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Thursday, May 23, 2013

Parking garage, new buildings a topic again

The Venice City Council had another recent conversation about selling bonds to pay for capital projects such as a new public safety complex, parking garage and even a new public works facility, indicating the issue is gaining traction. Council Member Kit McKeon called the discussion an opportunity to identify worthy … Find out how to read more online.

LATEST LOCAL NEWS

A vet’s best friend
Wed May 22 2013 08:03AM

A U.S. Army veteran living in Venice hopes to turn his stressed life around, not with medication, but with the help of a furry friend. Michael Metzinger, 25, welcomed the … Find out how to read more online.

Tervis owner’s work earns honor
Wed May 22 2013 08:03AM

Named as a finalist for the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2013 Award is Norbert Donelly, a Sarasota County resident and owner of Tervis, one of the … Find out how to read more online.

Man disfigured after face stomped
Wed May 22 2013 08:03AM

Two Nokomis men were arrested this weekend after a brawl that started in a bar, and ended in a stomping that left the victim disfigured. According to a Sarasota County … Find out how to read more online.

Ex-priest gets life in prison for sex abuse
Sat May 18 2013 08:03AM

A former priest convicted of multiple counts of child sexual abuse will spend the rest of his life in prison. In March, a jury convicted William Wert, 56, of eight … Find out how to read more online.

State, National and World News

Jurors deadlock on Jodi Arias penalty
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

PHOENIX (AP) — Jurors have deadlocked on a verdict of life or death for Jodi Arias in the 2008 killing of her one-time boyfriend. The judge declared a mistrial in the penalty phase. Another panel will be seated and the … read more.

Tea party vs. old guard in GOP Senate rift
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

WASHINGTON (AP) — A long-simmering feud between establishment Republicans and tea partyers broke into full view Thursday, with Sen. John McCain accusing younger colleagues of overplaying their hands and tempting Democrats to change Senate rules that protect the minority party. … read more.

Obama lifts ban on Guantanamo transfers to Yemen
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is lifting his self-imposed ban on transferring Guantanamo Bay detainees to Yemen, where a leadership upheaval has improved the country’s security but not eliminated a terrorist organization trying to recruit jihadists. Lifting the ban … read more.

Obama defends drone strikes but says no cure-all
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Thursday defended America’s controversial drone attacks as legal, effective and a necessary linchpin in an evolving U.S. counterterrorism policy. But he acknowledged the targeted strikes are no “cure-all” and said he is haunted … read more.

Report: Nation’s kids need to get more physical
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

WASHINGTON (AP) — Reading, writing, arithmetic — and PE? The prestigious Institute of Medicine is recommending that schools provide opportunities for at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day for students and that PE become a core subject. The … read more.

Nixon library hosts 40th reunion for Vietnam POWs
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

YORBA LINDA, Calif. (AP) — U.S. Navy Lt. Mike McGrath was just 27 years old, with a wife and two toddler sons in the U.S., when he was shot down and taken prisoner on his 179th bombing mission during the … read more.

Mutant cockroaches learn to avoid sugar to outsmart sticky traps
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

(Bloomberg) — Roaches that have been hard to trap may be a variety that find sugar doesn’t taste quite so sweet as bait anymore, a study suggests. Most cockroach baits cover poison in a layer of glucose, a sugar. Some … read more.

Obama: Policy in leaks investigations under review
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama said Thursday that the Justice Department will review the policy under which it obtains journalists’ records in investigations of the leak of government secrets. Obama acknowledged he is “troubled by the possibility that leaks … read more.

Stocks edge lower as investors reassess Fed fears
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

NEW YORK (AP) — Investors recovered their poise after a shaky start to trading on Wall Street that sent stocks sharply lower. U.S. markets plummeted immediately after the opening bell Thursday following a global slump prompted in part by an … read more.

Boy Scouts approve plan to accept openly gay boys
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) — In one of their most dramatic choices in a century, local leaders of the Boy Scouts of America voted Thursday to ease a divisive ban and allow openly gay boys to be accepted into the nation’s … read more.

Birth control coverage up for federal appeal
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

DENVER (AP) — In the most prominent challenge of its kind, Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. is asking a federal appeals court Thursday for an exemption from part of the federal health care law that requires it to offer employees health … read more.

