College of the Mainland Foundation scholarship applications are due March 30.
Students will be awarded $80,000 in scholarships for the 2007-08 academic year.
Applications can be downloaded from www.com.edu/foundation.
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...
A proposed tax rate rollback would spare 30 counties. Unlucky Nassau just misses the cut.
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TALLAHASSEE - What's the difference between 30 and 31?
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.
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.
RYE, N.Y. - Penguins star Sidney Crosby doesn't want to get into a war of words with Ottawa Senators coach Bryan Murray.
But Crosby was emphatic Wednesday when he said he did not swear at Murray during the game between the two teams Sunday, an accusation made by the Senators coach.
"He should get his facts straight," Crosby said after the Penguins practiced at the Rye Playland ice arena. "I wasn't even talking to him. If he's going to say anything, he should be honest and say what he said and move on. If he doesn't want to do that, if he wants to start something with me, I'm not going to be a part of it. If he wants to say stuff, he should get his facts straight."
Helen Marshall, cursed with two noisy airports in her area of New York City, decided Wednesday that she can live with the sound of the new four-engine Airbus A380.
Marshall, president of the borough of Queens, was among about 200 guests invited aboard the super-jumbo jet for a demonstration flight-to-nowhere over Manhattan and a slice of the Atlantic Ocean—departing from and returning to Hangar 19 at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Photo gallery
Lawyer: Paternity test ordered for Anna Nicole Smith's daughter
Associated Press Writer
NASSAU, Bahamas
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.
A St. Johns County man has been indicted in the 2004 death of a man stabbed more than 20 times and left on the side of a Putnam County road.
Otis Finch Jr., 26, was indicted Monday on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Timothy Eugene Curry, 47, of East Palatka.
Authorities said Curry was stabbed with a pocketknife after he and Finch got into a fight that ended on the side of Federal Point Road. A truck the two were in prior to the fight was later found in Jacksonville.
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...
(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.
Rescuers pulled more bodies from a Siberian coal mine Tuesday as investigators tried to pinpoint what sparked a methane gas explosion that killed 107 miners, Russia's deadliest mining disaster in a decade. Among those killed were 20 top mine staff, including its chief engineer, who had been inside checking a British-made hazard monitoring system, said regional Gov. Aman Tuleyev. A British citizen, identified as Ian Robertson, and his interpreter were also killed. About 200 workers were in th...
CONAKRY, GUINEA
65 are killed as truck overturns
A judge has ordered DNA tests on the daughter of former model Anna Nicole Smith to identify the girl's father, according to lawyers.
Larry Birkhead, an ex-boyfriend of the Playboy playmate, pumped his fists in the air and jumped up and down as he emerged from the private hearing.
"I feel great," he said. "It's been a good day in court for me."
Douglas Shamrock Sr., 48, Peachtree City, died Feb. 19, 2006. He was born Feb. 26, 1957 in Nassau, N. Y. He was preceded in death by his father, Bill Lee, and a brother, Mark Shamrock. Services were at the Parrott Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Jerry Cross officiating. Survivors include his wife, Sherry Shamrock, Peachtree City; a son, Douglas Shamrock Jr., Peachtree City; daughters, Amanda Hayes, Peachtree City, B. J. Shamrock, McDonough, and Lori Marie Shamrock, Tyrone; mother, Kathryn Lee,...
Records: Lincoln 13-2. Lincoln: Charles Basford 3-6, 3 RBIs, Josh Nichols 3-6, 2B, 2 RBIs; Matt Jacobs 2-5, home run, 3 RBIs; Patrick Dougherty 2-2, 2B, 2 RBIs; Tye Buckley 2-6, 2B; Tyler Everett 2-5.
Marianna 7, King's Academy 0
Marianna ... 150 001 0- 7 6 1
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.
LINDALE - The City Council adopted an ordinance Tuesday prohibiting certain sexual predators from residing close to places frequented by children, which officials believe makes Lindale the first Smith County municipality to put such a law on the books.
The ordinance makes it unlawful for any person who has been convicted of sexual offenses against a victim under age 16 to establish a permanent or temporary residence within 1,000 feet of any premises where children commonly gather, including schools, day care facilities, playgrounds, public or private youth centers, public swimming pools or video arcades.
The ordinance further prohibits property owners from renting to sexual offenders any structure inside those parameters to be used as a permanent or temporary residence.
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...
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...
New York Islanders forward Chris Simon, suspended a league-record 25 games for a vicious on-ice hit, will not face criminal charges. Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said her office considered "the willingness of the potential victim to support a criminal prosecution" and other factors in reaching its decision.
The NHL suspended Simon for his two-handed stick attack to the face of the New York Rangers' Ryan Hollweg during a March 8 game at the Nassau Coliseum.
