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HOT!: Florida Sunshine Review: Catch up on open government news from throughout Florida ...
Open records and meetings links, resources.
May 30, 2007
Danger on our waters: Boating accident records propel this story by Leon Fooksman and Jeremy Milarsky at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel regarding the 52-mile stretch of South Florida waterways that had the most boating accidents per square mile in Florida between 2002 and 2006. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission records show that one of four accidents in the corridor from central Palm Beach County to northern Miami-Dade County left someone injured. The big causes: carelessness, inattention and violation of navigational rules. The story dives into several issues, including proposed legislation for more boater training.
Records combo to go:
Expense records: Mabel Perez of the Ocala Star-Banner on how the John Couey murder trial involving the death of Jessica Lunsford has cost taxpayers $573,000 …
Lien: Orlando Business Journal staff on a $5.4 million lien involving two of the key players in downtown Orlando’s biggest redevelopment project …
May 28, 2007
Warning: Costly crossings: Florida Department of Transportation and other records help Lindsay Peterson of The Tampa Tribune tell this story about how state taxpayers must pay railroad companies about $6 million a year to repair railroad crossings even though the companies don’t report when they did the work or what they did. Not only do taxpayers not know what they are getting for their money in those cases, but state and local governments pay CSX, the state’s predominant railroad, millions each year to put in crossings at public roads and cover flagmen on road projects near CSX rails. “The company dictates the labor and material prices and doesn't document its costs to the agencies that pay the bills, The Tampa Tribune has reported. Governments that balk at the payments risk having a road or a road construction project shut down,” the story said.
In full view: Police files and mug shots provide the foundation for this story by Konrad Marshall of The Florida Times-Union about the homeless man who gained national notoriety on YouTube.com because he was unknowingly caught on tape defecating in public. This story sets out to find out who the mentally ill man known as “Knot Head” is and how he reached this point in life. The 56-year-old man has been arrested at least 92 times over the years. He has 31 known aliases. The story includes slides of the man’s mug shots over the last 36 years. The public records handbook profiles criminal court records on Page 103.
Florida Sunshine Review:
St. Petersburg Times, by Michael Van Sickler: Florida Transportation Commission’s practices defy Sunshine Law and raise concerns about its actions …
*Orlando Sentinel, by Claudia Zequeira: Sunshine Law inquiry clears Osceola School Board trio (*free registration required) …
May 25, 2007
Records roll call:
Domestic violence restraining order records, court records, public school photo: Eduardo Encina and Abbie Vansickle of the St. Petersburg Times about the domestic violence troubles of Tampa Bay Devil Rays rookie Elijah Dukes …
Internal affairs investigation report, personnel records: *Elliott Jones of the Fort Pierce Tribune regarding an Indian River County deputy suspended without pay due to a relationship with a married woman while on duty and off (*free registration required) …
Memo: Brittany Wallman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel about Fort Lauderdale spending $38,000 to improve gopher tortoise habitat at the airport …
May 24, 2007
Florida Sunshine Review:
Palm Beach Post, by Michael C. Bender: Crist signs bill to make it easier to request public records …
Lakeland Ledger editorial: Winter Haven Housing Authority comes down hard on the side of the public’s right to know …
May 23, 2007
The hardest part is just to say it, troopers say of death notices: This is a story that could be done anywhere, but I’ve only seen it done here by Bridget Murphy of The Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville. Traffic fatality records helped her tell the story of what it’s like for a trooper to have to break the news about traffic fatalities to loved ones. The story focuses on the task of Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Michael Elder, who has broken such news about 30 times during his seven-year career. An interesting aspect of this story: “The Highway Patrol has specially trained personnel to whom troopers can talk after they witness traumatic incidents, Lt. Bill Leeper said. But while the counseling is confidential, he said not everyone in law enforcement reaches out for it.” The public records handbook profiles traffic crash reports on Page 357.
