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Two of Florida’s 67 Counties received the first shipment of the H1N1 Mist vaccine today. Most counties will receive the first wave of the vaccine by the end of next week, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, the mist vaccine isn’t for everyone.

Craig Wilson works with kids at the Jefferson County Health Department. Because his work is on the priority list, Craig became one of the first people in Florida to receive the mist vaccine.  He says it is safer than doing nothing.

“It’s a lot scarier to not have some protection as this comes around,” Wilson said. “So I feel a lot better now.”

Rural Jefferson County received 100 does of the mist vaccine Thursday morning.

This mist isn’t for everyone. No one under 2 or over 49 should take it, and it’s not for pregnant women.

48 Counties, including Jefferson, plan to use schools to administer the vaccines. Kim Barnhill is Jefferson County’s Health Officer.

“Where we’re sending most is into the schools, both the seasonal vaccine, as well as the H1N1,” Barnhill said.

Florida Surgeon General Ana Viamonte Ros held a statewide conference call to brief
reporters on the vaccine. Asked if someone not in the priority group asked for the initial vaccine, she says no one will be turned away…but.

“We’re asking folks and we’re confident that Floridians will understand why we’re doing so,” Viamonte Ros said. “There’s limited supply, we want to make sure that those individuals in those targeted groups are protected first.”

One hundred-thousand doses of the mist vaccine are expected to be in Florida in the coming weeks, but it could take 8 to 12 weeks for the injectable vaccine to arrive for those who can’t take the mist.

The suicide of a seven year old Florida foster kid has state lawmakers enraged and looking for answers. Gabriel Myers was on several mind-altering medications when he hung himself in Broward County this April. As Whitney Ray tells us, his death is shedding light on the overwhelming number of foster youth being subscripted psychotropic drugs and could lead to legislation to fix the problem.

No one knows what was going through seven year-old Gabriel Myers head when he decided to hang himself on April 16th. But experts believe the foster kid had nowhere to turn, and his actions were influenced by a slew of prescribed drugs. State Senator Ronda Storms is heading a committee in search of answers.

“I can’t accept or believe that a little child can’t be reached after terrible things have been done to him, except by drugging him, and drugging him, and drugging him,” said Storms.

Gabriel’s death spawned an investigation, uncovering an alarming trend. Three thousand, or about 15 percent, of Florida’s foster kids are being prescribed mind-altering medication. There are even kids in the system as young as two years old on the drugs.

Robin Rosenberg is a foster parent and advocates for children. She says part of the problem is foster kids rarely have stability and they switch doctors frequently.

“If the child is in a group home for example there will be a therapist that is attached to the group home. The say the child goes to live with grandma, that therapist doesn’t follow the child as the child goes to Medicaid and the community,” said Rosenberg.

The Department of Children and Families is responsible for the care of foster kids. Still many rights, like signing off on a doctor’s prescription, remain in the hands of the biological parents.

“Parents will sign anything when a child is being taken away. I don’t think that is the appropriate gauge,” said DCF Secretary George Sheldon.

State Senators are considering requiring a third party to approve any prescriptions being give to foster kids. The senate committee will also consider legislation to improve communication between psychiatrists, who prescribe drugs, and psychologists, who counsel patients. Lawmakers believe opening the lines of communication between the doctors will lead to more counseling and fewer prescriptions.

Two Democratic state lawmakers say the oil drilling debate is being rushed and more time is needed to educate the legislature.

State Senators Dave Aronberg and Ted Deutch have filed legislation to create a taskforce charged with investigating the economic impact of coastal drilling. The lawmakers say no one has put a price tag on an oil spill or how property values would be affected by drilling. Aronberg says the environmental costs need to be calculated before the House and Senate vote.

“We have these reviews that are being done pretty quickly, by people who have business backgrounds, but what about environmental analysis? We haven’t had a full environmental analysis of oil drilling and that is what we want to do,” said Aronberg.

The state legislature is expected to vote on drilling next spring. If a taskforce is formed, its report wouldn’t be done until 2011.

A House committee investigating an ethics complaint against its former leader has picked an independent prosecutor to pursue the case.

Questions about whether or not the committee would pursue the complaint arose after a Leon County judge dismissed one of two charges facing former House Speaker Ray Sansom earlier this week. Selecting a prosecutor is a good indicator that the committee will see the complaint through, but committee Chairman Bill Galvano says nothing is set in stone.

