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5 Things To Know On Monday, March 7, 2022

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While you were sleeping, we compiled the biggest stories of the day in one place. Each story has a quick and easy summary, so you're prepared for whatever the day brings. Just click on the links if you want to know more!

1. 1,100 homes evacuated as firefighters battle Florida fires
Huge wildfires in the Florida Panhandle have forced veterans at a 120-bed nursing home to evacuate. Firefighters were battling three separate blazes Sunday.

Residents of more than 1,000 homes in Bay County have been forced to flee over the weekend from the 9,000-acre Bertha Swamp Road fire and the 841-acre Adkins Avenue fire.

The Florida Forest Service says 2018's Hurricane Michael left behind 72 million tons of destroyed trees that have provided fuel for the wildfires.

1,100 homes evacuated as firefighters battle Florida fires

2. Russia sets cease-fire for evacuations amid heavy shelling
Russia announced yet another cease-fire and a handful of humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to flee Ukraine.

Previous such measures have fallen apart and Moscow’s armed forces continued to pummel some Ukrainian cities with rockets Monday.

A day earlier, hundreds of thousands of civilians attempting to flee to safety were forced to shelter from what Ukrainian officials said was Russian shelling in cities in the center, north and south.

Russia sets cease-fire for evacuations amid heavy shelling

3. Ex-FSU star expected to testify when 'stand your ground' hearing resumes
Former FSU star Travis Rudolph is charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted first-degree murder in connection with a Lake Park shooting last year.

Defense attorney Marc Shiner argued that the charges should be dismissed under the state's "stand your ground" law, citing self-defense.

The "stand your ground" defense recently worked for a retired Tampa police captain who shot and killed a man during an argument about texting in a movie theater.

Ex-FSU star expected to testify when 'stand your ground' hearing resumes

4. Convoy protesting COVID-19 mandates laps Washington DC
A group of truck drivers and their supporters who object to COVID-19 mandates drove two loops around the beltway surrounding Washington, D.C., deliberately driving slowly to snarl traffic.

Protesters staged at the Hagerstown Speedway in Maryland during the weekend before heading down a single lane of Interstate 81. News outlets reported their plan was to drive onto the Capital Beltway, circle it twice and then return to Hagerstown.

The “People’s Convoy” follows similar demonstrations by truckers in Canada upset at vaccine requirements to cross the Canadian border.

Convoy protesting COVID-19 mandates laps Washington DC

5. US to resume some visa services in Cuba after 4-year break
The U.S. government says it will resume limited processing of immigrant visas in Havana.

Thursday's announcement comes more than four years after it halted that service and removed most diplomats from Cuba over suspicions they'd been targeted for mysterious attacks.

The Havana embassy’s chargé d’ affaires says it will soon start processing some immigrant visas for which documentation is complete, though he didn't give a date.

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Today's Forecast
Unsettled weather with some storms throughout week

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On This Day In History
On March 7, 1965, in Selma, Alabama, a 600-person civil rights demonstration ends in violence when marchers are attacked and beaten by white state troopers and sheriff’s deputies. The day's events became known as "Bloody Sunday."

Remember, you can join Mike Trim and Ashleigh Walters every weekday on WPTV NewsChannel 5 beginning at 4:30 a.m. And you can always watch the latest news from WPTV anytime on your favorite streaming device. Just search for "WPTV."