Letters warned of bridge problems: Correspondence between state agencies and those they regulate or do business with are typically public records. Letters from the Florida Department of Transportation and a contractor reviewed by David Sommer of The Tampa Tribune and WFLA News Channel 8's Mark Douglas showed the contractor “on the trouble-plagued, $70 million Memorial Causeway Bridge project had been warned about quality problems before cracks were discovered on the main support pillars late last month." A letter from the DOT also “expressed serious concerns” about the ability of contractor PCL Civil Constructors Inc. to work on state projects. The DOT sent the letters after a 102-foot section of bridge decking sagged about seven inches and more than 170 cracks were found in four pillars supporting the bridge that arches over the Intracoastal Waterway in Clearwater Harbor. The public records handbook explores the documents found in DOT project files on Page 201.

Taxpayers pay price for lawsuits: Records on legal costs drive this story from Carl Mario Nudi of the Bradenton Herald about how elected officials in Manatee County are under increasing pressure to approve radical land use changes and find themselves fighting expensive land-use battles in court. Notes the story: “Residents of Bradenton Beach have already paid more than $51,000 in a court battle to preserve the vista along the Gulf of Mexico beachfront. Holmes Beach taxpayers have already spent $35,000 to defend a decision to grant two land-use variances; the case is still in court, so the expense will continue to increase.” The public records handbook explores payments made by government agencies on Page 72.

February 24, 2004

February 23, 2004

University presidents, professors top state's pay list: State payroll records can provide an informative overview on who brings home the most pay from among state employees. Brent Kallestad of The Associated Press reviewed the for this story on the state’s best paid employees. Easily topping the list: Florida’s university presidents. “Former University of Florida President Charles Young, who made $432,510 in 2003, led the way, followed by three eminent scholars at the school - business professors Joseph Alba, John Kraft and Jay Ritter,” the story says. Fifty-four people commanded salaries at greater than $250,000 last year, including nine of the 11 state university presidents. The governor, Florida’s top elected official, ranked 2,172 on the top-pay list. The public records handbook covers payments by government agencies on Page 72 and government employee personnel records on Page 239.

Summit security costs public millions: The costs of public services are a matter of public record. This piece by the Miami Herald’s Susannah A. Nesmith pegs Miami-Dade County’s security costs for November’s Free Trade Area of the Americas summit at $23.9 million, or $1.4 million than expected. The federal government will cover $8.5 million of that cost with the rest born by local taxpayers. Last summer, local authorities had projected $16.5 million for security but budget numbers had been revised to $22.5 million just weeks before the summit began. The story and a corresponding link include more details on how the costs break down. The public records handbook covers budgets on Page 52.

February 19, 2004

Driver who struck teen had history of traffic offenses: Records obtained by NBC 6 of Miami show a driver who struck and killed a teenager on her way to school had an extensive record of driving-related violations and shouldn’t have been behind the wheel. Fernando Javier Torres, 28, had his license suspended in February for failing to pay a traffic ticket. Torres “has an extensive record of driving-related violations, including 26 traffic citations since 1994, 14 convictions for driving violations and two prior car accidents, both of which took place during the mid-1990s.” The public records handbook explains how to obtain statewide driver history records on Page 134 and how to research traffic court records at the local circuit court clerk’s office on Page 354.

February 17, 2003

A special report: soaring home prices in the bay area: Many of the most important consumer stories have a strong public records angle. Matthew Waite of the St. Petersburg Times analyzed more than 260,000 single-family home sales between January 1998 and July 2003 to document skyrocketing home values throughout the Tampa Bay area that are redefining neighborhoods and quality of life. “The price of a home rose 58 percent in St. Petersburg from 1998 to mid 2003. In Tampa, the price is up 47 percent; in Clearwater it is up 45 percent,” the story says. The lead story in this computer-assisted package notes the Tampa Bay area used to compare with Wichita, Kan., on the affordability scale. Now, the typical Tampa Bay area home “costs about as much as one in Dallas, a city with a million more residents than this area and a median income that's 30 percent higher.” Various reporters join Waite in more than two dozens stories that span all five Tampa Bay area counties. One of the neatest features: interactive map links showing how much prices have risen throughout in neighborhoods in the 5-county Tampa Bay area. All the stories can be accessed links accompanying the lead story. The public records handbook profiles deeds on Page 113, mortgage records on Page 287 and property appraisals on Page 322.

Schreiber sinks note asking for golf cash: Public e-mail records are the focus of this story by Beth Reinhard of the Miami Herald about the controversial efforts of the Broward County public defender to raise money from employees for golf tour money to aid his daughter’s boyfriend outside the office. Alan Schreiber had sent an e-mail to all his employees setting a $100 minimum “for a Feb. 24 fundraiser at his home for fledgling golf pro Craig Pawling. Pawling, who also serves subpoenas part-time for Schreiber's office, is going on the National Golf Association Hooters Pro Golf Tour.” But Schreiber sent another note reassuring employees they didn’t have to donate after news reports on the first e-mail and some lawyers complained. The story says both e-mails were signed “The Boss Man.” The story also points out that Florida ethics laws ban public officials from using their official position and public property to benefit themselves or others. The public records handbook covers e-mail records on Page 140.

