Thursday's Daily Pulse

› Bucs Blackout a Mixed Blessing for Bay Area Bars [St. Petersburg Times]
Facing the first Tampa Bay Bucs TV black outs since 1998, local pub owners expect to take a hit in the cash register this fall. But not a big one. The hometown NFL team that struggled last year on the field faces a rebuilding year on the sports bar circuit, too.

› Fla. Justices Hear Arguments on Amendments [Palm Beach Post]
The state conceded the ballot summary for a proposed state constitutional amendment designed to give voters a chance to weigh in on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul is misleading during arguments Wednesday before the Florida Supreme Court. Assistant Attorney General Russell S. Kent argued the high court should, instead, substitute the text of Amendment 9 for the offending summary on the Nov. 2 ballot. The justices also heard appeals on behalf of two other ballot proposals dealing with property taxes and congressional and legislative redistricting.

› Gainesville Denies Dove World a Permit to Burn Quran [Gainesville Sun]
The city of Gainesville has denied Dove World Outreach Center's application for a burn permit that would be used to burn copies of the Quran on Sept. 11. Gene Prince, the interim chief of Gainesville Fire Rescue, said Wednesday that under the city's burning ordinance, an open burning of books is not allowed.

› Four Plead Guilty in Mortgage Fraud [Palm Beach Post]
A 41-year-old Jupiter resident and three other South Floridians pled guilty Wednesday in federal court to charges related to a mortgage fraud scheme that resulted in $2.5 million in fraudulent loans.

› Ray Gilley Out at Metro Orlando EDC [Orlando Sentinel]
Ray Gilley, chief executive of the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission since 2001, has resigned amid a reassessment of the agency's priorities, the EDC announced Wednesday. In an e-mail distributed just before the close of business, EDC Chairwoman Meg Crofton said the commission has been working to reposition itself during the past year and had decided the "primary role of the president and CEO should be to strengthen relationships with our community leaders and mobilize them around shared goals."

› Gray Taught Many in Real Estate Industry [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
For hundreds of real estate agents in Southwest Florida, Andy Gray was the conduit to a new career. He was the man who taught them the law and got them ready for their licensing exams. He was also the man who helped keep their knowledge of the region's most important industry current. Many of his friends and former students are expected at a memorial at Marina Jack on the Sarasota waterfront at 5:30 p.m. Monday, which would have been Gray's 62nd birthday.

› Teachers Union Using School E-mail to Campaign [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
It is no surprise that the Sarasota County teachers union supports Jane Goodwin for an open school board seat, considering Goodwin worked closely with the union in convincing voters to support the extension of a school sales tax. What is surprising is that the Sarasota Classified/Teachers Association members use the school e-mail system to lobby for candidates.