1 minute to live

Today's story is about a swine flu outbreak at Tampa Catholic High School.

I was lucky I made this live shot this morning. Our GPS made a mistake (shocker!), so we arrived at our live shot location about eight minutes to our hit time. By the time we were tuned in and had gotten a mic check, we were one minute to air! Yikes!

Getting emotional on live TV

Whoops!

I was a little embarrassed after I got a bit emotional on live TV this week, but if I was going to do it, there's no more appropriate place than a police officer's funeral.

I covered Tuesday's services for Tampa Police Cpl. Mike Roberts, who was killed by a suspect last week.

Hundreds of officers were there to pay their respects.



I got a little choked up as I talked about the little girl Cpl. Roberts saved from a hot car earlier this year. Ironically, that girl is three years old, the same age as Cpl. Roberts' son.

Identical twins arrested for scamming women

They're twins, and they're both accused of using their good looks and charm to scam women out of money...

Jordan Gann was arrested in Tampa in 2007...



His identical twin brother, Simon Gann, was arrested in Canada in May...



Now police think there may be more victims. If you have any information, you can contact the Toronto Police Service at 416-808-1100. Tips can also be reported at www.222tips.com.



One of Jordan's victims, Meredith Gavin, started her own blog to spread the word about the twins and to find other victims.

Reusable bags... bad for you?

I know, I know...

One story says red wine and chocolate are good for you, and the next story says they're bad for you. This may be one of those stories, but you can decide for yourself.

According to a recent study, reusable bags can be unsanitary when used at the grocery store.

Oh my!

Time's running out!

Time's running out to cash in your clunker! And this time, there's no lifeline...

Scary suspect

As we covered the sad news of Cpl. Roberts' death, we got our first glimpse of the man accused of killing him.

This is one of the scariest-looking mug shots I've seen in a while. Humberto Delgado, Jr. is facing various charges.



It turns out Delgado's Facebook page is public to those in the Tampa Bay network. It's crazy how different his mug shot is from his profile picture.



We went to the house where police say Delgado lived, and an older man pulled up in a minivan and started yelling at us. You see him and another man (claiming to be a relative) in the story I filed for our noon show. I also detail and try to confirm some other interesting tidbits from his Facebook page.

Officer killed

This was a very sad day to be working as a reporter. We learned that Cpl. Mike Roberts, an 11-year veteran of the Tampa Police Department, was killed after a violent struggle with a suspect.

Overnight, about 50 officers gathered at Tampa General Hospital to mourn with Cpl. Roberts' widow. He also leaves behind a three-year-old son.

Neon fashion statement!

Another day, another story about another traffic shift on the Veterans. This time, it's an alert for drivers heading from Tampa to Clearwater.

We were live on the side of the freeway, which means that all media have to wear reflective safety vests. This was the first time I wore mine!



After the live shot, I blasted classic rock in the live truck and got to watch a few planes take off from TIA and head into the beautiful sunrise!

Squirrel crashes the set!

We had to have some fun with the "crasher squirrel" on the Saturday morning show.

This self-timed picture, taken at Banff National Park in Canada, caught a squirrel in the foreground and two surprised picture-takers in the background!



Then, oddly enough, the squirrel crashed the 10 Connects set!



Much to Bobby's dismay, I decided to name him Bob..

New name, same game

New name, same sweet game...

Monday, 10 Connects News This Morning officially became The Morning Show.

Here's a look at our new logo:

Free backpacks!

On Saturday, Metropolitan Ministries handed out free backpacks to 5,000 children as part of the Backpacks of Hope program. In the four years the program has existed, the need has increased tenfold.

Wedding for... 99 cents?

It's a new promotion from the 99 Cent Store!

At one store in Los Angeles, they're offering nine, 99-cent weddings on 9-09-09 at 9:09. Couples have until August 24 to sign up.

Clever, huh?

Clarkson retouching controversy

Curious to know what you think on this one...

There's been some controversy over Kelly Clarkson's cover photo in the September issue of Self Magazine. Some say the retouching went too far in slimming her down and actually altered her bone structure.

What do you think?

Teaching at NABJ!

I was honored to be asked to help teach young journalists at the National Association of Black Journalists Convention in Tampa!

If you look closely, you can see CNN's T.J. Holmes in the background of this picture. He's working with the student in the peach shirt...



I got to work with Norris, a very talented student who loves sports reporting.



He's learning to be a backpack journalist, which means he's a reporter who also shoots and edits his own video.



He used my camera to shoot a story about a summer camp at the Tampa Skate Park.



Come on, Norris! Get crazy!!!

HGTV star visits 10 Connects!

Jason Champion, a contestant on HGTV Design Star, joined us on 10 Connects News This Morning!

He was such a sweetheart, and he lives in Sarasota. I told him I want to see his house, and he said I could come over for cocktails some time! By the way, I fully intend on taking him up on that!

He and his partner posed for a picture with me and our producer, Cris.

21-year-old buys first house

I just interviewed a guy who is 21 and just bought his first house. He used an FHA loan and bought a bank-owned property, and the realtor arranged for the bank to pay closing costs and for fix-ups.

The realtor says she's seeing lots of homebuyers whose mortgages are less than their rents were!

3 minutes of fashion!

Yes, we spent a full 3 minutes talking about harem pants on the show, and I loved every second!

Freaky pants!

Alright, I gotta know what you think of these!

Apparently, they're all the rage in Europe right now! My sister sent me this picture after she got back from her honeymoon in France.



I posted this on my Facebook page, and the comments poured in. Most people don't like them, but one friend said they're better than the "hip-hugging, underwear showing fashions" that you see in the U.S.



We're going to have a live Skype interview about this tomorrow morning on 10 Connects News This Morning, so tune in!

Limbaugh talked up Castor meeting before it happened

Last night, violence erupted at a healthcare reform public meeting in Tampa, even before Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) could give her opening remarks.

People in the meeting yelled at Castor, and those outside banged on windows and doors. As people were asked to leave, several screaming matches erupted between participants. One man’s shirt was even ripped open.

Turns out, conservative radio pundit Rush Limbaugh had talked about the meeting on his radio show earlier in the day. During his show, he read a post from RedState.com that Obama had mobilized "union thugs" to attend these townhall meetings. The post goes on to encourage all Tampa residents to attend.

Pug needs a home!

Wall-E is an adorable pug mix who needs a home!

His owners were living out of their car when they let him loose in a parking lot. He was hit by a car and lost the use of his back legs.



If you'd like to adopt him, you can contact Pug Rescue of Florida through their website or by calling 321-948-8932.

Free backpacks!

We profiled a great program this morning: free backpacks for kids in Tampa Bay!

In the four years since Metropolitan Ministries started Backpacks of Hope, their need has increased ten-fold.

It's a sign!

Make that a misspelled sign!

We found lots of them around Tampa Bay. The most surprising thing: almost no one we stopped could find the mistakes!




I started an album of misspelled signs on my Facebook page, and a few people have emailed me pictures. Friend me on Facebook to add yours or email them to me at jporter@gannett.com.

Biscuit, the cutest yellow lab ever!

The story started off with an alert for pet owners.

But Biscuit quickly became the star of the show! What a cutie!

Anus burgers, anyone?

I'm working on a story about misspellings on signs around the Bay area. This is the best one. My producer, Mike, took this picture when he was in Fort Myers earlier this month.

Too many one-liners to name from this picture!



I took a picture of this ad on the back of a SmartBus in St. Pete. Or maybe you can call it a Not-So-Smart Bus?



Here's another one my photographer, Ben, took along I-4 near Thonotosassa. Don't these people have spell check?

Golfing... in the dark?

This might have been the only day in my TV news career that I could have gotten away with not wearing makeup!

My live shot this morning was completely in the dark! I did a story on Lunar Mini Golf, a black light miniature golf course in the Lakeland Square Mall...



Here's a picture of me with the golfers. Can't really see us!

I saw a waterspout!

What a show from Mother Nature this morning!

A waterspout was spotted in the Gulf of Mexico, off Indian Rocks Beach...



The waterspout led to a tornado warning in Hillsborough County. The National Weather Service says waterspouts can lead to tornadoes when they move ashore.

