Court to hear motion as Zimmerman attempts to remove ankle monitor

ORLANDO -- The counsel for George Zimmerman, accused of the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, 17, on Feb. 26, filed eight new motions on Friday in Seminole County Court in an attempt to allow the removal of his ankle monitor.

In addition, Zimmerman’s attorney Mark O’Mara is attempting to lift the restrictions preventing Zimmerman from speaking to witnesses that include personal friends, according to the motions.

The request comes hot off of Zimmerman’s allegations against NBC Universal in which he claims the newsmaker employed wrongfully racist spins against him.

That defamation suit was filed on Thursday and Zimmerman will seek damages, according to court documents.

According to the suit levied against the network, “NBC saw the death of Trayvon Martin not as a tragedy but as an opportunity to increase ratings.

“Because of NBC’s deceptive and exploitative manipulations, the public wrongly believes that Zimmerman ‘used a racial epithet’ while describing Martin during the call to the dispatcher,” continues the suit.

Zimmerman is accused of shooting and killing Martin in the February incident in Sanford that has since made national headlines. Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder. He was released after posting his $1 million bond in July, according to public 
documents.

He has since been required to wear a GPS enabled tracking ankle bracelet and has had his location monitored by the police, amidst fears for Zimmerman’s safety and the threat of vigilantism. He has also been required to stay in Seminole County since being fitting with the monitor.

"I think nobody would deny the fact that if George Zimmerman were walking down the street today, he would be at risk. That is a reality," said O’Mara in an April interview with press.

While Zimmerman’s safety was a concern for his attorneys, emotions ran hot for others involved in the case.

Martin’s family attorney Ben Crump held the opposing opinion following the related bond hearing in April, according to a CBS report.

"Why is everybody protecting George Zimmerman?" he said.

The hearing on Friday’s motions is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 11, while Zimmerman’s murder trial is set to commence in June.

Orlando goes pink as breast cancer awareness event turns 14

ORLANDO -- October is an important month. For Floridians, it means slightly cooler weather and a welcome respite from the heat and humidity. For the world at large, it means a month of breast cancer awareness.

Why not combine the two and get walking?

This Saturday morning, the American Cancer Society will host the 2012 “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” 5K walk. The annual event will descend upon Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando at 9 a.m., with registration beginning at 7:30 a.m.

“It gives us an excellent opportunity to get our message out,” said Christy Clelland, manager of the nonprofit Making Strides of Orlando Metro. “Early detection is key.”

The walk has already collected upwards of $300,000 for the cause, with top contributors ranging from Siemens to Full Sail University to the Yum Yum Cupcake truck, according to the society’s running list.

Breast cancer survivor Margery Gould Rath originated the concept of walking for the cause with her first event in 1984. She called it a “move-along-a-thon,” drawing 200 participants in Boston. In 1993, the event evolved into its current incarnation, officially becoming the “American Cancer Society Strides Against Cancer” walk. One became many, attracting over 4,000 walkers at events in Boston and in New Hampshire in that same year.

Rath passed away in 2001 following her battle with breast cancer, but her spirit lives on in the events that she began.

According to the American Cancer Society, “Since 1993, eight million walkers across the United States have raised more than $460 million to help fight breast cancer through ‘Making Strides’ events. In 2011 alone, one million walkers across the country collected more than $60 million to help fight this disease.”

“I, myself, am a breast cancer survivor,” said Rita Van Trump, online chair of the local Strides organization. “I find events like ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ a great way to bring awareness to the disease and the battle that must be waged to fight it and bring an end to it.”

This year marks the 14th for the Orlando event. Make a contribution, either through donations of time or of money, this weekend. Attendees are encouraged to don something pink, the official color of breast cancer awareness.

Take it one step further and wear a pink bra to show support. 

According to the cancer society, “The pink bra is a resounding symbol of how personal the fight against breast cancer is to women.”

“The symbol really empowers women,” said Clelland.

For more information, event registration or to make a donation visit their website.

Have political ads become an unethical game of finances?

Every four years America gathers to either re-elect a president or eject one from office via ‘’work-almost-every-time” majority vote. Much like that other really important American sporting event that happens on a semi-regular basis, the casual onlooker will be focusing primarily on the commercials.

Love them or hate them, political marketing and advertising campaigns are the mother of all such campaigns. Before the Volkswagen was a “lemon,” there were men vying for the top office of our country. And ever since America went and became a democracy, that man had to begin competing for the attention of the masses. Enter political advertising.

Ads are good things. They take on many forms—print, television, radio—and they allow candidates to court their constituencies with ease and with pointed strategic cunning.

Ads can be bad things, though those things are typically products of a casual, less informed body of individuals who dismiss ads as annoyances. Often, such criticisms will include mention of an over-saturated market, overstuffed airwaves, frivolous messages and obvious blurring of the truth by opposing candidates.

