HNS REPORTS---WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 2010
NUGENT AND SAGER SET FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF DEBATE
Republican Congressional candidates Rich Nugent and Jason Sager will meet again Wednesday night for another session of point and counter-point in Pasco County. The Republican Club of Central Pasco is sponsoring the latest debate, which is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. at the Groves development in Land o' Lakes. Sager's website calendar is calling for "team members and supporters" to arrive early with red shirts and campaign materials.
Meanwhile, Sager's media relations staff issued another news release Tuesday night, trumpeting a straw poll win for the Tea Party candidate in a straw poll of the East Pasco Conservative Club. The release says club members chose Sager over Nugent by a two-to-one margin but does not include actual vote totals.
Nugent seems to prefer blog posts on his website to media releases. In the latest, he calls for making English America's official language as part of a post on immigration. He repeats the theme from earlier appearances that securing the borders is the first step in dealing with immigration issues, followed by enforcement of existing laws and denial of entitlement aid to illegal aliens.
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NUGENT WINS FIRST BIG NEWSPAPER ENDORSEMENT
The Orlando Sentinel has become the first major newspaper to endorse a candidate in the Republican Congressional primary, and it's come down on the side of Hernando Sheriff Rich Nugent. The Sentinel serves Lake County communities on the eastern edge of the sprawling Fifth District.
An editorial Wednesday in the Sentinel says that the story behind Nugent's entry into the race "stinks to high heaven." But it goes on to call Nugent "far more qualified than his GOP primary opponent...he at least has a realistic grasp on the issues he would face in Congress."
An announcement on the editorial from the Nugent campaign tactfully omits the editorial's comment on Nugent's opponent Jason Sager. The paper's editorial board actually said: "[Nugent] speaks knowledgeably about taxes and energy policy, and he has dealt with the federal government in his position. Mr. Sager speaks far more authoritatively about sin than he does policy."
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DREDGE STILL STALLED, BUT COUNTY GETS GOOD WORD FROM STATE
Though there's no dredging going on at the Hernando Beach channel, county officials announced Wednesday that one milestone on the road to getting the project going again has been reached. Interim Public Works Director Susan Goebel says the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has confirmed that the Hernando Beach Channel Dredge Permit Application submitted in January is now "complete." The state regulators' letter says action on the revised permit is required by October 1. Goebel said permit action will be followed by a 21-day period for the dredge contractor to re-mobilize equipment at the worksite in preparation for resuming the project.
The permit application was needed to modify the proposed spoil dewatering methods. The project was halted in January because of excessive silt discharge which violated the terms of the original permit.
Goebel said in a media release that "[w]e are happy to have completed the next step in the permitting process with FDEP, and we are confident that FDEP will expedite processing the permit."
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SEARCH ON FOR ARMED DIRT BIKE RIDER WHO FLED TRAFFIC STOP
A Florida Highway Patrol media release says a motorcycle rider fled from a traffic stop on his dirt bike and pointed a firearm at a trooper Tuesday. The release says Trooper Hartzig attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a 1982 Honda Motorcycle on Buck Hope Road near Cortez Blvd. in south Brooksville. The trooper said the motorcycle didn't have a license plate. The release says the suspect failed to stop and while fleeing into a wooded area the operator of the motorcycle pointed a firearm at the trooper. According to the release, the front tire of the motorcycle hit a piece of wood in some high grass. The collision caused the rider to be ejected from the motorcycle. After the suspect was ejected he fled further into the wooded area on foot. Trooper Hartzig lost sight of the suspect.
Troopers described the suspect as a white male approximately 5’ 9” wearing khaki shorts, and a plaid shirt, who should be considered armed and dangerous. The Florida Highway Patrol, Hernando County Sheriff’s Office and Brooksville Police Department are currently looking for the suspect.
