Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has failed to adequately protect Floridians from a fast spreading virus that has killed at least 4,200 residents and sickened thousands of others, says lawyer Daniel Uhlfelder.

The Santa Rosa Beach lawyer on Monday asked the Florida First District Court of Appeal to force DeSantis to close dangerous beaches and issue stay-at-home orders to prevent further spread of COVID-19.

Uhlfelder made the accusations in a brief supporting an appeal, after a Tallahassee judge declined to take action in a lawsuit that Uhlfelder filed against the governor in March. At that time, there had been only 10 deaths and 563 cases of the virus among Floridians.

As of Monday, the Florida Department of Health reported 282,435 COVID-19 infections and 4,277 deaths, following a national record on Sunday with 15,300 new cases on a single day.

Florida has yet to issue a statewide order closing beaches and DeSantis was one of the last governors in the nation to impose a safer-at-home order issued after Uhlfelder filed the lawsuit. That order and other restrictions have since been loosened by the governor.

DeSantis launched a Re-Open Florida Task Force in late April, appointing no medical doctors or epidemiologists to the group. Instead it was packed with leaders of the states largest corporations, Uhlfelder alleges. DeSantis also ignored an open letter from 500 doctors in Jacksonville using him to postpone the Republican National Convention scheduled for late August.

As a result DeSantis declared a premature victory, saying Florida was doing better than many other states, Uhlfelder alleges. The early opening earned praise from President Donald Trump. When criticized by the states news media, DeSantis blasted reporters for questioning his plan.

Uhlfelder noted that hospitals across the state are running out of beds and many of the states senior citizens are at high risk of suffering from the virus.

DeSantis has attributed the rise in infections to increased testing, and hes defended his decision to reopen the state to boost the economy.

Leon County Circuit Judge Kevin J. Carroll encouraged Uhlfelder to appeal his initial decision against an order to force the governor to close beaches and impose other restrictions. Carroll said he was not sure he had the authority to substitute his judgement for that of the governor, but would take great comfort in knowing that there is an appellate court that can tell me if Ive got it wrong.

The judge also expressed the hope that the appellate court will address the question expeditiously.

Uhlfelder, in his written brief in support of action to deal with the spread of the virus, accused DeSantis of having no regard for the safety of Floridians who will become sick and die.

The health and safety of all Floridians depend on the judicial branch to protect them from an executive who has put their lives in harms way, Uhlfelder noted.

Uhlfelder has made headlines around the nation over the last few months, appearing in a Grim Reaper costume with a deadly looking black scythe to urge beach goers to take precautions against the virus.

He also appeared last week at a protest in front of the governors mansion in Tallahassee with a group of doctors.

In addition to Uhlfelder, Tallahassee lawyers Gautier Kitchen and Marie Mattox are among the attorneys handling the lawsuit.

More:

Lawyer appeals to force DeSantis to close beaches and impose restrictions to protect Floridians from COVID-19 - Florida Phoenix

Statement from Governor Andrew M. Cuomo Allowing Limited Concessions at State Beaches | Governor Andrew M. Cuomo Skip to main content

"After consulting with State Health Commissioner Dr. Zucker and local stakeholders, we have decided that concessionswill be allowed toopen with restrictionsat state ocean and lakefront beachesbeginning this Sunday, July 12th.This includesconcessions at popular destinations such as Jones Beach, Robert Moses, Sunken Meadow, and Lake Welch inHarriman State Park. We made this decision based onfacts and science, and in recognition that these concessions are largely outdoors and are similar to other businesses we have allowed to open with precautionsas part of NY Forward.As always, New Yorkers and visitors must adhere to social distancing guidelines and wear face masks as appropriate, and local governments will be activelymonitoring to ensurecompliance."

The State of New York does not imply approval of the listed destinations, warrant the accuracy of any information set out in those destinations, or endorse any opinions expressed therein. External web sites operate at the direction of their respective owners who should be contacted directly with questions regarding the content of these sites.

Read more:

Statement from Governor Andrew M. Cuomo Allowing Limited Concessions at State Beaches - ny.gov

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

MILWAUKEE -- An arrest was made following a deadly assault on Bradford Beach Sunday night, July 12 -- an attack the Milwaukee County sheriff said "appears to be random."

Milwaukee County sheriff's officials said the victim was physically assaulted on the beach around 9 p.m. The victim was found unresponsive -- not breathing with no pulse. Life-saving measures were unsuccessful, and the victim was later pronounced dead.

The attacker, who initially fled, was arrested upon returning to the scene on a bicycle -- spotted by a deputy.

Sheriff Earnell Lucas noted Monday evening MCSO is in the early stages of this investigation, but a witness statement pointed to a person of interest who is the person who was arrested in this case. The sheriff said there's no familial connection between this person and the victim.

