Biography
Beth Kassab writes a local column for the Sentinel every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. She focuses on everything from life in the 'burbs to ...
Manatee cannonball, other dumb crimes keep wildlife officers busy
May 22, 2013
It doesn't make me proud to say it, but Florida has a long, rich history of stupid criminals.
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Winter Park right to be snobby about counter service
May 20, 2013
Winter Park didn't become Winter Park by putting up with bourgeois counter service.
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Even Belvin Perry can't escape pull of Casey Anthony case
May 17, 2013
Judge Belvin Perry is in a rare class of jurists.
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Kiera Wilmot already paid too high price for science experiment
May 15, 2013
Kiera Wilmot was handcuffed at her high school, hustled into the back of a police car and taken to jail for something that should have sent her to a few days of after-school detention.
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Abercrombie marketing strategy? Meanness
May 13, 2013
The secret's out.
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Why Maitland's billboard decision matters
May 10, 2013
The most outrageous thing about the Maitland City Council's attempt to ditch its 75-year ban on billboards is not that one of the 70-foot monstrosities could soon loom over a quiet neighborhood.
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Children's hospitals come together, finally
May 8, 2013
Memo to the skeptics: Orlando appears to be supporting three children's hospitals just fine, thank you very much.
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Disney princess makeovers send wrong message
May 6, 2013
Merida, the sweet, independent princess from "Brave," will officially join the Disney Princess Royal Court on Saturday.
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Lake Highland fights drugs with tests
May 3, 2013
Most schools have a drug problem, and private schools are no different.
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Why the R-word should be the next taboo
May 1, 2013
If anyone thinks the Legislature's move to eliminate the word "retarded" from state laws is giving in to the PC police, think again.
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Newspaper reporter is worst job? Nah.
April 29, 2013
I have the worst job in America.
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How we live after UCF scare, Boston bombings
April 26, 2013
On a recent morning Tower I at the University of Central Florida looked like almost any other college dormitory, with groggy students clutching Starbucks cups and backpacks as they hurried off to final exams.
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Cities don't have to settle for ugly dollar stores
April 24, 2013
The latest suburban scourge is worse than noisy neighbors, poorly-timed streetlights or rush-hour road construction.
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Seminole now unsure of school tax needs
April 22, 2013
Last year Seminole County sounded as if it were trying to head off an educational apocalypse.
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Common Core backlash is rooted in fiction
April 19, 2013
I was at a neighborhood party recently, happily eating too many chips and dip and watching the kids jump themselves silly in a bounce house. Life was good in my little corner of suburbia.
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'Great Floridians' not always so great
April 17, 2013
What do college football's Tim Tebow and Bobby Bowden have in common with businessman Wayne Huizenga and Everglades demolisher Hamilton Disston?
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Much ado about 'parent trigger'
April 15, 2013
No matter what side you are on, the "parent trigger" bill is a lesson in the worst kind of politicking.
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100 things to love on Seminole's centennial
April 12, 2013
One hundred years ago this month, Seminole County shook off the reins of Orange County and took charge of its own destiny.
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Some Gators fans turn in season tickets
April 11, 2013
I was raised in the Gator faith. So it pains me to say that I can't blame longtime season ticket holders who are giving up the seats they've had for decades.
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Do eggs from backyard chickens really taste better?
April 8, 2013
You probably know a beer snob — somebody who only drinks certain brews. You may even know a pizza snob or a sushi snob.
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Decades after girl was shot, family unwavering in support of gun rights
April 5, 2013
Evie Hagan was 4 years old when she was accidentally shot in the neck by her brother, who had found a gun tucked in a kitchen cabinet at their Orlando home.
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Teacher evaluation process: unsatisfactory
April 3, 2013
In last week's paychecks, teachers at Hagerty High School in Seminole County received $1,300 bonuses because the school performed so well last year.
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Sanford-Burnham wants more tax dollars
April 1, 2013
The annual springtime madness (lawmaking, not basketball) is headed into its final month. Let's check in on some of the issues we've been following:
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Graduation standards needed compromise
March 29, 2013
Our state lawmakers aren't known for putting politics aside to reach a compromise that solves a problem.
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Point missed on Jesus-stomping lesson at FAU
March 27, 2013
If the Florida Atlantic University Jesus-"stomping" instructor was trying to make a point about religious tolerance, then point taken.
