Orlando Sentinel News blogs

Grayson has big fundraising month [Central Florida Political Pulse]

WASHINGTON — Former U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson announced today that he raised more than $150,000 in the month of January — an impressive haul that would equal or exceed what several incumbent Republicans from Central Florida netted over three months at the end of last year.

While official records of his fundraising won’t be available for several months, that level of fundraising is on pace with Grayson’s recent efforts. In the fourth quarter of 2011, he raised nearly $600,000 — mostly from small donors from across the country.

“We call it ‘People Power.’ We are creating a new model for campaigns, and it is working. Meanwhile, the Republican incumbents keep stepping up to the trough of sewer money provided by the lobbyists and special interests,” Grayson said in a statement.

Grayson, who was crushed in 2010 by now-U.S. Rep. Dan Webster, R-Winter Garden, is looking to make a comeback by running in a new Democratically-friendly seat being created by the state legislature as part of the once-a-decade process of redistricting.

Seminole pulling plug on stormwater bills [Sentinel School Zone]

Stormwater cash down drain?

Money has been going down the drain for an expense that the Seminole School Board now has discovered it does not have to pay.

Based on a recent court ruling, Superintendent Bill Vogel has recommended that the School Board pull the plug on payments to Seminole County cities for storm-water fees that they have been charging the school district for years. The cities of Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Longwood, Oviedo, Sanford and Winter Springs all have been charging the School Board a storm-water utility fee on monthly water bills to help cover costs of building and maintaining storm-water drainage systems.

School system will save money.

Deputy Superintendent George Kosmac estimates that not paying the storm-water charges will save the school district about $276,000 a year. Over the past six years the district has spent nearly $1.5 million on storm-water fees that the cities charged for services to 34 school district facilities.

Kosmac said that a recent court ruling favoring Florida Keys Community College over the City of Key West indicated that the doctrine of sovereign immunity prohibits collecting such fees from state entities, including school systems. He said the Alachua County School Board recently settled a lawsuit with the City of Gainesville that will end storm-water fees for schools there.

While this is good news for the financially strained Seminole school system, it will be money out of the pockets of the cities. Sanford’s take alone for the past six years has topped $550,000.

Superintendent Vogel will ask the School Board Tuesday to “immediately cease payment of stormwater fees to the cities.”

A few minutes later during Tuesday’s School Board meeting, Vogel also plans to ask the board to set up a joint meeting with Seminole city officials to win their support for efforts to solve the school district’s budget crisis. Will cities say they apparently have just done their part?

Orlando's daily deals for February 10 [Frugal Force]

Orlando's daily deals for February 10:

HotDealsOrlando is offering $10 for $20 of Authentic French Pastries & More at Croissant Gourmet in Winter Park. Check this deal out at HotDealsOrlando.com.

Groupon is offering $15 for $30 at Battleground Orlando Laser Tag. Check this deal out at Groupon.com.

Living Social is offering $32 for an Hour-Long Swedish Massage at A Touch From Heaven. Check this deal out at LivingSocial.com.

ODeals Daily is offering For $64 Get One 4-Minute Flight Package for Two and DVD at iFly ($139 Value). Check this deal out at Orlando.ODealsDaily.com.

Eversave Orlando is offering $45 for a facial and massage from Affinity Day Spa - three locations!. Check this deal out at Eversave.com/Orlando.

Friday Morning Reads: Maps, lawsuits and med mal [Central Florida Political Pulse]

TALLAHASSEE — Good morning and welcome to the morning reads. We’re posting a little bit later than usual this morning, so we’ll get right to them.

* The Orlando Sentinel has all the details on the final passage of congressional and legislative maps out of the Senate yesterday, plus the lawsuits filed in response to them.

* The Sun-Sentinel reports on the $25 billion foreclosure settlement that Florida is a part of. The state’s share of the agreement with the nation’s five biggest lenders is $8.4 billion, second only to California’s $12 billion.

* The Herald-Tribune writes on a higher ed bill making its way through the Senate that would mandate career counseling starting in 6th grade. The legislation is part of the effort to begin steering more students toward STEM degrees.

* The Florida Current reports that top Senate Republicans have cobbled together a medical malpractice bill.

* A measure creating Florida Polytechnic as the state’s 12th university does not match a plan laid out by the Board of Governor’s to create the school, the Tampa Bay Times reports. The proposal would allow USF Polytechnic to immediately break away from University of South Florida instead of reaching benchmarks that the Board of Governors set out for them.

Bonus Blogs
* Pembroke Pines asks Obama to intervene in immigration detention center
* Cheney Bros. to bring 380 jobs to Charlotte County

Powerball 101: Some tips for the new or occassional player [Mr. Lucky]

With an estimated jackpot of $310 million, folks who seldom, or never, play the game will be buying a ticket for Saturday night’s drawing.

My first advice: Buy the ticket today. It is going to be a zoo at lottery retailers on Saturday and the later it gets, the crazier it will be. And remember, Powerball sales cut off at 10 p..m.

If you haven’t bought a Powerball ticket in a while, the cost has doubled from $1 to $2. That’s the reason the jackpot has escalated so quickly.

They still have Power Play, which multiplies non-jackpot prizes, for an extra $1. But since you can now win $1 million without buying Power Play, I no longer recommend it.

You can ask for a Quick Pick and let the computer do the work, or you can fill out a playslip and pick any or all of the numbers. Some folks have a favorite number between 1 and 35 and they pick it for the Powerball and let the computer pick the rest of the numbers.

You need five numbers between 1 and 59 and you can pick any number of them yourself and mark QP to let the computer pick the rest.

The estimated $310 million jackpot is based on taking equal payments over 30 years. You also have the option of taking a lump-sum payment and it is estimated at $193.4 million for Saturday night’s drawing.

With the recent changes, the odds of winning the big jackpot have improved, but not much. They used to be about 1 in 195 million and now they are about 1 in 175 million.

But you can’t win if you don’t play!

Tech giant Google lobbies lawmakers to allow driver-free cars [Central Florida Political Pulse]

By Dan Tracy

Florida Rep. Jeff Brandes hopped into a special Toyota Prius recently and rode down Interstate 10 during a break from the Legislative session in Tallahassee.

Not a big deal, except no one was actually driving. No human, that is.

A Google-fueled concoction of technology guided the car at up to 70 mph around other cars, up and down hills and around corners, said Brandes, R-St. Petersburg.

“I pressed the button,” he said, “and the car took over. It drove better than I did.”

Brandes is shepherding a bill (HB 1207) through the House that calls for the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to study what rules are needed to ensure the safe operation of so-called “autonomous vehicles.”

More here.

Rain on Friday; cooler over weekend [Ken Kaye's Storm Center]

Perhaps you were awakened early today because of the sound of rain pounding your roof. The region saw another round of showers, some light, some heavy, passing through.

Florida Legislature’s redistricting work moves to the courtroom [Central Florida Political Pulse]

TALLAHASSEE — Florida lawmakers ended months of debate Thursday by passing new boundaries for congressional and legislative districts – the first step in a legal shootout that could determine congressional and state government control for the next decade.

Moments after the Senate voted 32-5 to pass the re-drawn political maps, the Florida Democratic Party filed a lawsuit in Leon County Circuit Court, alleging the congressional plan violated the state’s constitutional prohibition against drawing lines that intentionally favor political parties or incumbents.

Separately, a coalition of groups that backed the 2010 Fair Districts reforms, including the League of Women Voters, Common Cause, the National Council of La Raza and others, announced they planned to file their own challenge as soon as Gov. Rick Scott signs the maps into law.

Both groups also plan to challenge the maps for new House and Senate seats once they are approved by Attorney General Pam Bondi and sent to the Florida Supreme Court for review.

The coalition’s complaint claims the congressional map was “intentionally enhanced” and accuses Republican U.S. Reps. Dan Webster of Winter Garden and Mario Diaz-Balart of Miami of taking “affirmative steps to influence members of the legislature and its staff to ‘improve’ the composition of their new districts to make them more favorable.”

It also castigates lawmakers for “packing artificially high numbers of minorities into certain districts” – singling out the Jacksonville-to-Orlando district of Democratic U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown – to “diminish the influence” of minorities in surrounding districts by rendering them more white and more likely to vote Republican.

The Democratic Party lawsuit doesn’t get quite as specific, but alleges the same basic gerrymandering took place.

“The Senate passed maps that fail to meet the plain meaning of Fair Districts,” said Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith. Review the new maps for yourself on our interactive redistricting site.

Here’s the Fair Districts petition: State_Law_Complaint_Congressional_Map And here’s the FDP petition: Draft_Complaint_Challenging_Congressional_Plan

Haridopolos: Private prison vote is next week [Central Florida Political Pulse]

TALLAHASSEE — After delaying a vote on prison privatization for more than a week because of a split vote, Senate President Mike Haridopolos said the Senate would take up the measure next week.

Haridopolos and budget chairman JD Alexander, R-Lake Wales, have been pushing a plan for two years to privatize more than two dozen correctional facilities in an 18-county region of South Florida. The Legislature approved a similar plan in its budget last year, but a court struck it down, saying that the plan could not be included in the budget and must be passed through a separate piece of legislation.

Alexander revamped the measure in accordance with the court ruling, but when it initially came before the entire Senate, it quickly became apparent that resistance was rising. Haridopolos said earlier this week that the vote was “20-20.”

Haridopolos said they are taking the bill up because they are focused on finding savings in the budget, which they believe can be achieved through privatization, and Alexander has to begin putting the final touches on the budget. The House passed its budget out today, but tabled its discussion on prison privatization when problems arose in the Senate.

On Monday, it will go through the amendment process, and then come to a full vote on Tuesday, Haridopolos said.

“The goal would be pretty simple. If we can’t find the savings here, we’re obviously going to have to lean on Sen. Alexander and the other budget chairs to find those savings necessary to keep that budget balanced,” he said.

Haridopolos was coy though when asked if that meant he had the votes to pass the bill.

“We’ll see,” he said.

Senate passes redistricting maps; Lawsuits to be filed [Central Florida Political Pulse]

TALLAHASSEE — After months of debate, the Senate signed off on new political maps that lay out the boundaries for congressional and legislative districts for the next 10 years. But a lawsuit challenging the congressional map is already set to be filed.

The League of Women Voters, Common Cause and several other groups are filing suit State Law Complaint Congressional Map in Leon County circuit court accusing lawmakers of violating constitutional standards for drawing the maps so they don’t favor political parties and incumbents. The lawsuit specifically accuses Republican Reps. Dan Webster of Winter Garden and Mario Diaz-Balart of Miami of taking “affirmative steps to influence members of the legislature.”

The Florida Democratic Party also readied its own lawsuit.

“Republicans have undertaken the sort of incumbent protection and partisan gerrymandering that 63-percent of Florida voters overwhelmingly demanded must stop,” said party chair Rod Smith. “Now the courts have to step in to implement the will of the people — a job the GOP in Tallahassee failed to accomplish.”

The congressional maps passed by as 32-5 vote.

Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, introduced the maps, saying that they were drawn without any intention of trying to protect Republican incumbents.

“We have no lists of incumbents’ or challengers’ home addresses, and we’re not interested in them,” he said.

Senate minority leader Nan Rich, D-Weston, said it was very difficult to believe that the maps weren’t drawn to benefit the GOP and accused Republicans, who control the chamber, of reducing minority voting power.

“Avoiding retrogression is not an excuse to continue placing minority voters in a minimal number of districts,” she said.

The legislative district maps passed a few minutes after the congressional district map by a 31-7 vote.

Smith made clear the party will sue to void the state maps as well, once they go before the Florida Supreme Court. The maps go first to Attorney General Pam Bondi for review and then to the high court.

“The party … plans to mount a vigorous legal fight once these unconstitutional maps are taken up by Florida’s highest court,” Smith’s statement said.

Adams v. Mica: It’s gonna get nasty [Central Florida Political Pulse]

One day after U.S. Rep. John Mica of Winter Park announced he intends to run this year in the re-drawn, Seminole-centered district that also serves as home to freshman U.S. Rep. Sandy Adams, she’s already out with fund-raising mail teeing off on the 10-term congressman.

“While nobody wants to see two Republicans battle for the same seat, I don’t believe in backing down because someone tries to bully me out of a race when our country needs strong fiscal conservatives to stop business as usual in Washington,” the email says. “My track record as a grassroots conservative is one that the people of Central Florida believe in. They know Washington, D.C. is broken, and that sending a career politician back to Congress so he can start his third decade of service is not the right answer.”

Read the entire letter below the jump:

February 9, 2012

As you know, last week I announced I would be running to represent you in the new District 7 based in Seminole Country, and including parts of Orange and Volusia Counties. Our team has worked together the last year to defend your liberties, fight back against the Obama agenda, and advance conservative values in Congress.

Now I am asking for your help. Yesterday a 20-year incumbent member of the House, John Mica, announced he was going to challenge me in the Republican primary. While nobody wants to see two Republicans battle for the same seat, I don’t believe in backing down because someone tries to bully me out of a race when our country needs strong fiscal conservatives to stop business as usual in Washington.

My track record as a grassroots conservative is one that the people of Central Florida believe in. They know Washington, D.C. is broken, and that sending a career politician back to Congress so he can start his third decade of service is not the right answer. In an election where our Party needs to find strong, conservative candidates who are willing to stand up for your values and what’s left in your wallet, I know we can do better for District 7.

That is why I am asking for your support today. Whether it is contributing $25 or volunteering to knock on doors, our team is going to need all the help we can to defeat a career politician like John Mica. News reports already say he plans on outspending me, but you and I know that the power of the people will overcome big spending Washington politicians every time.

But I can’t do it without your support. Please click here to sign up to volunteer for our team. Together we can make history and work together to retake our country and to protect the future for our children and grandchildren.

Sincerely,

Sandy

DONATE

Navy vet declares for 6th District [Central Florida Political Pulse]

WASHINGTON — Ron DeSantis, a Navy veteran from Ponte Vedra Beach, is jumping into a increasingly crowded U.S. House race for the redrawn Sixth District, which includes Volusia, Flagler, St. Johns and Putnam counties.

A political newcomer, DeSantis, 33, boasts some sharp credentials. According to the announcement declaring his candidacy, DeSantis “worked his way through Yale University and Harvard Law School and then elected to serve his country as a JAG officer in the United States Navy.” He lives in Ponte Vedra Beach and is married to a Jacksonville television anchor.

He’ll run in the Republican primary against businessman Craig Miller and — likely — state Rep. Fred Costello, R-Ormond Beach. Other candidates could pop up too, as the district (for now) doesn’t have any incumbents running in it — as U.S. Reps. John Mica and Sandy Adams both declared for the neighboring District 7 seat.

Legislator, ex-mayor eyeing 6th Congressional District seat [Central Florida Political Pulse]

Now that U.S. Reps. John Mica and Sandy Adams are on record as saying they’re running against each other in the redrawn 7th congressional district — which centers on Seminole County — state Rep. Fred Costello, R-Ormond Beach, is set to jump into the race for the new “coastal district” that runs from Volusia to the northern border of St. Johns County.

But first, a few caveats.

Costello says he won’t run if either Mica, a 10-term Republican congressman, or Adams, a Tea Party favorite who was elected in 2010, changes plans and decides to tee it up in District 6. Plus, he says, he’s making no declaration of candidacy — and will raise no money — until the legislative session ends, likely in early March.

“I’m not going to do anything until the House session is over,” said Costello, a dentist who was mayor of Ormond Beach for eight years before being elected to the Legislature in 2010. And even though the prohibition against fund-raising during a legislative session doesn’t apply to candidates for federal office, Costello says he’ll honor that as well, describing his decision as “about ethics and integrity.”

Costello says he’s talking up his candidacy now to keep folks from endorsing someone else — right now, former Ruth’s Chris CEO Craig Miller is the only announced Republican candidate in the district — but that after the session “I’m all in.” That would include, he said, selling his dental practice so he can be a full-time congressman.

NOTE: We just got an email from Ron DeSantis, who describes himself as “an Iraq war veteran, former prosecutor and principled conservative,” who says he’s running in the district as well. Look for a separate blog post about him.

Mack to collect endorsement of four Miami-Dade members of Congress [Central Florida Political Pulse]

So, earlier today former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux announced that five Florida legislators had endorsed him. It didn’t take his Republican U.S. Senate rival, U.S. Rep. Connie Mack IV, long to respond.

Mack’s campaign announced he’d be appearing at 10 a.m. Monday in Hialeah with Republican U.S. Reps Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Mario Diaz-Balart and David Rivera, along with Mario’s ex-congressman brother, Lincoln. The group — except for Rivera — had thrown their weight behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the Jan. 31 presidential primary, helping power Romney to a more than 2-to-1 victory over Newt Gingrich in Miami-Dade.

FAMU President Ammons gets mixed review from trustees [Sentinel School Zone]

In their annual review of Florida A&M University President James Ammons, trustees described him as a knowledgeable, charismatic leader who also needs to hold his staff members more accountable and work harder in areas such as fundraising.

A consultant who prepared Ammons’ job evaluation met with the president and the board of trustees informally at a dinner Wednesday to share the highlights of his report, based largely on interviews with the 13 trustees.

That report will eventually be presented to the Board of Governors, which oversees the State University System.

The discussion of Ammons’ review barely touched on the hazing controversy that has rocked the university for months — primarily because it focused on his work during the last school year, months before the hazing death of student Robert Champion on Nov. 19 in Orlando.

The meeting did, however, reveal division among trustees, some of whom rated the president high in areas such as leadership and some who gave him very low marks. The consultant, Edward Penson, noted the vast differences in trustees’ opinions of Ammons.

“I’ve never experienced as many mixed views of the president’s strengths,” Penson said.

Ammons, who was publicly reprimanded in December because trustees were unhappy with how he handled the fallout from Champion’s death, acknowledged that the results of the review were unexpected.

“The inconsistencies — that was kind of surprising,” he said.

Class warfare declared in Seminole schools? [Sentinel School Zone]

Does Brodeur's plan save Seminole schools?

State Rep. Jason Brodeur’s controversial amendment to the House’s budget is an interesting read, with layers of intrigue packed into just three sentences, albeit two of them are long in typical lawmakers’ style.

Brodeur wants to restrict Seminole school closings

As we reported, the Sanford Republican’s plan targets the Seminole County School Board and is aimed apparently at preventing the board from closing any schools, as it is considering. (You can read Brodeur’s amendment to the House budget here; scroll down to the bottom.)

One part that jumped out at me is the proposal to cut salaries of any school district administrators making more than $100,000 a year. There are 29 in the school system, including Superintendent Bill Vogel, and Brodeur wants their pay whacked by at least 25% before any schools are closed.

Ring any bells? Has the Tea Party Republican Brodeur taken a page from President Obama’s playbook? Those who make more should contribute more, in this case toward resolving the school district’s financial crisis?

And looking over the list of “100 G” earners, Jackson Heights Middle School Principal Winston Bailey might quickly want to ask for a $72 pay cut to bring him under the wire.

School district officials already are pointing out that the pay cut proposal would have some supervisors earning less than some of those they supervise. Which workers might applaud, but it does not fit the Business Model that political leaders keep reminding the school district that it should follow.

There also is a landmine in the proposal that those supporting it might have to tiptoe around carefully. Brodeur’s plan calls for no school closings or cuts to programs such as art or music “without first having documented that it has accomplished district-wide rezoning” of schools. That in an apparent effort to balance out enrollments and give smaller schools more kids.

But if you ever have followed a school rezoning battle, it is emotional and bloody. Nobody wants their kids to switch schools. And if you are the ones switching, there’s no difference than if your schools were being closed. So rezone all 60 county schools and get parents of all 64,00 students riled and arguing to protect their turf?

And after the rezoning, if the School Board decided the best interests of taxpayers still would be served by closing some schools because thousands of vacant seats still remain, some or many schools would have to be rezoned again to handle the students from the closed schools.

Sound like a plan?

More on House education bill and its poison pill for Seminole schools [Sentinel School Zone]

As a follow-up to yesterday’s report that a House budget amendment took aim at Seminole County schools –seeking to curb its ability to close schools or cut budgets — here’s a full story on that issue from colleague Aaron Deslatte.

He reports that the Senate’s education budget chief, Sen. David Simmons, R-Maitland, isn’t interested in doing something similar in his budget plan. “I do not agree with the punitivie measures for Superintendent (Bill) Vogel’s good-faith attempt to bring an issue to public debate,” Simmons said.

The House plan was pushed by Rep. Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, who said the Seminole County school district was trying to force taxpayers into ”spending ourselves into chronic tax increases.”

In case you missed it, Columnist Scott Maxwell’s take on all this is here.

Magic to give Seminole State scholarships [Sentinel School Zone]

The Orlando Magic has anounced that it will be offering three full scholarships this fall to Seminole State College to graduating high school seniors from Seminole, Orange and Osceola counties.

Each of the scholarships provided by the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation is for two years and is worth about $3,000 per year. The awards will go to students with financial need who have at least a 2.5 grade point average and meet certain score requirements on college admissions tests.

“We are excited to partner with the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation to help provide additional education opportunities to our community,” said John Gyllin, executive director of the Foundation for Seminole State College.

The Magic also have provided the college with $75,000 for its new Molding Another Generation in College fund. The program will priovde support for college students who are the first in their families to go on to higher education.

Deferred Olive Branch charter school in Orange will not open [Sentinel School Zone]

A charter school that had planned to open in Orange County next year will not do so after all. Olive Branch Charter’s application was approved in October 2010, and the school asked for a one-year deferral when it couldn’t find a suitable site. In January, school representatives contacted Orange County to say they still hadn’t found a place, and asked for their contract to be terminated.

The applicants had said their school would “provide an academically challenging and innovative educational program for 194 students, grades K-5 that focuses on mathematics, science and technology.” Under the original plans, the school would have been associated with Mt. Olive Church.