Music, swimming and picnics made for a very enjoyable scene Monday at Bradford Beach. Sadly, this was not the case Sunday night.

"A lot of sheriffs," said a witness. "It was chaos."

Flashing lights from squad cars illuminated the darkness at Bradford Beach, as deputies put up tape after this shore side site turned into a crime scene.

"It's bad," said Domique Watson, witness. "I'm born and raised here, and I've seen it go from one way to another," said Domique Watson, co-founder of Stop the Violence 53206.

Watson saw the response Sunday night and returned Monday afternoon, learning more about what happened.

"It has to stop somewhere," said Watson. "We are taking our violence out on each other. To know that something like that can happen here to anyone is really sad, and my heart is really out for that family, as well."

43.061287-87.873655

Read the original here:

Appears to be random: Arrest made in deadly assault on Bradford Beach - WITI FOX 6 Milwaukee

The East Haven Town Beach, West Haven beaches and Branford beaches are closed after a sewage spill in the nearby Mill River.

East Haven Mayor Joseph Carfora said on Wednesday that the town beach is closed to swimming and shellfishing immediately for a period of several days or until local health officials determine the water is safe to enter again.

Unfortunately due to a leak that was not immediately stopped in New Haven the nearly 2 million gallons of untreated sewage was discharged into the water. The beaches unfortunately need to be close for several days to fishing, shellfishing and swimming," Carfora said in a release.

The West Haven Parks and Recreation Department posted on social media that the city's beaches are closed for swimming and fishing only until further notice.

The town of Branford has also closed its beaches and shellfishing areas until further notice. In a Facebook post, officials said they expect the closure to last two to three days while they work on water quality testing. The closure affects both public and private beaches.

Authorities estimate 2.1 million gallons of sewage went into the Mill River earlier this week. Clean up is currently underway.

Anyone with questions should contact the Mayor's Office at (203) 468-3205.

More here:

East Haven, West Haven and Branford Beaches Closed Due to Nearby Sewage Spill - NBC Connecticut

Eliot Kleinberg @eliotkpbp

MondayJul13,2020at1:34PM

A special Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue team rappelled down to the man.

A window washer dangled for close to an hour about 15 stories up at the Old Port Cove condo in North Palm Beach before firefighters rappelled down and rescued him, authorities said.

The man had been washing windows at the condo's 23-story Lake Point Tower, 100 Lakeshore Drive, when the line he used to move up and down came loose at about 10 a.m., North Palm Beach Fire Rescue District Chief Scott Freseman said.

Five North Palm Beach firefighters quickly were joined by colleagues at nearby Palm Beach Gardens and from two nearby Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue stations, including a county special operations team, Freseman said.

He said the man was not on a platform but instead was in a special basket-type seat harness.

Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue said the man was "yelling for help."

The county team dropped ropes from the roof, then rappelled down to the man and attached to him. The team and the man then lowered to the ground, Freseman said.

"The individual was able to make it to ground level with both feet on the ground," Palm Beach County FIre-Rescue said.

Freseman said the washer was looked over but didn't require medical attention.

"He was very thankful that we were able to respond so quickly and get him down," Freseman said.

Authorities said the man was about 55 but did not name him, citing medical privacy rules.

Freseman, whose been in the department since 2001, said the village has many high-rise condos but he believe an incident such as this hasn't happened in the village since some time in the 1990s.

ek@pbpost.com

@eliotkpbp

Listen to today's top stories from The Palm Beach Post:

View post:

Window washer rescued 15 floors up in North Palm Beach condo - Palm Beach Post

NORTHAMPTON Musante Beach officially opened this month, but it doesnt quite look the same. Brightly-colored Xs in the sand and yellow flags create spaces for groups to sit while remaining socially distant from other beachgoers.

Things are very different this year, said Brian Cannon, a lifeguard, while sitting at the beachs check-in table on Monday.

As of Monday, groups of up to five people must pay $15 if they are residents and $20 if they are non-residents and can reserve spots in advance or in person if they are available, according to the citys website. Beach spots are 12 square feet and are spaced out from each other, said Jim Miller, aquatics director of the Northampton Parks and Recreation Department.

Kate Kelly and her family have been very cautious about social distancing during the pandemic. She limits shopping to once a week and her kids, 4 and 7, are not having play dates. Kelly, a Florence resident, has asthma and before the pandemic worked as a nurse practitioner. They hadnt spent time with another family until they went to Musante Beach last week to meet up with two other families with similarly-aged kids. She strategically picked a weekday, hoping it would be less crowded.

Oh my gosh, it was so nice to see friends and have an in-person conversation, she said.

The safety precautions combined with the relatively lower case count in Massachusetts made her feel comfortable going.

