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Updated: 18 hours 33 min ago

Margate police chief retires amid scrutiny over text messages

Thu, 03/21/2024 - 15:24

Margate’s police chief announced his retirement late Thursday afternoon, the day after city commissioners agreed to dock his pay during a six-month probation period where he could’ve faced being fired in the end anyway.

In an email to the city manager obtained by the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Chief Joseph Galaska said he was retiring “on my own accord.”

“Under the current circumstances, my request to retire as soon as possible, and that I may be afforded to utilize accrued time until my request is approved, making my retirement effective immediately,” he wrote.

The city manager informed city commissioners by email minutes later that he would have the city’s attorney draft a “separation/retirement” agreement for their consideration.

In a Wednesday night meeting that ended in the early hours of Thursday, the chief was given six months to right his ship or risk being terminated.

The fallout comes after a city-commissioned investigation that reviewed some of the chief’s text messages. It concluded, “Chief Galaska’s conduct ultimately creates potential liability for the City in the future.” The investigation also found there is “concern regarding potential gender bias,” among other issues. Among the messages reviewed was one that said he would not promote a female lieutenant, or “I will never ever make her a major.”

Last week, the majority of Margate police officers in a union cast ballots expressing they have “no confidence” in Galaska’s ability to lead.

On Wednesday night, Galaska addressed the city commissioners, assuring them his record of hiring and promoting shows no bias against women. “I’d like to offer my sincere apologies I might have offended in previous text messages due to my poor choice of words,” he said.

Galaska told commissioners when he took over the agency — the last chief was fired — it was already riddled with problems and a “broken culture.”

“I was not handed the keys to a brand-new Mercedes. I was handed the keys to a lemon from a junkyard,” he told leaders referring to the police department.

But the report by attorney and investigator Ria Chattergoon showed “disturbing character flaws,” said Commissioner Joanne Simone at the city meeting, saying these weren’t the first formal complaints within the department against Galaska.

“The reputation of Margate is stained,” Simone said. “How does the department come back from this with this chief at the helm?”

Vice Mayor Arlene Schwartz called the texts “egregious” and showed “toxic issues.”

She said the chief’s public apology was three weeks late, and she called it an “outrage.” She has spoken to members of the department who have relayed to her concerns of “cronyism” and “infighting among upper management and a general lack of respect for the chain of command.”

“I know the department is broken,” she said. She said she was worried of a “mass exodus” unless there are changes.

Schwartz is the one who proposed Galaska’s deadline of six months to make “meaningful change” and warned if he is ultimately fired, she’d urge her colleagues to hire from outside the department to get somebody with “no alliances, no friendships.”

While ‘change’ within the department might be hard to define, Commissioner Anthony Caggiano said, “It’s like pornography: You know it when you see it.”

Still, “I can’t fire him over this,” Caggiano said. He also said people write “stupid” texts when they think they are talking to friends.

In December, Margate hired a law firm to conduct the third-party investigation regarding a lieutenant’s complaint against Galaska, in which a lieutenant alleged the chief’s texts inferred she engaged in a sex act with another former lieutenant “to advance her career,” the report says. The investigation states the woman and a former employee had a relationship more than 16 years ago, and the former employee did not have any supervisory authority over the female lieutenant.

Skirvin said at the meeting the female lieutenant who was the subject of the texts has been publicly humiliated.

Commissioner Antonio Arserio urged the commission to chose termination with no cause, saying another complaint was filed that same day. “I have a strong feeling we’re going to be up here again,” he warned.

Commissioners also agreed that during the six-month probation period, during the first month his pay would be docked by 75%, and the remaining five months he’d be docked 25%.

Even though that may be now moot, given the chief submitted his retirement, at least one commissioner said an investigation would continue anyway. The commission had agreed to pursue an investigation that looked further into what’s happened at the department.

The city needs to know if there are “other actors” and to “uncover what we can,” Commissioner Arserio said Thursday evening. It will be meaningful information for the next chief to fix the problems, he said.

“At the end of the day he’s doing the right thing,” Arserio said of the chief.

Rod Skirvin, president of the Broward County Police Benevolent Association, the union that represents the agency’s officers, told commissioners that more complaints were going to be filed. “The can of worms has been opened,” he said.

After news of the retirement Thursday, Skirvin said it was unclear if the complaints would still be filed.

Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com. Follow on X, formerly Twitter, @LisaHuriash

Drug overdoses reach another record with almost 108,000 Americans in 2022, CDC says

Thu, 03/21/2024 - 14:44

By MIKE STOBBE (AP Medical Writer)

NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly 108,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2022, according to final federal figures released Thursday.

Over the last two decades, the number of U.S. overdose deaths has risen almost every year and continued to break annual records — making it the worst overdose epidemic in American history.

The official number for 2022 was 107,941, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, which is about 1% higher than the nearly 107,000 overdose deaths in 2021.

Earlier provisional data estimated more than 109,000 overdose deaths in 2022, but provisional data includes all overdose deaths, while the final numbers are limited to U.S. residents.

The female overdose death rate declined for the first time in five years, although the male overdose death rate continued to inch up, the report said. Males account for about 70% of U.S. overdose deaths.

The overall drug overdose death rate rose from 2021 to 2022, but the increase was so small it was not considered statistically significant.

The CDC has not yet reported overdose numbers for last year, although provisional data through the first ten months of the year suggest overdose deaths continued to be stable in 2023.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Kalinina rallies to end Wozniacki’s Miami Open early; Haddad Maia also overcomes slow start

Thu, 03/21/2024 - 14:26

MIAMI GARDENS — Anhelina Kalinina was down and almost out Thursday with former top-ranked player Caroline Wozniacki one point away from winning in straight sets at the Miami Open.

