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Florida State University has a new interim athletic director. FSU President T.K. Wetherell has named William Proctor as the interim Special Assistant to the President for Athletics.  This temporary position was created to fill the void created by the resignation of Dave Hart, Jr.  Proctor is the current vice president of the FSU Athletics Committee and chairman of its Executive Committee.  He has also assisted FSU in its NCAA Recertification project during the past year, while also serving on the Governance and Commitment to Rules Compliance Subcommittee.  Wetherell doesn’t have a permanent replacement in mind, but he does know who he doesn’t want.

“We will be able to attract the person we want,” Wetherell said.  “But to be very honest with you, we are looking for somebody who is committed to Florida State, we want them to believe in our values and our system, if it is all about money then that’s probably not going to be the person we are looking for.”

Hart’s contract didn’t expire until January 2008, but he opted to leave early after President Wetherell informed him the contract would not be renewed.

On Friday, Florida State University kicked off their annual homecoming events with a parade in the streets of the state capitol. This weekend’s events include a 5k run and walk with proceeds going to FSU’s Cares program, an alumni banquet, and a PowWow featuring comedienne Sarah Silverman. The Florida State homecoming game is on Saturday night against Duke University. Lynn Harrold came all the way from Vero
Beach to see her daughter-in-law perform in the half time show.

“Because they are from our state capitol, and there is nothing like the Seminoles,”  Harrold said.

Gov. Charlie Crist, an FSU alum, missed the parade, but he sent fellow alum Lt. Governor Jeff Kottcamp in his place.

As the overall crime rate drops, new numbers from the Department of Corrections show gang related felony convictions in Florida have gone up about 60 percent.  The state attorney general and leaders from several law enforcement agencies unveiled a strategy to deal with the problem.  As Chris Casquejo tells us, a former gang member wants to do his part to help.

Hear it here: Tackling Florida’s Growing Gang Problem

It’s not often you see a former Crips gang member at the state Capitol.   Doc Bailey came to share his story.  Growing up without a dad, a friend who Doc believed was more like a brother introduced him to the fast lifestyle at age 11.

“He had money.  He kept money,” Bailey said.  “He had the finer things at the time.  You know, he was well dressed.’

Statewide numbers show a sharp increase in gang-related convictions.  In 2005, gang members were convicted in 2,700 felonies. Last year, that number shot up to 4,400.  For Doc Bailey, a close call with gunfire turned him away for good.

“We’re in the car, ducked down in the floor board a little bit,” he said.  “My car got shot up.  My windows got busted up.  And I had a bullet in my headrest.”

As of July of this year, the Department of Corrections identified more than 4,400 gang members currently behind bars.  Of that number, more than 1,200 are under the age of 24.

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum announced the creation of a new group made up of several state law enforcement agencies to help fight gangs.

“Our vision for Florida is a state that’s free of gangs,”  McCollum said.  “We may not ever to be able to achieve that 100 percent.  But I’m here to tell you, 1,500 or whatever the number is, is way too many.

Doc Bailey carries that message further.

“You join a gang.  You no longer have your freedom,” Bailey said.

Now, Bailey hopes to be the father to his own kids that he never had.

You can find Florida’s new gang prevention website at www.safeflorida.net/safestreets 

  In a letter to the President, Governor Charlie Crist says the state of Georgia is making unreasonable demands to reduce the flow of water down the Apalachicola River. The city of Atlanta is facing record droughts, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, reducing the flow of water could have dire consequences on marine life as well as many who live and work in the panhandle.

Hear it here: Gov. Tries to Keep Apalachicola Flowing

Most days at sunrise, three dozen or so boats are already out oystering on Apalachicola Bay. The oysters depend on a delicate balance of fresh and salt water. Many of the 1100 seafood workers in Franklin County worry they’’ll be out of work if Georgia is allowed to reduce the flow of freshwater.

“There would be no fresh seafood without the flow of the river,” Johnny Richards of the Franklin County Seafood Workers Association said.

Upstream, biologists worry more about endangered mussels than jobs.

“When we have endangered ones we have problems and that means people also have problems in terms of how they use rivers,” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Gail Carmody said. I

In a sharply worded letter to the President, Charlie Crist says Georgia is being unreasonable when it asks for more water. He also says water shortage facing Atlanta was foreseeable, and Georgia did nothing to prepare. Oyster men and the people who sell them are already seeing the effects of the drought on the oysters.

The less freshwater flowing down the river, the harder it is for oysters to survive.

