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LOCAL • CITY OF MIAMI PD TO GET $11M IN FED GRANT MONEY • SOUTH FLORIDA MAY HAVE MORE THAN ONE CANCER CLUSTER Section Page 2

HOW IS

MONEY • TIPS IN FINDING THE RIGHT DEBT SOLUTION OPTION • 4 YOUR MONEY DISCOUNT DIVA FINDS FUN FEEBIES

FLORIDA

SPENDING

Section Page 14

AUTOMOTIVE • AUTO MAKERS HELPING PARENTS KEEP TEEN DRIVERS SAFE

THE

STIMULUS?

Section Page 22

HEALTH • NEW TREATMENT PROMISES TO FREEZE FAT AWAY • EXERCISE MAY HELP WEAKEN AGGRESSIVE CANCERS Section Page 44

SPORTS • MARLINS BREAK GROUND ON ITS FIELD OF DREAMS Section Page 52

Reporting Stephen Stock sstock@cbs.com

MIAMI (CBS4) Ñ A CBS4 I-Team

investigation into your money raises questions about how some of the United States Stimulus dollars are currently being spent. So far, nearly 2 billion federal stimulus dollars have either been paid out or pledged to Florida.

But the I-Team wanted to know if that money is creating jobs and going to projects that Congress and the President intended. I-Team investigator Stephen Stock went digging for answers. continued on page 18

REAL ESTATE • SHORT SALES HELP HOME OWNERS AVOID FORECLOSURE • I-TEAM KEEP IT CLEAN AND YOU’LL GET CASH FOR KEYS Section Page 58

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L Local News Reporting Michael Williams mwilliams3@cbs. com

More Than $17 Million Is Coming To South Florida Police Agencies 14 Other South Florida Police Agencies Will Share That Money The Money Is Part Of The $787 Billion Stimulus Package Passed Earlier This Year MIAMI (CBS4) Ñ There are have’s and have-not’s in South Florida law enforcement this week. Federal stimulus money aimed at keeping or putting officers on the streets left the Miami Police Department with the biggest windfall. The department found out it will receive $11 million in stimulus money over the next three years. That could allow for the hiring of between 50 to 100 patrol officers, depending on the estimates being used. Miami police chief John Timoney said, “In hard economic times this is a gift from heaven.” That’s especially true as city and county budget writers everywhere look at the possibility of job freezes or layoffs. Timoney is trying to figure out the city’s good fortune. With some 1,100 people in uniform the department’s staffing is already at historic highs. Officials also argue that crime trends in the city would not have signaled any outsized need for the huge windfall. It didn’t hurt, perhaps, that the Miami police chief is well

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City Of Miami PD To Get $11M In Fed. Grant Money acquainted with Vice President Joe Biden, a relationship going back to Timoney’s days in Philadelphia and New York. Timoney would only say, “It’s like chicken soup. It can’t hurt.” Tuesday’s announcement confirmed that more than $17 million of that federal grant money is coming to South Florida police agencies, but Miami’s department is getting more than any other city in the state of Florida. Other South Florida police agencies receiving money include: Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Miami Gardens, Florida City, Hallandale Beach, Miami Shores, Miami Springs, Miramar, North Bay Village, North Miami Beach, North Miami, Opa-Locka, The Seminole Tribe, Key West Police Department and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department. Fort Lauderdale will able to put 12 officers on the road with more than three million dollars in stimulus money. The aid announced by Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder is just a fraction of what police departments across the country had hoped to get. The Obama Administration allocated $1 billion dollars for law enforcement but had $7 billion worth of requests under the grant program, Community Oriented Policing Services, commonly called COPS. On the other hand, the Broward Sheriff’s Office did not receive any funding from the COPS grant program. Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti issued this statement Tuesday afternoon: “While I am disappointed that we were not included in this first round of funding approvals, I remain optimistic. We received the official notice this afternoon and are in the process evaluating our

current options.” The Miami-Dade Police department is also wondering how funding formulas were written. A request for $11 million in stimulus money was rejected. Four other major U.S. cities also didn’t receive any of the funding. New York, Houston, Seattle and Pittsburgh are among those that will not get money because the Justice Department decided other parts of the country simply needed it more, officials said. Attorney General Eric Holder says the money will add officers to communities “where they are needed most,” based on crime rates and financial need and other factors. About 7,000 state and local agencies applied for aid under the COPS program that is part of the $787 billion stimulus package passed earlier this year. Of those, only about 1,000 were approved. Each state is entitled to at least $5 million in COPS money. Officials familiar with Tuesday’s announcement said the Justice Department estimates the grant

awards will help hire 3,818 new officers, and retain 881 positions that would otherwise be lost to budgetary belt-tightening. That makes a total of 4,699 officers -- still short of the program’s announced goal of hiring 5,000 officers. Under the COPS program, the federal government pays the officers’ salary and benefits for three years, after which the local government is responsible for the costs. (© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.) News Powered By

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South Fla. May Have More Than One Cancer Cluster The AdTimes

“Look at the immediate effect they are getting,” said Louise Caro. “They have gotten attention so quickly, which is great, but we need it too.”

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Caro, a long time Durrs advocate, has resorted to the courts to try and get help for the neighborhood and residents.

ART DIRECTOR Tammy Kukic DIRECTOR OF SALES Hector Collado ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVES Mike Campos Ines Collado Martinez Cesar Rodriguez Cleo Saenz Nancy Schoen INSIDE SALES John Alexander Ileana Patuto OFFICE MANAGER Montserrat Surroca FRANCHISING Tony Gambirazio • DISTRIBUTION The AdTimes Publication powered by CBS4.COM is distributed in high foot traffic locations such as supermarkets, pharmacies, movie theaters and shopping malls in the Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach county area. ADVERTISING Advertising information can be obtained by calling our general sales office at 305-477-1699. visit us online at www.theadtimes.com

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Reporting Michele Gillen mgillen@wfor. cbs.com

The CBS4 I-Team has brought you the story of a Palm Beach County neighborhood with a disproportionately high number of children with brain tumors and cancers, but apparently they’re not alone. Gail Martin continues to fight the odds, battling the recurring grip of cancers her doctors believe are linked to the type of contaminants that poisoned ash-laden soil of Durrs, an African-American neighborhood in Ft. Lauderdale. Generations in this community grew up in the shadow of a trash incinerator. “I am just one small example of what a lot of other people are also suffering through,” Martin told Chief I-Team Investigator Michele Gillen. From her hospital bed, Martin is still fighting for a health survey documenting everyone who’s sick in her neighborhood just like the Acreage in Palm Beach County is doing. The Acreage in Palm Beach just begins its battle and suspicions over a possible cancer cluster. Parents there are getting immediate attention all the way to the White House. US Senator Bill Nelson has alerted the President.

“That is why Gail is a symbol of family, after family, child after child, getting sick, how many do you need to see get sick?” Caro asks. It was at The Acreage press conference where CBS4’s Michele Gillen handed Senator Nelson’s team a copy of the investigation into the Durrs neighborhood and the battle Martin gives voice to. In fact Martin was in fighting

form at the first of this year when the I-Team presented her with the award acknowledging the impact of the series. That day she hoped all her surgeries were behind her. Unfortunately, she’s back in the hospital but not out of the game. In her personal battle, Martin is a force of nature and while her voice today is frail, she believes if you share her message, it will never fade. “Continue to pray for me,” she asks, sharing a smile of hope and a legacy she has not finished living. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

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I-Team: Insider Insight Into I-395 Bridge Problem Ratfisch should know. “I was the lead man (on the job),” Ratfisch said. Ratfisch said he was the lead foreman carpenter on the eastbound I-395 bridge job who says he warned his superiors, coworkers, inspectors, anyone who would listen. Reporting Stephen Stock sstock@cbs.com

MIAMI (CBS4) Ñ The CBS4 I-Team has learned that the wrong parts were initially installed on a major South Florida bridge. It’s a bridge that has been the focus of a two-year I-Team investigation into structurally deficient bridges in South Florida. I-Team Investigator Stephen Stock talked to the whistleblower who said that mistake caused a serious accident on that bridge on June 24, 2009. That was the day when a ton of metal popped out of the middle of I-395’s pavement and smashed into one car, barely missing its driver. “Fortunately, (there were) no serious injuries,” said Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Pat Santangelo on the day of the accident. “Although one lady had her car demolished.” It was a freak accident that brought traffic to a halt and sent officials scrambling to figure out why to make sure it didn’t happen again. “I’ve told them for three weeks, before we finished these columns (supporting the bridge),” said former construction worker Bernd Ratfisch. Ratfisch said the accident didn’t have to happen in the first place. He said the accident was caused by human error. “The pads that they had were an inch to an inch and a quarter too small,” Ratfisch said.

“I warned them,” Ratfisch told the ITeam. I-Team Investigator Stephen Stock asked “What did they do?” “(They) kept telling me ‘Don’t worry about it.’ ‘It’s not your problem.’ ‘My hands are tied.’” Ratfisch said. He warned them that an accident just like this would happen... “You said something is going to happen to this bridge?” Stock asked. “I told them for three weeks,” Ratfisch said. “I told them for three weeks.” Ratfisch said he kept warning his superiors about the problem for up to three days before the accident actually happened on June 24, 2009.

