noW thREE dAYs A WEEK ••• Post CommEnts At on CAPE-CoRAL-dAiLY-bREEzE.Com Baker CAPE CORAL advances Local team wins in Mariner tournament BREEZE — SPORTS EARLY-WEEK Edition WEATHER:Partly Cloudy • Tonight: Mostly Clear • Wednesday: Chance of Rain — 2A cape-coral-daily-breeze.com Vol. 48, No. 292 Tuesday, December 22, 2009 50 cents Man killed in shootout with police identified behind the wheel of the Kia and dead at the scene. Three others reportedly involved in home invasion charged started to speed away, according Three people in the KIA with to the statement. Richardson — identified by By DREW WINCHESTER Acres, died at the scene following on the Kia in front of the Steak N’ Additional shots were fired police as Jarrett Delshun Mundle, [email protected] an exchange of gunfire with Shake, ordering the driver out of from the Kia toward the police 19, of 2729 Colonial Blvd., Apt. Cape Coral police have police officers, according to a the vehicle, officials reported. officers, who returned fire. The 206, Fort Myers; Mike Borrell, released the name of a man killed prepared statement. The driver, Kia then crashed into the back of 27, of 3463 C St., Apt. 815, Fort in a shooting Sunday in front of He was a passenger in a white Patrick Rhodes Nelson, 19, of a police cruiser. Myers; and Nelson — each have the Steak N’ Shake on Pine Island Kia that was suspected to be have 2160 Clubhouse Road, North Officials reported Richardson been charged with felony murder Road East. been used in a home invasion rob- Fort Myers, did so after a shot exited the Kia after the crash, in the death, along with home Tyson Lee Richardson, 21, of bery Saturday night. was fired from inside the Kia. took a few steps and collapsed to 3906 28th St. S.W., Lehigh Police initiated a traffic stop Richardson then moved the ground. He was pronounced See SHOOTOUT, page 6A Checking out the DVDs Local officials unsure if health care changes will help area residents By MCKENZIE CASSIDY Monday supporting the reform [email protected] bill. Senators could pass health “I firmly believe this legisla- care reform as early as Christmas tion will provide more affordable Eve, but what effect it will have coverage for millions of unin- locally is still unclear. sured Americans, prevent insur- The Congress’ upper house ance companies from dropping passed the latest version of the folks who get sick and stop them reform bill early Monday morn- from denying coverage for pre- ing with a tight margin of 60-40, existing conditions,” said Nelson. reported the Associated Press. “The legislation will also help This week the bill is scheduled reduce the country’s deficit.” for two more votes, one this Nelson, who believes reform morning and the other on will make health care more avail- Christmas Eve. able and affordable, said he suc- Conservatives on the opposite cessfully added an amendment aisle continue to hold out on the into the bill that excluded bill and criticize last-minute 800,000 Florida policyholders negotiations that have made from having their Medicare changes to the draft without pro- Advantage cut, many of whom viding Senators a time to review are seniors living in the southern or amend. portion of the state. Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, D- MICHAEL PISTELLA Orlando, released a statement See OFFICIALS, page 6A Dustin Coleman looks at DVDs with Cape Coral Police Officer Jason Matyas at Wal- Mart on Del Prado Boulevard, Monday. The pair are participating in the Cape Police Department's annual Shop With a Cop program. It is the seventh year the department has helped local children facing financial challenges experience a more enjoyable Deadline approaches Christmas season. CCPD hosts seventh annual to sign up for Florida Shop With A Cop program Prepaid College Plans Programs will lock-in 2010 tuition rates 65 children participate in holiday gift-buying benefit By MCKENZIE CASSIDY Florida’s state colleges paying [email protected] 2010 tuition rates. By TIFFANY REPECKI enjoyable holiday season. Each shopping list, but he did have While spending this week “Buying toys, video games [email protected] child receives a Wal-Mart gift some ideas in mind. A bit of a searching for the perfect and sports equipment is fun, but After a warm breakfast at card, then is paired up with a jokester, the teen was set on one Christmas present for a child, it’s smart to redirect some of Perkins Restaurant and Bakery, police officer for a day of shop- gag gift for his father: epoxy. He why not put down this holiday those dollars to what children will followed by a group photograph ping. and Camady shared a laugh season’s