I love my pet stories!

Around 10 Connects, I'm unofficially known as the pet beat reporter because I love covering stories about animals.

I've got two of my own cuties at home! Wilshire is my chihuahua and Moo Moo is my husband's border collie - pit bull mix. (Can you guess how she got her name?)





Anyway, I'm working on a couple of neat pet stories right now.

One is about Wall-E, an Oripei (pug - Shar Pei mix) who lost the use of his back legs when he was hit by a car. He needs a good home, and Pug Rescue of Florida is working to adopt him out. I spent about an hour with him. He has the sweetest disposition, and it's incredible because he truly doesn't seem to know that he's lost the use of his back legs!



My other story was a real eye-opener. It's about a woman who lost her dog, and even though he was microchipped, she couldn't find him until her friends posted an ad on Craig's List. Turns out the microchipping company didn't have the right contact information for her, so even though he did have a microchip, the company wasn't able to contact her.

Thank goodness he's safe back at home!

Awesome food warehouse!

This is a story that really excites me! It's about saving money!

And who doesn't want to do that?!?

Through my Facebook page, Holly Oswald told me about SANWA International Wholesale Foods. There's no membership card required, and the deals are phenomenal enough for her to drive from downtown St. Pete to east Tampa.



If you're interested, the store's located at 2621 E. Hillsborough Avenue in Tampa.

Happy shopping! And don't forget that you can always friend me on Facebook to share your story ideas!

Are we already talking about back-to-school?

It's not even August yet, and we're already talking about back-to-school deals!

Argh! Next thing you know, we'll be talking about buying Christmas trees in September.

Nevertheless, we did find some good deals on back-to-school items through some of our MomsLikeMe.com friends! You can also share the deals you've found...

The attack of the nosiums

The nosiums were out in full force on the day of our 10 Connects Winn Dixie Hero Central food drive, but that didn't stop us!

(Poor Meteorologist Chris Suchan suffered the most. Those nosiums annihilated his neck!)

We collected 33,000 pounds of food and had lots of fun in the process. Thanks to everyone who stopped by!

The most generous people I've met

We're in the midst of the 10 Connects Winn Dixie Hero Central food drive!

Through July 27, you can donate at checkout at any Winn Dixie store. All the money goes to America's Second Harvest of Tampa Bay.

I wanted to find a family that benefits from this food drive, so America's Second Harvest set me up with Alfred Stanley. He lives with his disabled mother and watches his eight nieces and nephews everyday, so that their parents can work.

But I was amazed when one family stopped by our food drive with food they'd purchased using their own food stamps.

They're truly the most generous people I've met.

Don't forget the bug spray!

The Tampa Bay Watch mid-summer coastal cleanup, sponsored in part by 10 Connects, was a huge success...



I brought my camera and my tennis shoes, but unfortunately, I forgot the bug spray and left with about 25 bug bites! At least it was for a good cause!



And I got to see Kim, who I've done stories with before, and her adorable "little brother" (through Big Brothers Big Sisters).





An estimated 20 tons of trash picked up! A great day and a great cause...

Make your own... sanitary pads?

Yep, there is no shortage of things you can make yourself in this economy, from laundry detergent to yogurt!

Click here for my video story and more than 100 "make your own" recipes...

What's in your bottled water?

Our resident natural living guru, also known as 10 Connects Anchor Heather VanNest, just wrote a very interesting story about testing for bottled water and tap water.

Apparently, the water that comes from your kitchen faucet actually goes through tougher testing than bottled water. The Environmental Working Group says less than two percent of almost 200 popular bottled water brands would disclose the water's source, how it may have been purified and chemincal pollutants each bottle of water may contain.

In fact, Sam's Choice had the exact same chemicals found in unfiltered tap water, according to the study.

Click here to see if your brand disclosed the water's source.

What's your hospital's death rate?

USA Today has a neat tool that can tell you, by state...

Copper wiring thefts up

St. Petersburg Police are seeing a new upswing in copper wiring thefts because so many homes are vacant in this recession.

Older homes are especially at risk because many have copper plumbing inside.