Parts called pads which hold up the steel girders as part of the steel supporting structure that carries the roadway on the bridge away from the concrete supports. “It says to field measure for the correct size for the bearing pads,” Ratfisch said “It (the blueprint) says to field measure them.” I-Team investigator Stock asked, “And did they field measure them?” Ratfisch replied “They did not.” According to Ratfisch and two other current bridge workers who asked not to be named for fear of losing their jobs here’s what happened: When the pads under the steel girders were too small, too short, they lowered the level of the roadway, making the metal expansion joint uneven. Because of that, that expansion metal joint began to take a pounding from traffic above. “Obviously we had a problem,” said Senior Project Engineer Enrique Tamayo. “We recognized the problem.” Tamayo is the Senior Project Engineer

“What did you get for that effort to warn them?” Stock asked. “I got fired,” Ratfisch replied. “I got shipped out and got fired.” In an e-mail to the CBS4 I-Team, the owner of Slagter Construction, Brian Slagter, which is the contractor hired to actually do the bridge repairs on I-395 said that Ratfisch was let go for economic reasons, not because Ratfisch raised questions about the safety of the bridge repairs. Within a week of being fired, Bernd Ratfisch saw his prediction of an accident come true while reading CBS4.com while sitting at home in Jacksonville. Ratfisch said it’s all because those who ordered parts did not read the entire blueprint for the bridge.

working as a consultant for Florida’s Department of Transportation on this I395 bridge repair project. After the bridge supports were set back down on the new pads “We noticed that the span was slightly lower than what it was originally,” Enrique Tamayo said. Florida Department of Transportation records show that an average of 70 thousand cars, vans and trucks cross this eastbound I-395 bridge through downtown Miami every day. The CBS4 I-Team first reported earlier this year this bridge has been on the list of bridges in critical need of repair for a year now. In fact, repair work has been under way since last December. Ratfisch said he’s been part of that repair work from the beginning all the way up until the day he was fired in June. I-Team investigator Stock asked Ratfisch “What’s the danger posed by the short pads?” “The danger is the metal coming loose and having the same accident as you had before,” Ratfisch said. continued on page 10

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Audit: Dade Did Not Properly Administer Millions Reporting Stephen Stock sstock@cbs.com

MIAMI (CBS4 I-TEAM) Ñ The CBS4 I-Team has uncovered questions about how Miami-Dade County spent millions of dollars that were supposed to provide lowincome housing and jobs in South Florida. Now the Federal government wants that money back, according to the spokesman from the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The I-Team obtained a copy of an audit from the Inspector General, which finds that the county didn’t follow the rules and keep proper documentation about how it spent money earmarked for low-income housing and jobs -- more than $4.6 million in all. From a youth and senior center, to a sewer project, to a grant meant to create low and moderate income jobs at seven different businesses, the report from HUD’s inspector cites a disturbing lack of accountability and proof that any of $4.6 million in your tax dollars was spent properly. According to the report dated June 19th: - The county did not demonstrate compliance…in the distribution and use of federal Community Development Block Grant dollars on seven different projects between 2006 and 2007. - The County did not administer the CDBG program in accordance with applicable HUD requirements. - [There is] …no assurance that more than $4.6 million in expended …funds achieved the intended national objective or met program requirements. “It’s

unacceptable,”

Miami-Dade

Commissioner Sally Heyman told CBS4 I-Team Investigator Stephen Stock. It’s all a complicated auditor’s way of saying that Miami-Dade County did not follow the rules or provide proper paperwork to show how nearly $5 million of taxpayer dollars were spent. CLICK HERE To Read The Audit. “This keeps happening again and again. The county can’t keep doing this. This is the people’s money and someone here needs to be held accountable,” said Heyman. The County admits to much of this. In a letter responding to the audit, Community & Economic Development Director Shalley Jones Horn said: -”Many of the findings…were already identified by County staff….” -”…and actions have been taken to remedy these issues….” - “All (community development block grant) CDBG awards will be considered as loans….” Reached by telephone Thursday afternoon, Director Shalley Jones Horn emphasized that this is a preliminary audit report and that HUD’s Miami office must issue a final ruling. Jones Horn told the CBS4 I-Team, “I am convinced we will be able to document our files,” and “there were no tax dollars lost.” Although she admitted that, right now, even she doesn’t have the documents to back that up. Thursday afternoon, a spokesman from the Office of Inspector General confirmed that the office is recommending to HUD that they require Miami-Dade County pay the Federal government back the more

than $4 million. Jones Horn says the county should know within 30 days or so what HUD’s final report will require, saying she’s only been on the job six month, she admits she has

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I-Team: DCF Fires Employee Over Benefit Card Use Wal-Mart. The case stems from June when Dees was arrested by the Broward Sheriff’s Office for burglarizing a residence. Inside Dees’ wallet, a Broward Sheriff’s detective found four Electronic Benefit Transfer cards used to access food stamp benefits. Reporting Stephen Stock sstock@cbs.com

LAUDERDALE LAKES (CBS4) Ñ The Department of Children and Families has fired an employee it says used state fee cards that were not in her name. DCF says the employee was found with at least two benefit cards in her possession that did not belong to her, CBS4 News has learned. According to court documents obtained by CBS4, the DCF employee, Shkina Dees, used the cards to shop at a Lauderdale Lakes

The EBT cards are funded with taxpayer dollars. “Any employee that’s found in their possession having an electronic benefits card that’s not in their name and they’re not an authorized rep and they work in the system, that’s a red flag,” said DCF Spokesperson Leslie Mann, who added that Dees’ job required her to process applications for food stamp benefits. Court records show one of the EBT cards was in Dees’ name, another was in her husband’s name and two other cards were in the names of two people currently in jail.

According to the report, surveillance video and records show Dees utilized the cards at a Wal-Mart store just a few blocks from her home. Records show the addresses on the EBT cards came back to Dees’ home address. According to DCF, Dees has worked for the agency for a little over 2 years. She was placed on administrative leave and received a notice from the agency that they intended to fire her. The dismissal letter cites Dees for having “in your possession two government benefit cards that belonged to customers.” Dees will had a hearing earlier this month to try and save her job. “What’s sad is that this was a good employee who had a very clean record here,” Mann told CBS4’s Carey Codd.

The case involving Dees comes just several months after another DCF employee, Violet Jones, admitted stealing $1.5 million from the state welfare system and using the money to buy cars and gamble at local casinos. Jones was sentenced to 17 years in prison. Mann said DCF added safeguards and training after the Jones arrest. “Can a system be 100% foolproof? We’d like to think it can be, but that’s not always the case,” Mann said. “When you have people that it’s their intent to break a system, sometimes it’s gonna happen. We will catch up with them. If not right away, eventually.” (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

CBS4 News attempted to reach Dees at her home and on the phone but both attempts were unsuccessful.

I-Team: Insider Insight Into I-395 Bridge Problem continued from page 6 “The metal is not welded onto nothing it is buried in the concrete. When you keep slamming it up and down it loosens up the bolts from the concrete.” And exactly as described, the metal expansion joint popped out of the concrete on June 24, 2009, within a week of Ratfisch’s last warning and his firing. “When that pulls loose on the back side it will come up in the air,” Ratfisch said. And that’s exactly what happened on June 24th, hitting one car, nearly destroying the car’s front end. DOT’s

private

contracted

consultant, Tamayo, said the pads ordered were the ones called for in the blueprints. Although Tamayo did admit that engineers had to add metal shims or spacers in order to raise the steel girders to the proper level where they’d been before this repair work started. “We’re putting in a shim where there were no shims originally,” Tamayo said of the new repair work. “Now we’re putting in a shim with the pad” in order to get the bridge to the proper level. And DOT admits that it took more than two weeks, at least 15 days, after the accident to install those metal shims and raise the bridge to its proper level.

Bernd Ratfisch isn’t convinced the bridge still has been repaired properly. He worries this type of accident could well happen again. “I’m worried for the safety of the people because you can still hear the noise” indicating the bridge still isn’t at its proper level Ratfisch said. Brian Slagter, owner of Slagter Construction, the private contractor in charge of this project sent us an e-mail saying that they did not install “the wrong sized pads” but installed pads as called for designated by the plans. Like consultant Enrique Tamayo, Slagter insists the correct pads

from the blueprints were ordered and installed. Although both men admit that once those pads were installed the bridge was uneven and “did not sit correctly.” Both men insist that problem has now been resolved and there is no longer a danger to the traveling public. Again, you can read the entire e-mailed statement by clicking here. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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I-Team: Discretionary Funds Get The Axe Each commissioner, as well as the mayor, has $250,000 to distribute to community groups in any way they want. The funds have long been criticized as a political slush fund and were the subject of a CBS4 I Team investigation earlier this year.

Reporting Jim Defede jdefede@wfor. cbs.com

MIAMI (CBS4) Ñ As Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez undertook the daunting task of trying to close a $400 million budget deficit, he looked at job cuts, property tax increases, and the elimination of the County commission’s discretionary funds.

“I’m making that recommendation. I don’t know if the commission will approve it or not, but it is just one of those things that was out there,” said Mayor Alvarez. Critics claim commissioners can use the funds to curry favor with groups who in turn help keep them in office. “Quite frankly having discretionary funds myself, they can be utilized for a lot of good. You can give them to organizations that do a lot of good in our community and get money to them in an expedited

fashion to help them serve our community,” Alvarez said. In the past, Alvarez has proposed cutting the funds only to have commissioners vote him down. This year, with layoffs and tax increase possible, commissioners appear more willing to consider it. “As it relates to discretionary funds, all of that is on the table,” said Commission Chairman Dennis Moss. Other Commissioners, like Katy Sorenson are ready for the funds to be done away with as well. “I’ve always been fine with getting rid of discretionary funds. I think they should go through a process and especially when we are scrutinizing money as we are this year, they can go,” Sorenson said. And while cutting the funds would save the county $3.5 million and

provide good P.R. with taxpayers; it will not fill the county’s $400 million budget deficit. “Discretionary funds is just a tiny portion of that. We have much bigger fish to fry here and it is going to be a very difficult process,” Sorenson said. But, after years of keeping the discretionary funds in the budget, this may finally be the year the funds hit rock bottom. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

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M Money / Consumer Reporting Al Sunshine sunshia@wfor. cbs.com MIAMI (CBS4) Ñ Thousands of South Floridians trying to find a way to manage your debt have found there are a number of companies who offer a variety of methods to tackle the problem.

