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For ions oysters have been harvested by digging them out at low tide or by tonging, using a long post hole type tool to lift the bivalves from the water, but now as the lack of fresh water supplies has devastated Florida’s oyster production, Mike Vasilinda tells us many believe the future is in oyster ranching.

What you are looking at may soon be the largest oyster ranch in Florida. 38 leases, totaling more than 50 acres devoted to growing oysters in cages.

“At high tide, all this is underwater” says Rob Olin. Olin has several of the leases and has organized  a co-op to manage the oysters from spat to the table.

“We’re going to be employing four to six hundred people with on the water jobs. this is what this county was built on and its been lost due to us, quite frankly, people” says Olin.

When at full production, the oyster ranchers will be producing tens of millions of oysters a year, all on submerged land leased from the state.

“We have to keep constantly separating them so we get oysters with like sized oysters.”

Attorney Fred Harris is one of the brains behind the co-op.

“We helped put this together so the co-op would be the marketing arm, and the branding arm, and the distribution arm” says Harris.

And the first harvest here begins October first.

And while it could take a few years to come to fruition, Rob Olin says oyster farming could be the futures answer to hunger.

“You get thirty times more protein off an acre of water  than you da an acre of land. We have more ranch able water in our state that any other state in the union.”

Shakespeare may have penned the line the world is our oyster, but this bay could soon  be the center of the oyster universe.

The co op will pasteurize the oysters before fast freezing them when shipping to out of state or country markets,  eliminating a rare but deadly disease know as vibe vulnificus, The oyster farming is a product of a new environmental education program at Tallahassee Community College.

Let’s break out the crystal ball and take a look at what Florida will look like in 50 years. As Matt Galka tells us, one organization is trying to forecast what the state will look like in 2070, and what we should start doing to prepare.

Florida is home to nearly 20 million people now.  And by the year 2070, we are expected to have around 34 million residents.  It could be a problem.

Vivian Young works with 1000 Friends of Florida. The Group released a forecast entitled Florida 2070 which shows a state that adds 15 million people in the next 50 or so years. And with more people comes more development, but that could hurt the environment.

“If we continue existing development patters, more than 1/3 of the state will be developed by 2070,” she said.

So what part of the state can expect the most change? The area between Tampa and Daytona. The forecast predicts nearly half of that land will see new development.

Developer and realtor Josh Kasper says a growing population is always good for business.

“I think that the law of supply and demand will create more opportunity for developers, contractors, and everyone associated with building,” he said.

But the state needs to be careful and not get overrun.

“Smart development would be taking into account some of the developments that need revitalization and the infrastructure improvements that are aging and getting older and the market could use an update,” said Kasper.

One of the suggestions from the report – building up, and more compactly, and focusing on conservation lands.

1000 Friends of Florida worked with the University of Florida and the state’s Department of Agriculture on the study.

A rare outbreak of the hand, foot, and mouth virus has infected nearly two dozen students at Florida State University this week. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the outbreak which is usually reserved for day care centers, is thought to be hurricane related.

Students first started showing up with the unusual disease at the FSU wellness center on Monday. FSU Health Services Director Lesley Sacher said her staff knew the symptoms were unusual right away.

“Blisters on hands and some students who had blisters on their feet. We normally see this in day care centers” says the veteran health care administrator.

After Tuesday brought new cases, the University cancelled Fraternity and Sorority Rush events scheduled that night. Justin Butler is a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity.

“I don’t know if they expected it to be gone overnight. Activities resumed last night and Rush is back and better than ever, I guess.”

The vast majority of students, we talked to, including Ayesha Wilkinson,   were aware of the virus and what to do.

“It’s kinda contagious, really contagious. that’s all I know.”

Q: And they told you to wash your hands? What have thy told you?

“Sanitizer”.

“Once it’s sprayed you can wipe it” demonstrated Marcus Anderson at the heath center.

The best advice is to clean, clean, clean with a bleach solution diluted nine to one with water.

There were no new cases Wednesday, but Thursday did bring another case.

