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The state is joining AARP to prepare seniors for hurricane season.

Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink announced the awareness campaign Tuesday. It’s called “Operation Hurricane Prepare,” and it relies on neighbor helping neighbor. The goal of the campaign is to reminded seniors to prepare an evacuation plan and to stock up on hurricane supplies. Lori Parham, a spokeswoman with AARP said everyone can do something to help their neighbors prepare for the storm.

“With hurricane season just days away, its really time to get ready. So whether someone has 5 minutes, 5 hours, or longer, and that’s what is really great about this initiative. A few moments can really make a difference in talking to and engaging people who really need to prepare. We believe we can make Florida stronger through that preparation,” said Parham.

AARP launched a new website to help people prepare. The web address is www.aarp.org/hurricaneprepare. The site encourages shopping for seniors, helping them evacuate or things as simple as helping seniors pick up items in their yard.

180 National guardsmen are on their way to Iraq. They participated in a
deployment ceremony at the state capitol Tuesday then boarded a
plane to finish combat training before being sent overseas. As Mike
Vasilinda tells us, the 779th Engineer Battalion’s job will be to wind
down the U.S. presence in the mid east.

The 180 soldiers came from Miami, Pensacola, and all parts in between.
They will spend the next year in Iraq. Their deployment drew praise from
the Governor.

“You are truly heroes,” Governor Crist said. “Extraordinary heroes. And I thank you for that.”

Lt. Colonel Dwayne Jarriel asked family members staying behind to be
patient and loving.

“You play a major role, and believe me, without you, we would not be
successful,” Jarriel said. “So I ask for your continued support.”

This is the commander’s second tour of duty. He leaves behind a wife and
three kids, including a 13-month-old daughter.

“I tell you, I have a renewed respect for any single parent,” Penny Jarriel said. “Because it
is by far the hardest job.”

These soldiers will spend the next month in Wisconsin, doing advanced
combat training. Then to Iraq by July 1st.

The mission in Iraq, subject to change, is to dismantle US bases as
forces are reduced.

Sargent Amanda Curcio admits to being just a little nervous.

“Well, I mean, there’s always a fear of what’s to be expected,” Curcio said.
“Everything is always changing over there. But the people I’m with are
very competent, so I’m sure I’ll be OK.”

The deployment still leaves about 11 thousand active national guard
troops in the state for hurricane duty if needed.

In addition to having enough troops in the state for
hurricane duty, the Guard says thanks to Congress, it is never been
better equipped to carry out it’s mission.

There’s a small sign tonight, that Florida’s economy maybe turning around. For the first time in nearly three years the state’s unemployment rate has fallen. Statewide unemployment is at 9.6 percent down two-tenths of a percentage points from March. As Whitney Ray tells us, the drop is providing hope for the 885,000 Floridians searching for jobs.

They’re construction workers, theme park employees, and cashiers and they’re all looking for work. In March, Florida’s unemployment rate was at a 30 years high, but it’s turning around slightly.

“At least it hasn’t worsened as it had for almost three years the unemployment rates have been increasing every month,” said AWI Chief Economist Rebecca Rust.

While down only two-tenths of a percentage point, the change is providing hope for jobseekers.

“That’s great news because I really need a job,” said Ashley Jones who has been looking for a job for more than a year.

To put the good news in perspective, Florida’s unemployment rate is four percentage points higher than it was last year… and it’s still above the national average.

The monthly drop represents a 15,000 person change in the unemployment statistics. State Economists aren’t sure if the people found jobs or just stopped looking.

“Those who are unemployed are those seeking a job and so if the number of unemployed has declined it could mean they’ve found employment or it could mean they’ve left the labor force,” said Rust.

Economists call the change insignificant. They say in order to establish a trend the unemployment rate would have to continue to decrease over the next three months. The construction industry leads the pack in number of jobs lost, while jobs in private education and health care are growing faster than any other sectors in the state.

Since 1984, a statute of three Vietnam soldiers on the National Mall in
Washington has honored the soldiers who fought in Vietnam. As Mike
Vasilinda tells us, the only commissioned replica of the statute is in
north Florida, where it pays tribute to the men and women from the South
who fought in Southeast Asia.

