Smoky smell across Bay area

Submitted by Bobby Deskins on Tuesday, May 24th, 9:27 am

Lithia, Florida -- If you smelled smoke when you stepped outside this morning, it was likely from a brush fire in the Alafia River State Park in southeast Hillsborough County. About 300 acres is burning there.

MAP: Active Wildfires in Florida (PDF)

A temperature inversion is keeping much of that smoke near the ground and light SE winds are blowing it across the bay toward Pinellas County. The smoke should rise a little this afternoon, but may return again Wednesday morning.

The Pinellas County Fire Department is also telling residents that the smell is likely from that fire.

You can learn more information about wildfires by visiting the Florida Division of Forestry's website.

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Bye bye textbooks: Florida schools going all-digital

Submitted by Grayson Kamm, Multi-Media Journalist

Tuesday, May 24th, 2011, 1:05am

Clearwater, Florida -- One Bay area school district is already using them. But in another few years, electronic textbooks may become law throughout the state.

There's no other state out there that's made a move this bold, according to one lobbyist with the textbook industry. A state law giving a deadline to make all of Florida's textbooks digital ones.

When Clearwater High School students lined up to pick up their new Kindle e-book readers last year, they were one-of-a-kind -- the first in the state.

Soon, they'll be just like everyone else.

Assuming a new law is signed by Governor Rick Scott, Florida's schools will be under orders to shelve old-fashioned textbooks and move to all-digital textbooks in four years.

Some schools can start a pilot program as soon as this coming school year.

Under the new law, every district will have to have its books all-electronic by the 2015-2016 school year.

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Kindles over textbooks at Clearwater High

Submitted by Isabel Mascarenas, Reporter

Monday, May 23rd, 2011, 5:41pm

Clearwater, Florida - A new Florida law awaiting Governor Rick Scott's signature would get rid of old-fashioned text books and move to all digital textbooks by the 2015 school year.

Clearwater High School is already moving in that direction. In September, more than 2,100 Clearwater High School students filed into the school auditorium and made history. Clearwater High School is the first school nationwide to start converting from textbooks to Kindles. Students traded in their math and English books, science workbook and several novels for the 10 ounce 8x5 inch electronic reader.

"This is so light, you can read for hours," says Sabrina Shore, 17, a senior at Clearwater High School.

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Celebrate your pets in HSP's Pet Model Search

Submitted by Kristin Weber, Web Producer, 10News In Your Neighborhood

Monday, May 23rd, 2011, 12:06pm

Celebrate your pets in HSP's Pet Model Search

Pinellas County, FL -- The Humane Society of Pinellas announced that The Pet Model Search has begun for the 2012 Calendar.

Every pet entered WILL be in the calendar for only $10! One website allows for donation, photo upload and voting with immediate updates and totals.

Enter the contest, view the gallery and vote at: http://www.mulabula.com/humanepinellas/ .

Every photo that is submitted will be in the calendar and it is only a $10 donation! This year HSP will choose the featured calendar models based on the most votes from the photo contest.

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New property tax exemption for certain members of the military

Submitted by Kristin Weber, Web Producer, 10News In Your Neighborhood

Monday, May 23rd, 2011, 9:30am

New property tax exemption for certain members of the military

Pinellas County, FL -- During this past legislative session the Florida Legislature acted on Amendment 2, an amendment that creates an additional homestead exemption for members of the active duty military or military reserves, the United States Coast Guard or its reserves, or the Florida National Guard.

Those who qualify are members who already have a homestead exemption, and who were deployed outside of the United States in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, or New Dawn.

This exemption begins for the 2011 tax year, and will be based upon the number of days in the previous calendar year that the person was deployed on active duty in support of those operations.

The statute requires a servicemember to make an application by March 1 annually. Since the bill passed after that date this year, the filing deadline for 2011 has been extended to June 1.

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PCHA Board elects officers at annual meeting

Submitted by Anonymous on Saturday, May 21st, 9:13 am

On May 18, the PCHA Board of Commissioners held their annual board meeting and elected officers for 2011-2012.

Joseph Triolo was re-elected as Chairman of the Board for a term of one year. Chairman Triolo has been serving in this capacity since October 2009.

Angela Rouson continues to serve as Vice Chair of the Board of Commissioners. From July 2006 through April 2009, she served as the Board’s Chair.

During their terms as Chair and Vice Chair PCHA has:

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Pinellas has two 2011 Gates Millennium Scholars

Submitted by Anonymous on Saturday, May 21st, 11:57 am

Lakewood High School senior, Samantha Rivera, and Clearwater High School senior, Bennie Niles, have both been recognized as one of the 1,000 Gates Millennium Scholars for the Class of 2011. Samantha is planning on attending the University of Central Florida, majoring in Television Production. Bennie has been accepted to Dartmouth College where he plans on majoring in Pre-Med.

The Gates Millennium Scholars program will award both Samantha and Bennie a “good-through-graduation” college scholarship. This scholarship program is the nation’s largest minority scholarship program, offering college scholarships for low income African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American, and Hispanic American students.

Established in 1999, the goal of the scholarship program is to develop the next generation of America’s leaders. The Gates Millennium Scholars program provides recipients with leadership training, mentoring, and academic and social support as well as financial support.

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