News & Public Affairs
Cell phone tower protest in south Tampa
03/16/10 Rob PiccirilloWMNF Evening News Tuesday
Tags: south tampa cell phone tower protest, Stacy frank, Tampa City Council, Todd Marks, Clearwire
“Stop the political favors!” That was the battle cry yesterday afternoon for some concerned South Tampa citizens protesting a 150-foot cell tower going up in Sunset Park. WMNF’s Rob Piccirillo reports.
A group of South Tampa neighbors and business owners gathered at a strip center along Henderson Blvd. to protest the city’s plans to locate a 150-foot cell tower at the entrance of Sunset Park. Bill Cook is spokesperson for Responsible Tower Placement of Tampa, who commented that “the cit...
Be the first to commentChild abduction prevention bill moving through Florida Legislature
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03/16/10
Seán Kinane
WMNF Evening News Tuesday
Tags: Children's issues, Florida Legislature
A bill making its way through the Florida Legislature has the goal of cutting down the number of child abductions in the state. Its author is Pinellas resident Carolyn Ann Vlk.
Advocacy website for Florida Child Abduction Prevention Act
1 commentsScience Cafe connects science with everyday life
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03/16/10
Matthew Cimitile
WMNF Evening News Tuesday
How is science experienced in everyday life? To answer that question, a science education professor held a "science cafe" at USF St. Petersburg earlier this month.
From medicines that cure illness to communication lines and satellites that transect the globe, routine days are made possible by science and technology. Science connectivity to everyday life is what experts cite as the importance of learning basic scientific principles, and was the theme of a discus...
Be the first to commentReproductive Rights Under Heavy Attack in Tallahassee
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03/15/10
Lisa Marzilli
WMNF Evening News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Florida Planned Parenthood, Stephanie Kunkel, Charles Van Zant, Mike Fasano, William Snyder, Florida Legislature, Tenthers
Barely two weeks into the 2010 state legislative session and pro choice advocates could have cause to worry; this session brings with it no less than seven anti-choice bills. And according to one Tallahassee lobbyist, three of the most egregious are likely to gain strength.
Stephanie Kunkel is director of the [Florida Association of Planned Parenthood Affiliates](http://www.floridaplanne...
Be the first to commentMeek Campaign Manager Says Ballot Signature Drive is Amping Up
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03/15/10
Kate Bradshaw
WMNF Evening News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Kendrick Meek, Charlie Crist, Marco Rubio, Maurice Ferre, 2010 Senate Race, 2010 Senate Primaries, 2010 General Election, Abe Dyk
As things heat up between Marco Rubio and Gov. Charlie Crist ahead of the GOP Senate primary, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek is the Democrat many expect will face one or both of them in November. But he has to get on the ballot first. Today, his campaign manager said Meek is hitting the home stretch.
Democratic U.S.Senate hopeful Kendrick Meek is taking a different route to getting on the 2010 ballot. Inst...
Be the first to commentHolistic Health Expo in St. Petersburg showcases alternative medicine
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03/15/10
Joshua Lee Holton
Radioactivity: Live Call-In (Monday) Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Holistic, Health, alternative medicine
As Americans struggle to get essential health services many people are now looking to alternative approaches to pair with preventative care. Last Saturday, there was a Holistic Health Expo at First Unity Church in St. Petersburg where nearly a hundred people sought to look at their health on a deeper level.
Hand drummers, massage therapists, fruit smoothie makers and alternative-health businesses brought together the holistic health community last weekend. Ven...
Be the first to commentFormer President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush speak at Southeastern University
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03/15/10
Alexis Chamberlain
WMNF Evening News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: George W. Bush, President Bush, protests, protesters
Security was tight at Lakeland’s Southeastern University Friday night as former president George W. Bush spoke, along with wife, Laura, at the fourth annual National Leadership Forum.
The media were prohibited from entering Southeastern University’s Bush Chapel—named after the university’s former president and Assemblies of God official—as the former president and first lady spoke to a sold-out crowd of more than 700 ...
