Metro I-4 News

“Information is now a public service as much as it’s a commodity,” he said. “It should be thought of the same way as education, health care. It’s one of the things you need to operate a civil society, and the market isn’t doing it very well.” — Scott Lewis, VoiceofSanDiego.com quoted in the New York Times

The Ledger of Lakeland, the Tampa Tribune, the Orlando Sentinel, The St. Pete Times, the News Chief of Winter Haven are quickly leaving area residents to the shallow depths of TV news.

I don’t blame the TV reporters. They’re forced to 60 seconds of “in depth” coverage.

I blame the owners of the newspapers. Newspapers were the news of record. The news organizations that spent the time to give readers the full story. Businesses that assigned reporters to dig deep into problem governments. Companies that allowed editorial writers to publish columns that named names, columns that called for change, columns that not only told it like it was, but told readers what lay ahead.

Those businesses traded that public service for 20% profit margins. And now those margins are gone. Long gone. Never to return. And the newspapers are hemorrhaging.

To stop the bleeding who do they remove? Front line staff who did the work we read - long time columnists and hungry reporters. They dump expert photographers and talented copy editors.

And readers with fond memories of newspapers rush to give up the ghost they find on their lawn.

Those readers will soon become TV news viewers and they will get used to news in 30 second teasers. They won’t find a Pentagon Papers story following “The Dirtiest Inch in Your Kitchen!” scare stories.

Where can readers turn?

Blogs and self-published news sites like MI4 can not replace the newspapers. We’re too small, too focused. We’re news specialists, and the newspapers are your general practitioners.

And it is time we say “physician heal thyself.”

What publisher will take the steps to reduce all coverage to what local residents can see, touch, hear, taste, and vote for? What publisher will make the decision that everyone can cover a beat. From the publisher down to the cub reporter? Put every Editor in a city government committee meeting and remind them what it was like to write a story.

You say your Editor never wrote a column? She’s a business major? Send her to the city finance meetings. Everyone needs to feed the 24-hour news monster.

Publishers can make these changes immediately. If you want your children to read the newspaper as their children sleep in…publishers must these changes immediately.

photo credit: Tom Hagerty

Yes, it’s November and MI4 has not been updated.

The problem isn’t that I can’t update it, it is deciding how we will go ahead in the future.

Adding contributors to Lakeland Local proved to be more time consuming than I expected. We are finally in a swing and I can reurn to making changes at MI4.

Just not today. Sunday. Hopefully.

The changes won’t be great…and I will keep linking to the area blogs I read every day. The idea was always to drive traffic to those blogs, while giving users the opportunity to use MI4 as a one-stop place to find the best blogging from the I4 corridor.

I will continue that…while adding some new features…including more original content for this area from both myself and area writers and photographers.

At least, that’s the plan.

Yes, at just a few months old, Metro I4 News is going to get a face lift. Maybe a nose job.

With all the new contributors at Lakeland Local I let my focus drift.

MI4 has been carrying everything from select bloggers. As a central repository it let you have one feed instead of five. But I stopped making it easy to scan.

That’s going to change. I need to trim, prune, and focus.

First, I’m going to stop reprinting everything from Lakeland Local.

Yes, my own site.

Starting tomorrow, I’ll just publish select Lakeland Local columns that are more regional in nature.

Then a few days of looking at better arranging the front page.

After BlogOrlando, I’m going to add an every other day column on the best of Central Florida blogs, columnists, twits, and facebookers. Basically, where ever I find something interesting online.

Then we start weight training.

The daily “don’t miss” column is on hiatus while I work on the process and format. Reading all the regional newspapers everyday for months was more taxing than you’d believe.

I want to find a better method to get the articles from the main stream media to your eyes.

I’m also working on a slight upgrade of this site’s design now that I have a better idea of what I want. Look for that in a week or so.

“McCray has defrauded Medicare by selling his government-issued health card number to private clinics in exchange for kickbacks of $150 to $300 a visit - as often as three times a day, three times a week over seven years, according to federal records and his own admission.” — Medicare Fraud Rampant In South Florida

“Designed to revitalize aging downtowns or create a downtown-like focus for sprawling suburbs, town centers are popular with both community planners and developers, offering a mix of new-urban housing, offices, retail space and open areas for community events and foot traffic. But as the housing slump and economic downturn have proven, making a town center work can be a tough job.” — Tough times for town centers

The Daily Don’t Miss column will change publication time for the rest of the month. Since we feature articles that are not breaking news, we don’t believe this should impact the column’s function: to highlight stories important to the region that might have been missed on the busy main stream media sites.

For the rest of August, at least, we plan to publish around dinner time. Our dinner time. Not necessarily yours.