“It’s nothing that is life threatening” said the heath director.

The University has asked if the outbreak could be in any way related to a sewage spill that took place while hurricane Hermine was hitting the State Capitol. they have not gotten a definitive answer.

Even if sewage wasn’t the culprit, the University health director says Hurricane Hermine probably was.

‘We expect it to spike again a little bit. We think the hurricane and no electricity led to this in terms of humid hot conditions, can’t do your laundry.” says Sacher.

There is no cure for Hand, foot, and mouth disease except time, which is between five and seven days.

Signs and symptoms usually begin within three to six days after exposure and it typically begins with a fever. The University is working with students who are missing classes because of the virus.

Hillsborough and Duval Counties are being singled out as two of the worst in Florida when it comes to issuing civil citations to juveniles committing petty crimes. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, experts say the underutilization comes with a cost both now and later.

Police in Florida arrested nearly 12 thousand juveniles for minor offenses last year even though all were eligible for a civil citation. A new study by Dewey Caruthers commissioned by the Children’s Campaign shows using criminal sanctions results in more repeat offenders.

“For vandalism, the civil citation recidivism rate is three percent. For post arrest diversion is nine percent. Triple the rate” says Caruthers.

The use of civil citations was up 5 percent last year, but two counties, Duval and Hillsborough says Caruthers, saw a significant drop.

“Duval has an average rate of 29 percent, Hillsborough 29 percent, which is an actual drop from the previous year.”

The way the system works right now is police may have jurisdiction on this side of the street and use civil citations. The Sheriff may have jurisdiction across the street and not.

Howard Simon, ACLU Florida executive Director says the optional nature of the citations leads to unequal justice.

“You can’t have a system in which things vary from county to county,  from law enforcement agency to law enforcement agency, or from community to community within the same county” says Simon.

The study estimates at least 20 million and maybe three times that much is spent prosecuting kids. Sal Nuzzo from the conservative James Madison Institute says that doesn’t include significant long term costs.

“They pay more taxes as opposed to using the social services safety net. They are more likely to get student loans to be able to go to higher education institutions. they are less likely to be incarcerated down the road” say Nuzzo.

Use of the non criminal citations are optional for police. Advocates say requiring an officer to justify an arrest in writing to a supervisor is the single most important thing that could lead to fewer criminal sanctions and more second chances for kids.

This week, Governor Rick Scott was told Florida Supreme Court Justice james Perry was stepping down at the first of the year. in 2018, three more justices leave office on the same day a new governor takes office, which is likely to provide a fight between the outgoing Scott and his successor over who makes those three appointments. Howard Simon of the ACLU Florida says that will make the next gubernatorial election critical for at least a generation.

“Every public official swears an oath to the constitution, but our legislature frequently takes the point of view  that, well. we’ll do anything we want unless the Supreme Court declares it unconstitutional. That’s why an independent check on what the legislature and Governor does is so important” says the ACLU Executive Director.

In 2014. voters turned down a constitutional amendment that would have clarified whether the incoming or outgoing governor makes appointments when the terms coincide, which leaves the question of who appoints up in the air.

A Seminole County police dog named Amber was honored at this years Missing Children’s Ceremony for locating and saving a special needs child when no one else could find the child, and as Mike Vasilinda tells us, the number of tracking dogs in use is exploding because of some families loss.

Diena Thompson’s was the feature speaker for two dozen police officers spending the week trying to improve their tracking dogs abilities. The Jacksonville mom lost her 7 years old daughter Somer to a rapist in 2009. Now she thrives on making the world safer for other children.

“I just come every year delivering my message that what they are doing is important and that I want them to keep up the good work and help me protect the children in Florida” says Thompson.

Each year, the Florida Public Safety Institute hosts a week long trailing exercise for police dogs. Pasco County deputy Chris Miller hopes his to improve his young dogs endurance.

“He’s up to about six hours. Really really solid following a trail. We hope to get him up  to 24, 36” Miller told us.

Many of the dogs come from one place:

“These dogs were donated by the Jimmy Ryce Foundation” Broward County Sheriff’s Deputy Kelli Covet told us.

