'Blade Runner' wanted to build an arsenal: report

JOHANNESBURG — Oscar Pistorius applied for firearm licenses for six more guns weeks before the shooting death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp inside his house on Feb. 14, according to official records obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The applications were made on Jan. 22, just over three weeks before Pistorius shot his girlfriend dead in his home with a licensed 9 mm pistol.

The athlete says the killing of Steenkamp was accidental as he thought she was a dangerous intruder inside his bathroom. Prosecutors say the double-amputee athlete intended to kill his girlfriend and have charged him with premediated murder.

In details obtained from the South African Police Service's National Firearms Center and given over the telephone, Pistorius applied for licenses for a Smith & Wesson model 500 revolver, a .38-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver, a Vector .223-caliber rifle and three shotguns: A Mossberg shotgun, a Maverick shotgun and a Winchester shotgun.

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The details were given to the AP by two separate officials at the government department. They refused to give their names because they were not authorized to speak to the media, although the records are available to the public.

Pistorius registered the 9 mm handgun used in the Valentine's Day killing for self-defense, the firearm center officials said. The six outstanding applications listed those guns for Pistorius' private collection.

The six recent firearm license applications were sent back to a police and firearms station in Johannesburg to be reapplied for on Monday, four days after Steenkamp's killing, the officials said. No reasons were given why the applications were sent back to be refiled.

Pistorius' license for the 9 mm Parabellum pistol that was used in Steenkamp's shooting was issued to Pistorius on Sept. 10, 2010 on appeal after an initial application in 2008 was rejected. One of the officials said the rejection was procedural as Pistorius had passed his competency test and had no criminal record.

The 9 mm pistol license card was printed on Sept. 16, 2010 and received by Pistorius on Sept. 27, 2010, the officials said.

Under South Africa's strict gun laws, you need a license for every firearm you own. An applicant must undergo a competency test — which includes gun safety training — before a license can be issued.

Pistorius would also have had to provide three character referees, one of the firearms center officials said, one of whom must be a family member and one of whom must be a neighbor.

Getty Images

Oscar's Weapons: a graphic illustrating the weapons Oscar Pistorius has applied for at the central firearms registry. Six applications are pending.

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Health Foundation gives $1.8 million

Health Foundation of South Florida announced Tuesday the awarding of grants worth a total of $1.8 million to 21 organizations.

Among the awards in Miami-Dade were $197,000 to the Miami-Dade County Health Department, $200,000 to Open Door Health Center, and $107,000 to the University of Miami. Other Dade grants included $20,000 to the Banyan Community Health Center, $45,000 to Centro Mater Child Care Services, $230,000 to the Chapman Partnership, $51,000 to CHARLEE of Dade County, $75,000 to Farm Share and $60,000 to the Miami Dade College Foundation.

In Broward County, grants included $96,300 to Archways, $120,000 to Boys & Girls Club of Broward County and $150,000 to the Broward County Health Department.

In Monroe County: Rural Health Network of Monroe County received $130,000.

The foundation has awarded more than $98 million in grants and support since 1993.

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Tough gals: Roller derby players enjoy contact sport

For Danielle Shaffner, 33, raising three children with another on the way and having her husband patrol the streets on his police vehicle could be stressful.

That’s why she counts on a sport on wheels for relief: women’s roller derby.

“I let loose and become a little maniac on the rink,” said Shaffner, who is four month pregnant and goes by the name of Pree-T-Manik.

Shaffner, who lives near Palmetto Bay, is one of many professional women competing in Miami’s Vice City Rollers roller derby team. The team was formed back in 2011 and practices at the Palmetto Golf Course hockey rink, 9300 SW 152nd St. in South Miami-Dade.

“It just comes a little naturally,” said Shaffner, who works as a dental assistant and has skated since she was a child. “I love the adrenaline rush. I use it as anger management. It is a great way to make friends and socialize.”

Her pregnancy doesn’t allow her to have contact, so for now, she is taking advantage of the exercising the sport provides.

The team has started their second season on a high note defeating their fist opponent in January.

The game is played on a rink wearing quad roller skates. There are five players to a team. Games consist of a series of short match-ups where a designated player known as a jammer scores points by lapping members of the opposing team, who in turn try to stop the jammer from scoring.

Team president and skater Kristen De La Rua, 30, was instrumental in putting together the team. She and other teammates practiced for Broward’s team, the Gold Coast Derby Grrls. They felt it was only appropriate Miami had a roller derby team.

“Miami needed it’s own team,” she said. “We got a huge response.”

At first, she worried playing because her profession is of a massage therapist, so an injury to the wrist or hands could be costly.

“I was always getting scared because of my career, but I got over it,” she said. “Once I started playing it, it was not that bad.”

Players were recruited using Facebook. Each player pays $40 a month to cover the team’s cost such as paying for the practice location and travel fees.

The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association sanctions the games.

Currently, they are playing Florida teams, but plans are to travel and play teams outside of the state and overseas. There are about 30 members. Each player has a nickname that fits their character, but names are earned. The team is still considered amateur.

Edley Duclos is one of few males who practice with the girls. He is a referee and acknowledges the women’s hard work.

“I do it for the exercise, “he said. “Keeping up with these girls is hard.”

Wearing a pink helmet, elbow and knee pads, Marcy Mock skated around with teammates at the outdoor hockey rink, at Coral Reef Drive and U.S. 1.

She goes by the name of Pinky Gomez, 41. She is a graphic designer who travels from North Miami to practice. She says the game could lead to injuries, but the sport’s rush keeps her motivated. She suffered two broken ribs during a game and still came back to finish.

“You get this adrenaline rush that you don’t feel anything,” said Mock, who also teaches spinning classes.

Aside from the competition, Mock said their bond built between teammates and opponents is a great feeling.

“It doesn’t matter who wins,” she said. “You are playing this game and it’s a women’s driven game.”

Their next game is scheduled for March 2. All of their home games are held at the Palmetto Golf Course hockey rink.

For information visit facebook.com/miamirollerderby.

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Suits War Clip Season Two Finale

Even though it feels like this sublime season of Suits has only just begun, this Thursday brings the season finale -- and War is no longer on the horizon, it's here!

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In the well-named season finale, Pearson-(insert name here) faces encroaching enemies on countless fronts. There's Hardman's seemingly endless hard-on for his former firm, the potential partnering with the curiously motivated Darby, Harvey's looming defection if he decides that Jessica truly doesn't trust him and the constant threat of unmasking Mike's lack of law degree.

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Needless to say, there's a lot in the line in Thursday's season two finale, and ETonline scored an exclusive clip from the hour that focuses on one of the show's sweeter storylines: Mike and Rachel's unresolved feelings for one another.

But leave it to Harvey to cut the lovely moment short in that special Specter style!

Suits airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. on USA.

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Nut job nabbed stealing 75lbs of almonds

A nut job tried to run away with 75 pounds of almonds in Brooklyn -- but he dropped them during his getaway and ended up getting busted by the Williamsburg Shomrim Patrol, law-enforcement sources said.

Juan Ayala, 35, allegedly grabbed three 25-pound cardboard boxes of the nuts from a parked delivery van in Williamsburg on South 8th Street near Bedford Avenue about 4 p.m. Sunday, according to a court complaint.

He tried to run off with the loot, sources said, but the 5-foot-8, 180 pound man ended up dropping the boxes on South 8th Street, sources said.

KM Group

Juan Ayala (2nd from left) being arrested by the police after a tipster called the Williamsburg Shomrim Patrol hotline while Ayala was attempting to steal 75 lbs. of almonds.

The driver called 911, but Ayala allegedly scampered off before the police could catch him.

