Only in Florida minute for April 25th, 2014

Florida woman calls police over sun halo in the sky

     The residents of Tampa were treated last week to a sun halo. A sun halo is a when the light from the sun is refracted by the ice crystals of very high clouds, making sometimes a darker patch of sky around the sun with a rainbow ring at its edge. While most simply enjoyed the view, a Tampa woman panicked, ran to a bus station and called 911.

     "This has never happened before in Tampa, Fla. Please go outside and look up in the sky and look at this weird object," she said pleadingly. "It's a big dark circle and it's all the way around and it has never been in the United States of America. Never, ever."

     I love the confidence of this woman. Not content to stop with the city, she brings the entire country into it. As it turns out, sun halos are not that rare of an event. The 911 dispatcher is recorded promising the woman that she would send an officer to her location to check it out. The woman was apparently confused why they would send someone to her, told the dispatcher that it could be seen from anywhere.

GOP Lawmaker Arrested After He Allegedly Ran A Red Light Leaving Taco Bell Drunk 

     A Florida lawmaker's early morning taco run was cut a bit short when he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence around 2 a.m. Monday morning.

     Rep. Dane Eagle (R) was taken into custody after officers saw him nearly hit one curb, then veer into another after running a red light. Eagle's eyes appeared to be bloodshot and offices claimed they could smell alcohol on his breath. Eagle refuted the last claim, saying the smell was not from him, but from some friends who had been to a bar and had ridden with him earlier.

     Eagle refused to take a sobriety test, telling the officers that he was good to go home on his own, despite stumbling out of his car after the officers pulled him over. Eagle was taken to jail, but he was not there long. He made it back to the statehouse to vote on an issue Monday afternoon.

     Tuesday, Eagle released a written statement saying, "While there are some decisions that I would have made differently, I do not believe there is a complete and accurate picture of the events,". Eagle continued by saying, "Under advice of my legal counsel, I cannot discuss all the details right now, but I look forward to publically (sic) sharing the entire story at an appropriate time. Until then, I humbly ask for everyone's patience. I know that I am accountable for my actions, and I look forward to communicating with my constituents in the near future on this matter."

     Hands up, how many people think he really looks forward to talking about this with his constituents in the near future? Anyone? Anyone? Yeah, I don't think so either.

Only in Florida minute for April 21st, 2014

Woman drove wrong way, ignored police warnings, report says

     Someone driving the wrong way isn't too unusual unfortunately. However, someone turning themselves in and then being upset at what follows, is. At least she save the police and taxpayers the time and expense of tracking her down.

Man passed out at intersection for half-hour arrested for DUI

     Alcohol induced nap attacks almost never happen at a good time. You have to hope no one got stuck behind him. The only thing worse than a long red light, is a long turn signal from the car in front. 

Man in bar lets off fire extinguisher; $1,400 in liquor ruined

     No fog machine for your party? This man has the answer.

Man found wandering amid wreck he wasn't involved in

     Rubbernecking on drugs, not even once.

Lastly, the headline of the day: Deputies: Man smothered crying son over video game

     Parent of the year material here. Seeing headlines like this make me wish there was some sort of qualification exam or screening process you had to go through to become a parent. I understand how crazy it can be being a parent, I have a daughter of my own, but there is no excuse for things like this.

Only in Florida 8/1/2013

     We all have times where we lose our tempers. Often when this happens we say or do things that we regret later when fog of anger has lifted. One man, Quinn Patrick Evans, will probably have quite some time to regret the actions he took on July 21st.

      The 24-year Boynton Beach man has been charged with kidnapping after he allegedly held his girlfriend captive for about 11 hours. According to the police report, Evans "just lost it" when he discovered that his live in girlfriend of six months, had cheated on him with another man.

     Furious, Evans reportedly "choked the woman, slammed her against a wall and struck her three times with a bull whip". The police report also states that Evans threw a mirror at the woman, which shattered and proceeded to cut her. He also held a knife to her chest, telling her that she should die for being unfaithful.

     At some point in the 11 hour ordeal, Evans tied the woman up with a "nylon sex strap", holding her hostage in their bedroom. He only released the woman from her restraints so that she could take a shower. Seeing her chance, the woman alerted one of their roommates, only to be dragged out of his bedroom by her hair. The roommate called one of his friends, and they came to the woman's rescue, holding down Evans while the woman made her escape. Evans, angered even more by the roommate and the roommate's friend's interference, confronted the friend outside of his apartment with with a hunting knife. Fortunately the two men were able to restrain Evans again and take the knife from him.

     Both Evans and the woman had to be treated at a local hospital. The woman sustained, "several cuts to her chest, a swollen right eye and other injuries", police said. Evans was also wounded some time during his struggle with the roommate and the roommate's friend, receiving a cut to his hand that required treatment at the same hospital.


Other news in brief:

Man says he'll leave park when they clean the sewage from the water - He just wanted his home cleaned up.

Man says girlfriend hit him so hard he 'spit up blood' - That is not a wake up call you want to have.

Woman accused of leaving girls, 7 and 8, at movies while she went drinking at Blue Martini in CityPlace - Hey, children are rough. Momma needed a drink.