another acceptable form of identification, such as a passport, are subject to a new fee.
It isn't a penalty or a fine — it's payment for non-compliant travelers to use the Transportation Security Administration's new alternate identity verification option called ConfirmID. But the process takes extra time, and paying the fee doesn’t guarantee you’ll make your flight.
The Department of Homeland Security says most U.S. travelers are already compliant and that the fee is meant to encourage the rest — those without a star-marked REAL ID — to obtain one.
Travelers 18 and older flying domestically without proper identification on them will have to pay $45 to verify their identity at the airport through the ConfirmID process. If approved, the verification covers a 10-day travel period.
Read more: https://www.wftv.com/news/business/no-real-id-yet-you/VOU7OVHNPE4CNAR4J6...
- Title
- Cold Nights, Hot Bills: How Florida’s freezing temps could hit your wallet
- Runtime
- 5:29
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Central Florida is preparing for three consecutive freezing nights that will test the limits of local heating systems and could spike energy bills.
Most heat pumps in the area are only designed to handle temperatures down to approximately 35 degrees. As temperatures drop below these design parameters, heating systems must work harder and consume more power, leading to higher utility costs for residents.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, heating typically accounts for about 29% of a household’s energy bill.
Bill Green, vice president of Green’s Energy Services, said local heat pumps do combat both the heat and cold. However, unlike northern furnaces or radiators, heat pumps struggle when the outside temperature is significantly lower than the desired indoor temperature.
“Most of our heat pumps in this area are designed for a maximum low temperature of about 35 degrees,” Green said. “So this is going to test it beyon...
- Title
- Dozens of artists pull out of famed art show ahead of Florida freeze
- Runtime
- 2:39
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Roughly 25% of artists have pulled out of the Mount Dora Art Festival due to a combination of freezing temperatures predicted for Florida this weekend and snowy conditions that threw off travel in other states.
However, festival organizers say the city's biggest weekend of the year will go on.
Thousands of people typically pack the city's streets Saturday and Sunday, where recent years have seen all weather conditions from cold and rainy to sunny and hot.
Saturday's weather is expected to be pleasant for festival attendees. Sunday won't reach 50 degrees.
Organizers say they will provide updates throughout the weekend.
- Title
- Florida's extreme cold: How to cover your home's pipes to protect them from freezing
- Runtime
- 8:06
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- For the first time in years, this weekend’s temperatures will put Central Florida homes at risk of having frozen and burst water pipes – and ultimately, messy and expensive clean-ups.
That’s why it’s important to take action now to prevent that from happening, Tim Miller of Green Frog Plumbing said.
Most homeowners do not need to rush off to the hardware store and spend a lot of money. Miller said it’s not the cold temperatures that will do a pipe in, but the cold wind pushing against the pipe.
He offered several easy solutions that will keep someone like him from fielding an emergency call to your home:
Miller said the first step to protecting your home is to cover all exterior pipes and outdoor water equipment.
Specifically, he said you should put a barrier between those pipes and connections and the wind blowing against them.
That can be done with foam pipe insulation, though it can be difficult ...
- Title
- Sha'Carri Richardson arrested after dangerous driving
- Runtime
- 4:09
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- United States track and field Olympian Sha’Carri Richardson was arrested Thursday after deputies say she was clocked driving 104 mph in Winter Garden. The arrest occurred on State Road 429 near Stoneybrook Parkway.
Richardson, a gold medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, was arrested under Florida’s new super speeder law and has bonded out of jail.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office reported that Richardson was “dangerously tailgating” other drivers and moving across multiple lanes to pass vehicles. Deputies clocked her speed at 104 mph before she was pulled over near Stoneybrook Parkway.
- Title
- Extended forecast: Florida's extreme -- and possibly snowflake-filled -- winter weekend
- Runtime
- 9:58
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- WFTV meteorologist Tom Terry says he's never seen anything like this in the 30 years he's been in Orlando: ice on the roads and wind chill temperatures below 10.
Florida, including the Orlando, Ocala and Daytona metro areas is bracing for a historically cold weekend, breaking a 90-year-old record in the process. Snow is possible for some cities (not Orlando).
