DIRECTORS PAGE

FRUSTRATING ELECTION DAY-SOTTOPS

***Decision 2012***

Voter Frustration

41:47 we're outraged this is a disgrace."

WIDESPREAD FRUSTRATION FOR LEE COUNTY VOTERS.

41:04 "it doesn't matter how quickly you vote you have to stand in line to scan." 41:08

"they should not have reduced the precincts here."

***Decision 2012***

The Broken Equipment

THE RAIN.

THE BROKEN EQUIPMENT.

"It was well worth it until I didn't get to scan my vote. That left a sour taste."

***Decision 2012***

5 Hour Wait

THE WAIT AS LONG AS FIVE HOURS IN SOME PRECINCTS

DECISION 2012 OPEN-CLIP

TOSS TO STEVE-(2)SOT-TRX-2SHT PUSH

It seems like common sense that you should be able to move one machine over when there's no line for the other precinct

00:57 "Somebody can't count. But that's normal with the government. Nobody counts right."

THOUSANDS OF LEE COUNTY VOTERS ARE FRUSTRATED TONIGHT,

AND MANY ARE STILL IN LINE RIGHT NOW WAITING FOR HOURS TO CAST THEIR BALLOT.

GOOD EVENING, I'M KELLIE BURNS.

AND I'M PETER BUSCH.

OUR NEWSROOM HAS BEEN FLOODED ALL DAY WITH PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS FROM PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO SHARE THEIR STORIES.

THE BIGGEST PROBLEM, IN MOST CASES, IS THE FACT THERE'S ONLY ONE BALLOT SCANNER TO PROCESS YOUR VOTE.

SETUP TO REPORTERS-QUAD BOX

OUR CREWS ARE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT LEE COUNTY, WHERE WAIT TIMES ARE UP TO SIX HOURS IN SOME PLACES.

WE BEGIN OUR LIVE COVERAGE TONIGHT, WITH NBC2'S STEVE CAMPION.

HE'S AT ONE OF THE BUSIEST PRECINCTS IN THE CAPE.

VOTING ISSUES-REMLIVE

Hundred of people wait in this line at precinct 94 -- in waits totaling 4 hours.

VOTING ISSUES-VO

-- Just moments ago, we saw election staff rolled in just one addition scanner.

Up until that point -- the line was crawling at a snails place.

Throughout th day --Paramedics even rolled voters out of the ballot but not before they cast a ballot.

In other parts of the city, jammed scanners left people waiting in similar long lines.

VOTING ISSUES-SOTS

VOTING ISSUES-REMLIVE

Back out here live -- again another scanner has finally been delivered here.

But at that rate things have been going, these people tell us they're in it for the long haul. Even as night falls.

TOSS TO JOELLE-OC-MAPFLY

SAME SITUATION IN SOUTH FORT MYERS RIGHT NOW. THE LINE IS GROWNING. AS PEOPLE GET OUT OF WORK.

NBC 2'S JOELLE PARKS IS LIVE AT RUTENBERG PARK OFF CYPRESS LAKE DRIVE.

SFM LONG LINES-REMLIVE

SFM LONG LINES-SOTS

SFM LONG LINES-REMLIVE

TOSS TO JENNIFER-OC-MAPFLY

JOELLE, THANK YOU.

NOW LET'S GET STRAIGHT TO NBC2'S JENNIFER TRAMMELL.

SHE'S LIVE IN NORTH FORT MYERS AT THE HERON'S GLEN COMMUNITY.

AND JEN, WE'RE HEARING WAIT TIMES OF UP TO FOUR AND A HALF HOURS.

NFM LONG LINES-REMLIVE

NFM LONG LINES-SOTS

NFM LONG LINES-REMLIVE

TOSS TO HEATHER-ONCAM

VIEWERS HAVE BEEN SENDING PICTURES TO OUR NEWSROOM AND OUR FACEBOOK PAGE. GIVING US A FIRSTHAND LOOK AT THEIR ELECTION EXPERIENCE.

NBC2 ANCHOR, HEATHER TURCO, HAS BEEN GOING THROUGH SOME OF THE MOST RECENT ONES.

LONG LINES PICTURES-TRFC MITTO

COLLIER & CHARLOTTE SMOOTH SAILING-OC-SOTS-VO

THE LONG VOTING LINES SEEM TO BE ISOLATED TO LEE COUNTY.

WE HAD CREWS IN CHARLOTTE AND COLLIER COUNTY TODAY.

AND EVERYTHING RAN SMOOTH.

Thomas Melillo

"I was in and out within 10 minutes." 48:41

Jane Parker

"I just got out probably in about 25 minutes it was very easy." 52:39

Gloria Katz

"I'm very happy I didn't vote early because most of my friends who voted early had to wait between 1 and 2 hours."

