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Head Start managers go to fancy resort on public dime

Largo, Florida -- How does a three day training summit at a first-class resort and spa sound to you? Well, that's where Pinellas Head Start held their summit for the second time... and once again it's on your dime.

This is an agency that has been under fire before and has been reeling since a highly critical Health Human Services audit came out last May. It appears that the agency and its executive director, Juanita Heinzen, haven't changed and you are paying for it.

Public invited to attend 31st Annual Clearwater Police Memorial Service

Clearwater, Florida -- The Clearwater Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 10 and the Clearwater Police Department will host the 31st Annual Clearwater Police Officer Memorial Service.

The service will begin at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 4 at Station Square Park in downtown Clearwater at 612 Cleveland Street.

Congressman Bill Young will deliver the keynote address. The ceremony also features a roll call to honor all fallen Florida Police Officers in 2011, a wreath laying and 21-gun salute.

Two beach hotels make "Best Workplace" list

Two beach hotels make "Best Workplace" list

Clearwater Beach, Florida - Two upscale beach hotels have ranked high on the list of the top 75 workplaces in the Tampa Bay area.

The Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa on the south beach ranked 6th for mid-sized companies, and the Sandpearl Resort on the north beach ranked 10th.

Participants included in Clearwater Beach Restaurant Week

Clearwater Beach, Florida -- Organizers have named 25 restaurants that will be taking part in the 3rd Annual Clearwater Beach Restaurant Week.

It will be held May 13 - 19 on South Gulfview Boulevard next to the Beach Walk and is expected to be the largest event of its kind to date.

The restaurants, which will be offering specifically chosen menu items at special pricing, are:

Four fired, two suspended at Pinellas Sheriff's Office

CLEARWATER, Florida - The fallout from the firings of three veteran deputies and a longtime sergeant is "shock" and "disbelief."

It is being called an "unprecedented" move by current Sheriff Bob Gualtieri to fire veteran employees Deputy Kenneth Burroughs, Deputy Samuel Mitchem, Deputy Robert Harmer, and Sgt. Christopher Metro.

The sheriff suspended two others.

Some are calling this a political witch hunt during an election year.

Pinellas County Jail offers a way to electronically send funds to inmates

Pinellas County Jail offers a way to electronically send funds to inmates

Clearwater, Florida-- The Pinellas County Jail now offers family members and friends of inmates a way to deposit money into an inmate's commissary fund from anywhere with phone or inernet service. 

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Detention and Corrections Bureau, along with the Keefe Group, activated the new technology, "Access Secure Deposites", on May 1.  

It allows inmates to access additional funds for food products, personal care produtcs and other goods from their inmate commissary vendor,.

Pinellas Sheriff: 3 deputies, 1 sergeant fired for loafing on job

Pinellas County, Florida -- The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office has announced the termination of three deputies and one sergeant for "extreme loafing and idling."

Sheriff Gualtieri says the deputies concealed their cruisers, disconnected their agency required GPS and left their assigned areas to go home, visit family, or idle in other areas. 

They did respond to calls, but did not initiate action for hours at a time. One, the sheriff says, even watched a movie while working.

The fired deputies and the sergeant are listed below: