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Brevard NC News

Jul 26, 2019

Retired Circuit Judge Clarence Johnson Jr. dies at age 89, left legacy in court system - Florida Today

He was one of our most outstanding jurists in Brevard County," said retired Brevard County Court Judge A.B. Majeed, who served on the bench for 24 years and who considers Johnson as his mentor. "He was the cream of the crop. They don't come any finer than Clarence Johnson." Johnson was an attorney in West Palm Beach and Rockledge before becoming a circuit judge in 1971. Several years before he became a judge, Johnson was among a group of local lawyers who helped convince the Florida Legislature that it would be a good idea to create an 18th Judicial Circuit, consisting of Brevard and Seminole counties, rather than those counties being part of the 9th Judicial Circuit that is centered in Orlando. More: Apollo 50: See the events honoring the anniversary of the moon landing One of Johnson's three sons, Jay Johnson, said his father lived a life full of adventure. "He had a bit of a Tom Sawyer type of existence" as a boy, Jay Johnson said, developing his love of fishing and the outdoors in general, growing up in the rural Florida communities of Trenton and Alachua. The late judge's daughter, Jan Hulse of Vermont, recalled that, throughout her father's life, "he just loved being on the water with his family and friends," especially fishing for trout and bass. Their father liked to tell the story of arguing his first legal case at age 6, when he came to the defense of a ice delivery man he knew whom he felt was wrongly jailed for being drunk. More: Possible tropical depression a rainmaker for Florida as models shift west WeatherTiger "I immediately went down and told the sheriff, whom I knew, that my friend did not deserve to be in jail, that he was a good man, had made a mistake, and that I knew he'd never do it again," Clarence Johnson wrote in his memoirs. "The sheriff released him." Johnson became a Florida House of Representatives page at age 13, after he went to Tallahassee to lobby legislators, asking them to select him from among 35 candidates for eight page positions. He became a messenger in the sergeant-at-arms office at age 15. Johnson was a four-sport athlete in high school (football, basketball, softball and track). He then attended the University of Florida, where he received a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1955 and a law degree in 1958. H...

Jan 5, 2017

BDB: Another hurricane, sunflowers and a gun found at Rockledge High

Hurricane Matthew with its 75 mph winds won't be anywhere near us for a hot minute, but pencil in Wednesday-ish for its impact to be seen in Brevard. In short: FLORIDA TODAY Hurricane warnings in effect for Florida coast And while the weather is good, here's something to do with your weekend CLOSE When and where to visit the stunning Mims sunflower maze this fall. Jessica Saggio, FLORIDA TODAY Although our power bills aren't showing it yet as our air conditioners continue to work overtime, it is indeed autumn. Starbucks told us so. p... (Florida Today)

Dec 22, 2016

Emotional ceremony for slain Rockledge teacher

T-shirts emblazoned with her photograph. Before her death, Cook was a finalist for the Brevard County "Teacher of the Year" prize and she was the reigning Rockledge High "Teacher of the Year." Police say she was shot and killed by her estranged husband, Ricky Cook, before he committed suicide. Those who knew Sandra Cook will say she was a teacher whose lessons extended beyond the classroom and into the real world, the kind of teacher who focused on teaching character, and not just academics. Story continues below gallery: Show Thumbnails Show Captions Last SlideNext Slide They say she was the kind of teacher who regularly checked in with students about how they were doing, not only with class, but also in the other aspects of their lives, their relationships and their families, their personal troubles and personal triumphs, and that she regularly let students know she cared. They say Cook called her students her "kids" and that she regularly said that she would not quit her job if she won the lottery, because she loved her students so much. Rockledge High parent Deserre Kemble was one of the mourners at Cook's memorial ceremony.  As she sat in the audience before the ceremony began, Kemble talked about the difference Cook made for her daughter, Savannah, who has struggled with learning disabilities. "She was the first teacher that really believed in my daughter," Kemble said.  The ceremony began with a soulful rendition of "Wind Beneath my Wings", sung by Rockledge High student Bethany Hay. When Hay got to the portion of the song with the lyrics, "Did you ever know that you're my hero and everything I wish I could be?"  many people in the audience began to cry. The song was followed... (Florida Today)

