Your daily look at news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today.
TECHNICAL GLITCH CAUSES FCAT TESTING PROBLEMS
Several Florida school districts are having trouble administering the state’s standardized test because of a computer glitch. The Florida Department of Education says testing contractor Pearson is having difficulty with a hosting provider causing students problems accessing the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. In an email to superintendents, the department said the issue didn’t appear to be statewide.
FORMER LT. GOV. JENNIFER CARROLL DIDN’T REPORT INCOME
Newly released records show that former Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll changed her income tax filings after investigators asked about money she received from a purported veterans charity accused of running an illegal gambling operation. Documents obtained by The Associated Press show that Carroll was paid nearly $100,000 by Allied Veterans of the World in 2009 and 2010 but she didn’t report the total on her financial disclosure forms or to the Internal Revenue Service.
PLEA CHANGE SET FOR 1984 US-TO-CUBA HIJACKER
A change of plea hearing has been set for an American who returned from Cuba decades after hijacking a jetliner to the communist island. U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenbaum on Tuesday scheduled a May 2 hearing for 57-year-old William Potts. Potts previously pleaded not guilty to air piracy charges but said when he returned last year from Cuba that he wanted to resolve the U.S. case.
GOV. RICK SCOTT BACKS GROWLER LEGALIZATION
Gov. Rick Scott supports the legalization of the refillable half-gallon beer containers known as growlers among craft beer lovers. But Scott spokeswoman Jackie Schutz said Tuesday whether he signs a bill to allow 64-ounce growler sales at Florida craft breweries is still to be determined. A Senate bill ties the growler size to more regulation that would hurt the craft beer industry and slow its growth.
INDIAN FILM AWARDS ARRIVE IN TAMPA BUT WHY?
The so-called Bollywood Oscars are holding the annual awards ceremony in Tampa this week. That’s right — Tampa. The city is an unusual choice for the International Indian Film Academy, but tourism officials hope it will be an economic boon to Tampa. Organizers say Tampa was chosen because city and tourism leaders were aggressive in courting the four-day event.
