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FOX 35 Orlando •

FHP: Florida man drove 90 mph in 30 mph zone before deadly crash

OCALA, Fla. - A Florida man has been arrested in connection to an April 2026 crash in Marion County that killed a woman in Ocala, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. De'Shawn Vonkei Williams, 18, was arrested and booked into jail on several counts, including vehicular manslaughter and reckless driving. He's accused of causing the crash that killed a 47-year-old woman. The backstory: The crash happened around 5:20 p.m. on April 19 at the intersection of Hemlock and Pine roads in Ocala, accor...
FOX 35 Orlando •

Florida woman twice legal limit arrested for DUI after property damage, near-miss crash: Sheriff

BUNNELL, Fla. - A Florida woman with a blood alcohol content over twice the legal limit has been arrested after crashing multiple times into property and nearly crashing into a person head-on, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. Perla Chacon, 23, now faces charges, according to an arrest report. What we know: Around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday in Bunnell, Flagler County deputies responded to a report of a reckless driver. The caller explained that they were nearly hit head-on by another...
FOX 35 Orlando •

Blue Origin explosion: Launch pad debris cleared as CEO targets New Glenn rocket launch later this year

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - We are getting a closer look at the cleanup efforts on the Space Coast following Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket explosion last month. Blue Origin has announced that all wreckage has been cleared from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The backstory: Blue Origin's launch pad has been officially cleared from debris after the explosion on May 28. The explosion sent a fireball into the sky and shook homes along Florida’s Space Coast. No injuries were repo...
FOX 35 Orlando •

Central Florida Zoo welcomes 2 female giraffes

SANFORD, Fla. - Two female giraffes have joined Gage at the Central Florida Zoo. Gage will continue to reside in the main enclosure while the two females will go through recommended reproductive management protocols, according to the Central Florida Zoo. Visitors will be able to meet them in fall of this year. What we know: The four-year-old giraffes can be seen in the back of the giraffe’s enclosure and will be able to meet guests after they settle into their new home. "So far, they've been set...
FOX 35 Orlando •

Avelo Airlines adds 4 more flights from Central Florida airports

ORLANDO, Fla. - Avelo Airlines recently announced that it would expand the number of nonstop flights it has from Florida to North Carolina and Puerto Rico. The expanded flights will depart from Orlando International Airport (MCO), Lakeland International Airport (LAL), Tampa International Airport (TPA), and Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW).  Timeline: What they're saying: "Together, these new routes expand access, increase flexibility and continue our commitment to delivering low far...
FOX 35 Orlando •

July 4 fireworks in Florida: What you need to know

FLORIDA - America will celebrate a major milestone on July 4, 2026 – the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. While there will be plenty of professional fireworks and drone displays in Orlando and around Central Florida, some people may want to light some small fireworks with family or friends. If you're looking to light some personal fireworks at home, here are the rules on which fireworks are OK and not OK (and which ones to leave to the professionals). Yes, but...
FOX 35 Orlando •

Florida man repeatedly caught driving with suspended license arrested again: FCSO

PALM COAST, Fla. - A Florida man convicted of repeatedly driving while his license is suspended was recently arrested for allegedly failing to stop at a stop sign and for providing a fake name, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office. What we know: On Sunday morning, June 21, around 3:45 a.m, a Flagler County deputy stopped a driver for allegedly failing to stop at a stop sign. The driver told the deputy that he left his driver's license at home and gave the deputy his name and date of...
Central Florida Public Media •

Women in space and meal planning for space travel

During the Artemis II mission, Christina Koch became the first woman to travel to the moon. Before Artemis, she was a flight engineer on the International Space Station for Expedition 59, 60 and 61 back in 2019. During her time on the space station, Koch participated in the first all-female spacewalk. She has spent 338 days in space across during her time as a NASA astronaut.Koch’s role in the Artemis II mission follows in the footsteps of other women in space exploration firsts like Eileen Coll...
The Charge •

Engineering, computer science seniors showcase innovative projects ahead of graduation

Engineering and computer science seniors filled the Engineering Building II atrium on Friday, presenting gadgets and software while mingling with judges at the College of Engineering and Computer Science’s semesterly Senior Design Showcase.More than 200 projects were judged during the week leading up to the showcase, with the top 45 selected to be judged at the event. The showcase gave students the opportunity to network with industry professionals and UCF alumni.
A group from each of th...
The Charge •

UCF student faces 20 charges, up to 280 years on child pornography charges

A UCF student faces 20 felony child pornography-related charges after being arrested by the UCF Police Department, according to the Florida Attorney General’s office. Among the files recovered from 21-year-old Joshua James Smith's phone during forensic investigation were graphic images and videos of child sexual abuse material, including that of infants. Smith also used Kik, a messaging app, to solicit sexual favors and images from minors, according to a press release from the Florida Attorney G...
Central Florida Public Media •

Asteroid mining and space hospitality

Mining asteroids could shift from science fiction to reality, driven by the need for off-Earth resources.Phillip Metzger, a planetary scientist at the University of CentralFlorida, said the reasons to mine in space are many – sci-fi fantasies, AI and geopolitical boasting to name a few -- but the real hold up has been economic need.“For decades now, it has not been a technological barrier,” Metzger said. “We've had the ability to do it. It's always been an economic barrier and a political barrie...
Central Florida Public Media •

