Senator Smith hails from the small town of Alachua, just outside Gainesville. He doesn’t have the name recognition of the other contenders and trails in the polls and fundraising. But he has seen increases in both in recent weeks. Smith will square off against (Democratic) Tampa Congressman Jim Davis in the September primary. Speaking from his motorcade as he barnstorms the state, Smith says his campaign has got momentum.

“The fundraising’s going very well. The polls are showing that we’ve been constantly moving. We’ve closed the gap on Congressman Davis. He started off, of course, with an enormous advantage...been in politics a lot longer. So we knew we were spotting him a few points to start with but that’s all getting less and less relative now.”

On the Republican side, state Attorney General Charlie Crist and Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher will vie for the G-O-P nomination. Crist leads in the polls, partly because of his fundraising and early television commercials

Florida citrus growers got some good news today (Wednesday). The state of Alabama has indicated it will continue to accept Florida-grown fruit despite a new federal quarantine of Florida citrus.
Last week the U-S Department of Agriculture said it would ban Florida from shipping fresh citrus to six citrus-producing states because of the threat of canker. Canker is a bacterial plant disease that is rampant in Florida groves. Citrus is worth an estimated nine-billion dollars to the state economy. Hendry County grower Mark Wheeler says he’s pleased Alabama will still accept Florida citrus. He says it’s not just where the fruit is sold, it’s how it’s distributed.

“If there’s large retailers in Atlanta who have distribution centers in Alabama, then that fruit can’t go to Alabama so they potentially have an issue buying it because of where are they going to store it until they can get it to the store. So it helps.”

Wheeler spoke on WGCU’s Gulf Coast Live. Ninety percent of Florida-grown oranges are used for juice so the U-S-D-A quarantine doesn’t apply to that part of the industry.

Immokalee High School’s principal has received his punishment for allowing overage students to play sports. Immokalee High principal Manny Touron won’t get a merit raise, can never coach a public school team in Collier County again and his contract will have to be approved annually…not every few years like other principals. Those are the among the punishments from Collier Assistant Superintendent Eric Williams. Williams says at least three students including one who was 30 played soccer and football at Immokalee High.

“It was a serious failure in terms of not fulfilling his responsibilities as a principal. And so because it was viewed as serious, we wanted the consequences to be serious.”

Touron will also have a written reprimand kept in his file. The school district also wants to know whether other Immokalee High staff members should be disciplined.

State Senator Burt Saunders has decided he does NOT want to be the next Attorney General. The Naples Republican says he’s pulling out of the crowded field of G-O-P candidates. He also trailed two of his opponents in fundraising. Saunders says it was an easy decision.

“I have had a great opportunity to campaign across the state. I’ve enjoyed it very much and met a lot of great people. But I’ve come to the conclusion that I can continue to serve Southwest Florida as a member of the Senate for the next two years. It wasn’t that much of a function of whether the money was coming in or not. It was just a matter of my deciding that this was best.”

Several termed-out lawmakers, including Representative Dudley Goodlette, and others had been eyeing Saunders’s Senate seat.
Saunders also DENIED that he wants to be the next lieutenant governor.

Cape Coral homeowners who water their grass too often will have to empty out their wallets. The city council just approved new fines that are double what they were before. First-time violators now will get a warning. But after that, it could range as high as 400-dollars if homeowners water their grass more than twice a week. Cape Coral Mayor Eric Feichthaler says an exploding population and a lack of rain are too blame.

“We’re not out of the dry season yet. We still are very low in the aquifer. We’re very low in our canals. And in the next couple of months, I hope we have a very good rainy season and the issue is alleviated while we were our making these other solutions to make it a long term fix.”

Feichthaler says 70 Cape Coral homeowners have had their wells run dry this year. He blames it on excessive landscape watering.

The Cape Coral City Council has approved new fines for people who violate watering restrictions. Cape Coral is the largest city in Southwest Florida and it’s got a healthy thirst for water. Last year, the average Cape homeowner used 25-thousand gallons a month -- and that’s just for landscaping. So the city has decided to double its penalties for those that violate the twice-a-week watering rule. First time violators will now get a warning. But it’s 50 dollars for the second, 200 for the third and 400 dollars each time after that. Cape Coral Mayor Eric Feichthaler says water is a precious resource.

“We’ve had 70 people in Cape Coral have their wells run dry this year and it is from people irrigating too much. There is no doubt in my mind about that. If everyone used irrigation in reasonable amounts, we would not be having the problems we’re having.”

Feichthaler says the hefty fines don’t cover Cape Coral’s costs to enforce the new watering codes. The new penalties take effect immediately.

Collier County school superintendent Ray Baker announced today (Friday) all high school athletes must be able to prove their age -- or they won’t be able to play sports. The decision comes after several Immokalee High School students were found to be too old. Collier superintendent Ray Baker says all public high school athletes must be able to verify and prove their ages. The maximum is 19-years, 9-months. But one Immokalee high athlete was 30 and another was 23. This week the state high school athletic association stripped several district soccer and football titles and put Immokalee on probation. Baker says the school won’t appeal those penalties. He says the district will put together a summer task force to address over-age students. But he says it’s a statewide issue.

“It’s not just Collier County has students that come to us with documents that are hard to track and hard to verify.”

Baker says Immokalee High principal Manny Touron (tour-ON) will get at least a written reprimand and possibly more. But Baker says he will remain the principal.

All public high school athletes in Collier County will now be required to prove their ages before they can take the field. School Superintendent Ray Baker announced the change this morning during a news conference after several Immokalee High students were found to be too old to play sports. The superintendent also says he hasn’t made up his mind what punishment the school’s principal, Manny Touron (tour-ON), will get besides a written reprimand. But Baker says Touron will keep his job.

“But you don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. This is an excellent principal, an excellent principal. And that community, I believe, needs Manny Touron.”

Touron says he made a mistake in not fully investigating the age of several of the football and soccer players when he learned they may have been overage.

Collier County is home to the most expensive housing market in Florida. This week, commissioners voted to allow more developments with affordable homes. Business owners in Naples and the surrounding cities are having a tough time finding enough workers who can afford to live in Collier County. So after years of complaints, commissioners voted unanimously to approve four developments that contain more than 350 affordable homes and condominiums. Collier Commission chairman Frank Halas says it’s something they needed to do.

“It’s not the total answer but at least it’s a start. And we’re really looking for the public sector to jump on board this thing and help assist these communities down here in Southwest Florida in regards to addressing affordable housing.”

Halas spoke on WGCU’s Gulf Coast Live. The vote ended a stalemate with developers when commissioners approved the first rezoning requests in almost four months.

Collier County is feeling the heat of an expensive housing market. This week, commissioners voted to approve four new developments that will include a total of 350 affordable homes and condominiums. A family of four who makes less than 52-thousand dollars a year would be eligible to buy the discounted homes. Speaking on WGCU’s Gulf Coast Live, Commission chairman Frank Halas said it’s important for young people to stay in Collier.

“We have to make sure that they have someplace as a starter home for them so that they have the ability the stay in this community because a lot of them live in this community and they sure don’t want to move away and we sure don’t want them to move away. Because you have to have youths if you want a vibrant community.”

There won’t be any immediate relief. The Collier homes will take about four years before they’re ready and the need for many more affordable houses is still there.