The county School Board is scheduled to accept the termination request next week. If the charter school wishes to open later, they will have to reapply.

FL gets NCLB waiver [Sentinel School Zone]

Florida is one of 10 states that’s been granted a waiver from the federal No Child Let Behind law. An official announcement is expected later today, and we’ll have more then.

The waiver means Florida’s A-to-F school grading system will be the only one judging public school performance. Of course, that system is getting an overhaul, so it will be tougher and likely include some pieces the feds required before granting the waiver.

Killarney Elementary battling hunger among its students [Sentinel School Zone]

Staff at Killarney Elementary in Winter Park are establishing a group that will help address the personal needs of the school’s students, including weekend hunger.

A new food pantry at the school has started taking donations, and a new task force will raise donations to buy food, school supplies, hygiene items and clothing for needy students. The school has a large homeless population and 85 percent of the school’s 425 students get free or reduced-price lunches because of poverty.

The Killarney Task Force will hold its first meeting tonight at 5 p.m. in the school media center.

Powerball jackpot of $310 million highest ever in Florida [Mr. Lucky]

There was no jackpot winner in Powerball Wednesday night, so the estimated jackpot for Saturday night is $310 million.

That is the highest jackpot since the Florida Lottery joined the game more than two years ago.

And if you take a one-time, lump-sum payment, it is estimated at an incredible $193.4 million.

Several people in Florida won $10,000 Wednesday night by matching four numbers and the Powerball.

The numbers were 17 – 28 – 38 – 39 – 51 and the Powerball was 33.

Cloudy with chance of rain today [Ken Kaye's Storm Center]

Expect another gray day with a good chance of rain and a strong breeze, the National Weather Service said.

Lottery results for Powerball, Florida Lotto, Fantasy 5 [Mr. Lucky]

Powerball was at a whopping $250 million Wednesday night, while Florida Lotto was at the base jackpot of $2 million. Did you win? Find those winning numbers plus Fantasy 5 by clicking here.

Brodeur and Dorworth feel heat over schools, file bill – and expose their own hypocrisy [Taking Names the Blog]

Two Seminole County Republicans are trying to jam a bizarre, targeted – and hypocritical — amendment into the state budget.

The story broke today. (You can read it here: “Seminole County schools hit by state budget amendment.”) The amendment basically tells Seminole — and only Seminole — that it can’t close any schools or cut teacher salaries … even though the legislature voted to slash school spending and give them less money.

Yes, the two sponsors of this bill — Chris Dorworth and Jason Brodeur — cut school budgets by more than $1 billion. And now that local residents are actually trying to deal with the problems they created, these guys want to stop them.

Why? (Well the real reason is that these guys are feeling the heat from ticked off parents who are finally wising up to the fact that these guys don’t care about public schools as much as they claimed in their campaign brochures.)

But the reason that Dorworth and Brodeur gave, according to the story, was that they wanted ”to force districts to be more accountable.”

Yes, Dorworth is preaching accountability.

Dorworth … whose house is now facing foreclosure.

Dorworth … who got himself into a $10,000-a-month mortgage with only $2,600-a-month income.

Dorworth … who was caught skipping so many tolls that the state started proceedings to take his drivers license.

That’s the guy who’s preaching fiscal accountability to others.

There are scores of problems with this bill. It’s state government trying to run a local one. It’s a statewide amendment written to affect only one of 67 counties. It’s a couple of cowardly state reps — finally feeling heat about their assault on public schools — trying to cover their own tails.

Heck, even fellow Republicans — more experienced and respected ones — are calling out this goofball move for what it is.

Said Republican State Senator David Simmons: “ ”I do not agree with punitive measures for Superintendent[Bill] Vogel’s good-faith attempt to bring an issue to public debate.”

But it doesn’t stop there.

Because one of the richest, most hypocritical parts of this amendment is the straw-man hooey these guys try to throw up when they claim that what they’re really worried about is how many Seminole County school officials are making more than $100,000.

Hold your horses right there.

Chris Dorworth and Jason Brodeur work for a state legislature that is paying more staffers $100,000 — and more — than ever before.

(See here: “More than 60 top staffers in Legislature drawing six-figure salaries“)

We’re talking spokeswomen, deputy chiefs, policy advisers — you name it — all making anywhere from $100,000 to $175,000.

These people work with Brodeur and Dorworth. And yet I’ve never heard a single peep from either one of them about this supposed largesse.

Did I mess it, guys? Did one of you pen a memo scolding House Speaker Dean Cannon for jacking up the top staff’;s payroll before laying off lower-paid state workers? Did either of you draft a bill targeting the big salaries right under your own noses before you started griping about them elsewhere?

If you did, please just show us the proof. Then maybe you won’t be left looking like hypocritical, pandering cowards … whose proposals aren’t even respected by your own GOP peers in the Senate.

And if you didn’t, well, maybe you should get your own house in order before you go lecturing others about theirs.

Seminole schools win national award [Sentinel School Zone]

Seminole wins national recognition

The College Board Advocacy & Policy Center has recognized Seminole County Public Schools for their success in preparing low-income students for college.

The local school system is among only 16 nationwide to earn a CollegeKeys Compact Innovation Award from the center that works to ensure that all students have an opportunity for college.

Seminole was recognized for its Achieve Transition Program, which preps at risk students for college starting in ninth grade.

Each summer about 600 students heading into ninth grade at county high schools get a head start on freshman courses. When fall term begins they already have a basic understanding of the subjects. They also receive mentoring and guidance through high school. Those who make it through with at least a 2.5 grade point average are promised a first semester of free tuition at Seminole State College.

The first batch of students in the program will graduate from high school in 2013.

“Teachers have worked very hard to make this program work,” said Walt Griffin, director of secondary education. “I love to see them get this recognition.

Along with the honor comes a $5,000 cash prize that will be used to help with program expenses.

Charter schools shortchanged in funding, TaxWatch report says, suggesting a sharing of local property taxes might make sense [Sentinel School Zone]

The state’s charter schools receive just 68 to 71 percent of what traditional schools get per-student, Florida TaxWatch estimates in a new report released today.

The business-backed group says that because charters don’t get a share of local property taxes, they don’t have as much to spend. TaxWatch said efforts to require school districts to share local tax money with local charter schools would help end the financial disadvantage of these privately run public schools.

Of course, as we noted earlier this week, the Legislature is considering an effort to do just that — a move fiercely opposed by school districts.

The TaxWatch report lists other options to help equalize funding for charters, which serve about 1 of every 15 Florida students. Those include distributing state funding in a way that takes into account the extra local money traditional schools get, which would ”provide funding parity for operations without requiring local districts to share funds directly.”

Grab bag event this Saturday at Plato's Closet [Frugal Force]

Plato's Closet is having a grab bag event this Saturday. Starting at 10a.m. , stuff as many clearance items as you can fit into one bag for $20. One day only, and while supplies last, so come early.

For a location near you go here.

$5 admission to Orlando Science Center on February 12 [Frugal Force]

Admission to The Orlando Science Center will be $5 this Sunday. Access to all its exhibits, films and live programs will be available on “Walmart $5 Day.”

The new traveling exhibit at the Orlando Science Center is “Bob the Builder – Project: Build It!”

For more information go here.

Orlando's daily deals for February 8 [Frugal Force]

Orlando's daily deals for February 8:

HotDealsOrlando is offering $25 for $50 of Intimates & Sleepwear at LaBella Intimates. Check this deal out at HotDealsOrlando.com.

Groupon is offering $29 for $60 at Dry Clean Super Store. Check this deal out at Groupon.com.

Living Social is offering $10 for a One-Year Subscription to Cooking with Paula Deen. Check this deal out at LivingSocial.com.

ODeals Daily is offering a Week Long Bartending Course for only $149 from 123 Bartending School ($419 Value). Check this deal out at ODealsDaily.com.

Eversave Orlando is offering $25 for a therapeutic massage at Massage Therapy. Check this deal out at Eversave.com/Orlando.

Legislative pork – a look at Siplin, Haridopolos & the sausage [Taking Names the Blog]

In case you missed it, today’s paper carried an insightful little story about the debates over turkeys and pet projects in the state budget.

Several things worth noting about this story:

First, it still happens. These guys want you to think they are different — from Washington, from their predecessors, from everybody else they scream about on the campaign trail. They are not. They try to snag state money for little local projects, like rec centers, all the time … while indignantly scolding others.

Second, notice that one of the chief pet-project askers was Orlando’s own Gary Siplin. This is how that relationship happens. GOP leaders give Siplin his pork. And Siplin will often break ranks with his own party on key issues to vote with the Republicans. It ain’t complicated … just worth pointing out while it’s happening.

And finally, one of the few critics was of this process Republican Senator Mike Fasano — whom Senate President Mike Haridopolos recently stripped of his committee chairmanship. (See what happens to dissenters?)Fasano noted that some of these pet/pork project were more than questionable; they were ones that Rick Scott had actually already vetoed. Yet, legislators were trying to stuff them back in.

You can read the full story here.

Lots of clouds today [Ken Kaye's Storm Center]

All told, it should be a nice February day - that is if you like fog and clouds.

Orlando's daily deals for February 7 [Frugal Force]

Orlando's daily deals for February 7:

HotDealsOrlando is offering $20 for $40 of Home-Made Gourmet Cakes at Cupcake Crazy. Check this deal out at HotDealsOrlando.com.

Groupon is offering $35 for $85 at Advanced Massage Therapy Rehabilitation. Check this deal out at Groupon.com.

Living Social is offering $49 for 16x20 Magic Gallery Wrap Collage from Magic Gallery Wrap. Check this deal out at LivingSocial.com.

ODeals Daily is offering $100 of Personal Tax Preparation Services from Jackson Hewitt for Just $40. Check this deal out at Orlando.ODealsDaily.com.

Eversave Orlando is offering $12 for an ice skating package for two or $89 for eight skating lessons. Check this deal out at Eversave.com/Orlando.

More rain likely today, but some sun too [Ken Kaye's Storm Center]

After a soggy Monday, the result of that weird disturbance, more rain is likely today.

Free beverage at Starbucks when you buy blonde roast coffee [Frugal Force]

Get a free beverage when you buy a bag of Starbuck's blonde roast coffee now through Feb. 8. For more details go here

Republicanos, Venezuela…and Malvinas or Falkland [Hispanosphere]

El Sentinel editor Rafael Palacio was a guest on Univisión’s “Al Punto” with Jorge Ramos this Sunday, discussing the latest issues of interest in Latin America. El Sentinel is a Spanish-language weekly published by the Orlando Sentinel.

Palacio and Ana Barón, Washington-based correspondent for Clarín (Argentina), talked about the Republican primaries, the latests unemployment numbers and the upcoming election in Venezuela (Feb. 12th) to choose the candidate facing Hugo Chávez later this year for the presidency.

Barón also talked about the renovated controversy between London and Buenos Aires over the sovereignty of the British-ruled territory known as Islas Malvinas — or Falkland Islands.

