FHP teams with Google on Web site: Public agencies can do a great public service by doing more to connect their public information with consumers. Lakeland Ledger Associate Editor Lonnie Brown shares an example in this column about a Florida Highway Patrol Web site that gives motorists the heads-up on traffic accidents and lane closures. FHP dispatchers feed the details in real time to the Web site, which works with Google maps to show the exact locations on highways. “On Thursday morning, by clicking on Polk County on the displayed state map, I quickly learned there were two accidents on I-4 eastbound between Lakeland and Tampa – but the road was not blocked. One accident involved injuries; the other did not,” Brown wrote. The site is updated every five minutes.

Harris aims to renew permit: The public’s ability to find out if public officials have concealed weapons licenses as they claim they do will disappear unless Gov. Jeb Bush vetoes a bill aiming to make them private. In this story, Anita Kumar and Bridget Hall Grumlet report that U.S. Senate candidate Katherine Harris is trying to reinstate her lapsed concealed weapons license. The congresswoman from Longboat Key first obtained a license after receiving death threats when she was secretary of state during the heated presidential recount in 2000. The story says at least three other U.S. reps from Florida –Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Crystal River, and Mario Diaz-Balart and Lincoln Diaz-Balart, both of Miami – have permits. Other politicians with licenses include State Rep. Ken Littlefield, R-Zephyrhills, state Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles Bronson and Hillsborough County Commissioner Ronda Storms. The public records handbook covers concealed weapons licensing files on Page 93.

May 16, 2006

Florida Sunshine Review:
Tallahassee Democrat editorial: Legislative session goes down as one of the most hostile to open government in years …
Tallahassee Democrat, by Jim Ash: Late bills targeting open government upsets watchdogs …

May 14, 2006

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Florida Sunshine Review:
Associated Press, by Bill Kaczor: Temporary FCAT workers’ records will be disclosed …
*Gainesville Sun, by Jack Stripling: Court rules in favor of University of Florida president in public records lawsuit (*free registration required) …
Tampa Tribune, by Kevin Begos: Public access laws took hit during legislative session …
South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial:Troubling concealed weapons license bill threatens to become law …
*Florida Times-Union editorial: Governor should take aim and veto faulty concealed weapons license bill (*free registration required) …
St. Petersburg Times editorial: Concealed weapons records should not be removed from public view …
*Fort Pierce Tribune editorial: Governor must veto concealed weapons licensing bill (*free registration required) …
*Orlando Sentinel, by Vicki Mcclure: Orange County school superintendent delays release of school readers list (*free registration required) …
Fort Myers News-Press, by Don Ruane: Cape Coral again leaks Social Security numbers to the public …
*Orlando Sentinel, by Sandra Pedicini: Castleberry residents, candidates file Sunshine Law complaint (*free registration required) …

May 7, 2006

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Anderson suffocated, second autopsy finds: Public records can play a huge role in matters of death and life. A second autopsy report drives this story by Stephen D. Price of the Tallahassee Democrat about 14-year-old Martin Lee Anderson “died from suffocation because guards at the Bay County boot camp forced ammonia into his nose while covering his mouth.” This is the latest twist in a story that has drawn national attention. Anderson died in January, a day after guards at the Bay County juvenile boot camp restrained, kneed and hit him. The incident was caught on video. The fist autopsy by the Bay County medical examiner said Anderson died of natural causes. Officials exhumed his body in March for a second autopsy by the Hillsborough County medical examiner, who was appointed to investigate by Gov. Jeb Bush. The second autopsy puts the responsibility for Anderson’s death squarely on the guards. This story is accompanied by links to a press release from the state attorney’s office and a statement from Gov. Jeb Bush. The public records handbook explains autopsy report files starting on Page 28.

More records in action:
Sheriff’s office investigation records, medical examiner records and court records: Rebecca Blue of the Bradenton Herald on how 15-year-old Crystal Shafer’s slaying from 1996 remains a mystery …
Court records: Linda Jump of Florida Today on a Stuart deed scammer who faces up to 60 years in the slammer for forging documents to take ownership of 18 vacant lots and sell them …
Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test results: Michele Sager of The Tampa Tribune on how local Hillsborough County schools made gains on the state FCAT test …
Sex offender records: William Rabb of the Pensacola News Journal on how sports volunteers in Santa Rosa County are required to undergo criminal background checks …
State budget: Paige St. John for Florida Today on how Broward and Indian River counties fared in the new state budget approved by lawmakers …

Florida Sunshine Review:
*Orlando Sentinel, by Jason Garcia: Senate re-enacts “Earnhardt law” limiting access to autopsy photos and videos (*free registration required) …
Associated Press: Bills exempt autopsy photos and gun permits from open records law …
Daytona Beach News-Journal, by Kenya Woodward: Theft, safety concerns prompt cameras at some city halls in Flagler and Volusia counties …
Ocala Star-Banner editorial: Sunshine is good medicine for Munroe Regional Medical Center board …

May 3, 2006

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Florida Sunshine Review:
*Orlando Sentinel, by Jason Garcia: Incentive fund picks up speed in Legislature but prompts open records issues (*free registration required) …
Florida Today, by Jeff Schweers:Brevard County Commission’s limits on public comment at meetings raise questions …

May 2, 2006

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Florida Sunshine Review:
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, by Ian Katz:Cities and counties walk a fine line to trying to keep public records open and personal information secret …
Palm Beach Post editorial: Progress made in resolving sticky public records issue involving court clerks from throughout Florida …

May 1, 2006

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Me-OWWWW! Of All Pets, Cats Bite, Scratch Most: And you thought pit bulls reigned as the biggest animal biters and scratchers. Not in Hillsborough County, at least. Statistics gathered by Valerie Kalfrin of The Tampa Tribune indicate the “worst offender is the domestic shorthair cat, the culprit in 341 incidents” over the last year. Overall, county Animal Services records show “that 1,219 animals caused 1,382 bites and scratches reported during the past 12 months, 221 involving children ages 1 to 12. At least 400 bites have been reported since Jan. 1.” This story includes a list of the Top 12 animals that bit or scratched people the most. Pit bulls finished second behind the domestic cat in factoring into the most reports. The story also features “a database of the incidents for those who want to put their paws on more information from the last year, such as bite date, breed involved and age of the victim. The public records handbook profiles animal bite reports on Page 18.