| U.S. 331 set to bypass Freeport
FREEPORT — The much-anticipated U.S. Highway 331 bypass around Freeport is set to open Wednesday morning, but reaction from locals is mixed. Some Freeport business owners fear lost sales without a highway cutting through town, but others praise the change as a safety improvement. The new bypass will help South Walton residents evacuate during a hurricane, said D.C. Davis, owner of nearby D.C. Davis Construction. And without so many cars, dump trucks and semis rumbling by Freeport Elementary and High schools, traveling will be safer for parents, students and buses. "I’m all for it," he said. The 5.5-mile bypass cost about $25 million and is set to open right on time, said Tommie Speights, Florida Department of Transportation spokesman. A ceremony will commemorate the opening at 10 a.m.
A Little League fights to stay alive
He put the fliers in local elementary schools and took out an ad in the St. Petersburg Times. In order to make the league free, Carson had to come up with some money. He estimates the cost per player is $125, which includes insurance and uniforms. With 50 kids currently signed, that's $6,250 that needs to be covered. He solicited donations from two local McDonald's, which came through with $1,000 each. The rest of the money comes from Carson. He said 5 percent of sales from his water purification business, as well as fundraisers from his other team, the St. Petersburg Hurricanes travel softball team, will help fund Meadowlawn this season. He will also solicit other local businesses for sponsorships. Registration continues today and Saturday at the complex behind Lynch Elementary.
Burglar strikes again
If anyone comes to my house and gets past the dogs, and the alarm... he's butts going out in a body bag. It sounds like some of these houses have had alarm systems, but they weren't set. They heard the beep of the alarm from when a door is opened. Why have an alarm if your only going to use it when you leave home? That doesn't make sense to me. Is the PD checking past offenders in our area to see what they are up to? I'd bet that they find out that this guy is a past offender who is use to getting a slap on the hand and sent on his way. You know one comes to mind. Do you remember when Beau Pre' was burglarized? He didn't even get a slap on the hand. In fact he was arrested and charged, but it went away. After all that's what happens to the ones who have connections in this town. So don't look for this to get solved unless it turnes out to be someone is conscidered NOBODY.
3D Hannah and Miley in Hampton Roads for one week only
To all the girls who were devastated when the latest Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus concert tour didn't include Hampton Roads: Here's another chance. A 3D movie based on the tour opens nationwide Friday, with showings in a few local theaters. But there's a catch. Disney is offering the "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert" movie, featuring its 15-year-old TV star, for one week only. Tickets are $15 each. Although ticket sales for the film are not expected to reach the frenzied proportions of the concert - with scalpers selling seats in online auctions for the equivalent of large mortgage payments - demand is high. The film has consistently been a top-selling ticket on Fandango's Web site, said Harry Medved, spokesman for Fandango, the nation's largest movie ticketing service.
US elections 2004
For supporters of John Kerry, who have seen allegations about the Democratic candidate's military record sap his campaign, it must have seemed like a case of just deserts.
The president, George Bush, was last week looking vulnerable on the same grounds after CBS's flagship current affairs show, 60 Minutes, broadcast a report claiming he had been suspended from pilot duties for failing to meet the required standards. It was also claimed that a commanding officer had been put under pressure to "sugar coat" Mr Bush's performance reviews.
But while CBS stands by its story, allegations have now surfaced that 60 Minutes based a large part of the report on forged documents.
Although what one man - even a presidential candidate - did more than 30 years ago can seem rather trivial, the US election is being fought between a self-declared "war president" and a man who, in stump speeches, claims he would defend his country as president in the way he had defended it as a young man.
20 years for Australian heroin smuggler
AN Australian man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in Vietnam for trying to smuggle 75 condoms full of heroin out of the country to Australia. Kant Nguyen was convicted of trafficking 219g of heroin at Ho Chi Minh City People's Court yesterday, the city police newspaper said. Nguyen told the court during the one-day trial that he was hired for $20,000 to smuggle the drugs from Vietnam to Australia, it said, according to the Associated Press. A Vietnam Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing last May after Nguyen became severely ill after swallowing 75 condoms full of heroin, it said. Share this article What is this? .
Don't cheer smoking ban; you may be next target
I want to add my opinion to the two letters published on Jan. 11 from Mike Lynch (``Stop bureaucrats from making decisions for us'') and Brian Thomas (``Don't let our government `protect' away freedom'').We are becoming a police country. Like Brian said, first it was seat belts, now a total smoking ban. I think the total ban went too far.Smoking is still legal. If the government wants to protect us from ourselves why not make smoking illegal? No, they won't do it because too much revenue is generated from cigarettes.What saddens me is to go to the VFW and watch our veterans who fought and died for the freedoms we used to enjoy, standing outside smoking at their private club.smoking police better wake up. One of your freedoms may be next and, believe, me you won't like it and there won't be anything you can do about it.Carol SylvesterBloomington .
Highway construction blamed for flooding
Recent meltwater and rain have flooded Concession 6 at Highway 26 in Meaford and one area landowner suspects drainage changes from the reconstruction of the provincial highway two years ago is to blame. Water covers a stretch of the concession road and large areas of property belonging to four landowners at the corner. Long-time residents say they've never seen such flooding there. Guy Doherty, who operates an aircraft maintenance business at the nearby Billy Bishop Airport, and his wife Wendy built a home on a 20-hectare lot near the intersection two years ago. The house was dry Friday morning, but there was as much as 20 centimetres of water on the floor of a hanger out back and his runway was covered in water. “I have 50 acres and 30 of it's under water," he said in an interview.
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