MONEY / CONSUMER

way out when he discovered a debt management company online.

up front. Worried that he was sinking further into debt, Haehle was grateful when CBS4 threw him a life line.

“It said ways to reduce your debt and all that, which was appealing because my debt was pretty high,” admitted Haehle. But he soon learned that debt management companies are not the same as credit counseling services. Howard Dvorkin, with Consolidated Credit Counseling, said beyond paying up front, debt management companies encourage their customers to avoid their creditors.

For instance, debt management firms are not the same as credit counseling companies. Robert Haehle from Tamarac was in serious debt and was looking for a

Debt management companies typically hold a client’s money in an

account until they’ve accumulated enough to pay off the debt in full. Dvorkin said this type of service isn’t for everyone. “The consumer needs to educate themselves and figure out what service is best for them. Then once they determined that, they need to find a reputable company,” said Dvorkin. Haehle said he ignored the almost constant phone calls from his creditors and paid a debt management company $32 hundred

American Airlines Raises Fees For Checked Bags $30 for the second checked bag. The charges are for each way, meaning a traveler with a round-trip ticket will pay fees twice.

For tickets purchased on or after August 14, American will charge $20 for the first bag checked and

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“If they don’t have contact with you, they have no idea what’s going on and they have no choice than to escalate the collection procedure and most likely sue you because that may be the only way they can get your attention,” said Dvorkin.

FORT WORTH (CBS) Ñ In April of 2008 American Airlines announced it would begin charging passengers $25 for checking a second bag, but the first bag checked was free. In June of that same year the air carrier began charging $15, each way, for the first bag checked. Now American has announced that starting August 14, 2009 both charges will increase.

AUGUST 2009

According to an American Airlines press release, “The changes apply for travel within the United States and U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The changes also apply to travelers on American’s regional affiliate, American Eagle, as well as AmericanConnection flights.” The fees will be charged for customers checking bags at selfservice machines, curbside, or at the ticket counter. There are a few exceptions when travelers don’t have to pay the checked bag charge. Most exemptions apply to top-tier travelers and those purchasing fullfare economy class tickets.

United, Delta, Continental and US Airways also recently announced $5 increases in checked-bag fees, to $20 for the first and $30 for the second. On July 15, American Airlines parent AMR Corp. announced a $390 million loss in the second quarter. In the same quarter last year, AMR lost $1.46 billion, or $5.83 per share, mostly for writing down the value of its fleet. Without the charges, the year-ago loss was $298 million.

“Watching Channel 4, Al Sunshine, your phone bank, it was all very, very helpful and I got in touch with consolidated through that,” said Haehle who now believes he’s on the right track to conquering his debt. Experts advise if you are interested in a company that promises to reduce your debt – you should do your homework first. Choose a company with a good track record, with years in the business and one that charges reasonable fees for their services. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

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Traffic on American dropped 8.2 percent in the second quarter. American said it expects capacity in the third quarter to be 8.5 percent lower than last summer, with a 10.5 percent reduction in the U.S. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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Online Diet Supplement Scams A Growing Worry “Must be very fine print,” said Lawless, who said he felt he had been scammed, “to put it mildly.” “The scam is once they have the credit card number they proceed from shipping and handling to monthly orders and billing you month after month,” said Mike Galvin of the Better Business Bureau. NEW YORK (CBS News) Ñ Surfing the internet comes with its hassles like those advertisements that pop up all the time. Many try to catch you eye with trial offers. But in the case of one diet supplement - its deal could have you losing a lot more than just a little weight, as CBS News correspondent Kelly Cobiella reports in conjunction with Business Week. You’ve probably seen the ads. They’re the latest miracle supplements acai berry, resveratrol, colon-cleansers - all promising to make you feel better, look better, live better, with news reports that seem to back up the claims. “My wife thought it would help with the weight,” said John Lawless, a scam victim. “We’re open to trying things - nutritional supplements, things like that.” Lawless says the news reports helped sway him and the price was right: 99 cents for a trial offer of resveratrol ultra. But instead of one bottle, he was sent three, at a price of 99 cents for the first one and more than $87 for each of the other two. When he called the company, he was told that the trial offer automatically turned into a monthly subscription after 15 days. It was all, the company said, in the fine print.

Galvin has received more than 3,000 similar complaints so far this year. “It’s one complaint after another,” he said. And for each one, he says, there are many more customers who don’t even bother to register a complaint. The company behind the resveratrol ads, FWM Labs, has an “F” rating. “An F is a flag, an F is a failure. An F is the lowest grade that you can possibly have and that should be a sign to the public not to deal with that company,” Galvin said. The problem is customers don’t know who they’re dealing with. The company has dozens of Web sites but none of them are registered to FWM. Internet security expert Alex Stamos says it’s not how a reputable company would operate. “I’m guessing it’s a very important part of their business model to stay ahead of the customer complaints and stay ahead of people being able to figure out who they are,” Stamos said. It took CBS News a while, but we finally tracked down FWM at a warehouse in Hollywood, Fla. where dozens of workers were processing, packing and shipping out pills as fast as the labels would print. “We have a customer service center,” said Brian Weiss, FWM’s 29-year-old CEO. “If we have

complaints we contact the customer immediately.” But we spoke to dozens of customers who found it next to impossible to get through to FWM. Many vented their frustrations on online forums like complaintsboard.com, calling FWM’s business a “fraud” and a “rip-off.” A Google search for “FWM” turns up page after page of such complaints. “We’ve sold to million and a half customers since November,” Weiss said. “So in the overall picture, the number of complaints seems high, but it’s low when compared to the number of orders we’ve shipped out.” In fact, FWM is one of the most complained-about companies in the nation. The Florida Attorney General is investigating the company and the Federal Trade Commission is looking into the marketing tactic they - and companies like them - use. News organizations including CBS have tried to get FWM and others to stop misusing their reports to sell products. As for John Lawless, he returned all three bottles of resveratrol ultra unopened. A phone representative told him he’d receive a full refund for the bottles. FWM did send him a refund - for a single bottle. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

AUGUST 2009

Add Some ‘Miami Spice’ To Your Summer Dining

Reporting Lisa Cilli lcilli@wfor. cbs.com MIAMI (CBS4) Ñ Grab a friend and your appetite for another one of South Florida’s mouth-watering restaurant promotion events. Miami Spice is getting ready to kick off its annual Summer event which provides delicious deals at some of the Miami’s best restaurants. The culinary event, which takes place every summer, has become so popular it expanded its promotions this year to include winter and spring deals as well. The event provides diners the opportunity to savor delicious, specially priced three-course meals at some of the area’s top restaurants at reduced prices. More than 100 of Miami’s top restaurants are offering threecourse meals featuring signature dishes created by world-renowned chefs. Organized by the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, the restaurants offer special threecourse lunch menus for $22 and special dinner menus for $35 during the months of August and September. Each restaurant will include an appetizer, entree and dessert as part of the fixed price. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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AUGUST 2009

I-Team: How Is Florida Spending The Stimulus?

continued from page 1 From airports to schools to low income housing to food stamps, here in Florida, all of them have received or been granted a total of $1,803,059,180 in federal Stimulus money so far this year. “We’re a quarter of the way through the stimulus effort and it’s well on its way to making a difference,” said US Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D), Pembroke Pines. Supporters such as Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz say all the stimulus money that has been spent and obligated so far is doing what President Obama and Congress intended, creating or saving jobs and jump starting the Sunshine State’s economy. “I think it’s doing really well,” Wasserman Schultz, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, told the I-Team. “We avoided the layoff of thousands of teachers in south Florida, particularly thousands of teachers statewide. (For example there are) 2,000 in Miami-Dade County alone (who) without those funds those teachers would have been out of work.” Those who champion the federal stimulus package point to projects such as the interchange of the Palmetto and Dolphin Expressways as examples of how the plan is succeeding. It’s a $500 million project that was stuck on the drawing board until $87 million in Federal Stimulus dollars

jump started the project.

conventions and trade shows.

federal government by clicking here.

Although few people have been hired as of yet and actual construction work has yet to begin.

“All of those things are job creating opportunities,” Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said. “I mean we’re not just throwing money at different things without thinking about it. All of things that you mentioned, particularly boat building, you have boat manufacturers in the state of Florida that are really huge economic engines when it comes to job creation.”

“It is working very well it is definitely doing what Congress wanted to do which is to create jobs,” said DOT’s Assistant Secretary Kevin Thibault.

“That project wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t put that 87 million in,” said Kevin Thibault, Florida’s Department of Transportation’s Assistant Secretary for Engineering and Operations. As Assistant Secretary for Engineering and Operations, Thibault oversees the spending for all Florida’s DOT Highway stimulus projects. Critics point to other examples to demonstrate their contention that the Stimulus is not working: things like computer equipment purchased by the FCC and Social Security Administration, or boat building services and radio and TV wireless equipment bought by the Department of Army. All of these examples also used Federal Stimulus dollars spent here in Florida. You can see a spreadsheet list of the projects were stimulus money has already been spent in Florida by clicking here.

“If they’re going to spend that money let’s at least that create jobs like transportation projects, like infrastructure,” retorts Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart. The CBS4 I-Team’s analysis of stimulus money pledged, but not yet spent, shows Florida’s Department of Children of Families getting the largest single grant award, $257,265,487 for Food Stamps. Also in the top ten statewide recipients is Miami Dade’s Housing Authority, awarded $23,852,494 for low income housing assistance. Broward County also ranks in the top ten largest recipients statewide, getting $5,696,339 for improvements to Fort Lauderdale\Hollywood International Airport.

