TALLAHASSEE - Gov. Jeb Bush said Thursday he hopes the state's universities don't resort to freezing fall 2004 enrollment for freshmen at 2003 levels as a response to budget cuts.
The idea was floated by University of Central Florida president John Hitt during a meeting of the presidents Wednesday. Such a freeze could turn thousands of students away from Florida's 11 universities.
"I hope they won't. I know that they've received less money this year, in terms of an increase, than they have in the past," Bush said. "I hope the flexibility that they have and the reserves that they have will allow them to get through this year, just as we have had to do in state government. I think access to education is an important thing."
The presidents said they will consider the enrollment cap at their next meeting.
UCF spokesman Tom Evelyn said Thursday that meeting would be a teleconference around the middle of July.
Cypress Gardens workers sue over abrupt closing
LAKELAND - Former Cypress Gardens employees have sued the owners of the attraction over the abrupt manner in which they closed the business and laid off more than 500 workers.
The two class action lawsuits, one federal and one state, were filed on behalf of Nancye J. Madley and other employees of the 67-year-old Winter Haven attraction.
The federal suit claims owners violated a federal law requiring a 60-day advance notice to employees before closing a business. The state Circuit Court suit claims Cypress Gardens owners did not pay the laid-off employees for vacation and sick days they were owed.
Owners of the attraction announced April 10 that it would close April 13, citing low attendance.
A state land acquisition panel this month urged Gov. Jeb Bush and the Cabinet to buy Cypress Gardens to save it from development. There has been no decision.
Lobbyist's dinner tales were whoppers, police say
MIAMI - A lobbyist told clients he ran up large bills entertaining officials in Miami-Dade County government when he never dined with them, police said Thursday.
Guillermo Freixas billed two out-of-state airport contractors for dozens of meals with elected officials and department heads that didn't include the honored guests, investigators said. Restaurant tabs ran as much as $865.
Freixas, 58, was charged with 14 counts of fraud, grand theft and petty theft. He could face as much as five years in prison on each count.
The charges come on top of others filed in March, alleging that Freixas made $527,000 in false credit card charges through his brother's tile business.
Freixas allegedly billed EA Engineering of Hunt Valley, Md., and Metcalf & Eddy Inc. of Wakefield, Mass., for multiple meals with county commissioners and officials of several agencies. The companies reimbursed the reported amounts on top of regular monthly retainers of $4,000 paid by EA Engineering and $2,000 to $7,000 a month paid by Metcalf & Eddy, prosecutor Howard Rosen said.
Angry awakening leads to ramming, chase, jail
LAKELAND - A Lakeland man crashed his pickup into his girlfriend's car, pushing the car through a wall into her living room, then led police on a 100 mph chase Thursday before he was arrested, sheriff's deputies said.
Duwayne Stauffacher, 37, was charged with criminal mischief, aggravated fleeing to elude police and reckless driving. He was jailed on $2,500 bail.
Wanda Tanner said Stauffacher was sleeping behind the wheel of his pickup when she roused him about 3:30 a.m. and asked him to move so she could drive her car to work. She said Stauffacher, who had been drinking the night before, woke up angry.
"He said, "I'll get it started for you,"' Tanner told police - then drove the pickup into Tanner's 1992 red Nissan, tapping it twice before barreling into it, pushing the car into the living room.
Stauffacher then drove off and was seen by a Lakeland police officer. He reached speeds of 100 mph as he swerved down roads, running stop signs as he went, police said. He pulled off the road in northwest Lakeland, and sheriff's deputies arrested him.
Tanner said Stauffacher called her from jail Thursday night and asked her to bail him out.
"I said, "I can't right now; I'm busy getting my car out of my house,"' Tanner said.