Key piece of Artemis III mission arrives at Kennedy Space Center

A key piece of NASA’s next Artemis moon mission has arrived at the Kennedy Space Center ahead of a potential launch next year.The majority of the core stage of NASA’s SLS rocket – which holds liquid fuel and flight control systems – departed its assembly facility in New Orleans last week. It arrived at KSC by barge on Monday. It was offloaded and transferred to the Vehicle Assembly Building.There, it will join other pieces of the Artemis III launch vehicle, like the two solid rocket boosters and...
Central Florida Public Media •

Could there be life on other worlds? Scientists look to Mars and the asteroid Bennu for that answer

For centuries, scientists have asked whether life is unique to just our planet.In a new study the Mars rover, Curiosity, found elements that here on Earth are the building blocks of life. However, even if it links to life, it may have been created abiotically, or without lifeforms.Amy Williams, an astrobiologist at the University of Florida and a scientist on the NASA Curiosity and Perseverance rovers, said Curiosity was able to discover this using a new technique called thermochemolysis.“It's j...
Central Florida Public Media •

Artemis Two is back on Earth and a new moonshot is underway

Hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets and beaches near the Kennedy Space Center, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch Systems rocket take off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center April 1.Our host, Brendan Byrne, was there through it all. From launch to splash down, he reported on the crew’s journey.Hear more about Byrne’s coverage of Artemis II and more about the mission in the newest transparency corner.Along with captivating the public, Artemis II is inspi...
Central Florida Public Media •

Prep for next Artemis mission begins with launch pad’s Crawler-Transport

NASA is already preparing for Artemis III after the success of Artemis II, the mission that returned humans to the moon for the first time in half a century.The Crawler-Transporter – the massive vehicle that moves the mobile launch pad and the SLS rocket that launches Orion from the hangar to the launch site – will start its trek at Kennedy Space Center later this week. It will return the launch platform to the Vehicle Assembly Building, where the assembly of Artemis III’s rocket will begin.John...
The Charge •

Artemis II mission to moon, return to Earth inspires SpaceU community

The Artemis II astronauts completed the first human voyage to the moon in over 50 years, exciting UCF students and faculty alike.Artemis II launched on April 1 at 6:35 p.m. from Kennedy Space Center, around 30 miles away from UCF. The crew splashed down off the coast of San Diego Friday night, arriving safely from their almost 10-day voyage around the far side of the moon.
During the summer of 2024, senior computer engineering major Megan Danh worked on the Graphical User Interface of an...
Central Florida Public Media •

Artemis II flies by the moon and a look at NASA’s budget proposal

During the Artemis II lunar flyby on Monday, the astronauts onboard took thousands of photos and made geological observations of around 35 targets on the far side of the moon. The astronauts were the first to see the far side of the moon from that perspective, and the data they collected will help planetary scientists here on Earth.SEE PHOTOS: NASA releases first images from moon flybyAt the University of Central Florida, planetary scientist Addie Dove is preparing to send an instrument to the l...
Central Florida Public Media •

Artemis II images prepare UCF researchers for their own lunar mission

During the Artemis II lunar flyby on Monday, the astronauts onboard took thousands of photos and made geological observations of around 35 targets on the far side of the moon. The astronauts were the first to see the far side of the moon from that perspective, and the data they collected will help planetary scientists here on Earth.At the University of Central Florida, planetary scientist Addie Dove is preparing to send an instrument to the lunar surface as early as 2028. Lunar-VISE aims to unde...
Central Florida Public Media •

Artemis II is a go for launch plus, how NASA is helping tortoises

NASA’s Artemis II moon mission could launch on a flyby mission around the moon from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center this week.It’s the first crewed mission to visit the moon since the final lunar Apollo mission in 1972. And this crew is taking with them some of the most advanced observational instruments – their eyes.We’ll speak with Artemis II mission scientist Barbara Cohen about how the crew trains to make scientific observations with their eyes and how that will help future mission land on th...
Central Florida Public Media •

Moon science and Curious Space

This is the first episode of Space on Tap, a special "Are We There Yet?" event series. It's a live, semi-scripted space-science show. This episode was held at Judson's Live in Orlando on March 23. NASA’s Artemis program could hit a big milestone as soon as April 1 with the launch of the Artemis II mission. It will be the first human mission to the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.There’s fresh excitement about a new human moon mission, but for Kerri Donaldson Hanna and Addie Dove from the University...
Central Florida Public Media •

Detecting plastics from space and how rovers can think for themselves

NASA is studying minerals, dust, and potentially plastics, on land from space.On board the International Space Station, NASA has an instrument named EMIT that studies minerals and dust that impact the Earth’s atmosphere.Kelly Luis, the EMIT aquatic applications lead said the instrument uses an imaging spectrometer to study minerals and dust -- and how that interacts with sunlight.“When that light bounces back to an instrument or detector, it has a very specific spectral fingerprint, Luis said. “...
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