FLORIDA DIGEST - July 29, 2008

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~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~

Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Principal mistreated gays, judge says
A federal judge scolded a Panhandle school principal, saying the officialled a "relentless crusade" against gay and lesbian students at Ponce de LeonHigh School. Student Heather Gillman and the American Civil Liberties Unionsued the Holmes County School District. A federal judge ruled that Davisviolated Gillman's rights by silencing all pro-gay messages.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-flfstudent0729sbjul29,0,7935943.story

-Broward State Attorney's Office seeks extradition of 9/11 con artist
Fugitive used flashy California guise
He was known around Long Beach, Calif., as the "Boy About Town" - aflamboyant, self-styled Internet gossip meister who burst onto the town'spolitical and social scenes. But there was more to him than reliablyshowing up at gala events and declaring people "fabulous." The "Boy" was aman with a notorious past - one that caught up with him this month and hashim facing extradition to Broward County.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbhenn0729sbjul29,0,3783041.story

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~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~

Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Engineers make progress with Lake Okeechobee wall construction
Repair work on aging dike showing signs of progress
With repair work lingering through another hurricane season, constructioncrews have finished the first section of wall intended to help preventbreaches of Lake Okeechobee's aging dike. Installation of the initial3,500-foot section at Port Mayaca was completed July 11. Strength testing isexpected to last until mid-August, according to the Army Corps of Engineers.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flplakeo0729pnjul29,0,3577194.story

-Bob Butterworth resigns as DCF secretary
Department of Children & Families Secretary Bob Butterworth is resigning. Noexplanation was immediately given. Butterworth has led the troubled stateagency since December 2006.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-729butterworth,0,2810458.story


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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-MIAMI-DADE SCHOOLS: Dade schools superintendent facing a sharp divide
With three School Board members now calling for his ouster, Miami-DadeSchool Superintendent Rudy Crew could face a tense confrontation Tuesday.
Rudy Crew was lured to Miami-Dade County by a team of community leaders whothought he was the right man to rescue the troubled school district. Parents embraced him. Teachers celebrated his arrival. A local businessleader threw in $240,000 of his own money to seal the deal with Crew.
http://www.miamiherald.com/457/story/621353.html

-Downtown Wal-Mart draws residents' ire
The warehouse-style retailer is eyeing property next to the Adrienne ArshtCenter and looking to provide low-cost goods in a trendy setting. But somesay it doesn't fit in with city culture. Got a hankering for opera -- and$29 patio furniture? Miami may soon have just the place for you.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/621355.html

-EDUCATION: Schools get tough on bullies
The Broward School Board has approved a new anti-bullying policy to broadenthe definition of bullying and track offenders. Broward has become thefirst Florida school district to put in place a new anti-bullying policybefore year's end, as required by law. Starting this week, Broward schoolsare rolling out a new computerized system for reporting and trackingbullying. State lawmakers passed a measure earlier this year requiring alldistricts adopt comprehensive anti-bullying policies by December.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/621321.html

-Ros-Lehtinen, Taddeo pledge to fight Florida gay marriage ban
U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a House leader on gay issues, has pledged tofight Florida's proposed constitutional ban on gay marriage. ''We have abig challenge ahead of us,'' Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami, told members of thegay-oriented Miami Log Cabin Republicans club, which met Sunday night inMiami Shores.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/campaign-2008/story/620758.html


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Mayor Steven B. Feren
Candidate for Broward County Circuit Court Judge, Group 27
Fundraising reception Sunday, August 3, 2008 4 - 6 P.M.
Georgie's Alibi - DANA MANCHESTER ROOM
226 Wilton Dr. (N.E. 4th Ave.)
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33305
Minimum Donation $25
ferenforjudge@aol.com


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Linda Bird for Senate District 25
Campaign Kick Off Party
Special Guests
Senator Nan Rich and Senator Skip Campbell
Thursday, July 31st at 6:00 PM - 8:00
Hermitage Building One - 3100 North Ocean Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308
General Area: End of Oakland Park Blvd, east of A1A
Carpool please. Park in valet, or street side parking across A1A.
Please email winbroward08@aol.com