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Parents who don't lock up guns deserve to face charges
March 25, 2013
No matter how you feel about gun control, I think we all can agree that a 4-year-old boy should not be able to grab a loaded firearm at home and accidentally shoot himself in the face.
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Will development disturb Oviedo's beloved chickens?
March 22, 2013
If Frieda and Pepper sense something is up, they aren't letting on.
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As UCF reels, firearms lobby pushes for guns on campuses
March 20, 2013
As UCF students were still grappling with how close they might have come to mass murder, a gun-rights group was in a Jacksonville courtroom arguing that Florida universities have no right to ban guns from campus.
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John Morgan could take medical marijuana mainstream
March 18, 2013
So John Morgan is throwing his political heft — code for megabucks — behind an effort to legalize medical marijuana in Florida.
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Lawmakers finally moving to ban storefront casinos
March 15, 2013
If it looks like gambling, acts like gambling and feels like gambling, we don't need a pit boss to tell us what's going on.
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Danielle Sampson tells story of gun violence
March 13, 2013
If you want to see what gun violence looks like in Central Florida, look into the face of 16-year-old Danielle Sampson.
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When HOAs take restrictions too far
March 11, 2013
Too often homeowner associations get a bad rap.
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Bottled water or tap? Bet you can't tell difference
March 9, 2013
If you're like me, you don't leave the house in the morning without a bottle of water.
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Disney deal a steal, but don't forget to plan
March 6, 2013
For many of us, it's not a question of if, but when, we make that ultimate parental pilgrimage.
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Readers write on Olive Garden, frats and traveling the world
March 4, 2013
Today you all take a turn dishing up the questions, compliments and complaints ...
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Olive Garden's plunge in popularity speaks to our changing tastes
March 2, 2013
What do the Orlando Magic and Olive Garden have in common?
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UCF makes good call on halting Greek system
February 25, 2013
It was 10:30 on Saturday night, and the only car meandering down Greek Park Drive was mine.
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What we know one year after Trayvon Martin shooting
February 23, 2013
Tuesday will mark one year since George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin.
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Florida man ditches suburbia for the tropics
February 20, 2013
Just before Christmas I received an e-mail from a local bank vice president with the subject line, "Farewell."
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Gator alums' political clout has waned in recent years
February 16, 2013
Chances are you haven't heard of Christina Bonarrigo or Johnny Castillo.
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Time to speed up foreclosures in Florida
February 13, 2013
Not one single bank executive has gone to jail for the mortgage monkey business that collapsed our economy.
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Bill to regulate HOAs needs work
February 11, 2013
Quick, when's the last time you attended a homeowner's association meeting?
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Big-bucks incentives for biomed don't guarantee success
February 9, 2013
Welcome to Florida, where state dollars are as plentiful as sunshine when it comes to padding private-sector budgets.
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Customers are 'dumb money' for utilities
February 6, 2013
If you're a Progress Energy customer and you've looked yourself in the mirror lately, you're looking at "dumb money."
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Tone-deaf officials, secrecy make year's worst PR moves
February 4, 2013
Just one month into 2013 and it's already time to award the first round of Flubbies — recognizing the region's biggest public-relations flubs.
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Should we let our sons play football?
February 2, 2013
It's Super Bowl Sunday, and by kickoff I'll have a pot of chili on the stove and a couple of beer mugs chilling in the freezer.
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Ten years later east Texas remembers Columbia
January 30, 2013
Ten years later, the moment I remember most about the Columbia shuttle tragedy took place in a Sunday school class at First Baptist Church in tiny Alto, Texas.
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Public text messages should be no-brainer
January 28, 2013
Local governments are so befuddled about how to archive public officials' cellphone text messages that we're left to guess what kind of conversations are taking place about the public's business.
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Gas stations still trying to conceal prices
January 26, 2013
I can't imagine a less satisfying end to the protracted battle between the city of Orlando and two gas stations that soak unsuspecting tourists by charging nearly $6 a gallon.
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Take Legislature, elections out of PSC process
January 23, 2013
We're supposed to believe that Florida's system for selecting the people who set our utility rates is fair and free of political meddling.
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Readers write on doctor prices, drones
January 21, 2013
Time again to empty out my mail bag ...