Locally, we're watching the potential for cars to not start, pipes to freeze and roads to become dangerously slick.
Snow chances are dropping along the east coast. All eyes are on the Artemis II rocket, which is prepping for a launch.
The west coast could have some overnight flakes!
- Title
- Water bills SPIKE after Florida town installs new meters
- Runtime
- 2:29
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Dozens of Groveland residents are taking to social media after recently seeing a spike in their water bills.
Several residents told Channel 9 they haven’t changed the amount of water they are using. Some have even called out a plumber to look for leaks, but found there were none. They said the only difference month-to-month seemed to be a new meter the city installed at their home.
Jason Bailey’s utility bill more than doubled in the month of December, going from the roughly $120 a month to $239 at his home with a family of four.
So he went to check his new meter. The city of Groveland has gradually been changing out meters after it said the old ones weren’t reading properly.
“I noticed that my neighbor’s meter was slightly higher, if not a little higher than mine. And his bill came in at $94, $95,” Bailey said. “That’s what caught my attention that there was an issue.”
Read more: https://www.wftv.com/ne...
- Title
- Florida pet owner tricked by AI image scam #florida #pets #ai
- Runtime
- 0:31
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- A Florida family thought their missing dog was found and taken to a veterinarian. However, when they paid thousands of dollars, they found out that was a lie.
The scammer used AI to create an image that showed the dog at the vet getting emergency care. The dog showed up -- unharmed -- outside their house.
- Title
- Florida fruit growers prepare to ice their trees to save their farms
- Runtime
- 2:28
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Growers in Lake County are taking steps to protect their crops ahead of three nights of expected below-freezing temperatures and wind gusts up to 35 mph this weekend.
Michael Graham, the owner of Graham’s U-Pick Farm in Umatilla, said he’s particularly concerned about the impact on about 1100 peach trees grown on his property.
The forecast predicts temperatures will drop below freezing over the weekend, with at least one night in the low 20s in Lake County, prompting Graham to prepare his micro irrigation system to protect his crops.
Graham told Channel 9 he already ran the system overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, and anticipates running water overnight on Saturday and Sunday.
“That’s 72-degree water in a 24-degree night. You get the thermal energy right into the trees, which will help protect it,” explained Graham.
He explained the running water sprayed onto the trees does turn into ice, but because that water ...
- Title
- There's a chance! Florida snow possibility increasing this weekend
- Runtime
- 2:01
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- A freeze warning has been issued for Central Florida, as temperatures are expected to drop to 32 degrees or lower this weekend, with Orlando forecast to reach a record low of 25 degrees.
Current afternoon temperatures are in the upper 50s to low 60s, but a significant winter storm is on the way, bringing the coldest air the region has experienced since December 2010.
The freeze warning indicates that residents should prepare for potential damage to crops and unprotected plants, as temperatures will drop to freezing levels overnight.
Morning temperatures on Sunday are expected to plummet into the 20s across Central Florida, leading to a state-wide hard freeze.
The anticipated record-breaking cold in Orlando will affect daily activities and potentially disrupt outdoor plans.
On Sunday afternoon, the high temperature is expected to only reach the 40s, with strong winds exacerbating the cold.
- Title
- Caught on video: Man arrested for indecent exposure with household item #News #CrimeReport
- Runtime
- 0:31
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- On January 22, 2026, Kevin Dale Westerhold, aged 51, was reported for exposing his genitals and performing a sexual act with a vacuum cleaner outside a residence on Grassendale Street, Windsor Hills Resort, Kissimmee, Florida.
He was arrested on January 27, 2026, and faces charges of sexual exposure.
The initial report was filed with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office after witnesses saw Westerhold inappropriately exposing himself. When deputies arrived, the suspect had already left the scene, leading to an investigation into earlier complaints of similar behavior at the resort.
Previous reports indicated he was seen walking nude in shared hallways on January 21, 2026, and residents submitted video evidence supporting these reports.
- Title
- Record breaking cold weather coming to Florida this weekend
- Runtime
- 2:05
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- The conditions are expected to bring colder temperatures Tuesday night, with lows falling below freezing in some areas.
