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The Governor started his day at the state’s Emergency Operations Center as Florida braced for Hurricane Matthew. Our Matt Galka was there.

Florida officials are stressing that Hurricane Matthew is not a storm to ignore.

“This storm has already claimed people’s lives, and it will do the same in Florida if people don’t take it seriously,” said Gov. Rick Scott (R-Florida).

Gov. Scott already declared an emergency in every county in the state ahead of a potential devastating impact and made sure to let people know that it was never too early to evacuate.

And after not seeing any hurricanes during his entire first term in office, Florida’s Governor will be seeing his second one in the past month.

Hurricane Hermine rolled through Tallahassee at the beginning of September – causing extensive damage and knocking out power to thousands. We asked the Governor if he learned anything from that experience that could be applied to Hurricane Matthew.

“Don’t’ just rely on the co-ops for the co-ops, the municipals for the municipals, and the big four for the big four utilities. I want them all to work together because we need power back quickly,” he said.

Dr. Lorilee Medders is an insurance expert from Florida State’s Catastrophic Storm Risk Management Center.  She says there are plenty of people who might not know what to do if they have property damage

“People who have documentation ready, they have their policy ready, they have information that has their property’s inventory, they can get a quicker on the ground response, an actual payment of claims,” she said.

The storm has the potential to force a dip into the state’s catastrophe fund to help stabilize the insurance market. The good news – a lack of hurricanes has left the fund in good shape.

The Governor has suspended tolls for all roads that are in mandatory evacuation areas around the state.

Because Florida is under a State of Emergency, it is illegal for businesses to raise prices and over charge for goods that are needed as a direct result of this emergency. And as Mike Vasilinda tells us, many businesses haven’t gotten the message.

Food, water, ice,, gas, lumber and even hotel rooms and rental cars are covered by the state law that prohibits price gouging. Rhoda Poore asked one caller: “Do you know what they normally sell it there for sir?”

But many businesses haven’t gotten the message. Hot line operator Jack Hagadorn could barely take time to talk, “Non stop. Yes sir, they are continuing coming in as fast as we can answer.”

The calls are coming so fast, 20 people can’t keep up with the volume.

Q:”That was a gas complaint from Jacksonville? we asked,

“Yes sir”.

Operator Guy Thompson says the worst case was a gas station. “Most recently we had gas had gone up a dollar a gallon.”

The calls are coming from across the state said Chris Provenzano. We asked about his most recent complaint.

“The folks were charging ten dollars for a twelve pack of water.”

“Q:seems high?”

Well. we’re going to have investigators go out and take a look at it.”

The Attorney General’s spokesman, Whitney ray, says every complaint is being investigated.

“Any business that intentionally inflates the prices because a hurricane is coming, they saw a lot of need. So those are the things we’l be working out right now and probably in the days and weeks following the storm” says Ray.

Investigators will first try to get a merchant to return prices to normal., says Ray, but If that fails, big fines could be on the horizon.

“Penalties can be a thousand dollars per violation, up to twenty-five thousand dollars within a twenty-four hour period.”

The most complaints today are gas, water and ice, followed closely by hotel rooms and rental cars.”

And while those are the hot items now, The law literally covers anything people need in an emergency right down to the tarp to cover a hole in your roof.

To file a price gouging complaint, the number to call is 1-866-9-NoScam. you can also file a complaint online at myfloridalegal.com.  The Attorney General’s web site says the best advice to avoid being over charged is to stock up before the storm is barreling down on the state.

Reputable charities and others will be asking for donations in the wake of Hurricane Matthew. Charities are regulated by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which is advising people to check out their gift giving web site before handing over money to someone with whom you are not familiar. Aaron Keller says its time for givers to beware.

“We encourage them to research the charitable organizations prior to giving. Often, unfortunately, in the wake of disasters such as this, fraudulent  charities will pop up and take advantage of good hearted Floridians. So we are encouraging everyone to go to fresh from Florida dot com to research charities. You can look at whether they are properly registered, whether they have complaints on file, and you can actually look a their financial information as well” says Keller, a spokesman for the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The web site lists how much a charity spends on it’s mission, and it’s operations,a nd fund raising costs.

