By FREIDA FRISARO

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A manatee that got stuck in a Florida storm drain while seeking warmer waters is now on the mend at SeaWorld Orlando after a large effort to rescue it.

Multiple fire rescue units and officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the University of Florida and even Jack’s Wrecker Service were brought in Tuesday to get the 410-pound sea cow out of the storm drain in Melbourne Beach.

The crews convened on the scene after a worker with Melbourne Beach spotted the manatee, the city’s Vice Mayor Terry Cronin told WESH-TV in Orlando.

“We’re in the process of improving the storm drain across Melbourne Beach. Our people were doing a survey. And one of the surveyors noticed a manatee in what is called a bethel box.” Cronin said.

The male manatee was taken to SeaWorld Orlando, where it is being cared for in one of the park’s medical pools, spokesperson Stephanie Bechara said.

Related Articles

James Van Der Beek, the ‘Dawson’s Creek’ star who later mocked his own hunky persona, has died at 48

Late NFL star Pat Tillman’s brother pleads guilty to setting fire at California post office

Letters from a WWII soldier to his sweetheart offer an intimate picture of love during wartime

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright visits Venezuela to assess oil industry overhaul

Six months after explosion, Pennsylvania mill town sees hope but a history of disappointment

“He’s breathing on his own, moving independently and showing interest in food. Our teams are adjusting water levels to support buoyancy and comfort as part of his care,” Bechara said.

She said they work to stabilize and rehabilitate rescued manatees so they can ultimately be returned to the wild.

The protected species is still recovering from a mass starvation event. In 2021, officials recorded more than 1,100 manatee deaths, mostly caused by starvation. The state’s Fish and Wildlife agency said the number of deaths were down significantly, with 565 deaths recorded in 2024, and 555 deaths in 2023.

Last year, SeaWorld Orlando rescued 56 manatees and has already taken in seven this year.

By HILLEL ITALIE

As the Trump administration prepares to close the Kennedy Center for a two-year renovation, the head of Washington’s performing arts center has warned its staff about impending cuts that will leave “skeletal teams.”

Related Articles

Gabbard ends intelligence reform task force after less than a year of work

Homeland Security officials voice concerns about looming shutdown

Crowded Democratic field in California governor’s race might provide a rare opening for the GOP

CBO: Federal deficits and debt to worsen over next decade

Watch: Bondi clashes with Democrats as she struggles to turn the page on Epstein files furor

In a Tuesday memo obtained by The Associated Press, Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell told staff that “departments will obviously function on a much smaller scale with some units totally reduced or on hold until we begin preparations to reopen in 2028,” promising “permanent or temporary adjustments for most everyone.”

A Kennedy Center spokesperson declined comment Wednesday.

Over the next few months, he wrote, department heads would be “evaluating the needs and making the decisions as to what these skeletal teams left in place during the facility and closure and construction phase will look like.” Grenell said leadership would “provide as much clarity and advance notice as possible.”

The Kennedy Center is slated to close in early July. Few details about what the renovations will look like have been released since President Donald Trump announced his plan at the beginning of February. Neither Trump nor Grenell have provided evidence to support claims about the building being in disrepair, and last October, Trump had pledged it would remain open during renovations.

It’s unclear exactly how many employees the center currently has, but a 2025 tax filing said nearly 2,500 people were employed during the 2023 calendar year. A request for comment sent to Kennedy Center Arts Workers United, which represents artists and arts professionals affiliated with the center — wasn’t immediately returned.

A bronze sculpture of President John F. Kennedy is displayed in the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026 in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

Leading performers and groups have left or canceled appearances since Trump ousted the center’s leadership a year ago and added his own name to the building in December. The Washington Post, which first reported about Grenell’s memo, has also cited significant drops in ticket revenue that — along with private philanthropy — comprises the center’s operating budget. Officials have yet to say whether such long-running traditions as the Mark Twain Award for comedy or the honors ceremony for lifetime contributions to the arts will continue while the center is closed.

The Kennedy Center was first conceived as a national cultural facility during the Eisenhower administration, in the 1950s. President John F. Kennedy led a fundraising initiative, and the yet-to-be-built center was named in his honor following his assassination. It opened in 1971 and has become a preeminent showcase for theater, music and dramatic performances, enjoying bipartisan backing until Trump’s return to office last year.

A bronze sculpture of President John F. Kennedy, left, is reflected in a mirror, right, in the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026 in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

“This renovation represents a generational investment in our future,” Grenell wrote. “When we reopen, we will do so as a stronger organization — one that honors our legacy while expanding our impact.”

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — The youngest brother of late NFL star-turned-soldier Pat Tillman pleaded guilty this week to setting fire to a San Jose, California, post office last summer.

Related Articles

Letters from a WWII soldier to his sweetheart offer an intimate picture of love during wartime

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright visits Venezuela to assess oil industry overhaul

Six months after explosion, Pennsylvania mill town sees hope but a history of disappointment

Alex Murdaugh continues to insist he didn’t kill wife and son as he gets another day in court

Several ICE agents were arrested in recent months, showing risk of misconduct

Richard Tillman, 44, was arrested on July 20 after he rammed a car into the post office in a strip mall and then set the vehicle ablaze. The lobby of the building went up in flames. Nobody was hurt.

Tillman, of San Jose, on Monday entered a guilty plea in federal court to malicious destruction of government property.

“In pleading guilty, Tillman admitted that he intentionally set the fire in order to ‘make a point to the United States government,’” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California said in a statement.

Prosecutors didn’t say what point Tillman was trying to make.

U.S. Postal Inspector Shannon Roark said in July that Tillman told officers at the scene he had livestreamed the incident on YouTube.

Tillman, who remains in federal custody, faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he’s sentenced on April 27.

After the crash, his brother Kevin Tillman said in a statement that Richard Tillman had been suffering from “severe mental health issues” for many years, and the family was relieved no one was hurt.

Pat Tillman left the Arizona Cardinals to join the military after 9/11 and was killed in Afghanistan in 2004 at age 27. His family is from the San Jose area.

Kevin Tillman also left his Major League Baseball career with the Anaheim Angels to serve in the military.

A man being pursued by federal agents in St. Paul crashed and was taken to the hospital Wednesday with non-life threatening injuries, according to St. Paul police.

Officers responded to a report of a crash at 9:40 a.m. at Western and Selby avenues. The man crashed into two vehicles before hitting a snowbank, said Sgt. Toy Vixayvong, a St. Paul police spokesman.

St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her spoke out amid the surge in federal immigration enforcement, saying Wednesday’s incident underscores that ICE is “causing chaos, and putting residents at risk in St. Paul.”

St. Paul fire department medics transported the man to a hospital. People in the vehicles that were struck did not need medical attention at the scene, according to Vixayvong.

The situation drew a crowd and Her added, “I want to thank those who continue to show up and keep watch over their neighbors. I also want to thank the St. Paul Police for staying on the scene to clean up and ensure those impacted received assistance.

“Because of the reckless way that ICE is running their operation, one person ended up in the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, and several bystanders had their cars damaged,” she said. “This is just another incident that tells us loud and clear: Operation Metro Surge needs to end immediately.”

St. Paul police officers took a crash report and are investigating.

Police referred additional questions to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A Pioneer Press message to DHS wasn’t immediately returned.

Related Articles

Driver shot, killed by St. Louis County Sheriff deputies

Eagan fire chief to retire after 34-year career

St. Paul Hmong woman with manslaughter conviction makes it through immigration check-in

Gov. Tim Walz says he expects further ICE drawdown this week

White Bear Lake Police Chief Dale Hager will retire in May