Kenneth Wayne McLeod left his waterfront home in St. Johns County and steered his black Hummer into the rush hour traffic heading north toward San Jose Boulevard.

He had a 9 a.m. appointment in Jacksonville with some government lawyers, but texted them 10 minutes before he was due.

“I will not make it this morning,” he wrote. “I have decided that death was a better option. I am truly sorry for all the harm I caused.”

The big SUV would be found before noon in a Mandarin park. McLeod, a gregarious financial adviser accused of bilking clients out of $34 million, would be dead from a single gunshot.

As Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott officially announced state Rep. Jennifer Carroll as his running mate Thursday, questions about when he chose the Fleming Island legislator and the experience she feels she brings to the ticket were left largely unanswered.

During a campaign stop in Jacksonville a week after the primary, Scott said that the running mate decision had “pretty much” been made and that he had been vetting the person he selected for a “long time.”

Carroll had been the head of Bill McCollum’s African-American outreach program for the Republican primary. McCollum, who has yet to make an endorsement in the race, was Scott’s chief opponent during the brutal race and has said he still has questions about Scott’s past.

See more photos from Thursday’s announcement

Scott wouldn’t say whether he contacted Carroll before the primary as he introduced her outside Jacksonville Naval Air Station Thursday morning.

“I don’t want to talk about everything we did throughout the process,” he said.

Touted for her legislative experience, Carroll would not give many specifics about her time in the state House. When asked about some of her proudest moments as a lawmaker, she encouraged a reporter to do some research.

“I don’t only have one,” she said. “I have many, and you can certainly look up my resume.”

When pressed on her tenure as a member of the Legislature, Carroll cited her work as chair of the House Economic Development Committee.

“There have been many measures that we put in place that created jobs, that reduced tax burden, reduced regulations on many companies to enable them to stay afloat,” she said, without giving specifics.

]]> http://www.fortmyersinsurance.net/many-questions-surrounding-scott-carroll-ticket-go-unanswered/feed/ 0 http://www.fortmyersinsurance.net/five-jaguars-facing-final-auditions-in-preseason-finale/ http://www.fortmyersinsurance.net/five-jaguars-facing-final-auditions-in-preseason-finale/#comments Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:52:04 +0000 admin http://www.fortmyersinsurance.net/five-jaguars-facing-final-auditions-in-preseason-finale/

When the Jaguars wrap up the preseason Thursday night against the Atlanta Falcons, most of the starters aren’t expected to play, or will, at best, make token appearances. But the game is important to players trying to make an impression. Here’s a look at five Jaguars who have a lot at stake Thursday:

WR John Matthews

After spending most of last year on the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad, he was cut July 20. He was claimed by the Jaguars on July 21 and started catching everything thrown his way in camp. And then he kept doing the same thing in the preseason games, catching seven passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns. He is the only player to catch more than one touchdown pass in the preseason. He faces a fight in the numbers game because he is the fifth or sixth receiver, depending on whether Kassim Osgood is considered a special-teams player or a wide receiver. Matthews figures to get a long look tonight, and if he continues to catch everything thrown his way, the Jaguars might not be able to cut him.

FB Brock Bolen

Bolen, who spent most of last year on the practice squad before being activated for the last three games, faces a tough battle in the numbers game because four or five running backs are locks – depending on whether Montell Owens is considered a running back or a special-teams player. But Bolen received more of an opportunity than he was expected to have at Tampa Bay because both Maurice Jones-Drew and Deji Karim were held out with injuries. Bolen made the most of it, running seven times for 26 yards. He will get another opportunity tonight, and if he makes the most of it, Bolen can force the team to make a tough decision.

QB Luke McCown

McCown will be the backup regardless of how he plays tonight, but a good showing would wrap up an impressive preseason on an upbeat note and give the Jaguars more confidence they can win with him if David Garrard is injured. McCown has a 110.4 passer rating with five touchdown passes and two interceptions, and this will be his final showcase before he becomes the scout team quarterback in practice. McCown was hindered last season because he wasn’t acquired by the Jaguars until Sept. 6 and had to learn their playbook on the fly. This year, he’s comfortable in their system and has been on target in the preseason.

OT Kevin Haslam

The Jaguars have a history of keeping undrafted rookie free agents, and Haslam might be the top candidate among this year’s rookie crop. Haslam, who played at Rutgers, where he started 43 games at tackle and guard, including the final 26, received extensive playing time in camp because of the injury suffered by right tackle Eben Britton, and Haslam made the most of the opportunity. He has the size for the position at 6 feet 5 and 304 pounds. He also figures to get a lot of work tonight because Britton doesn’t figure to play. Another good showing and Haslam can earn a roster spot.

DT Leger Douzable

His success is another sign that scouting is an inexact science. He’s 6-4 and 294 pounds, and there is always a shortage of big players, but the talent-starved Detroit Lions waived him Aug. 4. He was a free agent for four days before the Jaguars signed him when they went to Atlanta for the combined practices. The former UCF player, who was signed by Minnesota as an undrafted free agent in 2008 and spent time on the practice squads of the Giants and Rams, has yet to play in a regular-season game. But he immediately established himself as a player to watch and received plenty of playing time when Tyson Alualu was sidelined. Douzable will play a lot tonight and has a good shot at winning a backup job.