October is disability employment month, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, Florida State University began this semester with new facility and a new program designed to raise awareness year round and into the future.

J.R. Hardings new office in the FSU College of Business is dotted with action pictures of the quadriplegic former football player on roller coasters and water skis.

“And only 30 percent of Floridians with disabilities are working at all” says Harding.

JR became a quadriplegic after a high school fight. As an under grad he was the only wheelchair bound student at the University of Western Kentucky. He’s been fighting for inclusion ever since.”

“and I was one of three at West Florida getting my masters” he told us.

Florida State already bills itself as the most veteran friendly school in the country. J.R.’s job is to make it the most disability friendly as well.

“It’s a natural extension. Veterans have amputees and other kinds of visible and invisible disabilities” says Harding.

The program is really more about students who don’t have disabilities, but who graduate from here and go on to be future business leaders in Florida.

“How do we teach a future entrepreneur , a future business owner, a future land owner how to make their property good for all citizens” he asks.

He’s  has been a frequent guest lecturer. Fabric Jean-Louis says his presentation to a real estate class two years ago was eye opening.

“I thought it was something that we needed. I think he should be speaking to every class, not just the business classes” says Jean-Louis.

So JR and now FSU believe that by reaching future business leaders, the future won’t be such a struggle when students of different abilities enter the work force.”

Harding reports directly to FSU Provost Sally McRorie. She declined an an on camera interview but responded with a statement which says in part “Dr. Harding brings a wealth of knowledge, advocacy and experience, which will help FSU become a more inclusive community for students, faculty and staff with disabilities. He also will help our entire student body understand how disabilities will impact their future careers and communities.

The investigation into the murder of an FSU law professor took a dramatic turn today. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, one of two defendants originally charged in the case has agreed to testify for the state.

Luis Rivera, one of three people accused of murdering FSU law professor Dan Markel has reached a plea deal. He will testify against alleged triggerman Sigfredo Garcia and the alleged go between girl friend Katherine Magbanua. Prosecutor Georgia Cappleman  described Rivera’s involvement for the court.

“He was the driver. He assisted in providing the firearm, the transportation” said Cappleman

Circuit Judge James Hankinson asked Rivera a series of questions under oath, including: “In this you agree that you are going to cooperate and testify truthfully. Do you Understand that?” “Yes Sir” responded Rivera.

Under the deal, Rivera will finish his federal prison sentence. That’s twelve years, then he will come into state prison for another seven.

State Attorney Willie Meggs says he had to make a deal with the devil to move the case forward.

“We knew we needed to give up something, and we did” says Meggs.

Rivera can put Magbanua as the conduit  between the hit man and the family of the law professors ex-wife.

There is also new video of an under cover officer, approaching Adelson family matriarch Donna Adelson, claiming to be Rivera’s brother, handing her a sheet of paper, and asking for money to keep quite about the murder.

“She has the paper” police are heard saying on the video.

No money was ever paid, but the confrontation led to a recorded meeting in which Donna’s son Charlie tells Magbanua that she should find someone to kill the agent or he would find someone to do it.

We asked Meggs about the ex wife’s involvement.

“We’re not sure where it will lead us, but we are on the trail” says the veteran prosecutor.

Wendi Adelson told police she was driving through her ex husbands neighborhood shortly after the murder, saying she stopped at a nearby liquor store to prepare for a party later that night.

Anchor Tag: Police have not yet located the gun used in the killing. Garcia, the accused triggerman is due in court for a previously scheduled hearing on Friday.

If you requested an absentee ballot for next month’s election, it’s likely on its way to you today. But as Matt Galka tells us, Democrats are trying to prevent some ballots from getting thrown out.

They’re not letters to Santa but Leon County Supervisor of Elections Ion Sancho was like a kid on Christmas Tuesday.

“We are sending out the largest number of mail ballots we have ever sent out,” he said.