Be the first to commentEckerd College hosts Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel
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03/12/10
Tom Baur
WMNF Evening News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: human rights, Elie Wiesel, Eckerd College
In January, Eckerd College embarked on its yearlong scholarly journey of exhibits, lectures and performances to explore “The Plight and Promise of Africa.” Last night, Nobel Peace Laureate and Nazi concentration camp survivor Elie Wiesel was joined onstage by human rights activist and Eckerd College Scholar-In-Residence John Prendergast.
The two proponents of humanitaria...
Be the first to commentFederal judge rules for St. Pete in homeless complaint
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03/12/10
Seán Kinane
WMNF Evening News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: homeless, St. Petersburg, Bruce Wright
This week a federal judge ruled in favor of the City of St. Petersburg by dropping several counts of a lawsuit filed by members of the homeless community.
For reaction, WMNF spoke with homeless activist Reverend Bruce Wright, pastor and director of Refuge Ministries.
Be the first to commentWildlife Law Conference addresses everything from sonar to seals
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03/12/10
Kate Bradshaw
WMNF Evening News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Stetson, Wildlife Law, international law
When it comes to legal protections, animals can be at a disadvantage. But some legal experts are gathering in Gulfport trying to beef up what’s known as “Wildlife Law.”
Today Stetson University College of Law held the first day of its International Wildlife Law Conference. Among the clusters of men in pressed designer suits, Stetson Law professor Peter Fitzgerald stood out.
Fitzgerald was discussing the legal dispute between Canada and the European Union over the EU’s ban on the import...
Be the first to commentHillsborough Commissioners still torn on transit tax ballot language
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03/11/10
Kate Bradshaw
WMNF Evening News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: transit, Penny Tax, Referendum, Rose Ferlita, Mark Sharpe, Ken Hagen, Jim Norman, BOCC, Hillsborough County Commission
The Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners deadlocked today on a a vote that would have adopted ballot language for November’s penny transit tax referendum.
For the commissioners who want to see the one-cent tax on the ballot, the issue was what the referendum’s wording should be. They debated whether to indicate that 75% of the money the tax would generate would go to mass transit, while the remaining 25% would go to rail. Commissioners Rose Ferlita, Ken Hagan, and Jim Norman voted do...
Be the first to commentWater Summit Shows Disconnect Between Officials and Conservationists
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03/11/10
Kate Bradshaw
WMNF Evening News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: SWFWMD, Southwest Florida Water Management District, climate change, water, desalination, Comprehensive plan, Paula Dye
Today Hillsborough’s City-County Planning Commission held a forum to brainstorm on how to deal with diminishing water resources amid a growing population. The event attracted everyone from county officials to activists, though not everyone was satisfied with what they heard.
County Planner Melissa Zornitta says that, despite recent stats showing a net loss, Hillsborough County’s population is growing.
One of her colleagues said that this translates to adding to the current number by the...
Be the first to commentThe campaign to abolish nuclear weapons
03/11/10 Robert LoreiRadioactivity: Live Call-In (Thursday) Listen to this entire show:
Tags: nuclear weapons, Star Wars foreign relations, nuclear winter
Our next guest is part of a campaign to reduce the number of nuclear weapons world wide.
Ira Helfand, M.D. is a co-founder of the group Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), a co-founder and board member of PSR, was a member of the delegation in 1985 when PSR and its affiliate International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War were honored with the Nobel Peace Prize for tirelessly working to educate the world about the medical and scientific facts of nuclear war and champion...
Be the first to commentChanging the face of homelessness
03/11/10 Robert LoreiRadioactivity: Live Call-In (Thursday) Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Homelessness, Hillsborough County School Board, Unexpected Faces Unexpected Places
Good afternoon, welcome to Radioactivity. I'm Robert Lorei. Coming up we'll hear about efforts to change the stereotype of who is homeless and we'll also hear from a physician who is part of a group that would like to outlaw nuclear weapons. But first, some listener comments about yesterday's interview with Pinellas County Commissioner Susan Latvala about proposed budget cuts in Pinellas County.
The Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County has started a campaign to change the perception o...
Be the first to commentSarasota Gets Giddy over Google Fiber
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03/11/10
Virginia Hoffman
WMNF Evening News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Sarasota
In Sarasota, community activists have joined forces with city and county government to launch a grass roots effort to become a testing ground for Google Fiber.
In February, Google invited municipalities to apply to join an experiment to test ultra high speed Google Fiber boasting to deliver Internet faster than any other Internet access. There is a hitch: Google wants to piggy back on existing networks which Sarasota can not offer.
County Administrator Jim Ley says there are ways around...
Be the first to commentHagan: Bean, Lee, and Barnes Must Go
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03/10/10
Kate Bradshaw
WMNF Evening News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Hillsborough County Commission, Pat Bean, Mark Sharpe, Kevin Beckner, Kevin Hagan, Rose Ferlita, Jim Norman, Kevin White, Jim Barnes, Renee Lee
County Adminstrator Pat Bean, Attorney Renee Lee, and Internal Performance Auditor Jim Barnes finally got the chance to defend their jobs. On Tuesday, County Commission Chair Ken Hagan called for their resignation and mentioned possibly firing them if they did not quit.
Before they spoke, Commissioner Kevin Beckner asked Catherine O’ Robbie, a human resources staffer, how much it would cost to fire them without cause – that is, if they did not explicitly violate their contracts.
Beckne...
Be the first to commentFlorida Unemployment ties record high
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03/10/10
Seán Kinane
WMNF Evening News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Unemployment, census
Florida’s unemployment rate in January tied the highest since records began in 1970.
Rebecca Rust, chief economist for the Agency for Workforce Innovation, said it increased to 11.9% from the revised month-ago rate of 11.7%.
Florida’s unemployment is more than two points higher than the nationwide rate of 9.7%. Rust says that translates to more than a million Floridians out of work.
“It’s 1,100,000 unemployed Floridians out of a labor force of 9,231,000 for January 2010.”
Florida...
Be the first to commentIorio talks transit and more in State of the City Address
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03/10/10
Concetta DeLuco
WMNF Evening News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: transit, trasnportation, one penny sales tax, Mayor Pam Iorio, state of the city address
In this morning’s State of the City Address, Mayor Pam Iorio reminded Tampa citizens of the city’s accomplishments and hardships over the past year and spoke of future goals.
At the front of the packed room, Mayor Pam Iorio proudly praised Tampa as a city that has endured serious challenges, yet continues to grow and flourish.
1 comments“In spite of the difficulties we face, I can not help but look back on 12 months of growth and progress and be proud of our many accomplishments. We are not si...
Justice criticizes Young on toxic Raytheon plume
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03/10/10
Seán Kinane
WMNF Evening News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Bill Young, Charlie Justice, Raytheon
The military contractor Raytheon recently announced it would take them up to 78 years to completely clean the toxic plume under their plant in St. Petersburg.
As a result, State Senator Charlie Justice is accusing U.S. Rep. Bill Young of not doing enough to help his constituents. Justice is running to replace Young in Congress and accuses him of being influenced by thousands of dollar...
Be the first to commentPinellas County seeks input on budget
03/10/10 Robert LoreiRadioactivity: Live Call-In (Wednesday) Listen to this entire show:
Tags: budget cuts, Pinellas County Schools, parks
For the past few years, local governments
have been cutting budgets as tax revenue declines.
Last year, Pinellas County laid off 260 people and cut
$77 million in spending. In the fiscal year that
begins this summer, Pinellas is looking at another $40
million shortfall because of declining
property values. Elected officials are facing some
tough choices, including what parts of county government
to cut. Commissioners are looking for public input
on where those cuts might b...