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The state has reached a settlement with Morgan Stanley for overcharging people trying to fill up their gas tanks during Hurricane Ike last fall.

TransMontaigne, a subsidiary company of Morgan Stanley, transports gas to some Florida stations. TransMontaigne ordered its stations to raise prices $1.60 a gallon as Hurricane Ike moved through the Gulf. Attorney General Bill McCollum said nailing Morgan Stanley for price gouging will send a message to other suppliers.

“This is a statement that big business needs to be held accountable and I appreciate the fact that Morgan Stanley has stepped up to the plate and set a very high standard,” said McCollum.

Morgan Stanley will pay the state 2.2 million dollars. The money will go to the Attorney Generals Office and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to fund future investigations. The state is still investigating 12 other cases of gas price gouging stemming from Hurricane Ike.

The state is taking steps to make sure honey bought in Florida is pure honey.

Some sellers add water, sugar, and additives to their products. Starting July 14th the state will adopt standards prohibiting the sell of honey with additives. Commissioner of Agriculture Charles Bronson said he hopes to set an example other states will follow.

“We hope other states, the 28 other states that are looking at this, and hopefully the FDA will come to the same conclusion, that if it’s not made by a bee, then it’s probably not honey. We just want people who are paying honey prices to get 100 percent honey,” said Bronson.

Florida is the 4th largest honey producing state. Honey has an economic impact of nearly 40 million dollars a year, employing more than 500 people. Companies caught violating the new standards could be forced to stop selling honey and pay 500 dollars per violation.

Diehard fans of Florida’s 11 public universities may soon be able to show their school spirit in death. State law has changed to allow urns with the ashes of dead alumni to be housed on campus. No Florida school has adopted a plan yet, but as Whitney Ray tells us, graduates of Florida schools are already seeking to be laid to rest on campus.

Some Florida Gators have so much school spirit, even death can’t keep them from supporting the team. Gator fans have had their ashes illegally scattered on the football field, and dozen of law abiding alumni have asked for permission to do the same.

UF isn’t the only school where people are dying to be laid to rest. There are reports of ashes being scattered around this giant oak tree on FSU’s campus.

The interest in campus cemeteries spawned legislation allowing schools to build columbaria to house the ashes of alumni. FSU Freshman Lonnie Prior grew up watching Seminole football. This fall he’ll play for the Noles.

“I’ve always been a fan and just to be buried here, that would be cool,” said Prior.

FSU Senior Adriana Sekula wants to be buried with her family, but says housing dead fans on campus could increase school spirit.

“I think it’s exciting. I don’t think we would be Gators or Seminoles without that kind of support,” said Adriana.

Alum Mark Delegal spent some of the best years of his life at the University of Florida. He never misses a home football game, and is considering spending eternity on campus.

“I do plan to be cremated, I’m not quite sure I’m ready to say I’ll have my urn put over there, but it’s as good of an idea as I have heard,” said Mark.

And if school spirit can outlast death, diehard fans may soon be dying for a spot near their favorite stadium. The University of Florida is reviewing plans to build a columbarium on campus. FSU has formed a committee to research the idea.

Students at Florida State University will no longer be able to reach some professors on their office phones. The FSU College of Business and the Department of English are cutting landlines to save money. As Whitney Ray tells us, if the plan takes off, other colleges could begin nixing their landline service.

Many professors are starting to give out their cell phone numbers to students. Not to be more accessible, but because money is tight. FSU Junior Tyler David got his professor’s cell phone number off the class syllabus.

“I think that it’s a good idea just in case you really need to get in touch with them, you have an important question, whatever it might be,” said Tyler.

While Tyler likes the extra access, FSU Freshman Meredyth Cassell thinks calling a professor on their cell phone is too personal.

“I think it should be kept professional between the student and teacher and giving them your cell phone number kind of makes it more of friend sort of thing,” Meredyth.