But the Ukrainian saved that match point and won the last five games of the second set before taking the third in a 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 victory in the second round.

Wozniacki, who won the Australian in 2018 and retired from tennis at the same tournament two years later, returned to the sport last year. She had two children during her time away from the game.

Wozniacki reached the quarterfinals in Indian Wells this month but retired from the match against top-ranked Iga Swiatek in the second set because of a right foot issue.

Beatriz Haddad Maia also overcame a slow start in hot and humid conditions on the hard courts, rallying to beat Diane Parry 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. It was the Brazilian’s first career victory in three tries against Parry, who won both previous matches on clay.

In other women’s matches, Katie Boulter advanced when Brenda Fruhvirtova retired from their match while trailing 7-6 (5), 1-0, Maria Sakkari beat Yuan Yue 6-2, 6-2, Taylor Townsend defeated Elise Mertens 6-2, 6-2, and Anna Kalinskaya beat Wang Xiyu 6-2, 6-2.

In men’s action, Canadian hardcourt specialist Felix-Auger Aliassime was an early winner, beating Adam Walton 7-5, 6-4.

The 32 seeded players were given first-round byes. Aryna Sabalenka, the No. 2 seed in the women’s draw, is expected to play her opening match against Paula Badosa on Friday.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Palm Beach State student gets GL Homes hard hat tour, $1K scholarship

Thu, 03/21/2024 - 14:24

Palm Beach State College freshman Jeremiah Jean Jacques, an aspiring civil engineering student, recently received an exclusive hard hat tour from GL Homes at its new construction site at Lotus Edge in Boca Raton.

Jean Jacques, who was a longtime participant with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County, also is the recipient of a $1,000 engineering scholarship from GL Homes.

“GL Homes wants to offer phenomenal opportunities for aspiring engineering students,” said Sarah Alsofrom, GL Homes director of community relations.

“If there is a young person out there who wants to be an engineer and they do not know how to do it or the next step to take, we are here for them. We love to see motivated, driven and ambitious young people who want to get into the engineering field. Nothing beats a hands-on hard hat tour and a really immersive experience with GL Homes. It allows this young person to see what his career could be like.”

Kelvin Rolle, a freshman at Florida A&M University, received a paid internship this upcoming summer with the engineering team at GL Homes in its land department. Rolle, a Benjamin School graduate and longtime Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County member, had previously received a hard hat tour with GL Homes at the Valencia Grand construction site in Boynton Beach.

“We hope there is a pipeline with Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County and GL Homes to bring these aspiring engineering students our way,” Alsofrom said.

“We would love to be able to foster the next generation of dynamic engineers. We are thrilled Kelvin has accepted an internship with GL Homes this summer. He is a star and a great success story. We are so proud of him. We want to support Jeremiah and we hope he will follow in Kelvin’s footsteps. GL Homes is giving another engineering scholarship to a promising young student.”

Chilondra Sheppard, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County corporate partnership director in West Palm Beach, said they support teens who come through their programs.

From left, Chilondra Sheppard (Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County corporate partnership director), Heather Swanson (GL Homes director of engineering), Jeremiah Jean Jacques and Anthony LoFurno (GL Homes director of land development) on a hard hat tour at Lotus Edge in Boca Raton. (Tracey Benson Photography/Courtesy)

“Jeremiah was a part of our career-bound program and he wanted to be a civil engineer,” she said.

“When the kids can say this is what I want to do, then it’s really our job to connect them. We want to connect with corporate partners to really share opportunities with teens about what careers look like. GL Homes is a perfect example of what a partnership looks like. We are hoping that other corporate partners look at the work that GL Homes is doing with us so we can replicate it and more kids can have opportunities to have internships and ultimately land jobs.”

GL Homes and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County work together on several initiatives throughout the year, including a back-to-school drive and hunger relief.

Jean Jacques, a Glades Central High School graduate, participated in cross country, baseball and basketball. He said a four-year program of engineering classes in high school guided him in his path.

“I was always interested in building things and I was looking into automotive at first,” he said. “I really liked engineering at the beginning of high school. I loved everything we did in that civil engineering class in my senior year. I was able to determine that I wanted to take this path and continue to learn more about it.”

Jean Jacques also received an internship last summer with Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County.

“The internship I was able to get was eye-opening,” he said. “It was nice to be in that setting and I liked the environmental aspect a lot and the many jobs that you can do.”

Jeremiah Jean Jacques, Anthony LoFurno, Chilondra Sheppard and Heather Swanson at Lotus Edge in Boca Raton. (Tracey Benson Photography/Courtesy)

Jean Jacques appreciated the support from GL Homes on his path as a civil engineering student at Palm Beach State.

“I am looking for more opportunities to better myself and learn something new,” he said. “I am ready to learn more about the construction side. It’s very interesting to me.”

Jean Jacques started with Boys & Girls Clubs at age 5. He spent several years with the club at Gove Elementary and at the Smith & Moore Family Teen Center of Belle Glade.

“They always were trying to find a way to push us to better ourselves as a person,” he said. “It’s really up to you to take the help they are giving you.”

Jean Jacques’ mother, Marie, said her son has been driven and focused.

“The whole family is proud of Jeremiah and I knew he had a bright future,” she said.

Jeremiah Jean Jacques and Marie Jean Jacques at Lotus Edge in Boca Raton.

“He has worked real hard for it. He can achieve and be anything he wants. My children started at a young age at the Boys & Girls Club. It’s a family community and they look after your children. The parents are busy working and it’s a place where they can do their activities, schoolwork and get snacks. They are not on the street, which is dangerous and exposed to anything.”