Im not going to go every day if its $15 per day, she said, but she also said she understands that putting in new safety precautions is extra work, and she is happy the beach is open.

Im grateful to the rec department for even trying, Kelly said.

Between lost days at the start of the season and the cost of new safety protocols including hiring someone to sanitize the bathrooms daily the price of a day pass for a single person increased. Last year, it was $4 for a Northampton resident adult and $3 for a senior or youth, according to Miller. Later this week, Miller said the Parks and Recreation Department plans to change the fees to $5 for one resident, $10 for two, and $15 for 3 to 5 people. Some who come to the beach alone requested a change in the fee structure, Miller said.

This year, there are also no memberships, which last year cost $80 per year for families who are residents and $95 for those who are non-residents, Miller said.

With a family pass, you can come here and expect to have a spot on the beach, he explained. Nowadays with restricted spacing, we cant guarantee that people with a pass would have a spot.

The number of people who visit the beach fluctuates, but Miller said that on Sunday, there were about 70 or 80 people in the morning and the same number in the afternoon.

Only two groups of people were at the beach midday Monday. Leo Schapiro, 22 months old, was there with his mom, Catya Schapiro, and grandparents, Joan Wiener and Stan Schapiro. Its a good spot for kids, said Stan Schapiro.

Wiener worried about the fee at Musante Beach. I feel bad, she said. Its pretty steep. She added, There are so few places you can go swimming.

But the group felt safe with the new precautions at the beach. I think its great how they marked the spots, Wiener said.

Read the original here:

'X' marks the spot: Musante Beach open with new precautions, fees - GazetteNET

To the Editor:

The following letter was sent to Edgartown town administrator James Hagerty.

Please forward this email to Art Smadbeck, as the Edgartown selectman on the Dukes County Advisory Board, and to the two other select persons, Margaret Serpa and Michael Donaroma.

The purpose of this email is to alert you all to the dangerous situation that exists on County Beach, between the Bend in the Road and Little Bridge. Its dangerous to the health and safety of beach users and the environment in Sengekontacket Pond and the Atlantic Ocean.

By my count last summer, 500-plus cars are parked each day in summer on that stretch of county highway, which translates, conservatively, to more than 1,000 people using the beach daily without the availability of any nearby bathrooms, causing men, women, and children to urinate into the ocean and defecate where they can, which is often in the dunes along Sengekontacket Pond. I observed this 20 years ago, wrote letters to the editors of the Gazette and The MV Times, and was relieved when Edgartown put porta-johns at Katama, a state beach, but horrified when no porta-johns were put on Sylvia Beach in Edgartown or Oak Bluffs.

The logical place for porta-johns is at Bend in the Road, Big Bridge, and Little Bridge the number to be decided in each spot. The selling of food at Little Bridge adds to the problem. Food selling, especially liquids, is necessary for people spending all day at the beach, but when people eat, if their alimentary systems work properly, the urge to defecate follows. There is no provision at Sylvia Beach to allow beachgoers to relieve themselves. The result is very damaging to people and the environment.

My hope is that the Dukes County Advisory Board will take up this issue. I have spoken with Tristan Israel, chairman of the Dukes County commissioners, and he is in agreement with me that porta-johns are needed in the aforesaid areas. I plan to contact the Friends of Sengekontacket to get their thoughts on the issue. If necessary, I will also speak with the parks department, conservation commission, and board of health in both Edgartown and Oak Bluffs to see if some positive movement can be made in the direction Edgartown has already taken at South Beach/Katama.

Norma Norton HolmesEdgartown

Follow this link:

The unspoken problems at the beach - Martha's Vineyard Times

The move comes after the beaches were closed entirely for the July 4th weekend.

GALVESTON, Texas The City of Galveston is putting new parking measures in place for the weekend to prevent overcrowding during the coronavirus, city leaders announced Thursday.

Beginning Friday morning and continuing Saturday and Sunday, "parking will be blocked on the north side of Seawall Boulevard (the landward side) between 25th Street and 37th Street. This is to allow for public safety officer staging and to address some of the crowding issues that have occurred in this location in recent weeks."

The city goes on to state, "parking will also be restricted at Diamond Beach, at the west end terminus of the Seawall near Cove View Blvd. Parking will also be restricted at Fort San Jacinto, which is at the far east end of the Seawall. "

Unlike the July 4th weekend, the city stated its beaches are presently open and "a beach closure is not contemplated at this time."

"As a reminder, Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statewide mask mandate last Thursday requiring all people over the age of 10 to wear a mask when in public and unable to social distance. There are exceptions, such as when a person is consuming food or drink or when a person is exercising. We ask that all residents and visitors of Galveston please be mindful of the uptick in COVID cases and practice safe social distancing."

More:

Galveston's beaches will be open this weekend, but you may have trouble finding a parking spot - KHOU.com