ELECTION OFFICIALS IN COLLIER COUNTY TELL US THEY HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS.

THEY SAY THEY DEPLOYED EVERY PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THEY HAVE FOR THIS ELECTION-- WHICH IS SOMETHING THEY USUALLY DON'T DO.

AND IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY-- A SIMILAR STORY.

ELECTION EXPLAINER-OC-FSS

WE WANT TO GIVE YOU A SNEAK PEAK AT WHAT YOU'LL BE SEEING ON OUR AIR TONIGHT.

STARTING AT 7:25, NBC 2 WILL BE CUTTING INTO PROGRAMMING AT 25 AND 55 PAST THE HOUR FOR UPDATES ON LOCAL RACES.

WE'LL DO IT RIGHT UP UNTIL 11 O'CLOCK.

THIS IS A GRAPHIC YOU'LL SEE FREQUENTLY.

IT SHOWS THE RACE FOR PRESIDENT.

YOU SEE THE PRECINCTS REPORTING ON THE TOP RIGHT-- AND THE PERCENTAGE FOR EACH CANDIDATE NEXT TO THEIR PICTURE.

TOSS TO CHAD-ONCAM

ANOTHER BIG RACE WE'RE ON TOP TONIGHT, IS FLORIDA'S U-S SENATE SEAT.

CONNIE MACK IS TRYING TO STEAL THE TITLE FROM INCUMBENT BILL NELSON.

WE HAVE CREWS AT BOTH CAMPAIGN PARTIES.

SEN. NELSON CAMPAIGN PARTY-MINIPKG

I'M SETUP INSIDE THE EMBASSY SUITES WHERE LATER TONIGHT SENATOR BILL NELSON HOPES TO GIVE A VICTORY SPEECH AT THE PODIUM BEHIND ME.

HE VOTED EARLY AND HAS KEPT A LOW PROFILE TODAY.

I'M TOLD THE SENATOR IS WATCHING RETURNS TONIGHT WITH HIS FAMILY.

POLLING SHOWS SENATOR NELSON ENTERS ELECTION DAY WITH A LEAD.

BUT THE ONLY NUMBER THAT MATTER IS THE FINAL RESULT.

MOMENTS AGO HIS CAMPAIGN SPOKESPERSON LAID OUT WHAT HE SEES AS A WINNING STRATEGY.

SOT PAUL KINCAID / NELSON SPOKESPERSON TRT: 15 SECS

:01:03

people in Florida have really seen the message of being a moderate centrist, that Bill Nelson has brought to the table. he works across the aisle to solve problems and really is trying to rebuilding and expand the middle class create good florida jobs and protect our social safety net." 17

DEMOCRATS HOLD A SLIM MAJORITY OF SEATS IN THE U-S SENATE.

TO KEEP THAT MAJORITY - THE PARTY IS BANKING ON BILL NELSON WINNING A THIRD TERM.

SOME FAMILY MATTERS AT PLAY TONIGHT.

WHEN NELSON WON IN FIRST WON IN 2000. HE TOOK OVER THE SEAT FORMERLY OCCUPIED BY CONNIE MACK'S FATHER.

WIN OR LOSE - I'LL HAVE SENATOR NELSON'S REACTION TONIGHT.

TOSS TO LINDSAY-DBX-TOPS

NOW LET'S GET TO CONNIE MACK'S CAMPAIGN PARTY.

NBC2 ANCHOR, LINDSAY LOGUE, IS LIVE AT THE HYATT AT COCONUT POINT, IN LEE COUNTY.

MACK CAMPAIGN PARTY-REMLIVE

AD LIB WHAT'S GOING ON HERE

MACK IS EXPECTED AT XX TIME WITH CLOSE FAMILY AND FRIENDS

MACK CAMPAIGN PARTY-VO-SS-OC

IT'S BEEN A BATTLE SINCE ANNOUNCING HE WAS SEEKING SENATOR BILL NELSON'S SEAT -- AND ONE ONCE HELD BY HIS FATHER, CONNIE MACK THE FOURTH.

DESPITE MACKS CAMPAIGN AND REPUBLICAN BACKED SUPERPACKS SPENDING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON ATTACK ADS AGAINST NELSON --

A RECENT POLL JUST OUT ON MONDAY SHOWS MACK TRAILING BY 6 POINTS.

MACK SAYS THE POLLS ARE WRONG.

OF COURSE TODAY THE ONLY POLL THAT MATTERS -- THE OFFICIAL BALLOT COUNT.