GL Homes Director of Land Development Anthony LoFurno and Director of Engineering Heather Swanson both provided the hard hat tour at Lotus Edge.

“We are excited to have Jeremiah join us and to continue his exploration of the engineering and construction world and try to figure out what he wants to do long term,” LoFurno said.

“We are glad to be a part of it. It’s really cool and neat to see. We are in need of more engineers in this industry. Math and science over the years has not been emphasized as much with kids. When we find someone who has an interest, it’s good. The industry has a lot of people retiring and not a lot of new people coming in at the rate I think we need to sustain development and construction. Civil engineering is not as glamorous as biotech and chemical engineering. We really do have a need on the civil engineering side.”

LoFurno, who said they started at the Lotus Edge site last summer, added it’s expected to take between a year and a half to two years to complete development work. He said they expect to start building homes in the next two months.

Anthony LoFurno, Jeremiah Jean Jacques and Heather Swanson at Lotus Edge in Boca Raton. (Tracey Benson Photography/Courtesy)

“Boca is one of the hottest markets in the country,” he said. “We are just happy to go ahead and build another phenomenal community. It’s going to be amazing.”

Swanson said it was exciting to provide support to an aspiring engineer.

“It’s always fun to have someone that is beginning college to come talk about why they have interest in civil engineering or construction and to hear their story,” Swanson said. “I take pride in any support we can provide to them or any questions we can answer because I had similar experiences. Being able to give them an opportunity to see something they may be interested in is really awesome.”

Swanson has enjoyed the opportunities provided by GL Homes in the field.

“In construction, it’s more male-dominated,” she said. “GL Homes takes pride in diversity and giving opportunities to everyone. I started in the field doing inspections and I was the only female out here. Everyone was welcoming and provided all the support needed for me. I have been here 10 years now and I absolutely love it.”

Chef shake-up at Val+tino: Giovanni Rocchio out; new Fort Lauderdale restaurant to change name

Thu, 03/21/2024 - 14:18

Diners at the 2-month-old Val+tino restaurant in downtown Fort Lauderdale may have noticed a glaring absence this past month: Where’s head chef Giovanni Rocchio?

Just 40 days into his new job, Rocchio left what was supposed to be the rebirth of his acclaimed Valentino Cucina Italiana during the last weekend of February, the chef and ownership told the South Florida Sun Sentinel this week.

Now the Italian-Mediterranean spot owners once christened “Valentino 2.0” is in quiet rebranding mode after opening in January, with an imminent name change and a retooled tasting-style menu under newly promoted chef Jake Abbott.

Gone are Rocchio’s signature handmade pasta dishes including butternut squash tortelli with brown butter and sage and cavatelli osso buco with porcini and ricotta salata. A slimmer seasonal five-course tasting menu ($129 each, plus $85 with optional wine pairing) now replaces the standalone pasta and dessert sections, although two pastas and two desserts still appear.

Also gone: Pastry chef Carlos Salgado (ex-One Door East), whom Rocchio says quit the same night he did.

“They can’t make all my pastas and now most are off the menu,” said Rocchio, reached Thursday in Manhattan on a business trip. “I get messages all the time from customers asking me, ‘Are you gone? Well, then I’m not going back.’ ”

Rocchio said behind-the-scenes management drama and “a toxic environment” led him to resign, which stemmed from a spat between he and a manager about Valentino Cucina Italiana’s original staff, many of whom were rehired for Val+tino’s revival.

For his part, Val+tino owner Mike Linder on Wednesday declined to say whether Rocchio quit or was fired, nor did he confirm details about the alleged rift that drove out his head chef. But he did acknowledge the timeframe of Rocchio’s departure. His SFL Hospitality Group also operates next-door Canyon, YOT Bar & Kitchen, Jet Runway Café and South Bar & Kitchen.

“Giovanni’s a great guy, and we parted ways amicably,” Linder said. “As we evolved, we started doing things differently. (Giovanni) left a good legacy of what the concept was.”

Val+tino’s Facebook account as of Thursday afternoon still listed the restaurant’s old staffing regime, naming Rocchio as executive chef and Abbott as chef de cuisine. Linder says that should be updated soon, along with a new name, signage and seasonal menu “in mid-May.”

“We wanted to give everyone a full picture all at once,” Linder said. “People have been noticing that Giovanni is gone but said the food is just as great. My concern about this is zero. I’m very confident in what’s about to come.”

Linder said there will be no interruption in Val+tino’s quality of service.

“Jake (Abbott) created every single menu item that is currently on Val+Tino’s menu,” he said. “He has his own great recipes. Whatever tasks Giovanni was doing have been taken over.”

Ohio native Abbott cut his teeth in New York’s restaurant scene working with Laurent Tourondel and with Joe Anthony at Michelin two-star Gabriel Kreuther, where he struck up a friendship with Rocchio.

Val+tino plans to test pop-up lunches and debut a late-night bar menu during the second half of 2024, Linder said, adding that the restaurant’s name will be changed to reflect “the legacy that Valentino has left behind.”

The restaurant’s name is steeped in South Florida history. Rocchio’s father, Tony, debuted the first Valentino in Lauderhill in 1972 before relocating it to Plantation in the ’80s. Rocchio worked there until his father’s retirement in 2000. After opening in 2006 at a former tire shop on South Federal, Valentino Cucina Italiana racked up acclaim when it moved into a bigger location at 620 S. Federal Highway in 2012, including a rare four-star review by the South Florida Sun Sentinel in 2019. Valentino Cucina shut in 2020.

Val+tino is located at 620 S. Federal Highway. Call 954-451-1200 or go to Valandtino.com.

