“Wrong turn” could have led to tourist murders in Florida

The two British tourists shot dead in a Florida ghetto could have taken a wrong turn whilst trying to find a 24-hour diner, according to police.

Detectives are trying to find out why James Cooper and James Kouzaris could have ended up on the notorious Newton projects area after a night out in the upmarket resort of Sarasota.

The Gator Bar, the last venue the pair are believed to have visited early on Saturday morning, is just 1.5miles away from a branch of IHOP, a popular 24-hour diner chain and one of the few places in the city to get food at that time.

Captain Sutton described it as “very possible” that the tourists, under the influence of alcohol, could quite easily have “lost their bearings”, taken and ended up in streets of Newtown, a low-income housing project.

The IHOP is on 12th street while the men turned off on 21st street.

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http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/wrong-turn-could-have-led-to-tourist-murders-in-florida/

‘One Ocean’ opening day crowds at SeaWorld

Word of warning if you’re heading to SeaWorld Orlando this weekend: Like all the theme parks, it will be very crowded. But SeaWorld has an additional factor besides Easter and school breaks: Its new Shamu show, “One Ocean,” debuted Friday.

By 12:45 p.m. Friday, the 1:30 “One Ocean” show had filled Shamu Stadium to capacity. That’s not unheard of at SeaWorld during peak times — the park takes pains to warn guests to arrive at shows early. But what was unusual: There were already close to 100 guests in line for the 3:30 “One Ocean.”

Parking gave a clue at how busy the park would be: I was parked in some grass near the Renaissance Resort. I’d never been back that far, to what’s called the Arthur C. Turtle Lot. Employees directed drivers out of the main parking lot, across the street, past a sign marked “Employee Overflow Parking,” through another lot and then to the grass. A tram took us to the entrance.

“One Ocean,” which replaced the long-running “Believe” show, plays several times throughout the day. On Friday, the showtimes posted inside the park did not match what’s on the SeaWorld website. Your best bet: Get to the park early, and prepare to wait.

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British hero who caught baby just wants to go back to vacation

A 2-year-old girl fell from a fourth-floor hotel balcony in the tourist district of Orlando on Wednesday night, but she was caught by a hotel guest and was not injured, according to Orange County deputies. (CBS)

British tourist Helen Beard doesn't feel like a hero even after being feted on Friday for catching a 1-year-old girl who fell from a fourth-story balcony at an Orlando resort hotel.

"Absolutely not. I did what needed to be done. I didn't want a fuss. Anyone would have done it," Beard, 44, of Worksop, England, said in an interview with Reuters.

Beard said she was sitting poolside at the Econo Lodge Inn & Suites, keeping an eye on her 10-year-old son and her partner as they swam, when a scream attracted attention to 1-year-old Jah-Nea Myles dangling from the balcony.

"I think you just act instinctively. I ran. I knew I needed to catch her. I had to do something. I guess I was hoping someone else would catch her, but I was the one who was there," Beard said.

Beard said she dashed through the pool gate and ran to a spot right underneath the child who, she said, "seemed to grip on for ages. I saw her tumble."


The baby's mother told investigators that she left her daughter in the care of friends, who said they didn't notice Jah-Nea slip out of the room.

As even Beard's family back home in England knows - they texted her after news of the incident flashed around the world - Beard caught Jah-Nea and held her for a moment before the little girl slipped unharmed from her arms.

At a ceremony on Friday to thank Beard, local authorities awarded her a Medal of Merit, a citation rarely given to anyone outside of law enforcement.

"Mrs. Beard showed unusual instinct and initiative when she exited from the swimming pool area and was able to catch the child as she fell, thus saving her from extreme physical injuries and/or death," said Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings at the presentation.

Beard was also presented with a Guardian Angel award created especially for her by the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Beard, who works for the national health service in England, said all she wants now is to step back from the spotlight and enjoy the rest of her two-week vacation at Orlando's theme parks.

"I just want to get back to the holiday," she said
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http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/22/us-babyfall-hero-idUSTRE73L49320110422

Boy charged for killing of two British tourists in Florida

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested and charged for the suspected killing of two British tourists in Florida.

James Kouzaris, 24 and James Cooper, 25, had been on holiday with family and friends in the Gulf coast town of Sarasota.

Their bodies were found peppered with bullets in a deprived residential area renowned for gang violence.

Sarasota Police Captain Paul Sutton told new agency AFP: “It’s unusual in that it’s public housing, there’s no open businesses, and they are in the area just before 3 in the morning.”

