Bahamas News Blog @newzblogz.com

Kim Clijsters remembers all too well how it feels to be a young phenom such as 14-year-old Michelle Larcher de Brito, who made a noisy grand entrance to professional tennis on a soggy first Wednesday of the Sony Ericsson Open, knocking off veteran Meghann Shaughnessy 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3).

Clijsters has vivid memories of being obsessed with matches and rankings, sequestering herself in hotel rooms for fear that shopping and eating out would expend too much energy. But those days are long gone, and the 23-year-old Belgian eloquently explained her impending retirement.

Clijsters is getting married July 14 to American basketball player Brian Lynch, and she is skipping the French Open to prepare for the big day. She might also skip the U.S. Open if it interferes with her honeymoon, so this could be the final big tournament she plays on American soil.

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* Poulsbo home-schooler Hunter Lehmann, 12, will be heading in May to the nationally televised competition in Washington. D.C.

March 22, 2007

Bremerton

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PITTSBURGH (AP) - A former district judge pleaded guilty in federal court to instructing someone to lie to a grand jury about a bribe.

Ernest L. Marraccini, 62, who was district judge in Elizabeth, pleaded guilty Wednesday to obstruction of justice.

Prosecutors charged Marraccini in January in connection with a federal probe into the Allegheny County Sheriff's department. He was accused of trying to get a witness — an FBI informant — to provide false information about a trip Marraccini took in July 2001 to Nassau, Bahamas.

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A former Elizabeth Township district judge pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to obstruction of justice for instructing someone to lie to a grand jury about a bribe.

Ernest Marraccini, 62, was charged in January in connection with a federal investigation into the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office.

During a hearing yesterday before U.S. District Judge Alan Bloch, Marraccini said the FBI threatened him to get him to take the plea.

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HOUSTON - Cruise lines continue to add huge ships to their fleets. The newest vessels now sailing or planned this year include:

Norwegian Pearl: Norwegian Cruise Line. Debuted Dec. 16. The 2,394-passenger Pearl sails from Miami to the southern Caribbean. It will move to Alaska this summer. www.ncl.com.

Carnival Freedom: Carnival Cruise Lines. Debuted March 5 in Italy. This 2,974-passenger ship, a newer version of the Galveston-based Carnival Conquest, will sail in the Mediterranean through the summer, then transfer to Florida for Caribbean itineraries. www. carnival.com.

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Local DNA expert to test Anna Nicole Smith's child

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

FAIRFIELD — Fairfield-based DNA Diagnostic Center has a hand in a paternity case that is drawing international interest.

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Conceding it's a bit of a gamble, the Melbourne Airport Authority on Wednesday unanimously approved entering into an agreement with a German tour operator that could bring more than 200 tourists a week to the Space Coast later this year.

The seven-member Melbourne Airport Authority gave the OK to paying $50,000 to M-Touristik AG of Rostock, Germany, for marketing the Space Coast and drumming up tours to Brevard County.

Authority member William Potter said, by his reading of the agreement, Melbourne International is risking at least $200,000 of airport funds before any planes land at the airport. Nevertheless, he supported the agreement with M-Touristik.

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NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) ? Anna Nicole Smith's 6-month-old daughter, who could inherit millions after the former reality TV star's death last month, will undergo a DNA test to identify her father, an attorney for the baby's grandmother said.

A Bahamian judge ordered the DNA test Tuesday in the latest chapter in a bitter custody feud.

Larry Birkhead, an ex-boyfriend of the former Playboy playmate who asked the judge to order the test on 6-month-old Dannielynn, pumped his fists in the air and jumped up and down as he emerged from the private court hearing.

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Accused of stonewalling customers awaiting delivery of new homes, Jim Walter Homes Inc. has found a formula out of its troubles: You can't break promises if you don't make promises. In an agreement this week with the Florida Attorney General's office, the Tampa builder will drop references to completion dates from future new home contracts. Walter blamed hurricanes for construction delays that sometimes stretched past two years, prompting 39 complaints to the state. As part of the de...

A tinge of hope for Citizens customers

Citizens Property Insurance Corp. just got a tiny bit smaller. Tampa-based American Integrity Insurance Co. of Florida has taken out 55,000 policies from the state's insurer of last resort. CEO Bob Ritchie pledged the homeowners will see a rate reduction when their policies come up for renewal. However, they have the right to opt out of the deal and stay with Citizens. For homeowners who have been dropped by other companies, American Integrity offers a glimmer of hope. The company, which was...

