Florida’s Fourth Estate

Dr. Joseph Dituri’s story of spending 100 days underwater gained worldwide attention back in June when he resurfaced from the Jules’ Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, shattering former record attempts. Now we are learning more about the health benefits that came along with that study. The retired Navy diver and Executive Director of the International Board of Undersea Medicine said being underwater for so long was like being in a hyperbaric chamber. He told Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden on the Florida’s Fourth Estate podcast that being nestled about 30 feet under the lagoon for more than three months, reversed the age of his DNA. “I’m 56 now. My extrinsic age was 44. When I got out of the water my extrinsic age was 34. So my telomeres lengthened, I actually got younger when I was under the water,” Dituri said. To better explain how it works, Dituri explained, “On the end of your chromosome, you have these little extensions.... and every time you replicate this, the telomere shrinks, shrinks, shrinks, shrinks, shrinks... let’s just say you get one-thousand replications. That’s all you get. When the telomeres are gone, you have no more ability to replicate, that’s called cell death... so that is truly the world-class definition of aging. But, if you can make that telomere longer you can actually extend life.” He said 9 months later his telomeres are still longer than they otherwise would be. Those aren’t the only benefits. Dituri said he also had 17 times the number of stem cells as usual and a reduction in pain which was likely associated with the fact that his inflamatory markers were reduced by 50%. He said these kinds of results are promising but not altogether surprising. He said hyperbaric treatment has been used for hundreds of years and is currently being used to treat people with brain injuries and PTSD because of its ability to help with cognitive issues. However, the treatment is not open to everyone. He said people interested in getting it do need a prescription from a doctor and treatments can start at $250 per hour. You can learn more about the results of Dituri’s time underwater for 100 days and the following research that took him into weightlessness on Florida’s Fourth Estate. You can download the podcast from wherever you listen to podcasts or watch anytime on News 6+. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some of the most recognizable names in golf used to walk the greens at Rio Pinar Golf. Now the new owners are hoping they will inspire the next golf greats to get their start in East Orange County with their family at their side. Gregor Tilch-Jensen and his wife recently bought Rio Pinar Golf and the duo isn’t wasting any time breathing new life into the historic golf course. If the walls could talk they would probably tell you all about the Florida Citrus Open. “It was a great event they hosted here with an unbelievable winner’s list, from Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Hale Irwin, Julius Boros, all Hall of Famers and people who tried to win here and never did, Sam Sneade, Jack Nicklaus, they were here, couldn’t do it.” But, the walls would also tell you about the new owners’ plans to go beyond that history. Tilch-Jensen stood on the green telling the hosts of Florida’s Fourth Estate that he sees this location as less “members only” and more community. “We want to be a destination for families,” Tilch-Jensen said. He said he is bringing new technology to his hitting bays, building a pickleball court and re-furbishing one of his tennis courts. The amateur golfer turned instructor, turned golf course owner told hosts Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden that creating a space where parents and kids can play together is near and dear to his heart. “My kids love golf as well. My wife and I met on a golf course. It’s just part of our life, it always has been,” Tilch-Jensen said. He admitted it’s not as popular of a sport in his home country of Germany, but once he got a hold of a golf club, he fell in love and wanted to introduce that passion to the next generation of golf enthusiasts. To do that he said he has developed a long-term plan, which involves moving his wife and their children to Central Florida. He said he is committed to making Rio Pinar Golf a success again. “You want to make it work and you don’t want to let down the people you love the most,” he said. His wife is fully onboard and has focused on helping to redesign the interior of the golf course’s clubhouse. “It’s not really like a golf club, it’s really loungy-modern, which is located at a golf course. Leaving the former Champions’ Room, which is now the Oak Room, just modernize that a little bit, which you still have the history part of it and still have the trophy from Arnold Palmer in it, but that’s a separate space, so now again, everyone feels comfortable,” he said. To learn more about Tilch-Jensen’s plans for Rio Pinar Golf check out Florida’s Fourth Estate. You can download the podcast from wherever you listen to podcasts and watch it anytime on News 6+. