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6 days ago | 
wptv.com | Cassandra Garcia
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Family, friends, and teammates gathered Saturday to remember 14-year-old Braysan Connors, who died in a shooting one week ago. “I'm at a loss for words,” said Connors' father, standing among mourners at the vigil.
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1 week ago | 
wflx.com | Scott Sutton |Tyler Hatfield |Cassandra Garcia |Victoria Benchimol
The mother charged with the death of her 6-year-old son will stay in jail without bond. Rhonda Paulynice, 41, appeared before a judge Saturday morning in St. Lucie County. She has been charged with second-degree murder, as well as failing to report a death and altering a body after it was deceased.
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1 week ago | 
wptv.com | Cassandra Garcia
FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Community members gathered Thursday evening in Fort Pierce for WPTV's Hurricane Preparedness Day, determined not to be caught off guard as they were during last year's devastating storm season. Many in attendance remember Oct. 9, 2024, as a painful milestone — the day Hurricane Milton spawned dozens of tornadoes that tore through neighborhoods across the region.
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1 week ago | 
wptv.com | Cassandra Garcia
STUART, Fla. — The city of Stuart has officially named Flamur Zenelovic as its new chief of police. Zenelovic, a familiar face to the department, brings a mix of small-town knowledge and big-city experience to the role. WATCH BELOW Stuart welcomes new police chief “Given the opportunity to step into this role was very humbling for me. I started my career here as a police officer,” said Zenelovic, who first joined the Stuart Police Department in 1995.
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1 week ago | 
wptv.com | Cassandra Garcia
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Memorial Day weekend in Port St. Lucie was marked by the inaugural Vet Fest, an event created to honor veterans, active-duty service members and those who made the ultimate sacrifice. It brought residents together for a day of remembrance, connection and celebration.
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2 weeks ago | 
wflx.com | Cassandra Garcia |Audra Schroeder
Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed HB 209, the State Park Preservation Act, into law this week. Now, we're listening to state leaders and activists who pushed to preserve Florida's parks. The signing of the bill comes after massive statewide protests last summer, when plans to build golf courses and hotels at state parks came to light. DeSantis distanced himself from the initiative, called the Great Outdoors Initiative, after months of public backlash.
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2 weeks ago | 
wptv.com | Cassandra Garcia
STUART, Fla. — A team of deputies and dispatchers from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office has been named the first-ever Law Enforcement Team of the Year by Florida's attorney general. They were recognized for their role in arresting the man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump in September 2024.
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2 weeks ago | 
wptv.com | Cassandra Garcia
FORT PIERCE, Fla. — The family of a 19-year-old woman from Fort Pierce is asking the public for help in finding the person responsible for her death following a fatal shooting early Monday morning in Fort Lauderdale. WATCH BELOW: 'I feel like I lost everything,' Alacia Ford-Barron tells WPTV Fort Pierce woman killed at party in Fort Lauderdale According to police, the incident occurred during a large party at a rental home on Southwest 16th Street.
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2 weeks ago | 
wptv.com | Cassandra Garcia
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. — Family, friends, and community members gathered for an emotional vigil to remember the lives of Amanda and Shelby Lynn Baker, who were killed in a home invasion last November. The two women, along with Shelby’s unborn child, were honored during a ceremony filled with prayer, shared memories, and tributes to their lives and legacies.
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3 weeks ago | 
wptv.com | Cassandra Garcia
OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, Fla. — A moment of silence was observed today in Okeechobee County to honor law enforcement officers across Florida who have recently died in the line of duty. A memorial ceremony took place outside the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office Thursday morning, where Sheriff Noel Stephen read the names of eight fallen officers, including four from the local area.
