5 things you need to know for Wednesday, October 24

TAMPA - Here are five things you need to know happening in Florida on Wednesday, October 24.

1) Fallen hero honored in Tampa today

The Bay area will honor a fallen hero today, as the body of Army Spc. Brittany Gordon arrives at MacDill Air Force Base.  A motorcade comprised of members of the St. Petersburg Police Department and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office will escort Brittany's casket to the Lawson Funeral Home at 4535 Central Avenue in St. Petersburg.

Spc. Gordon, the daughter of St. Petersburg Asst. Police Chief Cedric Gordon, died Oct. 13, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked her unit in Kandahar, Afghanistan, with an improvised explosive device. She was assigned to the 572 Military Intelligence Company, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. She is also believed to be the first woman from the Bay area to die in Afghanistan.

Several community organizations hope you'll join them along the escort route to pay respects to Spc. Gordon.

The route starts at the Bayshore gate to MacDill Air Force Base and goes through Downtown Tampa to I-275.
    
The motorcade will then exit the highway onto I-375 and pass the St. Petersburg Police Department before ending on Central Avenue in St. Petersburg.

2) President Obama begins two-day campaign blitz that will take him through Florida

President Obama will be stopping in the Bay area tomorrow as part of his two-day, non-stop "America Forward" tour that begins today.

The campaign blitz will take the president through six battleground states to reach as many voters as possible.

After leaving Iowa on Wednesday, October 24, the President will rally voters in Denver, Colorado at the Meadow at City Park, followed by a late night grassroots event in Las Vegas, Nevada. The President will travel overnight to Tampa, Florida for a grassroots rally, and a tarmac event in Richmond, Virginia on Thursday.  

As the President crisscrosses the nation, he will spend time on Air Force One calling undecided voters, rallying National Team Leaders and volunteers and continuously engaging with Americans across the country about the choice in this election.

Following the event in Richmond, the President will then travel to Chicago to cast his ballot and make history by being the first sitting President to vote early in person.  The President will end his two-day tour with an evening grassroots event in Cleveland, Ohio.

For information on how to purchase tickets, visit http://www.barackobama.com/offices/.

3) 3rd Annual Disability Mentoring Day Fair at Lakeland Regional Medical Center

Lakeland Regional Medical Center will host its annual mentoring fair for those with special needs today.

For the third year in a row, team members from the hospital will work with adults and students with special needs, teaching them about healthcare through interactive, hands-on demonstrations.

Participants will be adults and students who face special challenges, from agencies throughout the Lakeland area, including the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Polk County Public Schools and the Alliance for Independence.

This event is an opportunity for the students to experience, first-hand, the many different types of jobs required in the delivery and transformation of healthcare within the community.

For more information, visit http://www.LRMC.com.

4) Have breakfast with Mayor Bill Foster!

St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster has invited the public to meet with him at "Manna from Heaven" on 34th Street South as part of the "Breakfast with the Mayor" series.

The breakfast starts at 7:00 a.m.

Mayor Foster has held a series of breakfast forums to encourage people to share their thoughts with him in a laid-back setting.

Residents are invited to support the host business by purchasing a plate during each of the monthly breakfast forums.
    
For a list of upcoming dates and locations, visit www.stpete.org/mayor/breakfastwithmayor.asp .

5) Affordable Care Act information webcast

The U.S. Labor Department will host a special webcast today to help workers and families understand how the Affordable Care Act will impact their health insurance coverage.

The webcast will explain the protections within the law that help improve coverage, including some that are already in effect--such as children being able to stay on a parent's health insurance plan up to age 26. 

The information shared will be valuable to workers of all ages, from those who are just starting out in a career to those who are nearing retirement.

Participants will be able to ask questions during the webcast, which will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. today.  Online registration is required to take part.

To sign up and take part in today's webcast, click here.