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lou Holtz is famous for his incredible college coaching career, which included leading six different programs to bowl games, helping the Fighting Irish secure 100 wins, and then embarking on an enviable career as a sports analyst. When you get into a room with him, he is as humble, funny and sincere as they come. News 6 Insiders and other viewers were invited into the room as Florida’s Fourth Estate hosted a live recording with Holtz at Miller’s Ale House in Winter Park Village. He talked to podcast hosts Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden about what keeps him humble, his time coaching Notre Dame, and the current state of college football. Austin asked, “I’m fascinated, coach, to ask you where you think college football is headed, because as a fan it’s been frustrating to see these teams — it seems like the players I root for one year are gone the next year, money is playing a big role, what are your thoughts on how college football is going?” “I think an athlete should be paid if he works at McDonald’s, but not to go to college. Not to go to college. You go to college to get an education. It’s a 40-year decision, not four. You pick out the school you want to be part of the rest of your life, and you go do that, and to get paid for that is setting the wrong perspective,” Holtz said. He said he made $95,000 a year at Notre Dame, but feels the approach to coaching and playing has changed since he was on the field. “I think that coaches followed the money, then the players are following the money, now the schools are following the money,” Holtz said. “Florida State is talking about leaving the ACC, because the SEC just got $51 million per team.” When it comes to the transfer portal, Holtz called it the “worst thing that’s ever happened.” “There is nothing wrong with being patient and proven, waiting your turn, and being ready when you get that opportunity,” he said. According to Holtz, hopping from college to college is not what football is all about, and that it is causing fans — including himself — to turn away from the sport. “I’m starting to lose interest in it because I can’t tell who plays for who,” Holtz said. However, he said he remains optimistic something will be done to slow athletes from jumping from team to team so often. When he talks about his time as a coach, you can tell Holtz is still passionate about making an impact. He said that if given the opportunity today, “I would like to coach anywhere that I could do it physically.” And if he was at the helm again, he wouldn’t be taking it easy. Holtz told News 6 Insiders, “The biggest mistake that leaders make and parents make... they lower the standards for their children to try to keep them happy. What you do is raise the standard then teach them how to reach that standard.” He said part of that is focusing on the details. “You win because you do the little things the right way. Everybody does big things, winners do the little things. The shoe was lost, the horse was lost, because the horse was lost, the rider was lost, because the rider was lost, the message was lost, because the message was lost the battle was lost, because the battle was lost the war was lost, because of the little thing,” Holtz said. As for the coaches coming after him, he freely shared what helped him to be a success. Holtz said when he accepted the head coaching job at Notre Dame he was told leadership involved having a vision for where you want the organization to go, leading by example, and holding people accountable for the choices they make. He said throughout his life he chose to prioritize his faith, his family, and then football. “I don’t care what you achieve in this world, I don’t care how much money you make, if you aren’t successful as a husband and a father, you failed,” he said. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

News 6 anchors Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden debuted Florida’s Fourth Estate on Oct. 10, 2018. They said when they realized how good their chemistry was on the news set, they started thinking of a fun way to get stories to people outside of the traditional newscast. They sat down in a conference room, started talking about the headlines in our state, pulled out a cell phone and started recording. They soon realized those off-the-cuff conversations about the things that interested them would be a good way for others to stay informed when they weren’t in front of the TV. And Florida’s Fourth Estate was born. Now, more than five years later, they are celebrating their 200th episode and taking a look back at some of their favorite moments. That includes an interview with a researcher who spent 100 days underwater only to find out all of that pressure left him half an inch shorter. Months after shooting that episode they learned, he had not regained that height. Another favorite is a young inventor who created a visor with the potential to help up to 2.2 billion people who struggle with vision problems. It uses haptic feedback to alert users they are approaching something so they can have better mobility without using a cane. Since that interview, Tiffani Gay has announced she is working to help other young inventors bring their ideas to fruition. No one can forget the Fruitland Park cowboy, Clayton Sellars, and how he made Ginger swoon as he shared highlights from his bull riding career. Ginger said she has no regrets about asking Sellars about his swagger and even bought Matt the same hat Sellars wore in the interview during a Christmas gift exchange. They have talked to several celebrities during their time on the podcast, but one of their favorites was Carrot Top. The Winter Park native has been making people laugh in Las Vegas for years and had Matt and Ginger cracking up too, but the duo said they were also impressed with how down-to-earth he is and how generous he was with his time. Check out some of their other favorite moments over the years on Florida’s Fourth Estate. You can download the podcast from wherever you listen to podcasts or watch anytime on News 6+. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether it’s off-the-wall weird or business-related, anytime there is a question about the theme parks, especially Disney World, News 6 producer Ken Pilcher has the answer. He is not only a lifelong Floridian and Disney historian, but he also helped bring you all the special coverage News 6 had on Disney’s 50th anniversary. Add to that his mom was the woman at the center of coordinating Walt Disney’s announcement that the theme park was coming to Central Florida and it’s clear Disney is in Pilcher’s blood. So, Florida’s Fourth Estate hosts Matt Austin, and Ginger Gadsden invited him on the podcast to separate fact from fiction and debunk some of the craziest myths they have heard about The Most Magical Place on Earth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gerardo Bloise took the stand in the Casey Anthony murder trial to discuss evidence he processed from her car. He told Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden on the Florida’s Fourth Estate podcast that it smelled like something was decomposing in the vehicle. He said this case is something that has weighed heavy on him for years and by writing a book about it he hopes to let people see evidence that was “never explained at trial”. He said that includes, “How long Caylee was inside the trunk, what really killed Caylee, and why the human remains were found in the wooded area near the Casey Anthony residence, those questions, right now I have the answers for everybody, that never was told, in my book.” Bloise stressed there was a lot of evidence that was never presented at trial. But, that the evidence that he presented was enough for the jury to convict Anthony of murder. “In my opinion we didn’t fail, in my opinion the jurors failed our community, failed Caylee,” Bloise said. He said he hopes the pictures, timelines, and descriptions in “CSI The Casey Anthony Child Murder Case” will help the public to come to a more fully educated decision on the case and that they will stand in stark contrast to some of the statements Casey has made in the public since she was found not guilty. “Casey is a pathological liar”, she proved to this community that she lied and lied and lied. She was a liar and is still a liar,” said Bloise. The former investigator for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said during his time as a law enforcement officer he had to be objective, but now as a private citizen he feels her words have been anything but honest. Bloise said in addition to shedding new light on the case his book will help get results for missing children through the The Missing Child Project. You can learn more about the case and Bloise’s book on Florida’s Fourth Estate. Hosts Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden have also spoken to the judge at the center of the case. Both episodes are available now. Just download the episodes from wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also listen to Florida’s Fourth Estate anytime on News 6+. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Curt and Jeannie Bartholomew’s jobs are anything but ordinary. They are both competitive skydivers with a combined 22,500 jumps and belong to a DeLand-based team with the most world titles in the history of the sport. So, what exactly is competitive skydiving? “It’s called canopy piloting and our slang term for that is called swooping,” Jeannie Bartholomew told Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden on the Florida’s Fourth Estate podcast. “Basically we take the smallest parachutes that they make and we dive them at the ground going 100 miles per hour, bring the parachute out of the dive, go across the water and navigate different courses over a body of water and basically we have four different events that we compete in.” They start at a much lower altitude than regular skydivers and say it takes about two-and-a-half minutes from jump to touching the ground. Curt Bartholomew has the most individual world titles in the event. “This is one of the best places to skydive in the country,” said Bartholomew. He points to Florida’s year-round warmth for being the reason he decided to stay in the Sunshine State after graduating from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Jeannie Bartholomew wanted to skydive since she was six years old after seeing her older sister do a tandem jump. “When I saw the video, I started making my own parachutes out of sheets, blankets, pillowcases, Mary Poppins umbrella — I jumped off of everything and drove my parents crazy,” said Bartholomew. Even with their room of medals and trophies, the Bartholomews do not earn a living off competitive skydiving. Most of their paid gigs involve coaching, tandem jumps, shooting videos and training with the military in Sebastian, FL. You can learn more about the Bartholomews’ competitive skydiving career, including the technique behind their 18-person jump in Dubai on Florida’s Fourth Estate. Just download the episodes from wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also listen to Florida’s Fourth Estate anytime on News 6+. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bob Brown, the owner of Brown’s Taxidermy, started stuffing birds and other animals back in the 1970s, but he quickly realized mounting fish for people making big catches on chartered boats here in Florida was a more lucrative business. At first, he said he did taxidermy the old-school way. “A lot of times when they would bring us fish, we were just beginning, so we would make molds off of the original fish, which entailed taking the guts out of the fish and stuffing it back with some sawdust so it would take its shape again, then we would pose it in sand, put Plaster of Paris around the edges, once that plaster dries, we would actually fiberglass the fish.” Once the fiberglass mold was finished they would throw out the fish, create a replica, and then mount that for their clients. Now after decades of working in the business, Brown said he has accumulated about five thousand molds. So, instead of having fishermen bring in their catch, they can just take a picture, measure the fish, and send him the details. After that Brown and his sons get to work. They create the shape, paint, seal and mount the fish replicas, then ship them all over the world. Brown said his new way of doing business is gaining in popularity for many reasons. “It’s been a big selling point for conservation these days with the dwindling of the fish stocks,” he said. His business plan allows people to preserve their memories when they are doing catch-and-release fishing. Brown said he plans to pass his business, located just across the street from the port at Cape Canaveral, down to his sons. To learn more about Brown’s Taxidermy check out Florida’s Fourth Estate. You can download the app from wherever you listen to podcasts or watch anytime on News 6+. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Like many people, Lauren Irving first experienced the circus as a child. “I remember watching the trapeze act, and the smell of the popcorn and just the lights, you know, everything and how I felt. I felt so inspired,” Irving said. Little did she know, years later, that she would be helping to lead that show. She told Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden on Florida’s Fourth Estate she is one of three people who helps to guide the audience through the experience. She plays the character of Aria but said she gets to bring a lot of her personality into the role as well. She said her experience doing a Broadway show on the Norwegian Cruise Line, and performing at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando prepared her for the position. Beyond her current role, she said she is also trying to learn to juggle because she is inspired by all of the talent around her. The show — which used to feature a variety of animals, including elephants — has changed its act and now focuses on what Irving called “human ability.” She said it brings together people from dozens of countries pushing themselves to their limits to bring a smile to the people who come out and watch them perform. The acts include a record-breaking unicyclist, musicians, tightrope walkers, jugglers and more. Irving said she loves to see how much everybody is enjoying it, much like she did as a young girl. “You see people who you can tell they have been to Ringling before and then they are bringing their children,” she said “The Greatest Show on Earth” will be in Orlando at the Kia Center from Jan. 12-15. Tickets are on sale starting at $25. To learn more about the woman helping to keep the new and re-imagined circus running smoothly, and about Matt’s secret skills that could qualify him as a circus performer check out Florida’s Fourth Estate. You can download the podcast from wherever you listen to podcasts or watch it anytime on News 6+. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Walt Disney World is part of the fabric of Florida, but did you know the theme park almost ended up in St. Louis instead of Orlando? University of Central Florida History professor Dr. Jim Clark said Walt Disney had his eye on the “Show Me” state well before he began eyeing the “Sunshine State”. But a fight over beer changed everything. After successfully introducing the public to Disneyland in California, Clark said Disney was looking for a second location. The animation mogul considered Niagra Falls and another area near Washington, D.C. “They seemed to settle on St. Louis for a different kind of attraction, kind of incorporating the city and the Mississippi and Walt got into a disagreement with Augie Busch — the family that owned Anheuser-Busch, makers of Busch beer and Budweiser — and basically Augie Busch said to Walt, ‘Hey you are not coming to St. Louis if you are not serving beer,’ and he wanted the beer concession and Walt said, ‘We are not going to serve any beer or liquor in the Magic Kingdom’ and it kind of went downhill from there. And literally, they had the dinner the night before, Augie Busch made a comment, and they were supposed to sign the papers the next morning, and Walt called it off, so it was that close.” Clark said Busch was greatly insulted. “That was his thing. I mean, he had the beer concession for the football teams, for the baseball teams, and here was this major thing coming to St. Louis telling him, ‘No, we don’t want your product in our theme park,’” Clark said. But Disney wasn’t budging. “Walt was worried that it was going to end up kinda like a carnival or a county fair or something like that and he did not want drinking in his park,” Clark said. To learn more about how Disney chose Orlando over other cities competing for the theme park check out Florida’s Fourth Estate. You can download the podcast from wherever you listen to podcasts or watch anytime on News 6+. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you still haven’t finished your Christmas shopping, you are not alone, but with just days left until the holiday, the clock is ticking. So, Florida’s Fourth Estate hosts Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden are helping you identify some of the top gifts people are asking for this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sheriff Mike Chitwood gets real about his journey to becoming a law enforcement officer. He talks about how his relationship with his own Dad influenced his choice, why he is not afraid to take on controversial issues, and how his family has been impacted by his job. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Waterfalls, koi ponds, trails, cliffs and exotic plants are just some of the things you will see inside the epic backyard tucked away in the small Florida town of Williston. Dr. Raymond Webber said he initially wanted a fish pond, but, his vision for a backyard oasis kept expanding. Now, 32 years after discovering an abandoned lime rock quarry, he has established a peaceful garden fit for a king. Though it was originally designed as a place to relax and entertain friends, word quickly got out. Brenda Standridge helps manage the property. “Locals, all the master gardeners kinda were hearing about it and were coming out on their own and visiting while it was his private property,” she said. Then, after more people caught wind, and said they wanted to see it too, Webber turned his backyard into a non-profit and opened it up as Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens. Standridge