11 Yr old Jimmy was killed less than two miles from his home, and his parents always thought he would could have been rescued if a tracking dog had been available. They set out to make that happen.

The Jimmy Ryce Foundation has given hundreds of dogs to law enforcement agencies across the country, but there are still thousands without.

Each year, more and more dogs are succeeding says Deputy Debbie Wallace of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.

“it was a natural abduction, so it was a good ending. So they found the child alive.”

And while Diena can’t bring her Somer back, just as Don Ryce can’ bring Jimmy back, both are working to make the world safer for other children through the noses of these bloodhounds.

The competition brought a dog from as far away as Michigan, and it too was from the Jimmy Ryce Foundation, brought to the Cass County Sheriff’s office by a deputy who used to work in Manatee County. Competitors from California were forced to stay home after complications shipping their animals.

If you are interested in preserving the scent of a loved one, someone with Alzheimers, or a special needs child, a Tallahassee couple has the answer. Paul Coley is a retired FBI forensic specialist. He and his wife have founded a company called Scent Evidence, providing human scent preservation kits. This past February the company had its first recovery when an elderly Citrus County man with Alzheimer’s went missing. After two hours police were still having no luck says Coley.

“They put up a helicopter with a FLARE, patrol dogs. 12 deputies on the ground. Two hours later they still hadn’t found him. She remembered she had this. They pulled it out. Called in the Bloodhound team we helped train. Five minutes later they had him within about 2 hundred yards from his house hiding under some bushes” says Coley.

Coley says the kits eliminate confusion over scent on clothing that can be contaminated by multiple people.  You can learn more about scent preservation at scentevidenceK9.com.

The response in getting power back and information out to thousands of people in Florida’s capitol wasn’t good enough for many, including the Governor. As Matt Galka tells us, a new group has been formed to try and come up with solutions for the next time a storm hits.

31 years passed before another hurricane hit Florida’s Capitol. But following Hurricane Hermine, lobbyist Barney Bishop says there are better ways to handle response and recovery.

“What’s the chain of command supposed to be? What are the communications supposed to look like? What’s the prioritization of services and the best use of public and private facilities?” asked Bishop. He heads the Citizens for Responsible Spending.

Bishop is assembling a task force to iron out some of those ideas. High on the agenda – streamlining cooperation between city owned and investor owned utilities.

“There wasn’t timely information, there wasn’t accurate information, in fact there were elected officials sometimes giving contradictory information. And we had a mayor frankly who shouldn’t have been in the chain of command at all, it wasn’t his responsibility,” he said.

And municipal owned utility backers say they’re open to suggestions.

We reached Barry Moline by phone. He’s the executive director of the Florida Municipal Electric Association and will work with the task force.

“I think that there’s always room for improvement. Every storm we learn a little bit more about how to restore faster and better and communicate better,” he said.

The group seems to fit in with what Governor Rick Scott is calling for. He was one of the storm response’s top critics.

The task force will also include former Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp, and a former commissioner on the Florida Energy Commission.

More than a dozen families whose child left one day and never came home spent the day in the state Capitol at a ceremony where their loss was recognized. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, today was the annual missing children’s day ceremony.

Tears and continuing pain were on the faces of parents and loved ones as they honored a children gone missing. Mark Degner and Bryan Hayes were last seen leaving a Jacksonville middle school more than decade ago. Linda Alligood is Mark Degner’s Aunt.

“And the feeling when you put the rose up there?”

“Rough”

Rough? Tell me, how long has it been?”

“Eleven years.”

“And it hasn’t gotten any better?”

“No, it never does” says Alligood.

Governor Rick Scott calls the pain unimaginable.

“To this day, they miss their loved ones and none of us can imagine what they have gone through” Scott told the audience.

But the somber ceremony had it’s bright spots. Two fifth graders were honored, one for an essay teaching kids how to stay safe. Jaycelynn Dowdy is a fifth grader at Curlew Creek Elementary in Pinellas County.

