Thursday's Daily Pulse

› Trump Says His Name Is Off Fort Lauderdale Condo Hotel [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Real estate mogul Donald J. Trump said he's no longer affiliated with the unfinished luxury condo-hotel tower on Fort Lauderdale beach that was to carry his name and now faces foreclosure. "We have nothing to do with the building. We had a licensing deal, and we terminated the licensing deal a long time ago," Trump told the Sun Sentinel late Tuesday. "We're not involved with the foreclosure." The statement comes nearly eight months after the new loan holder filed to foreclose on what was to be the Trump International Hotel & Tower, a $200 million project that was supposed to bring cachet to Fort Lauderdale as one of the area's most glamorous addresses.

› Behind a Foreclosure, Danger and Tragedy [Miami Herald]
In a nation with millions of foreclosed homes, the one next door proved the most dangerous for 2-year-old Isaac Dieudonne. On Oct. 11, 2009, Margarrette and Woulby Dieudonne were moving into their new home in the 6700 block of Southwest 26th Street in Miramar when their son Isaac strolled unnoticed out the family's open front door. Minutes later, the toddler was found floating facedown in the algae-ridden backyard pool of a neighboring foreclosed home. A neighbor administered CPR as the foul water spewed from Isaac's mouth. Thirteen minutes after arriving at the hospital, he was pronounced dead. The Dieudonnes' tragedy led to a wrongful death lawsuit that shows how complications from the nation's housing downturn can slow the wheels of justice.

› Honor Flight Organizers Have Goal of Making Spring Trip [Ocala Star-Banner]
Only a few days removed from last week’s Ocala Honor Flight, organizers are moving forward with a push to get another flight up by spring. Time is of the essence, as many of the World War II veterans, who are flown for free to visit the U.S. National World War II Memorial in Washington D.C., are passing away, said Morrey Deen, one of the flight’s organizers. “Every day, we lose more of them, or their health won’t allow them to travel,” Deen said. “We have probably a window of about three years to get as many World War II veteran to the memorial as we can.” Each trip costs approximately $80,000 and is paid for through private donations. “The majority of donations were from different service clubs. Two of the nursing homes in town raised a pretty good amount of money. We have some larger donations, but most is from individual checks,” Deen said of the recent flight. “Raising the money is the most time consuming part of the program.”

› Prominent Manatee Builder and 7 Companies File for Bankruptcy [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Mike Carter, the prominent developer and builder who helped reshape downtown Bradenton, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, along with seven of his companies. Federal court records do not yet contain detailed lists of Carter's debts or the names of all his creditors, but they estimate that he and the companies owe $10 million to $50 million to as many as 49 creditors, including the Manatee County tax collector, SunTrust Bank, Riverside Bank of Florida, Southern Commerce Bank and Pitney Bowes Global Financial Services. In addition to his Bradenton construction company, Carter also is seeking protection from creditors for a series of partnerships and related entities, including Mike Carter I Inc.; Design Team West Inc., a wholly owned architectural affiliate; R.D. Marina LLC and R.D. Marina II LLC; and Production Properties.

› Blue Medical Supply Names Chief Executive [Florida Times-Union]
Jacksonville-based Blue Medical Supply Inc. has named 20-year health care industry veteran Shaun Ginter as president and chief executive officer. The privately held medical and surgical supply distributor serves physicians’ offices throughout the Southeast. Ginter comes aboard with experience in retail operations, management and supply chain distribution.

› Orlando Defense-Simulation Industry Faces Pentagon Cuts [Orlando Sentinel]
After almost a decade of unfettered wartime growth, Orlando's high-profile military-training industry may be facing a slowdown. Local training-and-simulation businesses are bracing for leaner Pentagon budgets as Defense Secretary Robert Gates seeks to save $100 billion during the next five years by lowering overhead costs and weaponry expenses. The U.S. defense chief plans to use the savings to pay for combat operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Some of Central Florida's high-tech-training businesses, along with other defense contractors, are already feeling the pinch.

› Accounting Firm Makes Sure It Has Knowledgeable Clients [Fort Myers News-Press]
Steven Brettholtz said his accounting firm already is gearing up for tax season, but he knows the challenging months ahead aren’t when the business really makes itself stand out. “At the end of the day, Accountant A and Accountant B have the knowledge and ability to do the same tax return,” Brettholtz said. “The question is: What are you doing to help the client the rest of the year?” Brettholtz is the president and managing partner of Myers, Brettholtz & Co. The firm was among four Lee County businesses honored in September with an Industry Appreciation Award from the Horizon Council. Over the years, the firm has developed specialties including serving golf and country clubs, nonprofit organizations and medical practices, as well as general accounting and tax services. The specialties have helped the firm weather the economic storm in recent years, he said.