“The men were on a family vacation and staying in Longboat Key, a nearby beach resort community,” he added.

“One of the victims’ parents were travelling with them. It’s a horrible incident.”

The two men, both graduates of the University of Sheffield, did not have a car.

The motive of the murders has yet to be established, although police suspect it might have been a street robbery or a drug deal that went wrong.

Police confirmed neither of the men were in possession of drugs, although they would not say whether they had cash or weapons.

The area is a hotspot for gangs.

They had been staying on the upmarket island city of Longboat Key, about 12 miles from the less affluent area where they were killed.

Mr Kouzaris, from Northampton, was a guest of the Cooper family, from Warwick who were on holiday in the area.

“Both victims were white,” said Sarasota Police Captain Paul Sutton.

A spokesman for the British consulate in Miami said: ‘British consular officials can confirm that two British nationals were killed in Sarasota, Florida, on April 16. Next of kin have been notified.

Shootings of tourists re rare in the U.S. but in November 2009 Thomas Reeve was gunned down while drinking with friends in a Texas bar.

Sand sculpture created to honor space shuttles

CAPE CANAVERAL — Combine about 30 volunteers, 12 shovels, six rakes, a ton of sand and what do you get?

Artist Todd Brittingham of Fort Lauderdale created a sand sculpture titled "Sun and the Moon," which commemorates the end of the shuttle program with stars dedicated to shuttle astronauts who have died.

A work of art depicting the moon, sun and stars etched in the sand at Jetty Park. The creation, completed Sunday after four days of work, is the mastermind of Fort Lauderdale-based artist Todd Brittingham.

Every year since 1988, Brittingham has traveled across Florida creating a new "sky message" on the beach in honor of Earth Day. The creations are as large as 10 acres and best seen from an aerial view.

In addition to Earth Day, Brittingham also wanted to honor the shuttle program, which will come to an end later this year.

"I've been a big fan of NASA, and I thought this is the perfect year to do something space themed," the 47-year-old said. "We're dedicating this to the 14 people who lost their lives on Challenger and Columbia."

The sand sculpture is about 150 feet by 150 feet and contains 14 stars to represent the astronauts killed in the shuttle tragedies.

His crew of about 30 volunteers spent four days creating the piece.

Curious beachgoers milled around wondering what was being formed as volunteers used everything from their hands to a wheel barrel to perfect the artwork.

When it was completed, those involved laid around the sculpture to create human stars as a plane, paid for by Brittingham, flew overhead to snap photos.

"It was unbelievable," Brittingham said after seeing the aerial view. "You never really know what it will turn out or how accurate to the design it will be, but I'm just tickled it was so incredible. Probably the best one we've done in 23 years."

This is Brittingham's sixth trip to Brevard County, a place close to his heart since he grew up in Orlando and often came to Space Coast beaches.

He began doing the sky messages on a whim, when a friend in the real estate business asked for help with some advertising. Back then, the single college student pulled together about a dozen friends to help him with a day of fun on the beach.

"I can't believe what it's turned in to," said Brittingham, now a married father of two.

"It's a family event. We all get together every year. It' a chance to have fun and promote a positive experience. People say they aren't good at art, but everyone can dig, everyone can take part."

Some of the original dozen, along with numerous volunteers who joined in during the years, took part in the latest creation.

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Florida beaches get $30 million tourism boost from BP

TALLAHASSEE, Fla (Reuters) - Hoping to bring tourists back to Florida's Panhandle beaches, Governor Rick Scott joined BP officials and local tourism leaders on Monday to announce a $30 million marketing grant for the region, which lost much of its business last year.

Scott lauded BP's commitment to "do the right thing" by earmarking nearly $82 million so far for tourism and commercial seafood testing since the April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and subsequent spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

"I thank BP for stepping up, especially at this time, because it's terribly important that we get the tourist season up and going," Scott said at a press conference.

Unlike South Florida, the Panhandle region's peak season occurs in the summer months.

BP has already made tourism payments of $18 million to Mississippi and $22 million to Alabama, according to the company's recovery website.

Last month, Louisiana's 64 parishes split $5 million in tourism aid from the company. Those funds were the first of six BP payments to Louisiana that will total $30 million.

The grant money announced on Monday for Florida will be distributed through the Northwest Florida Tourism Council, a non-profit group set up after the disaster to represent tourism officials in seven Panhandle counties affected by the spill.

Funds will be divvied up among the counties, which produced marketing plans that have been approved by the regional council.

