How about taking a quick look at a few events going on in the news?
In the latest on the Jim Norman-Ralph Hughes imbroglio, the Tampa Tribune's Mike Salinero has a story on court documents filed yesterday by his Republican opponent in last month's Senate primary in District 12, Kevin Ambler. Those documents allege that Hughes funneled $500,000 through a bank account set up for Norman's wife Mearline so the Normans could buy a lakefront house in Arkansas. Salinero writes:
The Normans also wrote checks from their joint bank account and transferred the money into the separate account so it could be used to purchase the 2,800-square-foot home, the documents allege. The transfers contradict statements by Norman and his lawyer that he has no financial interest in the house and didn't have to report it on state financial disclosure documents.
In other news, two Tampa City Council members, Chairman Thomas Scott and Mary Mulhern, along with representatives from Hillsborough County and HART, held the first of three meetings that the Council will lead on the proposed sales tax referendum last night at Copeland Park in North Tampa.
I'm not sure if one wants to blame lack of information or simply indifference, but there was barely a handful of citizens who showed up to the 90 minute meeting last night. Never a good sign when there's more members from the press and city staff than those in which the meeting was designated for.
This morning New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd takes on a subject that this reporter tackled earlier this year - one of those Get Motivated! all day lectures that are best known around these parts for clogging up traffic when they occur annually in downtown Tampa. If you're into it, you can compare what she wrote to our similar piece back in May.
And of course the Tampa Bay Rays begin the Major League Baseball playoffs this afternoon at 1:30 in St. Pete. You can read our cover story on the man of the moment of our new issue, Joe Maddon, here.
And although today and tomorrows games will no doubt be packed to the rafters, sensitive locals always seem to mention the fact that though local attendance at Rays games is undoubtedly embarrassing, hey, the TV ratings are great! With that being the case, the announcers for those local telecasts are nightly fixtures in homes throughout the area, meaning it's not insignificant that the Rays announced yesterday that they are dumping color man Kevin Kennedy, and going full time with Brian Anderson, teaming up with Dewayne Staats on the broadcasts.
