Metro I-4 News

You are browsing the archives of 2008 May.

If so, visit this link: Bolleas’ jail tapes anger victim’s father.
I read this story in the St. Petersburg Times this morning and almost lost my breakfast. Apparently, the Pinellas County Jail released telephone conversations between Nick Bollea and his family to the public.
In one conversation, Linda Bollea - one half of the pair that created [...]

Hurricane season is coming
Sentinel EDITORIAL:  Faulty hurricane forecasts are no reason to let guard down - Given that hurricane forecasters are about as dependable as a windbreaker in a snowstorm, the best advice we can offer is to not pay any attention to what these “experts” say. # Hurricanes happen. But beyond stocking up on [...]

From the AP, and found at TBO.com - Scientists abuzz about 7 new bug repellants: 

Florida researchers have identified seven possibilities for the next generation of mosquito repellant…
… some chemicals [repel] mosquitoes for as long as 73 days…

Wow - Seventy Three Days!!  The stuff we use seems to last about 20 minutes.  Here in Florida, [...]

NOTE: This item was originally posted Saturday, but I decided to bring it back to the top of the page because this is a story that could potentially affect every Floridian for years to come. It is extremely important that we closely watch the events related to this, as well as the names which will be brought forth for consideration.

It looks as though Governor Crist will be in a historic position to reshape the Florida Supreme Court for years to come. He already will be able to appoint replacements for Justices Harry Lee Anstead and Charles Wells, who must retire next year upon reaching 70 years of age, as well as Justice Raoul Cantero, III when he retires in September.

Now we hear that Justice Kenneth Bell announced his retirement yesterday morning, saying that “family responsibilities require that I return full-time to Pensacola.”

Not only will Crist be appointing a majority of the seven justices on the high court, he will have by then have a majority of the nine-member Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission in his pocket. He has already appointed three JNC members since entering office, and three others have terms which will end this summer.

Of course, justices have to be reappointed by voters under Florida’s system of merit retention, but none have been removed in this manner since the constitution was amended to begin the process in 1976.

While Crist is somewhat more moderate than his predecessor, remember the words of lobbyist Jason Unger, who will be part of the panel which will interview applicants for the Supreme Court positions:

“The governor is a conservative and I assume that he’s going to be looking for judges that share his judicial philosophy.”

This is one item that all Floridians should watch carefully, as these could likely be the most important decisions that Charlie Crist will make while in office. The decisions that the Court will make will affect the way that we all live and work.

The Tampa City Council’s main task is to pass a budget for the city.  A workshop to discuss a six-month budget update was originally scheduled for a Tuesday, but your Tampa City Council voted to hold it on a regular council meeting day to make sure council members could attend.
Of the seven council members, four [...]

Early Saturday morning, two DJs of the Tampa-based group Poison Dart and an associate were murdered in Auburndale’s Thunderbird Inn. It is not known why Antone Geargo Neely, Kevin Jordache Webster and Michael S. Rattigan lost their lives, although some are saying it was possibly related to an argument between the trio and another individual. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate this case, but apparantly they are no closer to arresting the perpetrators than they were at the beginning.

The main problem is that although there were approximately 300 people in the club when the shooting occured, noone has come forward. The fact is that someone among that crowd had to have seen what happened and is able to identify those responsible. So WHY? Drunk? Fear? Adhere to the culture of not talking to law enforcement, especially when it comes to turning in someone?

If the victim had been your friend or relative, you would expect anyone who knew what happened to come forward and help bring justice and closure. It is sad that to date, noone has helped toward that here. IMHO, anyone who saw what happened at the Thunderbird Inn and doesn’t come forth to help find the shooter(s) are just as responsible as if they had pulled the trigger themselves.

And one other thing about this case that angers me: The story notes that when people enter the club, they are supposed to be given a once-over with a metal detector wand to prevent anyone with a knife, gun, or other weapon inside. It is obvious that the person with that responsibility wasn’t doing his job early Saturday morning. I’d like to find out what the deal was there.

While most folks head back to work following the Memorial Day holiday, I get to stay home again. This will make it a 4 1/2 day weekend for yours truly.

With our call volume extremely low, I was sent home with several other employees Friday. Our programme is closed both Saturday and Sunday, and we were also closed for the holiday. This was a day I had to request off, as I have a couple of doctors’ appointments.

