Your Florida Daily: Lawmakers walk through scene of Parkland massacre, cost of calling 911 may increase in Lake County

ORLANDO, Fla. – It was an emotional day for a bipartisan group of lawmakers at the site of the 2018 deadly school shooting in Parkland.

Family members of victims joined members of Congress yesterday walking across all three floors of the building at Stoneman Douglas High School where 17 lives were taken.

After the walk, the group took part in a roundtable discussion on school safety.

Max Schachter’s 14-year-old son Alex was murdered in his English class on Feb. 14, 2018.

“I hope that that every member of Congress will make their way to Parkland,” Schachter said. “I believe that our schools will be safer for every children in school in America the more members we have walk through this building.”

The building is set to be torn down next summer.

Calling 911? In Lake County, dispatch services could cost some cities

There’s growing debate in Lake County.

Thousands of people living in several cities and towns are being asked to pay more for calling 911.

The proposal from the sheriff’s office asks Howey-in-the-Hills, Umatilla, Astatula, Fruitland Park and Mascotte to pay $12 per capita for dispatch services.

In Howey-in-the-Hills, that adds up to $21,000 per year.

Town manager Sean O’Keefe told News 6 he’s working to figure out why the extra cost is needed.

“The question is how is it equitable for someone who lives in a municipality to pay like everyone else pays, and then to be asked to pay again in their local municipal taxes to fund the same service?”

In a statement, the sheriff’s office cited rapid population growth leading to a spike in the number of 911 calls from those communities.

County commissioners say they’re planning to hold private meetings with city and town leaders.

Lotto officials say $44M lotto ticket sold in Central Florida remains unclaimed

A lucky lotto winner has just days left to claim their prize.

Florida Lotto officials announced that a top-prize winning ticket worth $44 million remains unclaimed.

According to the Florida Lottery, the winning “Quick Pick” ticket was purchased from the Sunoco Express at 2655 North Orange Blossom Trail in Kissimmee.

The winning numbers for the June 14 drawing were 09-13-15-46-51-52.

The deadline to claim the prize is Dec. 11 at midnight.

According to the Florida lottery, state law requires that 80% of unclaimed prize funds from expired tickets be transferred directly to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund.

The remaining 20% is returned to the prize pool.

Random Florida Fact

Built as a tribute to Florida’s citrus industry, the Citrus Tower was built in 1956 on what was once pristine orange grove country on the unusually high, rolling hills of Clermont.

The tower rises 226 feet above ground level, standing in stark contrast to the rest of Florida’s otherwise flat landscape.

The attraction was highly popular in its pre-Disney glory days, bringing hundreds of tourists to its observation deck every day to look out over the orange fields.

The tower is still open today and visitors can still ride the elevator to the top.