UCF police investigating several car burglaries
Updated: 8:39 PM EDT Oct 23, 2023
TWO NEWS STARTS NOW. ORLANDO CITY COMMISSIONERS APPROVED THE $2 MILLION PURCHASE OF THE PULSE NIGHTCLUB SITE WHERE 49 LIVES WERE TAKEN. SEVEN YEARS AGO. THE MAYOR SAYS THE PURCHASE WILL ENSURE THAT A PERMANENT MEMORIAL TO THE VICTIMS IS BUILT AT THE SITE OF THE MASSACRE. YEAH, THE CLOSING FOR THIS PROPERTY IS SET FOR FRIDAY. WESH 2’S. GREG FOX BREAKS DOWN WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE VOTE. MAYOR DYER BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN HORRIBLE ALL THIS DAY HAS BEEN DIFFICULT, BUT WE WILL DO THE RIGHT THING BY EVERYONE. ORLANDO CITY COMMISSIONER PATTY SHEEHAN BATTLED EMOTIONS AND ACCUSATIONS FROM SOME IN THE CROWD WHO BELIEVE SHE AND OTHER CITY LEADERS PLAYED A ROLE IN COVERING UP CODE VIOLATIONS. AT THE PULSE NIGHTCLUB PRIOR TO JUNE 12TH, 2016, WHEN A LONE GUNMAN SAVAGELY ENDED 49 LIVES AND WOUNDED DOZENS OF OTHERS. DID SUCH VIOLATIONS IF THEY EXISTED, PREVENT SOME FROM ESCAPING, SHE AND TEARFULLY COUNTERED THERE WERE NO VIOLATION. AND THE PROCESS OF HEALING DEPENDS ON PUTTING A PERMANENT MEMORIAL TO THE VICTIMS BACK ON TRACK. I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, THE ONLY WAY THAT WE’RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD AS A COMMUNITY IS TO GET POSSESSION OF THE PROPERTY SO THAT WE CAN BUILD A PROPER MEMORIAL, WHICH I HAVE HEARD FROM DAY ONE FROM THESE FAMILIES. AFTER PREVIOUSLY TURNING DOWN A $2.25 MILLION OFFER FROM THE CITY TO BUY THE PROPERTY, BARBARA PALMA AND HER HUSBAND AND BUSINESS PARTNER HAVE AGREED TO A $2 MILLION PRICE. BUT COMMISSIONER JIM GRAY THOUGHT THAT WAS TOO HIGH AND WONDERED IF THE CITY HAD CONSIDERED USING EMINENT DOMAIN TO ACQUIRE THE PROPERTY. I’M TRYING TO LOOK AT TAXPAYERS AS A FIDUCIARY TO TAXPAYERS AND SAY, WHY ARE WE WASTING $1 MILLION OF YOUR MONEY? THAT’S ALL I’M SAYING. DO I WANT TO DO THIS? NOT REALLY. DO I THINK WE HAVE TO DO THIS? ABSOLUTELY. THAT IS THE POSITION THAT WE WERE IN. DO I WANT TO PAY THEM $2 MILLION? NO, I DON’T REALLY WANT TO PAY $2 MILLION. I WOULD HAVE RATHER SEEN THE PROPERTY DONATED EITHER TO US OR TO ONE PULSE. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO INDICATE SO BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ULTIMATELY, THE COMMISSIONER SUPPORTED THE PURCHASE AND THE VOTE WAS UNANIMOUS. AFTER MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS, THIS INTERIM MEMORIAL WILL BE REPLACED BY A PERMANENT ONE ON THE SITE. EXACTLY WHEN AND AT WHAT FURTHER COST. WE DON’T KNOW. WE ALSO DON’T KNOW IF CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE ONE PULSE FOUNDATION BOARD WILL BE INVOLVED OR IF ANY PRELIMINARY DESIGN PLANS FOR A PERMANENT PULSE MEMORIAL WILL BE USED IN THE PROJECT GOING FORWARD IN ORLANDO, GREG FOX WESH 2 NEWS WANT TO BRING IN WESH 2 NEWS MICHELLE IMPERATO, WHO HAS BEEN INVESTIGATING THIS MEMORIAL PROCESS THROUGHOUT. YEAH, SHE WAS ALSO IN THE CHAMBER TODAY. MICHELLE, YOU’VE BEEN TALKING WITH VICTIMS, FAMILY MEMBERS AND SURVIVORS. WHAT ARE THEY SAYING ABOUT TODAY’S DECISION? WELL, GUYS, IT DEPENDS ENTIRELY ON WHO YOU ASK. SOME PEOPLE ARE HAPPY ABOUT TODAY’S DECISION. SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT HAPPY ABOUT TODAY’S DECISION. SOME PEOPLE JUST WANT TO GET THIS PROCESS MOVING. DON’T