MACK WRAPPED UP HIS STATEWIDE BUSTOUR IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA MONDAY --

WE EXPECT TO SEE HIM HERE AT THE HYATT TONIGHT AT XXX.

MACK CAMPAIGN PARTY-SOTVO

MACK CAMPAIGN PARTY-REMLIVE

GOV. SCOTT VOTED IN NAPLES-VO

EVEN THE GOVERNOR HAD TO WAIT TO VOTE TODAY.

LEE COUNTY ELECTIONS SUPERVISOR-OC-SOTVO

WE WENT TO LEE COUNTY SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS SHARON HARRINGTON LOOKING FOR ANSWERS.

SHE BLAMES THE LONG LINES ON THE LONG BALLOT, AND SAYS MANY VOTERS ARE PUTTING THE FOUR PAGE BALLOT INTO THE SCANNERS ALL AT ONCE, INSTEAD OF ONE PAGE AT A TIME.

10 31 13. 35

It's a small price to pay for the privilege of being able to vote every four years. It's not like we're asking them to do this all the time. This is extremely, extremely unusual. We planned for what we thought we were going to need. And with that long ballot, it's creating havoc everywhere.

RIGHT NOW HARRINGTON AND A CANVASSING BOARD ARE GOING OVER MAIL-IN BALLOTS.

WE'RE BEING TOLD 200 VOTES WON'T COUNT BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T SIGNED.

ELECTION COVERAGE TZ-OC-BNR

OUR SPECIAL ELECTION COVERAGE IS JUST GETTING STARTED TONIGHT.

WE'LL BE ON-AIR EVERY HALF HOUR-- WITH A SCROLL SHOWING RESULTS AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SCREEN.

BIGELOW & MEDSTAR-VOWIPE

GETTING TO OTHER LOCAL NEWS NOW.

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TOOK A STEP TOWARD PRIVATIZING THE COUNTY'S MEDICAL HELICOPTER PROGRAM.

FOUR COMPANIES WANT TO TAKE OVER THE GROUNDED MEDSTAR PROGRAM.

THE PROBLEM - NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THESE COMPANIES WANT TO CHARGE TO RUN IT.

AND NO ONE DECIDED TO MAKE A PUSH FOR THAT INFORMATION UNTIL TODAY.

THE MOVE ISN'T GOING OVER WELL WITH PROPONENTS OF THE MEDSTAR PROGRAM -

BIGELOW & MEDSTAR-SOTVO

What is the threat at looking at proposals we have never seen before in this county.

here working for the county we all kept an ear to fiscal responsibility. But our primary focus could be patient care.

TWINS LEASE AGREEMENT PASSES-VO

IT'S A DEAL.

LEE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPROVED A CONTRACT THAT WILL KEEP THE MINNESOTA TWINS PLAYING SPRING TRAINING HERE FOR THIRTY YEARS.

THE COUNTY WILL PAY TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO UPGRADE THE STADIUM.

THE TWINS WILL PAY FOR A NEW 4 MILLION DOLLAR DORM FOR PLAYERS.

THE LEASE AGREEMENT GIVES THE TWINS THE OPTION OF CHANGING THE NAME OF HAMMOND STADIUM.

TEASE ONE-ONCAM

ALL NEW AT SIX--

IT'S THE MUST-SEE INVESTIGATION.

A SOUTHWEST FLORIDA COUPLE CLAIMS THEIR AUTISTIC SON'S TEACHER MADE FUN OF THEIR FAMILY IN CLASS.

THEY SAY THEY HAVE PROOF.

IN A SPECIAL NBC2 INVESTIGATION--

THE SECRET RECORDINGS-- AND WHY THEY MIGHT NOT STICK IN COURT.

AND YOU'RE LOOKING LIVE AT VOTERS WAITING IN LINE, IN LEE COUNTY.

WE'LL GET YOU BACK OUT THERE FOR A FULL REPORT, NEXT.

TZ1 A) TEACHER INVESTIGATION-VOTOPS

TZ1 C) FORECAST TEASE-STC

STOCKS BUMP-CGTOPS

ROBERT VAN WINKLE FORECAST OPEN-CLIP

FIRST ALERT FORECAST-WXWALL

THIS WEATHERCAST HAS BEEN PREPARED BY THE NBC2 WEATHER STAFF.

TOSS TO DAVE

A SOUTHWEST FLORIDA MOM SUSPECTS HER AUTISTIC SON IS BEING TAUNTED AT SCHOOL.

SO SHE TOOK SOME DRASTIC MEASURES -- ILLEGALLY RECORDING HIS TEACHERS IN CLASS.

TONIGHT NBC 2 INVESTIGATOR DAVE ELIAS ASKS HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO PROTECT YOUR CHILD?