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The countdown to the Final Four is on, and March Madness consumes us. Watching basketball has become our rights of spring. But things are moving so fast, I get them confused.For a while I had Anna Nicole Smith mixed up with Nicole Brown Simpson. I assumed that O.J. had moved to the Bahamas.Hillary Clinton compared herself to John Kennedy in having to break down barriers. Most people find a greater resemblance with Kennedy in Bill.Scooter Libby seems to resemble G. Gordon Liddy, the architect of ...

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The days are getting longer; daylight savings time is giving us added time at the end of the day. Those fishermen who chose to pack their equipment for the winter are now thinking about getting back on the water.

We had a good question presented by Marsha Tyler of Kingwood. Tyler, who has recently moved to our area from Florida, asked about ?fish poisoning.? She cited examples in the Bahamas, where people were warned not to eat certain fish due to toxins inside the fish. She recalled a similar notice once in a Tampa newspaper.

Fish poisoning is a very rare occurrence in the Gulf of Mexico, but is a possibility that has to be recognized.

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For those travelers who like to visit a casino once in a while (obviously, I fall into that category), one of the nice things about taking a cruise is the opportunities it affords.

Not only do most cruise ships have their own casinos, but you will find an assortment of casinos at many of the island stops. You also can plan to hit some of the islands that feature casinos, such as Aruba and the Bahamas, home of the world's largest casino resort, Atlantis Paradise Island.

However, there's one thing to keep in mind, whether the casino is on a cruise ship or on an island. That also includes our own U.S. destinations -- Las Vegas, Atlantic City, etc.

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In another sign of the intense Florida presidential campaign jockeying, a top Republican fundraiser is jumping ship from the Mitt Romney campaign to Rudy Giuliani's.

Richard Blankenship, a Jacksonville area investment banker and President Bush's former ambassador to the Bahamas, said he resigned from Romney's Florida finance team after becoming convinced Giuliani had broader appeal and said other Romney fundraisers in Florida could do the same.

Blankenship, who describes himself as a fiscal conservative and social moderate, has raised and donated hundreds of thousands of dollars for Republican efforts and frequently loaned his Cessna airplane to Republicans. He called Romney a wonderful person, but said he had concerns about the former Massachusetts governor's shifts to the right on a number of social issues.

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A local DNA expert is called to the Anna Nicole Smith paternity case.

Local 12 has confirmed Dr. Michael Baird attended a hearing in the Bahamas. Baird works at the DNA Diagnostics Center in Fairfield.

A judge Tuesday ordered a test on Smith's daughter, Dannielynn, to determine who is the father.

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EVENING UPDATE: There has been less than 1.5 inches of rain all month in Southwest Florida. Dry weather persists, but there is some good news in the forecast.

Another weak weather disturbance currently in the Bahamas will cross south Florida on Thursday and it could bring us a few showers.

We could use a good soak of rain but this weather system doesn't appear to have enough punch to do that. A shower or two is just about all we will see.

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Nov. 28, 1967: Born Vickie Lee Hogan in Houston. One of six children of Donald Eugene and Virgie Hart Hogan.

1985: Smith, 17, marries Billy Wayne Smith, 16.

1986: Daniel Wayne Smith is born.

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HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Maryland fell into Mississippi's trap and the defending NCAA champion never got out. Ole Miss (23-10) used its stifling defense to steal the ball 15 times and scored 42 points off 29 Maryland turnovers and the Rebels upset the No. 2 seed Terrapins 89-78 in the Dayton Regional on Tuesday night. "I think the game is really simple," Mississippi coach Carol Ross said. "You guard hard, you create ball plays, you let ball players make ball plays. You put them into position ...

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NASSAU, Bahamas - A Bahamian judge ordered a DNA test Tuesday on Anna Nicole Smith's infant daughter to identify the girl's father, an attorney for the baby's grandmother said, the latest chapter in a bitter custody feud sparked by the pinup's death last month.Larry Birkhead, an ex-boyfriend of the former Playboy playmate who asked the judge to order the test on 6-month-old Dannielynn, pumped his fists in the air and jumped up and down as he emerged from the private court hearing."It's been a go...

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NASSAU, Bahamas A judge in the Bahamas has reportedly ordered a D-N-A test for Anna Nicole Smith's infant daughter to identify the girl's father.That word from an attorney for the baby's grandmother.The legal development could signal an end to a bitter custody feud sparked by the death of the former reality T-V star last month.Smith's ex-boyfriend, Larry Birkhead, had asked for the D-N-A test. He pumped his fists in the air and jumped up and down as he emerged from the private court hearing.An a...