But two hours later, Ayala smashed his 2010 silver Toyota Carrola into a parked, unoccupied van on Wythe Avenue and South 8th Street—about two blocks from the scene of the crime, sources said.

A person nearby spotted him trying to flee the accident, and called the hotline for Williamsburg Shomrim Patrol, which is a local volunteer civilian patrol, sources said.

The patrol held Ayala for the police—and the same cop who had rushed to the scene of the almond heist nabbed him, sources said. The van driver then identified Ayala as the would-be thief.

“I really f----- up,” he allegedly told the police. He then bizarrely added, “I really f----- up my relationship. But I didn’t break into the car.”

Authorities charged him with third-degree burglary, attempted petit larceny, and trespass, as well as leaving the scene of an accident.

One source said almonds are expensive, and go for about $4 a pound.

Ayala is currently being held at Riker’s Island, with bail set at $2,250, records show.

Law-enforcement sources say Ayala has a long arrest history, largely for drug possession and sale.

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Best photo apps for Android devices

Whether you want to slap a simple filter on your photo or get granular and change attributes like color levels and saturation, we’ve got a list of the Android apps you’ll want to use.

Snapseed

The good: With its unique gesture-based interface, this offers an incredible level of control over its effects and filters.

The bad: The tools and interface aren’t intuitive, so it could take a while to get familiarized. Also, the lack of a zoom function makes it difficult to see finer adjustments.

The cost: Free

The bottom line: If you’re a serious mobile photographer looking for an app with which to fine-tune your photos, Snapseed is your best choice.

Pixlr Express

The good: Offers more than 600 effects that all work well and are easy to use. Auto Fix and Focal Blur (tilt-shift) are particularly effective.

The bad: The app doesn’t warn you before backing out, which can result in lost work. A Recent Files picker upon launch would be nice.

The cost: Free

The bottom line: One of the most powerful Android apps in its category. Despite its minor flaws, it should be your go-to mobile photo editor.

Instagram

The good: An excellent way to turn mundane images into cool-looking photos you can share with friends. Mapping features mean people can easily browse all your geotagged shots.

The bad: Photo Map features default to showing all your geotagged shots, which could be dangerous under some circumstances.

The cost: Free

The bottom line: If you like taking retro-looking shots and sharing them, Instagram is tough to beat. Mapping features and frequent updates to the app mean your pictures will have a longer browsing life span.

Photo Grid

The good: Offers a huge menu of grid templates and a dead-simple interface for combining photos into framed collages.

The bad: The app unfortunately doesn’t let you customize the thickness of collage borders or the level of curvature on rounded panels.

The cost: Free

The bottom line: Even though it’s missing a couple of nifty customization tools other collage apps have, Photo Grid’s simple interface and outstanding menu of predesigned grids make it the best collage app on the market.

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Hawkins withdraws his name from Jackson Health System board post

In a kerfuffle with echoes from political battles almost two decades ago, former Miami-Dade commissioner and state legislator Larry Hawkins announced Monday he was withdrawing his name from nomination to the Jackson Health System board.

Hawkins, 68, who had been nominated to be the unions’ representative on the seven-member board, sent a letter to the clerk of courts saying he was “deeply honored” by the nomination but “after considering the time commitment and the physical demands associated with fulfilling the responsibilities of this position, I have decided to decline this opportunity to serve.”

In a telephone interview, Hawkins said his decision “had nothing to do with Katy Sorenson,” who defeated him in the 1994 election for his commission seat and had been calling journalists and union leaders objecting to his nomination.

Sorenson, now president the Good Government Initiative at the University of Miami, gave The Herald a statement on Friday: “It’s disturbing that the union, which represents so many hard-working women, would appoint a person with such disdain for women and a record of ethics violations.”

In 1995, the state ethics commission fined Hawkins $5,000 after finding that he had sexually harassed three aides while county commissioner. Hawkins, a disabled Vietnam vet who uses a wheelchair, said he had never made lewd comments and his actions had been misunderstood.