“Not only is it (the stimulus plan) not creating jobs, it is putting our country further and further into debt,” said US Representative Mario Diaz-Balart(R) West Miami. “It is a charge on my son’s and his son’s and my great grandson’s credit cards even though they haven’t been born yet.”

Other recipients include Four Freedoms House of Miami Beach, one award for $41,219,348. Miami Property Group Ltd, won four awards totaling $3,390,107.

In fact, a CBS4 I-Team review of federal records of $136,982,795.91 dollars spent, not promised, but actually spent in Florida so far, shows that $1,342,025.01 of those dollars went to things that critics say don’t create a lot of jobs. Things like TV’s, computer equipment, even public relations services for

Federal records show Florida’s DOT, so far, is the state’s largest single recipient getting a total of $800,630,561 for dozens of projects, mostly for new road and bridge construction.

Even the Miccosukee Indians got two awards totaling $20,785 for job training for tribe members.

You can see a breakdown of pledged award stimulus money from the

Critics say because actual employment numbers resulting from the stimulus bill remain hard to pin down, the plan itself is not working. “They promised it would create 3 and a half million jobs but in fact we’ve lost an addition 2 million jobs since the bill passed,” Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart said. But supporters say it’s too early to judge, that things would have been worse without the stimulus money and that the unemployment numbers will improve in the coming months. “The numbers are still fairly high every time they come out but they would have been much higher without infusing those economic recovery act dollars into the economy,” Wasserman Schultz said. A July, 2009, General Accounting Office report shows Florida will spend $5.3 Billion in US Stimulus money just to balance the state budget. The GAO also gives the Stimulus plan a mixed review, so far, saying the number of jobs created so far is still hard to pin down. Plan supporters expect more results and harder employment numbers before the end of the year. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

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4 Your Money: Discount Diva Finds Fun Freebies than chocolate, how about free chocolate! Every Friday from now through September, Mars is giving the first 250,000 people a coupon for free chocolate. You can choose from M&Ms, Snickers, 3 Musketeers, Twix, Dove, and Milky Way.

Reporting Lisa Cilli lcilli@wfor. cbs.com

CBS4.COM’s Discount Diva has unearthed some great new summer freebie deals that your taste buds will love, as well as your wallet. McDonald’s has jumped into the fancy coffee competition with its new line of McCafe coffee selections. As a way to spread the word, McDonald’s is offering a free 7-ounce iced mocha or 8ounce hot mocha every Monday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. until August 3rd. No coupon necessary, but the offer is at “participating locations” only. Limit one per person while supplies last. Starbucks isn’t rolling over in the coffee wars. It’s created the Starbucks “Treat Receipt” Deal. Just go to Starbucks before 2:00 p.m. and make a purchase. Then return to Starbucks after 2:00 p.m. on the “same day” and show them your receipt. The “treat receipt” entitles you to any grande-sized cold drink for the discounted fee of $2.00, plus tax. This deal is for a limited time. I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream, particularly if it’s free ice cream! Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shops is offering a buy one Sundae, get one free, every Monday through August 31st. If you think there’s nothing better

If it’s your birthday, you’re entitled to some free birthday fun from these companies. Cold Stone Creamery offers free ice cream by signing up for their free My Coldstone Account California Pizza Kitchen offers a free kids meal during the month of their birthday if you sign up in advance of the big day Applebee’s offers free dessert on your birthday Denny’s offers a free meal and sundae for kids under 10, if you sign up in advance TGI Friday’s offers a free birthday dessert with purchase of an entrée Quizno’s offers a free cookie on your birthday Wendy’s offers a free kids meal on their birthday (plus, $1 off coupon for signing up on their Web site) Burger King offers a free BK Kids Hamburger Meal coupon when you join the BK Birthday Club All of these offers are subject to change without notice, so check with your local franchise. TGI Friday’s has kicked off a promotion perfect for you and a friend. It’s BYOB Time, which stands for “Bring Your Own Buddies.” For each buddy that you bring, you will get $5 off an entree. This deal is good through Aug. 31, and you must bring in a coupon or text “BYOB13? to MYTGIF to get the coupon sent to your phone. Books and Books in Coral Gables has a great deal for book lovers and movie lovers alike. To celebrate the upcoming movie Julia & Julia, the bookstore has

created an Eiffel Tower of bookmarks for a display of books by and about Julia Child. If you buy one of the books, the store will give you a free pass for two to see an advance screening of the film Tuesday, July 28, at Cocowalk. The number of passes is limited. Speaking of movies, how about some free home entertainment courtesy of Sony. Sony is making nearly 100 of its films available on www.CRACKLE.com, the company’s online movie and TV video Web site. The AMC Summer Movie Camp shows a kids’ movie for $1 at 10 a.m. every Wednesday through Aug. 5. The proceeds go to Variety-the Children’s Charity, and the Will Rogers Institute. Music lovers will love this fantastic free find. NYLON magazine and ITunes are offering 22 MP3 songs by groups featured in their magazine for download in honor of NYLON magazine’s annual June/July music issue. Click here to download and listen. TD Bank is offering some free cash for the kids, as part of a summer reading program. Each time a child reads a book on their own or with a parent, they simply have to write it down on a form that can be printed out at www.tdbank.com/summerreading. A child can earn $10 for reading 10 books this summer. The $10 credit will be deposited in a new, or existing, Young Savers Account when they take the completed form (with the list of 10 books read) to a TD Bank branch. There is no age limit for kids for this reading promotion. Pfizer, the world’s biggest research-based drug maker is offering 70 different drugs for free for up to one year for those

Americans who have lost their jobs and health insurance. The program applies to anyone regardless of prior family income who has lost their job since January 1 and has been prescribed one of the company’s drugs for at least three months. You can enroll until 12/31/09 by calling 866-7062400 to sign up. You can also apply online at www.PfizerHelpfulAnswers.com. Remember to always read the fine print on all coupons and deals posted online. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

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A Automotive Car Accidents Leading Cause Of Teen Deaths In U.S., 60 Percent Involve Alcohol Use, But Technology Is Here To Help NEW YORK (CBS) Ñ Auto accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers, which is why it’s often a scary moment for parents when their son or daughter obtains a driver’s license. But now, there are new tools to help parents control the way their teenagers drive. And as CBS station WCBS-TV found out, parents don’t even have to be in the car.

AUTOMOTIVE

“A vast majority of the really serious accidents happen when teenagers are driving at night,” Salvatore said. Of all teen car accidents, 60 percent involve alcohol. Many vehicle manufacturers are offering built-in alcohol detectors in newer models. Drivers have to breathe into the device each time they sit down behind the wheel, and if any alcohol is detected the car fails to start. One other option is available from Ford, and is called the MyKey. Ford’s product news manager, Lisa Flemming-Brock, explained the MyKey allows parents to control important systems of the car through a programmable key. “The parent actually programs the MyKey,” Flemming-Brock said. “It limits the top speed, it limits the volume on the radio, etc.” The MyKey also can mute a vehicle’s stereo system if one of its passengers is not wearing a seatbelt. This allows the car’s built-in seatbelt alarm to be heard.

“They are young and a little immature in figuring out that they can’t live forever,” Salvatore said. “You throw in texting or a cell phone, and that’s a very, very deadly combination.”

“[MyKey] will also make it so that you can’t turn off any of the car’s safety features, such as stability control, collision warning and blind spot monitoring,” Flemming-Brock said.

Salvatore said new software from several GPS manufacturers allows parents to track where a teen is driving, as well as notifies them if the vehicle is speeding.

Auto Makers Helping Parents Keep Teen Drivers Safe

Jeanne Salvatore, the senior VP of Public Affairs for the Insurance Information Institute, believes there are numerous reasons why teenagers can be a hazard behind the wheel.

But a number of new technologies meant to help keep teens safe from many common, driving dangers, are becoming available for purchase.

AUGUST 2009

Safety experts have also recommended that parents create a contract between themselves and their teen driver, outlining safety expectations and the responsibilities of operating a car. For more ways to keep your teens safe behind the wheel, please click here and here.

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HG Hurricane Guide TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) Ñ South Florida residents who have State Farm for their homeowners insurance may not find the company so ‘neighborly’ when they eliminate a number of discounts given to policy holders. Homeowners who have State Farm for the property insurance coverage could see their premiums increase by 45 percent, according to CBS4 news partners The Miami Herald. Among the credits being considered for elimination are those for having more than one

2009 HURRICANE GUIDE

Part of the reason behind the decline in storms is likely the fact that an El Niño continues to build in the Pacific Ocean. El Niño’s will usually lower storm activity by 20 to 40 percent. But forecasters say some of the most intense storms to ever hit the United States have come during El Niño’s.

State Farm To Cut Discounts Offered To Homeowners policy with the company, for not having filed a claim and for updating the residence’s air condition, electrical or plumbing. One of the big discount that they would also like to get rid of is for what’s know as mitigation. That’s when a property owner receives credit for installing storm shutters, impact resistant windows or beefed up garage doors to weather any storm.

The Miami Herald contributed material for this report) News Powered By

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In order to cut the mitigation discount, State Farm will need approval from the state; all of the other discounts can be cut without state approval since they were offered voluntarily by the company.

mandated mitigation credits which they claimed were too high and were cutting into the companies profits. Last year they requested an average rate hike of 47 percent to make up for those losses. It was rejected.