Kalinina rallies to end Wozniacki’s Miami Open early. Haddad Maia also overcomes slow start

Thu, 03/21/2024 - 14:17

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Anhelina Kalinina was down and almost out Thursday with former top-ranked player Caroline Wozniacki one point away from winning in straight sets at the Miami Open.

But the Ukrainian saved that match point and won the last five games of the second set before taking the third in a 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 victory in the second round.

Wozniacki, who won the Australian in 2018 and retired from tennis at the same tournament two years later, returned to the sport last year. She had two children during her time away from the game.

Wozniacki reached the quarterfinals in Indian Wells this month but retired from the match against top-ranked Iga Swiatek in the second set because of a right foot issue.

Beatriz Haddad Maia also overcame a slow start in hot and humid conditions on the hard courts, rallying to beat Diane Parry 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. It was the Brazilian’s first career victory in three tries against Parry, who won both previous matches on clay.

In other women’s matches, Katie Boulter advanced when Brenda Fruhvirtova retired from their match while trailing 7-6 (5), 1-0, Maria Sakkari beat Yuan Yue 6-2, 6-2, Taylor Townsend defeated Elise Mertens 6-2, 6-2, and Anna Kalinskaya beat Wang Xiyu 6-2, 6-2.

In men’s action, Canadian hardcourt specialist Felix-Auger Aliassime was an early winner, beating Adam Walton 7-5, 6-4.

The 32 seeded players were given first-round byes. Aryna Sabalenka, the No. 2 seed in the women’s draw, is expected to play her opening match against Paula Badosa on Friday.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

US Jewish history museum may become part of the Smithsonian

Thu, 03/21/2024 - 14:06

(JTA) The premier Jewish history museum in the United States may come under the umbrella of the Smithsonian, providing a level of financial security and distinction to an institution that was facing bankruptcy four years ago.

On March 20th, a bipartisan slate of lawmakers introduced legislation to study whether the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, in Philadelphia, could become part of the Smithsonian Institution. The Weitzman, as it is known, already has an affiliation with the Smithsonian, but making it a full part of the trust would make the museum eligible for federal appropriations and give it a figurative place alongside the iconic museums that line the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty ImagesA view of the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia, March 17, 2020. Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images

Lawmakers cited the reported spike in antisemitism in recent months as a reason to include the museum in the Smithsonian trust.

“Educating all Americans, from all over the country, about these amazing Jewish impacts on our nation’s history, not only raises awareness but helps dispel harmful prejudices about our community,”  Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida Jewish Democrat, said in a press release about the legislation. Rep. Max Miller, an Ohio Jewish Republican, said, “With the recent rise in antisemitism, now more than ever it is imperative that Jewish-American Heritage be celebrated and exhibited at the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, the Smithsonian Institution.

If the initiative bears out, it would be a remarkable turnaround for a museum that was on the cusp of closure four years ago. In early March 2020, right as COVID-19 hit, the museum filed for bankruptcy protection in the face of a $30 million construction debt. It was rescued the following year by a donation from footwear entrepreneur Stuart Weitzman, giving the museum its current name.

The museum, under the leadership of Misha Galperin, is now said to be in economic health. Galperin said in November that this year would be his last as CEO. Like Smithsonian museums, it offers free admission.

The museum welcomed the bill in a statement and said that the Jewish community merited the attention that the Smithsonian has paid in recent years to other minority communities. The National Museum of African American History and Culture opened in Washington in 2016.

“The Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum and research complex,” the Weitzman said. “Several of its 21 museums — including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, and the National Museum of the American Latino (as well as a potential National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture that is currently under study) — explore and educate about America’s minority communities. The American Jewish community merits a Smithsonian museum.”

The Smithsonian, a trust, runs its museums with a combination of fundraising and federal appropriations, with percentages varying among its many institutions. Most Smithsonian museums are in Washington D.C. and have free admission, although several are further afield, including the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in Manhattan.

The bill would establish a commission of nine people to study the feasibility of the move, eight voting members appointed by leaders of both chambers and a non-voting member appointed by the museum board. Their report to Congress on the feasibility of the museum joining the Smithsonian would come within two years of the commission’s launch.

The other sponsors of the bill include Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman and Rep, Brendan Doyle, Democrats from the museum’s home state, Pennsylvania; Rep. Mike Turner, an Ohio Republican; Sen. Mike Crapo, an Idaho Republican; Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican; and Sen. Jacky Rosen, a Nevada Jewish Democrat.

The bill is endorsed by the Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish Federations of North America, and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

To read more content visit www.jta.org

DeSantis signs ‘Live Healthy’ bills, including programs to train doctors, boost mental-health care

Thu, 03/21/2024 - 14:06

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed a package of bills that supporters say will help improve access to health care, boost the number of doctors in Florida and address issues such as mental-health treatment.

“What they (state leaders) are tackling right now are some of the biggest challenges that we face in the Sunshine State, and that’s access to health care in a reliable, reproducible, sustainable kind of a way,” said Tampa General Hospital President and CEO John Couris, who took part in a bill-signing event in Bonita Springs. “We’re facing a myriad of challenges in the health-care industry, in the health-care system. There are critical shortages in the health-care workforce. We’ve seen an exceptional growth in labor costs. Patients are struggling to access the care they need, and the demand for behavioral-health services is at a record high.”

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The bills were a priority of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, a Naples Republican who dubbed them the “Live Healthy” initiative. Passidomo pointed Thursday to trying to meet health-care needs of a rapidly growing population.

“Unfortunately, the new Floridians are not bringing their health-care providers with them,” Passidomo said. “We’re going to change that. The good news is that Live Healthy will help grow Florida’s health-care workforce, increase access, incentivize innovation so Floridians can have more options and opportunities to live healthy here in the Sunshine State.”