It was a familiar newsreel scene. Small groups of young soldiers walking
through the jungles of Vietnam, and dying in battle.

In a state park in Apalachicola, a city know for its oysters, sits the
only replica of the Three Servicemen Statute in existence. A Vietnam
veteran from here and Jan Scruggs, the man behind the Vietnam wall, made
it possible.

“Little towns like this are the towns that have always provided the
people who fight in our nation’s wars,” Scruggs said.

A plaque on the site quotes the sculptor Frederick Hart.

They wear the uniform and carry the equipment of war; they are young.
The contrast between the innocence of their youth and the weapons of war
underscores the poignancy of their sacrifice.

Al Mirabella remembers the era well, and how so many young died.

“You had two choices when you graduated from high school,” Mirabella said. “You were
either going to be drafted when you graduated or you were going to college.”

The public never did accept Vietnam…so for those who served, Mirabella
says this statue is one way of acknowledging the sacrifices.

“It’s a way of letting the people know, to say thank you to them for
their service in Vietnam,” Mirabella said. “During the dedication, we had so many people
who came up and said thank you, because nobody ever said thank you to me.”

The statute was paid for entirely by private donations.

Residents in North Florida raised more than a quarter
million dollars for the statute.

885,000 Floridians are out of work, but the rate dropped two tenths of a percent, from 9.8 percent to 9.6 percent in April. The Agency for Workforce Innovation (AWI) cautions that the drop, while good news, is statistically within a margin of error.  Read the release here: awi-april

State workers, transportation groups and the NRA are asking Governor Charlie Crist to veto spending items. If Crist vetoes the spending cuts and trust fund raids education funding would suffer. As Whitney Ray tells us, the decision puts Governor Crist between a rock and a hard place.

To plug a six billion dollar budget gap, lawmakers voted to use federal stimulus dollars, cut spending and raid state savings accounts. State workers, roads, and gun owners would feel the impact of millions of dollars in reductions. The groups are asking Governor Charlie Crist for vetoes.

The budget takes 6 million dollars from the conceal carry trust fund, 30 million from state pay cuts and 120 million dollars from the transportation fund. If the governor vetoes all three it would leave 156 million dollar hole that would have to be filled.

Because of the way lawmakers drafted the budget, education spending would have to be reduced to make up some of the difference. NRA Spokeswoman Marion Hammer, who is asking the governor to spare the conceal carry trust fund, says lawmakers set a trap for the governor.

“It’s an attempt to intimidate or coheres the governor into letting the legislature circumvent the executive office,” said Hammer.

It’s a lose-lose situation for Governor Charlie Crist who will have to decide who will suffer.

“I’m still contemplating those things. We’ll probably sign the budget it looks like next week. I don’t want to reach any conclusions yet, but I’m still taking the advice of those concerned about all those issues,” said Crist.

The governor has until the 28th to make a decision. Crist could veto the cuts, sign the spending plan as is, or do nothing and the let budget pass without his signature.

If Governor Charlie Crist approves a legislative plan to raid a gun licensing trust fund the state could lose track of who has a conceal carry permit.

The NRA is asking Crist to veto the six million dollar trust fund raid. The money is supposed to keep the conceal-carry database and licensing equipment running. NRA Spokeswoman Marion Hammer said taking money from the fund could force the state to issue licenses without doing background checks.

“The law says they have to issue a license with in 90 days after they receive the application. If you’re computers are down and you can’t do any processing you’re just going to have to start issuing licenses. Now that’s not what any of us want,” said Hammer.

The NRA and the Commissioner of Agriculture are both asking the governor for a veto, partly because demand is way up. The number of requests for conceal-carry licenses has almost double since last year.

Governor Charlie Crist signed three bills aimed at speeding up economic development.

The measures make it easier for developers to challenge impact fees, encourage businesses to invest in poor communities, and shorten the wait time for companies trying to take advantage of tax incentives. Crist said the legislation is exactly what the state needs.