FORGET, IT’S BEEN A PAINFUL SEVEN YEARS THAT HASN’T SEEN MUCH PROGRESS. SO OTHERS, THOUGH, THEY DON’T WANT TO SEE THE AS GET $2 MILLION FOR THIS PROPERTY. THEY SAY SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT SHE’S ALREADY PROFITED ENOUGH OFF OF THIS TRAGEDY. NOW, THOSE PEOPLE WHO DON’T WANT HER TO GET PAID ALSO FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE SOME LINGERING QUESTIONS. WE BROUGHT THIS UP BEFORE IN OUR NEWSCAST ABOUT CODE VIOLATIONS THAT THEY CLAIM WERE PRESENT AT THE NIGHTCLUB WHEN THE PULSE MASSACRE HAPPENED, UNPERMITTED RENOVATIONS THAT THEY CLAIM HINDERED THE POLICE RESPONSE THAT NIGHT. ALSO, THEY SAY IT PREVENTED SOME OF THE VICTIMS FROM GETTING OUT OF THE CLUB. SO THOSE ARE STILL SOME LINGERING QUESTIONS THAT THEY HAVE. AND I GUESS WHAT THEY’VE EXPRESSED TO ME IS THAT THEY’RE WORRIED IF THE CITY DOES BUY IT, WHICH WE NOW KNOW THEY ARE BUYING THIS PROPERTY, THAT THEY WOULD DEMOLISH THE NIGHTCLUB AND THAT THEY WOULDN’T GET TO SEE FOR THEMSELVES. AND SOME OF THE MOTHERS WHO WE HAVE SPOKEN TO IN OUR INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS HAVE TOLD US THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO GO IN AND SEE THE PROPERTY FOR THEMSELVES. THEY SAY IT WOULD GIVE THEM SOME SORT OF CLOSURE JUST TO SEE WHAT THEIR CHILDREN WENT THROUGH. AND MICHELLE NOW THAT THIS IS A DONE DEAL, WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN GOING FORWARD FROM THERE PERSPECTIVE? SO THAT’S VERY █SIMPLE AND IT’S VERY GOOD QUESTION. THEY WANT TO BE INCLUDED. THEY WANT A SEAT AT THE TABLE. THEY WANT TO HAVE A VOICE IN THE CONVERSATION. KHERSON THEY WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN THE DESIGN PLANS GOING FORWARD AND THEY WANT TRANSPARENCY AND THEY WANT BETTER COMMUNICATION. DON’T FORGET, THIS HAPPENED THIS MASSACRE HAPPENED ON A LATIN NIGHT AT THE CLUB. SO A LOT OF THESE FAMILY MEMBERS, THEY DON’T SPEAK ENGLISH. SO THIS PROCESS FOR THEM HAS BEEN DOUBLY PAINFUL BECAUSE THEY DON’T ALWAYS UNDERSTAND WHAT’S HAPPENING AND THEY’RE NOT GETTING CLEAR COMMUNICATION. THIS IS WHAT THEY’VE TOLD US, THAT WHAT THEY’VE EXPRESSED TO US THAT THEY WISH THAT THEY HAD SOMEONE WHO COULD REALLY SPEAK TO THEM SO THAT ALL NOW FALLS ON THE CITY BECAUSE THEY HAVE TAKEN ON THIS RESPONSIBILITY. AND I REALLY DO FEEL LIKE THEY WANT THEM TO STEP UP AND CHANGE THE WAY THAT THIS HAS BEEN HANDLED IN THE PAST. AND WE CAN’T OBVIOUSLY TALK ABOUT THE NIGHTCLUB AND THE MEMORIAL WITHOUT MENTIONING THE FOUNDATION. WHAT ROLE WILL THEY PLAY, IF ANY, IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS? IT’S A GREAT QUESTION BECAUSE IT’S UNCLEAR THE CITY HAS NOT SAID WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THIS MEMORIAL GOING FORWARD, BUT IT DOESN’T APPEAR AS THOUGH THEY’RE GOING TO PLAY A BIG ROLE IN IT. SO THE FOUNDATION, IF YOU REMEMBER, WAS FORMED BY BARBARA POMA. SHE OWNS THE NIGHTCLUB, AND SHE FORMED THIS FOUNDATION WITH THE GOAL OF BUILDING A MEMORIAL AND A MUSEUM TO HONOR THESE VICTIMS. AND SO WHEN YOU TAKE AWAY THE MEMORIAL ASPECT, WHAT YOU’RE LEFT WITH IS THE MUSEUM. AND FROM WHAT WE HAVE HEARD IS THAT THESE FAMILIES AND SURVIVORS DON’T REALLY WANT A MUSEUM AND JUST THINK ABOUT ALL OF THE REPORTING WE’VE DONE OVER THE LAST YEAR WHEN PULSE HAS BEEN STRUGGLED TO RAISE MONEY FOR ANYTHING. SO IS THERE STILL AN APPETITE FOR