“Hillsborough residents with homes built before June 18, 1980, can get reduced flood insurance rates if they hurry.” — FEMA Updates Flood Maps

“Teachers in Central Florida public schools are headed back to the classroom this year without a pay raise.” — Teachers ‘not going to get a penny’ in raises

“Gov. Charlie Crist told state agency heads Thursday that he wants construction projects sped up so more money can be pumped into the sluggish state economy.” — ‘Accelerate Florida’ With Construction, Crist Says

Bonus:

Now the true costs start… “The construction of two new roads that could help relieve traffic problems that the planned CSX rail freight terminal will make worse should be top priorities for seeking state road funds, the Polk Transportation Planning Organization agreed Thursday.” — CSX Project Pushes 2 Roads Higher on Construction Request

“On Aug. 29, Garcia and thousands of other Spanish-speaking Hispanics in Central Florida will read El Nuevo Dia for the last time.” — Spanish daily El Nuevo Dia Orlando about to fold

One of the sillier editorials you’ll read. Don’t miss the reader comments. “District 19 deserves better than Mr. Siplin. But a weak opponent compels us to endorse Gary Siplin in the Aug. 26 Democratic primary.” — A weak primary opponent compels us to endorse the senator

Note: MI4’s Don’t Miss column will be missing in action this weekend. See you Monday.

“Amid a foreclosure crisis and sour economy, the number of homeless families is growing. In Seminole County alone, more than 600 school-age children are expected to spend at least part of the year in motels, shelters or even tents in the woods, according to a new report. An additional 450 homeless children in the county are younger than 5, officials estimate.” — Number of homeless families grows amid foreclosure crisis

“The campaign to wipe out most school property taxes in Florida moved to a courtroom Wednesday, with an openly skeptical state judge raising the possibility that the ambitious tax plan could be torpedoed before it ever reaches voters.” — Judge has issue with wording of Amendment 5 tax ballot

“The Central Florida Regional Planning Council on Wednesday approved the proposed 318-acre rail terminal site in southern Winter Haven. The approval, with 61 conditions on traffic, the environment and other factors, has been forwarded to the city of Winter Haven.” — Planning Council Approves CSX Project

“Remember the scene in “Airplane II, The Sequel” where two airport security guards get their kicks watching a special camera “undress” female passengers? We laughed about it then, but real-world technology that peeks under your clothes is now headed to Tampa International Airport, and it’s nothing to smile about.” — A Step Too Far For Airport Scanners

“What has voters - in addition to most of the state’s business, education, and political organizations and lobbies - so concerned is that proponents haven’t offered any definitive plan for fulfilling the amendment’s requirement that the Legislature replace the lost property-tax money with other public funding.” — Swapping What For What?

“As Florida’s coffers shrink in the face of a dour economy, confusion over a tax statute threatens to choke the flow of home sales at a time when the state is struggling under the burden of millions of unsold properties.” — Tax ‘Mess’ Muddles Short Sales Of Homes

“Orlando’s home-resale market recorded its second-best sales month of the year in July, and local Realtors said a marked improvement in the number of pending contracts bodes well for the rest of 2008.” — Home sales: Good news peeks out from the gloom

“Skeptical state regulators grilled representatives of Florida’s largest private property insurer on Tuesday as State Farm officials tried to make a case for their 47.1 percent rate increase for their 950,000 residential customers.” — Fla. Regulators Question State Farm Rate Hike

Bonus:

“The Florida Parole Commission will remain all-white with the reappointment of an existing member Tuesday after a move to seek a more diverse slate of finalists failed.” — Reappointment Keeps Florida Parole Panel All-White

“Sugar grower Florida Crystals is lobbying for an inland port with the development of an industrial and commercial center just south of Lake Okeechobee, smack in the heart of the state’s proposed pathway for Everglades restoration.” - Sugar Grower’s Port Proposal May Affect Everglades Plan

“Thirty-one miles of the 61-mile Central Florida Commuter Rail project has been approved for final design, project backers announced Monday.” — Orlando Commuter Rail Takes Another Step

“With a boost from some tax-break incentives, Orlando-based Planar Energy Devices Inc. says it plans to establish a microelectronics plant in Central Florida within the next three months.
” — Tax incentives to fuel energy startup’s presence in Orlando

“For years, school leaders juggled their budgets to prevent the state’s chronic money woes from creeping into the classroom. But they’re out of options now and scaling back popular programs for gifted students and troubled kids.” — Schools on a shoestring: Specialized programs cut to the core

“The sharp rise in gas prices has created a dilemma for the industry’s human-resource departments: How to keep commuting costs from eating up their workers’ wages.” — Businesses go extra mile to help workers save on gas

