Florida lawmakers got into the game Thursday as the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform held hearings about steroid use in baseball. The committee revealed an agreement between major league baseball and its players' union to test players for steroids would be suspended immediately if the government conducts an independent investigation into drug use in the sport. Representative Ileana Ros Lehtinan of Miami questioned what Congress could then do.
"You would hope that the players association and all of the entities would take the necessary rules and regulations so that Congress would not have to act and that the recommendations were not what we had hoped that they would be. What role do you see Congress playing in the regulation of steroid use, understanding that the union is such a powerful union - what can we do and how do we fit in to that scenario."
An ABC/ESPN poll finds two-thirds of respondents say baseball isn't doing enough to prevent steroid use. Some 30 percent say the federal government should be responsible for rules regarding steroid use in baseball. A handful of current and former baseball stars were questioned during the day-long hearing.

There were special visitors Thursday in classrooms throughout the state. Ranchers, farmers, and growers traveled to their local schools… to read stories about agriculture. A major goal of “Ag Literacy Day” is to teach youngsters about the source of the food they eat. Nancy Green runs “Green Citrus” in Alva. She and her husband farm about 130 acres. Green says she read to 5 different classes at Saint Francis Xavier—a Catholic school in Fort Myers.

“The book that I read is ‘How Groundhog’s Garden Grew. It’s about a groundhog and a squirrel. And the squirrel teaches the groundhog how to plant a garden. And the idea of it is to let children know more about agriculture—and its role in our community… And that agriculture isn’t just oranges and cabbage… that it’s cookies… which are made from flower!”

Public schools also participated today/Thursday. Florida’s Ag Commissioner—Charles Bronson—says it’s important because most children are several generations removed from the farm

The recent cases of three local infants born with severe birth defects and their parents’ possible exposure to pesticides have raised questions over how difficult it may be to retroactively link the two. Alexa Elliott spoke with a physician about this complex process. A Catholic social service organization has opened a fund that will accept donations for the three families. The address for the Three Kids Fund is through the Guadalupe Social Services, POBox 5034,Immokalee, FL 34143. (AUDIO)

This week, a story surfaced that three migrant farm workers in Immokalee gave birth to children with massive birth defects. Alexa Elliott spoke with Palm Beach Post reporter John Lantigua who first broke the story. (AUDIO)

The U.S. Senate has voted to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge—or ANWR—to oil drilling. Ryan Warner reports. (AUDIO)

The authors of a new book on the world’s greatest wildlife reserves discuss their Pulitzer nominated book and their travels on Sanibel Thursday. Wendy Humphrey reports. (AUDIO)

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles installed a new web-based appointment scheduling system in Lee and Charlotte counties this month. Amy Tardif has more.
The Internet program allows people to set appointments for the DMV’s tests and services. It gives them an alternative to waiting in long lines. The DMV’s Frank Penela says it was about time.

“I think the nature of the beast of highway safety and getting your license in the past has been one of negativity. When you think about the wors- case scenarios there was anecdotal evidence of people standing in line several hours. That made us think – what really can we do about this? We need to alleviate this issue.”

The DMV chose to pilot the program in Cape Coral because of complaints about long waits and jammed phone lines. The Online Appointment Services and Information System or OASIS comes from the department of homeland security’s citizen and immigration services, whose nationwide appointment system reduced lines for its customers. And Florida is giving back to homeland security – it has new driver’s licenses with 15 different safety features.

“That make it one of the most secure licenses in the nation. As a matter of fact it’s being patterned everywhere else. We sort of set the standard. What this new drivers license does is make it more difficult for counterfeiters or for someone to copy a drivers license for example.”

On line services to renew driver licenses, motor vehicle registrations, disabled parking permits and to change an address are at go renew dot com. The OASIS on line appointment service will be available statewide by the end of spring. Terminals will be set up in city halls, libraries and DMV offices for people who don’t have computer access at home.

The Collier County Sheriff is calling it the largest ever seizure of methamphetamine in county history. Ryan Warner has more. (AUDIO)

State and local officials are investigating a potential link between severe birth defects among several children of migrant farm workers in Immokalee and their parents’ possible exposure to pesticides. Alexa Elliott reports. (AUDIO)

Sarasota vice mayor Mary Anne Servian is calling for a special investigation into why many city officials weren’t informed of a raw sewage spill into Hudson Bayou thirteen months ago.
The incident only came to light following another spill six weeks ago… in which 500,000 gallons of raw sewage flowed into Hudson Bayou. Servian says the public works officials who decided not to inform the city manager—and others—about last year’s spill made a bad judgement call.

“What is most disturbing is that it was a holiday weekend and the bayou has a lot of recreational boaters and swimmers and no one was notified that 300 hundred thousand gallons of raw sewage was dumped into the bayou. The potential is for a health crisis – I mean who knows with that high level of fecal matter in the water anyone could be exposed to really serious diseases.”

Servian wants an outside firm to conduct the investigation into Sarasota’s waste water treatment facilities. She’s also calling for a thorough inspection of the lift station involved in both spills.
That station handles two thirds of the city’s sewage. Meanwhile, officials say water quality in Hudson Bayou is back to normal.