Restaurant owner Jeff Stillwell has been serving the bivalves for almost 3 decades.

“The oxygen has basically choked the oxygen away from this oyster and it has died,” Stillwell said. “This is a servable product. This is an unnservable product.”

The fight over water in the Apalachicola has been dragging on for almost twenty years, but the outcome has never been more critical for the Florida Panhandle.

The lack of fresh water is also having an impact on fish and shrimp hatchlings, reducing the number who survive.

The hallways of the state capitol were mostly empty today, even though state lawmakers are nearing the end of a special session to cut property taxes. The plan is in trouble because there are fears it will take too much money from education. The state Senate is expected to decide if it will even return to Tallahassee before the session is set to end Monday at Midnight. The deadline to have an amendment on the January 29th ballot is Tuesday night, so the Secretary of State is making preparations to accept what ever the legislature may pass in the final hours.

“Well, nothing happens at five o’clock Tuesday. We will be available until 11:59 on Tuesday night, which is the 91^st day prior to the January 29^th primary,” Secretary of State Kurt Browning said. “The constitution says that any issues that are going to be placed on that ballot have to be on file with the state record keeper, which is the secretary of State, at least or more than 90 days before the election. The 90^th day is the 31^st, so we are backing it up to the first to give you that 91^st day.”

Governor Charlie Crist spend most of the day behind closed doors working the phones. His Chief of Staff was meeting with legislative staff. Neither side is willing to say it is too late yet for something to happen.

At least six school districts in Florida are sending warning letters to parents about the highly infectious and drug resistant MRSA.  Hospitals throughout the state are also seeing an increase in cases of the so-called superbug staph infection.  But as Chris Casquejo tells us, the Florida Department of Education and the Health Department say there is no statewide emergency. 

Hear it here: MRSA on the Rise

From kids who ride school buses to athletes that share equipment, MRSA is a common bacteria that’s causing big problems.  There are at least five confirmed cases.  More are suspected. The staph infection is spread by skin-to-skin contact or by touching contaminated surfaces.

“It can be very serious if you actually inhale the organism that gets into your lungs directly,” said Dr. John Mahoney, a pathologist at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.

Getting an exact handle on the number of cases is difficult. The state is required to report MRSA outbreaks, but not individual cases.

Because MRSA is not a reportable infection here in Florida, the Department of Education and Health Department aren’t planning any statewide warnings.  Instead, they’re focusing on hygiene.

Martha DeCastro with the Florida Hospital Association is an infection specialist nurse.  She says certain strains of the bacteria have become more resistant to anti-biotics.

“Years ago, it was thought to be a hospital acquired organism in patients who were extremely sick and debilitated, chronically ill,” DeCastro said.

The Health Department says despite the increase, no outbreak levels exist in Florida. The department says you can keep it that way.

“Keep your cuts clean,” said Kevin Cate with the Florida Department of Health.  “Stay away from bandages of others.  As well as keep your hands clean as possible, whether you’re washing or sanitizing.”

Cuts and sores that linger could be a warning sign.
 

Florida Republicans may not get all of their delegates to the national convention because the state may be penalized for moving the primary to January, but the state party os trying to make sure people know they will get a chance to vote for their favorite candidate. The party has until October 31st to submit the list of qualified candidates. Today, Attorney General Bill Mc Collum delivered a letter signed by Rudy Giuliani requesting he be on Florida’’s ballot.

 ”I’’m here representing my campaign, Rudy Giuliani as Florida state chairman and I have an official letter signed by Rudy that requests his name be put on the ballot this next January for our presidential primary,” state GOP chairman Jim Greer said. “I’’m delivering it to you so you have it in time to ship it to the Secretary of State as I know you’’re going to do on the 31st.

“Well, we will do that and we’’re looking forward to having the mayor as a candidate for president in Florida,” McCullum replied.

“We’re looking forward to that and of course on my end of it, you can’t say it, I’’m looking forward to his being our next Presidential nominee,” Greer said.

“I’’m going to get this in and he will be on the ballot in Florida,” McCullum said.

Each of the GOP candidates that participated in last Sunday’’s debate will be on the state’’s primary ballot.

Time is running out for state lawmakers to made a deal to cut property taxes. The deadline is next Tuesday, October 30th. But one way they could buy more time is to move the primary back to February. The move would serve two purposes, giving lawmakers more time to make a deal that voters will approve, and secondly, it would give both Democrats and Republicans all of their delegates to national conventions. Both parties are being penalized and losing delegates because of the early primary, but state GOP Chairman Jim Greer says don’’t look for the primary to move to February.