USCIS Announces Expansion of E-Verify Self Check [Hispanosphere]

Alejandro Mayorkas

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Alejandro Mayorkas will announce the final expansion of E-Verify Self Check at a press conference in Orlando on Thursday, Feb. 9. The announcement marks the expansion of the program to all 50 states, including Florida, as well as Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.

According to a press release sent to Hispanosphere, Self Check is a free online service of E-Verify that allows workers to check their own employment eligibility status before formally seeking employment. The program was developed to provide prospective workers with confidence that their Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security records are accurate before they attempt to apply for a job in the U.S.

Self Check’s initial launch in March 2011 was limited to a number of participating states to ensure that USCIS could provide an accurate and efficient service. Last fall, USCIS added an additional 16 states and also offered a Spanish version of Self Check.

Lottery promotion Wednesday at Walmart Neighborhood Market in Avalon Park [Mr. Lucky]

A while back, Walmart began selling lottery tickets at its Neighborhood Markets.

Travis Motes, manager of the Walmart Neighborhood Market in Avalon Park, said ticket sales have been good at his store. Now it’s time to celebrate with a special promotion from the Florida Lottery.

From 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, each time you buy $10 worth of lottery tickets, you get to spin the prize wheel for Florida Lottery tickets and merchandise. And from 2 to 4 p.m, 105.9 FM will be doing a remote radio broadcast from the store.

In addition to the lucky wheel, the Florida Lottery is also going to have its Blizzard of Bucks machine where you get a chance to grab some cash.

The store is at 433 Avalon Park South Blvd.

These events are always a lot of fun. So stop by and tell Travis that Mr. Lucky sent you.

Orlando's daily deals for February 6 [Frugal Force]

Orlando's daily deals for February 6:

HotDealsOrlando is offering Over 80% off a Four-Week Weight Loss Program & More at Physicians Weight Loss Centers (Up to $499 Value). Check this deal out at HotDealsOrlando.com.

Groupon is offering $35 for $85 at No Limit Services. Check this deal out at Groupon.com.

Living Social is offering $20 for $40 to Spend on Food and Drink at Blue 44. Check this deal out at LivingSocial.com.

ODeals Daily is offering Signature Boudoir Photo Session and Portrait at Glamour Shots for $25 ($100 Value). Check this deal out at Orlando.ODealsDaily.com.

Eversave Orlando is offering $9 for a full-body airbrush tan. Check this deal out at Eversave.com/Orlando.

Next Powerball jackpot: $250,000,000 [Mr. Lucky]

My friend Bill has already bought his Powerball tickets for Wednesday night.

Bill, who will soon turn 75, only plays Powerball when the jackpot reached $200 million.

A lot of people are like that. Folks who don’t normally play Powerball will be digging into their pockets this week.

Wednesday night’s jackpot is an estimated $250 million with a lump-sum payment of $156 million.

If we don’t have a jackpot winner Wednesday night, the prize should soar into the $300 million range.

On Saturday night, one Florida player matched the five white balls and, because the ticket was bought with Power Play, won $2 million.

Lottery results for Powerball, Florida Lotto, Fantasy 5 [Mr. Lucky]

Powerball jackpot was at $200 million Saturday night, while Florida Lotto was $12 million. Did you win? Find those winning numbers plus Fantasy 5 by clicking here.

Drought continues to spread across South Florida [Ken Kaye's Storm Center]

Following an abnormally dry January, moderate drought conditions now encompass virtually all of South Florida, increasing wildfire danger and starting to turn lawns brown.

Best things to buy in February [Frugal Force]

According to Lifehacker.com, you can get better bargains on these items this month:

Boats
Broadway Tickets
Digital Cameras
HDTVs & Home Theaters

For a complete list, go to Lifehacker.com

Breezy Friday, showers possible over weekend [Ken Kaye's Storm Center]

Expect a breezy day with gusts of more than 20 mph.

Orlando's daily deals for February 3 [Frugal Force]

Orlando's daily deals for February 3:

HotDealsOrlando is offering $10 for $20 at Mochi Frozen Yogurt at Two Location ($65 value). Check this deal out at HotDealsOrlando.com.

Groupon is offering three-month gym membership and tanning access (Up to $198.70 value) at Anytime Fitness. Check this deal out at Groupon.com.

Living Social is offering $125 for full-face or full-chest IPL photo-facial at Winter Park Laser & Anti-Aging Center. Check this deal out at LivingSocial.com.

Eversave Orlando is offering $99 for six laser hair removal sessions from Cascades MedSpa. Check this deal out at Eversave.com/Orlando.

Phil: Six more weeks of winter, but not in South Florida [Ken Kaye's Storm Center]

You want a prediction about the weather? I'll give you a prediction. It's going to be cold, it's going to be gray and it's going to last you for the rest of your life.

Lottery results for Powerball, Florida Lotto, Fantasy 5 [Mr. Lucky]

Powerball’s jackpot was at $170 million Wednesday night, while Florida Lotto had hit $11 million. Did you win? Find out those winning numbers and Fantasy 5 here.

Plakon’s bill to ban gender- and ethnic-based abortion advances [Taking Names the Blog]

Florida legislators are spending a lot of time trying to pass new anti-abortion measures this year. And one of the most unique ones is sponsored by Seminole County Republican Scott Plakon — one that would ban Florida women from getting an abortion specifically because they don’t like the gender or race of the child.

Now, Plakon doesn’t have examples of this actually happening. But he said the statistics suggest that it’s pretty likely. (He cited, for instance, studies that show Asian and Indian couples having boys for their second and third children at a rate that defies any other logical explanation.)

Plakon also argues his bill isn’t really about abortion. (It’s filed under ”abortion” in official records.) Instead, he views it as a “nondiscrimination” bill — to prevent women from aborting fetuses solely based upon their race or gender.

For that reason, Plakon titled his bill: “The Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass Prenatal Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity for Life Act.”

Those who actually fight for women’s and minority rights haven’t viewed Plakon’s bill as quite the civil-rights crusade he depicts. In fact, they have vocally opposed it.

Also questioning parts of the bill are analysts for the House. One analysis by the legislature’s own staff contained a line that I’ve never seen before. It said the following of Plakon’s bill: “Lines 33-219 contain whereas clauses, the accuracy of which cannot be verified.” The bill is only 300 lines long.

(Plakon later said he believed his bill earned that unusual analyses, not because it was flawed, but because he put an extraordinary number of “whereas” clauses in the bill, which staff didn’t have the time or need to vet.)

Still, staffers also raised questions about constitutionality of the bill at both the state and federal level, saying the Supreme Court may get involved.

Enforcement is also somewhat unclear. The bill threatens to fine nurse’s, counselors and doctors up to $10,000 if they don’t report women who they believe are having abortions for these reasons.

Still, Plakon said he was committed to trying to ban this practice because the practice is so heinous.

“We all agree that it’s a barbaric practice,” he said, adding that, without laws to prohibit it: “The United States is now a safe haven.”

His bill has already passed two House committees, it’s second one yesterday.

Breezy start to February; beware of rip currents [Ken Kaye's Storm Center]

February should kick off with another warm breezy day, picking up where January left off.

Walmart gives $50 gift card with purchase of a smartphone [Frugal Force]

Walmart is running a promotion that will be effective now until February 14, 2012. With purchase any smartphone (except the iPhone) from Walmart on contract, Walmart will throw in a $50 gift card.

thinking about buying a phone in the next two weeks, the place to do it is at Walmart. Starting today through Feb. 14, shoppers will receive a $50 Walmart gift card with the purchase of any smartphone* at a Walmart store. Whether you’re looking to start the New Year with a new phone or in desperate need of a Valentine’s Day gift idea that pays you back, buying a smartphone at Walmart is a good choice, for your wallet and marriage.

Some of the new smartphones available with a $50 gift card, include:

AT&T

HTC Inspire 4G
Samsung Infuse Black
Blackberry Torch 4G
Samsung Galaxy S 2

Verizon

LG Enlighten
HTC Incredible II
Motorola Droid X2

T-Mobile

HTC Sensation 4G
Samsung Galaxy S 4G
Samsung Galaxy S II
HTC Wildfire Black

Sprint

Motorola Photon

courtesy of* Tammy Varner/Mitchell Communications Group, Inc.

High risk of rip currents through Wednesday [Ken Kaye's Storm Center]

State emergency managers are urging South Florida beachgoers to use caution in the water because of a high risk of strong and frequent rip currents.

An immigration debate and discussion – Thursday in Orlando [Taking Names the Blog]

Looking to learn more about the complex issue of immigration?

Then join me as I moderate what is sure to be a spirited debate and discussion among six people with very different perspectives on the issue Thursday evening at 5:30 at the library in downtown Orlando.

The panelists assembled by the local chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association truly run the gamut — including an immigration attorney, a chamber of commerce spokesman and a South Florida pastor who recently made national headlines for his role as an outspoken and controversial surrogate for Rick Santorum’s campaign. (See here and here.)

You as you can see all of them on the attached flier here: ImmigrationForum. (A sixth panelist was added today from the business-oriented www.ImmigrationWorksFL.org group.)

I look forward to learning more about this complex issue as I help move the discussion along. And you are welcome to join us.

EVENT: “Waiting for Superman: How to Reform our Broken Immigration System.”

WHEN: Thursday, February 2, 2011 commencing at 5:30-7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Orlando Public Library, Albertson Room (3rd Floor). 101 E. Central Blvd., Orlando, FL 32801.

Pre-paid tuition deadline Tuesday. After that, more big spikes [Taking Names the Blog]

Any parent thinking about getting a prepaid tuition package for their child might want to act quickly — like today.

Tomorrow is the deadline for this year’s locked-in rate of about $49,000 for a newborn — up $4,000 from last year. It’s a big amount. But, broken down by months, it’s more manageable (around $300/month for newborns). More importantly, it’s going to go up – as much as 15 percent a year – in coming years.

I may write a bit more about university tuition later this week — and I welcome your thoughts on that front as well.

But for now, just thought a headsup might be helpful. More info at www.myfloridaprepaid.com.

Powerball, Florida Lotto winning numbers [Mr. Lucky]

Here’s a link to the winning numbers drawn Saturday night (Jan. 28, 2012):

Winning numbers

Good luck!

Comic, pundit Ben Stein goes pro-casino – sets off Malarkey Meter [Taking Names the Blog]

The pro-casino crowd taps Ben Stein in their newest ad. See for yourself what happened when we ran some of his claims through the Malarkey Meter.

Cuban fútbol star scores with MLS team [Hispanosphere]

Orlando City Soccer Club today announced the sale of midfielder Yordany Alvarez to Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake. Salt Lake exercised their option to purchase Alvarez’s contract following his loan spell at the end of the 2011 season.

Alvarez has been with the organization for three years, originally playing for the Austin Aztex in 2009 and 2010. He was originally scouted by Adrian Heath in a tryout in Southern California, in late 2008. His permanent move to Major League Soccer caps an incredible 2011 for the athlete.