The English Department is the latest college to cut landlines. Dr Ralph Berry, Chairman of FSU’s English Department, says professors are sacrificing their personal cell phone minutes to stay in touch with students.

“Given the range of options of what we’ve got to cut this feel relatively painless when you compare it to the other things we might have to give up,” said Dr. Berry.

FSU is laying off 200 faculty employees and closing some departments.

The College of Business turned off half its lights to save electricity.

The penny pinching is adding up. FSU is expected to save 3.5 million dollars in utility cost this year. And with the economy forcing everyone to tighten their belts, finding the least harmful way to cut cost may mean cutting the landline.

The FSU College of Business cut landlines last year and saved thousands of dollars. Cutting the landlines in the English Department is expected to save 16-thousand dollars.

Progress Energy Customers are getting a change to voice their concerns about a proposed rate hike.

The company wants to raise customer’s base rate an average of 9 dollars a month. The Public Service Commission held a hearing in Live Oak today to allow Progress customers to voice their concerns. Progress Energy Customer Dick Williams said he can’t afford to pay more for his electricity.

“I have to watch every penny that I have and make it go as far as I can. This is going to increase annually by about $160 which doesn’t sound like much money. When you are trying to find enough money to buy medicine, to buy food, that’s a lot of money and it’s that on top of other increases that we are facing in the state.”

The PSC is holding meetings across the state so Progress Energy customers from all over can participate. The next meeting will be held in Lake Mary on the 15th.

Upcoming meetings
On the 16th in St. Petersburg
On the 17th in Ocala
On the 30th in Apalachicola

Seven Floridians have now died from complications caused by H1N1 swine flu.

The Florida Department of Health confirmed the sixth and seventh cases today. The latest victims are a 55 year old Duval County man and a 25 year old Palm Beach County woman. 1,781 Floridians have the virus. Governor Charlie Crist says the state is doing all it can to warn people about swine flu.

“I think that the Department of Health has done good job at getting the word out and trying to make sure that Floridians are very cautious. Thank you,” said Crist.

Most Swine Flu cases in Florida have been mild and fatalities from the virus are still well below the death toll from seasonal flu. Health experts will continue to monitor the virus and are preparing for more cases this Fall.

Wednesday morning began with 100,552 inmates locked up in Florida prisons. The state also has or will soon have 11 thousand more beds under construction at a cost of almost a billion dollars. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, Florida’s major business groups are saying enough is enough.

The bed this inmate will sleep in tonight cost 77,000 dollars to build. The state wants to build 11,000 more beds over the next five years.

For the first time, Florida’s major business organizations are saying enough is enough. Florida can’t afford any more prisons.

Instead, business leaders say non-violent minor drug offenders should be diverted to treatment programs, foreign nationals deported, and programs that work expanded. Allison DeFoor is a former prosecutor, judge and sheriff.

“After 30 years of being in the justice system, I’ve seen everything that doesn’t work and it’s most of what we’re doing,” DeFoor said.

DeFoor has been a proponent of the faith and character training at Wakulla Correctional. Here inmates learn music, study the bible, practice yoga, and learn a trade.

“The faith and character-based prisons, for instance, have a single-digit recidivism rate three years post release,” DeFoor said. “The general population is over 33 percent. The difference is hundreds of millions of dollars.”

On the outside, Darryl Simpson was a financial advisor who stole his clients’ money. At Wakulla, he teaches inmates business.

“A lot of these inmates see our American dream as something that is what it is, just a dream,” Simpson said. “They can’t see making that into a reality. They have no hope of that. These classes provide them with that hope.”

But right now that hope is nonexistent in most of the state’s prisons.

A new state law also allows the state to contract with out-of-state prisons and jails to house inmates with no ties to Florida.

A three year Citizens Property Insurance rate freeze will be lifted in January and most customers will be paying more. Wednesday, the Citizens Insurance Board voted for a 10 percent rate hike but they also voted to allow some rates to drop 10 percent. As Whitney Ray tell us, thousands of Citizens customers have been paying too much for coverage.

