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ONLY IN FLORIDA: Vanilla Ice, Sharknado And Orlando Touch-And-Go Traffic

ONLY IN FLORIDA, our weekly roundup of the strange, bizarre and just plain ridiculous events that happened right here in the Sunshine State, is back on the web!

ONLY IN FLORIDA does the phenomenon that is known as Sharknado steal the thunder of our coastline’s real sharks.

Filming for the third installment of the “Sharknado” cable-television movies has begun this week in Universal Orlando Resort, and it will continue into next week.

Locals have been cast as theme park patrons and soldiers.

Like the two previous Syfy Channel films, the cast includes Tara Reid and Ian Ziering.

The very much tongue-in-cheek disaster films follow the heroes as they do battle with shark-raining tornadoes.

ONLY IN FLORIDA does touch-and-go traffic mean something completely different.

A naked woman stopped traffic in Orlando Sunday night when she walked out in front of a car, jumped on the hood and began masturbating. According to the police report, Amie Carter appeared to be "under the influence [of] a heavy unknown substance."

Carter was charged with criminal mischief and indecent exposure.

And finally, ONLY IN FLORIDA do former rap stars end up with a rap sheet. 

It turns out Vanilla Ice has been charged in connection with a home burglary in Lantana, Fla., adjacent to where he was renovating a home for his reality show “The Vanilla Ice Project.”

Robert Van Winkle —  that’s Ice’s real name — was taken into custody Wednesday.

During an investigation into the house adjacent to the one Ice was renovating, authorities obtained a search warrant and found several stolen items at Ice’s residence in Palm Beach County, determining that the former rapper “played a role” in the crime. The items have since been identified and returned to the rightful owner.

Ice says the whole thing is just a misunderstanding. He has hosted his series on the DIY Network, where he improves and flips houses, since 2010.

Ice did not say if his arrest would slow down filming of... Sharknado! Rumors have been flying that the rapper will appear in the Sharknado 3.

ONLY IN FLORIDA do two bizarre, seemingly unrelated stories end up being connected.

Send your ONLY IN FLORIDA suggestions to firstcoastconnect@wjct.org.

You can follow Melissa Ross on Twitter @MelissainJax and Ray Hollister on Twitter @RayHollister.

Melissa Ross joined WJCT in 2009 with 20 years of experience in broadcasting, including stints in Cincinnati, Chicago, Orlando and Jacksonville. During her career as a television and radio news anchor and reporter, Melissa has won four regional Emmys for news and feature reporting.
Ray Hollister can be reached at rhollister@wjct.org, 904-358-6341 or on Twitter at @rayhollister.