Late this morning I’ll be getting an eye exam…and maybe some new glasses. When I was approved for the county health care programme, the person who signed me up encouraged me to do so since my coverage is only until the end of September. This afternoon is the main event on the schedule, as it is the followup to my recent hospitalization.

Tomorrow, it’s back to the ole’ routine. Around the appointments, I’ll be doing some reading and checking up with everyone on the blogroll.

Hope you have a great day.

Our thoughts are with all of our service men and women who died fighting for this great country. Happy Memorial Day.

During the past four days severe weather have simply pounded areas of the nation’s midsection. So far this year over 1,000 tornados have been reported, a much higher number than normal, and hundreds of homes and businesses have been damaged or destroyed. Eight people have lost their lives in Iowa and Minnesota, and that was just this weekend.

Whenever storms or other events occur in which people suffer, organizations such as the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army are there soon afterward to give comfort and aid to the victims. Even now those two organizations are providing assistance in the areas affected by the recent severe weather.

Needless to say, it ain’t cheap. These two fine organizations need our help in their efforts. You can provide financial assistance which will help them greatly. Here’s how you can do it:

American Red Cross
Online Donations: http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ntld_main
By Mail:
American Red Cross
Polk County Chapter
147 Avenue A, Northwest
Winter Haven, Florida 33881-4501
NOTE: Donations should be noted for the Disaster Relief Fund
Local Chapter Web Site: http://polkcountyfl.redcross.org/

The Salvation Army
Online Donations: http://secure.salvationarmy.org/
By Telephone: 800-SAL-ARMY (800-725-2769)
By Mail:
The Salvation Army
2620 Kathleen Road
Lakeland, Florida 33810
OR
1898 U.S. Highway 17, North
Winter Haven, Florida 33881
OR
706 Jones Avenue
Haines City, Florida 33844
NOTE: Donations should be noted to assist storm affected areas.

Let’s not forget that hurricane season is almost here.

Ain’t no SI cover jinx here, friends! Our Rays continue to be HOT, the Red Sox have cooled down, and the Yankees SUCK BIG TIME! As of right now, Tampa Bay’s baseball wonders lead the American League Eastern Division with THE BEST RECORD IN BASEBALL!

So why does their attendance continue to falter? That may have been justified a couple of years ago when the then Devil Rays were bottom feeders of the division, but this team should be exciting the whole region.

And ya gotta love this cover, with Carl Crawford holding up the Yanks’ Derek Jeter. I’ve got to find a real cover of this.

Sometime in the last couple of days someone placed a couch on the shore at Lake Morton. Actually, it had to be more than one person. That couch is too big for one to carry.

I’ve done a slight bit of touching up to the site this weekend. Most of the work as been on the blogrolls, which I’ve divided further into more specific catagories and added several more blogs. Of course, the vast majority of them are political in nature, but I’ve also included a couple of local blogs which sparked my interest and which I thought many of you would enjoy as well.

Also, I’ve added a blogroll catagory for those of you who happen to be from outside the area and may be considering a visit to Central Florida. Contrary to rumour, your vacation to the area doesn’t have to stop at the gates of Disney/Universal/et al. Polk County in particular has several interesting possible destinations for your consideration, especially if you want to spend part of your visit away from the crowds…and if you want to save a few bucks on the budget as well.

Thank everyone for taking a few moments to visit this blog. It is a labour of love, and I hope you will consider visiting on a regular basis, and maybe putting I4J2 on your own blogroll. And if there is anything you see interesting enough to reply to, don’t forget to do so.

Have fun, and as we celebrate Memorial Day, please take time to remember the men and women who have served and even now are serving in our military forces here and elsewhere. While we may not always agree with the political decisions on how and where they are deployed, we should always thank them for their service and support them…and pray for their quick return home.

photo credit: thepollen

May 25, 2008
Economy: No holiday for gas-price woes Memorial Day weekend (O);
Tough times: Middle class losing grip on American dream (O);
Recession-Proofing The Summer Vacation (L);
Revenue Boost Sponsored By (Your Name Here) (T);
What Makes Up The Price Of Gas? (T);
Seeds Planted By Bad Economy (T);
Opinion: Our position: Central Florida lawns will be OK with weekly watering [...]