“Honestly, if someone tried to take me, I don;t know if it would be worse for me or them. I would immediately start to fight and scream at the top of my lungs”

says Dowdy.

And another who put that advice to work. Mia does not want to be identified because her  attacker has not been caught. Donna Uzell FDLE Special Agent in Charge described the ordeal this way:

“She said she found strength she never knew she had,a nd her instincts were to scream and just run away” say Uzell.

To which Jaycelynn responded.

“I feel happy that I inspired some kids and adults.”

And this poster was drawn by fifth grader Samantha Castillo

who won a national contest.

“And I feel so bad. I wanted to do art that I could remember and that other people could remember the children” says Samantha.

Also honored, a bloodhound who tracked down a missing special needs child. It was one of dozens donated by Don Ryce after his son went missing in 1995.

Since the beginning of the year, Florida has issued 30 missing children’s alerts, seven Amber alerts, which indicate a child is in danger and more than 170 silver alerts for a missing senior. As the ceremony ended, a new alert went out for a missing 3 year old in Pinellas County.

The national media, along with some late night talk show hosts, are skewering Florida attorney gerneral Pam Bondi’s relationship with Donald Trump. As Matt Galka tells us, democrats are using it to try and pile on.

Late night host Stephen Colbert ripped Attorney General Pam Bondi’s relationship with Donald Trump last week.

A 25 thousand dollar check from the Trump foundation to Bondi’s campaign came right around the time the Attorney General decided not to make a case over Trump University fraud allegations in 2013.  Democrats are making the connection between the check and these comments from Trump back in January.

“I’ve given to everybody, because it’s my job! Because when I want something I get it! When I call, they kiss my *bleep*” he said in January.

“Our state Attorney General is supposed to be looking out for us in Florida and is taking illegal campaign contributions from Donald Trump,” said Damien Filer with Progress Florida.

But the Attorney General’s office says this was not a pay for play situation.

A spokesman sent us a lengthy email pushing back against the allegations that the contribution led to Bondi choosing not to pursue legal action against Trump University. The email cites that there was never a multistate case, there was never an invitation to join the original lawsuit in New York, and that there was only one Florida complaint against Trump U in 2013. The Attorney General was noticeably absent from a Florida Missing Children’s Day even in Tallahassee this (Monday morning). An event she usually attends…and her office did not make her available for an interview about the Trump donation.

The Trump Foundation is a charity – which means they’re not allowed to directly engage in politics. Trump had to pay a fine for the contribution and ended up making the 25 thousand dollar donation to Bondi’s political action committee.

Things are just about back to normal in Tallahassee following Hurricane Hermine, but as Matt Galka tells us, some small business owners say the storm took some money out of their pocket.

Joe’s Bike Shop is back open, but not before Hurricane Hermine changed some of the business hours.

“We didn’t have power until yesterday, it finally got turned back on. We were outta here for 6 days,” said owner Joe Mezzina.

But even though he was kept out of work, Mezzina kept his sense of humor.

“Yea we lost millions of dollars….and we don’t know if we’ll ever get back on our feet again,” he laughed.

The state activated a small business loan assistance program to help some companies in the meantime.

While the Governor was out all week helping with storm damage – his criticism of the response to the storm centered around getting people back to work.

“People not having a job for six days, if you think about the typical American, typical Floridian, they don’t have a lot of money in the bank,” said Gov. Rick Scott (R-Florida).

The Department of Economic Opportunity added Hurricane Hermine to a business damage assessment survey they’re running on the department’s website. The other two damage options – the Zika virus and algae blooms.

New documents that the state attorney in the state Capitol says never should have been released show police in Tallahassee sought indictments for the former brother-in-law and mother-in-law of a slain FSU law professor, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, both a grand jury and the prosecutor say they want more evidence.

The probable cause affidavits detail a flurry of activity between the mother of accused killer Sigfredo Garcia kids, Katherine Magbanua  and Charlie Adelson, the former brother in law of slain professor Dan Markel.

The have been suspects since the beginning, and on the day the two alleged hit men were indicted we asked State Attorney Willie Meggs about charges against the Adelson family.