May 22, 2007
Florida Sunshine Review:
Palm Beach Post editorial: Government in the Sunshine took fewer hits than usual this legislative session …
Lakeland Ledger, by Rick Rousos: City defends investigation into who provided a public record to The Ledger showing a $43.7 million loss on Lakeland Electric’s natural gas purchases…
*Miami Herald, by Dan Christensen and Patrick Danner: Investigation into the planting of false court records by two Miami-Dade judges finds no wrongdoing (*free registration required) …
May 19, 2007
Florida Sunshine Review:
The Daily Pulp blog, by Bob Norman: Judge Gary M. Farmer writes one of the strangest and most entertaining legal papers ever in ruling on Miami Herald defamation case involving a Kentucky Derby-winning horse …
Palm Beach Post, by Tony Doris: Two seek secrecy on “pay-to-play” grand jury report…
*Miami Herald, by Dan Christensen and Patrick Danner: Federal courts are changing the way cases are docketed to avoid “the appearance of a secret docket” (*free registration required) …
Florida Times-Union editorial (see second item): Butterworth praised for loosening records, lips regarding Florida Department of Children and Families …
*Miami Herald, by Carol Marbin Miller: State child welfare adminstrators, Miami Herald seek open hearing in Cuban child custody case (*free registration required) …
Associated Press, by Paul Davenport: States, including Florida, want to safeguard names of fallen troops …
May 17, 2007
NBC2 investigators break down car break-ins: Public records can offer insights not obtained through any other avenue. A review of 50,000 crime reports in Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties propel this story by Kara Kenney with WBBH NBC2 in Fort Myers about where car burglars strike and what they take. The findings: Thieves hit vehicles in driveways the most frequently. Credit cards, cash and tools are the items they take most often. The story includes a link to Kenney’s TV broadcast report along with interactive maps and data tables. The public records handbook profiles police offense and incident reports on Page 312.
May 15, 2007
Records on a roll:
State rainmaker data: Ralph De La Cruz of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in search of rainmakers from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Read this piece and you’ll discover how a question from your iDig host resulted in a column years later …
Police report: Tanya Caldwell of the Orlando Sentinel about the bust of the actor who played Bud Bundy on TV’s “Married with Children” on charges of marijuana possession and disorderly conduct. This story includes a PDF link to the police report (*free registration required) …
State payment records: The Associated Press on payments made to the Florida Broadcasters Association by the state …
Florida Sunshine Review:
Tallahassee Democrat, by Bob Gabordi: FAMU gets $60.25 for records as newspaper gets a dose of frustration for its money…
Tallahassee Democrat staff report: FAMU turns over records to newspaper …
*Miami Herald, by Charles Rabin: Miami-Dade Commissioner Barbara Jordan wants to ban the “N-word” (*free registration required) …
May 13, 2007
A woman screaming for help: Court, sheriff and state attorney’s records factor heavily in this piece by Zac Anderson of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune about how repeated 911 calls and court orders couldn't spare Yana Huss from a gruesome death stemming from her relationship with her husband Scott. Prosecutors dismissed case after case against Scott Huss after his wife – a Russian immigrant – recounted her allegations. Scott Huss is accused of stabbing his wife to death. “The death of the 31-year-old mother of two has exposed the limitations of a system that relies heavily on domestic violence victims to stand up for themselves, even when they face death threats from their abusers,” the story says. The public records handbook profiles prosecutor case files on Page 328, 911 records on Page 129 and criminal court files on Page 103.
Appraiser’s application for exemption examined: Property appraiser records help fuel this story by Wayne T. Price of Florida Today regarding how Brevard County’s chief deputy property appraiser “may have run afoul of the law by filing for a property homestead exemption in October for the Rockledge home that he rents, but doesn't own.” The property appraiser’s Web site listed Lance Larsen’s home as having an exemption at one point but was changed after Florida today asked about Laren’s homestead exemption application. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating. Larsen’s attorney told the newspaper Larsen filed an application to test a Florida Statute that generally only allows the property owners who live in a home to benefit from a homestead exemption. The public records handbook property appraiser records on Page 322.
Florida Sunshine Review:
Fort Myers News-Press editorial : Teens learn hard lesson about First Amendment as principal was wrong to muzzle students’ writing about issues …
*St. Augustine Record, by Paulette Perhach: Cry of censorship rallied Flagler College students to protest decision regarding editing of the Gargoyle, the student newspaper (*free registration required) …
*St. Augustine Record, by Paulette Perhach: Editing of students newspaper article at Flagler College generates controversy and questions regarding press freedoms at the school (*free registration required) …
Palm Beach Post, by Eliot Kleinberg: Post’s request for federal records on 9/11 hijackers yields little new information…
May 12, 2007
Playing some catch-up and more: Invoices, attendee records for city venues: Mary Kelli Palka of The Florida Times-Union on loose rules and questionable costs regarding the public officials and others who get freebie tickets at Jacksonville Jaguars games, concerts and other events at public facilities …
Draft audit report: Larry Hannan of the Naples Daily News on a draft audit that faults the Collier County Housing Development Corp. for lacking formal policies and financial controls …
Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission statistics on alligator complaints, licensed trappers: Craig Pittman of the St. Petersburg Times with some interesting statistics on gator nuisance complaints and trapper work. The state is considering rule changes that would allow people to capture and kill gators under 4-feet long themselves. Who wants to go first? …
May 9, 2007
Florida Sunshine Review:
Daytona Beach News-Journal editorial : Officials’ private phones shouldn’t hide their public responsibility to provide records …
Sarasota Herald-Tribune editorial: Google search engine’s efforts should improve access to public records …
May 8, 2007
Holes found in some DUI records: Not even public records are foolproof as sources of information. Sarah Okeson of Florida Today found at least 15 cases in which the Brevard County Clerk of Courts did not forward DUI convictions to the state as required. In one case, a woman sentenced to prison for six years for DUI manslaughter and who had her driving privileges revoked didn’t get reported to the state almost a year after Florida Today raised questions about the case. That means anyone seeking statewide driving history records from the state Deprtment of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles could miss out on some convictions. Just how widespread this problem is isn’t clear. A MADD organization official said she had heard of complaints about DUI convictions statewide not winding up on state driving records. The public records handbook covers driver license and history records on Page 134.
