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ORLANDO – Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer is in Tallahassee Wednesday talking about commuter rail.

Central Florida is waiting on the final stamp of approval for the commuter rail plan.

“The Central Florida rail will lay a foundation for a larger regional transit system, and the need for commuter rail is clear,” Dyer said during a press conference from the capitol rotunda.

It is going to cost $491 million by some estimates, and the city of Lakeland is protesting the approval.

Lakeland said commuter rail in Orlando would mean more commercial trains coming through its city.

Dyer is meeting with a Lakeland lawmaker Wednesday, the same lawmaker who helped nix a high speed rail between Tampa and Orlando.

Dyer made it clear to News 13 reporter Troy Kinsey that commuter rail is needed and that all that is left is to get the state moving.

“This commuter rail project is critically important to our region for our quality of life, for environmental means, to aid in congestion. We’ve got a federal piece of it, we’ve got unanimous support from five local governments in Central Florida and we need to make sure we get the state piece moving, as well,” Dyer said.

According to Dyer, the concept of commuter rail in some form has been around for about 30 years.

“When Disney first started out, there was drawings along the same rail line for an elevated rail, and of course, we tried to do light rail about 15 years ago, but now we have widespread community support and great momentum to get this project down,” Dyer said.

ORLANDO – The first major new park to open in Central Florida in eight years opened Saturday morning.

Workers were scrambling yesterday to put the finishing touches on Aquatica, SeaWorld’s new water park near the intersection of International Drive and the Beachline Expressway.

Besides what park officials said were the area’s best waterslides, Aquatica features an 83,000-square foot beach area.

Sea World officials said they had not officially decided how many people they would let into the park at once, but said they would close it off if they could not ”comfortably accommodate” their guests.

CAPE CANAVERAL – NASA officials’ flight readiness review has concluded that Endeavour is ready to head to the International Space Station very early in the morning on March 11.

There does not appear to be any major problems with the liftoff of Endeavour and its crew of seven astronauts on March 11 at 2:28 a.m.

The shuttle will be carrying the first segment of a Japanese laboratory complex called Kibo and a new robotics system to complement the station’s robot arm.

The crew will be led by Dominic Gorie and Gregory Johnson will be the pilot. The crew also includes mission specialists Rick Linnehan, Robert L. Behnkin, Mike Foreman, Garret Reisman and Japanese astronaut Takao Doi

For the 67th year, the late winter quiet in and around Daytona Beach will be interrupted by Bike Week.

The annual event kicks off Friday as thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts from across the world begin pouring in.

 Bike Week began on Jan. 24, 1937 with the first running of the Daytona 200 along the beach.

Today, the week is a 10-day festival celebrating everything about motorcycles. Locals and out-of-towners meet for rides across the region, races at Daytona International Speedway and parties.

Bike Week Deaths

Hopefully, this year will be much better than last year when it comes to deaths during Bike Week.

In 2007, eight bikers were killed on Central Florida roads during the event, but there was some controversy over the number of deaths.

Some families said their loved ones weren’t attending the events when they died.

However, state troopers said they classify any motorcycle fatality in Volusia County during the 10-day period as a bike week death.

During Bike Week, local police officers and deputies said they will be cracking down on careless drivers who are on two and four wheels.

Some of the things they’ll be looking for are people running red lights, speeding, violating the right of way laws and improper turns and lane changes.

Taps Open Extra Hour

The taps will flow an extra hour during one night of this year’s Bike Week celebrations after city leaders approved a controversial plan last week.

The issue came to light because Daylight Saving Time lands on the busiest night of this year’s event.

Some bars were worried about lost business, so under the new ordinance alcohol will be allowed to be served until 4 a.m. on Sunday March 9.

Swabbing For DNA

South Daytona Police are embarking on a new way to catch a wanted serial killer by cracking down on drunk drivers during Bike Week.
    
Under the Bike Week initiative, police will conduct DUI checkpoints on Friday to crack down on impaired drivers.

If arrested during the checkpoint, the driver will be asked if they want to donate their DNA. If the driver agrees, they inside of their cheeks will be swabbed.