Alvarez, a Cuban refugee who defected in 2008, received his green card late in 2011.

In total, Alvarez appeared in 21 regular season games for City in 2011. He was also instrumental in Orlando’s US Open Cup run, scoring the game-tying goal in the third round against FC Dallas of MLS.

“Yordany is a quality individual as well as a great midfield player, it has been our pleasure to have him with us for the past three years,” said Orlando City President, Phil Rawlins. “His game has developed considerably under Adrian’s coaching and I am sure he will be an outstanding performer for Real Salt Lake.”

Florida Lottery needs to get a new station to show drawings in Orlando [Mr. Lucky]

Did you tune in to WKMG-Ch. 6 at10:59 p.m. last night for the Powerball drawing?

I did. And when they went straight to news without showing the drawing, I assumed there was some delay in holding the drawing.

Not so, said Florida Lottery spokeswoman Connie Barnes.

“The Powerball drawing was conducted on time last night,” she told me this morning.

WKMG already delays the Lotto and Fantasy 5 drawings by several minutes on Wednesday and Saturday nights. Why can’t they adjust their schedule to show them live?

On the other nights, they read the results and often talk so fast it’s impossible to write the numbers down.

It’s time for the Florida Lottery to find another TV station to show the drawings.

Unbelievable: Two Quick Pick jackpot winners at the same store [Mr. Lucky]

From time to time, there will be more than one jackpot-winning ticket purchased at the same store.

It happens when people play a set of numbers more than once.

According to the Florida Lottery, four tickets split Wednesday night’s Fantasy 5 jackpot and all were Quick Picks. The Lottery says two of them were purchased at the University BP, 10860 Miromar Outlet Drive, Estero.

What are the odds of the Lottery’s computer spitting out two winning Quick Picks at the same store?

The other winning tickets were bought in Miami and Jay.

I checked with Lottery spokeswoman Connie Barnes to see if there was a mistake, but she told me both tickets bought at the BP in Estero were Quick Picks.

Estero, by the way, is in Lee County in southwest Florida.

Tavistock land sales – helping community or helping themselves? [Taking Names the Blog]

Beth Kassab had a good column in today’s paper about Tavistock trying to get UCF to pay top-dollar — translation: above-market — prices for land in the burgeoning Medical City in east Orange County.

We are used to having private companies try to take advantage (and succeed) of taxpayers.

And as Beth said: “You can’t blame Tavistock for trying to turn a profit.”

But you CAN stop viewing Tavistock’s efforts in this endeavors as some sort of benevolent team player — an image the company seems to covet.

Team players don’t try to take taxpayers for a ride. Their new asking price: $600,000 … an acre. About $15 million total.

So Tavistock: Try to maximize your profits. Or try to be an altruistic leader. Either is fine and certainly your right. But it’s awfully hard to do both.

Zazón Café opens its doors at FTC Kissimmee [Hispanosphere]

A Salsa legend will visit Central Florida to preside the opening of the Zazón Café Restaurant at Florida Technical College’s Kissimmee Campus.

Latin music star Andy Montañez, a pioneer in the Salsa genre, will cut the ribbon at the restaurant’s official Grand Opening celebration, which will take place on January 26^th at 5:30 p.m.

Residents of Kissimmee and surrounding communities are invited to participate in this event, which will feature complimentary hors d’oeuvres, live entertainment and door prizes.

This grand opening coincides with FTC’s 30^th Anniversary celebration, expressed Mr. David Ruggieri, FTC president. “We are very proud of having been able to fulfill the dreams of numerous Central Florida students for the past thirty years,” he said.

OPD Chief Rooney: “If we mess up, we come clean.” [Taking Names the Blog]

On Sunday, I wrote about the Orlando Police Department shooting from November 2010, where multiple officers claimed they shot an unarmed man because he was trying to “ram” them with his car … only to have the FDLE determine the ramming never happened.

Instead, FDLE determined one of the cop cars was actually shoving the suspect’s/victim’s car from behind — contradicting testimony from the officers (including the ones shoving his car) who claimed the suspect was trying to escape and injure the officers.

More than a year had passed since the incident. And until now, OPD had remained silent.

This week, however, OPD Chief Paul Rooney called this week to discuss the matter.

(The department also released its internal-affairs report. I haven’t yet read the several-hundred-pages report. I will. But reporter Bianca Prieto summarized much it in today’s paper and reported that I.A. decided none of the officers needed to be disciplined.)

Rooney concluded the operation was flawed from the start — particularly since the woman who convened it, Sgt. Rhonda Huckelbery, was doing so because she believed her husband was a victim of the suspected credit-card thieves they were investigating.

“Common sense would tell you that if your husband is victim of a credit-card theft,” Rooney said, “well, that’s why we have an economic-crimes unit.”

Rooney said Huckelberry used “poor judgment” – but stressed that there was nothing in the formal police manuals to prevent an officer from convening a task force to avenge a family member’s crime.

So Huckelberry was not disciplined — though he noted that she had since been moved to a patrol division. He also stressed that he personally inserted language into the manual to prevent officers from planning future take-downs connected to members of their own family.

Rooney said he didn’t want to get into too many details, because there may be a lawsuit. (One hasn’t been filed. But the man they shot, Rogelio Cortes, was hit five times and charged with a half-dozen crimes — including attempted murder — all of which were later dropped.)

But Rooney said he wanted to assure members of the public that he takes the public trust seriously.

“I have to look myself in the mirror,” he said. “I’m not going to sweep anything under the carpet. If we mess up, we come clean.”

Orange County tax breaks for biz – yay or nay? [Taking Names the Blog]

I’m getting a lotta email from residents looking for insight on the upcoming vote to give property-tax breaks to businesses that are willing to expand or move to Orange County.

Well, today’s newspaper had a piece summarizing it in basic terms. (Read it here.) And you can read the full ballot language, along with the county’s explanation, for yourself here.

But basically, it would give companies that relocate or expand in Orange County a tax break of up to 100 percent on their property taxes for up to 10 years.

So for those who’ve asked, here are the pros and cons as I see them:

PROS – The incentives could spur new companies to come to Orange County or encourage existing ones to expand. That could generate new jobs and commerce. The overall hit to taxpayers is small in the grand scheme of the tax base. And setting basic standards for tax-break incentives is slightly more fair than deciding them based solely on which companies have the best lobbyists and PR tactics.

CONS – This will award tax breaks to companies that had expansions planned anyway. The impact will last for a full decade – long after the recession has (hopefully) ended. Most importantly: You, I and every other current taxpayer will make up the difference. Taxes, after all, aren’t some charitable contribution. They pay for county services that the businesses need and use. And if the businesses aren’t paying for their share, you will. Also, this practice will still reward companies with the best lobbyists and PR practices. A company with a great expansion plan – but bad sales pitch – still might not be able to win over the commissioners, who must hand-pick every tax break. When politicians get the final say on which companies get breaks, the playing field is never equal.

Red Huber signing shuttle calendars on Janaury 19 [Space Blog The Write Stuff]

This photo of space shuttle Discovery from March 11, 2009 is part of the 2012 space shuttle calendar. (Red Huber, Orlando Sentinel)

Orlando Sentinel senior staff photographer Red Huber will be signing copies of his 2012 Space Shuttle calendar on Thursday, January 19. Huber will be in the main lobby of the Sentinel at 633 North Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando from noon until 3 p.m.

Huber signed calendars for the public in December and there was a line out the door for several hours as hundreds of people had their calendars signed.

Huber is widely known for his coverage of the space shuttle program from the first launch in 1981 until the end of the program. The 13-month 2012 calendar showcases some of his favorite photos from the 30 years of shuttle launches.

The calendars will be on sale for $12.95 at the Sentinel and are also available online here.

Roberto Clemente: “Beyond Baseball” opens in Orlando [Hispanosphere]

Hector Nazario painted a mural last year in the Azalea Little Leagues Field.

Roberto Clemente Walker (1934-1972), who played baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates for 18 years, remains a legendary figure in sports, in philanthropy, and in the hearts of millions in Puerto Rico and America.

Beyond Baseball: The Life of Roberto Clemente, developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, the Smithsonian Latino Center, the Clemente family, and the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, is a bilingual tribute to his outstanding achievements that takes visitors on a journey into sports history, ethnic pride, and a profound commitment to helping others. The exhibition opens at the Orange County Regional History Center in Orlando, Fla., on January 21.

El Sentinel reporter Carolina Salazar wrote a preview story in Spanish.

On Saturday, the 28th, graffiti artist Hector “Nicer” Nazario will be painting a mural of Clemente in conjunction with the exhibition. Nazario has worked on movie sets and music-video productions for artists such as Beyoncé and John Mayer. He’ll be joined by Wilfredo “Bio” Feliciano, considered to be one of the top stylists or letter masters of graffiti art. While Nazario paints the 10’ X 8’ center canvas, he and Feliciano will also work with selected children from local elementary, middle, and high schools to paint three sections of the mural expressing their unique talents.

For more information visit the History Center website at thehistorycenter.org or call 407- 836-7010.

Bill Nelson talks tough on snakes … ’sure as heck’ [Taking Names the Blog]

Just perused the latest news release from the state’s senior U.S. senator. Sounds to me like someone just finished an intro-to-writing-thriller-novellas course.

MIAMI – Even when Burmese and Rock pythons started turning up in the Everglades in large numbers a few years ago, most folks laughed off the threat from the huge, non-native snakes as just another Florida nuisance — little worse than some swamp acreage salesman.

But not the state’s senior U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson.

Not the nation’s interior secretary.

And today, the general public’s nonchalance has vanished too.

Du- dum-DUM!!!!!

Later, Nelson offers a little tough talk, saying: “The snakes sure as heck don’t belong in the Everglades.” And there’s a picture to boot.

You can read the full release about Billy the Snake-Slayer here … if you dare.

Orlando Mayor Appoints Multicultural Affairs Director [Hispanosphere]

Luis Martinez (second left) and the Board of the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer announced the appointment of Luis M. Martinez as Multicultural Affairs Director for the City of Orlando.

“The Hispanic community is the fastest growing minority group in our City, which enormously influences the local economy through their purchasing power, the diversification of the workforce and the establishment of minority-owned businesses,” said Mayor Dyer in a press release. “Based on these factors, we felt it was important to establish a new position that gives a stronger voice and better serves our diverse community. I am confident that as the Multicultural Affairs Director, Luis will add to our team and continue providing first class services to all our City’s residents.”

Mayor Dyer is seeking re-election April 3rd.

As the Multicultural Affairs Director, Martinez will develop strategies to enhance the engagement of the Hispanic community, businesses and residents with City government; coordinate international business projects to encourage investments, business relocation and expansion from Latin America to Orlando; and to oversee the Hispanic Office for Local Assistance (HOLA).

Since 2006, the HOLA office has provided information and referral services to new residents and families to our community, connecting them with more than 140 government and community organizations to find jobs, housing, healthcare services, educational opportunities and many other resources. Day-to-day operations of the HOLA Office will continue to be overseen by Alicia Ramirez.