“They were not indicted….today” he said.

Police believe Brother in law Charles Adelson, who dated Magbanua for more than a year coordinated the murder through the woman.

She has made more than 56 thousand dollars in mostly cash deposits since the murder.

The new information even shows police sent an undercover agent to the former mother in law, telling her telling her they knew about the crime, demanding five thousand dollars to keep quite.

That contact prompted Charles Adelson to meet with Magbanua and discuss killing the undercover agent.

Still, State Attorney Meggs says there are too many  opinions than not enough facts in the probable cause documents.

“You know what we need in this is somebody to testify about those events, not what the officer believes from drawing his conclusions” says Meggs today.

An Attorney for accused hit man Luis Rivera, Charles Cooper,  was asked this week if Rivera might cooperate in the case..

“At this point in…No, there is no indication that he will be a cooperating defendants. I mean, they are seeking the death penalty against him” says the lawyer.

The Adelson Family Attorney has called the information fanciful fiction.

The State Attorney called the probable cause documents released by the police department “draft” documents and says they should not have been made public. In June, police were surprised when a judge prematurely unsealed the probable cause documents for the two men charged with murder.

More than 650 people in the state have tested positive for the Zika virus – transmitted both locally and abroad.  As Matt Galka tells us, a stalemate in Washington D.C. over funding has Florida’s Governor frustrated.

New moms Racquel Pogge and Kyla Heap say they don’t think about the Zika virus much now, but it was a different story just a few months ago.

“It was concerning being pregnant, hearing about all the things, the birth defects that can happen,” said Heap.

But the friends, who had their children 10 and six weeks ago, say that the Government shouldn’t stop caring about Zika – which poses the most risk to pregnant women.

“It can end a life, it’s life effecting, so it’s just as important as everything else we are funding,” said Pogge.

But a stalemate in Congress has led to no bill being produced that would provide money to help fight the virus. Pinellas County Congressman David Jolly brought a jar of mosquitoes to the house floor to try and make a point this week.

“This is the reason for the urgency, this is the reason for the fear,” he said.

And with Zika cases not going away, the Governor is saying just give me some funding.

Governor Rick Scott was scheduled to make his case in Washington DC this week but hurricane Hermine changed his plans.

“What I care about is getting the funding, my view of the world is that this is such a significant health risk, that I don’t know why they can’t come together. Why don’t they just think about…these are pregnant women with developing babies, why don’t we focus on them?” he said.

One of the sticking points – whether or not the more than one billion dollar plan provides funding for Planned Parenthood – with even some conservatives suggesting that they should drop that fight so they can pass a bill.

A judge in the state Capitol has moved up the murder-for-hire trial for one of two men accused in the slaying of an FSU law professor. The judge also agreed to try the two men separately. Prosecutors had sought to use two juries but present the evidence just once. Luis Rivera, who is currently serving time in a Federal prison on unrelated charges will now stand trial beginning October 24th, three weeks before his co-defendant. Defense Attorney Charles Collins said making a jury wait weeks after selection was not in his clients best interests.

“In a case of this magnitude, people are obviously looking to point the finger at someone. I believe that by separating them, it will give us the best opportunity to present the case that we plan to and put my client in the best position possible” said Collins.

Volumes of evidence have yet to be turned over to the defense. Rivera’s lawyer has yet to decide if his client will take the stand.

See the video here: img_7343

One of the arguments the City of Tallahassee has been making over bringing in more linemen to help with recovery is that they aren’t trained on the  city system. In Wakulla County, Talquin was captured cell phone video of a lineman in knee deep water cutting a tree off a downed line. Talquin General Manager Tracy Bensley says without proper training this cut could have been disastrous.

“He cut in a way he knew it would spring up like that. He knows where to stand to cut the tree so that when it sprung up it sprung up away from him, and he was kept safe. That’s why we make sure we have trained people to do things like that before we send them out to do it.”

But all of the big four Investor owned utilities say their line crews are fully trained in how to restore power, including tree cutting.