Your daily look at news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today.
NASA TRIES AGAIN TO LAUNCH NEW ORION SPACECRAFT
NASA took another shot at launching its new Orion spacecraft Friday, a day after gusty wind and sticky valves held up the critical test flight. The unmanned rocket holding Orion was poised to blast off at sunrise, although weather was threatening again to interfere. This time, rain and clouds were in the forecast; the wind, while stiffer, was expected to blow in a more favorable direction. Forecasters put the odds of acceptable conditions at 50-50, as a nearly full moon glowed in the sky well before dawn.
DECEMBER 18 ARRAIGNMENT FOR ALLEGED CARJACKER, SHOOTER
A South Florida man accused of carjacking three people at gunpoint and shooting two other people is facing a Dec. 18 arraignment on federal charges. The date to enter a plea was set by a judge Thursday for 35-year-old Gregory B. Moore. An initial court appearance for Moore was postponed when he appeared incoherent in the courtroom. Moore is charged with carjacking and use of a weapon in a felony.
JAX ALE TRAIL LAUNCHED TO PROMOTE CITY BEER MAKERS
Beer lovers in northeast Florida have a lot to do these days, with seven breweries alone bubbling up in Jacksonville in recent years. Now the city is promoting its breweries through the “Jax Ale Trail,” a campaign meant to educate locals and visitors about the beer-makers. Jacksonville has created the Jax Ale Trail Passport, which can be stamped at each brewery including Intuition Ale Works, Bold City Brewery and Veteran United Craft Brewery.
WOMAN CONVICTED IN DEATH OF 3-YEAR-OLD GRANDSON
Jurors took just 20 minutes to find a 57-year-old central Florida guilty of aggravated manslaughter in the death of her 3-year-old grandson. The verdict was reached Thursday in Melbourne. Prosecutors say Watkins and two others were charged in the October 2013 death of Michael Watkins, who suffocated after being wrapped tightly in blankets as a form of discipline.
WOMAN, HORSE FOUND DEAD IN SOUTH FLORIDA
Police are investigating the death of a woman and a horse in a Fort Lauderdale suburb. The Miami Herald reports police and rescue workers responded to the rural scene on Thursday afternoon. Investigators found the woman’s body a few feet away from the horse. Both were dead. Davie police spokesman Ed Smith says they’ve ruled the deaths suspicious.