DeSantis signed five bills, though much of the attention has focused on a wide-ranging measure (SB 7016) that includes $717 million in spending. The bill, for example, will provide money for increased residency slots for doctors and put additional dollars into loan-forgiveness programs for health-care professionals.

The bill also will take workforce-related steps such as helping clear the way for foreign-trained physicians to practice in Florida.

“Health care workforce is a challenge,” said state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, who took part in the bill-signing event. “It’s tough to get appointments oftentimes, especially with specialty physicians. It’s tough to get a physical therapy appointment. It’s tough to see a nurse practitioner.”

The bill also includes issues such as trying to shift patients away from hospital emergency rooms for non-emergency conditions. It will require hospitals to take steps to divert patients such as by creating a “collaborative partnership” with federally qualified health centers or other primary-care providers.

The bill also includes allowing “advanced birth centers” that could provide cesarean-section deliveries for women who have what are considered low-risk pregnancies. Birth centers already exist but are not allowed to provide cesarean sections, which are surgical procedures done in hospitals.

Other bills signed Thursday included a measure (SB 7018) that will provide $50 million a year for a revolving-loan fund program for health-innovation projects. The program will provide loans with a maximum interest rate of 1 percent, with priority given to applicants such as rural hospitals and organizations that provide care in medically underserved areas.

Another bill (SB 330) will designate four behavioral-health teaching hospitals linked to universities to help address issues with treating patients for mental-health conditions.

The linked behavioral-health teaching hospitals will be Tampa General Hospital and the University of South Florida; UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville and the University of Florida; UF Health Jacksonville and the University of Florida; and Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami and the University of Miami. The bill also will allow the state Agency for Health Care Administration to designate additional behavioral-health teaching hospitals as of July 1, 2025.

The bill will provide $100 million a year over the next three years to the teaching hospitals, with additional money provided for such things as residency positions for psychiatrists.

“I’ve said, look, I want more beds for mental-health patients, particularly people that are not able to function in society,” DeSantis said. “And so this is going to be, I think, a key component of that, and I think it’s something that’s going to be very, very meaningful.”

Other bills signed were a measure (SB 1758) that addresses programs and services at the Agency for Persons with Disabilities and a measure (SB 322) that creates a public-records exemption for certain health-care professionals.

The bills moved through the Legislature with almost no opposition, though Democrats repeatedly argued that the package should include expanding eligibility for Medicaid — an idea rejected for the past decade by Republican leaders.

Passidomo made clear as she began moving forward with the legislation that she would not consider expanding Medicaid.

“Access to health care is important at every phase of life,” Passidomo said Thursday. “Insurance, including Medicaid and Medicare, does not guarantee access. Even Floridians with great insurance face barriers to care.”

‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ review: Chilling with friends old and new

Thu, 03/21/2024 - 13:51

Man, so many Ghostbusters to call.

In theaters this week, “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” is the follow-up to the largely enjoyable 2021 adventure “Ghostbusters: Afterlife.” The latter, which saw Jason Reitman — son of Ivan Reitman, director of 1984’s original “Ghostbusters” and its 1989 sequel, “Ghostbusters II” — at the helm, introduced a new generation of brave spirit-catching souls while also bringing back key legacy characters.

Well, the “Ghostbusters” franchise obviously isn’t ready to let go of the past.

“Frozen Empire” — co-written, like its predecessor, by Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan, who takes over directing duties this time — is similarly packed with multiple generations of Ghostbusters. As a result, it doesn’t feel as fresh as “Afterlife.”

Nonetheless, it’s again a pretty entertaining way to spend a couple of hours.

Following a prologue set in 1904 New York City in which a few frozen folks literally fall to pieces, we move to the modern Big Apple and catch up with the family at the heart of the new movie, descendants of deceased original Ghostbuster Egon Spengler. Mom Callie (Carrie Coon), son Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and daughter Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) are out on the hunt, packed into the vehicle synonymous with the Ghostbusters, Ecto-1, being driven by Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd), who’s graduated from being Phoebe’s teacher to her, um, “step-teacher,” as he awkwardly puts it.

The Ghostbusters, in Ecto-1, chase the Sewer Dragon Ghost through New York City in a scene from “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.” (Courtesy of Sony Pictures)

Bankrolled by Ghostbuster-turned-philanthropist Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), the family now resides in the Ghostbusters’ old Tribeca firehouse, traveling by pole from where they sleep to the other levels of the aged building.

Another hero is, again, Dan Aykroyd’s Ray Stantz, the former Ghostbuster now spending his time buying old objects he eagerly scans with his PKE reader for paranormal energy and hosts an online show with the help of Podcast (Logan Kim), who has migrated to New York from Oklahoma along with the Spenglers, as has Lucky (Celeste O’Connor), Trevor’s friend.

Ray Stantz, portrayed by Dan Aykroyd, left, and Nadeem Razmaadi, portrayed by Kumail Nanjiani, make a deal in a scene from “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.” (Courtesy of Sony Pictures)

We also get — and no complaints here — Bill Murray’s original Ghostbuster Peter Venkman popping in for a few meaningful minutes of screentime.

Expect another familiar face or two, while newcomers include Patton Oswalt’s Dr. Hubert Wartzki, an expert in ghostly and ghastly folklore, and James Acaster’s Lars, a scientist working with Winston’s new Paranormal Research Center. (Making his film debut, Acaster is a very creative comedian who earns a few lab-related laughs.)