The DNA will then be tested to see if it matches any of the DNA  from a serial killer who has murdered four women in Volusia County.

ORLANDO –SeaWorld made a major announcement Thursday saying that is it building four parks in Dubai.

Busch Entertainment Corporation president and chief operating officer Jim Atchison, Nakheel-BEC CEO Chris O’Donnell and The Palm Jebel Ali’s managing director Marwan Al Qamzi announced the deal in a ceremony at SeaWorld Orlando.

The parks would be built on The Palm Jebel Ali, part of Dubai’s ambitious “The World” complex.  See an interactive map. 

According to the agreement, the parks to be built will be a SeaWorld park, Aquatica, Busch Gardens and Discovery Cove.

Aquatica is a new water park that is opening in Orlando this weekend. At Discovery Cove, reservation-only visitors can swim with aquatic animals.

The first phase of the project is projected to open in 2012. The Worlds of Discovery on the Palm Jebel Ali will also include hotels, spas, shops and restaurants.

Chris O’Donnell said that Dubai has become “one of the world’s leading tourist destinations.” He said they already have agreements in place with Trump, Cirque du Soleil and Atlantis.

“It’s a region of the world that is just amazing. It’s cosmopolitan, it is really changing, literally, how the world and travelers view vacation destinations,” Atchison said.

According to Atchinson, Dubai has the fastest growing economy on the planet and that 5 million people will visit the country by the time the parks open in 2012.

Early reports speculated that the theme park would be expanding to China.

Busch Entertainment has ten theme parks in the United States. 

SeaWorld said Thursday that it has had years of record profits and it is time to expand internationally.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — There is a battle brewing over possible plans to build a new launch pad on Kennedy Space Center’s property. One possible location is the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge near the Haulover Canal. But residents are speaking out against the proposed location because they say the land inside the refuge is a pristine habitat that needs to be preserved. “This is wrong and you guys know it,” said one man against the proposed location. More than 100 people packed a public meeting to let NASA know that they don’t want a new launch pad built on the property. NASA officials said they are required by law to make space available for a private, commercial launch site. “Teddy Roosevelt would roll over in his grave. We need to protect what we have” said another opponent of the site. NASA said the new launch pad would bring hundreds of jobs to the area and keep the U.S. from relying on Russia when the space shuttle retires. Some suggested NASA use abandoned property nearby at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Base. “We’re going to send them money, lay off thousands of workers and try to do this. It just doesn’t make sense,” said Greg Hullinger, a Titusville resident. Residents say a new launch pad would destroy the pristine habitat and limit access to the unique landscape. “It’s like putting a Starbucks in the Vatican,” said one man. “There’s an appropriate place for anything.” NASA says it doesn’t have jurisdiction over the Cape Canaveral property. They still need an environmental impact report and a private company to come up with a proposal. The launch pad also impacts Volusia County. Two public hearings will be held at the New Smyrna Beach public library on Thursday.

Ask any Disney Pin enthusiast and they’ll confess there’s no sweeter jackpot than scoring that elusive, must-have pin from the most magical place on Earth — Disney Theme Parks. The amazing camaraderie and community amongst collectors just adds to the fun.Though souvenir pins aren’t new to the Company, Disney’s 1999 Millennium Celebration introduced the pin-trading concept to collectors wanting to share their ardor for all things Disney. Now pin-trading events and artist signings draw fans from all over the world. And like the Park churro, you can’t only eat (er, trade) just one. Seasoned enthusiasts buy hundreds — sometimes thousands — of pins. No doubt about it, pin trading’s hot.

Steven Miller, Project Manager at Disney Pin Trading, agrees. “Now in its eighth year, Disney Pin Trading continues to grow annually. For many, it’s become a quest to acquire specific pins depicting the characters, movies, events, or attractions they love. I’ve been with the Pin Team over four years and am constantly amazed!”

Which pin’s for you? True value depends on an individual collector, who may focus on specific pin types like lenticulars, light-ups, or sliders. Others base collections on Characters they’ve met during Park visits. Some purchase pins for sheer trading power — anything to help future trading quests. But most simply follow their hearts and collect what they love.