THIS PROJECT? WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH THIS? DON’T FORGET, THEY ALSO PURCHASED LAND FOR THIS MEMORIAL, SO THEY COUNTY MONEY. YES, YES, YES. SO THEY’VE TAKEN THAT STEP. THEY’VE PURCHASED THE LAND. THEY’VE PAID FOR DESIGNS FOR THIS MUSEUM. $10 MILLION IN TAX MONEY THAT CAME FROM THE COUNTY. SO WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT? DO THEY HAVE TO REPAY IT OR WILL THE COUNTY JUST TAKE THAT LAND BACK FROM THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE THIS MUSEUM OPEN UP AND RUNNING BY 2026? DOESN’T LOOK GOOD FOR THEM RIGHT NOW. SO WE DO WANT TO JUST MENTION, THOUGH, ORANGE COUNTY MAYOR JERRY DEMINGS DID REQUEST A MEETING WITH THE FOUNDATION. SO WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO JUST WATCH AND WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS AND WHAT COMES FROM THAT. WOW. IT’S A LOT. IT IS A LOT, A LOT GOING ON. AND SO MANY PEOPLE IMPACTED. SO IT’S GOING TO BE HARD TO GET EVERYONE IN ONE ACCORD AND WANT THE SAME THING. AND THAT’S A GOOD POINT. SO THE ONE THING THAT EVERYONE SEEMS TO WANT IS A MEMORIAL. SO I THINK THAT AT LEAST THEY ARE UNITED IN THAT IN THAT ASPECT, SOMEPLACE TO GO PAY RESPECTS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE WILL CONTINUE TO BRING YOU THE LATEST ON THE FUTURE OF THE PULSE NIGHTCLUB PROPERTY AS WELL. STAY WITH US ON AIR AND ONLINE AS WE SH
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UCF police investigating several car burglaries
Updated: 8:39 PM EDT Oct 23, 2023
ABOVE: A look at the top storiesThe University of Central Florida Police Department says they’re investigating multiple vehicle burglaries on the main campus this past weekend. Officials noted that all the vehicles targeted were Hondas, and said the plastic covers of the driver’s side door handles were broken and the key cylinders had been removed.UCF police said they will be patrolling campuses. In their release, UCF officials reminded people to always lock their vehicles and to avoid leaving valuables items in the car.They’re also encouraging witnesses and victims to speak up about any suspicious activity they see.UCF police said victim specialists can be reached at 407-823-1200, or you can text 407-823-6868. For emergencies, dial 911. Top headlines: Orlando commissioners approve $2 million purchase of Pulse ‘They’re family’: Community remembers 2 killed in alleged DUI crash in Seminole County Invest 95-L becomes tropical depression
ABOVE: A look at the top stories
The University of Central Florida Police Department says they’re investigating multiple vehicle burglaries on the main campus this past weekend.
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Officials noted that all the vehicles targeted were Hondas, and said the plastic covers of the driver’s side door handles were broken and the key cylinders had been removed.
UCF police said they will be patrolling campuses.
In their release, UCF officials reminded people to always lock their vehicles and to avoid leaving valuables items in the car.
They’re also encouraging witnesses and victims to speak up about any suspicious activity they see.
UCF police said victim specialists can be reached at 407-823-1200, or you can text 407-823-6868. For emergencies, dial 911.
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