“It’s not about supporting the over-saturation, it’s about supporting a society where the media is a tool of communication,” says Nicholas Ware, graduate instructor in digital media at the University of Central Florida.

“The benefit of any media is the dissemination of information. It’s unfortunate that some platforms are based on empty rhetoric, but that’s not the fault of the ads. Ads are something that people become accustomed to seeing. As a politician, you’re basically speaking to people in a language that they’re understanding.”

Ads can be really good things. The nature of political campaigning has evolved alongside the advancement of technology and an important function of modern ad campaigning is the ability to literally reach the masses. Ads spread messages quickly and with little effort, essentially doing the work of hundreds of localized canvassing teams expending a fraction of the time and effort.

“It’s the most effective way to reach the largest number of people,” says former Florida Representative Dick Batchelor. He says people are just “tired of hearing the negative messages.”

Sometimes, ads can be very bad. The controversial Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case of 2008 resulted in the Supreme Court decision to allow unlimited funding for political ad campaigns. From the ashes of that landmark case rose this political season’s most popular alphabet soup: the super PAC. These political action committees are individual entities that pump money into the support of their choice candidate.

According to the New York Times, the decision would be “the likely death knell for a cornerstone of the post-Watergate campaign finance reforms intended to limit the influence of money in federal elections.”

Regardless of the threat of political influence belonging to entities with incomprehensibly deep pockets, the burden of choice remains on the individual voter. Now that organizations are allowed to inundate the public with their own opinions, it has become the ultimate responsibility of the individual to consider the worth and legitimacy of the source.

Similarly, attack ads should, at best, provide the public with a glimpse into the true nature of a politician. These messages are suggestions and provide vital insight into the character of a candidate; they are not replacements for personal research and awareness. Does a candidate have an affinity for going on the offensive? He or she is more than likely either threatened or has run out of things to say.

“It’s not necessarily in our best interest to restrict the kinds of messages that can be sent,” said Ware.

Each ad helps us cultivate our opinion on a potential elected official for better or for worse. That’s a very good thing.

“You don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

Valencia opens Lake Nona campus

LAKE NONA CAMPUS -- Valencia students will finally have the chance to get to know Nona.

The college’s inaugural Lake Nona campus celebrated the opening of its flagship building this Thursday evening with a ribbon cutting ceremony preceded by a series of speeches and a meet-and-greet between college and city officials.

Upon arrival, a smiling assemblage of student leaders clad in bright red Valencia polo shirts and glittering bronze name badges, greeted attendees. Leading those leaders was SGA President, and proud Lake Nona student, Paola Santos.

“Right now the campus is blank; students have the opportunity to suggest and take the lead on everything they want to see happening on campus, whether it’s sports or SGA. To see the student body unite is going to be really exciting,” says Santos.

The completed 83,000 square foot building is the first of 4 planned for the site. Through its partnership with nearby medical city, the location aims to focus on math and the sciences. 

Featuring 18 hi-tech smart classrooms, six labs ranging in focus from biotech to chemistry, a shaded inner courtyard, a digital library, full student support services, a café and a bookstore, the campus is ready to welcome its first students.

When speaking of the building’s design, executive dean Dr. Michael Bosley said that engineers tried to cultivate a “woodland feel” and a “sense of space.” And according to Bosley, they are already planning a mirror of the building across the current courtyard.

“Think of this building as a big hug that surrounds our students everyday,” said Bosley, with a smile.

“When students walk in they always share that they feel this tranquility within the building,” said Santos in a similar reflection of the building’s character.

The campus, which just opened for business for this current fall semester, is already attracting students. According to Kathleen Plinske, president of both Osceola and Lake Nona campuses, the location has already enrolled upwards of 1500 students.

During the array of speeches, college President Sandy Shugart encouraged a grand vision for the area’s future.

“Rarely in the career of a college president do you get to build in a place that has a real vision for the future,” said Shugart in his speech.

He also praised the environmental sustainability of the building’s design, which is slated to achieve a level 2 Green Globes Certification from a Portland, Ore. based non-profit, according to a Valencia news release.

“Imagine a place where everything is sustainable. Imagine a place that has the most beautiful town center in Florida by design,” said Shugart.

Speakers in the dedication included Dr. Bosley, President Shugart and Mayor Buddy Dyer. Those in attendance included City Commissioner Jim Gray, senatorial staffers, engineers, college trustees and board members. Immediately following the ribbon cutting, which was repeated multiple times to allow all of the groups involved in the project a chance to cut, were guided tours and science demonstrations.

“The opportunity that students have here is boundless,” said Santos.

Visit the Lake Nona campus website for more information.