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Palm Beach Post
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Oil drilling could strike gold for GOP
Until recently, offshore oil drilling was the lethal third rail of Floridapolitics, opposed with near unanimity by elected Democrats and Republicansthroughout the state. But in the new era of $4-a-gallon gasoline, all threeRepublicans in the state's hottest congressional primary have made supportfor drilling part of their standard talking points. Gayle Harrell and HalValeche feature the once-unspeakable D-word in their latest mailings, whileTom Rooney's campaign is circulating a video that shows him seeming moreeager to drill than his rivals at a candidate forum in May - weeks beforeGOP prez hopeful John McCain announced his support for drilling and Gov.Charlie Crist abandoned past opposition and declared his openness to theidea.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/07/27/m3b_palmbeachpolitics_0728.html

-Murder to mortgage: How did state let it happen?
Don Saxon is poised to join the ranks of Tom Herndon and ColemanStipanovich. Mr. Herndon was director of the state Board of Administration,which runs Florida's investment funds, when a money manager kept buyingEnron stock for the fund even after the company admitted to cooking thebooks. No state lost more money on Enron than Florida. Mr. Stipanovich, whosucceeded Mr. Herndon, was in charge when one of the state's funds nearlycollapsed last year because of improper, high-risk investments. Both mensaid they had not been at fault.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/07/29/a10a_leadedit_brokers_0729.html

-Here's mud in Lieberman's eye
The battle of the Orthodox Jewish congressmen played out last week in SouthFlorida. Sen. Joe Lieberman, one-time Democratic vice presidentialcandidate, current Independent from Connecticut and Orthodox Jew, came toSouth Florida last week to persuade Jewish voters to do what he did: Dumpthe Democratic standard-bearer and go Republican.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/07/29/a10a_engelhardtcol_0729.html


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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Too easy for Florida felons to regain civil rights
Attorney General Bill McCollum says the disclosure that the state haslicensed some convicted felons as mortgage brokers proves Florida has madeit too easy for people with criminal records to get their civil rightsrestored.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article744996.ece

-Alligator Alley lease raises toll concerns
I-75 security also factor in money-making trend
An international trend may soon hit Alligator Alley. Last week, sixcompanies submitted proposals to lease the 78-mile toll road in exchange foran upfront lump sum that would offset the state's current budget crunch.
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080729/NEWS01/807290371/1002

-Recruiting Scandal by Eve Fairbanks
The House GOP's desperate choice for desperate times.
Coconut Creek: Most political junkies never get the chance to protect thecandidates they admire from rapacious Muslim terrorists with a yen fortelevised beheadings. But, just last week, Yomin Postelnik--a Pompano Beach,Florida, GOP activist--answered his own personal three a.m. call when, hewrote, a "low-level operative" with a Middle Eastern group attempted toferry the Republican nominee for Congress in Florida's 22nd district, AllenWest, to "an undisclosed location" and "pull off what most certainly seemsto be a heinous stunt." Outraged, Postelnik posted a promise of retaliationagainst "the fiends" who targeted West at the news site CanadaFreePress.com,where he is a columnist. "I'd caution you against so much as threateningthis man again, as the result would be a torrent of articles and bookshighlighting his exemplary nature and service," he wrote. "More writers thanyou care to know of have made this pact out of admiration for Allen and forwhat he stands for[.]" Fortunately, Allen West managed to save himself. Tobe fair, it wasn't that hard. The fiendish Middle Eastern group was AlJazeera, the intended "stunt" was an interview for a segment on blackRepublicans, and West just politely declined. The next day, when he regaleda group (including Postelnik) at a Coconut Creek retirement community withthe tale of Al Jazeera's interview request, he meant the "undisclosedlocation" part to be a joke. "I doubt anyone was thinking about kidnappingme," he admitted later.
http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=24bca34f-6a82-401d-a964-cb667b77a0c9

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