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Water-powered jet-pack rides offer 007-style thrills | Video

By Ludmilla Lelis , Orlando Sentinel — Sat, 26 May 2012 21:42:00 EDT

Travis Wolf flipped a switch on his water-powered jet pack and took off over Little Lake Harris, soaring more than 20 feet above the surface.

Osceola motel families: New face of homeless kids in Florida

By Kate Santich , Orlando Sentinel — Sat, 26 May 2012 22:05:00 EDT

In the shadow of the 30,000-acre Walt Disney World Resort, the Hampton family lives in a 300-square-foot motel room packed with possessions left over from a better life.

Beryl intensifies to Tropical Storm

By Susan Jacobson and Arelis R. Hernández, Orlando Sentinel — Sun, 27 May 2012 14:39:38 EDT

The second named storm of the 2012 hurricane season, Beryl, has intensified into a Tropical Storm as it paces toward the Northeast Florida shore — days before the season officially begins.

Volusia County beaches brace for Beryl's sweep

By Arelis R. Hernández, Orlando Sentinel — Sun, 27 May 2012 14:11:49 EDT

Storm surge caused Beach Patrol officials to close the beach to drivers and the Ponce Inlet is off-limits for surfers and bathers.

Subtropical storm Beryl will only sweep by Central Florida but Volusia County beaches are bracing for the rough surf and high waves the storm will generate along the coast.

Taxpayers shouldn't get stuck with lobbying tab

Sun, 27 May 2012 18:03:00 EDT

A Quinnipiac poll this month reported that 70 percent of Floridians think the economy is still in a recession, even though it officially ended almost three years ago. It's a good bet there weren't many legislative lobbyists among that 70 percent.

Pedestrian struck, killed by antique car

By Arelis R. Hernández, Orlando Sentinel — Sun, 27 May 2012 11:24:00 EDT

Thomas Armintrout, 64, was pronounced dead at the scene after he tried to cross State Road 520 outside a crosswalk.

A 64-year-old Merritt Island man was killed Saturday night after he walked in front of an antique car and was struck on State Road 50 in Brevard County, troopers said.

Amid hazing scandal, a call for review of FAMU finances

By Denise-Marie Balona , Orlando Sentinel — Sat, 26 May 2012 21:36:00 EDT

Hazing investigation amid Robert Champion's death raises questions about university's financial controls

Last summer, state education leaders told Florida A&M University about complaints involving "fraudulent" audits submitted by the school — "executive summaries" for internal financial reviews that, in fact, had not been done.

Inflated auto-insurance claims? Morgan & Morgan, Dan Newlin deny State Farm allegations

By Kevin Spear , Orlando Sentinel — Sun, 27 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

One of Central Florida's best-known law firms and a prominent Brevard County surgeon may have had an "across-the-board agreement" in recent years to inflate by millions of dollars the charges for spinal surgeries in auto-accident claims, according to insurance-company allegations that have sprung unexpectedly from a pair of routine personal-injury lawsuits.

Vietnamese community inaugurates site for war memorial

By Arelis R. Hernández, Orlando Sentinel — Sun, 27 May 2012 09:39:00 EDT

Vietnamese and American war veterans commemorated in Baldwin Park memorial.

Due to incorrect information provided to the Sentinel, an earlier version of this story misstated Raymond Burr's age in 1965. He was 26.

Test-obsessed teaching falls short

Scott Maxwell — Sat, 26 May 2012 15:55:00 EDT

To fully appreciate how deeply flawed Tallahassee's approach to public education is, you must look beyond the recent news of abysmal FCAT scores — and look at how we got here.