Hollweg, who needed a few stitches on the chin but was not seriously hurt, met with prosecutors from Rice's office last week but told reporters afterward that he didn't think Simon should be arrested.
Comment: Bears drop first game, but win over No. 2 Fleming Island keeps them in top spot.
2. Fleming Island
Comment: Golden Eagles' loss to 9-1 Bartram Trail not enough to drop a spot.
March 19, 2007JUPITER ? Police Chief Frank Kitzerow has recommended 22-year veteran officer Jeffrey Sprauer's employment be terminated, in an Internal Affairs investigation report to Town Manager Andy Lukasik that was released Monday.
Surrounding a traffic stop for suspicion of DUI, Sprauer committed conduct unbecoming an officer, did not report misconduct to his supervisor, committed a misdemeanor, was untruthful and was untruthful in an official proceeding, Kitzerow wrote in his conclusion to the 21-page document and recommendation to Lukasik.
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MINEOLA, N.Y. — New York Islanders forward Chris Simon, suspended a league-record 25 games for a vicious on-ice hit, will not face criminal charges. Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said her office considered "the willingness of the potential victim to support a criminal prosecution" and other factors in reaching its decision.
The NHL suspended Simon for his two-handed stick attack to the face of the New York Rangers' Ryan Hollweg during a March 8 game at the Nassau Coliseum.
Hollweg, who needed a few stitches on the chin but was not seriously hurt, met with prosecutors from Rice's office last week but told reporters afterward that he didn't think Simon should be arrested.
NEW YORK — Jaromir Jagr looked for teammate Michael Nylander — and luckily found defenseman Rob Scuderi. Jagr snapped his longest scoring drought of the season Monday night when his pass for Nylander clipped off Scuderi's stick and slipped into the net with 33.8 seconds left in the New York Rangers' 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
"I am not 24 chasing any records anymore," said the 35-year-old Jagr, who went eight games without scoring for the second time this season. "My goal is to make the playoffs. Right now it doesn't matter as long as we win."
New York moved past idle Carolina into seventh place in the Eastern Conference, two nights after getting into playoff position. The Rangers, who nearly put up back-to-back shutouts for the first time since March 2003, trail sixth-place Tampa Bay by one point with nine games left.
JUPITER ? Police Chief Frank Kitzerow has recommended the termination of a police officer who was suspected of driving under the influence in Stuart but not arrested because of a lack of agency manpower.
Jeffrey Sprauer, a 22-year officer, committed conduct unbecoming an officer, did not report misconduct to his supervisor, committed a misdemeanor, was untruthful and was untruthful in an official proceeding, Kitzerow wrote in a 21-page Internal Affairs report to Town Manager Andy Lukasik.
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Jacksonville police think someone may have dumped a homicide victim on a dead-end street Sunday after shooting the man somewhere else.
About 10: 30 p.m., rescuers found Steven Floyd Smith, 38, in the 4300 block of Englewood Avenue lying near a partition wall for Interstate 95 after a nearby resident called about a person possibly injured, police said.
Smith was dead when authorities arrived. Police said the area is one where people hang out and drink. Some residents reported hearing noise in the area, but no gunshots, before authorities found the victim.
Ground control: When NASA awarded a $7.5 billion contract to Lockheed Martin Corp. to build Orion, the next-generation spacecraft, there was speculation that the office market around Nassau Bay would rocket.
Well, there?s news. Lockheed Martin has leased 80,000 square feet at 2400 NASA Parkway in Nassau Bay. This is the first lease to come from the contract, according to the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership.
LEAGUE CITY ? The 45th Annual Christmas Boat Parade on Saturday will feature more than 150 boats decorated with Christmas themes.
The event draws crowds of 100,000 annually.
Decorations vary from traditional to unique, using Santa, elves and angels.
Two years after a police chase and drunk-driving arrest of former Miramar Commissioner Fitzroy Salesman, a jury will begin hearing his case today.
On Monday, attorneys whittling the pool of 30 to two men and four women admonished potential jurors not to succumb to the ``crime show effect.''
That's what they said happens when jurors who are steeped in episodes of CSI and other TV crime shows assume that real court cases are handled and resolved the same way.
When the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention came out with a list of recommendations for women to take before they ever conceive, the people behind Jacksonville's Magnolia Project weren't surprised.
Faced with a fight against the region's higher than average infant mortality rates, the group suspected years ago that the general health of the mother might have something to do with how well the baby fares and set out to help women without health insurance or with other risks that could impact a future pregnancy.