State Farm says the cuts are necessary because their rates are so low. Two years ago they complained to the state about the

2009 Hurricane Season Off To Slow Start MIAMI (CBS4) Ñ If you’re superstitious, you might want to knock on wood before reading this; the 2009 hurricane season is off to a slow start through late July. Typically, the first named storm in the Atlantic forms by July 10, but experts are warning that the slow start doesn’t mean the overall season will be slow.

AUGUST 2009

Hurricane Andrew developed during an El Niño in 1992 along with the 1900 hurricane. That’s why experts say there may be fewer storms, but it only takes one to have a massive impact. Seasonal forecasters are saying about 10 named storms will form, which will if that holds true, will be one of the lowest totals of the past 15 years. Hurricane season ends on November 30. (© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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Antique Appraisal A Must Before A Tropical Storm

Reporting Jorge Estevez jestevez@cbs.com

MIAMI (CBS4) Ñ When you are preparing for a hurricane, most of us have the basics, like boarding up the house, putting up shutters and stockpiling items like water, batteries, and canned food, down to a science. But there’s still the issue of protecting your valuables, the ones you can’t lock

up like expensive furniture or antiques?

with her stuff which got ruined after Hurricane Andrew.

Porcelain figurines, ornate chairs, priceless decorations, these are the items on a new kind of hurricane check list. Phil Schlom is an antique dealer who is busiest before the storm.

“My feeling was I really wanted to make sure that I knew what the appraisal value was, God forbid something should happen again,” she said.

“They should protect them and have it appraised every couple of years actually,” Schlom said. Phil runs an antiques and art appraisal and restoration business in South Florida. His clients go to him to make sure their valuables, no matter their value, are protected in the event of a storm. One woman, who asked to remain anonymous, told CBS4’s Jorge Estevez she doesn’t want you to make the same mistake she did

Ever since, she has had everything appraised and thinks everyone else should too. Phil says you can lose money if you don’t appraise every few years. “If something you appraised 4 or 5 years ago. It is worth a thousand dollars and now it’s worth $12 thousand. If something happens, you want to the 12 thousand not the thousand we just spoke about.” So make sure and ask yourself before a storm actually begins to

head for South Florida, are my antiques checked? An appraisal can cost a couple of hundred dollars, but it could help you save thousands in the future. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

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Florida Senators Encourage Hurricane Research Funding one,’’ Sen. Bill Nelson told CBS4’s news partners the Miami Herald. Along with Senator Mel Martinez, Nelson is sponsoring legislation to provide $375 million to bolster research into the causes and intensity of big storms, as well ways to alleviate the loss of life and property damage. WASHINGTON (CBS4) Ñ As most South Floridians well know, the aftermath of hurricanes can get pretty ugly. It is for this reason that Florida’s two senators decided Tuesday to renew a push that will boost federal funding for research into predicting, modeling and preventing damage from hurricanes. ``After Katrina, you’d think the government would be doing more to get ready for the next big

Martinez, who joined Nelson at a Senate hearing on the issue, told The Herald, “This is very much connected to the future of our state.’’ He noted that losses from hurricanes “dwarf” that of earthquakes, yet hurricane research lags behind earthquake research at universities, which is estimated at about $100 million a year. Richard Spinrad, an administrator with the National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration said that while the science of forecasting a hurricane’s track and where it will make landfall has improved, research into the intensity of hurricanes still falls short. (© MMIX CBS Television Stations. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed material for this report)

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HEALTH / FITNESS

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H Health EDINA, Minn. (CBS) Ñ Little children eating Popsicles. A 54year-old woman trying to shed a little belly fat. It might seem like these things have nothing in common, but they do. Last week at Zel Skin and Laser Specialists in Edina, Minnesota, 54-year-old Jeani DelFiaco underwent a non-invasive fat removal technique that was inspired by a 1970 research paper on children and Popsicles, reports CBS station WCCO-TV in Minneapolis. “They had a case report of about two or three kids ... that had the dimpling of the cheek,” said Dr. Brian Zelickson. “And they deduced that it was from the cold from the Popsicles.” A Harvard dermatologist recalled the article and decided to explore the possibility of trying to remove fat by chilling the skin. Zelickson was part of the clinical trials for the new procedure. One of the study participants was DelFiaco. “She had exercised quite a bit and done a lot and just couldn’t get rid of that,” said Zelickson, as he pointed to a before picture of DelFiaco’s love handles. In the “after” picture, DelFiaco’s midriff seems leaner and smoother. “This is her, I believe, it’s about a month and a half to two months afterwards, and you can see this nice contouring of this area after treatment,” said Zelickson.

AUGUST 2009

New Treatment Promises To Freeze Away Fat “I didn’t do anything different in my diet or my exercise program or anything, and my shape has changed dramatically,” said DelFiaco. It’s not surprising DelFiaco returned to Zelickson’s office now that he’s offering the procedure. This time, she has to pay for the work -- $500 for one treatment, $200 for the second. Freezing her belly back $700. It treatments -- one Zelickson said the in September.

fat will set her requires two for each side. fees will go up

Zelickson is currently the only doctor in the United State offering the procedure. It’s being done in Hong Kong and Europe at much higher prices, between $1500 and $3000 per treatment. “You want to stay young, and you want things to keep you where you are, and it makes me feel good if I look good,” said DelFiaco. She said the Zeltiq procedure feels like a vacuum pressed against your skin. It gets cold, but according to DelFiaco, “No discomfort, no pain.” “We cool the fat to a certain temperature for a certain time, and that causes the fat cells to disappear,” said Zelickson. The fat cells don’t disappear immediately. They’re gradually flushed out of the body over a couple months. The skin may be numb and swollen for several days, but there’s been no permanent damage reported. That’s because skin is more resistant to freezing than fat. Fat cells freeze faster than skin cells. That’s the reason Zeltiq works. With a name like Zeltiq, you might

“I’m glad that the technology and the company is so good because I’d be a little upset if the things didn’t work or they had trouble with the device,” said Zelickson with a laugh. Zelickson said people shouldn’t try this at home. Using an ice cube will end up damaging the skin. expect Zelickson to have a proprietary interest in the company. He does not. “I know these guys very well, and I thought it was initially a joke when they called to tell me that they were naming the company Zeltiq,” said Zelickson. “I thought they were pulling an April Fool’s joke on me.” Zelickson’s friends at Harvard tested other names, but Zeltiq was the one people liked best.

He said the best candidates for Zeltiq are in pretty good shape with love handles or a “muffin top” that persists despite exercise. Zeltiq is not recommended for the morbidly obese or even people with a lot of fat they would like to lose. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

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Natural Treatments For Common Ailments water can help loosen phlegm. Just tent a towel over your head and breathe deeply. Licorice root and marshmallow root can also help calm a cough - look for teas containing these herbs and sip throughout the day. For example, a tea called Organic Throat Coat combines several herbs. Body + Soul Magazine Senior Editor Points to Alternatives to Traditional Medications WASHINGTON (CBS) Ñ Before you reach into your medicine cabinet to take care of a headache, stuffy nose, or upset stomach, you might want to consider treating your everyday ailments with natural remedies. They take a little longer to work than their conventional counterparts, but may prove more effective, according to Body + Soul magazine Senior Editor Terri Trespicio. She looked into Mother Nature’s medicine cabinet on “The Early Show Saturday Edition,” noting the surprising healing power of herbal remedies. They could be just what the doctor ordered. PAIN RELIEF Mild headaches: Tiger balm. Chinese ointment contains menthol and can ease pain when rubbed into neck or temples. Arthritis pain: Turmeric, fish oil. All show promise in helping ease pain. Talk to your healthcare professional for dosage. COLD CURES Elderberry syrup: Research suggests it can fight the flu and may ease symptoms of cold. Garlic: What you eat matters! Get plenty of raw or lightly cooked garlic, which contains antiviral compounds. Add thyme to soups and salad dressing. COUGH Eucalyptus oil in a pot of boiling

CONSTIPATION High fiber foods: Eat plenty of fruits, veggies, whole grains and beans. Sprinkle some ground flaxseed on cereal or in smoothies. Also, drink plenty of room-temperature water. Triphala: Herbal supplement from the Ayurvedic tradition that can get things moving. Take supplement as noted on bottle. ALLERGY Quercetin: This flavonoid compound, found in apples and onions, can also help fight allergy symptoms. It’s preventive, though, so allow 6-8 weeks to build it up in your system. Typical dose: 400 mg twice a day between meals. Stinging nettle: In tincture, teas or freeze-dried capsules. Consume half teaspoon of tincture three times a day, a month before allergy season. Drink 2-3 cups of nettle tea, or follow directions on capsule bottle. MORE FROM BODY + SOUL MAGAZINE Here’s the lowdown on how to treat five common ailments with natural approaches. Pain Relief For mild headaches, consider Tiger Balm, says Andrew Weil, M.D., author of the upcoming “Why Our Health Matters.” This Chinese ointment contains menthol, which creates a warm, tingling feeling that eases pain when rubbed into your neck or temples. Massaging a few drops of lavender essential oil onto your temples may also help for headaches triggered by stress, says herbalist Deb Soule, author of “A Woman’s Book of