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Lawyer: Paternity test ordered for Anna Nicole Smith's daughter

Associated Press Writer

NASSAU, Bahamas

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NASSAU, Bahamas -- A Bahamian judge ordered a DNA test Tuesday on Anna Nicole Smith's infant daughter to identify the girl's father, an attorney for the baby's grandmother said, the latest chapter in a bitter custody feud sparked by the pinup's death last month.

Larry Birkhead, an ex-boyfriend of the former Playboy playmate who asked the judge to order the test on 6-month-old Dannielynn, pumped his fists in the air and jumped up and down as he emerged from the private court hearing.

"It's been a good day in court for me," he told reporters. Asked if he thought he would see the girl soon, he only smiled and winked.

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HARTFORD, Conn. — Maryland fell into Mississippi's trap and the defending NCAA champion never got out. Ole Miss (23-10) used its stifling defense to steal the ball 15 times and scored 42 points off 29 Maryland turnovers and the Rebels upset the No. 2 seed Terrapins 89-78 in the Dayton Regional on Tuesday night.

"I think the game is really simple," Mississippi coach Carol Ross said. "You guard hard, you create ball plays, you let ball players make ball plays. You put them into position to do that."

Maryland was expected to have a good chance at repeating as national champions with all five starters returning. The Terps added depth with transfer Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood, but it wasn't enough to stop them from a disappointing second round loss.

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HARTFORD, CONN. Maryland fell into Mississippi's trap and the defending NCAA champion never got out.

Mississippi (23-10) used its stifling defense to steal the ball 15 times and force 29 Maryland turnovers and the Rebels upset the No. 2 seed Terrapins 89-78 in the Dayton Regional on Tuesday night.

Armintie Price scored 28 points to lead the Rebels, the same Ole Miss team that was blown out by the Terps 110-79 at a tournament in the Bahamas in November.

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"0-0-0-07."Graduating in the year 2007 makes high school a little more interesting, yet at the same time, much more annoying. The "0-0-0-07" chant can be heard at various Munster High School formal dances, sporting events, and just by seniors being, well, seniors. It even comprised the Homecoming theme.Needless to say, 007 wore me out before I even viewed the latest movie installment.Throughout the school year I have had thoughts such as, "If I hear that one more time I will have to rip off my e...

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NASSAU, Bahamas A judge in the Bahamas has reportedly ordered a D-N-A test for Anna Nicole Smith's infant daughter to identify the girl's father.That word from an attorney for the baby's grandmother.The legal development could signal an end to a bitter custody feud sparked by the death of the former reality T-V star last month.Smith's ex-boyfriend, Larry Birkhead, had asked for the D-N-A test. He pumped his fists in the air and jumped up and down as he emerged from the private court hearing.An a...

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(3/20/07 - NASSAU, Bahamas) - A Bahamian judge ordered a DNA test Tuesday on Anna Nicole Smith's infant daughter to identify the girl's father, an attorney for the baby's grandmother said, in what could signal an end to a bitter custody feud sparked by the death of the former reality TV star last month.

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NASSAU, Bahamas -- A Bahamian judge ordered a DNA test Tuesday on Anna Nicole Smith's infant daughter to identify the girl's father, an attorney for the baby's grandmother said, in what could signal an end to a bitter custody feud sparked by the death of the former reality TV star last month.

Larry Birkhead, an ex-boyfriend of the Playboy Playmate who asked the judge to order the test on 6-month-old Dannielynn, pumped his fists in the air and jumped up and down as he emerged from the private court hearing.

"It's been a good day in court for me," he told reporters.

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He never dreamed of playing in the Final Four or even the NCAA tournament. He didn't even know they existed.

And if you had tried to describe March Madness to him, you wouldn't have gotten very far.

Not unless you spoke Lithuanian, German or Russian.

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Pittsburgh and Michigan State figured they were fortunate to host Tennessee and Rutgers, respectively, in the second round of the NCAA tournament Tuesday night. Neither the Panthers nor the Spartans were able to come away with a victory.

Rutgers beat Michigan State in East Lansing, 70-57, to advance in the Greensboro Regional. Tennessee was a 68-54 winner at Pitt in the Dayton Regional.

Rutgers was able to get up early, using a 13-2 run in the first half to take command. They held the Spartans without a field goal for nearly eight minutes.