Afternoons are expected to remain sunny in our area with highs returning to the 60s from Wednesday to Friday.
Residents are reminded of the 4 P’s: “Pets, Plants, Pipes and People,” as they prepare for the cold weather.
This guidance is crucial to protect pets from the cold and ensure plants are adequately shielded.
This weekend, an incoming storm is expected to push Arctic air further south, bringing temperatures in the Orlando metro area down into the 20s.
A weather alert has been issued due to a likely hard freeze overnight Saturday into Sunday and again from Sunday to Monday.
- Title
- Popular Florida U-Pick farm fears crop destruction by record-breaking cold temperatures
- Runtime
- 2:13
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Due to overnight freezing temperatures, some growers in Central Florida are worried about their livelihoods.
Michael Hill, owner of Amber Brooke Farms, is dreading the cold weather. “It’s just a deep pit in your stomach at night when you know it’s coming, and you know you’re gonna have loss.”
He owns strawberry, peaches, and blueberry crops. “We just try to take it and take it day by day.” Around noon, we could still see icicles hanging from his blueberry plants after spraying them with water overnight.
“32 is our temperature. And we put that layer of ice on there to insulate the plant and actually, it creates fusion when ice is being formed.”
He says his beautiful sunflowers have some frost damage. And so does his zinnia flower bed. “This is all burnt.”
It’s not the first time Michael has had to deal with damage, back in October, 20-percent of his strawberry crop was destroyed and a retention wall...
- Title
- Gun-related arrests fall in Florida county amid nation-wide crime decrease
- Runtime
- 1:59
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- The number of people being booked into the Orange County jail on gun-related charges fell to their lowest level since the pandemic began, data compiled by the jail showed, just two years after the county struggled under a surge of violent crime.
1,415 people were booked into the jail last year on those charges, a 32% reduction since 2,094 people were arrested in 2023 and lower than the 1,615 arrests in 2020, when the pandemic began.
The trends spanned agencies that included the two largest, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Orlando Police Department, as well as smaller agencies like Winter Garden.
Read more: https://www.wftv.com/news/local/gun-related-arrests-fall-orange-county-amid-historic-crime-drop/QGWKA5TDUBEBVB5V7CNNQO4JCQ/
- Title
- Teens forced to sit on floor of Florida school bus, investigation launched
- Runtime
- 2:09
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Parents said they are upset after a photo was shared showing children sitting on the floor of a school bus in Osceola County.
The photo shows several students sitting on the floor while riding a bus home after school on Friday at Canoe Creek K-8 in Saint Cloud.
The Osceola County school district said it is looking into the incident.
Officials said that if the bus was overcrowded, the driver should have called dispatch to find a solution.
The 8th-grade student who took the photo said he was told to sit on the floor because there were not enough seats on the bus.
- Title
- Central Florida bracing for dangerous freeze conditions
- Runtime
- 2:03
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- A freeze warning has been issued for Marion, Flagler, Sumter, Lake, and Interior Volusia Counties, signaling a significant drop in temperatures across Central Florida.
A cold weather advisory is in effect for the entire Central Florida region except for Sumter and Coastal Brevard, as temperatures are expected to plunge overnight.
The forecasted low for Orlando on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning is 35°F, which, while cold, is not the coldest temperature this winter; that record was set at 32°F on Jan. 16.
Meanwhile, freeze watches are now in place across Central Florida, except for Coastal Volusia and Brevard counties, heading into Tuesday night.
- Title
- ‘Don’t Minneapolis Our Orlando:" Florida officials battle over ICE operations
- Runtime
- 2:44
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- The Orange County Democratic Party is speaking out against ICE in Central Florida. The organization hosted a press conference Wednesday morning in Downtown Orlando asking residents to speak out against the current administration. Republicans, though, are encouraging ICE to continue doing its job.
“The happiest place in the world has turned in to show me your papers city,” said on of the Democratic Party leaders.
Within the last week, the Orange County Democratic Party said there have been confirmed reports of ICE seeking warehouse space in Orlando. Democratic leaders said there have also been confirmed reports of up to 200 hotel rooms booked by ICE in and around Orange County.
