State goofs on licenses — again
For the second time in two weeks, more than a thousand Florida motorists who paid $27 to update their drivers licenses have instead been sent new licenses with their old address. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has blamed outdated computer equipment for the error, which has now affected nearly 10,000 drivers in the state. The Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee bureau reports the department said 1,402 drivers were mailed flawed licenses after paying on Oct. 8 or Oct. 9 to change their drivers licenses online to reflect a current address. The state mailed the new licenses with the old address listed on the license. Two weeks ago, the state said 8,567 people had the same experience. The state says it will mail corrected licenses for free.
Associated Press
Lawmakers want legal hemp farming
Two Democratic lawmakers are trying again to legalize hemp as an agricultural crop in Florida, which proponents say will provide an economic boost. Sen. Jeff Clemens of West Palm Beach and Rep. Michelle Rehwinkle Vasilinda of Tallahassee, who filed similar bills during the regular session this year, are backing measures for the 2016 session that would allow farmers to grow industrial hemp, used for more than 12,000 years for food, textiles and paper, according to a Senate staff analysis. Frowers who register with the state could sow cannabis with a maximum of 0.3 percent tetrahydrocannabinol. THC levels in marijuana that cause euphoria generally range from 3 percent to 20 percent, the staff analysis said.
News Service of Florida
Cops: Winter Garden man shot in home
A 46-year-old man was shot several times late Monday night when a group of people broke into his Winter Garden home. Dewayne Hardy told police he was inside his home on the Maxey Drive when several people came in and shot him. Officers said it appeared the attackers forced their way in through the front door and then shot Hardy multiple times. Emergency medical crews took him to a local hospital, where police said he was undergoing surgery and was in stable condition. Police are still investigating a motive for the shooting. Anyone with information can call Crimeline at 407-423-8477 or Winter Garden police detectives at 407-877-4887.
Stephanie Allen
Apopka creating social-media rules
Apopka city employees are signing on to a communications policy that lays down guidelines for engaging with media, both new and old. The document given to employees last week instructs them to route news inquiries to the city’s public information officer and urges them to practice good judgment when posting on personal social media pages. The policy discourages employees from using social media at work and bars them from speaking on behalf of the city. On their personal pages, employees should identify themselves and their positions and make clear that they are expressing personal views, the policy states.
Bethany Rodgers