Mortgage Broker in Brevard, FL

COCOA, Fla. — A Cocoa driver’s concern about semitrailers parking along an Interstate 95 on-ramp in Brevard County has prompted the Florida Department of Transportation to point to posted parking restrictions and prompted added scrutiny from the Florida Highway Patrol.

Linda Crider, who lives in Cocoa and drives to Fort Pierce at least once a week for veterinary relief work, said she often sees semitrailers parked on the shoulder of the southbound I-95 on-ramp from State Road 524.

“On this shoulder is where you'll see a lot of semis parked in the mornings, some with lights, some with not lights,” Crider said. “And it's always scary to think, what if one is pulling out while you're trying to get up to speed to get onto 95?”

FDOT traffic cameras captured trucks parked on the ramp during the day and at night.

Crider said she wrote to Traffic Inbox because she wanted to know whether trucks are allowed to park on I-95 ramps, especially at the State Road 524 on-ramp.

“They're doing what they need to do for their business, and I understand that a little bit, but if it makes it unsafe for other people, it's a little bit of a problem,” Crider said.

FDOT spokesperson Danielle Johnson said the I-95 southbound on-ramp from State Road 524 has several “no parking any time” signs installed about 100 feet apart. Johnson said the signs are meant to make clear that the no-parking restrictions apply to the entire ramp.

Johnson said FDOT relies on law enforcement partners to enforce the signs, and FHP officials said they have alerted the department's commercial vehicle enforcement troopers to be on the lookout.

Crider said she sees the issue beyond that one ramp.

“I don't know if the problem is there's not enough parking places for the semis to park at the truck stops, but it seems to be an issue that happens not just on this on-ramp, but several on-ramps and several off-ramps,” she said.

Johnson said FDOT is also opening a newly reconstructed rest area along I-95 in northern Brevard County this summer. The project will expand truck parking availability from 33 spaces to 79 spaces.

FDOT has also recently broken ground on new truck stops for the I-4 corridor in Seminole, Volusia, Orange and Osceola counties.

Crider said she hopes enforcement and additional truck parking spaces will help improve safety for drivers along I-95.

“If I didn't have to drive as much and spend as much time on the freeways, I'd probably be OK with it,” Crider said. “But for what I'm doing now, it definitely comes into play with the enjoyment of my job.”

If you've got a traffic trouble spot or road-related problem, let us know about it here.

Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition members wave signs ahead of SOIRL half-cent sales tax vote

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – In November, Brevard County voters will be asked to renew the Save Our Indian River Lagoon half-cent sales tax.

That’s three months away, but supporters say it’s not too early to get the word out.

Volunteers from the Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition lined the causeway on US Highway 192 between Indialantic and Melbourne one Friday evening, signs in hand, hoping to remind Brevard County drivers that the future of the Indian River Lagoon is on the November ballot.

The nonprofit is dedicated to advocating for the protection and restoration of the Indian River Lagoon.

Vince Lamb, a representative with the coalition, said the effort is all about awareness — and urgency.

“Most people have no idea that this is going to be on the ballot in November,” Lamb said. “We’re really confident that if people just get educated on what it does, they’ll vote for it.”

The half-cent sales tax, known as the Save Our Indian River Lagoon plan, was first passed by Brevard County voters in 2016. Over the past 10 years, the program has generated more than $500 million for lagoon restoration efforts. But the tax expires this November and must be renewed by voters.

Lamb said the results speak for themselves.

“The water is cleaner. The algae blooms are less frequent and less severe. Seagrass is coming back,” he said. “There’s a lot of evidence it is working, but we’re far from done. So we need for it to be renewed.”

With an estimated 250,000 to 300,000 Brevard County residents expected to vote on Nov. 3, Lamb said the coalition needs a clear majority — somewhere between 130,000 and 150,000 votes — to get the measure passed.

“I don’t want to wake up on November 4th and find that we needed a hundred more votes or something,” Lamb said. “There’s a lot of evidence that we have good public support for it, but we’re not taking it for granted. We’re out here working.”

To reach voters, the coalition plans to deploy roughly 300 volunteers to walk neighborhoods across Brevard County, knocking on doors and distributing information. Sign-waving events are also planned twice a week through the summer, ramping up through September and October ahead of early voting.

“We need 130,000 votes. We get them one at a time,” Lamb said.

Thomas Ghesquiere, a volunteer at the event, said his love of the water brought him out on a Friday evening.

“I love living here, and a large part of the reason I love it here is because of the water in the lagoon,” Ghesquiere said. “You get one good chance to take care of it, and if you blow it, it’s gone forever.”

Ghesquiere described the lagoon’s broad appeal — from early-morning anglers to families enjoying a boat ride to waterfront restaurants.

“It impacts so many different ways because it affects families, individuals,” he said. “It’s just a great resource.”

For many volunteers, the effort is personal. Mary McIntyre said she has lived in the area since 1979 and remembers when the lagoon was a vibrant source of food and recreation.

“My husband and kids would fish this and we would eat the fish and it was just wonderful. We would go water skiing,” McIntyre said. “Now I don’t think anyone’s eating the fish out of the lagoon. So we really absolutely need to get it back to that point.”