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SPRING HILL MAN, 68, ARRESTED FOR SEX WITH UNDERAGE GIRL
A 68-year old Spring Hill man was arrested Tuesday after a 17-year old girl said he invited her into his home in February when she was 16 and offered her marijuana in return for oral sex. The unidentified victim told sheriff's detectives that John R. Hand 0f 9060 Eldridge Road later had consensual intercourse with her. An arrest affidavit says Hand was interviewed at the sheriff's office and initially denied any physical involvement with the victim. The affidavit says he later changed his story but admitted only to fondling and kissing the victim. Hand was charged with unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
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PAIR CHARGED WITH GRAND THEFT, DEALING STOLEN SEWING MACHINE
Sheriff's deputies say two men are jailed Wednesday on charges of dealing a $1,000 sewing machine and selling it for $100. According to reports and arrest affidavits, the machine was taken from the Spring Hill home of Philip John Guptail's mother. Richard Arthur Reiter of 7065 Smithfield Avenue in Brooksville allegedly acted as a broker with a friend who owned a sewing shop in the sale of the machine. The 30-year old Guptail and the 27-year old Reiter were charged with grand theft and dealing in stolen property when they were booked into the Hernando County Jail on Tuesday.
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CONVICTED CHILD ABUSER HAS MOTION TO RECONSIDER SENTENCE DENIED
A woman convicted four years ago of child abuse and failure to appear for trial had her bid for a re-sentencing denied Tuesday by Circuit Judge Jack Springstead. Lori Allain, who was charged for withholding food from foster children in her care, says she shouldn't have been charged for failing to appear and received an additional prison sentence for it. She's already serving a 25-year term on the abuse charges. Sherry Byerly opposed the motion for the State Attorney's office.
Allain argued with Springstead about whether she had notice that the courthouse was closing due to a hurricane emergency on the day she was supposed to be in court. When Springstead convened court the next day, Allain and her husband Arthur, who was also charged in the case, were nowhere to be found. They were later arrested in New Jersey and brought back to Florida to stand trial.
Springstead showed patience as Allain, who was representing herself, tried to use phone bills to prove she had been in contact with her lawyer and tried to find out when she was supposed to be in court. But his patience wore thin as Allain interrupted him several times to dispute what the judge called the relevant facts. Meanwhile, the lawyers who represented her and her husband listened from the back of the courtroom, and one offered his view of the phone bill dispute. The Allains have claimed that the two private attorneys provided ineffective counsel.
In the end Springstead denied Allain's motion to reconsider the sentence and listened calmly as she repeated bias changes she's made before against the judge. Springstead also declined to enter an expedited order to have her transported back to prison. When she sought the special treatment to start work on an appeal of the case, the judge told her she would go through the regular process instead.
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ANALYSIS OF CLASS SIZE MANDATE PEGS LOCAL COST AT $4 MILLION
Hernando County School Board members are being told that compliance with new class size requirements will cost $4 million for the new school year. Constitutional class size reduction mandates take full effect this year. Voters will have a chance in November to revise the amendment, as local school officials around the state have complained about costs of reducing class size.
Hernando officials told the board that putting full-time teachers in all classes to comply with requirements would mean almost 400 more teachers at a cost of more than $23 million. But the analysis made available Wednesday in advance of next week's workshop says local schools will include a number of strategies to keep down the cost of compliance, including some additional staff, extra class supplements, and use of long-term substitutes.
The analysis also noted that last year's student data showed 20 Hernando schools were out of compliance with the new requirements, and that without changes the district could be penalized more than $3.2 million. School Board members will review the analysis at a workshop next Tuesday afternoon.
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SCHOOL COMMITTEE HAS PLAN FOR PERFORMANCE-BASED EVALUATIONS
Hernando school district officials are asking the School Board to approve a plan for evaluating teachers using student achievement. Officials say state mandates require performance appraisals of teachers and school-based
administrators to be "primarily based on" student performance. The state requirements are also part of the federal Race to the Top funding program.
An evaluation committee of teachers' union members, administrators and district staff will present their ideas next Tuesday at a School Board workshop. The plan calls for a new evaluation form for instructional personnel. Along with that, student performance data for teachers will be collected for research purposes only in the coming school year and would not be considered in the final evaluation. Once officials are sure that the process for collecting data works and everyone is familiar with the process, teacher evaluation for the 2011-2012 school year would be based on student performance data.
Evaluation forms have also been created for school-based and district administrators with a new goal-setting process. Student performance data would be the main focus for their evaluation this year. Officials say the board also needs a contractor to develop a system to collect and analyze the data required for teacher evaluation.
