Bishop Eddie Long being crowned King by Ralph Messer (see video below)

Rev. Wil Gafney, Associate Professor and Biblical scholar at The Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, writing for huffingtonpost.com, denounces Ralph Messer, the man who crowned Long, and who describes himself as a Jew.

See Video Below of Eddie Long being crowned King by New Birth.

“He (Ralph Messer) may well be some sort of Messianic Jew, a person who claims Jewish heritage and recognizes Jesus as the Son of God, but who is not part of one of the major Jewish movements: Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, Reform, Renewal. He does not, however, represent recognizable Jewish thought or practice in his (mis-) representations of the Torah and other Jewish sancta — or for that matter, New Testament and Christian biblical interpretation and theology,” Gafney states.

Gafney goes on to debunk the claims made by Messer during the ritual with Long, as these relate to the Torah and Torah Scrolls.

Meanwhile, United Methodist pastor Keith Johnson of the Biblical Foundations Academy, joined others in expressing his shock and outrage over the crowning of Long by the “Messianic ‘rabbi’ Messer.

“Ralph Messer has been exploiting African Americans and making a mockery of the Hebrew roots of the faith for years,” Johnson said in a statement.

Johnson said, he first met Messer 11 years ago and had occasion to challenge him on his ability to read and teach the Hebrew language. He said it was obvious to him and others present, Messer failed on both counts.

“For the past ten years, I have seen Messer continue to throw around Hebrew terms he does not fully understand and misuse holy objects such as Torah Scrolls to manipulate people and bring them under his authority as a “rabbi” and a supposed ‘representative of the Jewish People and the Land of Israel,’” he elaborated in his statement.

Bishop Eddie Long being lifted up and paraded around New Birth church to cheers from the congregation (see video below)

Johnson said, he hopes by speaking out, others will be “spared from falling prey to Messer’s manipulative practices that offend both Jew and Gentile alike.”

Like Johnson, Rabbi Ira Michaelson, of Beth Tefillah in Clermont, Florida, echoed his outrage over Messer’s actions, pointing out he is not recognized by legitimate Messianic Jews.

“What Ralph Messer did is desecration of the Holy Scroll, the Torah,” he said.  ”No Jewish person would do something like this–target a particular group of people, namely, African-Americans.”   After the tears and abomination I saw, I felt straight outrage, Rabbi Ira added.

Rabbi Ira said there is an uproar in the traditional Jewish community over Messer’s actions which could reverberate as far as Israel.

There are rumors that Messer will be in Orlando over the week-end to crown pastor Paula White, new leader of the New Destiny Christian Center (NDCC), queen.

White, in a decision that sparked much controversy, succeeded the late pastor Zachery Tims, as head of NDCC at the beginning of 2012.

Video of New Birth Crowning Eddie Long King

Angel Bodiford accepts one of her gifts as Orange County's 2012 Support Person of the Year

Bodiford’s principal, Chris Daniels, reacting to the news said, it takes a special person to do her job day in and day out. “She’s got it, that special quality you need to work with children with disabilities,” he said.

Bodiford has worked for OCPS for 23 years. She works side by side with teachers and paraprofessionals to create a learning environment in which students with disabilities may thrive. She instructs students, implements behavior plans, and diffuses crisis situations. Her co-workers say she is a positive and important Exceptional Student Education team member. In addition to her job responsibilities, she can be seen managing the car line, working lunch duty, or assisting at the front desk.

Among the gifts Bodiford received were: $500 from CFE Federal Credit Union, $500 from AXA Advisors, a one-year lease of a brand new Nissan Altima from Sutherlin Nissan, a three-day cruise for two to the Bahamas, a two-night stay at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, and a memorial ring from Jostens.

As Orange County Public Schools Support Person of the Year, Angel Bodiford will be considered for the Florida School-Related Employee of the Year.

Employers added 257,000 jobs in January, the greatest number in the past nine months and up more than 20 percent of the number of jobs added in December.

Overall, private sector jobs have been added for 23 straight months, for a total of 3.7 million payroll jobs over that period. Over the last 12 month, 2.2 million net private sectors were added.

Almost every sector experienced accelerated growth. Sectors with net job increases in December included professional and business services (+70,000), manufacturing (+50,000), leisure and hospitality (+44,000), health care and social assistance (+29,700), and construction (+21,000). Government lost 14,000 jobs.

