News & Public Affairs
Governor Scott vetoes $360 million from state budget listen
05/20/13 APWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Rick Scott, Florida Legislature, budget, veto, tuition, Clearwater
Florida Governor Rick Scott hit back at the state Legislature today by vetoing almost $400 million from the state's new budget.
Scott praised the budget, which now stands at roughly $74.1 billion. The governor vetoed a 3 percent tuition hike for college and university students that had been championed by House Speaker Will Weatherford. There are legal questions, however, about the move and it could prompt a lawsuit from the Legislature.
The governor also said no to a $50 million item to...
Be the first to commentClearwater breaks ground on second reverse osmosis plant listen
05/06/13 Samuel JohnsonWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: water, desalination, reverse osmosis, Clearwater, aquifer, reclaimed water
This morning the City of Clearwater broke ground on its second reverse osmosis municipal water treatment plant to get drinking water from brackish water. Nearly 100 people gathered in a vacant lot to listen to government officials commemorate the new construction. When the second water treatment plant is finished Clearwater will be able to produce almost 100% of its drinking water.
The official name of the plant is the Reverse Osmosis #2 Brackish Water Treatment Plant; or RO2 in governmen...
Be the first to commentPreview of protest against new Clearwater policies affecting people without homes
10/03/12 Seán KinaneLast Call Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Clearwater, Tarpon Springs, Food Not Bombs, homelessness
This summer, the Pinellas county city of Clearwater approved ordinances ranging from strengthening the city’s ban on panhandling, to restricting whether people can sit or lie on sidewalks, docks or piers.
But some homeless advocates aren’t taking the new rules well. This Saturday they’re organizing a demonstration, food sharing and music at Coachman Park in downtown Clearwater to protest To protest what they call an inhumane and unconsti...
Be the first to commentCity council member Bill Jonson and homeless advocate Sarah Snyder weigh in on Clearwater's new laws targeting the homeless
07/20/12 Lisa MarzilliLast Call Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Clearwater, Bill Jonson, homeless ordinances, Sarah Snyder, Pinellas County Homeless Leadership Board, homelessness
Good afternoon and welcome to Last Call, I'm Lisa Marzilli, joined by engineer Alvaro Montealegre. Today we’re going to talk about a set of laws unanimously approved by Clearwater city officials this week that specifically target the homeless. They range from tightening the city’s current ban on panhandling (adding more banned areas and replacing the current punishment of a fine with arr...
Be the first to commentJanet Reitman: author of Inside Scientology (The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion)
07/18/11 Robert LoreiRadioactivity: Live Call-In (Monday) Listen to this entire show:
Tags: scientology, Inside Scientology, Janet Reitman, Rolling Stone Magazine, L. Ron Hubbard, Clearwater, cult, Tom Cruise, auditing
Good afternoon, welcome to Radioactivity. I’m Rob Lorei.
Scientology, a religion founded by science fiction writer L Ron Hubbard describes itself as the world’s fastest growing religion. The Church of Scientology is a significant player locally—owning significant amounts of real estate in Clearwater and Ybor City.
For years the church has been embroiled in scandal. Some describe it as a cult. But faithful Scientologists say the church has helped them. The Church has been embroiled in m...
Be the first to commentHabitat for Humanity goes partially solar on some Pinellas homes listen
07/12/11 Kate BradshawWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Progress Energy, Habitat for Humanity, Clearwater
You hear it all the time – this is the Sunshine State; where’s all the solar energy? Critics say capturing power from sunlight is too expensive to ever catch on, but today one of Florida’s largest utilities paid for the installation of solar water heaters in low income housing.
Suzanne Grant is a spokesperson for Progress Energy Florida. She said the solar collector workers were installing overhead could store enough energy to meet the hot water needs of the average family.
The roof is ...
Be the first to commentTampa Bay residents gather in Clearwater to discuss race in the 21st century listen
01/17/11 Zack BaddorfWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: race, religion, bias, Clearwater, Unitarian Universalists
In the run-up to Martin Luther King Day, the Unitarian Universalists of Clearwater hosted a workshop and discussion on race in the 21st century. About 25 participants came together over the weekend for several hours of discussions.
Eliseo Santana, Jr., is Puerto Rican. He says he changes the way he conducts himself with people of other races so that he can succeed. Yet, people still look at him differently.
Be the first to comment“When I walk into a room in a professional setting, too often my assistants, t...
Human Trafficking Awareness Month Recognized in Pinellas Park listen
01/13/11 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: human trafficking, Clearwater, immigration, ICE, crime
President Obama declared January National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month. In response, the Tampa Bay Area Task Force on Human Trafficking gathered today to discuss various aspects of the problem that is still widely regarded as unknown.
Representatives from various law enforcement agencies as well as some non-government organizations met today in Pinellas Park to raise awareness about human trafficking. Lieutenant George Koder of the Clearwater Police Department said that ...
Be the first to commentClearwater's American flags spared for now listen
08/03/09 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Clearwater, American flag
The news of the demise of Clearwater’s American flags has been greatly exaggerated. In a workshop this morning, City Council put to rest newspaper rumors that “The city of Clearwater can no longer afford to fly the American flag.”
On Saturday, the St. Petersburg Times reported that 13 of Clearwater’s flagpoles had been removed because of budget cuts to staff needed to care for the flags. But after Monday’s meeting, Mayor Frank Hi...
Be the first to commentReligious minority persecuted in Iran listen
03/23/09 Jamie KidderWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Clearwater, Iran, Religion, civil rights
The Bahá'í faith focuses on peace, justice and unity. But in Iran, Bahá'ís are being persecuted for their religious beliefs. Bahá'ís are barred from higher education, unable to find work, and sometimes arrested and executed.
In Clearwater yesterday afternoon, a local Bahá'í center held a conference to raise awareness of this persecution.
The Bahá'í religion was founded in Persia in 1844, and it has more than 5 million followers all over the world. Since its origins, Bahá'ís have faced ...
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