Herbs.” Indeed, past research has shown that lavender can promote relaxation. Or try plant remedies with a long history of traditional use and supporting scientific evidence: “Willow bark and meadowsweet both have anti-inflammatory properties that may help relieve headaches,” Soule explains. Take 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of tincture as needed at the first sign of symptoms. For arthritis pain, turn to turmeric, boswellia, or fish oil, which all show promise in recent research; talk to a health-care practitioner about the best form and dosage. Cold Cures Take a dropperful of echinacea tincture in water four times a day at the first sign of symptoms, until they subside. Some studies have shown it can shorten colds, though results are mixed. Soule has found that elderberry syrup, which research suggests can fight flu, may also ease symptoms of a common cold. Take according to directions until a few days after symptoms have disappeared. Diet matters, too; eat plenty of raw or lightly cooked garlic, which contains antiviral compounds, and add thyme to soups or salad dressings. You also might try a neti pot, an Aladdin’s lamp-shaped vessel that you fill with warm salt water and use to irrigate congested nasal passages. Cough Control When you find yourself hacking, try natural remedies first, says Weil. Loosen phlegm and make coughs more productive by adding crushed eucalyptus or sage leaves to a pot of boiling water, carefully tenting a towel over your head, and breathing in deeply. Certain herbs may also help calm a cough; Soule’s favorites include mullein leaf, licorice root, and marshmallow root. Look for teas containing one or more of these herbs, and sip a few cups throughout the day. Constipation Remedy Stay regular with dietary adjustments: Eat plenty of high-fiber

foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and beans, and sprinkle freshly ground flaxseed on cereal or in smoothies. Also, be sure to drink plenty of room-temperature water. If you need a supplement, try triphala. This Ayurvedic remedy “helps move the bowels and can be taken every day,” says Soule. Drink a 1/2 teaspoon of powder in a 1/4 cup of hot water. Psyllium, a fiber supplement derived from the husks of plant seeds, is another good choice, says Weil. Start with a rounded tablespoon of the powder stirred into a glass of water. Drink that and follow with another full glass of water. Allergy Assistance The steam inhalation described in Cough Control can also break up nasal congestion, says Weil, though it’s not a core remedy for allergies. For seasonal allergies such as hay fever, he recommends the herb butterbur, shown to ease allergies without causing drowsiness. Look for brands guaranteed free of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, naturally occurring compounds that have been linked to liver damage. The herb, also indicated for migraine relief, is generally taken at meals in 50 to 100 mg dosages twice a day. Quercetin, a flavonoid compound found in apples and onions, may also help fight allergy symptoms. Since quercetin is preventive, allow six to eight weeks for it to build up in your system. A typical dose is 400 mg twice a day between meals. Soule has also found tinctures, teas, or freezedried capsules of stinging nettles helpful. Take 1/2 teaspoon of tincture three times a day, starting a month before allergy season; two to three cups of nettle tea; or follow directions on the bottle for capsules. (© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.) News Powered By

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Exercise May Help Weaken Aggressive Cancers felt a big mass in my right breast,” said Wolman. In March she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer.

Reporting Cynthis Demos cdemos@.cbs .com

MIAMI (CBS4) Ñ Exercise can help you lose weight and feel better. But did you know it might also help cure cancer? One doctor believes exercise could hold the key to weakening aggressive cancers. Joan Wolman and her husband had several trips planned this yea, but something derailed their plans. “I

“It was over 9 centimeters long. That’s very big,” Wolman admitted. She immediately began a chemotherapy regimen to shrink the tumor before having a mastectomy. “I was just very scared very anxious,” she said. Her surgeon Dr. Roshni Rao had something up her sleeve, though. “We’re going to see if we can influence the aggressiveness of the tumor along with the chemotherapy,” explained Rao. To do that Dr. Rao put Wolman on a strict “boot-camp” like exercise program. She’s measuring the effect exercise can have on a tumor when done in conjunction with

chemotherapy. “They do not only resistance activities but they also cardiac activities. And it’s resistance that’s really been shown to improve insulin resistance,” Rao said. The doctor believes increased insulin resistance brought on by old age, and weight gain can fuel tumor growth. By exercising insulin resistance decreases essentially cutting off the tumor’s fuel supply shrinking the tumor faster, and making its features less aggressive.

Dr. Rao said Wolman’s tumor has shrunk significantly giving her new treatment options. “I don’t necessarily have to have a mastectomy. I’m just delighted. I feel like now suddenly there’s some choice involved,” Wolman admitted. Rao hopes at the end of the study she’ll be able to design a breast cancer specific exercise regimen for patients across the country. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

Wolman meets with a trainer three times a week. She does weight training, cardio workouts, and aerobics and she said she can feel the exercise working. “It’s going smaller, so I feel better,” she exclaimed!

Florida Launches Online Organ-Donor Registry organ or tissue donors was by filling out paperwork at their local driver’s license office. The new alternative allows people to authorize themselves as donors from the privacy of their own home.

MIAMI (CBS4) Ñ The process of becoming an organ, tissue, or eye donor has now been made simple; yet again, technology is to thank. Tuesday, Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration launched the Joshua Abbott Organ and Tissue Donor Registry. The state’s new organ, tissue and eye donor online registry will allow Floridians to go to a website and become donors. Previously, the most convenient way for Floridians to register as

AHCA Secretary Holly Benson told CBS4’s news partners at The Miami Herald, “Becoming an organ donor is a very personal and private decision. With direct access to the organ and tissue registry, more Floridians will be able to consider and make the decision to become a donor, ultimately saving more lives through donation and transplantation.’’ Registered donors will be able to update their wishes on the secure website with their user name and password. The online registry makes the exact wishes of registered donors more accessible

and up-to-date for organ, tissue and eye recovery organizations. When someone dies, these organizations will be able to go online and quickly determine whether that individual is a potential donor. They then carry out the donor’s wishes, providing life-saving and life-enhancing gifts to patients in need. “There are more than 3,600 patients waiting for an organ or tissue donation in Florida,” Kathy Giery, chairwoman of Donate Life Florida, told The Herald. “The online registry will help organ recovery organizations identify potential donors more efficiently in order to save more lives.” Florida’s current donors have already been uploaded into the new online registry, thanks to the help of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Those

donors are encouraged to visit the website to update their donor profile and to ensure that their wishes are noted. The registry is named in memory of lung transplant recipient and donation advocate Joshua Abbott, who died in 2006. Funding for the registry comes exclusively from voluntary contributions to the HealthCare Trust Fund. Floridians can make the dollar donation when obtaining or renewing a driver’s license or vehicle tag. (© MMIX CBS Television Stations. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed material for this report)

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Clearing Up The Mystery Of Adult Acne Hair follicle Skin Oily secretion from sebaceous gland.

Dermatologist and Author Dr. Jeannette Graf Explains Who’s Affected and Why NEW YORK (CBS) Ñ Thought acne was gone forever when you hit 20? Forget what you’ve heard -- acne isn’t a teen-specific phenomenon. Acne is a disease that can affect anyone beyond puberty, and it’s the most prevalent skin condition in the United States, according to The American Academy of Dermatology, with almost 50 percent of adults suffering from some form of acne. On “The Early Show” Thursday, Dr. Jeannette Graf, a dermatologist and author of “Stop Aging, Start Living,” cleared up the mystery surrounding adult acne, including its common triggers, who generally suffers from it, and the latest treatments. Acne, she explained, is a term for plugged pores (blackheads and whiteheads), pimples, and deeper lumps (cysts or nodules). They can occur on the face, neck, chest, back, shoulders, and even the upper arms. But how? Acne, she explained, is formed when sebum, an oily substance produced by fat glands, gets trapped in the hair follicle. This oil then mixes with dead skin cells as they are sloughed off, clogging the follicle, and forming a pimple. The follicle can become inflamed when the increased oil causes bacteria to multiply, infecting the surrounding area and leading to a more dramatic, and sometimes tender, blemish. Teenage acne, Graf said, tends to be

on oily skin and consist of blackheads and whiteheads. The difference with adult acne, Graf said, is that adult acne is more often seen on the face, along the jaw line and neck, and is usually accompanied by dryer or combination skin. She said adult acne tends to be characterized by red bumps or cysts. That means the redness tends to last longer, she said, because the skin doesn’t heal as rapidly. Why do adults get acne? Graf said it’s difficult for doctors to pinpoint exactly what triggers adult acne. However, she said, if you had acne as a teen, you are likely to see it resurface as an adult, due to your genetic makeup. Hormones also play a role in adult acne, she said. If your hormones fluctuate, you may get adult acne -especially during menstruation and at menopause. Experts aren’t sure why, Graf said, but oil glands seem to be more sensitive to hormonal shifts during your 20s and 30s. Stress may also be a contributing factor, she said. Even if you are stressing about having adult acne -that stress can further aggravate and trigger more outbreaks, Graf said. She added adult acne is often difficult for adults emotionally because they didn’t expect to be battling zits way past their teen years, and society doesn’t seems as open to adults having skin problems, so it’s harder to cope. In addition, the products you use on your face may contribute to adult acne. The average American adult uses about seven skincare products on their face, Graf said, which can aggravate your skin. She said a common mistake is to use heavier lotions than necessary, and use of some anti-wrinkle creams that may be too harsh for some skin types. Graf said you also may want to limit processed sugars in your diet because

some studies have found they do have an effect on your skin. Who’s most likely to get adult acne? Women, Graf said, are more likely to suffer from adult acne because it is often related to the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, PMS, and menopause. How do you treat it? Graf said treating adult acne is different than teenage acne. She explained adult skin is more fragile and dry and cannot handle the harsh cleansing agents you may have used when you were younger. Treating adult acne at home can be done with many over-the-counter products, Graf said. She suggested looking for a cleanser with “salicylicacid,” which helps to exfoliate dead skin, thus preventing your pores from being clogged. Another product for spot treatments is benzoyl peroxide. However, Graf said, you shouldn’t use treatments that use higher amounts than 2.5 percent, as it tends to be very drying on the skin. Graf also suggested home microdermabrasion kits or light peels for exfoliating your skin. “But be very careful not to cause irritation,” she said, “as that will make the condition worse.”

acne “and always will be.” Additionally, she said, there are also in-office procedures, such as if someone has a painful cyst, he or she can be given a painless shot with a tiny amount of cortisone to take down the inflammation. Graf is also using a new technology called Isolaz. Graf told CBS News, “I love this treatment. It features breakthrough technology that vacuums out all the bacteria, and a laser to kill the bacteria. It’s also great for reducing redness caused by the acne inflammation.” She added, the product is the only Food and Drug Administrationapproved laser acne treatment. Isolaz, Graf said usually works in about five treatments. She added maintenance treatments may also be necessary afterward, but the treatment, she said, “works beautifully.” Graf also addressed Accutane, a product used successfully to treat more severe acne, that was recently taken off the market. She said the product was removed for “purely financial reasons” -- not because of safety.

