Florida

WESLEY CHAPEL - The Pasco Sheriff’s Office has decided not to file any charges
against a Seven Oaks Elementary teacher or a paraprofessional  who were
accused final week of taping students’ mouths shut. Sheriff’s Office
spokesman Kevin Doll issued an wired that dawn saying the division
had "unfounded" the child abuse case.

Doll did not release any additional info, and referred all calls to the school district.

Pasco schools assistant superintendent Renalia DuBose said the district will
conduct its own inspection before allowing either the teacher or the
paraprofessional, who had been accused by a parent of taping children’s mouths shut, back into the classroom.

"considering they have not decided to prosecute does not mean that there is
no case or that nothing happened," DuBose said.

(Read the full post about ‘Deputies: Child abuse report unfounded at Seven Oaks Elementary’…)

The eastern half of Highway 399 linking Navarre Beach to Opal Beach will reopen May 9, according to the Daily News of Fort Walton Beach. Gulf Islands Park superintendent Jerry Eubanks says “it’s not the new, first-class road some society might expect.” Work continues on the western half of the water front road that leads to Pensacola Beach. Eubanks is predicting that stretch of highway “could be” reopened by summer. Repairs to the Opal Beach picnic and swimming facility, halfway within Navarre Beach and Pensacola Beach, are not yet finished. Port-a-potties will be in place, however, along with a few picnic tables. The highway and popular Opal Beach facility were devastated by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. (Read the full post about ‘Half of Navarre Beach Road To Open May 9′…)

Both Qatar’s oil minister and the head of OPEC can see oil hitting $200 a barrel before the end of the year and one analyst says gas could reach $7 a gallon within four years. That could mean cataclysm for the global economy. The world got a little relief nowadays when BP reopened its North Sea pipeline. But the price of gas is averaging $3.60 a gallon and the price of oil is flirting with $120 a barrel with no relief in sight. Market forces don’t seem to be functioning in their normal order. OPEC controls only about half of the world’s oil supply. Ordinarily, when prices spike skyward, the world’s non-cartel spigots open wide. Why isn’t that happening and who’s to blame? (Read the full post about ‘Gas to Hit $7 a Gallon’…)

I’m a writer and yet I’ve never filled a journal. I’ve started many. But next I get distracted with other projects and life and writing for work… But one of my dearest friends has filled 37 journals in the past 10 years. Why? It’s one of her main stress relievers. She swears by it. It’s helped her recognize unhealthy patterns and build healthy changes. Sometimes it’s easy. Sometimes it’s painful. Sometimes excruciating. It’s the only place she can be honest. The only place she’s free. It’s a look in the proverbial reflect. And clarity looks back. “My journals save me,” she says. “They’re solace. (Read the full post about ‘Stress Less: Write in a journal’…)

“Somehow it seemed as though the farm had grown richer without making the animals themselves any richer— apart from, of course, for the pigs and the dogs.” – George Orwell, Animal Farm At the special two-county commissioners assembly we mentioned the other day, Escambia and Santa Rosa county commissioners approved a formal resolution asking U.S. Representative Jeff Miller to sponsor legislation authorizing the issuance of fee simple deeds to Santa Rosa Island beach property. Presently, owing to restrictions in the original federal deed of Santa Rosa Island to Escambia County, all property on Pensacola Beach is held under leases, most of them for a renewable term of 99 years. (Read the full post about ‘Commissioners Vote for Deeds’…)

Rumpole has a funny post about the federal buildings here. From what I hear, there are trials scheduled in the new building in May… I’ll believe it when I see it.

The AP’s Curt Anderson reports here that Ashley Dupre is on video saying she is 18 and consenting to the Girls Gone Wild video:

The release came one day after series founder Joe Francis and his companies were sued for $10 million in Miami federal court by Ashley Alexandra Dupre, who claims she was only 17 at the time and too young to sign a binding contract. Dupre, now 22, also accused Francis of exploiting her image and name on various Internet sites.
In the new release, Dupre appears covered by a terrycloth towel and gives her name as Amber Arpaio. (Read the full post about ‘Rumpole & Ashley Dupre’…)

That’s the headline from Vanessa Blum’s article discussing the government’s filing today. It makes sense not to call these guys, who would just muddy the case up for the government. Smart move.

From Blum’s article:

Two jailhouse snitches who say they heard incriminating statements from a suspect in the Joe Cool murder-at-sea case won’t be called to testify at trial, federal prosecutors stated in a motion filed Monday evening.Their announcement came after attorneys for Guillermo Zarabozo sought to have the so-called confession thrown out, claiming it violated Zarabozo’s constitutional right to be represented by an attorney during questioning.U.S. (Read the full post about ‘“Prosecutors say jailhouse snitches won’t be called to testify in Joe Cool case”’…)

Here’s a potentially awkward spot for Gov. Charlie Crist: You’re possibly interested in running for vice president and your top election official is now being sued by the League of Women Voters by voter access?

(Read the full post about ‘League of Women Voters Sues Florida’…)

TAMPA — A former Davidsen Middle School teacher was booked into jail at 6:11 p.m. after detectives discovered she had sex today with one her prior teenage victims.

This is the third duration since March that Stephanie Ragusa, 29, has been arrested and accused of having sex with her former students. One victim was a 15-year-old boy, the other a 14-year-old who turned 15 during the relationship with Ragusa, authorities have said.

Hillsborough Sheriff’s spokesman J.D. Callaway said detectives were doing follow-up today on their analysis when they came upon the new crime being committed.

Ragusa had been out on bail.

(Read the full post about ‘Teacher arrested third moment, had sex today with prior victim’…)

LARGO – A St. Petersburg woman was sentenced to three years in prison Monday for swindling more than $100,000 from a disabled Vietnam veteran. Helga Scott, 59, pleaded no contest to a felony charge of exploiting a disabled adult. She will serve 15 years of probation after she is released from prison.

Scott befriended 56-year-old Cary Gammon in 2004 after the veteran had to move from an assisted living facility that was closing. Scott gained power-of-attorney by Gammon and nearly drained his bank history.
She used the money to buy a house and furniture and pay bills, authorities said. Scott put Gammon, who had a mental disorder, in another ALF while she lived in the house purchased with his money.

(Read the full post about ‘Swindling disabled vets lands woman in prison’…)