Print

Email story

Comment

Letter to the editor

Talk of the bay: Odds good that Seminole casino deal about done

By Times Staff
Published November 14, 2007

Facing a Thursday deadline to deliver a deal that gives expanded gambling to the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Gov. Charlie Crist has scheduled a "major announcement" for this afternoon. "Stay tuned," is all spokeswoman Erin Isaac would say late Tuesday. "I think it may be the gaming compact," said Senate Leader Steve Geller, D-Cooper City, who spoke by phone with Crist on Tuesday. But Geller emphasized that he had no first-hand information. Crist's lieutenants have been negotiating with the tribe for months. The latest draft made public would let the Seminoles operate Las Vegas-style slot machines and card games such as blackjack at their seven casinos, including the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa. The state would receive at least $100-million a year and possibly twice that much. A top Interior Department official wrote Crist last week that his agency would let the tribe replace bingo-based gaming machines with the upgraded slots if he didn't conclude a deal by Thursday.

Pearlman saga is Hollywood bound

Lou Pearlman's story is headed for the big screen. Los Angeles producer Laura Dunn says advance production work is under way on a feature film about the Orlando music producer's life. There's no title yet and she says she can't discuss the details, but the movie most likely will be released in 2009. "We have a lot of Hollywood money behind it," she said. Dunn says she bought the rights to Pearlman's story three years ago when they were working together on a reality show. She says she thought, "Here's an aviation mogul getting rich off boy bands. It was just a fluke interesting story. Then it got to be really interesting." Pearlman owes about $500-million to investors and banks and is in jail awaiting trial on federal bank fraud charges.

Foreclosure firm to get TV grilling

Okay, so Inside Edition isn't exactly 60 Minutes. Recent promos on the syndicated TV show include "paintball trip turns tragic" and "sushi investigation." But the show's investigative unit will dig its claws tonight into a Clearwater "foreclosure rescue" company it accuses of shortchanging customers. The show alleges Foreclosure Assistance Solutions, or F.A.S, charged homeowners more than $1,000 apiece but failed in some cases to salvage homes from foreclosure. F.A.S. disputes the allegations and points to its many satisfied customers. The show airs at 7 p.m. on Ch. 10, the area's CBS affiliate.

[Last modified November 13, 2007, 22:32:19]