Read more: https://www.wftv.com/news/local/democrats-speaking-out-against-ice-operations-central-florida-state-says-it-will-continue/SU6JVYKTHBG3RKR7CDO6RDRFIE/
- Title
- Squatters, drug activity place Florida neighborhood in fear
- Runtime
- 2:35
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- A Daytona Beach neighborhood is begging for help after dealing with a nuisance house for months. Police have already raided the home on North Oleander Avenue, where they recovered drugs and arrested squatters.
Eyewitness News asked Police Chief Jakari Young why it’s taking so long to shut the house down.
Young said the owner, who has been arrested before, is allowing all of these people to live there, and after they get out of jail, they all just go right back.
With signs in hand and frustration on their faces, more than a dozen neighbors shared stories of sleepless nights because of scary activity at a nearby house.
Read more: https://www.wftv.com/news/local/daytona-beach-neighbors-demand-action-drug-filled-nuisance-house/DEZEUYZMWNAPHIXQGH6L7K776M/
- Title
- Protester arrested after tensions flare outside Orlando ICE facility
- Runtime
- 2:59
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- A protester was arrested in Orange County after tensions escalated outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Orlando.
The arrest happened as demonstrators gathered outside the ICE facility on Delegates Drive.
Channel 9 had a crew on the scene that witnessed the arrest. Dozens of law enforcement officers, who had staged nearby for the protest, responded within seconds to a call for backup.
Video from the scene shows whistles, sirens and protesters chanting as a person was handcuffed on the ground outside the facility. Another angle shows dozens of state troopers surrounding the protester and blocking the street.
The Orange County Sheriff’s office said the protest was almost exclusively peaceful until a woman approached a federal agent who was in a car and struck the law enforcement vehicle. She was arrested on charges of Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer and Resisting Arrest.
Read more: https://www.wftv...
- Title
- ‘I’m the commissioner:’ Body cam video shows Orlando leader’s dispute with officers at road block
- Runtime
- 3:05
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- On December 31, thousands of people filed out of Camping World Stadium to go home after Texas scored a resounding victory over the Michigan Wolverines.
One of those people was Orlando Commissioner Shan Rose, whose efforts to make it home resulted in a phone call between herself and Chief of Police Eric Smith.
Body camera video from an OPD officer working traffic duty shows Rose’s car pulling up to a roadblock funneling people onto the 408 at Carter Street.
Rose did not want to go onto the highway and stopped her car at the entrance to the on-ramp. As Officer David Porter approached, she was already on the phone with Smith.
“I need you to move your vehicle, the road is blocked right there,” Porter is heard saying.
Rose did not oblige.
“I’m the commissioner,” she told him, as she complained to Smith about Porter’s tone. “I live in Parramore. You can’t tell me I can’t go home.”
...
- Title
- Family beat up Universal hostess over parking validation refusal, deputies say
- Runtime
- 1:52
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- A family of four was charged with assault after reportedly attacking a restaurant employee at the Portofino Bay Hotel on Monday.
The incident started when the employee validated parking for two tickets but declined to validate two more. After the refusal, the suspects tried to validate the tickets on their own.
The employee called the valet, instructing them not to release the vehicle to the suspects. In response, the suspects began yelling and hit the employee’s iPad.
The confrontation intensified as the suspects reportedly began hitting and kicking the employee. At one stage, all four suspects were on the ground fighting the employee until a hotel staff member stepped in to stop the fight.
Read more: https://www.wftv.com/news/florida/family-four-charged-after-assaulting-universal-hotel-employee-over-parking-dispute/R7NJP4F7NRGC5MCAH2T47TDVXM/
- Title
- Man arrested for 114 mph speeding and his reason is insane 🚔 #caught #trending
- Runtime
- 0:43
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Channel 9 obtained bodycam footage of a traffic stop in Flagler County where a driver was caught going 115 mph on I-95. The man gave a bizarre excuse, claiming he was rushing to catch a flight to Israel from New York, making this a truly reckless driving incident. Despite his claims, police activity led to his arrest, highlighting the dangers of excessive speed. Stay safe out there!