"We have seen the plans and have great confidence that they will result in great help to the tourism industry there," said Luke Keller, BP's senior vice president in charge of Gulf restoration efforts.

Marketing efforts are expected to include media buys in nearby states where people can easily drive to the Panhandle beaches for vacation but also in places farther afield.

Other incentives include coupons, vouchers and package deals.

"Each of those counties has very different plans," said Dawn Moliterno, chairwoman of the regional tourism council.

"But what you can expect to see are concentrated, targeted initiatives in each of those counties to the customers of their targeted markets."

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http://whtc.com/news/articles/2011/apr/11/florida-beaches-get-30-million-tourism-boost-from-/

Giant anteater born at Florida zoo

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., March 19 (UPI) -- Stella-Abril, a 13-year-old giant anteater at the Jacksonville, Fla., Zoo, has become a mother for the fifth time, zoo officials said.

Zoo officials said the baby's sex won't be known until it is older and the right to name the infant will be auctioned off next month, the Jacksonville (Fla.) Times-Union reported.

The baby was born Feb. 22. His father is named Killroy. The mother and baby are on display at the River's Edge exhibit, where the infant spends its time clinging to its mother's back.

Naming rights will be auctioned off at the zoo's annual ExZOOberation fundraiser on April 16.

Zoo officials said giant anteater births in captivity are relatively rare.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2011/03/19/Giant-anteater-born-at-Florida-zoo/UPI-30731300547266/#ixzz1JTt756GT

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Mobile museum recounts horrors of modern-day slavery in Florida

The sweltering box truck served as an overnight padlocked prison for enslaved Mexican and Guatemalan tomato pickers, who were forced to urinate and defecate in its corners.

Workers managed to escape through the truck's roof and report brutal abu

ses -- they had been kicked, beaten and chained -- to Collier County authorities in November 2007.

Their bosses later were sentenced to 12 years in federal prison. And the tomato-pickers' wheeled, windowless dungeon became a symbol for advocates devoted to eradicating human trafficking across Florida.

Sunday, parishioners explored the Florida Modern-Day Slavery Museum -- a replica of the cargo truck -- at Ascension Catholic Church.

"Can you imagine being locked in here?" Claire Maliszewski asked a trio of Boy Scouts inside the truck. "Goodness gracious. That's scary."

The Florida Modern-Day Slavery Museum features court documents, newspaper clippings, photographs of injuries, menacing chains and other educational displays highlighting indentured servitude in Fort Pierce, DeSoto County and elsewhere.

A key artifact: a blood-soaked blue-and-white striped shirt worn by a 17-year-old farmhand who was violently pummeled in 1996 in Immokalee after stopping work to drink water.

Hundreds of his fellow workers carried the stained garment during a nighttime protest march, said Margaret Gleeson, a museum volunteer.

The Diocese of Orlando has launched a human-trafficking awareness campaign highlighting Florida's agriculture and tourism industries.

The cargo truck travels today to Melbourne Central Catholic High. The display is not open to the public.

"Can you imagine when it's hot in the night?" Romeo Ramirez, a Guatemalan farm worker whose undercover work helped prosecute a Lake Placid citrus-slavery operation, asked of the poorly ventilated truck.

Read More

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110411/NEWS01/104110314/Mobile-museum-recounts-horrors-modern-day-slavery-Florida

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Disney says it generates $18.2 billion annual ripple effect in Florida

Walt Disney World and its related businesses in Florida generate an estimated $18.2 billion a year in economic activity and are responsible for more than one of every 50 jobs in the state, according to an impact study paid for by the giant resort.

The report, released Wednesday, found that Disney's theme-park operations in the state — which include Disney World, Disney Cruise Line and its Disney Vacation Club time-share business — account for 2.5 percent of Florida's cumulative gross domestic product.

"It was 40 years ago, in the fall of 1971, that we opened the gates of Walt Disney World. And we've been growing ever since," Disney World President Meg Crofton said at a Disney-organized breakfast in the Orlando Museum of Art to present the results to local government, business and civic leaders.

The eye-popping numbers stem from a report prepared by Arduin, Laffer & Moore, a Republican consulting firm whose partners include a budget director to former Gov. Jeb Bush, an economic adviser to former President Ronald Reagan, and the founder of the conservative Club for Growth political group. The firm examined data from Disney's 2009 fiscal year, which ended Oct. 3, 2009.

Disney released a two-page summary of its findings. The company would not release the full report because, it said, the report includes proprietary financial information.

