As if 2020 wasn’t a memorable enough year, these Florida men and women found a way to make their way into the news. Some good, some bad, some... well... interesting, to say the least.
These jaw-dropping headlines have been shared around the world. We have hand-picked the Top 10 “Because Florida” stories from 2020 as the year comes to an end. Here are the stories that put Florida on the map this year, for better or for worse.
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10. Lawyer dresses as the Grim Reaper to protest Florida’s open beaches
This image went viral after the stay-at-home order was lifted this year and beachgoers flocked to the sand. An attorney haunted Florida beaches dressed as the Grim Reaper to protest their reopening, which he believed was premature.
9. Jacksonville man wins second scratch-off top prize in three years
Luck doesn’t even begin to describe it. A Jacksonville man claimed a $5 million top prize from the 200X THE CASH Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. But that’s not even the best part. Three years ago, he claimed a $1 million prize from the $5,000,000 GOLD RUSH DOUBLER Scratch-Off game.
8. Police: Florida man lets 12-year-old drive Jeep 85 mph
Well that’s not safe... A Palm Beach County man is facing felony charges after police said he let a 12-year-old girl drive his SUV and told her to speed because he wanted to be a “cool father” -- even though he is not her dad.
7. 1st woman in Florida to test positive for COVID-19 now healthy & feeling better
I-TEAM reporter and anchor Vic Micolucci spoke with Kaelyn Sheedy, the first woman in Florida to test positive for COVID-19 after a mid-February trip with friends across Europe — Spain, Italy, including Milan, and France. After recovering, she shared her story with us.
6. Florida woman arrested for allegedly making bomb at a Walmart
We have no words for this one... A woman in Tampa faces charges after authorities say she tried to build a bomb inside a Walmart.
5. Nabbed for street racing, Florida man blasts “Bad Boys”
Whatcha gonna do when they come for you? Apparently play “Bad Boys” by Inner Circle. Florida authorities say that when two young men were pulled over for street racing, one of the drivers blasted the song “Bad Boys,” the opening theme to the TV show “Cops.”
4. Florida man holding trash can for friend finds dead body
What a disturbing find. A Florida man who had been storing a trash can for a friend for more than two months found a badly decomposing body inside when he opened it, authorities said.
3. Florida man wrestles gator to save dog
This viral story is Florida in a nutshell. A man walking his Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy along a waterway in Estero saved the dog’s life after it was grabbed by an alligator. He literally pried the dog out of the gator’s mouth with his BARE HANDS!
2. Florida man with Down Syndrome competes in Ironman triathlon
It was a big win for this Florida man! A 21-year-old made history as the first person with Down Syndrome to compete in a grueling Ironman Florida triathlon, which includes a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run in a single day.
1. Jacksonville woman gets job as dishwasher at memory care facility so she can see her husband
This has to be one of my favorite stories from 2020. It is heartwarming and shows compassion and love. A Jacksonville woman who was desperate to see her husband, who has Alzheimer’s disease, and hadn’t seen him in more than four months finally found a way.
Mary Daniel told News4Jax she was willing to do whatever it took to be with her husband, who lives 5 miles away. She did just that 114 days after she had last seen him when she got a part-time job as a dishwasher at the facility where her husband lives. The job is the real deal.
Well, that just about wraps it up for 2020. I think I speak for everyone when I say I hope 2021 is a better year!