said even at 80 years old, Webber walks the property six days a week to check on and plant more plants. “He wants to make sure there is beauty year-round,” Standridge said. The gardeners on the property said it all looks natural, but all of it is manmade and manicured. To reward those who help maintain the property, Webber has named certain parts of the gardens after the men and women who have helped bring them to life. That includes Jesse’s Japanese Maple Garden. If you would like to visit the property, you can get a ticket here. Adults are $12.00, children are $7.00, and children under five years old are free. If you would like to help preserve the garden and educate others about it Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens is also inviting people to donate to their “Raise the Roof” campaign. You can also learn more about the epic backyard turned public garden on Florida’s Fourth Estate. You can download the podcast from wherever you listen to podcasts or watch it anytime on News 6+. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kim and Penn Holderness pulled on their Christmas Jammies 10 years ago and churned out a viral video many still remember a decade later. They teamed up with their two young kids, Lola and Penn Charles, to rap about all the things that made 2013 special for them. Today, they are still making videos, but they are also releasing books, games, and merch. While they did win the 33rd season of The Amazing Race in 2022, Kim says another round of reality TV is not on their short list. She said, “Maybe like if you needed really middle-aged comedy, like the Golden Survivor. Also, if I needed to get trim really quick for an event.” But, she and Penn are game for sharing their family experiences in a fun and relatable way. “I think a lot of people make content that shows how funny they are, how great their life is, but as a viewer watching it, what’s in it for me, that you’re funny? No, I would prefer like make me laugh, show me something that I can relate to, make me feel something,” Kim said. She said News 6 helped shape her creative process. “I would say I learned a lot from our news director at WKMG, when I was there. His name was Skip Valet. When I was there for the afternoon pitch meeting, you had to walk in with three ideas. And if you didn’t have an idea, (he would say) you need to take another way in to work.” And after making a pitch Kim said, “He would always kinda answer back like, ‘why would a viewer care about this story you just pitched.’” In addition to nailing the creative process, Kim and Penn bring a lot of raw talent to their content. Kim was trained in dance and Penn is a musician. But, even with all of that working in their favor, Penn said the duo threw a lot of spaghetti at the wall to see what would stick. Every video didn’t go viral, but their success is evident. They currently have their own website, have nearly 5 million followers on Facebook, amassed nearly 18 million likes on TikTok, and are releasing a new book called “ADHD is Awesome.” Kim says Penn’s book, “Is written for and by an ADHD brain.” The duo already has a game available at stores but said they hope to have another one available on Amazon by Black Friday. They also have taken up pickleball and are now offering a line of paddles online. They aren’t alone in their success. Kim said their kids are very busy, but they are still active in some of their videos and have been making money with them since their original Christmas Jammies video went viral. To learn more about Kim and Penn Holderness check out Florida’s Fourth Estate. You can download the podcast from wherever you listen to podcasts or watch anytime on News 6+. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you have ever been to Disney World, you have probably been on the Jungle Cruise at Magic Kingdom. One of the highlights of the ride is the feeling of escaping to the jungle while laughing at a slew of “dad” jokes. Former Imagineer Brian Collins is responsible for some of those. “I was very lucky to be able to work on some very cool projects, like writing very corny puns for the Jungle Cruise,” Collins said. He said he wrote, “You don’t need to bring any money with you on the jungle cruises because there are plenty of banks along the river.” “One of the reasons I think I got hired in as a writer with Imagineering is because writing was something I always loved to do, it came very easy to me and I could write anything from technical writing to poems, to ‘dad’ jokes and everything in between,” Collins said. Being an Imagineer can be a coveted role, but Collins, who is now an instructor at the University of Central Florida, said he tells his students there is enough room in the theme park industry for all of them. “Don’t focus on being an Imagineer. What you need to focus on is finding what your passion is, finding what you love to do, and focus on that and become happy and an expert in what your passion is and if you can do that, hopefully the rest will take care of itself,” Collins said. “There’s so many ways that you can create a path, whether it’s Imagineering, or Universal Creative, or working for Legoland, SeaWorld. I mean there is a whole cottage industry, especially here in Central Florida, of amazing firms that support the themed entertainment industry for example that Imagineers will work with,” Collins explained. Still, he says it’s important to differentiate yourself. “I have a favorite saying for my students, it’s that ‘if you do the same thing as everyone else, you’re just going to be like everyone else, and you don’t want to be like everyone else,” Collins said. To hear more of Collins’ advice for becoming a staple in the theme park industry check out Florida’s Fourth Estate. You can download the podcast from wherever you listen to podcasts or watch anytime on News 6+. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices