Your Florida Daily: Missing woman last seen with attempted murder suspect, P!nk brings ‘banned books’ to Florida tour

Plus, mystery of Winston Churchill’s taxidermied lion in St. Augustine

Left: Shakeira Rucker was last seen leaving her home on Nov. 11 possibly with her estranged husband Cory Hill. Right: Pink performs on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, at Wrigley Field in Chicago. (Photo by Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP) (All contents © copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Police said Shakeira Yvonne Rucker was last seen leaving her home in Winter Springs on Nov. 11 around 7:30 p.m. (Copyright 2023 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

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ORLANDO, Fla. – The family of Shakeira Rucker — a woman reported missing over the weekend — say they believe Rucker left home with her estranged husband and might be in danger.

The 37-year-old mother was last seen by her kids Saturday night after leaving her home in Winter Springs.

Investigators say her family thinks she was with Cory Hill.

“He was a person that didn’t put people in his business and he was distant from family. He stayed far off he didn’t let nobody in his business,” says Shakeira’s mother Elaine Rucker.

Hill was booked into jail on Monday on attempted murder and burglary charges after deputies say he fired a gun at a different woman and her family members in Orange County over the weekend. No one was hurt.

Meantime, Rucker has not been heard from since Saturday. Her mother, Elaine, says they’ve been posting flyers everywhere hoping someone has seen her.

“How would any mother feel not being able to see their child it’s heartbreaking not knowing where she’s at,” Rucker told News 6.

Her family is organizing a search Tuesday.

Anyone with information on Shakeira Rucker’s whereabouts is urged to contact police at (407) 327-6561 or tfugate@winterspringsfl.org.

Bear in Sanford neighborhood (Jason Mickel)

FWC addresses bear issues in Seminole County

Bear sightings are up in Central Florida, and wildlife officials are on the ground in neighborhoods educating homeowners about how to keep the bears away.

For people living in northern Seminole County, bear activity is common — prompting FWC to host a safety meeting.

“If you’re in a bear area, the bears learn the trash days. And once a bear gets good food from some place, they’re going to keep coming back,” one official said.

Bear proof trash cans can be a big help in some neighborhoods or waiting until 5 a.m. on collection day before bringing the trash bin to the curb.

FWC officials also say 61% of bear encounters involve dogs.

With that in mind, it’s recommended to not walk pets when bears are more active at dawn, dusk or after dark.

Pink performs on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, at Wrigley Field in Chicago. (Photo by Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP) (2023 Invision)

Pop icon P!nk brings tour to Florida, banned books

International superstar and singer P!nk has arrived in Florida and along with her show-stopping performances, she’ll be handing out banned books.

The pop star is in Miami tonight for her first Florida performance of the week, before heading to Sunrise tomorrow and Orlando this weekend.

At her South Florida stops, P!nk announced 2,000 copies of four books that have been banned by various public schools will be given away in partnership with PEN America and Books & Books.

The four “banned” books are “The Family Book” “The Hill We Climb,” “Beloved” and a book from the “Girls Who Code” series.

In a statement, P!nk said the increased number of book bans was a step backward for the nation.

Random Florida Fact

A lion given to British prime minister Winston Churchill somehow got stuffed and sent to Florida.

In 1943, Rota, an African lion was presented to Sir Winston Churchill to commemorate his victories in North Africa during World War II.

It’s not exactly clear how the stuffed lion made his way to Florida but the taxidermied lion was first exhibited at the Lion Hotel in St. Augustine and later donated to Otto C. Lightner.

Today, you can see Rota at St. Augustine’s Lightner Museum, standing behind glass with his face preserved in a permanent roar.


About the Author

Katrina Scales is a producer for the News 6+ Takeover at 3:30 p.m. She also writes and voices the podcast Your Florida Daily. Katrina was born and raised in Brevard County and started her journalism career in radio before joining News 6 in June 2021.

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