Proceeding to this appointment, Martinez served as Director of Marketing and Recruitment for Ana G. Mendez University System from 2007 to 2011 and last year was appointed as Director of Public Relations and Communications for the Chancellor’s Office of this institution. He also was a board member of the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida, where he collaborated in the coordination of special events, marketing activities and business development initiatives.

NASA tries to settle fight over its artifacts [Space Blog The Write Stuff]

WASHINGTON — Hoping to settle a feud inside the NASA family, NASA Chief Charlie Bolden met Monday with several Apollo astronauts upset with how the agency recently has blocked them from selling space artifacts from their personal collections.

While no final agreement was reached, NASA officials said talks were moving in the right direction.

“These are American heroes, fellow astronauts, and personal friends who have acted in good faith, and we have committed to work together to find the right policy and legal paths forward to address outstanding ownership questions,” said Bolden, a former astronaut, in a statement.

Among those attending the meeting was Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell, who late last year tried to sell a systems checklist from his mission for nearly $390,000.

In response, NASA lawyers sent a letter demanding proof of ownership from the 70-page manual — or risk having the item seized.

In an email, Lovell described the fight simply as a “misunderstanding” and expected the two sides would come to an agreement.

In the meantime, Dallas-based Heritage Auctions, which oversaw the sale, is keeping the checklist in its vaults.

But the feud over the checklist is only the latest example of NASA fighting with its ex-astronauts over old equipment.

Several times in the past year, NASA has moved to block the sale of space artifacts, including a control stick from the Apollo 9 mission and a camera that went to the moon with Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell.

NASA has argued that all space artifacts belong to the agency unless there is concrete proof otherwise.

Astronauts from NASA early days, however, counter that the loose rules of that time period allow them to keep a broader range of souvenirs than NASA astronauts are allowed today.

De la escuela al Congreso: Melendez running for a seat [Hispanosphere]

Osceola County School Board member Julius Melendez is announcing today his intention to run for Congress as representative of the new district currently being drawn. The new seat, known as District 27, covers sections of Orange, Polk and Osceola counties.

The announcement comes on the heels of the release of school grades in which all Osceola high schools were graded “A” or “B” schools.

A press relesase sent to Hispanosphere says that “having earned his Combat Medic Badge in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Mr. Melendez has served his community extensively, saving tax payers millions of dollars and helping to improve the standard of education in Osceola even as budget cuts have heavily impacted the county.”

Mr. Melendez also serves on the boards of the Osceola County Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Business Council.

Los Reyes Magos are coming to town! [Hispanosphere]

The Three Kings at the Mexican Pavillion at Epcot Center. Courtesy of Arron Wilson.

The Hispanic Business Council of the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce is hosting the Three King’s Day in Osceola. Celebrated in Spain and most of Latin America, the Three King’s Day, or el Día de los Reyes, is a holiday recognized by different cultures, as a way to remember the three Wise Men or Kings, as they brought their gifts to baby Jesus.

The Three King’s Day celebration will take place on January 7, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Gateway High School at 93 Panther Paws Tr. (Bill Beck Blvd) in Kissimmee.

As reporter Roxana de la Riva writes in El Sentinel this week, several events are planned to celebrate Three Kings Days. Bill Negron and Orange County Commissioner Jennifer Thompson will be hosting a community event at the Meadow Woods Recreation Center.

Happy New Year y Feliz Día de los Reyes Magos a todos los lectores de Hispanosphere !

Mixing ingredients, traditions [Hispanosphere]

Coquito cupcake.

Chef Brandon Lawrentz.

Enjoy a Coquito, the traditional Puerto Rican holiday drink, with a fork?

Yes, that’s possible after a local Orlando chef combined the flavor of the sweet Puerto Rican beverage with a cupcake.

Coquito is an egg, coconut milk, sweet condesed milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove concoction traditionally enjoyed during Christmas and New Year’s celebrations in Puerto Rico, as well as Central Florida.

Chef Brandon Lawrentz, owner of Olive’s Gourmet Cupcakes, said Central Florida’s Puerto Rican community inspired him to blend the festive drink with his cupcake menu.

“I grew up in Central Florida and have many friends from Puerto Rico. I am very familiar with the holiday drink and it was kind of natural for me to try this,” said Lawrentz, who also sells his cupcakes at farmers markets in the Orlando area on weekends.

Variations of the drink include flavored rum or spiced rum, ginger, ground nuts, vanilla, chocolate and evaporated milk.

For his Latin-flavored cupcake, Lawrentz bakes a rum cake and prepares a filling with coconut and cinnamon custard.

A toasted coconut buttercream is layered on top and a sprinkling of coconut completes the product.

He says that people stop by his table and share stories with him on how families reunite in the kitchen to make Coquito.

“I always get positive interaction when Coquito cupcakes are on display,” said.

In Puerto Rico, each family has a “special ingredient” when making Coquito, according to a story by El Sentinel staff writer Carolina Salazar this weekend.

Sales of Hispanic license plate running on empty [Hispanosphere]

Dennis Freytes, Chairman, Hispanic Achievers Grant Council.

First-year sales of a specialty license plate benefiting programs for Hispanics are running far below the number the state requires to continue offering the tag.

Only 140 “Hispanic Achievers” plates have been sold since the tag’s introduction in February, according to the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The state requires annual sales of at least 1,000, according to a story by El Sentinel staff writer Carolina Salazar.

El Sentinel has a Spanish-language version on their site.

Would you get the Hispanic license plate for you car?

NASA adds Orion test flight [Space Blog The Write Stuff]

WASHINGTON — NASA today announced plans to add an unmanned test flight in 2014 to the development of its Orion crew capsule; a move that could bring some action to Florida a little earlier than expected.

Agency officials hope to blast the Orion from Cape Canaveral aboard a yet-unnamed rocket — although industry and NASA sources suspect it will be the Delta IV — on a test mission that would entail two orbits around Earth before a plunge back for an ocean landing.

“President Obama and Congress have laid out an ambitious space exploration plan, and NASA is moving out quickly to implement it,” said NASA spokesman David Weaver in a statement. “This flight test will provide invaluable data to support the deep space exploration missions this nation is embarking upon.”

Orion is part of NASA’s newly announced $30 billion effort to send future astronauts back to the moon or to a nearby asteroid. When the “Space Launch System” policy first was announced, the test plans included just one unmanned flight in 2017 and a crew mission in 2021.

The added test flight could bring some welcome work to Kennedy Space Center, which has shed thousands of jobs since the final flight of the space shuttle this summer.

Commercial advocates call for more funding, less rules [Space Blog The Write Stuff]

WASHINGTON – A coalition of more than three dozen space leaders – including Frank DiBello, the head of Space Florida – are calling on Congress to fully fund commercial spaceflight in the 2012 budget and limit regulations that they argue could impede spacecraft development.

The letter comes as Congress is going through the final round of debate on how much money it should give to NASA next year and how much it should spend on commercial spaceflight. President Barack Obama has proposed $850 million while the Senate and House have suggested levels closer to $500 million and $300 million respectively.

Advocates of commercial spaceflight – especially those who want to see these companies ferry U.S. astronauts to the International Space Station by mid-decade – have argued that budget cuts would postpone, by a year or more, the time frame in which commercial flights would be ready.

“We urge the Congress to fund the development of commercial crew launch capabilities to orbit at or very close to the full $850M request level, even if that means slowing other new development efforts within NASA,” the advocates wrote.

See the letter here: Leaders_Open_Letter_2011Nov

Free shuttle wallpaper download for November [Space Blog The Write Stuff]

While you are waiting for delivery of your 2012 space shuttle calendar, you can upgrade your computer desktop with this free wallpaper download, showing one of the rare times when two shuttles were on the launch pads at the same time. The wallpaper also has a handy November calendar imprinted on it and as always, it’s another great and historic photo by Red Huber of the Orlando Sentinel. Go to the gallery here and select the right size for you monitor.

photo by Red Huber

Exclusive shuttle calendar goes on sale [Space Blog The Write Stuff]

A 2012 wall calendar featuring some of the best shuttle photography over the past 30 years has gone on sale. It features the work of our favorite space program photographer, Red Huber. You can order it online for $12.95. If you you are near downtown Orlando and want to save the shipping and handling charges, stop by our offices at 633 North Orange Ave. Early sales have been brisk and this is a limited print edition so order soon.

The cover of the 2012 space shuttle wall calendar

Former NASA science chief Alan Stern to run UCF Space Institute [Space Blog The Write Stuff]

NASA’s former associate administrator for Science, S. Alan Stern, has been named director of the Florida Space Institute at Kennedy Space Center.

Stern will help the institute, a part of the University of Central Florida, develop projects that align UCF and Florida with the new emphasis in the space industry – unmanned flights, commercial flight, science missions and technology development.

“UCF’s Florida Space Institute is in an excellent position to leverage Florida, UCF and the State University System into new research and education roles with NASA, with other space agencies and with the budding commercial space industry,” Stern said in a press release from UCF. “I’m excited to lead FSI into this new era.”

At NASA in 2007 and 2008, Stern led NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, leading research and scientific exploration programs for Earth studies, space weather, the solar system and the universe beyond. He also has been involved in NASA projects through committees and with private contractors since the early 1990s.

He holds a doctorate in astrophysics and planetary science from the University of Colorado.

He is training to fly a series of suborbital space research missions with Virgin Galactic and XCOR Aerospace in 2013-2014. They are among the companies working to give citizens a chance to fly in space along with scientists who need regular access to space to complete important research.Stern also is principal investigator of the NASA New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, and he is the chief scientist and mission architect for the Moon Express Google Lunar X-Prize Team. He also continues to serve as a vice president for the Southwest Research Institute.

Florida Cabinet members seeking greater Congressional support for Kennedy Space Center [Space Blog The Write Stuff]

CAPE CANAVERAL – Facing the prospects of predatory competition from other states, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam pressed Tuesday for Florida and its Congressional delegation to unite to protect funding and future operations at Kennedy Space Center.

Putnam’s call came as the Florida Cabinet met at the KSC Visitor Complex, and followed presentations by Florida’s top space development officials, including Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, who chairs Space Florida.

But Putnam indicated he is wary that the Sunshine State needs more commitment. In particular, Putnam raised two concerns: that KSC might need more autonomy to control it’s own future and compete, and that Congress might waver on its long-range commitment of $5 billion to remake Kennedy as an international space port that supports and hosts NASA, commercial and military launches. NASA has received $400 million but the rest is up to future budget fights.

“That creates an opportunity for vultures from other states to try and come take what we’ve got,” Putnam said. “We can’t let that happen.”

Carroll insisted that NASA’s commitment to Kennedy appears strong. But she acknowledged that even within Florida’s congressional delegation, only “one or two” have shown strong fight for the Florida space center.

“But for the greater number of our members of Congress, I don’t believe they get it,” Carroll said. “This provides our state 86,000 workers, over $4 billion in revenue. That’s huge. And that is my effort to make sure they understand.”

The other cabinet members, Gov. Rick Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater appeared to be on board to support.

