Daily News Update with Rich Jones of WOKV : 7/31/2012

[Tamara-B]

A second straight day with severe storms in our forecast.  WOKV's Chief Meteorologist Accuweather's Heather Zehr, says it's going to feel very similar to yesterday with storms firing up around Rush-time and continuing through dinner-time. The biggest threats are heavy downpours and strong winds, with isolated hail.  Storms are in the forecast the rest of the week but the chance diminishes.

Today's interview lineup:

At 6:23 hear Stephanie Brown's investigation of how tens of millions of your tax dollars are tied up in vacant buildings. http://www.wokv.com/Player/101469391/

At 6:53 hear Jamie Dupree on the $5 billion problem at the Postal Service, and why nothing is likely to be done about it for weeks. http://www.wokv.com/Player/101469411/

At 8:23 hear Jamie Dupree on the idea of streamlining the bureacracy in Washington. http://www.wokv.com/Player/101469591/

Our Top Local Story: is a wild crime spree that started with a carjacking at the Olive Garden at the River City Marketplace on the Northside just before Midnight. The crook took off and was eventually spotted on the westside, when he started to elude police.  The guy crashed into a fence near Old Middleburg Road and cops say he started firing a gun.  Police shot back and eventually took him into custody.  No one hit in the exchange of gunfire.
Tens of millions of your tax dollars are tied up in city-owned land, and a large chunk of that is sitting vacant.  WOKV's Stephanie Brown has spent weeks investigating and today, takes a look inside the list of vacant properties that is so large, the city needs help keeping tabs.  Read part one of our investigation here.

A day after making a court appearance on sexual assault charges, a Jacksonville elementary school teacher will be the subject of a special meeting by the Duval County School Board. Christopher Bacca is accused of several charges of sexual battery on a child under the age of 12.  Bacca was Windy Hill Elemetary's Teacher of the Year.  As we first told you last week Bacca was investigated in 2009 for an inappropriate relationship with a child. Bacca was eventually reassigned to another school and no criminal charges were filed.  This morning the school board is scheduled to talk about the teacher.  Next month he is expected to be fired.

A lawsuit aiming to get Duval Clerk of Courts Jim Fuller off the ballot is moving forward.  Fuller believes he is making the right move.  He says the Supreme Court ruling on term limits does not apply to him and a hearing set for August 7th will be the first step in deciding that.  If the city wins the legal battle after Fuller is elected it would force a special election, and the estimated $1.8 million bill for that lands on you.

Two weeks before the Florida primary a top state elections official is stepping down.  Division of Elections Director Gisela Salas is leaving her job this week to take a position closer to her home in Ocala.  Salas, who earned $90,000 a year, was hired in May 2011 to oversee the office that does everything from approve certain types of election machines to issuing opinions on how to interpret election law.  A spokesman for the Secretary of State's Office says Salas's decision to quit was her own and that she was not forced out.

Our Top National Story: Suspected movie theater killer James Holmes is charged with 142 counts related to murder or attempted murder in the the Colorado shooting.  WOKV's legal expert Mark Rubin says it'll be a tough case if the defense tries to prove Holmes was insane at the time he pulled the trigger.  He says the defense may argue diminished capacity, meaning Holmes maybe knew right from wrong but there were other factors in his life that kept him from thinking clearly.

An 18-month investigation into Operation Fast and Furious finds that five key officials at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives share much of the blame for what went wrong with the gun-smuggling probe. That's according to a Republican congressional draft report. The operation was designed to track guns to major weapons traffickers and drug cartels, but many of the weapons wound up at crime scenes in Mexico and the U.S.
Many economists believe the Federal Reserve probably will not announce a new step to try to energize the economy after its policy meeting today and tomorrow. The economy grew at an annual rate of just 1.5% from April through June, less than the 2% rate in the first quarter. But many analysts say it hasn't slowed enough to compel the Fed to announce further help right now.

A widespread blackout in India, as the country's northern power grid has failed for the second day in a row.  Indian media are reporting that the eastern power grid has failed as well. Yesterday's power failure left 370 million Indians without electricity for much of the day.

Updating You Decide 2012:  It's too close to call today's Texas battle between two Republican candidates who are going after the U.S. Senate seat of Kay Bailey Hutchison. Today's runoff election is between Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst of the GOP establishment and the tea party-backed former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz.

It's also election day in Georgia with a closely watched race for Camden County sheriff.  Incumbent Tommy Gregory is facing off against the man he beat four years ago, Bill Smith.

http://www.wokv.com/videos/online/advertising/morning-news-video-blog/ldQ/

[TheCat]

If you can deal with newscaster narration...this is fairly informative

At 6:23 hear Stephanie Brown's investigation of how tens of millions of your tax dollars are tied up in vacant buildings.

http://www.wokv.com/Player/101469391/