Happy Veteran's Day! You can read all the non-news from last night's GOP debate, and about how even the crazy becomes mundane with depressing speed these days, elsewhere. Let's take a look at some of our area's updates, instead.

Pinellas County followed in the footsteps of the city of St. Pete and Hillsborough County by passing its own wage theft ordinance, which is designed to help give workers legal recourse when employers withhold earnings. The ordinance reportedly does not, unfortunately, include a "we'll hold 'em while you get to punch 'em once anywhere" clause.

Polk County Sheriff's Deputies are looking into a couple of cases in which victims were scammed by Facebook versions of the old "you've won the obscure, weirdly named lottery you don't remember entering, but there are just a few processing fees" con. Time to have the same conversation you had with your grandmother about email ten years ago, just change out "email" for "Facebook" and you should be good to go.

More than 100 people showed up to tell Hillsborough County's Metropolitan Planning Organization that adding pricey toll lanes to local freeways at the expense of some exciting and still-emerging urban neighborhood renewal is beyond stupid. More than 100 people are correct.

And finally, one of the two Americans killed in yesterday's attack on a police training facility in Jordan, James Creach, lived in New Tampa, and leaves behind a wife and three children. Our condolences to all whose lives were touched by this member of our community.

(Image by DanTD via Wikimedia Commons in accordance with Creative Commons licensing.)

This article appears in Nov 5-11, 2015.