“Gov. Charlie Crist surprised few last week in announcing his support for Amendment 5, the proposed constitutional measure that would eliminate most school property taxes in Florida. What is surprising is the governor is so blinded by ideology that he will not acknowledge the ever-growing evidence that it would cause long-term economic and educational harm to our state.” — Tax- Swap Treachery

Bonus:

“In Central Florida, there are almost a quarter of a million swing voters, most of whom are Puerto Ricans or other Hispanics. Until now, they have remained a largely untapped resource. But both political campaigns are gearing up to target them during the next three months.” — Orlando-area Hispanics’ votes will be vital to campaigners

“Florida voters can cast early ballots for the Aug. 26 Republican and Democratic primaries starting Monday. Many will be greeted by changes since 2006. Statewide, 15 counties — including Lake in Central Florida — are switching from touch-screen technology to paper, optical-scan ballots.” — Expect some changes at Florida polls when casting early votes

So many reasons why you should oppose Amendment 5 and Homebuyers, Beware: Tax Aid Is Loan

“Nagging complaints about some generic drugs are casting doubt on one of medicine’s most widely held assumptions: that generics are just as good as brand-name versions, only cheaper.” — Rx for trouble? Generics don’t always work as well as brand names, critics say. The FDA disagrees. We take a look.

“In 2015, just a few years from now, Florida will be in deep trouble. Who wants the dubious notoriety of “last in the nation?”" — Florida’s Coming Medical Disaster

Bonus:

The Sentinel is still mad at Paula Dockery

(Note: Yesterday’s Don’t Miss column was missing. We apologize for the mix up.)

“If you get blood at Lakeland Regional Medical Center after 7 a.m. Monday, it won’t be coming from BloodNet USA. LRMC’s blood and blood products, like platelets or plasma, will come instead from Florida Blood Services, which officially starts providing LRMC’s blood supplies that day. The two signed a contract three months ago and have spent the time since then finalizing arrangements.” — LRMC Taps Into New Supply of Blood

“Publix Super Markets has long stressed its customer service and cleanliness, but with rising food and gas costs it’s now courting a lower-priced image. The Lakeland-based grocery chain has started a program of deep discounts on certain staple items, starting with milk and soon expanding to other products, company spokeswoman Shannon Patten said.” — Publix Grocery Bill May Be Less

“Orlando officials say they have little choice but to raise property taxes because city government is run as efficiently as possible. But records show that the Orlando Police Department — with a $111 million budget that amounts to nearly a third of the city’s general spending — has seen its overtime pay nearly triple in the past four years as the city deals with a wave of violent crime.” — Overtime could tax Orlando Police budget to tune of $4 million

Bonus:

“With John McCain likely only days from announcing his running mate, the chances of his choosing Florida Gov. Charlie Crist took three hits this week: a poll, a controversy over campaign contributions and an important newspaper non-endorsement. Recent speculation about Crist has put him in the lower tier of potential running mates and focused more on former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.” — Governor May Have Faded As VP Choice

“Since January there have been 15 cases, with a total of 28 missing converters — some cars have more than one — the Orlando Police Department said. Between January and July 2007, there were just two cases.” — Thieves want your catalytic converter

“Like countless other Central Floridians, Stofko is hunkering down to ride out the economic crisis rather than taking a risk looking for work elsewhere. Similar decisions to stay put have led to a slowdown in Orange County’s growth, even as Central Florida’s largest county continued to change its complexion and inch toward becoming an area where minorities are the majority.” — Counties’ complexions change with economy

“Florida’s public universities are seeking $65 million from the Legislature to stop the exodus of talented faculty members who are drawn to better opportunities in more financially stable regions.” — Faculty Losses Hurting Florida’s Universities

Bonus:

Value Of Property In State Drops $153 Billion In Year

Lynx needs more money, not misplaced morality

Voters to Decide Tax Break Plan

“Thus, he shared this bit of bad news. “As crude-oil prices go down, we may not see gasoline prices go down as much, because they didn’t go up as much.”" — Oil is getting cheaper - then why is gas still so expensive?

“Orange County commissioners enlisted as allies Tuesday, approving a resolution that backs up Lake’s opposition to a permit for Niagara Bottling to withdraw 177 million gallons of water a year.” — Orange County, Groveland join Lake County’s fight against water-bottling plant

“But in the past nine months, carriers, software developers and cell phone makers have embraced a new attitude of openness toward consumers.” — Wireless Providers Grudgingly Accept Open Networks

Bonus:

PCC Considers Three Sites For New Campus

Sentinel help team: How to avoid foreclosure

Pop & Circumstance: Moviegoing Gets More Costly

“About 150,000 people nationwide have been affected by the theft of laptops with personal information about current and former employees of Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc.” — Busch Tracking Laptop Thefts