Now, as interest in what's known as "preconception care" grows, the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition is taking its show on the road. A $148,000 grant from the state aimed at improving the health of women likely to become future mothers will be split between the five-county area but spent largely in Clay and St. Johns counties on spinoffs of the Magnolia Project called Camellia and Wildflower.
MINEOLA, N.Y. Chris Simon, the New York Islanders forward suspended for a league-record 25 games for a vicious on-ice hit, will not face criminal charges.
"After completing a thorough review of the on-ice incident, my office has declined to criminally charge New York Islander Chris Simon," Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said in a statement.
The NHL suspended Simon for his two-handed stick attack to the face of the New York Rangers' Ryan Hollweg during a March 8 game at the Nassau Coliseum.
Jaromir Jagr looked for teammate Michael Nylander - and luckily found defenseman Rob Scuderi. Jagr snapped his longest scoring drought of the season Monday night when his pass for Nylander clipped off Scuderi's stick and slipped into the net with 33.8 seconds left in the New York Rangers' 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
"I am not 24 chasing any records anymore," said the 35-year-old Jagr, who went eight games without scoring for the second time this season. "My goal is to make the playoffs. Right now it doesn't matter as long as we win."
New York moved past idle Carolina into seventh place in the Eastern Conference, two nights after getting into playoff position. The Rangers, who nearly put up back-to-back shutouts for the first time since March 2003, trail sixth-place Tampa Bay by one point with nine games left.
NASSAU BAY ? If a classic never goes out of style, ?The Mousetrap? is the little black dress of mysteries.
Clear Creek Country Theatre in Nassau Bay will bring the whodunit by famous writer Agatha Christie to life Jan. 12-28.
Since its opening night in London in 1952, ?The Mousetrap? is the world?s longest continuously running play, according to the official Agatha Christie Web site.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Jaromir Jagr looked for teammate Michael Nylander - and luckily found defenseman Rob Scuderi. Jagr snapped his longest scoring drought of the season Monday night when his pass for Nylander clipped off Scuderi's stick and slipped into the net with 33.8 seconds left in the New York Rangers' 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. "I am not 24 chasing any records anymore," said the 35-year-old Jagr, who went eight games without scoring for the second time this season. "My goa...
Lincoln Ladies. 7:30 p.m., Lions Theatre, 156 Lincoln Way E, Massillon.
Canton South Junior Guild. 7 p.m., Gulliver's, 2320 Faircrest St. SW, Canton Township.
Canton Kiwanis. 11:45 a.m., Woman's Club, 822 Market Ave. N.
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.
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.
TUESDAY: 4:30 p.m., registration, and 5:30 p.m., church service, must attend service; must bring Social Security card and photo ID, Turnaround Community Outreach, 321 Cherry Ave. NE.
TUESDAY: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Hands of Grace ministry, Grace Community Church, 1700 Hankins Rd. NE, Massillon. Also free personal items.
WEDNESDAY: 6 p.m., Open Door Chapel, 300 Walnut Ave. NE.
1. Acosta Bridge - Northbound ramp to Riverside Avenue will be closed from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily.
2. Argyle Forest Boulevard - Construction is under way to change the two-lane road to a four-lane divided road between Bridge Creek Drive and Westport Road.
3. Arlington Expressway at Cesery Boulevard - One westbound lane closed through Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
THE Chronicle's March 14 editorial, "Little sponges / Houston schools should take advantage of the need, and relative ease, of teaching students Arabic," was very interesting to me.
Working for Saudi Aramco, I lived in the Middle East and in other places in the world, too.
We should go beyond teaching Arabic, and educate children on the Arab/Islamic culture, as well.
Music and a spring-break atmosphere draw younger crowd to cruises
Dan Levin
The New York Times
Passengers on a cruise ship from which an Orlando man survived a seven-story jump and treaded through 70-degree water for nearly eight hours called his survival nothing short of a miracle.
The ship, Carnival Glory, returned on Saturday to Port Canaveral.
"I'm amazed he's alive," said passenger Joeline Kuenkler of Idaho. "We hung over the side of the boat for hours. At one point, I just thought there's no way he could have made it."
NASSAU COUNTY, FL -- It was a close call, almost too close for Lynn and Danny Smith. They watched Nassau County fire fighters put out a seven acre fire as they stood on their porch.
?Talk about panic, I'm crying, I'm still crying,? says Lynn Smith.
Fire officials say it started from a pile of trash a neighbor was burning across the street. The Smiths say it wasn?t the first time.
It?s another big year for new cruise ships ? with ?big? being the operative word. Many of the liners premiering in 2007 will set sail with more than 3,000 passengers.
Here?s the scoop on five of the newest ships. Rates listed are from the cruise lines. For lower rates, check with travel agents, discount cruise specialists.Norwegian Pearl (Norwegian Cruise Line)
?Debuted: Dec. 16.