The more important new characters, however, are Melody (Emily Alyn Lind of “Gossip Girl”), a ghost trapped in this world who befriends Phoebe, and Nadeem (Kumail Nanjiani), a neighborhood hustler who must embrace his destiny as “the firemaster” if humanity is to survive a coming threat.

That danger is Garraka, a terrifying demon with the power of “the death chill” who has been trapped in an ancient artifact for more than a century.

Garraka is the big, chilly bad of “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.” (Courtesy of Sony Pictures)

With so many characters to juggle and seemingly determined to give us a reasonable runtime, Reitman and Kenan don’t even try to give many of them arcs. The major exception is Phoebe, who’s benched after the fact that she’s only 15 becomes an issue for New York’s mayor, who’s not exactly a longtime ally of the Ghostbusters. (Meanwhile, Trevor is now 18 and wants to be treated like an adult, but “Stranger Things” star Wolfhard rather quickly becomes an afterthought in “Frozen Empire.”)

The most fun is provided by Nanjiani, the star of “The Big Sick” and “The Lovebirds” sticking some comedic lines as only he can as the increasingly important Nadeem.

Overall, even as “Frozen Empire” is essentially going through the ghostbusting motions, it is consistently pleasant thanks to its appealing cast. For example, Rudd (“Ant-Man”) is his usual brand of everyman-charming as Gary, who is asked by girlfriend Callie to start being more of a dad to her kids, which will mean being the bad guy sometimes.

Tastes surely vary on this kind of thing, but we’re pleased that, after building up the threat of Garraka, “Frozen Empire” doesn’t devolve into a seemingly endless supernatural battle sequence — like certain “Ghostbusters” installments we could name. Fear not, for there are ice spikes and proton packs aplenty in the climax, but we all know how this affair is going to end, so there’s no need to drag it out.

Counting the disappointing 2016 reboot, “Ghostbusters,” “Frozen Empire” — appropriately dedicated to Ivan Reitman, who died a few months after the release of “Afterlife” — is the fifth film in the franchise, and we’re guessing a sixth isn’t too far off in the distance.

We wouldn’t mind that, but maybe don’t invite quite so many folks to that paranormal party.

‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’

Where: Theaters.

When: March 22.

Rated: PG-13 for supernatural action/violence, language and suggestive references.

Runtime: 1 hour, 55 minutes.

Stars (of four): 2.5.

Coconut Creek officer accused of DUI after witness saw him asleep at wheel

Wed, 03/20/2024 - 17:31

A Coconut Creek Police officer was arrested recently in Palm Beach County, accused of driving under the influence after another driver saw him asleep behind the wheel at a traffic light.

Laurence Christopher, 58, is facing one DUI-related misdemeanor charge, court records show.

Sgt. Scotty Leamon, a spokesperson for the police department, confirmed that Christopher is a Coconut Creek Police officer. Leamon did not immediately know Wednesday evening how long Christopher has been with the department or if he has been assigned to administrative duties since his arrest March 15.

Christopher, driving a Ford truck, was stopped at a green light in the area of Lantana Road and South State Road 7 shortly before 2 a.m. that Friday when a witness noticed he was asleep while moving to go around the truck, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The witness told deputies he got out of his car and knocked on the truck window, and the driver “appeared lost” when he awoke, the affidavit said. He knocked several times on the window to wake up Christopher. The witness asked Christopher if he was having a medical emergency, and Christopher said he was not, according to the affidavit.

A passenger in the witness’s car called 911, and the witness told deputies Christopher fled in his truck when he heard the passenger calling 911. The witness followed Christopher as he allegedly sped north and drove “all over the place,” nearly hitting a median, according to the affidavit.

The witness recorded a video of the erratic driving and showed it to the deputy who pulled Christopher over, which was recorded on body-worn camera footage, according to the affidavit.

Christopher was the only person in the truck when the deputy pulled him over after observing him drifting from one lane toward a center median in the area of North State Road 7 and Southern Boulevard in Royal Palm Beach, the affidavit said.

He told the deputy he was “good” when asked if he was OK. The deputy noted he had glossy eyes and smelled alcohol coming from him and his breath and requested back-up, the affidavit said.

The second deputy who arrived also noted the smell of alcohol, red and glossy eyes and slurred speech, according to the affidavit. Christopher allegedly swayed as he talked to the deputy and staggered while walking to the deputy’s patrol car.

Christopher said he was on his way home and could have someone pick him up, the affidavit said. He refused to participate in roadside sobriety tasks and he refused to submit a breath test to determine his blood-alcohol content. He also told the deputy he did not have any medical conditions and was not taking any medication.

If a driver refuses to submit a breath or urine test, his or her driving privileges can be suspended for a year for a first offense or 18 months for a subsequent offense, according to the affidavit.

Christopher was released after posting bail, court records show. Leamon said Christopher was off-duty when he was pulled over.

Christopher’s defense attorney did not return an email seeking comment Wednesday after business hours.

Like disgruntled NBA superstars, Clemson and FSU trying to kick and scream their way out of ACC | Commentary

Wed, 03/20/2024 - 17:29

Running off at the typewriter …

How are FSU and Clemson like James Harden and Kawhi Leonard?

Because like disgruntled NBA superstars who — even though they’re under contract — are able to create so much controversy and consternation that their teams succumb and get rid of them, FSU and Clemson are hoping they, too, can use the legal system to kick and scream their way out of the ACC.

First, it was FSU back in December,  and now it’s Clemson filing a lawsuit in an attempt to get out of a grant-of-rights contract that binds them to the ACC for 12 more years. The Tigers filed their lawsuit earlier this week and, within the legal crying and caterwauling, exclaimed that the ACC’s grant-of-rights contract and exit fees were “unconscionable” and “unenforceable.”