More than 25,000 thousand vote by mail ballots were going out in Leon County. Almost 2.4 million state wide with the numbers representing a trend of votes coming in before the traditional election day. But even with the options…Sancho doesn’t expect the traditional in-person polls to go away.

“I think that we probably won’t see the complete elimination of voting in person, because voting in person is the most secure way to cast a ballot and have it counted as you intended,” he said.

And these ballots are going out one day after a lawsuit was filed challenging a state signature requirement.

The issue – if the signature on your mail in ballot doesn’t match your John Hancock from when you registered…your vote won’t count.  Sancho says it’s an issue for younger voters especially.

“Those individuals that registered as seniors in high school, by the time they’ve graduated from college, that signature will have changed. There are no more hearts over the “I’s” for example,” said Sancho.

The Florida Democratic Party Filed the lawsuit.  Part of their complaint reads that thousands of voters are being disenfranchised by a “standardless system” which fails to give them the opportunity to cure their ballots.

If someone were to forget to sign their ballot entirely…they could verify their identity with their supervisor of elections office up until the day before the election.  If a signature is believed to be mismatched…the affected voter isn’t given the same opportunity.

A third arrest in the murder for hire of an FSU law professor has been made, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, police say the case isn’t over yet.

Police continue to say the motive for the murder was the slain professors refusal to allow the couples two children to move to South Florida to be close to their maternal grandparents.

31 year old Katherine Magbanua is the third person charged with First Degree Murder in the murder of FSU law professor Dan Markel.

Magbanua is the mother of children fathered by suspected hit man Sigfredo Garcia. She also dated Charlie Adelson, the brother of the law professors ex-wife.

In probable cause affidavits, police say a pattern calls developed. It started with a call  from Garcia to Magbanua who then called Charlie Adelson. He then called his mother Donna and then back down the chain as the plot was being carried hatched. After the murder, Magbanua deposited more than 50 thousand dollars, mostly in cash.

The new probable cause document is identical to one released three weeks ago when prosecutors declined to press charges, except for one thing. The end of it is heavily redacted, indicating new information.

Co Defendant Luis Rivera’s request to have the trial move has been denied. So was a motion to declare the death penalty unconstitutional. His lawyer, Charles Collins told us last month Rivera wasn’t cooperating.

“they are seeking the death penalty against him. He has noting to gain at this point in time by that.”

No one from the Adelson family has been charged. Police spokesman Lt. David Northway says they are not done yet.

“I can only say the ongoing investigation doesn’t allow me to give you the details of what’s been related out of the details of the case.”

Suspects Garcia and Rivera both have hearings this week. Magbanua remains in the Broward County Jail, but is expected to be moved to Tallahassee soon.

Police continue to say the motive for the murder was the slain professors refusal to allow the couples two children to move to South Florida to be close to their maternal grandparents.

The cards are still being dealt at Seminole casinos in the state despite a deal between the Tribe and Florida expiring last year. As Matt Galka tells us, both the tribe and the state are looking for clarity in a trial that began Monday.

The stakes are high…and we’re not even in a casino.

The Seminole Tribe’s lawsuit against the state began Monday.  At risk – the exclusive right to offer blackjack and other table games in what’s been a lucrative deal for both sides since the Seminole compact was signed in 2010.

Seminole Gaming CEO Jim Allen says people’s livelihoods are in jeopardy.

“Most importantly, there’s 3700 people that have jobs that we’re trying to protect,” he said.

The Seminole Compact expired last year…with the state arguing the table games should have been removed at the end of that deal. But the Tribe’s lawyers say the state broke the deal first – violating exclusivity by allowing video blackjack at other places in the state.

The Governor and the tribe did strike a new deal but it was rejected by Florida’s legislature.

The deal would have been worth $3 billion dollars to the state, and also would have allowed new games like craps and roulette. Something Allen says isn’t exactly a huge money maker for the Tribe.

“The perception is that craps creates all this value but the reality is you go to any casino in Vegas or Atlantic City and there’s six tables,” he said.

It will be up to the federal judge to determine who will be holding all the cards when the trial concludes. It’s expected to go all week.