“From a procedural standpoint, the official misconduct charges, having been dismissed, may play into our decision making as to whether or not we can move forward with an evidentiary hearing, but those decisions will probably be made when we get back together in November,” said Galvano.

The committee selected former statewide prosecutor, and registered Democrat, Melanie Hines. Even though Sansom and most of the committee are Republicans, they expect Hines to be fair.

A 20-year-old female in Alachua County, and a 53-year-old female in Hernando County are among the latest swine flu deaths in Florida. Seven people, all with other complications died in the last week. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, H1N1 vaccine will start arriving by the end of the week, but it could take awhile for low risk Floridians to receive a dose.

The first shipments of the H1N1 vaccine will start arriving in Florida this week. Pregnant women, care-givers of kids less than six months old, health care workers, and people under 64 with underlying conditions will take priority. By January, 11 million doses will be delivered to the state.

“We feel, really, that there’s enough in the pipeline, that everyone that wants this vaccine will be able to obtain it, eventually,” Florida Surgeon General Dr. Ana Viamonte Ros said.

At a Wednesday briefing, State Senators were told up to 40 percent of the state’s population is expected to be infected over a 2-year period. If you are not in the priority group for vaccine, you’ll likely have to wait.

“Looks like about 8 to 12 weeks before we’ll have sufficient vaccines in the supply to go past the priority groups at this time,” Rhonda White, with the Department of Health, said.

To remind people the best defense is washing your hands, the state is spending a million dollars to rebroadcast this PSA, suggesting that 4 out of 5 do wash after they use the restroom.

Dozens of hand-cleansing stations like this one have been place all over the Capitol, in hopes of keeping government running as flu season approaches.

Since spring, 300 outbreaks have been investigated. The Florida death toll reached 109 this week. Most, but not all, had underlying conditions.

When available, H1N1 Vaccines will be free and voluntary.
If you have questions, the state hot line is 877.352.3581. And to learn where and when vaccine is available, check the website www.myflusafety.com

Florida’s 67 counties have lost 1.5 billion dollars over the past three years due to property tax cuts and falling home values. The counties are expected to lose another 730 million in 2010 alone. As Whitney Ray tells us, the Florida Association of Counties is asking lawmakers for relief, but the governor says the people need more tax breaks.

In 2007 Governor Charlie Crist promised Amendment 1 would make property taxes would drop like a rock, and while they didn’t exactly shoot to the bottom the tax cut is expected to leave counties with 430 million fewer dollars by 2010. Still the tax cut accounts for only a third of the 1.5 billion dollars counties are losing.

Statewide property values have fallen by 184 billion dollar, which accounts for half the money counties have lost. The decrease is leaving Florida’s 67 counties with fewer law enforcement officers, maintenance crews, and fire protection. Florida Association of Counties President Rodney Long says people will notice the cuts.

“In my county we actually didn’t fill some of the vacancies and we reduced some of our levels of services, but we are at the point now were we are at the level of funding of 2005 – 2006,” Long said.

Governor Charlie Crist says counties could make due with even less.

“What county governments need to do is exactly what we have done here at the state level and what Florida families have to do, live within their means,” said Crist.

But for county governments living within the means allotted by falling home prices and property tax cuts will mean more layoffs and fewer services. For more information about how much property tax values have fallen in your county go to http://www.fl-counties.com/proptax/_doc/Rollback-Rates-List.pdf

Environmentalists and representative of the oil industry are filling the capitol halls and fueling the offshore drilling debate.

Florida House Democrats invited both sides to a working luncheon to inform members about the issue. A commission dedicated to responsible growth launched a fact finding mission on drilling in state waters yesterday. Governor Charlie Crist says it’s time for lawmakers to take a serious look at offshore drilling and whether or not it can be done safely.

“I grew up in Tampa Bay, I’m a Gulf Coast guy, and I believe in protecting our beaches. I also believe in us being energy independent, so long as we can do it in a way that is safe and protects Florida’s beaches. But if there is a way that we can participate in having more fuel domestically produce so that we are less dependant on foreign oil so we can manage to keep the cost down as opposed to the four dollars a gallon we had last year then I think it is worth looking at,” said Crist.

Tomorrow Democratic lawmakers will file legislation aimed at leaving decisions on coastal drilling up to the state. The legislature is expected to vote on oil drilling legislation during the 2010 legislative session.