February 16, 2004

Election 2004: Wiseman rakes in more than $30K in race for council seat: Campaign finance reports are key public documents for followers of political races. Dianna Smith of The Naples Daily News checked campaign finance reports for this story about who is the top money-getter in the race for an empty seat on the Naples City Council. “As of Feb. 13 — the most recent deadline for filing financial disclosure reports — [Tamela] Wiseman had collected $31,450, while Naples City Council candidate Tom Ryan collected $9,459.11. Candidate Herb Luntz met the deadline with $765,” the story says. The public records handbook profiles campaign finance reports starting on Page 60.

Memo: Crime reports altered: Public records are not always a tamper-proof source for truth. Records from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office obtained by Ann W. O'Neill, Jaime Hernandez and Shannon O'Boye of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel say a sergeant in the department suggested that officers routinely alter reports to improve case-clearance statistics for serious crimes. The sheriff’s office had already announced it was investigating two deputies for falsifying reports. In the latest revelations, the story says a sergeant in the department suggested that officers routinely alter reports to improve statistics and that he received a negative job evaluation when he refused to go along. The public records handbook covers police internal affairs investigations on Page 310.

Gun debate continues on: Statistics derived from public records often drive news stories. John A. Torres of Florida Today taps concealed weapons licensing records for a story examining whether gun ownership laws are too restrictive or not limiting enough. Data from the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services show 328,929 people are authorized to carry concealed weapons in Florida. “Of those, 10,816 live in Brevard County. That's a little more than the population of West Melbourne. Up nearly 3,000 in the past two years.” The public records handbook reviews concealed weapons licensing records on Page 93.

February 13, 2004

February 12, 2004

February 11, 2004

Troubles taint U.S. 1: Public information from the Florida Department of Transportation obtained by Florida Today’s Scott Blake indicates work delays and errors put the three-year effort to widen U.S. 1 in Melbourne nine months behind its original completion date and nearly $1.5 million over budget. Another relevant detail for area drivers: “So far, there have been more than 466 traffic accidents along the Florida Department of Transportation's 5.4-mile construction zone, including more than 50 the department says were potentially related to the roadwork.” The public records handbook profiles what’s inside DOT project files on Page 201.

Deficits dog charter schools: Tania deLuzuriaga of the Orlando Sentinel reviewed school financial records to show seven of 10 Oceola County charter schools are running deficits that total more than $2.5 million. Oceola has used charter schools has a way of relieving overcrowding for 3,000 students. In addition, the story says “state auditors who reviewed financial reports for 181 charters last year found that 44 of them – 24 percent – had deficits.” In Oceola, the bulk of the schools showing deficits are administered by the Foundation for Osceola Education, the district’s own fund-raising arm that has dominated the county’s charter-school picture. "Charter schools were supposed to run a lot more efficiently because they were run by private companies," Rick Collins, Osceola's assistant superintendent for finance, told the newspaper. "But they're finding that's not necessarily the case." The public records handbook profiles audits by the Florida Auditor General’s Office on Page 162.

February 10, 2004

February 9, 2004

Florida criminal justice system under scrutiny after kidnapping: Public records can raise serious questions about how effectively the criminal justice system is working. Vickie Chachere of The Associated Press reports that many people are demanding answers on why Joseph Smith, the man accused of kidnapping and killing an 11-year-old Sarasota girl, was a free man despite being a drug addict with a long criminal record of violence over the years. Sarasota Circuit Judge Harry Rapkin, who most recently handled Smith's case, said he was not at fault for not putting Smith in jail in December when the unemployed mechanic failed to pay his court costs and fines. Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist said his office is reviewing whether Florida's probation laws need to be bolstered to deal with offenders like Smith. Court records provide a detailed account of Smith’s brushes with the law prior to the kidnapping. Court records are covered in the public records handbook on Page 103.

February 6, 2004

February 5, 2004

February 4, 2004

February 3, 2003

February 2, 2004

Area bail bondsman accused of keeping former client’s money: Public records are often the backbone for a wide variety of stories. Kristen Zambo of The Naples Daily News uses agency regulatory records, prison records, corporate records and police records for this story about the arrest of an area bail bondsman accused of keeping a former client’s collateral security money. An investigation into one of the suspect’s businesses by the Florida Department of Financial Services prompted the 31-year-old man’s arrest. Records with the department show actions had been taken against the suspect had been taken since the late 1990s for a variety of reasons. Corporate records indicate his varied business interests while records from the Florida Department of Corrections offer details about the former client he is accused of ripping off. The suspect says the whole matter is politically and racially motivated. The public records handbook covers Department of Financial Services licensing and regulatory files on Page 190, arrest reports on Page 23, state prisoner records on Page 347 and corporate records on Page 96.

Unclaimed items worth nearly $1 billion: Could the state of Florida be holding cash or property that belongs to you? Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher says the state is holding nearly $1 billion in unclaimed cash, jewelry, furs, coins, baseball cards and other items. The Associated Press reports that items Gallagher displayed at a recent state Cabinet meetings included jewelry, a full-length mink coat, gold coins from the late 19th century and Civil War memorabilia. You can check to see if you have unclaimed property here or by calling toll-free 1-888-258-2253 (1-88VALUABLE).