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HARTFORD, Conn. -- Maryland fell into Mississippi's trap, and the defending NCAA champion never got out.

Mississippi (23-10) used its stifling defense to steal the ball 15 times and force 29 turnovers, and the Rebels upset the No. 2 seed Terrapins, 89-78, in the Dayton Regional on Tuesday night.

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On Sunday, if all goes as planned, Britain-based world-record-holding helicopter pilots Jennifer Murray and Colin Bodill will whirl through Oakland, parking their cherry-red Bell 407 for a day or so at Oakland International on their way to setting yet another world record and completing possibly the only unaccomplished feat left in aviation — circumnavigating the globe in a helicopter via the North and South poles, which I guess means vertically, assuming the Earth is still balancing on the backs of a bunch of elephants and they're holding it up straight.

This flying feat is extra cool when you note that Murray is a 66-year-old grandmother. And she wrote a book on their first attempt at this polar record in 2003, which ended in a dramatic crash and rescue in the Antarctic. Bodill, 55, is also a two-time world microlight (some kind of plane) champion, and was the first person to fly one solo around the world. And Murray was the first woman to co-pilot a helicopter around the globe (horizontally), and then became the first woman to do so solo.

She has met the queen and is a pal of the Duchess of York. And this current trip is being followed by schoolchildren all over the world. And it will raise money for charity. For ORPHANS!

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"Seeing Ourselves: Masterpieces of American Photography"

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday though Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, through April 28. Cost: $5 adults; $2 for students and active duty military. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. 432-6247 or www.pensacolamuseumofart.org.

Don't miss this exhibition of 155 images representing 150 years of photography in America, from famous faces, landscapes and portraits of everyday Americans.

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If your office is decimated by spring break vacations this week, just grin and bear it. Most will be back in the grind within days.

Most workplaces, cut to the cost-efficient bone, have to scramble to cover for vacationing workers — but not all that often.

Actually, U.S. workers don’t take many vacation days, especially compared with vacation durations in other industrialized nations.

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LONG ISLAND, Bahamas - Stepping around a bluff onto a deserted beach on the south end of this island, I looked to my left and gasped. Before me was one of the world's most spectacular natural wonders -and hardly anyone knows about it.

I was gazing at Dean's Blue Hole, the world's deepest known sea cave, which plunges 663 feet from its circular, midnight surface to the bottom. Partially surrounded by craggy limestone cliffs, the blue hole is so perfectly picturesque that it serves as a backdrop for Bahamas tourism brochures. Thousands have come to swim, snorkel, picnic, and scuba dive in the warm, clear waters over the years, but only one person, Jim King, has dived all the way to the bottom.

All I wanted to do was dive part of the way. Jean Pierce, who's opening a dive shop here with husband Kris Newman this summer, went with me last month. Anne Laurence, operator of the Chez Pierre Resort, opted to stay on the beach with her 3-year-old daughter, Alli.

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Photographer Larry Birkhead and his lawyer Debra Opri have gone their separate ways.

Opri released a statement Friday saying, "Larry Birkhead and I have terminated our attorney-client relationship effective immediately. I wish Larry the very best of luck in his continuing efforts to prove that he is Dannielynn's biological father. My prayers will be with Larry and Dannielynn always."

TMZ.com reports that Birkhead decided to go in a different direction and gave Opri her walking papers last Tuesday.

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Carnival Cruise Lines reported Monday a record 28 percent increase in reservations for a six-week booking period, a sign that lower prices have helped the Miami company spur demand in the sluggish Caribbean market.

The world's largest cruise brand said net individual reservations from Feb. 5 through March 18 for its 22 ships were up 28 percent compared to a year ago. The number of reservations was the highest in the cruise line's 35 years. Capacity also increased 6 percent during the same period.

Nineteen of Carnival's 22 ships operate in the Bahamas and the Caribbean, where the cruise industry has cut prices and added incentives amid an overall sluggishness in bookings.

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Larry Birkhead was upbeat on Friday following a court hearing in the Bahamas over custody of Anna Nicole Smith's baby.

The hearing was closed, so it's not clear why he was so cheerful. But without revealing details, Birkhead said he was in "a happy mood" after the hearing ? and, he said others were not as pleased.

Smith's mother, who also wants the baby, said nothing outside the court building on Friday. Virgie Arthur wants to take Dannielynn from Howard K. Stern, Smith's companion, who's had the baby all along. She has said she could provide a more stable home.