Specialty collections — those focused on a favorite Character or property — are in a class of their own. Collector extraordinaire Terry Higgins’s passion for The Haunted Mansion was showcased at Mickey’s Pin Trading Night this past October at Walt Disney World Resort. His extensive collection and unusual display - complete with props that included a lanyard-bearing skeleton - won rave reviews.

True enthusiasts will do anything to nab highly sought-after pins, like limited editions, boxed sets, and other exclusives. Steven recalls when he and colleague Timm Lundeen, Pin Trading Project Manager at Disneyland Resorts, designed pins for the PinBassador Inspirations collection. Guests — some who traveled hundreds of miles from Las Vegas and San Francisco — began congregating Saturday night for the next morning’s pin release and artist signing. As the ink was drying on their pins, they hopped in their cars and drove home.

Disney Design Group’s Senior Character Artist Monty Maldovan remembers a similar experience. First to design a “Featured Artist Pin” in 1999, Monty found that Guests began lining up six hours before the signing of his Disneyland Storybook Pin, commemorating the Park’s 50th Anniversary in 2005. Monty’s designed thousands of pins and appeared at countless signings. His favorites? Holiday pins — particularly Christmas. Meet Monty this June at Disneyland Resort as he signs his latest pin, celebrating the Enchanted Tiki Room’s 45th Anniversary. And if you’re pining for pins before June, another member of Disney’s Design Group - Graphic Artist Alex Maher - will be at Disneyland Resort on February 23, signing his Featured Artist Jumbo Pin commemorating Peter Pan’s 55th Anniversary. Hurry — it’s a limited edition of 500!

Ready to play with the big pins? Enthusiasts worldwide will flock to Epcot September 5-7 for the event of the year — Disney’s Pin Celebration 2008: Pin Trading University. Miller, Maldovan, and the design team are busy planning new releases guaranteed to keep fans chomping at the bit. The Insider pulled some strings for a sneak preview of never-before-seen concept art from one of the unique collections created specifically for the event — check it out!

Determined traders don’t have to visit the Parks to participate. New York City’s World of Disney Store and Disney Cruise Lines both hold pin trading events. Or the advanced search feature at www.DisneyPins.com allows you to track pins in your pajamas by edition size, release date/location, special features — even by artist.

According to Miller, “pins bring people together by giving them something in common. It’s a way of expressing themselves. One Guest calls herself ‘Tigger Sue’ and always wears something from her extensive Tigger collection. Another, nicknamed ‘Belle,’ sports a full-length jacket to each event — covered with pins from Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ Over the years, I’ve collected a book of letters from Guests around the globe wanting to share their personal experiences, which further illustrates the magic of Disney pin trading.” From Mickey to the Magic Kingdom, Disney Pin Trading appeals to kids of all ages… happy hunting!

The Year of a Million Dreams continues in 2008 at the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort. From exclusive pins and Mouse ears to special park after-hours events to private shopping sprees to performing on a parade float - dreams from fun to fantastic will shower down on guests during the year-long celebration.

February 29-March 2 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney-MGM Studios), features a lineup of athletes and ESPN personalities, live feeds, star-studded motorcades, behind-the-scenes looks at ESPN shows, and an interactive sports area. Guests will play, party and dance as a new, interactive parade, Block Party Bash, arrives at Disney’s Hollywood Studios this spring. Rock to retro tunes, be dazzled by high-flying acrobatics and join in the fun as Disney-Pixar characters fill the streets.

ORLANDO — A snowstorm in the midwest and northeast is wreaking havoc with flights at Orlando International Airport.

In New York City, residents were digging out from snow overnight.

The city is expecting at least 5 inches of snow throughout the day, and delays at area airports are clocking in at up to seven hours. Weather experts say as much as 10 inches of snow could accumulate in the city before the storm ends tonight.

In Philadelphia, people are concerned about freezing rain after getting around 3 inches of snow Friday morning, which caused some flight cancelations to and from Orlando.

There are several cancelations and delays at OIA, so anyone traveling should check with the airlines before heading out.