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Patients lose when hospitals take over doctors
January 19, 2013
When a big hospital chain buys an independent doctor's office, we often hear the move will "enhance care," "integrate care" or "improve health-care efficiency."
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We deserve answers on drones
January 16, 2013
The latest law enforcement toy craze is sweeping the nation, and our own Sheriff Jerry Demings was all too eager to join the fad and buy a pair of drones.
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Casselberry after dark lights up
January 14, 2013
It was Friday night and I was looking for some good music and a way to indulge my inner foodie, so I headed over to Casselberry.
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How green is Dyer willing to go?
January 12, 2013
Unless you've been stuck in the trunk of Buddy Dyer's Chevy Tahoe, you've no doubt heard the mayor preach the virtues of sustainability.
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Kids deserve chance at healthy smiles
January 9, 2013
There's hardly anything more crushing for a 16-year-old girl than taking a bite out of a hamburger only to see her front tooth fall out on to her plate, and the stunned face of the 16-year-old boy sitting across from her.
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Take my quiz: Where do you stand on guns?
January 7, 2013
The two extremes get the lion's share of the attention in the debate on gun rights. But a lot of people likely fall somewhere in the middle. Take my quiz to find out where you land:
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School rezoning brings out cattiness
January 6, 2013
There's nothing like a good school rezoning to bring out the cattiness in us.
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Look into my crystal ball for 2013 big news
January 2, 2013
Thirteen is lucky. Or unlucky, depending on which hype you believe.
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It's Christmas — put that cellphone away
December 24, 2012
If you already have decided to take my challenge and put your cellphone away today, then you're probably well on your way to a day of hands-free bliss.
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The case against turning schools into forts
December 22, 2012
The shootings in Connecticut have the potential to do to schools what 9-11 did to airports.
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A day in the life of a teacher
December 19, 2012
Teachers get dumped on a lot.
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How one family unplugs every week
December 17, 2012
I staked out my position at the bottom of the escalator, not far from where Santa was taking requests. I couldn't help but notice shopper after shopper pulling out their smartphones on the 30-second glide to the bottom level.
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School shootings bring raw feelings to surface
December 15, 2012
You can't look at the photo of a line of children, each one with little hands holding on to the shoulders of the child in front, some of them crying, some of their tiny faces looking dazed, and not see your own child.
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Controversy manufactured over school board LGBT policy
December 12, 2012
For the last four years, the Orange County school district's anti-bullying policy has specifically protected boys who dress like girls or vice versa.
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Common Core should be priority for next education commissioner
December 8, 2012
Odds are pretty good — excellent, in fact — that Tony Bennett will be Florida's next education commissioner.
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My elf just moves from shelf to shelf — if I move it at all
December 5, 2012
If you've bolted upright in the middle of the night and mumbled, "I forgot to move the elf," then this is for you.
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Readers take challenge to put smartphones away
December 3, 2012
Good news. I have the first takers on my challenge to put smartphones and tablets away on Christmas Day. And we hear from readers on education and Black Friday creep too ...
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Take my Christmas challenge: Put your smartphone away for a day
December 2, 2012
The night before Thanksgiving, a friend had one final task in preparation for the next day's turkey dinner.
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State's $10,000 college degree a gimmick
November 28, 2012
Gov. Rick Scott is really into DIY government cost-cutting, as evidenced this week by his $10,000 degree challenge. So why stop there?
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Missing man's remains found after 11 years give hope to other families
November 26, 2012
Drew Kesse is preparing for yet another ground search before the end of this year for his daughter, Jennifer, who vanished nearly seven years ago.
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Next education commissioner will tell us a lot about Florida's commitment to reform
November 24, 2012
With any luck, this week will bring a stop to the revolving door in the office of Florida's education commissioner.
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Black Friday creep is ruining Thanksgiving
November 21, 2012
To the people who pitched tents earlier this week on sidewalks in front of Best Buy stores everywhere: You represent what's wrong with America.
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'Stand your ground' task force just political theater
November 17, 2012
This is why Florida is the butt of the nation's jokes.
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It's unseemly for nonprofit CEOs to make millions
November 14, 2012
The story of the nonprofit CEO who solicits charity while raking in a giant salary is, by now, becoming a Central Florida cliché.