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About a year and a half ago, Erin Jaszczak thought she just had some sore lymph nodes under her left arm. Evidently, so did her doctors. But after a month of taking antibiotics and no improvement, her treatment changed drastically.

An ultrasound revealed a rare form of breast cancer, one that invades lymph nodes but not ductile tissue.

A double mastectomy, surgical removal of many lymph nodes, six rounds of chemotherapy, 30 days of radiation, breast reconstruction and a total hysterectomy later, the 38-year-old Jaszczak has bounced back and is ready to strut her stuff.

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The judge in the paternity case over Anna Nicole's baby, Dannielynn, has ordered DNA testing, according to TMZ.com.

The parties will appear in court Tuesday, where DNA experts will testify.

Meanwhile, a custody hearing was held in the Bahamas Friday over the Dannielynn.

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DVD REVIEW: Craig brings thrills back to an aging franchise

02:24 PM CDT on Monday, March 19, 2007

I was relieved when I discovered that Entertainment Weekly critic Owen Gleiberman ranked Casino Royale in his 2006 Top 10 films list. I thought maybe I had gone too far out on that critical limb. But with the exception of best-picture winner The Departed, I had no better time at the movies this year than with this smart, savvy reboot of the James Bond franchise.

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Plenty of hotels are ready to conspire with Valentine Day lovers to make their weekend tryst a memorable one. They'll ply them with aphrodisiac nibbles, pamper them with sensuous spa treatments, tempt them with bedside champagne and chocolates, love potions and other indulgences they don't enjoy at home.

Maybe that's what prompted Britney Spears to get married earlier this month during a romantic weekend getaway with friend Jason Alexander in Las Vegas.

No need to follow the pop star down the aisle, though - nor have to file for annulment the same day, as she did. Just put your regular-day cares aside on Feb. 14 and spring for a loving weekend. After all, what better time of year is there to give in to love than on a day long devoted to love?

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Chris Rock directs, Genesis and Cyndi Lauper plan tours, Michael Jackson greets troops and more.

The fight over control of the former Playboy Playmate and reality TV star's body began in Korda's courtroom. It ended up being heard by Circuit Judge Larry Seidlin, who carved his own slice of celebrity from the televised hearings with his relentless one-liners and blubbering announcement of his decision.

Seidlin allowed a court-appointed advocate for Smith's infant daughter to decide where Smith should be buried, and the lawyer decided it would be in the Bahamas.

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A judge who had a secondary role in the recent Anna Nicole Smith proceedings was charged with smoking marijuana in a city park, police said Monday.

Lawrence Korda was smoking marijuana while sitting under a tree Sunday, police said. Three officers who were training there saw Korda and field-tested the cigarette, said Capt. Tony Rode, a police spokesman.

The judge was not arrested. He was given a misdemeanor citation to appear in court.

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HOLLYWOOD, Fla. -- A Broward County judge who was part of the Anna Nicole Smith proceedings was discovered smoking pot in a Hollywood park Sunday and will have to appear in court for his actions, according to police.

Judge Lawrence Korda was in Stanley Goldman Park, near Hollywood Boulevard Sunday around 2 p.m., police said. When police patrolling the park smelled marijuana, they followed the scent and found Korda seated on a bench, police said.

Korda, 59, was not arrested but was issued a notice to appear in court and faces a charge for marijuana possession, according to police.

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March 19, 2007 -- The detective indicted for reckless endangerment for his role in the 50-bullet barrage that killed groom-to-be Sean Bell was charged because of an errant shot that struck an AirTrain platform - narrowly missing passengers, The Post has learned.

Sources said the four rounds Marc Cooper, 39, fired during the Nov. 25 Queens shooting did not hit victims Bell, Trent Benefield or Joseph Guzman.

"His [grand jury] testimony was clear," said Cooper's lawyer, Paul Martin. "He heard a crash, saw a barrage, crouched down, put one leg out and began firing in the direction of the threat."

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Prince Charles' wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, is to become a grandmother later this year, a British newspaper reported Sunday.

Sara Buys, who is married to Camilla's son Tom Parker Bowles, is expecting the couple's first child in September, the Mail on Sunday said."We have told our friends and family, and they are delighted," Parker Bowles, 32, was quoted by the newspaper as saying. "Mummy is absolutely over the moon at the prospect of becoming a grandmother.""It's the best news ever, and we are thrilled," Buys, 34, was quoted as saying.Parker Bowles is Charles' godson. He became the Prince of Wales' stepson as well a...