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SPRING HILL FIRE SCHEDULES NEGOTIATIONS WITH FIREFIGHTERS
The Spring Hill Fire and Rescue District has scheduled a negotiating session between administrators and firefighters for 4 p.m. Thursday. This third session comes eight days after Fire Board members approved a new budget plan that not only hikes the millage rate for taxpayers but also eliminates five firefighter/EMT positions that are either vacant or subject to voluntary terminations.
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HEALTH DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES BACK TO SCHOOL IMMUNIZATIONS
The Hernando County Health Department announced Tuesday that it will offer back to school immunizations each Thursday afternoon from August 5 through August 26. A media release says appointments are now being scheduled for the Spring Hill clinic location at 7465 Forest Oaks Boulevard and for the Brooksville clinic location at 300 S. Main Street. The number to call to make an appointment is 540-6800 (x 82299).
A department spokesperson says back to school immunizations require a parent or guardian be present with identification and the child’s current shot records. Recommended school vaccinations are free of charge for children through age 18 under the Vaccines For Children program.
The release says recommended childhood immunizations work to protect children from illnesses and death caused by infectious diseases. While the U.S. currently has record, or near record, low cases of vaccine-preventable diseases, the department release notes that the viruses and bacteria that cause them still exist. The department encourages parents to keep immunizations current and immunization records in a safe place.
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FACEBOOK PAGE CALLS FOR CHANGING THE NAME OF "BROOKSVILLE"
A local man who describes himself as an "activist, raconteur and music industry weasel" has started a Facebook page called "Change the name of Brooksville, FL to something a little less racist." Justin Lollie's profile picture for the page shows South Carolina Congressman Preston Brooks caning Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner on the floor of the Senate. Sumner, a pre-Civil War abolitionist, had offended Brooks with an anti-slavery speech, so Brooks beat him unconscious on the floor of the Senate, nearly killing him. Lollie makes a statement and asks a question on the page, "Brooksville was named for a Civil War-era pro-slavery congressman who beat the hell out of an anti-slavery congressman on the floor of Congress with his cane. Doesn't that just make your heart swell with pride?"
Lollie describes the page's mission as convincing the Brooksville City Council to rename the city, "or at least denounce the brutal, racist history that inspired the original name change" from the earlier Melendez. He says there are a number of renaming options, but "what shouldn't be an option is forcing future generations of Brooksville natives to carry the shame of being from a town named after a violent, racist thug."
So far, Lollie's Rename Brooksville page has three members, including Lollie and his wife.
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The bad guys win, again, where is the justice when 7 bank employees life's were in danger. the bad guys have already spent 2 years in jail waiting to go to trial and with a three year sentence they will be out in 12 months, let's hope they stay out of Hernando county.
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Does the Brooksville City Council know how to spell recall?
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I watched both interviews with the Orlando Sentinal....Sager won hands down!! The Sheriff knows nothing about the issues...oh yeah maybe he has the leftover good ole boys that he needs to do favors for in Washington too. Just what WE don't like. You guys do NOT understand how THE PEOPLE feEl AND ARE NOT REPORTING THE TRUTH AT ALL. Did Sheriff buy you a nice lunch ON MY DIME?
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I must agree w/Anna Lissa Covell: I can't believe how quickly our representatives are ready to raise taxes. The downturn in valuations hasn't hit completely as the PA's office is always a year behind. I know there are still many ways to cut expenses. I can't believe they aren't trying to cut harder. Did I miss the candidate campaign platforms indicating the candidates were for raising taxes?
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I am already tired of Sager's whining and verbal attacking his opponant.He may have the history of our country memorized but he has no clue where to go from here.For a person who has not held down a job in some time he needs to get wth the program. We do not need a non working ,whining mud slinger representing us .Get a job !
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Media sensationalism destroyed the lives of two good caring adults. Detective Banks and CPI Hannah Hessler were on the scene in this case. Shame on Judge Springstead and the State Attorney's Office. Prosecutor misconduct as always sanctioned and blessed. Foster care system abuse on loving and caring adults sanctioned again, and again, and again. God Bless Mr. and Mrs. Allain.
Where is the juvenile delinquent foster son? He is grown and in jail.
Where was the sex crimes unit in this case, the delinquent foster son's night visits to his sister's room, eating disorder link to sexual abuse, where was the so called sex crime unit? No where to be found.
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