In the market for a 13 karat diamond ring or a Rolex straight out of a James Bond movie?

Bargain hunters will get a chance to bid on some extravagant items later this month when the state auctions off unclaimed property. The items being sold were left in safe deposit boxes through out the state and have been locked up for five years while state officials search for the owners. Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink oversees the bureau of unclaimed property and says the bureau has had great success tracking down owners.

“In just these three months, we have already reunited 67,000 citizens with more than 41 million dollars. So we are here today to call attention to not only the unclaimed property auction, but to encourage Floridians to check the website www.fltreasurehunt.org,” said Sink.

The auction will be held October 24th at the Fort Lauderdale Embassy Suites. People can still make claims on items sold at the auction, but the claim is paid in cash.

Domestic violence murders are on the decline in Florida.

In 2007 there were 190 deaths linked to domestic violence. The number fell to 180 in 2008. Despite a decline in deaths, battered women’s shelters and safe homes are being overrun with victims. Tiffany Carr, President of the Florida Coalition against Domestic Violence, says shelters need funding now more than ever.

“With the state of the economy, the demand for services from our 42 certified ‘domestic violence centers’ has never been greater and the funding has never been less.” “Last year as the governor has pointed out, over 7,000 women and children were turned away from shelter because there was no housing and there were no resources,” said Carr.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

A Florida State Senator is proposing a total ban on the importation and possession of non native Reptiles of Concern, which includes most species of pythons. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the proposed ban comes at a time when the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told lawmakers that it may never be able to catch all of the pythons in the everglades.

Carol’s Critters sells between two and five snakes a week.

Jerry Peterson says most buyers have one thing in common.

“Generally, people buy snakes in order to watch them eat,” Peterson said. “Just because, it gives you, I guess, a little bit of a rush to watch something eat another animal.”

But the store could soon be out of the snake business. A year and a half old law requiring registration isn’t working.

Since 2008, when a new python law took effect, only one in ten snake owners has registered their pet.

This State Senate Committee is working on a total ban on new Pythons and other reptiles of concern.

“We don’t want to find a python that’s 16 feet long in our backyard,” Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Broward County, said.

Snake posses have rounded up just 35 of the perhaps hundred thousand pythons in the Everglades. Wildlife managers expect the pace to increase dramatically, but they don’t ever expect to find them all.

“It’s not about getting rid of them, it’s about containing them,” Lt. Col. Jim Brown of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said. “I’m not sure that can happen at this point.”

Also on tap is a year round amnesty program for snake owners and a promise that any snakes turned in will be cared for and not killed.

“They’re named. They’re almost like a family member,” Tim Breault with the FWCC said. “[The owners] just want to know they’re getting some sort of permanent care.”

The state fears that if it were to kill the snakes being turned in, owners would prefer to set them loose.

While conceding it could never round up all the snakes in the Everglades, the commission now hopes ot keep the snakes contained south of US 41, which runs along the northern end of the Everglades.

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Florida State University is saying this should be head football coach Bobby Bowden’s last year.  As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the team’s mediocre performance over the last eight years has exhausted die-hard fan’s patience.

A number of boosters say the coach in waiting position has created confusion about the lines of command, which they say, is never good in business or sports.

The statue outside Doak Campbell Stadium is a Seminole on horseback titled “Unconquered.” If only it were true. The team has just two wins and three losses so far this year.  Most of this decade has been disappointing.

Since 2001, the Seminoles have won ten games in a season just once. That’s a far cry from the previous14 years when they finished in the top five every year.

Die-hard fans arriving at the weekly booster luncheon walked past a headline suggesting famed head coach Bobby Bowden is being pushed out. The fans are split on whether he should hang it up after this year.

“I don’t think you should blame him,” Bowden supporter May Walters said. “Absolutely [keep him].”

“Well, his effectiveness is gone, I think,” 40-year fan Henry Miller said.

Inside the coach got a standing ovation when he arrived. Bowden made no references to suggestions the school is negotiating with Coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher…except to say:

“Rumors,” Bowden said. “I can’t believe some of the rumors I hear, which are completely false.”

Afterwards the coach was mum.

“I’ve got no comment on it,” Bowden said. “There’s no comment I could make that would be appropriate.”

Athletic Director Randy Spetman was only slightly more talkative.

