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WEDNESDAY, AUG. 20, 2008
FIRST COAST:
Fay Probably Won't Become a Hurricane (Tracking Map)
Tropical Storm Fay's reluctance to leave the state bewildered forecasters Tuesday as the storm lingered over land, developed an eye wall with winds of near-hurricane strength and stretched into what could become a hurricane today but that appears that to be unlikely now.
After making landfall before dawn in Southwest Florida as a tropical storm, Fay grew stronger, sparking numerous tornado warnings and showing impressive wind and gust readings near Lake Okeechobee. Northeast Florida residents are being warned to brace for Thursday's storm strike that officials expect will cause wind damage, power outages, significant flooding and beach erosion.
8 a.m. update: Fay is moving toward the north near 5 mph. A gradual turn toward the northwest is forecasted during the next 12 to 24 hours. Some gradual restrengthening is possible during the next 24 hours before Fay moves back inland over Northeast Florida on Thursday. Its winds are now near 45 mph.
›Latest Tracking Map | 5-Day Forecast
›Storm cuts electricity to 95,000 FPL customers
›The latest from Associated Press
›Many schools still closed
›PHOTOS: Impact of Fay
›Citizens adds adjusters for Fay
ORLANDO:
Whale of an Offer: Buy SeaWorld, Free Animals
An animal-rights group says a supporter wants to buy one or more SeaWorlds from the theme parks' soon-to-be new owner so it can free all the animals, even killer whales.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says an undisclosed donor wants to buy at least one SeaWorld park, then free the animals and replace them with virtual-reality or animatronic displays.
Belgium-based InBev, one of the world's largest brewers, is to acquire the SeaWorld parks as part of its $52 billion acquisition of Anheuser-Busch Cos. Busch calls the offer "a publicity stunt." [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
MIAMI:
Obama's Big Veep Surprise: Bill Nelson?
So speculates the Times of London.
"Expect the unexpected," the newspaper says. So, step forward Bill Nelson, who represents the swing state of Florida in the Senate where he sits on the armed services, foreign relations and intelligence committees." The story notes that bloggers typing "Obamanelson.com" earlier this week discovered they were redirected to Obama’s official campaign website. No such trick for Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, widely considered a top contender for the veep post. But as the Times notes, the computer situation could simply point to Nelson's "Nebraskan namesake, Senator Ben Nelson, ... Bill and Ben — the long shot men." [Source: Miami Herald]
More on politics from Florida Trend:
TALLAHASSEE:
Challenge To Tax Swap Goes to State's Supreme Court
The Florida Supreme Court is getting a challenge to a ballot proposal that would trade a property tax cut for increases in other taxes.
An appellate court Tuesday passed the case on without ruling. The state is appealing a trial judge's decision to take the proposal off the Nov. 4 ballot.
The Supreme Court set oral argument for Sept. 8.
Amendment 5 would cut property taxes about 25% by eliminating a part that goes to schools. The Legislature would have to replace it - about $9 billion a year - from other sources.
A circuit judge ruled a ballot summary is misleading because it fails to say the replacement requirement would be for only a year. After that, school spending could be cut.
[Source: Tampa Tribune]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
›Crist to Throw Reserves at $1.5 Billion Budget Hole [Tampa Tribune]
Gov. Charlie Crist said Tuesday that he plans to take at least $600 million from state reserves to plug part of the $1.5 billion budget hole expected this year. But he's not interested, he said, in bringing lawmakers back to the capital for a special session to prioritize cuts to state spending.
›Armor Maker Point Blank Loses Proxy Battle [Miami Herald]
New York hedge fund Steel Partners II prevailed Tuesday in its proxy fight with Point Blank Solutions, the Pompano Beach body-armor producer.
Steel overwhelmingly got five of its director nominees elected to Point Blank's board, nine months after Point Blank rebuffed the hedge fund's overtures.
›HSN's New Deal [Tampa Tribune]
This week, HSN will spin off from its parent company, IAC/InterActiveCorp., and become an independent company. The new HSN will run the TV station in St. Petersburg, plus a collection of catalogs that IAC announced a deal to buy in 2005. From Trend: TV Chopping
›WCI Gets Takeover Director [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
A Carl Icahn-sponsored director has joined the board of WCI Communities Inc., the Bonita Springs-based builder that succumbed to the housing downturn and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this month.
Vincent Intrieri replaces David Schechter, another Icahn appointee who resigned from WCI's board last week.
›Fla. Ed Board May Change 'No Child Left Behind' Law [AP]
Florida's education board approved a federal pilot program on Tuesday to give the state more flexibility dealing with troubled schools.
›U.S. Rep. Brown-Waite's Husband Dies [Lakeland Ledger]
Harvey Waite, the husband of U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville, died Tuesday following a long fight with pancreatic cancer.
›Home Building Activity, Confidence Drop in Unison [St. Petersburg Times]
On Tuesday, the U.S. Commerce Department said single-family housing starts in July fell to a seasonally adjusted average of 641,000 units, the worst performance since January 1991.
›Rep. Buchanan Facing Seven Legal Complaints [Huffington Post]
The allegations indicate that the Sarasota area congressman and his auto dealership employees may have taken part in conspiracy, fraud, and retaliatory personnel actions.
›Nudist Condo Nettles Some Neighbors [St. Petersburg Times]
An apartment complex in Tampa is going condo and — well — clothing-optional.
The Eden says it will soon allow nudity in a "private European/South Beach style swimming pool and spa area."
That might fly in central Pasco, home of Caliente and other nudist resorts.
But that's not necessarily cool in Westchase, the manicured, family-friendly community just north of the Eden.
›Renewable-Energy Plan for Florida on Agenda [Miami Herald]
Environmentalists, utilities and producers of green power will discuss today a proposal to plan renewable energy standards through 2050.
›Fla. Judge Named in Cronyism Probe [Palm Beach Post]
Palm Beach Judge Rex J. Ford has been named by Department of Justice investigators as having participated in a political cronyism scheme that violated federal laws dictating the hiring of Immigration Court judges, one of the issues that led to the resignation of former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in 2007.
›Puig Creditors Point Finger at Ocean Bank [Miami Herald]
A lawsuit brought by creditors of bankrupt condo-converter Puig Inc. accuses Ocean Bank of assisting in the creation of a "financial house of cards."
›Test Site Breach Affects Students in Sarasota [Tampa Tribune]
The names, birth dates and test scores of thousands of students in Sarasota accidentally were published on a Princeton Review Web site.
›Busch's Advisory Deal With InBev Goes Down Smooth [St. Petersburg Times]
InBev and Anheuser-Busch CEO August A. Busch IV are negotiating the terms of a consulting agreement that starts when the $52-billion corporate merger closes and runs through 2013. Busch will be a highly paid adviser in a package that includes a lump sum of $10.35-million plus about $120,000 a month.
›USF Ponders Image, Offerings as Budget Shrinks [St. Petersburg Times]
How much different will USF look after suffering what amounts to a $50-million budget cut, which, among other things, has forced the school to rely more heavily on visiting and adjunct faculty?
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