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One little girl's big legacy
November 12, 2012
It started last week. People began climbing into attics and digging into closets for Christmas decorations that don't usually see the light of day for another month.
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Orange's political pendulum stops swinging
November 10, 2012
This will go down as the year Orange County's swing between Republicans and Democrats finally came to a stop and landed on the left.
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Gut check in Seminole pushed school tax to victory
November 7, 2012
It's the schools, stupid.
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Not voting? You're not alone
November 5, 2012
Tell people you won't be casting a ballot in today's election and you might as well say you won't give your seat to a little old lady.
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Florida should charge less for in-demand degrees
November 3, 2012
During the summer, Gov. Rick Scott moseyed into a meeting of the board that oversees the state's university system and implored it to keep tuition unsustainably low.
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Disney, 'Star Wars' are out-of-this-world match
October 31, 2012
Those "Star Wars" nerds are a persnickety bunch.
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Voters deserve to see parties on ballots
October 29, 2012
If we could push a button to make the partisan bickering stop, most of us would jump at the chance.
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Domestic violence is public problem
October 27, 2012
Perhaps it's possible that one month ago you thought domestic violence didn't impact your life because you weren't naive enough to become — or stay — a victim.
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Readers voice themselves on topics like food stamps, HOA rules
October 24, 2012
Today it's your turn...
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Your guide to Orange charter questions
October 22, 2012
If you've been following election news, you probably know that this year's ballot is as long as the list of platitudes you heard from both presidential candidates during Monday night's debate.
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Eat healthfully on food-stamp budget? It can be done
October 20, 2012
The poorest Americans would nearly starve if it weren't for fast-food dollar menus and other cheap, highly processed foods, such as mashed potatoes in a box.
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HOA rules aren't made to be broken
October 10, 2012
Renee Parker was tired of the water bill and aggravation that came with maintaining a lawn of St. Augustine grass.
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Why hazing just won't go away
September 22, 2012
Even with all of the outrage and demands for change set off by the hazing death of Robert Champion, I can't help but feel we've seen this movie before.
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Yes, you can fight City Hall — and win
September 5, 2012
There's something satisfying about watching somebody decide that they can fight City Hall.
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Your guide to life during football season
August 29, 2012
This weekend will mark the beginning of football season — unless you count tonight when UCF shows up in Akron to play the Zips.
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UCF welcomes innovation — by punishing innovator
August 11, 2012
Rob Rankin created a website to help fellow University of Miami students find spots in the classes they need. UM let its advisers link to the site and the IT department offered to hire Rankin for other projects.
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NASA's popularity soars again with Mars mission
August 8, 2012
Congratulations are in order for NASA. Not for the landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars, though that was pretty spectacular.
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Despite shooting, Pine Hills still on the rise
August 4, 2012
The intersection of North Lane and Powers Drive is a place where the efforts to build up Pine Hills are real and tangible.
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A letter to President Obama
August 1, 2012
Dear Mr. President,
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Winter Springs wall holds up merits of regulation
July 28, 2012
This is a story about how something so mundane, so seemingly innocuous can grow into a big and expensive problem.
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Winter Garden NIMBYs forget death is fact of life
July 21, 2012
When it comes to crying NIMBY, there are universally accepted reasons: highways, Walmarts or, worst of all, stinky landfills.
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George Zimmerman barely mentions race talking about Trayvon Martin
June 23, 2012
Something's missing from the hours of video and audio recordings released last week that, for the first time, let us hear George Zimmerman explain in his own words what happened the night he shot Trayvon Martin.
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It's time for the moms to give the dads more credit
June 16, 2012
I'm surprised more dads aren't as peeved as Dave Taylor.
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Can a $100 Disney ticket be far off?
June 3, 2012
Walt Disney was a master at appealing to the masses.
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FAMU hazing would not be tolerated in football
May 26, 2012
If Robert Champion were a quarterback instead of a drum major,and Julian White were head coach instead of band director, the scene at FAMU would be very different today.
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Time magazine breast-feeding cover casts judgment on moms
May 12, 2012
Maitland mom Lisa Dunham breast-fed her two oldest children until they were toddlers and plans to do the same with her 13-month-old.