State run Citizens Property Insurance is backing 415 billion dollars of the riskiest real estate in Florida, but Citizens collects only two billion dollars in premiums. Starting in January most customers will pay more in an attempt to lessen the state’s burden, but some could actually pay less.

Recent reports show that an estimated 80,000 Citizens policy holders are paying too much. The Citizens Property Insurance Board voted for a 10 percent rate reduction for those paying too much. And 10 percent more for everyone else. Deputy Insurance Commissioner Belinda Miller calls the rate changes fair.

“To get to an actuarial rate is going to go up and down all over the state, so phasing that in over a few years is not unreasonable,” said Miller.

Industry experts fear a rate decrease will only prolong Citizens problem of not having enough money to pay claims.

“When the wind blows we are going to be more on the hook for those losses than we are now if these rates are lowered,” said Bob Lotane, a spokesman with NAIFA.

If a major hurricane hits Florida all property insurance policy holders are likely to pay higher assessments. The state Office of Insurance Regulation will have to sign off on any rate increases or decreases. Citizens has until the 15th to file their request for a rate change.

Friends and family members of the 144th National Guard Transportation Company out of Marianna are counting the days until their loved ones return home.

The 66 guardsmen flew out of Tallahassee Wednesday morning. They’re headed to Indiana for a month of training before going to Iraq. Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp praised the troops for their courage.

“I hope as you go you have a enormous sense of pride in what you are doing, because what you are doing is historic, what you are doing is important, what you are doing will change the lives of people in another part of the world forever and ever,” said Kottkamp.

Private First Class Jessica Gates is leaving her two year old son behind.
“I’m hoping when I get done and come home it will all be worth it and I’ll be able to provide for him better and do better for myself,” said Gates.

The transportation company will join up with the 1218th out of West Palm Beach to help protect and move combat equipment across the desert.

Someone just dropped the F bomb on the Citizen’s Board Meeting Conference Call. Seems they are having phone troubles. Strange to hear none-the-less.

Facing billions of dollars in construction costs for new prisons, the state is trying to reduce recidivism at Wakulla Correctional Institute south of Tallahassee.  As Mike Vasilinda tells us, part of what makes this prison different is that every inmate volunteered to be here.

Among the 1800 inmates at Wakulla Correctional Institute, are men serving life and others just a few years. Each of them volunteered to be here.

This is one of four faith-based prisons in Florida. On this morning, several hundred inmates are participating in a bible study led by a volunteer minister.

Chaplain Stephen Fox says whether an inmate is serving life or just a few years, it’s never too late to change direction.

“My grandmother used to say years back, that if you throw enough mud on the walls, some of it’s bound to stick,” Fox said. “So we try to give them as much exposure to different classes, different programs. Because we never know what’s going to change a person.”

There is also a class on how to operate a construction company, or open a janitorial business. The class is as much about anger management as anything else.

“If you have a problem with someone else, you have to work on that,” Howard Pepper, inmate instructor, said.

These inmates are all instructors. They teach a core class on business. Jeff Botsford is a former bank president who is doing 7 years.

“What is a man going to do when he gets out of prison? Starting his own small business is something that is viable, that can be done,” Botsford said. “So we teach the inmates how to build a business plan.”

At any given time there are about 5,000 inmates on the waiting list, trying to get into one of four faith-based prisons in Florida.

All of the books, bibles and everything else that makes this prison different were all donated by volunteers who give not only money but their time.

Statistics are expected later this year on whether faith based prisons are actually reducing recidivism. If you are interested in helping donate money or materials, go to correctionsfoundation.org, click contribute, and specify your gift go to Wakulla CI.

All of the books, bibles and everything else that makes this prison different were all donated by volunteers who give not only money but their time.

Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp has been more visible in recent weeks, touring several state agencies, including the state agency for workforce innovation today. Kottkamp was expected to announce he would seek the Attorney General’s post by the fourth of July. Now that the holiday has come and gone, the Lt. Governor says a decision could still be two weeks away.