“The legislation I will sign here today will keep Florida’s economy moving forward, strengthen our economic development efforts, and also help boaters. It will level the playing field for property owners and the impact fees they may have to deal with, also encourage and promote Florida business. It is commendable and exactly what we need to be doing to sustain prosperity,” said Crist.

Crist was scheduled to sign legislation to lower the cost of developing land in urban areas by eliminating road fees. Opponents of the measure say it would lead to more traffic congestion and urban sprawl. The signing was postponed to give Crist more time to review the bill.

A legal battle over water that began in 1990 is closer to ending. A
Federal Judge in Jacksonville is now considering whether to order the
Army Corps of Engineers to begin releasing more water from dams in
Georgia for use in Alabama and Florida. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, a
drought saw more water going to supply Atlanta while fish stocks in
Florida suffered.

Freshwater flow into Apalachicola Bay is crucial for oyster, shrimp, and
fish production. The bay produces 10 percent of the nation’s oysters.
Estuaries hatch many of the fish found in the Gulf.

But as Atlanta faced drought conditions, the water flow in the river has
been cut. It’s a battle environmentalists have been fighting for decades.

“A drought is a natural, recurring event in nature,” David McLain, founder of Apalachicola Riverkeepers said. “If you have a
recurring event in nature, you can plan for it. And it hasn’t been
planned for by the people who are the water users upstream. Their only
plan is to take more cheap water out of the Chattahoochee, and that
water then doesn’t come down here to us.”

Last summer’s water reduction was felt almost immediately.

“You’ve got to have the perfect conditions,” oyster processor Darren Guillotte said. “Perfect water, perfect environment for the oysters to grow.”

A senior federal judge in Jacksonville is now considering whether the
Army Corps of engineers exceeded its authority when it water to Atlanta
without congressional approval.

The judge’s decision could be devastating for a way of life and an
ecosystem dependent on a delicate balance of fresh and saltwater.

“There ought to be some way, based on science, to adjudicate competing
demands,” McLain said.

While still facing drought conditions, Lake Lanier Outside Atlanta is
rising, taking some of the pressure off water managers, but offering
little in the way of a long term solution.

Recent Federal appeals court decisions, and a US Supreme
Court decision support Florida and Alabama’s claim to a fair share of
the water that has been diverted. From the bench last week, the Federal
judge said the decision would result in some “happy” and some “sad” people .

Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson today bowed to pressure from GOP leaders and concerns from his family and will not be a candidate for the Governor’s job in 2010.

The State GOP party chairman has endorsed rival Bill McCollum and worked to keep insiders from donating to Bronson if he made the race. Bronson says he may reconsider if the presumptive nominee McCollum falters, although he doesn’t believe that is likely.

“I’m just saying, at this time, that I will not be a republican candidate for governor in 2010,” Bronson said. “If something were to happen, or something down the road made me want to think I should get back in, then I could always do that.  If I come here today and tell you I’m absolutely without a doubt not going to be in the race, then if that was to happen, and it’s kinda unlikely I think that it would happen, then you’d say, well I thought you said you weren’t going to run. I know how you guys operate.”

Bronson says he worries about the apparent lack of a primary will have on the rank and file party. Bronson has 18 months left in his current job. He served previously in the state Senate.

Legislation to extend unemployment benefits is awaiting the governor’s signature. Governor Charlie Crist says he wants to review the plan before making a final decision on whether or not to sign off on the plan. As Whitney Ray tells us, if Crist does signs the bill, 250,000 Floridians will receive and extra 20 weeks of unemployment pay.

Until this month Rossie Foushee, his wife, and daughter were scraping by on unemployment. Rossie was just hired as a security guard. His wife is still receiving unemployment pay.

“She’s almost at the end of her term almost at the end of her money,” said Rossie.

Legislation to extend benefits for Rossie’s wife and 250,000 other Floridians is awaiting the governor’s signature. The plan would pump 418 million federal stimulus dollars into the state’s economy.

“I’ll probably sign it but I want to review it and make sure the implications of it are all good. I believe that they probably are,” said Crist.

The Agency for Workforce Innovation is preparing to send out notices and applications to people who might qualify for extended benefits.