The researchers found that Disney paid out nearly $1.8 billion in compensation to more than 59,000 workers in 2009. That equates to an average annual salary of approximately $30,508.

Disney said the researchers did not determine the median — or midpoint — salary for its workers. The average salary can be distorted by a small number of exceptionally high or low earners; Disney's senior-most executives in Florida are paid annual bonuses that in some cases have exceeded $1 million in a single year.

In addition to the wages paid, Disney purchased $2.3 billion worth of goods and services during the year, according the report, including an estimated $900 million from vendors in Florida. And third-party businesses operating on Disney property generated almost $600 million in sales, while vacationers to Disney spent another $1.7 billion at off-site businesses.

In all, that amounted to a cumulative direct economic impact of $6.3 billion. When researchers used computer models to include additional, "indirect and induced" impacts from Disney's operations, they said the total economic effect swelled to $18.2 billion and approximately 161,000 jobs.

For as big as Disney's presence has become in Florida since opening the Magic Kingdom four decades ago, the look of the company's growth has changed dramatically in recent years.

The company hasn't built a new theme park in Orlando since 1998, when it opened Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney World's fourth park. It has in recent years focused instead on wringing more revenue from its existing assets — capturing more of its guests' total vacation spending and luring new travelers to its parks — and moving into new businesses, such as cruises.

Disney executives say there is still ample room to grow through those strategies.

"I can tell you, it will still be significant, the potential future impacts," Al Weiss, the president of global operations for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, said in an interview after the presentation.

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http://www.orlandosentinel.com/the-daily-disney/os-disney-economic-impact-20110413,0,7480432.story

Courteney Cox and daughter arrive home from Disney World as David Arquette celebrates 100 days of sobriety

Courteney Cox arrived back from Disney World with Coco today, looking a little tired but nevertheless content and happy.

The 46-year-old actress enjoyed a day at the theme park yesterday along with estranged husband David Arquette and their six-year-old daughter.

David was not seen with them as they touched down in Los Angeles, although he was busy tweeting news that he has now been sober for 100 days.

He posted an upbeat message on Twitter that read: 'I have 100 days of Sobriety today!!! Life is beautiful. :D'

Clearly the actor, who will be seen alongside Cox in the upcoming Scream 4, is feeling on good form following their magical family time.

He described the Disney World resort in Orlando, Florida as 'the most Magical Place on Earth' in an earlier tweet.

Read more: 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1374683/Courteney-Cox-arrives-home-St-Barts-holiday-David-Arquette-celebrates-100-days-sobriety.html#ixzz1Ivul1tdT

Safari Wild will have to wait on Commission

The proposal is an outgrowth of a controversy over an animal-oriented tourist destination called Safari Wild that was proposed in the Green Swamp Area of Critical State Concern.

A hearing officer last year struck down Polk County's approval of the project because it violated several county regulations.

This is the second time the proposed regulation had been continued because of questions about whether the regulations needed to be better defined.

"I don't think this is ready for prime time," Commissioner John Ryan said.

He said he wanted to exempt Class I and II wildlife from being part of agritourism.

Class I animals include lions, bears, apes, rhinoceros and other large animals that are potentially dangerous. Class II animals include monkeys, smaller cats, antelopes and other less dangerous animals.

Dr. Stephen Wehrmann, a veterinarian who is one of the owners of a game ranch that could take advantage of the ordinance, argued antelopes and other hoofed animals fall under the state definition of livestock and shouldn't be restricted.

Ryan said he'd be willing to discuss a revision, but said he wasn't sure a lot of situations involved legitimate agriculture.

"I don't see a zoo on a farm," he said.

The unanimous vote for continuance came following a series of failed motions to recommend approval and then denial. The first motion tied 3-3. The second failed 4-2.

Assistant County Attorney Jan McDonald recommended commissioners consider the issue when they were fresher.

The case didn't come up until after 7 p.m. during a meeting that had begun at 9 a.m.

The case, which planners had been trying to fast track to the commission, had been scheduled for a public hearing before the Polk County Commission next Tuesday.

Wehrmann is co-owner of the licensed exotic game farm off Moore Road that also is the site of the proposed Safari Wild tourist attraction.

Florida Wildlife Ranch is a scaled-back version of Safari Wild that Wehrmann said could attract some tourists -- he's not really sure what the market is -- to provide some income to pay for running the ranch that contains 160 exotic animals ranging from various species of African antelope to Indian rhinoceroses.

The main issue isn't whether farms may be great places to bring tourists, but whether there are adequate controls on issues such as traffic and noise to protect adjacent rural landowners.