Despite the falling unemployment rate, more than 14 million Americans who want a job are unable to find one.

OCSO motorcycle on auction block

The sale of vehicles is part of OCSO forfeiture and surplus vehicle auction.

WHAT: OCSO Forfeiture and Surplus Vehicle Auction

WHEN: Preview Friday – February 3, 2012 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Auction Saturday – February 4, 2012 9:00 am – Until all cars are sold!

WHERE: Sheriff’s Office Central Operations
Fleet Management Parking Area
2200 West Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32804

According to Jeff Williamson, OCSO-PIO and poet:

If you’ve been walking to work,
And have blisters on your feet-
Come to the OCSO Auction
Where prices can’t be beat!

From Impala’s to Crown Vic’s
And F-150’s that are so nice
Explorers, and Jet Ski,
And a motorcycle – bid your price!

Van’s, Trucks, we got ‘em
Our auction is simply the best
So come on over and buy a car,
…and give those feet a rest.

Heather Brodeur - suspect

Troopers arrested 33-year-old Heather Brodeur, of Melbourne, after she drove her 2011 Toyota Camry in a Bus Only Lane at Suntree Elementary School. They say Brodeur struck a gate, drove over a curb and exited the parking lot the wrong way out of the entrance to go to the student pick-up area.

Brodeur was arrested for DUI, DUI with property damage and careless driving.

Troopers say, there were no injuries and no students were involved in the crash.

(Photo:CBS)

25-year-old Lyza Walker has been charged with the stabbing death of 51-year-old Bruce Bridges after an argument between the two turned physical. Bridges died shortly after he knocked on the door of a residence in the 5000 block on Vanguard Street, off I-Drive, where he went to ask for help.

Investigators say, Walker fled the scene shortly after stabbing Bridges, in a 2001 PT Cruiser then took a bus to Syracuse New York.

Orange County Sheriff’s deputies flew to Syracuse to interview Walker and later served her with the warrant for her arrest. She will be extradited at a later date.

Walker, who has a long rap sheet, was also arrested in New York on unrelated New York warrants, deputies say.

Lower natural gas costs have enabled OUC to reduce its fuel charge rate, which in conjunction with the base energy charge comprise the electric consumption charge on a customer’s monthly statement.

Residential and small commercial customers can expect to see about a 4 percent reduction in their overall electric bill. Mid to large commercial customers will see a decrease between 4.5 to 5.3 percent.

The average residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours will see a savings of $4.82 a month.

The new rates will take effect March 1, 2012, pending review by the Florida Public Service Commission.

The dead man is 21-year-old Jose Simon-Dominguez, a Hispanic, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday.

Simon-Dominguez was killed on January 13, last month, after an unnamed deputy encountered him acting suspiciously coming out of the woods in the 4500 block on Metric Boulevard, near Winter Park.

A statement from the Sheriff’s Office at the time of the shooting said, the unnamed deputy was in fear for his safety, as Simon-Dominguez did not comply when ordered to show his hands, but instead kept advancing toward the deputy.

It is not clear how many rounds were fired, but Simon-Dominguez was pronounced dead at the Orlando Regional Medical Center.

The deputy without a name, is a 7-year-veteran of the Sheriff’s Office.  Efforts to obtain the name of the deputy were not successful. He was patrolling the area at the time of the shooting.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement will conduct an investigation into the shooting, as well as, OCSO Professional Standards Unit.

Joshua D. Cox - suspect

Orange County deputies believe they found the man who pulled the trigger killing 21-year-old Frank M. Perry, last Tuesday.

23-year-old Joshua D. Cox is accused of murdering Perry, who was found dead in a parked vehicle in the Arbour Apartments parking lot on MacKay Boulevard, near UCF.

Cox was arrested on Tuesday, January 31, without incident.

It it is not clear what led to the shooting, but deputies say, Cox does not have a criminal history.

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum told the mother of a child with a rare genetic disorder on Tuesday that she shouldn’t have a problem paying $1 million a year for drugs because Apple’s iPad can cost around $900.

Santorum was speaking before a crowd of about 400 people in Colorado, when he said that the price of drugs should be set by the demand for them.

“People have no problem paying $900 for an iPad,” the candidate explained. “But paying $900 for a drug they have a problem with — it keeps you alive. Why? Because you’ve been conditioned to think health care is something you can get without having to pay for it.”

Read More Here.