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PALMBAYPD

Palm Bay Homicide Investigation Update

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PALM BAY, FLORIDA – Since the early morning hours on Christmas Eve, detectives have continued to work tirelessly to identify those responsible for the shooting death of Tyler McCoullough. On February 5th, 2021, detectives with the Major Case Unit were able to identify two alleged shooters and obtain arrest warrants for both. Today, detectives, along with members of our Crime Suppression Unit, Special Investigations Unit, and Brevard County Sheriff’s Office GAMEOVER Task Force located both individuals and took them into custody. The suspects have been identified as Hunter Oswiecinski, 17, and Toby Gamble Jr, 23, both of Melbourne. Oswiencinski and Gamble have both been charged with 1st degree premeditated murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
 
This case remains open and anyone with information is urged to contact Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477) or the call the Palm Bay Police Department at 321-952-3456.
 
 
Palm Bay Police Department detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred during the early morning hours of December 24th, 2020. Police officers responded to the area of Forest Knoll Drive and Tree Ridge Lane after receiving calls about shots being heard. Patrol officers discovered a male who had been shot multiple times. The male victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased by medical staff. The victim was identified as Tyler McCoullough, 33, of Palm Bay. At this time, detectives are searching for the suspect and determining a motive for the shooting. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477) or the call the Palm Bay Police Department at 321-952-3456.
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FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IN BREVARD COUNTY HIGHLIGHTS RECENT EFFORTS IN PROVIDING COVID-19 VACCINE

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Viera, Fla — The Florida Department of Health in Brevard County, in partnership with the Florida Department of Health, Florida Division of Emergency Management, and local hospitals, is providing COVID-19 vaccination sites. In an effort to keep Florida residents and visitors safe and aware regarding the status of the virus, the Florida Department of Health in Brevard County will continue to issue this update every week.

County health departments have an important role to play in administering vaccine. Here’s a summary of some of our top efforts this week.

  • For the week ending January 8, 2021, DOH-Brevard administered 3,092 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. This included their appointment-only drive-through vaccination efforts at the Viera clinic and doses provided through signed agreements to Brevard County Fire Rescue and Cape Canaveral Fire Rescue to vaccinate front-line, high-risk personnel. Coastal Health Systems of Brevard, Indialantic Fire Rescue, and Satellite Beach Fire Rescue also have signed agreements and are working with DOH-Brevard for vaccine administration this week.
  • Worked with Brevard County Emergency Management to streamline reservation process and provide messaging to the public through the county’s social media platforms.
  • No additional appointments are available at this time, however, once DOH-Brevard receives additional vaccine, more appointments will be made available. To receive text alerts from Brevard County Emergency Management when additional appointments are available, text BrevardEOC to 888777.

The Florida Department of Health in Brevard County continues to fight to protect health and safety as the rollout of COVID-19 vaccine continues.

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Palm Bay appoints new City Manager

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PALM BAY, FLORIDA – On Thursday, January 7, 2021, the Palm Bay City Council voted to appoint Acting City Manager Suzanne Sherman to be the new City Manager of the City of Palm Bay. Ms. Sherman was hired as Palm Bay’s Deputy City Manager in January 2019 and has been serving in an interim capacity since the departure of former City Manager Lisa Morrell in July 2020.
 
“We have a new year and we need a new City Manager,” said Councilman Randy Foster, who brought the item forward for consideration.
 
Mayor Rob Medina expressed his support in Ms. Sherman saying, “Suzanne Sherman is a servant leader and what I’ve observed is not only a high level of morale, but a dedication to the people that work with her, a dedication to the City of Palm Bay, and a level of ethics that’s unwavering.”
 
Following the decision to appoint Ms. Sherman, the Palm Bay City Council voted to select Deputy Mayor Kenny Johnson to serve as the Council representative to handle contract negotiations. Contact details will be presented to City Council at the January 21, 2021 Regular Council Meeting.
 
Ms. Sherman boasts a long history with the City of Palm Bay, having been initially hired in January 2006 as a Budget Management Analyst. She subsequently held the positions of Risk Manager and Business Operations Division Manager. Ms. Sherman also served as Assistant to the City Manager and Acting Deputy City Manager for Palm Bay, until 2015 when she was hired as the Assistant City Manager for the City of Satellite Beach.
 
In addition to her extensive experience working in Brevard County, Ms. Sherman is also active in several professional organizations including the Florida City and County Management Association, the Space Coast Public Management Association, and the Florida League of Cities. She also attained her Certified Public Manager designation in 2012 and is an ICMA Credentialed Manager Candidate.
 
“It is truly an honor to have the opportunity to continue to serve Palm Bay in this capacity,” Sherman said. “Working with City Council and our leadership team, we will strive every day to meet the needs of our growing community by providing high quality, responsive services with integrity, prioritizing infrastructure improvements and support for our expanding residential and commercial sectors.”

Watch a replay of Palm Bay City Council Meeting January 7th, 2021

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PALM BAY, FLORIDA – Due to ongoing repairs in the Palm Bay City Council Chambers resulting from a flood on January 4, 2021, the Regular Council Meeting 2021-01 on Thursday, January 7 was moved to the Tony Rosa Community Center. The change in venue prevented the City of Palm Bay from providing a live stream of the Council Meeting.