A state administrative law judge last year quashed Polk County's approval of Safari Wild, concluding county officials ignored their own growth plan and development regulations.

The ruling came after officials at the Florida Department of Community Affairs, which oversees development permits in the Green Swamp Area of Critical State Concern, challenged the county's decision.

Lois Murphy, a sixth-generation Floridian whose family owns a ranch near Wehrmann's property, was one of the prime critics of Safari Wild and the county's handling of it.

She asked planners to take more time reviewing the proposal.

"I have a fear that this is more about tourism than about agriculture," she said, explaining she's afraid the result could be to weaken agriculture.

"I don't think a (development code change) should be driven by one case; that seems strange to me," she said.

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http://www.newschief.com/article/20110408/NEWS/104085138/1021/news01?Title=Safari-Wild-will-have-to-wait-on-Commission

South Florida Enjoying Record Tourism Numbers

Two of the most well-known holiday destinations in Florida, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, have announced that they experienced strong tourism growth over the winter months with hotel occupancy in Fort Lauderdale alone reaching 75% in January this year. The news, which was revealed by the both Fort Lauderdale and Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, shows that Florida has become a very attractive destination for travellers, say ulookubook.com.

Ian Raine of ulookubook.com, comments: “Florida has always been a popular holiday choice with travellers, and tourism in both Fort Lauderdale and Miami has increased dramatically, compared to the figures from last year. According to the authorities in Fort Lauderdale, the hotel occupancy of 75% in January this year was 27% higher than it was in January 2010, and the total amount of passenger traffic at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport had increased by 5.1% year-on year. The results are simply staggering, as they show that more people are choosing to travel to Florida, specifically South Florida, on holiday.”

In Miami, the GMCVB have revealed that 12.6 million people visited Miami-Dade County last year, and spent $18.8 million, making it a record year for tourism in the area. Similarly, in 2010, 10.84 million people visited Fort Lauderdale, where they spent just over $8 million, which shows that tourist demand for South Florida is growing.

Raine continues: “Last year was truly an exceptional year for tourism in Florida, in fact the figure of 12.6 million tourists is the highest number ever recorded in Miami. These numbers are very impressive, but when it comes to air traffic, international travellers have risen dramatically, with an increase of 16.3% in the number of foreign travellers travelling to and from Fort Lauderdale in January this year alone, which represents the 17th consecutive month of air traffic growth for the airport. These figures show that Florida is still a popular holiday destination, and judging by its growth over the past year, it could very well become more popular in 2011.”

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Charlie Sheen’s tour coming to South Florida

Prepare to win, South Florida. Coming to a theater near you: Charlie Sheen’s My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not an Option Show.

Sheen is scheduled to appear in Sunrise on April 23 at the BankAtlantic Center as part of his 20-city tour. Sheen’s website said tickets are still available — ranging in price from $69 to $89.

On Saturday, the Hollywood actor turned one-man media meltdown, more famous now for his rants that include references to warlocks, tiger blood and goddesses than for his acting, kicked off his tour in Detroit to an applause that quickly turned to boos. Next up was Chicago.

The tour is the latest step in the Sheen saga, which stretches back to last year, when he pleaded guilty in Aspen, Colo., to misdemeanor third-degree assault after a Christmas Day altercation with his then-wife, Brooke Mueller.

Since then, he has talked about being a “rock star from Mars,” having “Adonis DNA” and called himself a warlock, with the women he lives with as goddesses.

Sheen’s behavior, which included lashing out at Two and a Half Men producer Chuck Lorre, finally became too much for Warner Bros. Television, which fired him on March 7.

So he decided to go on tour. In Detroit, Sheen seemed to enjoy himself in the early moments, posting pictures on Twitter of the crowd and himself at a podium. Below a picture of the crowd, he wrote, “The most honest city in the world honors the most honest man in the universe #TruthTorpedo.”

In a second picture, he referred to himself as a “Sheenius.”

But the show didn’t come across as the work of a Sheenius or a genius, according to the reviews. Media covering the event reported a crowd that booed, heckled the actor and questioned if the tour would make a full run or close early.

How did Sheen feel about this? A regular poster to Twitter, with more than 3 million followers on the service, Sheen stayed silent Sunday.

Tickets to Sheen’s South Florida stop are available through Ticketmaster or at his website, www.charliesheen.com.

Read more:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/03/2149275/charlie-sheens-tour-coming-to.html#ixzz1IYYfS59g

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