“He’s evaluated every day,” Spetman said. “That’s part of what an AD does, he evaluates his coaching staff every day.”

A circuit judge has dismissed official misconduct charges against former Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom and his two co-defendants today. The charges stemmed from a plot to use six million state dollars to build an airplane hanger for a political contributor. As Whitney Ray tells us, Sansom still faces a perjury charge for allegedly lying to a Leon County Grand Jury.

Former House Speaker Ray Sansom is breathing a sigh of relief after winning a colossal legal battle. Sansom and his two codefendants faced official misconduct charges after planning to use six million state dollars to build a private airplane hanger. The charge, levied against all three, was dropped.

State Attorney Willie Meggs is considering an appeal, but Sansom still faces a perjury charge.

The judge’s wrote in his order quote “nobody likes to be lied to.” The decision comes as state lawmakers head back to Tallahassee for committees. Representative Rich Glorioso is the chair of a committee empanelled to decide if Sansom should keep his house seat.

“I believe we’ll have a special prosecutor that we will appoint, as the committee looks into it, to look into the details of all the allegations to makes sure the faith and trust of the people has not been compromised,” said Glorioso.

House Democrats say Sansom’s case has been a huge distraction.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen next, what is going to be the end result of this whole thing and we hope it resolves itself as quickly as it possible can,” said House Democrat Dwight Bullard.

Current House Speaker Larry Cretul denied our request for an interview to talk about Sansom’s future in the house. But many feel Sansom’s reputation is too tarnished to continue doing the state’s business.

Public Service Commissioner Katrina McMurrian is resigning her position today. The announcement comes after the governor looked her and Chairman Mathew Carter over for a reappointed.

McMurrian was under scrutiny for eating dinner in New York with a Florida Power and Light executive. FP&L is now asking for a 1.3 billion dollar rate increase. State Senator Mike Fasano is applauding McMurrian’s decision. Fasano is asking for the remaining PSC members to postpone decisions in the FP&L and Progress Energy rate hike hearings until the new commissioners are empanelled next year.

“We found out this has been going on for years. There is a lack of leadership at the PSC and that is why the governor replaced two of the commissioners with two new commissioners who don’t have any relationship with the utility companies or is not a former staff person on the public service commission,” said Fasano.

Fasano is also calling for Commissioner Lisa Edgar to step down.

Consumer advocacy groups are celebrating the governor’s decision to replace two members of the Public Service Commission, saying the changes will level the playing field between consumers and utilities. But the new commissioners won’t take office until January and two major rate increases have to be voted on by the end of the year. As Whitney Ray tells us, the governor is asking the current commission to postpone its rulings.

Governor Charlie Crist is casting out two Public Service Commissioners and sending a message to utility executives. Consumer advocates say the changes will favor customers.

“The governor sent a clear message that he’s looking out for consumers. He really wants to make sure the people sitting on the PSC are consumer advocates,” said Brad Ashwell of Florida PIRG.

The changes come amid accusations of secret communications and favoritism for utility companies. A disgraceful period many hope has ended.

But there are still two billion dollars in rate increases pending. And those decisions are scheduled to be made before the two commissioners are replaced.

Now the governor is calling for the decision be delayed. Florida PIRG is backing the call.

“If the PSC approves those rate hikes there’s going to be lots of questions no matter what,” said Ashwell.

The Florida Retail Federation says any decision the current commission makes could be reversed.

“If for some reason the public interest is not served, I think there are some steps that could remedy that with the new commission starting next year,” said Rick McAllister with the Florida Retail Federation.

While so much remains unresolved customers remain hopeful the changes won’t leave them paying more. As of right now the Progress Energy rate hike ruling is scheduled for November while the Florida Power and Light revenue increase decision is due in December, with details about how the rate will be divided among customers coming on January 11th.

An Alabama pest control company is being accused of using powerful outdoor pesticides indoors at several Florida nursing homes and health care facilities.

Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture is ordering the company, Bio-Tech Management, to stop doing business in Florida. The company isn’t licensed to work in the state. Commissioner Charles Bronson says Florida isn’t the only state investigating the company’s business practices.

“I know some of the other states are also looking now at how they are applying their pesticides and if they were using some of the same pesticides indoors that they were suppose to be using outdoors,” said Bronson.

Bronson is taking legal action against the company seeking a 30,000 dollar fine. As of now there are no reports of any health problems caused by the company’s pesticides.