sensationalized “hot” need for their future, a college in the chilly morning air, 65 Devin Morande, 14, an while talking about it. gift and offer them up a college education,” said Tom Wallace, children set out to shop for their eighth-grader at Challenger “His dad thinks he can fix education instead. executive director of the Florida families for Christmas at Wal- Middle School, teamed up with anything with epoxy,” Camady Florida Prepaid College Plans Prepaid College Board, in a pre- Mart on Monday. Officer Carl Camady to search said, adding that the two are enrolling children until Jan. pared statement. The Cape Coral Police for presents for his family. planned on buying a big, indus- 31 in a program that locks in cur- There are two plans available: Department hosted its annual Devin wanted to get gifts for his trial-size tube of the adhesive. rent tuition rates for their tod- Florida Prepaid College Plan and Shop With a Cop program for parents, Bruce and Carol; his 9- One large gift Devin had not dlers. Rather than opening a sav- Florida College Investment Plan. the seventh year, helping local year-old sister, Katelyn; and his planned on buying was some- ings account today and paying The college plan is a pre-pay children who are facing difficult 14-year-old stepbrother, Tyler. tuition rates for 2028, parents can program that is good at 11 public challenges experience a more Devin said he did not have a See CCPD, page 6A get their children into one of See DEADLINE, page 6A Cool temperatures, decorated boats help Cape celebrate holiday Boat-A-Long attracts 150 watercrafts Jayden Strauss, 15 months, By DREW WINCHESTER the yacht basin, bringing experiences snow for the [email protected] Christmas cheer as they cruised the first time with his dad The excitement built through local waters. Heiko during the Cape the crowd as Santa Claus made Organizer Dave Drake said the Coral Boat-A-Long fest his arrival on the shores of Four temperatures weren’t as bad as he Sunday at Four Freedoms Freedoms Park late Sunday, but it was expecting, and that prospects Park. The snow was syn- was the cool temperatures and of a cool night weren’t keeping thetic from a machine, but brisk breeze that truly made the people away. Jayden was nonetheless “It’s not as cold as I thought it 33rd annual Christmas Boat-A- amazed. More photos from Long feel like a holiday event. would be,” Drake said. “It’s look- While Cape Coral’s chilly ing good out here ... from what the Boat-A-Long are avail- temperatures were nothing com- I’m seeing, there’s 5,000 people able online at: cu.cape- pared to other parts of the country on shore.” coral-daily-breeze.com. buried under snow, the weather Drake has chaired the event helped to add a little something MICHAEL PISTELLA extra for more than 150 boats in See BOAT-A-LONG, page 3A ATAGLANCE AROUND THE CAPE NEWS OF NOTE WHAT’S INSIDE New Year’s Eve party set Two drown trying to save dog Cape Harbour will host its 4th annual MCARTHUR, Calif. (AP) — Annie’s Mailbox......10A Environment ....13A Florida New Year’s party Thursday, Dec. 31, fea- Authorities say two brothers drowned after Cape Life ..........7A Horoscopes......10A turing a gala, magical midnight fireworks falling into icy waters while attempting to Lottery display and ball drop from high above the rescue a dog that fell into a Northern Community ........8A Obituaries ..........6A CASH 3: Promenade overlooking The Marina. California lake. Classifieds ............1-7B Police Blotter ....2A 5-0-7 / 9-0-6 Ring in the New Year and help count The coroner’s office identified the men Comics ............12A Sports ........14-15A PLAY 4: down the minutes to the midnight hour Monday as 38-year-old Noel Smith of 4-3-7-8 / 8-5-9-5 when the ball, covered in shimmering, Burney and 32-year-old Nathan Smith of Crossword........12A Today in History......9A Fantasy 5 sparkling lights, is dropped against a spec- Citrus Heights. Dr. Donohue......10A TV Highlights..........9A 8-12-18-25-29 tacle of dazzling fireworks. The 170-foot Authorities say the men ended up in the Lotto ball drop from atop the Marina South con- water Saturday evening after their dog fell Editorial ..........4-5A Weather ............2A 6-8-11-16-17-48 x 3 dominium complex has become a popular through the ice at Big Lake in Shasta Florida Powerball 17-24-39-41-47 tradition and is one of the most anticipated County. One of the men was submerged for PB 21 x 3 celebrations in the city. about 20 minutes and the other for about For more information, go to www.cape- 50 minutes. Rescuers pulled them out but harbour.com and click on “Events” or call were unable to revive them.