“If there is anything we can do, if there are nay phone calls we can be making, all four of us are committed to do that,” he said.

Awarding gold medals to astronauts is no small step for lawmakers [Space Blog The Write Stuff]

[From Richard Simon of the Tribune Washington Bureau]

WASHINGTON — It’s probably a good thing that Congress didn’t plan the moonshot.

The House on Monday is expected to authorize the use of the U.S. Capitol Rotunda for a Nov. 16 ceremony to present congressional gold medals to Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins and John Glenn — more than two years after President Obama signed legislation to award the nation’s highest civilian honor to the space legends.

It was not immediately clear why it has taken two years to arrange for the ceremony. Congress voted in 2009, marking the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, to award the medals.

The ceremony is important for NASA supporters who are fighting to shield the space program from a budget-cutting stampede on Capitol Hill.

Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. Aldrin, pilot of the lunar module, was the second to step foot on the moon. Collins piloted Apollo 11’s command module. Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth.

Recipients of the congressional gold medal range from Wilbur and Orville Wright and Charles A. Lindbergh to Rosa Parks, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Walt Disney.

Free shuttle wallpaper download for October [Space Blog The Write Stuff]

This month’s free wallpaper download features the launch of Columbia in 1990, framed by sea oats at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. As always, this spectacular photo was made by Orlando Sentinel photographer Red Huber. Download your version of the wallpaper here.

Holidays news galore (but not here) [The Holiday Wrap Up]

Orlando Sentinel staffers already are posting news about the holiday shopping season, but we won’t be using this blog for that this year.

To get the latest, go to OrlandoSentinel.com/holidays by clicking here

That’s where you’ll find the website’s Holiday Headquarters page.

Burglar ransacks offices, makes oatmeal [Orlando Crime Report]

A burglar smashed a business’s window on the 400 block of West Colonial Drive in Orlando overnight on May 27, according to a recent Orlando Police Department blotter. Once inside, the suspect ransacked several offices, but took nothing of value. What did the burglar do? He prepared and ate several packs of delicious instant oatmeal, naturally.

Getting arrested: If you’re Jim Greer, it’s a bloody mess [Orlando Crime Report]

Jim Greer's booking mug (Photo courtesy the Seminole County Jail)

Many times when politicians get taken into custody, the process is done with ease. And with a lot of communication from law enforcement.

With former chairman of the Florida GOP, it wasn’t so easy. In fact, it was a bloody shock.

Greer was stunned when Seminole County Sheriff’s deputies came through the front door of his Winter Springs home, unannounced, about 9:15 Wednesday morning. He was so shocked, in fact, that he cut his upper lip in the midst of his morning shave.

If you look closely at his booking mug shot (left), you can see where Greer scraped the middle part of his lip. (Did a nice job closing it up, too, by the way.)

Oh, the charges: There are six of them, four of them felonies.

Here’s the full account of his indictment and arrest.

And here’s a copy of the charging affidavit.

Greer bonded out of jail at dinnertime Wednesday after posting $10,050 bond. There was no evidence he opened his cut while in custody.

A new substitute for pot? Some lawmakers think so [Orlando Crime Report]

This story popped into the paper the other day, and I was stunned. We tend to hear about a lot of things that are illegal before they become a full-blown trend, but this clearly was an exception.

It was a story about K2, a legal (for now) herbal cigarette. It clearly gives a bit of a high, and it must give a buzz closer to marijuana than filtered menthols. Because lawmakers are unhappy about it.

Here’s the story by Tracy Swartz of RedEye in Chicago.

You’ll find interesting that one state not mentioned in the story is Florida, a state in which the drug war (vs. meth, vs. pot, vs. other drugs) is still being waged. That means either the availability of harder, illegal drugs aren’t that hard to obtain or else the news of K2 hasn’t made it this far south. Hmmm.

Anyway, along the same vein, here’s a piece from The Los Angeles Times about arguably the most famous stoners ever. Yep, Cheech and Chong.

(What, Cheech and Chong on the Crime Blog?) Why, yes. For Tommy Chong served eight months in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute drug paraphernalia. (Chong sold bongs, among other things.)

Good-bye and thank you [Orlando Homicide Report]

Readers-

This is my final post for the Orlando Homicide Report. I’m moving to a new job as a reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Today is my last day at the Orlando Sentinel.

This blog would have been impossible without the generosity of the people who entrusted their stories to me. Those who recounted the experiences of losing a loved one to murder often did so at a cost to their emotional well-being. Those who demanded justice often risked their safety.

Thank you. I hope you find peace.

Willoughby

Homeless man dies after scissor fight outside downtown library [Orlando Crime Report]

Police said Denroy Thomas (left) fatally stabbed Bradley Watson (right) after a fistfight in downtown Orlando on Tuesday.

A transient accused of stabbing a homeless man to death with scissors during a fight in downtown Orlando told police: “He punched me in the face and I got to do what I have to do.”

The suspect, Denroy M. Thomas, 19, is behind bars on a murder charge today after police arrested him in connection to the stabbing that killed Bradley Watson, 23, Tuesday night, police said.

During an interview with police, Thomas admitted to the stabbing and noted: “These people around here know not to mess with me,” the police affidavit released today shows.

Click here to read more.

UCF fraternity suspended on hazing allegations [Orlando Crime Report]

A University of Central Florida fraternity has been shut down after allegations surfaced that members beat a pledge with canes.

An official at the national office of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity issued its UCF chapter a cease-and-desist order April 1 after reports surfaced about “illegal and unlawful activity” at the fraternity.

Reports show the mother of a UCF student had called the university in the fall and claimed that her son had been severely beaten with canes by the fraternity brothers during a hazing initiation.

Sentinel staff writer Walter Pacheco has more here.

Police seek help identifying man pulled from lake [Orlando Crime Report]

Sketch of unidentified man pulled from lake in 2008.

Orlando detectives are looking for help from the public to identify a man who was pulled from a lake in 2008.

A sketch of the John Doe was released by police today.

In April 2008, investigators responded to Lake Lorna Doone near the Citrus Bowl where a man’s remains were found near the western edge of the lake.

It’s unclear how the man died.

Anyone with information is urged by detectives to call Orlando police at 321-253-5300.

To read the story click here.

Two Orlando-area shootings last night–one fatal. [Orlando Homicide Report]

Here we go again. We had two shootings in the past 12 hours or so, both on the west side.

The most recent was about 9 a.m. in Orange County’s unincorporated Pine Hills. That victim survived.

There was another in Orlando’s Richmond Heights about 10:35 p.m. That victim didn’t survive. Witnesses told police that after an argument, a woman left the scene and returned with a man armed with a high-powered rifle. The victim was shot dead in a car.

Murder arrests in Osceola remains descecration case [Orlando Homicide Report]

Previously, the charges in the February death were only for abusing a dead body. One suspect was reported showing around a human tooth.

Now the charge is for murder.

The motive? The victim “threw up a sign to him (the slaying suspect) which was disrespectful.”

The report seems to indicate this is a gang sign. This makes sense. The high-profile case of the escape of a Bloods gang leader from Osceola County Jail suggests the county has a gang problem.

That’s not something law-enforcement authorities have acknowledged—yet.

Sentinel Staff Writer Henry Pierson Curtis has more.

Person of interest in Eustis slaying arrested [Orlando Homicide Report]

The body of Kimmy Sue Edwards was found early Friday in a room at the Cara Mar Motel in Eustis. Now a man who police have wanted to interview in the case is behind bars in Texas, reports Sentinel Staff Writer Anthony Colarossi.

His name is Elford Joseph, 49. Here’s more.

Jennifer Kesse Case: So what does it take to get an injunction, anyway? [Orlando Homicide Report]

Jennifer Kesse went missing Jan. 2006. Drew Kesse, her father, appeared at a recent press conference.

A cyberstalker has been harassing the family of missing Orlando woman Jennifer Kesse since Aug. 2007. Just last week, a Lake County man was arrested in the case.

You’d figure that it’s pretty straightforward to make an arrest in a case like this. Cyberstalkers can be fairly easy to find. Just subpoena the Internet service provider and work from there. That’s what the Florida Department of Law Enforcement did in their investigation. So why did it take so long to get an arrest?

As I reported the case, I learned an interesting fact– The Kesse family tried to get law-enforcement interested in going after the stalker for a long time, but to no avail, father Drew Kesse told me.

In December, they tried to get an injunction in Manatee County, where they live. Because the cyberstalking took place on the Internet, there was tons of evidence. Drew Kesse filed more than 100 pages of documents plus tapes, he told me.

Tyler J. Green, 28, was arrested in the cyberstalking of the family of missing Orlando woman Jennifer Kesse.

It didn’t work.

Does this sound familiar?

In February, Alissa Blanton tried to get an injunction against a stalker she first met while doing a stint as a Hooters girl. She submitted dozens of pages of disturbing emails from the man, but still, her attempt failed.

Days later, Blanton was gunned down in the parking lot of the AT&T call center in east Orange County where she worked.

Someone needs to explain to me why dozens of pages of harassing Internet messages isn’t enough to get an injunction.

Will attacks against the homeless be considered hate crimes? [Orlando Homicide Report]

It looks like the Florida House of Representatives may vote to designate attacks against the homeless as hate crimes. The proposed bill is a response to a vicious fatal attack in St. Lauderdale that made national news.

Here’s an excerpt from the story:

The measure is controversial – even drawing opposition from anti-discrimination advocates – but it appears to have strong support in the Legislature, thanks in part to backing from Broward County’s Republican sheriff, Al Lamberti.

If approved, the bill (HB11) would make violent attacks against the homeless a hate crime that carries enhanced penalties. Currently, hate-crime categories include race, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation.

Attacks against the homeless have been a serious issue locally, especially given how many homeless are killed in the Orlando area. The City Beautiful has been named as the “meanest” when it comes to the homeless by the National Coalition for the Homeless. And it might be the most violent for the homeless as well.

Most of the homeless who die are not killed because they have no home. Some live risky lifestyles of drug abuse and prostitution that make them more vulnerable to violence.

But last year included what police think are some exceptions:

Ora James Light, 51, was killed April 2009 during what police describe as a robbery. Suspect Tyler Sturdivant’s trial is set for April.

Joel Boner, 30, was stabbed 15 times July 22 while at his campsite in Ocoee. John Hawthorne, 19, faces a second-degree murder charge and is out on bond awaiting trial.

Boner’s family worries that because of biases against the homeless, they won’t get justice.

So should attacks on the homeless be considered hate crimes?

Threats to family of missing Orlando woman Jennifer Kesse lead to stalking arrest [Orlando Homicide Report]

Tyler J. Green, 28, of Lake County was arrested in the casse. Here are a few more details.

And I’ll post more in a little bit.

Dante and Donte Hall could become first twins to receive death sentence [Orlando Homicide Report]

Orlando may make its mark in the annals of death row history if prosecutors manage to convict local resident Dante Hall. He is the identical twin of Donte Hall, who was convicted late last year in a Eustis double murder.