Question for Clemson (and FSU): Were the grant-of-rights contract and withdrawal fees “unconscionable” and “unenforceable” when you happily and voluntarily signed the contract (twice) in 2013 and 2016?

Don’t get me wrong. I get the financial reasons why Clemson and FSU both want out of the ACC, and I’d do the same thing if I were running their athletic departments. After all, it’s been well reported that the SEC and Big Ten annual media deals will soon be worth about $30-$40 million per team more than the ACC’s media deal.

In addition, Clemson’s lawsuit came on the same day that the College Football Playoff and ESPN announced a new six-year, $7.8 billion contract that further accentuated the financial gap between the SEC/Big Ten and the ACC. Annually, each SEC and Big Ten team will earn more than $21 million under the new playoff agreement while ACC teams will earn more than $13 million. That’s right: Vanderbilt and Indiana will get more playoff money than FSU and Clemson.

If you add up this TV revenue discrepancy over a 10-year period, ACC teams like FSU will make about $400 million less than SEC teams like Florida.

But it’s not like the ACC forced Clemson and FSU to sign the media-rights deal and the grant-of-rights agreement.  At the time, every ACC school signed those contracts voluntarily and were absolutely giddy that the ACC was getting its own TV network and a lucrative long-term deal with ESPN. However, when the market changed and TV rights fees rapidly escalated, the ACC was stuck with a protracted subpar media deal until 2036.

More power to FSU and Clemson if they can somehow use the legal system to extricate themselves from the ACC’s grant of rights, but it sure sounds like they are reneging on a signed contract now that it’s gone bad.

Like those of us who happily (and then sadly) bought Pets.com stock during the dot-com bubble, Clemson and FSU went all in on ACC stock and now they’re losing their shirts.

Considering member schools are on the hook for more than $500 million if they want to leave the conference, the strategy seems to be to create so much havoc and upheaval that the ACC will acquiesce and allow the Seminoles and the Tigers to leave with a reduced exit fee.

Good luck.

While kicking and screaming and creating chaos may work for disgruntled NBA superstars who want to leave town, I’m not so sure FSU and Clemson throwing a legal temper tantrum is going to result in a slam-dunk exit from the ACC. …

Short stuff: If you ask Florida Gators coach Billy Napier, I bet he would trade all of that  SEC TV money we just talked about for an ACC football schedule. The Gators not only play arguably the toughest schedule in the country this season, they found out Wednesday that they will play the exact same SEC schedule in 2025 — except that seven conference games (Mississippi State, Tennessee, Texas, Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss and Texas A&M) will be flipped home and away while Georgia remains in Jacksonville. When you throw in FSU and Miami as non-conference opponents both years (with UCF also on the non-conference schedule this season), you can see the Kilimanjaro-like climb Napier faces to stay employed. … Shame on basketball programs such as St. John’s, Indiana, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, Memphis, Ole Miss, etc. who didn’t make the NCAA tournament and then turned down bids to play in the NIT. What a bunch of big, fat, whiny, babies. Just because you weren’t good enough to get into the NCAA tournament, you’re gonna take your ball and go home? Winners compete. Losers pack up their monopoly money and bail. …

It was announced earlier this week that new Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer was given an 8-year contract that averages about $11 million annually and is nearly fully guaranteed with a minimum buyout if he wants to leave. Coaching super agent Jimmy Sexton strikes again! This is just another example of how college ADs cower in the fetal position whenever Sexton sits down at the bargaining table. Hypothetically, if Alabama went 0-12 this season and wanted to fire DeBoer after one year, the school would owe him $70 million. However, if wanted to leave for another job after this season, he would owe the school just $5 million. If I’ve written it once, I’ve written it a million times: How screwed up is it that college athletic departments nationwide are shaking down fans and boosters for NIL money to pay players but at the same time they think nothing of handing out obscenely one-sided contracts that guarantee a coach nearly $100 million? …

Did you see where erstwhile Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh had a garage sale at his house in Ann Arbor this week amid his relocation to L.A.? No word yet on how much Connor Stalions’ marching orders and surveillance equipment sold for. … Not only are the Orlando Magic having a breakout season on the court, the organization itself was just named among “Best Places to Work in Sports in 2023” by the Sports Business Journal. Kudos to the Magic, who were the only professional franchise in four major sports to be on SBJ’s list. The Magic obviously do right by their employees and even former employees (see recent Shaq jersey retirement even after he bolted and wrecked the franchise all those years ago).  … Professor Pigskin’s Free Agency Grades: Tampa Bay Bucs (A+), Jacksonville Jaguars (B+), Miami Dolphins (C-). … Question: Why did the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee put cultural phenomenon Caitlin Clark and her Iowa Hawkeyes in the toughest bracket instead of the easiest one? If the Hawkeyes get eliminated before the Final Four, this will go down as the worst business decision since Pepsi Crystal. … I’m not saying NASCAR had a rubber-shredding fiasco at Bristol last weekend, but the last time I saw such shoddy tires was when I tried to take the corner too fast going from Office Supplies into Home Decor with my wobbly-wheeled Walmart shopping cart last week. …

Last word: With Thursday being actor Matthew Broderick’s birthday, let us all remember to live by the philosophy of the great Ferris Bueller: “The question isn’t: ‘What are we going to do?’ The question is: ‘What aren’t we going to do?’ “

Email me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Hit me up on X (formerly Twitter) @BianchiWrites and listen to my Open Mike radio show every weekday from 6 to 9:30 a.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and 969TheGame.com/listen

As UCF focuses on its future, coach Johnny Dawkins faces uncertainty going into contract’s final year

Wed, 03/20/2024 - 16:20

In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, as the last remaining UCF fans exited Addition Financial Arena for what would be the final time this season, coach Johnny Dawkins pondered what’s next for the Knights.