TEACHER INVESTIGATION-PLASMA

TEACHER INVESTIGATION-TRX-PKG

babe Cook/Mother ///01:51 We take our children to school and pray that they're in a safe environment. 01:56

BUT COMMENTS MADE BY BABE COOK'S 10 YEAR OLD AUTISTIC SON LED HER TO BELIEVE OTHERWISE.

Babe Cooke /// 02:18 We're pulling up to the school and Christopher is crying. Please don't make me go! Please don't make me go! 02:22

THE COOK'S SAY CHRISTOPHER'S BEHAVIOR WAS OUT OF CHARACTER.

David Cook/ Father ///:58 He also was developing these little nervous ticks that we hadn't seen before. 01:17

STANDUP: desperate to find out what was happening, babe cooke tells me she secretly placed this recorder into her sons backpack and sent him to school. when he returned what she says the tape contained was disturbing.

david Cook /// 06:27 Astonished! Dismayed! Appalled! 06:30

David Cook/Babe Cook // 25:46 He is demeaned. He is yelled at. He is berated. They speak of my Puerto Rican ethnicity in front of him 25:55.

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE DISTRICT LISTENED TO THE RECORDING.

BASED ON WHAT THEY HEARD; THEY PUT A LETTER OF CAUTION IN THE TEACHER'S FILE;

WARNING HER NOT TO MAKE COMMENTS REGARDING PERSONAL MATTERS IN THE PRESENCE OF STUDENTS.

TEACHER SHARON PETTEYS RESPONDED; BY SAYING SHE TAKES THE LETTER SERIOUSLY AND WILL ABIDE BY IT'S DIRECTIVES. BUT SHE ALSO SAYS SHE'S CONCERNED THE DISTRICT SET A PRECEDENT BY USING THE RECORDING FOR DISCIPLINARY ACTION.

YOU SEE; FLORIDA LAW PROHIBITS SECRETLY TAPING A PRIVATE CONVERSATION WITHOUT THE OTHER PERSON'S OK.

SO WHAT THE COOKS DID, COULD BE ILLEGAL.

L.T. Lafferty/Attorney /// 02:31 However that is not an absolute right of privacy. 02:34

ATTORNEY L.T. LAFFERTY SAYS THIS SITUATION IS A GREY AREA.

Lafferty /// 03:03 That's the fundamental question, is whether or not the teacher had an expectation of privacy. 03:09

BABE COOK DOESN'T BELIEVE SO.

AND SAYS SHE'D DO THE SAME THING AGAIN.

TEACHER INVESTIGATION-PL-1-SHT-PL

THE DISTRICT RESPONDED TO US IN WRITING SAYING IT "CANNOT IGNORE AN EMPLOYEE MISCONDUCT SITUATION REGARDLESS OF HOW THE EVIDENCE IS OBTAINED."

SINCE THE INCIDENT THE COOKS HAVE MOVED CHRISTOPHER INTO A PRIVATE SCHOOL.

THEY TELL ME HE'S DOING WELL.

WHAT DOES THE TEACHER'S UNION THINK ABOUT ALL THIS?

THE UNION'S ATTORNEY TELLS ME MUCH OF THE RECORDING HAS BEEN TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT. IT'S UP TO THE TEACHERS NOW AS TO WHETHER

TOSS TO STEVE-ONCAM

WE WANT TO GET BACK OUT TO NBC2'S STEVE CAMPION.

HE'S LIVE IN CAPE CORAL, FROM ONE OF THE BUSIEST POLLING LOCATIONS IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA TONIGHT.

CAPE VOTING PROBLEMS-REMLIVE

More and more people continue to show up here at precinct 94 -- by the minute.

Unfortunately, some are tuning away when they see the hundreds of people still in line!

The wait for some voters -- almost six hours.

The line wraps around this parking lot and just slowly moving.

If you're thinking about voting, you need to be in line at your precinct by 7pm.

If you are you'll be allowed to vote -- but for the looks of this line -- you may be waiting well into the evening.

BREAK TWO

75 SB SHUTDOWN-TRX-REMLIVE

BREAKING NEWS.

ALL LANES OF INTERSTATE 75 IN FORT MYERS ARE SHUT DOWN FROM DANIELS PARKWAY TO ALICO ROAD AFTER A TRUCK HIT THE DANIELS OVERPASS.

HERE'S SOME BRAND NEW INFORMATION FROM FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL.

TRAFFIC TRAVELING NORTH WILL BE DIVERTED AT ALICO.

LIVE LOOK AT POLLING LOCATION-REMLIVE

CLOSE-4SHOT