“I think the primary is going to be on the 29th,” Greer said. ”Republicans in Florida are looking forward to it and I don’’t anticipate any change in that date.”

––Does it matter to you whether property taxes are on that ballot or not?

“The party is not involved in policy,” Greer replied. “We’re involved in getting Republicans elected. And we’re very enthused and looking forward to the 29th.”

Governor Charlie Crist remains optimistic state lawmakers will reach a deal on property taxes.

“I believe that the 30th is the day. Probably at 11:59 p.m. That is the time. There is a deadline. And I think we will meet it.”

But others are less optimistic. The state Senate won’’t even decide if it comes back to the Capitol next week until Friday.

A new poll suggests only one if four Florida voters believes Governor Charlie Crist will be able to “”drop property taxes like a rock””. Quinnipiac University polled 600 Florida voters and found voters skeptical that savings would amount to much. Pollster Peter Brown says what’’s significant is in the eye of the beholder.

“Voters were clearly more optimistic earlier in the year that they were going to get a significant tax cut,” Brown said.  ”And again, the question of what is significant to me is pretty crucial. What this data shows is that voters are expecting a tax cut but to be significant the tax cut is going to have to be, perhaps more than, even if the packages passes, that they would get.”

Quinnipiac will release a poll on the president race on Thursday.

About 700 people from all over Florida marched on Tallahassee to protest the Martin Lee Anderson verdict.  Earlier this month, an all-white Panama City jury acquitted 7 guards and a nurse in the 14-year-old’s death at the now-closed Bay County Boot Camp.  As Chris Casquejo explains, many protestors did not know the teen, but felt a duty to come.

Here it here: Marchers From All Over Florida Protest Anderson Verdict

With purpose in their voices, as many as 700 people marched through the streets of Tallahassee.  Their goal, justice for Martin Lee Anderson.  Gloria Sylvester came with her church from Tampa.

“I do believe in God and I do believe this will be set right,” Sylvester said.

The Florida NAACP organized the march and rally.  Daryl Speaks from Martin County is the state’s youngest chapter president at age 36.  He believes the not guilty verdict was rooted in slow-changing attitudes.

“I call it a sickness when you have hatred for someone,” Speaks said.

Of the hundreds of people that came to march and rally here in Tallahassee, very few of them actually know Martin Lee Anderson, but they say they feel a personal connection.  Daryl Speaks believes one of his three children could have been Anderson.

“I have 3 children myself, so I can understand how it can hit home, he said. “An adult, maybe you can understand.  But a youth?  There is no justice.”

But marchers like Daryl see hope for the future, despite what they see as injustice in the Anderson case.

“The young kids are playing.  The reality is, it’s always going be there.  But it gets a little less each and every time,” he said.

And while time can heal some wounds, many here vow to never forget Martin Lee Anderson and his family.

The state paid Martin Anderson’s parents $5 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit before the criminal trial.

An estimated 700 people marched to the Federal Court House in Tallahassee today demanding that prosecutors take another look at the death of a 14 year old in a Panama City Boot Camp, and as Mike Vasilinda tells us, the protestors are getting their wish.

Hear it here: Making a Federal Case Out of the Martin Lee Anderson Death

At the head of the angry and frustrated crowd..the parents of Martin Lee Anderson.
It has been a year and ten months since their son died in the now closed Panama City Boot Camp. When asked how she was feeling today, mother Gina Jones replied “Not too good.”Is it hard to go through this? She was asked  “Yes.”

Speaker after speaker decried the not guilty verdict from the all white jury.
“America is sick.” shouted one.

Some, including attorney Benjamin Crump, suggested a dog would have gotten more justice.

“What we want to know is where our federal government holds police accountable for killing our children” Crump told the crowd.

Both the U.S. Attorney and the State Attorney General are looking into the facts around the Martin Lee Anderson case. Neither is promising a speedy resolution.  The President of the Florida NAACP told the crowd Federal that prosecutors are dragging their feet.

“I met with him a year ago” said Adora Obi Neweze. But attorney Chuck Hobbs, who spent two hours with prosecutors while the rally was underway, says he is optimistic.
“We discussed every aspect of the pertinent statutes that the officers and the nurse potentially could be tried under” Hobbs told reporters.

For Martin Lee Anderson’s parents, who also met with prosecutors
The day is one step closer to closure.

In a statement, the U-S Attorney’s office promised that any offenses would be handled appropriately.