We had our intern, Mauriett, along with us today so she snapped a few pictures and uploaded them to my Facebook page.

No back legs, big heart!

I interviewed the owner of this adorable little guy for a story I'm working on.

Wall-E was hit by a car and lost use of his back legs. Pug Rescue has helped nurse him back to health and fitness, and now they're looking for a good home for him!



If you're interested in adopting Wall-E, you can call Pug Rescue at 321-948-8932.

What not to bring to your next police interrogation

Yikes!

The video speaks for itself...

Man, does she have guts!

Apparently, in this tough economy, all it takes it guts and a little audacity to score a job.

A Spring Hill woman I profiled listed herself on eBay and ended up getting a job out of it! Congrats, Sherry!

Cutest dog in the world!

This morning, we're giving tips on how to keep your dogs calm during Florida's crazy summer storms, even if you're not home.

The dog we're using wins the cutest dog in the world award!

He belongs to our special projects executive producer, and he is so calm and sweet! Check out his snaggle tooth...

Tree falls on house

St. Pete got some crazy wind damage this week...




A tree fell onto a house in the Euclid St. Paul neighborhood Wednesday morning. Bummer of the morning: the owner just redid his roof four months ago.

Woman posts herself on eBay

You gotta admire this woman's audacity!

Fed up with her job search, she posted herself on eBay! Unfortunately, eBay took her posting down, citing a policy against posting people or services on the site. If you want to hire her, you can email her at firstbigdaddy@tampabay.rr.com.



I asked people on my Facebook page: what is the weirdest thing you've ever done to make extra cash? The responses have been incredible! I even talked to a woman who is a phone sex operator! (Look for that story in a couple weeks.)

Please respond with your comments as well...

Don't hate your nosey neighbor!

As St. Petersburg deals with daytime burglaries in this recession, officers say your best bet is not an alarm system, a dog or motion sensor lights. It's a nosey neighbor!

No more animal cruelty investigations?

As Hillsborough County continues to try to slash its budget in these tough times, animal cruelty investigations could be completely eliminated.

Some of the other items on the chopping block include after-school services, parks and recreation and mosquito control.

Quite a catch!

He went out to fish for grouper, but he ended up reeling in an air-to-air missle!

The fisherman found it about 30 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico, in an area known for military testing, and brought it back to Maderia Beach!

It turned out to be live. Thank goodness it didn't detonate!

Power to the people!

No matter where your opinion falls on this story, you can't deny the power in numbers. A group of neighbors organized against plans to expand a drug and alcohol rehab center in their neighborhood.

Gift from a stranger

This is one of the saddest stories I've ever done, yet it's also one of my favorites.

It's also the only time I've cried while I've interviewed someone.



Photojournalist Ben Reiff and I shot this on Christmas Day 2008.

$2 million live shot

Well, not really but I was standing with $2 million worth of underwater research equipment!

This story is about SRI International deciding to open a branch in St. Petersburg. You may not have heard of SRI, but chances are that you know what they've done. The company is responsible, at least partially, for everything from the computer mouse to HDTV and even the internet.



Today, we showed viewers an AUV (automated underwater vehicle) and an ROV (remote-operated vehicle), both worth about $1 million each.

I asked SRI's Director of Marine Operations, John Kloske, to pose with me for a picture with the goods!

More gridlock?

Critics say get ready for more traffic gridlock, after Gov. Charlie Crist signed a controversial new growth bill into law.

Terrible hours, beautiful view

The 2 am wake-up call is never easy, but it pays off almost every morning with a beautiful sunrise.

Today, I was in Wesley Chapel when I captured this beautiful pink watercolor brushed across the sky.

"Scameras" start ticketing in Lakeland

Red light cameras, also known as "scameras," started ticketing drivers in Lakeland on Monday.

For the first ticket per camera per day, the company that installed the cameras gets the entire fine of $125. The company gets $25 for the second and third tickets and $10 after that.

The City of Lakeland gets the rest.



Critics say these red light camera companies capitalize on tragedies in order to gain support for these cameras. Melissa Wandall, who lost her husband in a traffic crash, offered her take on 10 Connects News This Morning.