Hawkins also has strong supporters. On Monday, before Hawkins withdrew, Phillis Oeters, a South Florida civic leader, praised him as a “brilliant choice” for Jackson’s board because he knows a lot about healthcare and had a long reputation of government service.

Oeters decried dredging up charges from two decades ago. “As a society, can’t we forgive and forget, if forgiveness is even necessary in this case? ... We need the best and the brightest in the county to serve.”

Oeters, chairman of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and a vice president of Baptist Health South Florida, said her remarks reflected her personal views, not those of the organizations.

In his letter to the clerk’s office, Hawkins said he decided to withdraw because “over the past few days, I have had numerous conversations with current board members ... and have spoken with CEO Carlos Migoya regarding the meeting schedules and operations,” which include monthly committee days that start about 7 a.m. and end sometimes past 5 p.m.

Hawkins said his mother is in hospice care and his life was too busy to add Jackson to his schedule. He said that Sorenson, as commissioner, had approved him for volunteer board posts and he was mystified why she would object now based on old allegations. Jackson board members get no salary for their service.

County bylaws allow the unions to name one person to Jackson’s board. Last week, Andy Madtes, president of the South Florida AFL-CIO, announced Hawkins’ selection, which was scheduled to go to the County Commission Wednesday for approval.

On Monday, union leaders issued a statement accepting Hawkins’ decision to withdraw.

In a statement, Martha Baker, president of SEIU Local 1991, said: “Providing our patients and community with cutting edge, fully accessible patient care is our primary goal. We will be putting forward a new appointee as soon as possible...” She said a new nominee will be selected before the next commission meeting on March 5.

The SEIU local represents nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals at Jackson.

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Spartacus War of the Damned Exclusive clip

It's hard not to look at every episode of Spartacus: War of the Damned as one step closer to the series finale, but when every installment leaves you breathless, it's hard to think about anything other than the insanity that just unfolded in front of your eyes.

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That will inevitably be the case this Friday as the fourth episode, titled Decimation, is unleashed upon the world -- and you can get an early sneak peek, only with ETonline!

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In this exclusive clip, Crassus tries to school his son in the art of war but quickly gleams that he's taught Tiberius well ... perhaps too well.

Spartacus: War of the Damned airs Fridays at 9 p.m. on Starz.

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Channel 2 anchor arrested for allegedly choking wife

Channel 2 news anchor Rob Morrison allegedly choked his co-worker wife and yelled threats at her even as cops were arresting him, according to published reports today.

Darien cops were called by the mom of Ashley Morrison at 1:30 a.m. Sunday reporting a fight at her daughter’s home, according to the Darien Times newspaper.

When officers arrived they saw red marks on Ashley’s neck and she told police what happened.

Even as Morrison was being processed, cops said they heard the “increasingly belligerent” Morrison shouting threats to harm his wife, according to the paper.

Rob Morrison's mugshot taken by Darien Police

Ashley Morrison also works for CBS news, on the network’s “MoneyWatch” program, which regularly runs on Channel 2.

Rob Morrison posted $100,000 bond and faces felony strangulation and misdemeanor threatening and disorderly conduct charges.

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Florida reports record visitor numbers for 2012

A record 89.3 million people visited Florida in 2012, according to an estimate released Monday by Visit Florida.

The state’s official tourism marketing corporation said the total was a 2.3 percent increase over 2011, the last record-breaking year.

Overseas visitors, while not the majority of tourists, showed the greatest growth, increasing by 9 percent to 10.2 million people. The number of Canadian tourists increased by 7.3 percent to 3.6 million. Domestic tourism increased by 1.2 percent.

The number of direct travel-related jobs increased to 1.03 million in 2012, according to Visit Florida.

In the fourth quarter of the year, about 21.4 million people visited the state, a 1.8 percent increase over the last three months of 2011.

Hannah Sampson

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