Whether you’ll have an amendment that will cut property taxes on the January 29th ballot is up in the air.  The state House has a new plan that was hatched over the weekend, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, the Senate may not even go back to the Capitol for a vote.

Hear it Here: House and Senate in High Stakes Property Tax Poker

Under the latest plan, your homestead exemption would be based on the median value of all the homes in your county, rather than a flat 50 thousand dollars as proposed by the governor.Second homes, rental property and businesses could not go up in value more than 5 percent in any year.

House Democrats like parts of the plan but not others, including a provision giving the state the power to set local tax rates.

“I would say that ‘uncertainty’ is definitely the best way to describe the current tax reform and relief scenario,” House Democratic Leader Dan Gelber said. “I’m not quite what’s going to happen in the next hour, much less next week.”

The plan puts the House and Senate at each others throat. Senators says House Leaders reneged on a deal to double the homestead.

The senate isn’t even planning on coming back until Thursday, if then.

The Senate may not come back at all, forcing the house into a take it or leave it position on the supposed deal the Senate has already passed.

House Majority Leader Adam Hasner says that’s not likely.

“The people of the state of Florida care about getting property tax relief and that’s the most important thing,” Hasner said. “We believe the House plan, with a couple of refinements, actually delivers on that promise, has the same amount of relief that the Senate plan does and it actually does it in a more efficient way.”

The clock is ticking. Lawmakers must have a plan by next Tuesday if they want an amendment on the January 29th ballot.

The national Republian party is taking away half of the state GOP’s delegates to the national convention because of Florida’s early primary. The January 29th election has already cost state Democrats all of their delegates. House Majority Leader Adam Hasner says more important than delegates is the fact candidates are embracing Florida issues such as a national catastrophic fund or protecting the Everglades.

“Well, I think they’re much different. The Democrats have banned their candidates from coming to Florida,” Hasner said. “They’re taking away all their representation in the convention. We are playing by  the rules. We knew this was a possibility when we moved the primary up. But like I said, it’s more important for us to have a say in determining who the president is going to be and have them respond to issues that are important to the state of Florida, rather than sending up a number of delegates for a balloon drop at the convention in Minnesota.”

In a statement, Florida GOP Chairman Jim Greer says he expects all of the delegates to eventually be seated

The cleanup continues in Pensacola after a tornado touched down from the sky and ripped apart an area near downtown. Dozens of homes were leveled, and residents spent Friday morning picking through the rubble that remains.

A daycare next to a church also was hit.  About 20 children and the instructors went inside the Greater Little Rock Baptist Church to hunker down, but the twister ripped off its roof.  No one was seriously injured says Pastor Lonnie Wesley  “From the outside it looks like a bomb went off inside the sanctuary.  But for the grace of God, no one was seriously injured.  It’s because of his grace that we are here today, no other reason.  And for that, we are thankful.”

Residents are prepared for hurricanes this time of year, but they say tornadoes aren’t very common.

The Republican leadership of the state legislature is on the verge of
violating one of the state GOP’s core principles…local control.
Contained in both the House and Senate versions of the property tax
legislation is an item that Mike Vasilinda tells us would shift the
control over property tax levies from local governments to the state.

Hear it Here: Local Control May Be Lost

The states GOP website very clear. Click on Core Principles and it says
“the most effective government is government closest to the people.”
Yet the GOP led legislature is about to strip all local governments of
their ability to set property tax rates. It has the cities and counties
up in arms. Rebecca O’Hara from the Florida League of Cities says it would be a dramatic change to the constitution. “So essentially what this will do is set a scenario where the
legislature will be making local budget decisions”

Prior to 1968, When the legislature had total control over local
governments the printed Laws of Florida took two feed of bookshelf space, After 1968 they took just six inches.

Until 1968, Lawmakers had virtual control over local governments
including parks and everything else. Charlie Crist is okay with the pre
’68 concept. “and they are going to get to vote on it. The people’s will, will be done.”
Reporter: So that final prevision in the final legislation has the control
“No, no look I am not trying to find ways to make it not happen:, says Crist.

But Democrats may not agree to any tax reform if local government loses
control at the same time. House Democratic Leader Dan Gelber says
“a lot of my members believe that local government ought to be left to
do its business without micromanagement from the state.

But if democrats blink and if the change becomes part of the
constitution, the next time your garbage isn’t picked up, you may have
to call the state capitol.

Voters will have to approve any constitutional change by a margin of 60%.