Good Monday morning and these are the top five headlines for today in the Sunshine State.
Isabella, Liam most popular baby names in Florida last year
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The most popular baby names in Florida last year were Isabella for girls and Liam boys.
Statewide data released last week by the Social Security Administration shows that there were more than 1,300 girls named Isabella last year, and more than 1,300 boys named Liam.
The next popular names for newborns in Florida last year were Olivia, Emma and Sophia for girls, and Noah, Jacob and Lucas for boys.
Nationwide, the most popular names last year were Emma for girls and Noah for boys.
Witnesses rescue pilot after ultralight crashes into lake
LAND O LAKES, Fla. (AP) — A pilot is recovering after his ultralight crashed into a lake and he was rescued by Good Samaritans.
Pasco County Fire Rescue officials say the pilot crashed into Lake Thomas in Land O Lakes on Saturday. Rescuers said the aircraft was almost fully submerged in the middle of the lake when they arrived.
Good Samaritans used their boats to rescue the pilot from the wreckage. He was not injured.
Woman calls cops worried semen in thermos might explode
NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. (AP) — Felicia Nevins called police after worrying the thermos she was using to store sperm and dry ice in for her artificial insemination could have exploded.
Nevins hadn’t even told her family about her fertility journey, but she says the sheriff’s office posted the story on its Facebook page after the incident and a news crew showed up at her door.
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office posted a short explanation of what happened using a stock photo of a woman with a disgusted expression. They didn’t use Nevins’ name, but she said there were enough details – her age, location and time of the incident – for reporters and curious citizens to figure out who she was by searching public records.
“I didn’t want any of this,” she told the Tampa Bay Times (https://tinyurl.com/n39d942).
It started on Wednesday after the 26-year-old called the sheriff’s non-emergency line because she forgot to remove the thermos’ rubber O-ring, meaning the container could have exploded.
She said a deputy and firefighters arrived, took the thermos away and safely opened it. She said they were kind and didn’t tell her nosy neighbors what happened.
“The officer told them it was a private matter,” Nevins said, “and he treated it as a private matter.”
After the Facebook post by the sheriff’s office, a TV news crew appeared on her doorstep with a camera. She spoke to them, but declined to identify herself. She said she spoke to the Tampa Bay Times on the record Friday because her name is “already out there.”
The sheriff’s Facebook post was shared more than 200 times by Friday. The sheriff’s office has said it’s part of its social media strategy.
“We attempt to show every day what our officers see in calls and we are a very open agency about the types of calls we see each day,” Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco said in a statement. “This was a very unique call faced by our officers as well as Pasco fire fighters … make no mistake, this was a potentially dangerous situation … we are grateful that no damage was done.”
The Sheriff’s Office later defended their actions in a statement, saying they never publicly release names or identifying information.
Inmate slits throat in front of deputies
LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — An inmate has died after authorities say he repeatedly slit his throat in front of deputies as they pepper sprayed him and screamed for him to stop.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office said 54-year-old Joseph Gazzola died Friday after slitting his throat with a tiny razor.
The Lakeland Ledger (https://tinyurl.com/k8kq8b2) reports a jury found Gazzola guilty Thursday of resisting an officer with violence and battery on an officer. Gazzola was arrested in August. He’d been out on bail up until his court date.
Authorities said Gazzola may have smuggled the razor with a small piece of plastic in his groin through a body scanner at the courthouse. He also cleared three other security systems.
His son said he called the jail to warn them his dead was suicidal, but said no one seemed to care. Authorities said they checked on Gazzola and he was fine.
3 killed in central Florida crash
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A teenager and two adults are dead and two others were seriously injured after a crash in the Orlando area.
The Florida Highway Patrol says a man was aggressively driving a BMW when he lost control, traveled into the median and flipped over onto a pick-up truck Saturday. The pick-up traveled onto the shoulder of the road and hit a fence. Both drivers were trapped inside and pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the BMW has not been identified.
Sixty-nine year-old Linda McCormick and 13-year-old Dylon McCormick were both killed. Authorities said 74-year-old Carl McCormick and 73-year-old Teddy McCormick remained in critical condition.
East Colonial Drive was closed in both directions for five hours as troopers investigated.