 

Palm Bay City Council meeting January 7th, 2021

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Palm Bay Aquatic Center Re-Opening Ceremony

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PALM BAY, FLORIDA – The Palm Bay Parks & Recreation Department has announced the re-opening of the newly repaired Palm Bay Aquatic Center. The re-opening will be celebrated with a ribbon cutting event on Monday, January 25 at 10:00am at the Center, located at 420 Community College Parkway SE. The public is invited to attend.
 
Winter hours for the Aquatic Center will be Monday through Saturday from 6:00am to 12:00pm and from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. The center will also be open Sundays from 12:00pm to 4:00pm. Winter hours will be effective through March 12. Local swim teams will utilize the Aquatic Center weekday evenings starting at 5:30pm.
 
To minimize social contact, only lap swimming will be permitted at the Aquatic Center until further notice. 
 
Other COVID-19 precautions include:
  • Staff will perform temperature checks on each patron entering the facility.
  • Face masks will be worn by all staff members when physical distancing cannot be observed.
  • Patrons must wear masks upon entering the facility and while on the pool deck. 
  • Reservations will be required to reserve a swimming lane and can be made online at PlayOnline.PalmBayFlorida.org or by calling the center at (321) 952-2833. 
  • Reservations will be for 1-hour increments and will start at the top of each hour. Patrons are asked to show up no more than 15 minutes before reservation time.
  • Only one person is allowed per lane, unless from the same household. Two persons maximum.
  • Swimmers will enter the water from opposite ends of the pool to limit contact with the swimmers in adjacent lanes.
  • Swimmers are asked to bring their own kickboards or other gear, as the Aquatic Center does not have equipment available for public use at this time.
 
The cost for lap swimming at the Aquatic Center is $4 per person, per visit. Veterans can swim for $1.50. Seniors 55+ swim for $2. Multi-visit passes are available for $40 for 12 swims. Veteran passes are $15 for 12 swims and Senior passes are available for $20 for 12 swims. For more information, please call the Palm Bay Aquatic Center at (321) 952-2833.
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WORLD NEWS-Boeing 737 crashes into the sea according to multiple reports

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Developing story: A passenger jet carrying over 60 individuals crashed after taking off  from Indonesia capital, Jakarata. 

Four minutes after taking off amid heavy rain, the 26 year old plane lost more than 10,000 feet of altitude in less than 60 seconds according to Flightradar24.

This picture taken on September 3, 2019, shows passengers boarding a Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-800 aircraft at the airport in Padang, West Sumatra. (Photo by ADEK BERRY / AFP)

 

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Brevard Public Schools will continue offering Covid-19 sick and family leave for employees

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VIERA, Florida – Brevard Public Schools (BPS) is committing to providing the option for COVID-19 related employee sick and family leave through June 30, 2021, even though the new pandemic relief bill passed by Congress last month no longer requires employers to offer this assistance.

The latest bill does not extend the sick or family leave mandates that were included in the previous pandemic relief package, which expired on December 31st. BPS will continue to voluntarily provide two weeks of paid leave to workers who become sick with COVID-19, or up to 12 weeks of family leave to employees unable to work due to child-care needs.

“It is essential that our 9,000 employees continue to have the flexibility and peace of mind to stay home without having to utilize their sick time or lose pay,” said School Board Chair, Misty Belford. “We have already seen the benefit that having paid COVID leave has had in helping keep our students and staff safe while minimizing the spread of the virus.”

“As we remain committed to supporting our employees as best we can through these extraordinary times, I believe we must do what’s right and continue to offer COVID-related paid leave, even as we face our own economic uncertainty as a district.” said BPS Superintendent Dr. Mark Mullins. “It is our responsibility to do whatever we can to help ease their burden, as they continue to put our kids’ physical and academic well-being first.”

Board Vice-Chair Matt Susin added, “Consistently, teachers and our education system as whole seem like an afterthought. Here in Brevard, we are stepping up to maintain this assistance for our employees even without a federal mandate. I commend Superintendent Mullins for taking this important action.”

BPS employees will continue to follow the district’s current guidelines for applying for COVID-19 leave. If that has already been used, they will use their personal/sick time unless the COVID-19 virus was determined to be work-related, in which case a Worker’s Compensation claim may be filed.

 

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Palm Bay – Meeting Changes Announced Following Flood in Council Chambers

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Flooding caused by a burst pipe under the Palm Bay City Council Chambers causes meeting changes for City Council and the Planning and Zoning Board.

PALM BAY, FLORIDA – In the early morning hours of Monday, January 4th, 2021, a pipe burst under the Palm Bay Council Chambers causing extensive flooding and damage to the facility. The City of Palm Bay Facilities Department is coordinating the remediation and estimates a closure of roughly two weeks is needed to make the necessary repairs.
 
Due to the flood, the Planning and Zoning Board Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, January 6th, at 7:00pm will be postponed to Tuesday, January 19th, at 7:00pm.
 
The Regular Council Meeting scheduled for Thursday, January 7th, at 7:00pm will be relocated to Community Rooms A and B at the Tony Rosa Community Center, located at 1502 Port Malabar Boulevard NE. The meeting will be held at 7:00pm. Due to the facility change, the City of Palm Bay will be unable to offer a live video stream of the meeting on Facebook and on the City’s website. The meeting will be recorded and made available online as quickly as possible following the meeting. Those who wish to attend in person are welcome; the Tony Rosa Community Rooms can accommodate 90 attendees with social distancing protocols in place.
 
We appreciate the understanding and cooperation of the public as we work to repair and reopen the Palm Bay City Council Chambers.
 

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