According to prosecutors Dante was Donte’s parner in crime. And if Dante receives the same sentence as his brother, they’ll be the first set of twins on death row ever.

It’s all in the family.

Sentinel Staff Writer Stephen Hudak has more.

“Good guy” shoots, kills home invader [Orlando Homicide Report]

Family and friends hose off blood at 1918 Pomegranate Court, Ocoee after a fatal shooting

If a preliminary investigation is correct, a homeowner and business man shot and killed one of two men who burst into his Ocoee home shortly after midnight.

The homeowner noticed the two men inside a car when he returned home from work at his shop, according to a story by Sentinel Staff Writer Walter Pacheco.

Why did they do it? At this point, police aren’t saying. But they did say the two men tried to rob the homeowner upon his return to the house.

“It looks like the good guy won,” an Ocoee spokesman said.

So is this more evidence folks should pack heat to protect themselves? I’m not inclined to carry a gun. I’m not qualified. But I know a lot of you guys disagree with me.

And on a separate note, take a look at the photograph. It’s of family and friends of the homeowner cleaning off blood from the property after the killing. I can’t imagine what that would be like.

A son, his dad and a terrible secret [Orlando Homicide Report]

John Vining was sentenced to death April 9, 1990 in a murder. His son knew he had committed more.

Imagine knowing that the only way to do the right thing is to betray your father. Imagine knowing your dad is a monster.

Travis Vining knew these things. His father was John Vining, a man who terrified him. The dad was already on death row for a killing. Travis Vining knew he had committed more murders, but the only way to bring him to justice would be to trick him into a confession.

Sentinel Staff Writer Sarah Lundy has written a series about Travis Vining. Take a look at parts one and two. Part three will run tomorrow.

General Motors: We don’t give cars to Tiger Woods anymore [Orlando Crime Report]

General Motors and Tiger Woods no longer have an agreement that provides free cars to the champion golfer. That’s according to a Buick spokeswoman who confirmed the lack of a contract to USA Today at the Detroit Auto Show.

Here’s a link.

Woods crashes his GM loaner, a black Cadillac Escalade, in the early morning hours of Nov. 27 outside his home in Isleworth. And it’s been downhill for Woods ever since.

Now he doesn’t just have the lack of an auto sponsorship to worry about. He’s got papparazzi chasing him and wife Elin Nordgeren around. (They’re having better success finding Elin than they are him; Woods hasn’t been seen in public since the crash.)

Orlando to remember Orange County Courthouse shooting [Orlando Crime Report]

Orlando will remember a dark day of its history on Friday.

Orange County deputies will take part in a memorial to remember those who died and were injured in a 1984 rampage at the courthouse.

On Jan. 10, 1984, a man walked into court for a disorderly conduct hearing.

The man, Thomas Provenzano, killed bailiff William “Arnie” Wilkerson. Another bailiff, Harry Dalton, was critically injured, as was Orange County Corrections Officer Mark Parker.

Dalton died in 1991 following complications related to the brain injury incurred in the attack. Parker was paralyzed from the neck down. He died in 2008.

Provenzano was convicted, go the death penalty and was executed by lethal injection in 2000.

At 7:30 Friday morning at the courthouse — not the courthouse where the shooting took place; the county built a new one — the security division of the Sheriff’s Office will hold a brief memorial on the steps of the main entrance (Orange Avenue side).

A new gift card concept? [The Holiday Wrap Up]

If you don’t know what to get somebody for Christmas, you buy them a gift card. If you REALLY don’t know what to get someone, you can get them a gift card for a gift card.

That’s the concept behind a Winn-Dixie “Your Choice” card. Your receipient can cash it in for a variety of gift cards Winn-Dixie sells to places such as Chili’s, iTunes or Lowe’s.

Still looking for a gift? Save your loved one some money [The Holiday Wrap Up]

We’re down to the wire on holiday shopping, and if you’re out of ideas, why not try giving a gift that saves your loved one some cold hard cash?

Kiplinger.com has compiled the Top 12 Gifts That Save Money for the Recipient.

Here’s a sampling:

1. AAA membership. In addition to a little extra peace of mind as you drive over the hills and through the woods, a AAA membership offers countless cost savings. Members are entitled to free tire changes, free delivery of gasoline for an empty tank and other services. The AAA card can be presented for discounts off the road, too—deals include 30% off at LensCrafters, 20% off at Best Western hotels and 10% off at Barnes & Noble. Cost to you: $64 a year

2.   National Park visitor’s pass. For the adventurer or nature lover on your list, an America The Beautiful pass provides one full year of free admission at some of the country’s greatest locations and parks. The pass admits the cardholder and one vehicle, plus up to three adults, free to any federally operated recreation site, such as Yellowstone National Park, which usually charges $25 per vehicle. Cost to you: $80 for a one-year pass

3.   A home-energy monitor. This small gadget (www.theenergydetective.com) links into a home’s circuit breaker and shows the home’s energy usage in real time—so the electricity bill is never a surprise. The monitor makes it easier to spot electricity wasters and adjust accordingly (by unplugging idle gadgets, turning off lights and so on) to lower monthly energy bills. Cost to you: $120

4.   The perfect carry-on bag. Nobody likes to pay baggage fees at the airport. (American Airlines, for instance, now charges $20 to check one bag.) Make sure your friends and family are making the most of their free carry-on space with the ultimate carry-on bag. A carry-on without wheels will take up less space, and soft sides will make it easier to stuff in the overhead compartment. Cost to you: at your discretion

5.   At-home fitness equipment. If someone on your list has a New Year’s resolution to get fit, or maybe a gym membership from which he isn’t getting his money’s worth, a few pieces of at-home fitness gear might make a great gift—say, a set of dumbbells and a pair of running shoes, a yoga mat and instructional DVD, or a Wii Fit set for a Wii console owner. Cost to you: varies

6. Cooking classes. Cooking classes or seminars can be a way to cut your recipient’s restaurant budget. Check community calendars for seminars, or look to chains such as Williams-Sonoma and Sur la Table for a class schedule. Cost to you: varies

Want more ideas? Go to Kiplinger’s Web site for the second half of the list.

Holiday shopping tips [The Holiday Wrap Up]

Be sure to check OrlandoSentinel.com tomorrow for an article full of tips on how to navigate the shopping scene over the weekend…Details on sales, hours, and fun activities at the local shopping spots.

A chance to get a Zhu Zhu pet [The Holiday Wrap Up]

Can’t find a Zhu Zhu pet? Here are your opportunities – at Walmart and Toys R Us.

From Toys R Us: “On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of the four newest Zhu Zhu Pets hamsters – Jilly, Winky, Scoodles and Nugget – will make their in-store debut (individual hamsters and exclusive four-packs available). The first 50 customers in line when doors open at 6am will have the opportunity to purchase a Toys”R”Us-exclusive four-pack of the newest Zhu Zhu Pets hamsters*. Sunday, December 20 through Thursday, December 24, hundreds of thousands of Zhu Zhu Pets hamsters will be available and ready to find new homes for the new year.”

Walmart has announced that starting at 7 a.m. Monday, it will have special morning sales events for Zhu Zhu pets.

“Anticipating high interest, stores will be organizing lines in the hours before the 7 a.m. event each day as needed, and customers will be assigned numbers as lines build, as supplies last. Customers will be limited to one per person, and distributions will vary, with a minimum of 20 per day at smaller stores to more than 60 per day in most stores.”

Mixed reviews of the Target Christmas ads [The Holiday Wrap Up]

Those Target holiday commercials are inspiring a lot of discussion. Some people love them, some people think they’re kind of creepy.

Check out this article from BrandWeek about the ads.

Even more details on holiday shipping [The Holiday Wrap Up]

An addition to my colleague Sara’s post below: Today is the deadline for you to get free shipping in time for Christmas from Amazon.com. And if you want even more details on those shipping deadlines, check out Etan Horowitz’ column here.

Online shopping: Drop-dead shipping dates [The Holiday Wrap Up]

Wondering just how long you can procrastinate on that online shopping?

The Web site CouponSherpa.com has compiled a list of “drop-dead” shipping deadlines. This isn’t free shipping deadline, but more like ‘what is the absolute last day I can place my order and phsyically get a gift to my loved one’ deadline.

They list stores along with the dates for standard shipping, express shipping, and fastest shipping options.

Christmas dinner at T.G.I. Friday’s? [The Holiday Wrap Up]

Now, if you’re a big stickler for tradition, this one may be tough to swallow.

But for others, the option of not cooking – and not having to blow a fortune on a traditional restaurant holiday meal – may be just too tempting.

T.G.I. Friday’s has announced that its restaurants across the country will be open Christmas Day.

(Well, Christmas this year DOES fall on a Friday, after all…)

If you can’t get your mind around Christmas festivities at a Friday’s, perhaps a drink would help. Specifically, the Mistletoe Martini that Friday’s is now selling…

Most restaurants will open at 4 pm. In addition, any guest who visits Friday’s between December 15 and 21 will receive a coupon for a free Christmas Day appetizer with the purchase of a beverage.

It’s hip to be Scrooge. [The Holiday Wrap Up]

“I’m not against giving. I’m just against bad giving.” – Joel Waldfogel, author of Scroogenomics, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

An interesting discussion arose yesterday with two women I interviewed for a Christmas-spending article. The women talked about how awkward they felt bringing up to friends the possibility of not exchanging Christmas gifts this year.

Even though they’d been close friends for about 30 years, one of the women had felt awkward about bringing up the subject with her buddy.

Many people this year are cutting back on gifts to friends, or their children’s buddies.

I’ve really tried to keep the gift giving within a close circle of family and friends. I personally wouldn’t have a problem telling a girlfriend that I’d just as soon not exchange gifts one year. Gifts should be a joy to give, not an obligation.

If you’re giving gifts out of obligation rather than enthusiasm, I’m guessing you’d have more of a problem figuring out what to get the person.

There’s even a book out that encourages us to get away from so much gift giving: Scroogenomics by Joel Waldfogel.

Here’s the argument against rampant gift-giving, according to the book’s Web site:

“When we buy for ourselves, every dollar we spend produces at least a dollar in satisfaction, because we shop carefully and purchase items that are worth more than they cost. Gift giving is different. We make less-informed choices, max out on credit to buy gifts worth less than the money spent, and leave recipients less than satisfied, creating what Waldfogel calls “deadweight loss.”

Now, Waldfogel isn’t saying no gifts at all. Here’s what he said in an interview that appeared on a Wall Street Journal blog:

“When you know what people want — the immediate family — those are people where you can do pretty well giving gifts. You know what they like. You know what they have. You care. The situations that are really recipes for disaster are situations where you’ve got an obligation to give, but you don’t know what to give … the nieces, the nephews, the grandchildren, the people you don’t see very often but you have to give them something because there is a custom or obligation. Those are the situations where you run the risk of turning wealth into dross.”

Orlando shooting updates — Multiple shooting victims at downtown Orlando office [Orlando Crime Report]

Read the latest updates on the downtown Orlando shooting.