“In anticipation of this becoming law, the agency has been working very diligent to get our computers updated to get our systems ready to go,” said AWI Spokesman Robby Cunningham.

Checks could begin going out as early as July. While Crist will have the final say so on this legislation, a bill that would have added another half a billion dollars to the unemployment fund was never taken up.

The state has until September of 2011 to claim the money. In order to grab the cash lawmakers will have to vote to allow more people on to the state’s unemployment roles.

The Agency for Workforce Innovation has already posted information about the extended benefits on its website. If the extension is approved people will be able to apply for the benefits online. To access the webpage go to www.floridajobs.org and click on the Extended Benefits Button on the right side of the screen.

Governor Charlie Crist says he won’t stand in the way of legislation to raise the state’s tobacco tax.

Lawmakers voted to raise the state’s cigarette tax by a dollar a pack earlier this month. Crist has opposed new taxes his entire term as Governor and has the authority to veto the legislation. Surrounded by health care workers at a bill signing ceremony this morning Crist told reporters he likes the plan.

“Here we’re talking about a hospital and the irony isn’t lost on me. The health care cost that would be saved, and I think obviously a reduction in the people that would smoke, that would be a good thing,” said Crist.

The tobacco tax is expected to generate 900 million dollars for the state, and keep thousands of teens from ever lighting up.

On September 22nd, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves, but the news didn’t make its way to Florida until May 20th, 1865.

Wednesday in Tallahassee at the same house were the proclamation was read 144 years ago an actor dressed as a Union soldier reenacted the reading. Governor Charlie Crist attended the event and says the state and the nation has continued to build upon the example Lincoln set all those years ago.

“Lincoln embodied the greatness of America even though he did not live to see the passage of the 13th amendment to end slavery. While some in Florida oppose the ideas of freedom during Lincoln’s lifetime, I believe that our state and our nation can be enormously proud of the progress that we are making toward equality today,” said Crist.

Ancestors of former Florida slaves were on hand for the reenactment.

The American Heart Association is honoring Florida for its efforts to save people who suffer heart attacks.

The association presented an award to the state health department for promoting the use of AEDs or Automated External Defibrillators. AEDs are portable and can save lives if used during the first few minutes of a heart attack. Bob O’Kelley said an AED saved his life. A year ago O’Kelley had a heart attack while playing tennis.

“My tennis buddies performed CPR. One called 9-1-1, one called my wife and another went to the club house to get the AED. A doctor and four lifeguards bring in the AED and rushed out to my court. The doctor organized things on the court, and one of the lifeguards used the AED. It brought me back to life. Needless to say, I would not be here without the AED,” said O’Kelley

The survival rate decreases by ten percent every minute a heart attack patient goes without treatment. The American Heart Association says if more businesses had defibrillators hundreds of lives would be saved every year.

A two million dollar public service announcement featuring Florida’s Attorney General and Gubernatorial hopeful Bill McCollum has Democrats in an uproar. The PSA was taken off the air Friday. McCollum announced his campaign for Governor two days later. As Whitney Ray tells us, Democrats say McCollum is using taxpayer money to promote his political career.

Attorney General Bill McCollum is staking his career on keeping Florida kids safe from online predators. McCollum spent two million state dollars to produce and air a public service announcement to inform parents about cyber safety.

The PSA began running in different parts of the state in October. It stopped playing Friday, just two days before McCollum announced he would run for governor. Democrat opponent Alex Sink calls the timing of the PSA is interesting.

Attorney General Spokeswoman Sandi Copes said the PSA has nothing to do with McCollum’s political aspirations.

“The timing is addressed in the contract. It was for a contracted length of time that was addressed several months ago,” said Copes.

The Florida Democrats said the PSA looks too much like a campaign ad.

“Cyber safety experts have called us because they say these ads are the least effective they have ever seen, because they air a politician not an expert,” said Eric Jotkoff.

The Attorney General’s Office said the PSA has driven thousands of Floridians to their website, where tips can be found about how to keep kids safe from predators. The Attorney General’s Office said the ad triples the amount of traffic to its cyber safety website in areas where it plays.