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George Zimmerman's risky social media push first of its kind
May 2, 2012
Days into an unprecedented social-media push on behalf of a criminal defendant, George Zimmerman's attorney,Mark O'Mara, is already owning up to two missteps.
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Public schools must do better at selling themselves
April 28, 2012
Administrators of traditional public schools must see the decline and potential demise of the U.S. Postal Service and shudder.
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O'Mara helping George Zimmerman in court of public opinion
April 23, 2012
A month ago, this moment seemed about as far off as the next NASA moon landing: George Zimmerman is beginning to look like a regular guy.
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Top 10 lessons to take away from the Trayvon Martin case so far
April 14, 2012
Act I may be over. George Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder. And Trayvon Martin's parents thanked prosecutors for holding him accountable for their son's death.
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George Zimmerman's arrest had its beginning with Trayvon Martin's father asking for justice
April 11, 2012
To think that Wednesday's massive press event in Jacksonville began with a father's plea for justice one month ago in Sanford.
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So many of us are armed and we're not any safer
April 9, 2012
It was just eight months ago when our cowboy-boot-wearing governor was urging Florida to be more like Texas in every way.
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Brandywine's will go down as another piece of Orlando nostalgia
April 7, 2012
Some places come and go, and we hardly notice. Others are around so long they weave themselves into our lives. They comfort us like a warm blanket.
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Thanks for adding to my commute
March 31, 2012
Ever since the local road czars played presto chango with the interchange between State Roads 408 and 417 three weeks ago, something is off during my daily commute.
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Irresponsible rhetoric takes focus off crucial issues in Trayvon Martin case
March 26, 2012
The New Black Panthers and Geraldo Rivera have something in common.
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'Stand your ground' law goes too far
March 19, 2012
You can't say we weren't warned.
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Trayvon Martin would be alive if Neighborhood Watch rules followed
March 14, 2012
If George Zimmerman didn't break every rule in the book when it comes to Neighborhood Watch programs, he came close.
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Facing foreclosure? Get help for free
February 25, 2012
Did you hear the one about the lawyers with the slick TV ads who sued the Better Business Bureau for false advertising?
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Beth Kassab: Taxpayers shouldn't foot bill for bad health
February 20, 2012
A lot of kids would rather go hungry than eat something they don't like. Or something they think they don't like.
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Beth Kassab: Frenzy over Seminole school closings set stage for tax increase
February 18, 2012
The Seminole County school district may have just executed the most brilliant strategy ever hatched to raise taxes.
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Beth Kassab: Theme parks were smart to bar girl with no hands from thrill rides
February 1, 2012
Katie Champagne has a story that will leave you both inspired and angry.
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We must demand to know exactly why beloved Senator tree burned down
January 16, 2012
The Senator, one of the oldest trees in the world and a local gem, died in a mystifying fire on Monday, but I'm not buying the cause.
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Pine Hills deserves sense of identity, too
January 14, 2012
The new Evans High School, which opened this month, finally has people in Pine Hills feeling good about their community.
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Parents — not kids — should decide what's for lunch and dinner
January 7, 2012
As a general rule, helicopter parents do more harm than good to their children. They hover over every test score, every project, every honors club application.
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Bithlo's problems are far cry from a joke
December 25, 2011
Drive east on State Road 50 past Alafaya Trail, cross the Econ River and you come to the geographic butt of Central Florida jokes.
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Apopka dump proposal wakes sleeping giant
December 21, 2011
When Randall Horn moved to the new Magnolia Park Estates subdivision three years ago from Boston, he considered his new home to be suburban Orlando, with an easy jaunt on the 429 to get downtown.
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Yes, suburbia, we do have Christmas spirit
December 14, 2011
Sometimes the spirit of Christmas shows up in the most unexpected places.
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My column will be about suburbs, UCF ... it's about you
December 3, 2011
For most of us, the universe doesn't revolve around Teresa Jacobs and Buddy Dyer.
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Time-share mogul David Siegel looks to overcome financial hurdles
November 1, 2011
Four years ago, David Siegel was one of Central Florida's biggest names, with brisk time-share sales at his Westgate Resorts, a growing portfolio of properties and a 90,000-square-foot home under construction.
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Working mothers united – in dealing with darkest depths of guilt
July 9, 2010
I raced home after my first day back from maternity leave, scooped up my then 4-month-old daughter and cried.