- Title
- Florida city trying to buy $2 million property for double the price, commissioner says
- Runtime
- 3:12
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- 9 Investigates is getting answers about more controversial spending of your tax dollars. For months, we have looked into allegations in Daytona Beach from city credit cards being used for shopping and restaurants, to a Depuy Fire Chief who made $14,000 in overtime in six weeks.
During a meeting on Wednesday night, Daytona Beach City leaders raised concerns about the plan to purchase a building for $4.4 million.
Before the meeting, City Commissioner Stacy Cantu shared concerns only on Channel 9. Cantu told us city staff never made commissioners or the redevelopment board aware of their plans to buy the building on South A1A.
She asked the city manager why there was such a rush when the property had been for sale for more than 10 years, and according to her research, it’s only worth 2 million dollars.
“I have not heard this, and I’ve been here 5 years. If other commissioners are aware of this, it’s a sunshine law, and he told me...
- Title
- She carried the pregnancy but it wasn't her baby #fertility #lawsuit
- Runtime
- 0:24
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- A Florida couple is suing the Fertility Center of Orlando after their baby, born through in vitro fertilization (IVF), turned out to be genetically unrelated to them.
They began working with the clinic in March 2025 and welcomed a baby girl just before Christmas, only to be surprised by her appearance.
The couple, identified as John and Jane Doe, sought IVF treatment to start their family. Doe underwent the procedure and gave birth to a baby girl on Dec. 24, 2025.
However, upon noticing the baby’s ethnic appearance differed from theirs, they pursued genetic testing, which revealed that the child had no genetic ties to either parent.
Read more: https://www.wftv.com/news/local/woman-sues-orlando-clinic-after-giving-birth-baby-that-wasnt-hers/SN2J42NIB5FQZGCUJWI573FFPE/
- Title
- Convicted rapist kills former therapist in Orange County office attack
- Runtime
- 2:13
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Orange County deputies continue to investigate the murder of mental health counselor Rebecca White, by her former client Michael Smith.
They say Smith somehow got into an office building at 933 Lee Road on Monday, around 9 pm, and stabbed her to death. He then took his own life the next day.
Records show 39-year-old Smith was arrested for breaking into a woman’s home and raping her in 2003, at the time he was only 17 years old.
As part of his sentence, he was ordered to have mental health counseling, after being released from prison in 2022.
- Title
- Investigators swarm Florida home, family of missing woman on standby
- Runtime
- 2:03
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- Investigators executed a search warrant at an address on South Lee Avenue in Orlando, Florida and searched the property’s grounds.
A crew from Florida Gulf Coast University was on site. This team is part of the human identity and trauma analysis division, which has moved around different areas in the backyard, indicating a thorough search. Earlier efforts included K9 units deployed to search the area.
Family members and friends of Robertyne Sulfranc, a 32-year-old woman, were also present at the scene.
Read more: https://www.wftv.com/news/local/investigators-execute-search-warrant-orlando-home-human-remains-specialist-site/POU6G72R2ZBJ7JSZUKM6EX62U4/
- Title
- Accused tourist killer, 'threat' to the neighborhood released from jail anyway
- Runtime
- 2:41
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- The families of three men killed in what investigators called a “senseless act of violence” say the victims were visiting Central Florida for a car show when they were murdered Saturday.
The shooting happened around 12:13 p.m. on Saturday inside the Indian Hill Subdivision, near Kissimmee.
The victims have been identified as Columbus, Ohio, residents James Puchan, 68, and Douglas Kraft, 68, and Holland, Michigan, resident Robert Kraft, 70.
Ahmad Bojeh, the suspect, has a history of mental health issues and was found not guilty of attempted murder by reason of insanity in 2022.
Court records indicate that as part of his release in 2022, Bojeh was ordered to receive “intervention services” at Park Place Behavioral Mental Health facility.
Read more: https://www.wftv.com/news/local/victims-kissimmee-triple-homicide-were-visiting-mecum-car-show-families-say/CEVXWX5HR5D6PJSTI3E4MBHUHI/