Dr. Chris Edwards, president of the Friends of the Thousand Islands nonprofit and a self-described lover of the lagoon, said he has seen the water quality decline over more than 25 years of living in the area. He said visible improvements from the tax — like septic-to-sewer conversions — have made a real difference.

“Where there was a septic-to-sewer conversion, I saw that change,” Edwards said. “I would ride my bike every Sunday and it would smell. They added sewer to the community. The smell is gone. So there’s an example of what the sales tax has done.”

Edwards added that the region’s growing population is putting additional pressure on the lagoon’s recovery.

“It’s a long way from being healthy,” he said. “And the amount of population that’s growing here is only stressing the lagoon out more.”

Elizabeth Blackford, another volunteer at the event, said she first traveled through the area by sailboat in 1992 and was struck by its beauty. She said the decline she’s witnessed since moving to the area about 15 years ago makes the tax renewal essential.

“The quality of the Indian River Lagoon has declined,” Blackford said. “Ten years ago, the citizens here voted to tax themselves to try and clean it up. And the fact that they were willing to suck up an additional half-cent sales tax for 10 years tells us all how important it is.”

Blackford said she is not worried the measure will fail.

“I think the citizens here know just how important the lagoon is to them, and they’re willing to pay for paradise,” she said.

She also offered a reminder that residents can take action beyond the ballot box.

“People in their own backyards can stop fertilizing and throw their grass clippings back on their lawns, and that will help stop the pollution that runs off to the lagoon,” Blackford said.

Lamb said the coalition is confident — but not complacent. In 2016, more than 60% of voters approved the original tax.

“Asking people to tax themselves to protect the waterway is quite an ask,” Lamb said. “The program has actually been working — almost everybody believes it’s been working. So it shouldn’t be terribly hard to get it renewed, but we’re not taking any chances.”

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The Brief

Residents in parts of Brevard County say their tap water has developed an unpleasant taste and odor.

This has prompted concerns about whether it is safe to drink and use.

City says heavy rainfall impacting water

Local perspective:

Customers served by the City of Melbourne's water system described the water as smelling moldy, mildewy or like muddy dirt. Some residents told FOX 35 they have stopped using the water for drinking, cooking, brushing their teeth and giving it to their pets, though they continue to use it for bathing.

City officials acknowledged this week that customers have reported changes in the taste and odor of the water. The city attributed the issue to recent heavy rainfall that has altered the aesthetic quality of raw water entering its treatment plant from Lake Washington.

A West Melbourne city council member also told residents that Lake Washington is experiencing a significant algal bloom. Warning signs posted at the lake advise visitors not to swim, keep pets away from the water and avoid getting lake water in their eyes, nose or mouth.

‘Smells like dirt, like muddy dirt’

What they're saying:

Customers served by the City of Melbourne's water system described the water as having a foul odor.

"Moldy, almost like a mildewy smell," Satellite Beach resident Cassandra Frandson said. "It's cringy to take a shower right now,"

"Smells like dirt, like muddy dirt," Melbourne resident Becky Sikes said. "I actually feel kind of dirty bathing, emotionally. I really don't like the idea it wasn't addressed at all," she said.

Water remains safe, city says

The other side:

Despite the change in taste and smell, the City of Melbourne said the drinking water remains safe.

In a statement, a city spokesperson said, "The water remains safe for drinking. Our operators are aware of the issue and are in the process of continually making changes to adjust our treatment process. We do extensive testing of the water coming into our treatment plant and adjust our treatment process, if necessary, to ensure the safety of water for our customers. We also test the water as it leaves the production plant and test it regularly at multiple points throughout the distribution network to confirm it remains safe as it moves through the system."

Some residents said they plan to continue relying on bottled water until the odor subsides, and they regain confidence in the city's water supply.

The Source: This story was written based on information shared by customers served by the City of Melbourne's water system and the City of Melbourne.

The Brief

COCOA, Fla. - Strong storms damaged homes, split trees and knocked down power lines in parts of Brevard County on Thursday, leaving residents to clean up debris scattered across their neighborhood.

The storms produced wind gusts estimated at 50 to 60 mph, according to FOX 35 meteorologists. Roofing materials, tree limbs and other debris were scattered across streets as heavy rain moved through the area.

‘I was never so scared’

What they're saying:

Angela Martin said she was home with her children when the storm moved in and began tearing pieces from her roof.

"All of a sudden, it got really dark outside," Martin said. "The wind started coming, and you could hear things hitting the side of our roof, hitting the side of our house."

Martin said a tree in her backyard split in half during the storm.

Nearby, Sally Morton was home alone when the powerful winds arrived.

"I was never so scared," Morton said. "Nothing that scares me, but this really frightened me."

Morton described the storm as sounding like a freight train and said the thunder was louder than she had ever heard. She also said she felt her trailer move as the storm passed through.

"I felt a trailer move. It did move," Morton said, adding that a large tree behind the trailer fell into the yard.

After the storm passed, neighbors used chainsaws and other equipment to clear fallen trees and debris.

"Just a lot of neighbors trying to stick together and clean up," one resident said.

Florida Power & Light crews were also in the neighborhood working around downed power lines.

No injuries were reported. Cleanup efforts continued into Thursday evening.

The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the FOX 35 Storm Team, Cocoa residents, and Florida Power & Light .