David Fischer, Author at The Rapid City Post

Final preparations for trial of man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump in Florida

September 1, 2025

A man charged with trying to assassinate President Donald Trump last year in South Florida is set to represent himself during a pretrial conference, as final preparations are made for trial. Barring any delays, jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday in Fort Pierce federal court for the case against Ryan Routh. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon signed off on Routh’s request to represent himself in July but said court-appointed attorneys need to remain as standby counsel. The trial will begin nearly a year after prosecutors say a U.S. Secret Service agent thwarted Routh’s attempt to shoot Trump as he played golf.

FILE - Clouds hover over the entrance of the Florida State Prison in Starke, Fla., Aug. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Curt Anderson, File)

Florida man convicted of killing a woman abducted from an insurance office is set to be executed

August 18, 2025

A man convicted of kidnapping a woman from an insurance office in the early 1980s and killing her is set for execution in Florida. Kayle Bates is scheduled to receive a lethal injection Tuesday evening at Florida State Prison near Starke. It would be Florida’s 10th execution of 2025 and further extend the state record for the number of executions in a single year. Previously the annual high was eight executions in Florida in 2014. Bates was convicted of murder, kidnapping, armed robbery and attempted sexual battery in the June 14, 1982, killing of Janet White in the Florida Panhandle.

FILE - In this image released by the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff's Office, law enforcement officers arrest Ryan Wesley Routh, a man suspected in an apparent assassination attempt of Donald Trump, Sept. 15, 2024. (Martin County Sheriff's Office via AP, File)

Man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump returns to court and hopes to represent himself

July 23, 2025

A man charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump last year at his Florida golf course will return to court to once again explain why he wants to fire his court-appointed lawyers and represent himself. Ryan Routh previously made the request earlier this month during a hearing in Fort Pierce before U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon. Routh is set to be back in front of Cannon on Thursday, a day after his court-appointed federal public defenders asked to be taken off the case. Routh is scheduled to stand trial in September, a year after prosecutors say a Secret Service agent thwarted his attempt to shoot Trump as he played golf.

Dogs are seen at Animal Care and Control on Tuesday, July 8, 2025 in West Palm Beach, Fla. The shelter is educating the public on how to protect animals from dangers like heat stroke and dehydration. (AP Photo/Cody Jackson)

Keeping animals of all sizes, from cats to horses, cool during record heat

July 17, 2025

With record temperatures hitting the U.S., pet owners have to protect their four-legged family members from dangers like heat stroke and dehydration. But keeping an animal the size of a small car cool isn’t as easy as bringing it inside to the air conditioning. That’s why Alicia Grace, owner of Pink Flamingo Stables, has to take extra steps to keep her horses safe and healthy in South Florida’s hot and humid climate. And while house pets are easier to keep cool, Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control spokeswoman Arielle Weinberger says pet owners still have to remain vigilant during the summer.

Florida man who killed 2 people outside a bar is scheduled to be executed

July 14, 2025

A man convicted of fatally shooting a man and woman outside a Florida bar as part of an attempted revenge killing is scheduled to be executed. Michael Bernard Bell is set to receive a lethal injection Tuesday at Florida State Prison, barring a last-day reprieve. He was convicted in 1995 and sentenced to death for the 1993 murders of Jimmy West and Tamecka Smith. Bell would be the eighth person put to death in Florida this year. A total of 25 men have already been executed in the U.S. this year, tying last year’s total.

Man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump wants to represent himself in Florida case

July 10, 2025

A man charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump says he wants to fire his lawyers and represent himself. Ryan Routh asked a federal judge in court Thursday to let him serve as his own attorney. U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon questioned Routh for about 30 minutes but did not rule during the hearing. Cannon said she will issue a written order later. Prosecutors have said Routh plotted to kill Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through shrubbery as Trump played golf in September at his West Palm Beach country club. Routh has pleaded not guilty.

Florida set to execute man convicted of raping and killing a woman outside of a bar

June 23, 2025

A man convicted of raping and killing a woman near a central Florida bar is scheduled to be executed. Barring a reprieve, 51-year-old Thomas Lee Gudinas is scheduled to receive a lethal injection on Tuesday at Florida State Prison near Starke. He was convicted in the killing of Michelle McGrath, who was last seen at a bar called Barbarella’s shortly before 3 a.m. on May 24, 1994. Her body was found in an alley next to a nearby school hours later. A school employee who found McGrath’s body later identified Gudinas as a man who was fleeing the area shortly before the body was discovered.

David Fischer.