"Condo King" Mark Kempler earned his nickname after he sold more than 100 condominiums in 2005.
But even the king's phone isn't ringing in one of the hardest-hit markets in Florida's oversaturated real estate industry.
"There are more than 1,000 condos listed right now in St. Johns County. That's ridiculous," said Kempler, a real estate agent who works out of Realty Executives' St. Augustine Beach office.
Private college for women located in a residential Milwaukee neighborhood.
Population: 2,047
Female: 100%
With more than 30 major islands to choose from ?- from the lush wilderness of Dominica to the desertlike terrain of Curacao ?- the Caribbean can be almost all things to all people.
But choosing the right Caribbean vacation is not as simple as blocking out the dates and going online to find the best airfares ?- for the infinite possibilities of the Caribbean can cut both ways.
You can end up with the trip of a lifetime or a vacation from hell. That's where this guide comes in ?- a primer on island getaways, geared to the kind of vacation you might want to take, whether it's a week filled with nonstop golf or an escape to a remote island.
Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas ?- The ocean is so beautiful. ...
But c'mon, you knew that. What you might not know ?- as a first-time visitor ?- is how you're going to be nicked, dinged and gouged in the most unlikely places. Of course, this shouldn't ruin your vacation, and we loved our getaway. As I kept repeating, unexpected fees in the Bahamas are better than laundry in Marietta.
My husband and I decided to hit the Bahamas after I was bumped from a Boston flight and got two free round-trip tickets anywhere AirTran Airways flies. It was our first vacation away from the kids in eight years.
March 18, 2007 -- Rudy Giuliani laid claim to New York over his possible presidential rival Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday, saying the Empire State had been "my home turf" longer than it'd been hers.
The Republican Giuliani, who has kept his comments about Clinton to a minimum in the campaign so far, spoke just before he marched in the St. Patrick's Day Parade up Fifth Avenue.
Asked how he'd do in a general-election matchup against Democratic front-runner Clinton on her "home turf," a chuckling Giuliani replied: "I have to just remind you that it's my home turf, too. And in fact, it's been my home turf longer than Hillary's.
Tommy Amaker maintained it was fair to expect Michigan to earn an NCAA Tournament bid in his sixth season leading the men's basketball program.
When the Wolverines fell short of that goal, athletic director Bill Martin decided it was time for a change.
"Letting Tommy go was the toughest decision I've had to make in seven years as athletic director," Martin told The Associated Press on Saturday. "He took over a program that needed help, and he helped it in a lot of ways.
This is the first chance to see your 2007 Tigers on FSN, when they take on the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at 1 p.m. It's one of those split-squad days, but this one is at Lakeland, so it should have the bigger names. And now you can start counting the days: It's only two weeks before they start playing the real games.
TALK BASEBALL
More Tigers with a half-hour preview of the upcoming season, 8 p.m. on FSN. Features include a look at the roster, including the addition of Gary Sheffield, as well as conversations with manager Jim Leyland and Justin Verlander. Announcers Mario Impemba and Rod Allen also throw in their two cents.
Nashville snapped a five-game losing streak to the Stars, who ended a four-game winning streak.
Modano's record-tying goal came in his 1,227th career game. Mullen posted his 502 goals in 1,062 games. Modano, who has played his entire career with the Minnesota/Dallas franchise, has scored at least one goal in four consecutive games.
Modano drew the Stars within one with a power-play goal at 17:08 of the third, but the Stars could not tie the game.
New York Rangers center Ryan Hollweg reportedly won't press charges against suspended New York Islanders forward Chris Simon for his two-handed stick attack to the face.
Hollweg told Newsday he wasn't happy about what Simon did, but added he wants to focus on making the playoffs.
Newsday said Nassau County prosecutors could still proceed against Simon. A spokesman for the county district attorney told Newsday a decision probably will be made on Monday.
St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal School will host an open house for prospective pupils and their families from 9 to 11 a.m. Friday and March 30.
Tours will be available at the school, which teaches pupils in full-day pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and grades 1-5. It is located at 18300 Upper Bay Road in Nassau Bay.
Call 281-333-1340 for more information.
NASSAU, Bahamas -- An ex-boyfriend of Anna Nicole Smith who claims to be the father of her daughter emerged from a court hearing in a ``happy mood,'' but he and the late reality TV star's mother who is also seeking custody of the girl refused to discuss the proceedings.
Larry Birkhead, a California-based photographer who first met the 6-month-old girl last month, said he planned to stay in the Bahamas until another court appearance Tuesday.
``It was hard for me to leave her the last time, so hopefully I'll stay