May 7, 2007
Is SJRCC wasting taxpayer cash?: Payment records are among the documents Jim Schoettler of The Florida Times-Union draws upon for this story that reveals State Rep. Joe Pickens is also receiving a salary from St. Johns River Community College as special counsel to the president, apparently the only post of its kind among state community colleges. The story says Pickens has been school President Robert McLendon Jr.’s special school attorney since 2005. “Pickens' part-time contract will pay him $65,000 this year, more than twice what he makes as a legislator. The community college also spends $138,000 for a general counsel who doubles as its executive vice president, while another attorney is paid $15,000 annually to represent its trustees,” the story says. This is just one of several records-driven stories by Schoettler about the college. Others include a piece on a critical audit, a sexual harassment case against the president settled by the school, questionable contracts, and unusual college retreats by school officials.
May 5, 2007
Florida Sunshine Review:
The Spinnaker editorial : University of North Florida student newspaper protests the withholding of election violation documents by the school student government and the university administration in a front-page editorial …
*Miami Herald, by Monica Hatcher: Legislature wants to give court clerks three more years to strike out personal information from their public records on the Internet (*free registration required) …
*Miami Herald, by Monica Hatcher: Public records can be easy targets for identity thieves (*free registration required) …
Jacksonville Financial News and Daily Record: Florida Bar to post lawyer disciplinary histories on its Web site …
May 4, 2007
Complaint details harassment: Property appraiser records and a state complaint released through a private party drive this story by Tony Bridges of the Panama City News-Herald about a sexual harassment complaint linked to the resignation of Bay County Property Appraiser Rick Barrett. The complaint, filed with the Florida Commission on Human Relations and released by the Florida Association of Counties Trust, says Barnett told employee Nicole Mincey that he had a sexual dream involving her. She asked him to write it down and he obliged. She used the explicit note as evidence of sexual harassment in a complaint to the state. Notes the story: “Pay records released by the property appraiser’s office show that Mincey’s pay was raised six times in two years, from a starting salary of $20,800 to her current pay of $35,347. Barnett apparently gave quiet increases to several employees, but Mincey’s were the most frequent and do not appear to have been warranted, said interim Property Appraiser Russ Mathis.” Mincey detailed a laundry list of other allegations against Barnett relating to requested sex acts and nude photos. The story includes a link to Mincey’s seven-page complaint outlining her claims. The public records handbook explores government employee personnel records on Page 239.
Pass the public records please ... Florida Division of Forestry records, Florida Statutes: *Erika Beras of the Miami Herald on the state billing a swamp buggy owner $44,352 to cover the cost of putting out the fire his buggy started (*free registration required) …
Florida Comprehensive Test Scores: Susan Latham Carr of the Ocala Star-Banner on how Marion County’s third graders faltered on reading in mirroring a state trend …
Walter usage records: The WEPC News 12 I-Team on how West Palm Beach city commissioners are not conserving water despite dry conditions …
May 1, 2007
Jacksonville emergency rooms stay busy thanks to violence: Seldom cited public records can sometimes deliver bombshells. Steve Patterson of The Florida Times-Union cites state emergency room treatment reports for this story that reveals how gun violence is “putting Jacksonville residents in emergency rooms at an alarming rate.” Officials at the Duval County Health Department say county emergency rooms treat gunshot victims at six to seven times the rates in Hillsborough and Orange counties, which have larger populations. Duval residents are also more likely to warrant emergency help for other types of violence than their counterparts in the two counties. This statistical revelation from Florida Agency for Health Care Administration data is yet another that distinguishes Duval when it comes to violent crime. The county has led the state in murder rate for the last seven years in a row and 13 of the last 18.
Florida Sunshine Review:
Daytona Beach News-Journal, by Barry Flynn: Flagler Sheriff’s Office is planning to translate some brochures and parts of its Web site into Spanish, Portuguese and Russian …
Associated Press, by Jim Ellis: Judge to mull over releasing boy’s statement regarding homeless beating …
Florida Today, by Kate Brennan: Florida Department of Education hopes to have new Web site on teacher disciplinary actions going by August …
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