Dec 22, 2016

Rockledge's Simmons sought constant improvement

It wasn't that there weren't going to be offers. Simmons won three state medals as a junior, including a third in Class 2A with a best-in-Brevard long jump of 18 feet, 2 1/2 inches. Her 25-second 200 meters placed fifth in 2A, and she was part of a third-place 4x100 relay team. FLORIDA TODAY Herring honored by local facility She improved in every area in 2016. In May, Sanders won the state long jump title in 2A at 20 feet, 2 1/4 inches, during a stretch when offers began to flow in from even more colleges than had already shown interest. Among other things, that mark satisfied her goal of maximizing her potential. It also boosted her toward her eventual repeat as FLORIDA TODAY Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year. Also in Bradenton, Simmons ran a 24.28 to finish as the Class 2A runner-up in the 200. Her 4x100 relay squad got faster and faster all year, also finishing second at the state meet with a time of 47.18. Her final state medal came in the triple jump (36-4 1/4), long enough for fourth. "I wanted to be able to make the most of what I could achieve," she said. "I definitely thought I did everything I set out to do." While her 20-foot long jump was the one that brought home the gold medal and particularly turned the heads of college coaches, Simmons was most pleased with her sprinting. In part aided by a significant amount of 400-meter work during the year, she set a personal best in the 200 early in the season and established a new Rockledge High record at the end, 23.7 seconds. "Going into my senior year, my focus was really long jump," she said, but her eventual 23.7 beat the previous Raiders best by a half a second. "It just completely shocked me." She assured that college scholarship, too. In a month, Simmons will head to Oxford, Miss., and the University of Mississippi. Contact McCallum at 321-242-3698 or bmccallum@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @brian_mccallum Facebook: /fltoday.brianmccallum FLORIDA TODAY Satellite football, ROTC spread patrio... (Florida Today)

Dec 2, 2016

Orchids of every variety found at Merritt Island show

Plants range from $20 to $200, so prices can accommodate most budgets. “There are a lot of orchid newbies in Brevard that come to this because they know they can ask questions and learn more about their orchids,” said Patti Scholes, who will also be on hand during the show to help with growing advice.  (Photo: Courtesy Sally Pancoast) The American Orchid Society-judged show will also showcase orchids that are hot to seasoned collectors, such as specimens from Australia that are sturdy and with unique-looking flowers that bloom for a long period of time. Cattleyas, the prom pinup orchid of yore, are a favorite of the Scholes and definite eye magnets. “They come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes,” said Scholes. “They are relatively easy to grow outside, will tolerate morning sun and temperatures down to 40 degrees. They generally bloom once a year.” Growing orchids remains somewhat of a trial-and-error endeavor, for the individual plants often seem to have a mind of their own. A native of every continent except Antarctica and with almost 28,000 currently accepted species, orchids can nevertheless be picky about their environment. FLORIDA TODAY The art of succulents: No green thumbs needed “They key is to try something and see if it works,” said Scholes. “If your plant blooms, it’s happy, because it is receiving the right amount of sun, shade and water for its type. “I’ve given divisions of our plants to friends who have no experience and they keep bringing me pictures of their plants in bloom. You don’t have to be an orchid grower to have success with orchids.” Regardless of the success stories, it is best to expect some losses, despite all the love you may shower on some plants. “I’ve had a number of ‘suicide’ victims, but with the amount of information available, there is no reason to kill the plant automatically,” said Pancoast. a href="http://www.floridatoday.com/story/life/home-garden/spaces/2016/03/25/lilies-daisies-tulips-make-lovely-easter-arrangem... (Florida Today)

Nov 18, 2016

BDB: Florida snow is back, Palm Bay gets dirty and a little piggy who went to the market

South Brevard area. Hotels, restaurants and retailers all benefited from the popularity of this event. Also, mad kudos to those who participated: I envy your gusto. I, on the other hand, spent most of my weekend watching that new show called “Pitch” on Hulu because I’m in a constant stage of pregnant and tired. So you go, tough mudders, you go. div class="js-oembed story-oembed story-oembed-florida-today story-oembed-type-link" data-oembed-type="link" data-oembed-provider="flo... (Florida Today)