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Local News
Former USF Basketball Star Grateful To Be Car Crash Survivor
One of the greatest players in the history of the University of South Florida’s basketball pro- gram, B. B. Waldon, is still learning how to walk again. He can recite the statistics from a game he played at the Sun Dome in 1999, but sometimes he can’t recall what he did a day ago.
Waldon still has a series of surgeries ahead of him to re- pair damage to his back, legs hand and nasal cavity, all the result of an automobile acci- dent on April 27th in Lakeland. Now he has to undergo twice- weekly rigorous rehabilitation sessions.
Waldon, 35, says he’s grate- ful to be alive, and see small improvements almost every day since the accident. He’s also grateful for the support he’s gotten from family and friends.
To help generate funds for Waldon’s growing medical expenses, former teammate Anddrikk Frazier has organ- ized a golf tournament and alumni game.
From 1998 to 2002 Wal- don, a 6’8” forward, made his mark at USF. An All-American recruit from Lakeland’s Kath- leen High School and a four- year starter for the Bulls, Waldon finished as USF’s all- time leading career rebounder and fourth leading scorer.
Waldon dropped out of sight after that, playing profes- sionally in Germany China and Uruguay. Three years ago, he enrolled back at USF, taking classes toward his bachelor’s degree and worked for the school’s athletic department.
On April 27th Waldon was starting a new job at a ware-
B.B. Waldon and his wife, Kelly.
Scenes from Waldon’s acci- dent, including the damage done to his car.
house. That morning he called his wife Kelly and said he was headed for some work training.
Waldon was traveling south on Kathleen Road and never saw a stationary garbage truck in front of him. The Florida Highway Patrol confirmed that Waldon wasn’t texting on his cell phone. There was no suspi- cion of alcohol abuse. The acci- dent report said Waldon failed to slow or stop in time for an unknown reason.
The impact of the accident was so severe, it knocked the drive shaft out from under- neath the garbage truck. Wal- don’s head was split open, his frontal nasal cavity was obliter- ated and his back and hip were crushed.
HBCU Grad Named President Of Peoples Energy
Wisconsin Energy’s (WE) purchase of Integrys was ap- proved and has moved the power company beyond the state's border. The deal ex- panded Wisconsin Energy's footprint, adding a natural gas utility business that serves greater Chicago and parts of Michigan and Minnesota. Wisconsin’s $9.1 billion deal, created a four-state utility with 4.3 million customers.
Charles Matthews has been named the president of Peoples Energy and a member of the board of directors for its subsidiaries, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas.
As president, Matthews oversees the daily operational and administrative activities of Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas – regulated natural gas utilities serving residen- tial, commercial and indus- trial customers in the city of Chicago and many of its northern suburbs. Peoples Gas has 1,300 employees and serves approximately 828,000 customers in the city of
CHARLES MATTHEWS
Chicago. North Shore Gas has 170 employees and serves ap- proximately 160,000 cus- tomers in 54 communities within the northern suburbs of Chicago.
Previously, Matthews served as senior vice president – wholesale energy and fuels, customer solutions for We En- ergies, the largest electric and natural gas utility in Wiscon- sin. Appointed to that position in January 2012, Matthews
led the development and im- plementation of market re- source strategies to minimize the net cost of serving the en- ergy needs of We Energies customers.
A native of Macon, Georgia, Matthews earned a bache- lor’s degree in Economics in 1978 from Talladega College, Talladega, Ala., and a master’s degree in Finance from At- lanta University School of Business. He also completed the Executive Program in Util- ity Finance at the Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania.
Matthews previously served as a director on the boards of the United Way of Greater Milwaukee; the Next Door Foundation; Black Arts Think Tank (BATT); Three Harbors Council, Boy Scouts of America; and the American Coal Council, where he also served as board chair. He is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and The Boule. He and his wife, Brunetta are parents of 2 adult sons.
Rates Of Driving Test Failures High In Florida
Since the Florida Depart- ment of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles changed their written test for driver’s li- censes, the percentage of those failing has been higher.
Spokesperson, Captain Nancy Rasmussen, said the figures may appear distorted, because they don’t accurately reflect individuals failing the test repeatedly.
“According to our informa- tion, 74% of first-time test tak- ers fail when it’s done in one of our offices, and 93% fail when they do it online. With multi- ple people taking the tests, the percentage rates appear higher. Also, the figures reflect statewide numbers.
“When the same person fails the test repeatedly, it drive the percentages up and makes it seems like there’s a problem in the procedure.”
Capt. Rasmussen said generally, Florida is doing al- right, and they’ve reviewed he questions over the years to see if the language is confusing, or the handbooks are just not being studied.
“We’ve changed the hand- book to make it easier to un- derstand. We’re also ding a
study guide for teenagers to help them get through the process.
“We feel we need to help everyone taking the tests be better drivers. We want safe drivers on the road and we don’t’ want anyone to fail the test.”
Capt. Rasmussen said they started the new testing in February of this year and changed the format from tak- ing a pair of 20 question tests, to one 50 question test.
“First time test takers are doing better since we changed the test.”
Capt. Rasmussen said their office doesn’t keep statis- tics on the breakdown of the testing procedure by age.
“We do have a breakdown by county, but it’s hard to re- trieve that information be- cause of the way it’s compiled.”
FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 7-A