26 killed in 2 simultaneous car bombs in Niger
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Suicide bombers in Niger detonated two car bombs simultaneously on Thursday, one inside a military camp in the city of Agadez and another in the remote town of Arlit at a French-operated uranium mine, killing a … read more.

Israel says Iran unaffected by world pressure
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s prime minister says a new report by the U.N. atomic agency shows that international pressure is having no effect on halting Iran’s suspect nuclear program. In a confidential report, the International Atomic Energy Agency said this … read more.

Muslim hardliners ID London terror suspect
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

LONDON (AP) — Two Muslim hardliners say the man seen wielding a bloody butcher’s knife after the killing of a British soldier is a Muslim convert who took part in demonstrations with the banned radical group al-Muhajiroun. Meanwhile, British police … read more.

Clashes in Lebanon feed fear of Syria spillover
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese supporters and opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad fired heavy machine guns and lobbed mortar shells at each other Thursday in some of the worst fighting in the port city of Tripoli in years. The battles … read more.

House backs variable rate student loans
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

WASHINGTON (AP) — House lawmakers on Thursday approved legislation that links student loan rates to the ups and downs of the financial markets in spite of a veto threat from President Barack Obama. The Republican-backed the bill would allow students … read more.

Thunderstorms slow Oklahoma tornado cleanup
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

MOORE, Okla. (AP) — A band of thunderstorms battered the Oklahoma City area Thursday, slowing cleanup operations in the suburb where a tornado killed 24 people and destroyed thousands of homes this week. The first of the funerals, for a … read more.

8th person pleads in $30M NASA contract fraud
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — An eighth person has pleaded guilty to his role in a $30 million fraud and bribery scheme that duped NASA into awarding contracts to companies that falsely claimed eligibility for preferences granted to minority-owned businesses. On … read more.

Man charged with selling African elephant tusks
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — A New Mexico man is facing federal charges in the Florida Panhandle after authorities say he sold two African elephant tusks. The U.S. Department of Justice reports that a grand jury in Pensacola indicted Charles Kokesh … read more.

Photographer will reopen Everglades Wonder Gardens
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) — A photographer is planning to reopen former animal attraction in southwest Florida as a botanical garden. Everglades Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs closed its doors last month after 77 years. Its remaining alligators, crocodiles, snakes, … read more.

Bollinger delivers 6th cutter to Coast Guard
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

LOCKPORT, La. (AP) — Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. has delivered the sixth fast response cutter to the U.S. Coast Guard. Executive vice president of new construction Chris Bollinger says the 154-foot Paul Clark was delivered to the 7th Coast Guard District … read more.

Man who caused fatal crash loses driver’s license
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A man who caused a crash that killed four family members near Fort Lauderdale must give up his driver’s license. A Broward County judge ruled Wednesday that 37-year-old Romial Romeus must pay a $4,000 fine … read more.

Deputies find 40 animals abandoned in Pasco home
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

HOLIDAY, Fla. (AP) — A strong odor coming from a nearby home prompted a neighbor to call authorities. It turned out someone had abandoned 40 animals inside the Pasco County home. Sheriff’s deputies found dogs, cats, rabbits, a snake and … read more.

Fla. Supreme Court sides with public defenders
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Supreme Court is siding with public defenders who believe they should be able to reject cases if they don’t have the budget and lawyers to adequately represent poor people charged with crimes. Thursday’s ruling … read more.

Fla. mom breaks into home with machete
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

DELAND, Fla. (AP) — A woman is being held without bond after authorities say she broke into her ex-boyfriend’s central Florida home and threatened to cut off the heads of their three small children. Volusia County Sheriff’s deputies say 32-year-old … read more.

Florida man killed in NJ crash
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

PLUMSTED TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — A Florida man died and his wife was critically injured after their vehicle was struck by a dump truck in New Jersey. Officials say 81-year-old Robert Sauer of Fort Myers, Fla., was trying to turn … read more.

Fla. sailor charged in 2010 death of 2-year-old
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A sailor has been charged with murder in the 2010 death of his girlfriend’s son at an off-base military housing unit. The Florida Times-Union reports 35-year-old Nicholas James Rivet was arrested Wednesday. An arrest report says … read more.

N. Fla. man arrested in death of plum-eating bird
Thu May 23 2013 09:26PM

OCKLAWAHA, Fla. (AP) — A north Florida man faces charges after fatally shooting a red-bellied woodpecker that was eating the plums from his trees. State wildlife officials say 51-year-old John Wayne Miller shot the bird with a pellet rifle. He … read more.

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More Local News

Firefighters to the rescue
Wed May 22 2013 08:03AM

With Memorial Day fast approaching, a customer of the Blue Island Bistro at Sun Island Inn expressed concern to the owners how unpatriotic it was to have a flag pole but no flag flying this weekend. She offered to supply … Find out how to read more online.

Flag ceremony honors deceased veterans
Thu May 23 2013 12:20PM

In observance of a holiday that dates back to just after the Civil War, volunteers will honor veterans at Venice Memorial Gardens Friday by placing flags on the graves of those who served their country. The flags for the 10 a.m. … Find out how to read more online.

Englewood couple charged in federal court
Wed May 22 2013 08:03AM

Two Englewood doctors were indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury in Fort Myers on conspiracy charges after authorities claim they used dummy companies, offshore bank accounts and Caribbean-based medical schools to hide millions in undeclared income over the last … Find out how to read more online.

Deputies make house call, replace doctor’s wheelchair
Wed May 22 2013 08:03AM

Teri Hagerty still tears up when she thinks about the outpouring of support the Englewood community gave her father. William “Doc” Williams was presented with a replacement motorized wheelchair courtesy of Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office on Friday. His previous chair … Find out how to read more online.

Buckle up: It’s ‘Click It or Ticket” season
Wed May 22 2013 08:03AM

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is again participating in the National Click It or Ticket Campaign to save lives and remind motorists that the law requires them to buckle up. From May 20 to June 2, law enforcement agencies throughout the United … Find out how to read more online.

Baxter: Works for free in dangerous conditions
Wed May 22 2013 08:03AM

I met Bill Baxter at the Venice Regional Medical Center, where he is, like me, an unpaid volunteer putting in some time to help people who need it. On Wednesday mornings, Bill is an escort in the main building — … Find out how to read more online.

Hospital Board appoints new member
Tue May 21 2013 08:50PM

The Sarasota County Public Hospital Board recently appointed Joseph J. DeVirgilio Jr. to the board’s Central District seat. Currently president of Suncoast Management Consultants and a senior consultant with River Consulting Group, DeVirgilio relocated to North Venice from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., … Find out how to read more online.

Mote Marine has new president
Sat May 18 2013 08:03AM

Michael P. Crosby is the new head of Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium following the nonprofit organization’s annual board meeting Thursday. Crosby is taking the role of president and CEO following the retirement of Kumar Mahadevan, whose new position will … Find out how to read more online.

Teachers honored for STEMsmart work
Wed May 22 2013 08:03AM

Gulf Coast Community Foundation (GCCF) recognized more than 120 middle and high-school educators from Sarasota and Charlotte counties earlier this month at a celebration at the Venice Yacht Club for teachers in its STEMsmart initiative. GCCF presented special awards to … Find out how to read more online.

Partnership creates new endowment for future students
Wed May 22 2013 08:03AM

Several hundred pioneers and supporters of EdExploreSRQ came together recently to celebrate success and launch the next chapter of the online platform. EdExploreSRQ is an initiative that provides students with valuable exposure to arts, science and culture through “explorations” — … Find out how to read more online.

Detert’s amazing run
Wed May 15 2013 08:02AM

During her first year in the Florida Senate, Nancy Detert thought she might have made a mistake getting elected. “It wasn’t what I thought it would be,” she said. She was no political newcomer. The Venice Republican served on the … Find out how to read more online.

Where art and the environment meet
Wed May 22 2013 08:03AM

Young and old celebrated art and the environment at the Buchan Community Park Friday. The Englewood community garden at the park received a $2,600 neighborhood grant from Sarasota County to install six new cisterns, added to the five already installed … Find out how to read more online.

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