One of the men who claims to be the father of Anna Nicole Smith's baby is splitting with the high-profile Beverly Hills attorney who has been representing him in the case.Larry Birkhead and Debra Opri "have terminated our attorney-client relationship effective immediately," Opri said in a statement Friday.There was no word on who will replace Opri. She didn't indicate why she was leaving.Calls to Opri and a representative for Birkhead weren't immediately returned Friday.Attorney Howard K. Stern,...

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Has Lindsay Lohan reverted to her pre-rehab ways? The hard-partying actress is reportedly sober following a successful stint at the Wonderland treatment facility. But when the diva DJ?d at NYC hot spot Plumm, fellow partygoers allegedly saw her hit the sauce.

Thursday night, La Linds was the club?s guest of honor, and rocked the DJ booth along with celeb spinster Samantha Ronson, singing and dancing. But an online report claims it wasn?t all good clean fun.

According to an account on Us magazine?s Web site, a source said, ?I saw waitresses carrying two Grey Goose bottles away at about 12:20 a.m., so her table didn?t appear to have tons of alcohol, but she was spotted pouring another bottle of vodka into a water bottle and sipping from that while smoking. She made little attempt to hide this.?

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Rachel Burkardt spent her St. Patrick's Day in Malibu -- a Chevrolet Malibu she rented to drive 18 hours straight from Miami to Philadelphia.

Burkardt (junior-information science and technology) said she had just returned from a cruise to the Bahamas on Friday and, after waiting in the Miami airport for more than four hours, found her flight would be delayed.

"We could have stayed and waited for a standby plane or waited to fly home [tomorrow]," Burkardt said.

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He was just following his calling. Phelan, now 54, is a third-generation steeplejack, the only full-time one left in Northern California, he believes.

"There's not many of us around anymore," he said.

Because there aren't, Phelan's services are in high demand.

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The cost of spring break travel is soaring, and travelers are responding by taking shorter trips.

"People are shortening their vacations to afford them," says Amy Ziff, editor-at-large at Travelocity, the No. 2 online travel agency. "Travel's expensive again."

For the first time in six years of tracking its bookings, Travelocity this year has seen the average duration of spring break trips fall below five days.

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Opa-locka's architectural treasures battle urban woes

Michael Brick

New York Times

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El ojo clínico de Manuel Capó, el patriarca de 81 años que construyó El Dorado Furniture junto con sus siete hijos, no falló hace 40 años. En ningún momento cejó en el empeño de convertir a su hijo Luis en vendedor de la empresa que florecía en La Pequeña Habana y desoyó sus ruegos para que le permitiera seguir de camionero y responsable de entregas a domicilio.

''Era buen camionero'', aseveró Luis Capó, el presidente de El Dorado Furniture. ''En cambio, temía fracasar en ventas. Pero, cuando mi padre se propone algo, puede ser muy enérgico'', añadió.

Todavía recuerda, como si hubiera sido ayer, su debut en las ventas. Ese primer día, desde que entró una pareja joven a la tienda, tuvo que atenderla por orden de su padre.

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Larry Birkhead is sounding upbeat following a court hearing in the Bahamas over custody of Anna Nicole Smith's baby.

The hearing was closed so it's not clear why he's so cheerful. Without going into details, Birkhead said he was in "a happy mood" after Friday's hearing. And, he said others were not as pleased.

Smith's mother, who also wants the baby, said nothing outside the court building. Virgie Arthur wants to take Dannielynn from Howard K. Stern, who's had the baby all along. She has said she could provide a more stable home.

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Orlando ranks as the top choice of "alternative spring break" locations for

couples and families, according to online travel agency Orbitz.

Two other Florida cities made the top 10 -- Tampa at No. 7 and Naples/Ft.

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ORLANDO, Fla. – Harry St. John had his eye on a sleek 18-foot fishing boat as he browsed for bargains at a recent boat show. But his mind was on Wall Street.

“It does worry you when you see what the stock market did last week,” the 65-year-old Hernando Beach retiree said of a recent dip in the bull market. “Gas is getting high again. That’s all going to be taken in to play. I’m not buying unless the price is right.”

With consumer confidence wavering, shoppers like St. John are balancing the desire to get out on the water with the $25,000 average price of a new boat. Boat sales are down and the projection for 2007 is flat or down slightly from 2006, said Thom Dammrich, president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association

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