Graf added certain birth control pills can help, too. They can suppress the hormones known as “androgens” that stimulate the oil glands.

She said the company realized that because of all the generic forms on the market, it didn’t make sense to keep the product.

However, if over-the-counter methods don’t work, you need to consult a dermatologist, Graf said, who may prescribe antibiotics or special topical creams.

“Anyone who is on Accutane doesn’t have to worry,” Graf said. “They can get one of the many generic forms available.”

She said in her own practice, she recommends a nighttime treatment of a retinoid - such as Retin A, along with a spot treatment or topical antibiotic. Newer nighttime treatments, she said, combine a retinoid with an antibiotic. This combination, she said, works synergistically. Retinoids, she said, are still extremely relevant treatments for

As for letting your adult acne go untreated, Graf doesn’t recommend it. She said, although you may outgrow it, untreated acne can still leave scars. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

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S Sports LITTLE HAVANA (CBS4) Ñ After years of fighting over costs, threats from both sides, and countless hours negotiating, the Florida Marlins broke ground on their new 37,000 seat retractable-roof stadium on Saturday. Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig helped break ground with team and local officials at Saturday’s ceremony. For years, county and city leaders struggled with the idea of finding funding for the new stadium, so as not to overburden the local taxpayers. Deals came and went until in the last year, a deal agreeable to both sides was struck and passed by the city and county commissions. Since Florida’s first season in 1993, they have shared Dolphin Stadium with the Miami Dolphins. The team believes a retractable-roof facility will help draw more fans during South Florida’s hot and rainy summers. By Saturday morning, thousands had poured into the stadium to watch the groundbreaking celebration. Monica Gonzalez brought her small dog. “I’m really excited,” she told CBS4’s Gio Benitez. The groundbreaking was officially given the green light a

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Marlins Break Ground On Its Field Of Dreams few weeks ago after a marathon meeting of Miami-Dade commissioners. “Today we’re not talking about a ballpark. We’re not dreaming about a ballpark. We are building a ballpark,” Mayor Carlos Alvarez told the crowd. But before construction could begin -- a major issue had to be settled. It was the $306 million the county pledged in tourism taxes. Those taxes are the collateral needed to secure the bonds to help pay for $2.4 billion stadium construction. On Wall Street, the county found interest rates on some of those bonds were higher than expected. So, the county could only secure $300 million in bond financing, not the originally planned $306 million. The Marlins ended the long impasse by promising to cover the $6 million dollar difference if it comes to that. Workers have actually been clearing the ground for the new stadium for a few weeks, but Saturday’s ceremony marks the official beginning of construction. The promise of some construction jobs with the stadium turned out so many unemployed workers a few weeks ago, that some were temporarily turned away. Stadium construction could create five to six thousand jobs, according to a Marlins spokesman. Also, the team has committed to ensuring that 50 percent of the construction jobs involve Miami-Dade county residents. Trade unions in Miami are the most plugged in

when it comes to the needs of subcontractors, and even they make relatively modest assumptions about how many jobs will available to their workers. Saturday’s celebration is the beginning of the end of a long process that should keep Major League Baseball, and the Marlins, in South Florida for years to come. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

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Naked Video Of ESPN Star Used To Hack PCs computers, according to computer security website, sophos.com. Andrews, who joined ESPN in 2004, has become a popular fixture on the network and the web as a vivacious and beautiful reporter. So much so, that someone used a peephole camera to record video of Andrews as she disrobed.

Coders Use ‘Peeping Tom Video’ Of Erin Andrews As Front For Computer Virus (CBS) Hackers are using an illegally-taped peephole video that has naked shots of glamorous ESPN sports reporter Erin Andrews as a lure to get clickhappy web surfers to download dangerous malware to their

Naturally, the video went viral online and ESPN lawyers have been scrambling to shut down websites that post links to the material. Celebrity website TMZ, reports that it was approached by someone trying to sell the video. “It appears the video was shot from some sort of spy cam. It looks as if someone drilled a small hole in her hotel room from

an adjoining room,” TMZ reports. The website has no intention of purchasing the tape, according to its report, insisting that it would be a clear invasion of privacy. That means it’s getting increasingly hard to find on the web, but that hasn’t stopped the growing demand for it. And it’s that drive that hackers are plugging into, according to sophos.com, a website that sells security software, but also provides security news. One version of the hack, fools surfers into clicking on what appears to be a CNN version of the video, according to Sophos. When users hit the play button they are presented with a pop up window warning them that their popup blocker has blocked the

video player window and they must launch another player. Doing so doesn’t play the video, but it does install a Trojan horse with which hackers can later attack the computer, says the site. Both Apple and Windows computers are vulnerable, according to Sophos. It is not yet clear what effect the virus will have on computers or how widely it will spread. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

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Jason Taylor’s Return Key To Dolphins’ Season show “Dancing with the Stars,” and a trade with the Washington Redskins.

Reporting Stephen Stock sstock@cbs.com

MIAMI (CBS4) Ñ It’s only been a year, but for many Dolphins fans, it was too long to be without number 99 terrorizing Dolphins opponents. But, 35-year-old Jason Taylor is back with the Dolphins and is actually running with the first-team playing weak-side linebacker for the Dolphins. Taylor’s path back to the Dolphins included a stint on the

Following the Dolphins disastrous 1-15 season in 2007, Taylor went to compete on the hit show “Dancing with the Stars.” On the show he showed the charisma that has endeared him to Miami Dolphins fans for the last few years. Taylor came up short on the show, and while he was away, the Dolphins went through an overhaul that included hiring football guru Bill Parcells. Taylor would eventually be traded by Parcells to the Washington Redskins in exchange for a secondround pick. Taylor battled injury problems as a Redskin and never regained his form as an elite NFL pass rusher. Meanwhile, the Dolphins defense was completely retooled and the team put together

a solid 11-6 campaign and won the AFC East. Taylor would be released by the Skins during the 2009 off-season and his services were reportedly heavily sought after by the New England Patriots. But, Taylor spurned the Patriots to sign with the Dolphins and return to the town and team that he started with. As training camp opened, Taylor’s role was not completely defined, but thanks to an injury/illness (depending on who you believe) to Matt Roth, Taylor has been plugged in as the weak-side linebacker for the Dolphins. The impact Taylor could have on the Dolphins defense could determine the Fins success in the 2009-2010 season. If Taylor can regain the form he showed in 2006, when he was declared the NFL Defensive Player

of the Year, the defense could be frightening for opposing quarterbacks. Taylor would team with strong-side linebacker Joey Porter and bring quite a pass rush to the Fins defense. Porter was a beast with the Dolphins 3-4 scheme in 2008, but was eventually doubleteamed down the stretch. If Taylor can bring the heat on the other side, it will free up both linebackers to terrorize quarterbacks. The only question for the Dolphins will be: can Taylor perform at a high-level throughout training camp and the regular season at his age? As CBS4 news partner the Miami Herald pointedly said, “don’t bet against him.” (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

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R Real Estate Reporting Stephen Stock sstock@cbs.com

MIAMI (CBS4 I-TEAM) Ñ The CBS4 I-Team has learned of a long-used, but little known, secret in the real estate lending world that helps homeowners facing possible foreclosure, while also helping banks who want to “move on.” The program is called “Cash for Keys” and it’s a technique that is gaining more and more favor by banks and homeowners. I-Team investigator Stephen Stock discovered that now the Federal Government is also getting in on the act. The pictures tell the story of why banks want to give cash to the very homeowners they’re kicking out. Once beautiful homes are now trashed. Garbage piled higher than windows. Walls gutted of their copper tubing. Sinks ripped off walls and cabinets. Applicances taken without a trace. According to Realty Track Incorporated, more than 1.5 million homeowners nationwide got a foreclosure filing in the first half of 2009.

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Keep It Clean And You’ll Get Cash For Keys tubing to sell, or leaving what was once their castle more like a garbage dump out of anger, frustration or lack of concern. For banks, that can add on to already costly foreclosure proceedings. So more and more banks are paying the homeowners to behave and to move out and leave the home in good condition. The program is something that’s become known as ‘Cash for Keys.’ “The ‘Cash for Keys,’ the concept is all about keeping the the property in good condition,” said Martha Pomares, 2009 Residential President of the Realtor Association of Greater Miami and the Beaches (RAMB). “Instead of having these houses abandoned and completely trashed in the banks are getting into this model of telling you, ‘Okay. If you keep the house in good shape and you maintain it until we sell it, we will be able to give you cash so you can move afterwards,’” said Pomares.

lenders sort of expediting the eviction process (where the mantra) is ‘time is money.’”

“From a lender’s perspective, we don’t like to use the term ‘Cash for Keys.’ We use ‘Relocation Assistance,’” said Brett Houston from Bridgelock Capital, a California lender specializing in real estate loans.

Experts stress “Cash for Keys” should be viewed as an option that is only a last resort. The real estate experts insist that it is not only in homeowners’ but also banks’ best interests NOT to foreclose.