“Well we’ll find out. The governor and I were very focused on our post-session work,” Kottkamp said. “We wanted to make sure, I personally wanted to make sure, that we got done with the budget, all the bills that had landed on the governor’s desk, before going forward with an announcement. As you know, we’ve finally done that, I think last week we got the last bill off the governor’s desk. So you can expect an announcement in the next couple of weeks.”

The Attorney General’s job is becoming vacant because the current office holder, Bill McCollum, is running to replace Kottkamp’s boss, Governor Charlie Crist.

Florida’s Early Learning centers will start seeing 32 million federal stimulus dollars in the next few weeks. It’s part of a total 105 million to provide quality child care so people can go back to work. The funds target low income working families.Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp says the money will also keep child care workers employed.

“Sometimes the cost of childcare, without a program like this, would be so cost prohibitive that they would be better off financially for someone to just not work,” Kottkamp said. “But having programs like this allows people to get back in the workforce and at the same time the parent has the confidence knowing that their child is in a quality program.”

The money is enough to provide early learning for about 20 thousand kids. There are still 58 thousand children on the waiting list for early learning programs.

30 thousand unemployed Floridians will get a welcome surprise in their mailboxes this week. Checks for up to 3 hundred dollars a week for as many 20 weeks go in the mail to unemployed who have exhausted all of their benefits. But as Mike Vasilinda tells us, the extended benefits aren’t automatic, and recipients must apply.

The extended unemployment benefits are retroactive to February 22nd. For those who have already applied, checks totaling as much as 51 hundred dollars will be in the mail this week. As many as a quarter-million Floridians could be eligible.

Jessie Schrimsher is one of them. He says navigating the system is complicated.

“It’s kinda like, doing your income tax,” Schrimsher said. “Kinda the same thing. You’ve got to be an attorney almost.”

In addition to being complicated, both state unemployment hotlines are swamped. Especially at the beginning of the week.

The state says if you can’t get through on the phone, apply online. And unlike past extensions, doing nothing will get you nothing.

Applications can be found at FloridaJobs.org.

The up to 250 thousand people who are eligible for the benefits are also going to be hearing from the state.

“We’ve had two previous unemployment extensions where those people were taken into the system automatically,” Cynthia Lorenzo, director of the Agency for Workforce Innovation said. “This one is different in that applications need to be submitted. We have been doing a tremendous amount of outreach.”

An estimated 418 million dollars in extended benefits are expected to be paid out to Floridians by the end of the year.

Except for sparklers, most fireworks are illegal in Florida, but a loophole allows the sale of firecrackers, bottle rockets and roman candles at roadside stands. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, revelers beware.

If you’re looking for a bang, it’s easy to find.

Roadside stands like this one are popping up all over the state. The earlier they show up on the side of the road, the more likely they are to be licensed and complying with state law.

While sparklers are the only thing that’s legal in Florida, the law has a loophole so big, you can throw a stick of dynamite through it.

An agricultural exemption allows people to buy and sell just about anything, as long as they sign a waiver indicating the items are going to be used to scare birds or some other legitimate purpose.

CFO Alex Sink is urging people to attend sponsored fireworks, but if they must buy their own, to be careful.

“First and foremost, don’t buy any illegal fireworks,” Sink said. “There’s a reason why some fireworks are illegal and they need to be only be used by professionals.”

In 2007, at least 145 fires in Florida, costing almost a million dollars in damage, were caused by fireworks or sparklers.

“You can be liable for the damage caused by those structure fires, and God forbid anybody gets hurt in that process, but you can also be liable for any property damage that’s caused,” Cindy Dick, Tallahassee Fire Department Chief said.

The rule is that if it flies or explodes, it is illegal, and even if you sign a waiver, you can still be fined up to a thousand dollars for using fireworks illegally.

In addition to causing fires, illegal fireworks are also responsible for dozens of trips to emergency rooms each Fourth of July.