The I-Team contacted several lending institutions in Florida and discovered that banks don’t like to talk about this much.

Florida is one of the leading states in number of foreclosures. There were 40 thousand of them last month alone.

But experts say homeowners and even renters who ask can get between $1,000 and $5,000 through the program as long as they leave quietly and within 30 days.

More and more, those homeowners who find themselves in foreclosure proceedings are taking appliances, ripping out fixtures and copper

“The relocation assistance is to, one, help the homeowners or the tenants obtain a new fresh start,” said Houston, “as well as the

In fact, the CBS4 I-Team found only a handful of banks, such as Wells Fargo, here in South Florida that are using the “Cash for Keys” program.

“They (the banks) can do all kinds of stuff (financial options) before you lose your property and throw in the towel,” RAMB’s said Martha Pomares. And according to a report just released by Congress’ General Accountability Office, the number of foreclosures nationwide is expected to climb through the end of this year. The GAO also shows Florida as having the highest delinquent loan repayment rate in the United States.

That’s why the US Treasury Department is implementing its own “Cash for Keys” type of program. The Feds will offer up to $1,500 to homeowners and $1,000 to banks to take part in this program and settle up and move on. That Federal “Cash For Keys” program is expected to officially start up in September, 2009. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

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‘Short Sales’ Help Home Owners Avoid Foreclosure DENVER (CBS) ÑThere were about 65,000 foreclosures in Colorado last year, according to Ideal Homes, an Aurora-based company that tries to help people avoid foreclosure. While many homeowners feel that they have no other options but to walk away, this company offers people an alternative, CBS station KCNC-TV reported. Ideal Homes specializes in “short sales.” If they’re successful, short sales can save financially-distressed homeowners from becoming foreclosure statistics. “We specialize in negotiating short sales,” said Julia Gentry, one of the owners of Ideal Homes. “So we work with homeowners who are unable to sell their homes, who are behind on their mortgage payments or even facing foreclosure. A short sale is when you approach the lender and basically ask them to take less than what’s owed on the full mortgage.”

taken care of beforehand. When a buyer comes to purchase the home they’re working with us instead of working with the lender.” Gentry says banks will usually negotiate rather than risk foreclosure. “They do that because if the home goes into foreclosure or back to the bank, they make more money by doing a short sale than just letting the home go to sale,” she said. “Once they go back to the bank it goes through this whole phase with attorney fees, putting it back on the market, and holding fees and costs; so by the time they do sell it, if they don’t sell it at auction, they’ve lost a significant amount of money -- more than if they did a short sale. “They’ll take anywhere from 80 to 89 percent of fair market value. So regardless of what’s owed on the property, that 80 to 89 percent is the range in which they’ll settle.”

Ideal Homes goes through that negotiation process with the homeowner and actually buys the home at a reduced cost. Then it turns around and sells the home.

Once the home is sold to Ideal Homes, the homeowner is free of the mortgage. The company then owns the property and negotiates with any future buyers on the sale price.

A homeowner could work with a lender on a short sale, but the downfall is that when a potential buyer comes along, the negotiation process could take several months. Gentry says there’s often a misconception that a short sale is a quick sale.

“We’re going to re-sell it at a market price or just below,” said Gentry. “So now the new homeowner who’s going to come and buy the home is going to have just a little bit of equity and be able to buy a home at a good price. It becomes a win-win for everyone involved.

“It takes at least 90 days, but every home is different, and every lender is different,” she said. “Typically if you’re working with a normal short sale (as a buyer) your bid is going into the lender. But we facilitate ours where we are purchasing the property, so it’s our price that we’re negotiating -- which is half the battle.

“If we can re-adjust the market with these home prices that are overleverage by bringing them back down, if we can create a win-win for the lender to make more money, help homeowners avoid foreclosure, and then we make a profit as a company as well. It really creates this win-win all the way across the board.”

“If you put a typical short sale on the market and someone comes to try to buy it, they’re going to have to negotiate directly with the lender, which is a very lengthy process. We do that before putting it on the market, so much of that is already

Ideal Homes bought Steve and Faye Rushings’ home in Fort Collins. They had been trying to sell the home for five years and had fallen on incredibly tough financial times. They saw an advertisement for the company on the side of the road and

decided to call, especially after researching short sales as an option.

The Rushings say the process helped them avoid foreclosure.

“Unfortunately I was working for a company that laid off some employees and I lost my job,” said Faye Rushing. “My husband was driving back and forth 120 miles round trip to his job, and then the price of fuel went up so high that it was just eating us up alive.”

“A foreclosure is where the homeowner has missed so many payments that the bank just says we’re going to take your home back,” said Gentry. “In the state of Colorado, they’re given 120 days notice, but if they’re unable to sell it or do a loan modification or rent it (often times, they feel they don’t have any other choice), so the homes goes to sale which is basically like an auction. If someone doesn’t buy it on that day, it becomes an REO or real-estateowned. So the bank now puts it on the market. We see plenty of those where the lender is then trying to sell the property for itself. You’re working with the lender, and so it’s a lengthy process.”

“We tried to sell it for years and years and the market just kept getting worse,” said Steve Rushing. “We just weren’t able to sell the home. We tried renting it and that was hit and miss. I changed jobs and that cut my salary quite a bit. Economically, things just kept getting worse and worse. It was getting to the point where we were just barely surviving from day to day. We just couldn’t sell the house, especially for what we owed on it. “It was kind of scary when we first started ... it’s like turning over your life to somebody and saying here, do this for us. At first it was nerveracking to get the process started, but as time went on they kept in communications with us, let us know on a weekly basis what was going on and how things were working, and the end result was ... the short sale went through and that relieved us.”

Ideal Homes has been in business for six years. Since the housing market faltered, their inventory has quadrupled. But when business is good for this company, it means more and more people have avoided foreclosure by using the short sale option. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

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Parkland Community Deals With Drywall Conundrum When you enter Leonard Jackson’s complex the warning hits you feet from the guard gate: “Clickers for resident lane gate access will be deactivated for all non-registered clickers & delinquent accounts.”

PARKLAND (CBS4) Ñ The Florida Department of Health says it has received close to 500 complaints associated with toxic Chinese drywall; but in one Parkland community, the drywall is creating major headaches from owners who aren’t being allowed inside. The drywall corrodes air conditioner coils, blackens jewelry and is believe to be making many people sick.

The drywall issue is having far more reaching effect than anyone could imagine. Jackson stopped paying his dues along with many of his neighbors at the Parkland Golf and Country Club when the properties became worthless. “I need to save every dime for my next place,” said Jackson, “others because they are bitter abut their situation.” Jackson showed CBS4’s Joan Murray appliances that no longer work, including a television that has a green picture and corroding wiring.

Existing Home Sales Jump In South Florida The housing market in South Florida may be getting close to recovery as there was a 54 percent increase of existing single-family home sales in June 2009 compared to June 2008, according to Realtor Association of Greater Miami and the Beaches, Inc. In the state of Florida, Miami showed the strongest numbers, nearly doubling the state average of 28 percent. The news was the same for existing condominium sales which increased 19 percent compared to 2008. “We’re certainly near the bottom if not at the bottom already,” said National Association of Realtors chief economist Lawrence Yun about the South Florida real estate market. In June 2009, 55.8 percent of the

existing condos in Miami-Dade County sold for $149,999 or less. 68 percent of condos sold during June were purchased for $199,999 or lower. The numbers for singlefamily homes were similar, with 35 percent of homes purchased in June 2009 were for under $149,999. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

“If I go like this, I’ll have to use gasoline to get this off,” said Jackson, pointing to stains he got on his fingers by touching the affected items. “We are paying for toxic property; these houses are not to be live in.” Chinese drywall is such a new concept that many property managers aren’t used to dealing with the situation. An estimated 90 homeowners are delinquent on their dues at the country club. It appears that legally they are stuck. “The reality is you still have an obligation,” said attorney William Kennedy.” Kennedy says management groups have the right to lien your property, or worse, move for an eviction.

“Until they go through the legal process to get their rights restored, you have to go through the court process,” said Jackson. Even if they try to force him out, he wont’ pay for a problem he didn’t create. He says he’ll hold on for as long as he can, even as he worries what the Chinese drywall has don’t to his family physically and financially. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) News Powered By

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Some Home Buyers Finding S. Florida Market Tough and you settle a little bit higher maybe,” assumed Liddle. “But it hasn’t been that way.” So far, they’ve put in offers on four homes, bidding more than the asking price. Each time, they’ve been rejected.

Reporting Ted Scouten tscouten@cbs .com

FT. LAUDERDALE (CBS4) Ñ Carrie Liddle and Tim Roland are getting married and are looking for a home to raise a family. They know there are lots of foreclosures out there, so they thought buying would be simple and cheap. “We figured, foreclosure, you know, offer $20-30 thousand less

“We bid almost $30 thousand over,” explained their real estate agent Steven Massey from The Hearing Team at Keller Williams Real Estate. “We found out just this morning that unfortunately we lost yet another bid to approximately 30 other bidders.” Massey told CBS4 the days of low ball offers on well priced homes, especially foreclosures, are all but over.

under the $200,000 range. Typically, the best homes, in the best neighborhoods, in the best shape, are getting 15 to 20 to 30 officers easily.” And if you’re FHA buyers, like Liddle and Roland, that means your type of loan won’t allow you to buy some rundown properties, meaning you have less to choose from. That makes smart bidding even more crucial. “We hope we find a house for us,” says Liddle. “There’s got to be one out there. You can’t give up hope.”

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Call Today “I equate it to a feeding frenzy when it comes to homes,” said Massey. “Especially homes priced

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