In those moments following UCF’s 83-77 loss to rival USF in their first-round matchup in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT), Dawkins was asked to assess his team’s performance in its first season in the Big 12.

The Knights finished 17-16 overall and 7-11 in the conference, highlighted by wins over three ranked opponents: No. 3 Kansas, No. 23 Oklahoma and No. 23 Texas Tech.

“I have a really good idea of what we need moving forward,”  Dawkins said. “We were looking at that throughout the year  as we were playing the other Big 12 teams to determine what we have to do, who we matched up against, what they have, their style of play, whether it’s physicality, shooting or rebounding.

UCF’s late rally comes up short as USF advances in NIT showdown

“We’re studying every team we play to understand the theme of this league and the talent level needed to succeed.”

Dawkins said he believes the Knights exceeded expectations, especially considering how the team was picked to finish last in the Big 12. UCF wound up  11th in the 14-team league — which was ranked as the toughest conference in college basketball this season — and was one of 11 teams to earn postseason bids.

“We were able to get to the NIT, which means you finished as one of the top 100 teams in the country,” he explained. “I don’t think anyone would have expected that to happen. I don’t think that would have been expected.”

Even so, junior guard Jaylin Sellers believes the Knights could have achieved more this season.

“We underachieved this season,” said Sellers, who earned All-Big 12 honors after arriving through the transfer market from Ball State. “Just with the group of guys we had, this is probably the best team I’ve played on. You have to have people follow the game plan and listen to Coach. Things could have gone in a whole other way.”

An average of 8.8 points decided UCF’s 18 regular-season conference games and an average of 9.2 points decided the Knights’ 11 losses. But the Knights faced double-digit deficits in 11 of their 18 league games.

UCF lands commitment from Georgia defensive back Demarcus Gardner

The roster underwent a massive makeover last offseason, with 10 new players (such as Sellers) arriving from the transfer portal. Some of the new additions were Shemarri Allen, Omar Payne, Ibrahima Diallo, DeMarr Langford Jr., Marchelus Avery, Mintautas Mockus and Sellers.

There will be more turnover this offseason with the expected departures of Antwaan Jones, C.J. Walker, Allen, Payne and Diallo, who have exhausted their eligibility.

Sellers, however, will be back, announcing his decision hours before tipoff of the NIT game.

“Coach Johnny Dawkins is perhaps the best coach I’ve had in my life,” Sellers said. “With him believing in me, I never want to play for another coach in college basketball. He’s like another father figure to me. When I look into his eyes, I see me, and I’m pretty sure he sees a little bit of himself.”

Dawkins’ future, however, remains fodder for speculation.

He is entering the final year of his contract, and UCF officials have yet to announce their plans for an extension or a possible coaching change. But Dawkins, 60, believes he’s done enough this season to be back in 2024-25.

“I expect to be back here,” said Dawkins. “I have loved coaching UCF since Day 1 and I’ve put my whole heart into this university because they allowed me to be the coach here. I think the administration and everyone believe in me and what we’re doing here, and yet it will never end right for you unless you win a championship.”

New UCF strength coach Anthony Kincy brings family feel to Knights

For now, Dawkins’ focus is on next season, emphasizing the transfer portal and recruiting.

“I’m a next-play guy,” he said. “Season ends, but what we do as a program and what we must do as a staff continues immediately. We’ve got to start refocusing on the next phase.”

UCF already has a commitment from transfer Mikey Andrews, a five-star guard from Memphis who is considered a top-10 prospect, and Dawkins said the Knights will also be a factor with other candidates.

Still, he doesn’t want the disappointment of how the season ended to outweigh his team’s accomplishments.

“We overachieved compared to what people thought we were going to do,” he said. “I don’t think anybody can sit here and think we would win some of the games and win as many games as we did in the Big 12. But that’s not my standard. Everywhere I’ve been, we’ve won, so we have to do better than we’ve done this year.”

Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com

Where Trump showed strength, and weakness, as Florida Republicans gave him another big primary victory

Wed, 03/20/2024 - 15:39

Former President Donald Trump easily won Florida’s presidential primary, cruising to an overwhelming victory in his adopted home state. But the results show lingering doubts about his candidacy among some Republican voters.

Trump’s 81.2% of the vote was big. He won each of the state’s 67 counties; 24 of them with more than 90% of the vote.

And those numbers mean one in five Republicans voted for someone else — not their party’s presumptive 2024 presidential nominee.

  • The number of Republicans who voted in the state’s presidential preference primary on Tuesday was 9.5% lower than the number who voted in the 2020 primary — even as the number of Republican registered voters in Florida increased 8%.
  • Trump received 252,000 fewer votes this year, in unofficial results as of midday Wednesday, than in the 2020 primary — a decline of 21.7%.
  • The other six candidates whose names appeared on the ballot collectively received 19%. The biggest share was the 13.9% that went to former Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina, who was the last remaining candidate before she dropped out in early March.

She was also one of Trump’s fiercest competitors, describing him as “not qualified to be president” and unable to win a November contest with President Joe Biden.

“The more significant number is former President Trump getting 250,000 less votes than he got in 2020, which was also an uncontested primary,” said Joe Budd, the elected Republican state committeeman for Palm Beach County. “There’s much less enthusiasm this go-around.”

Budd was an early supporter of Trump’s 2016 presidential candidacy and later founded a large South Florida political organization now known as Club 47 to support the former president. He supported Gov. Ron DeSantis for the party’s presidential nomination this year.

Richard DeNapoli, the elected state Republican committeeman in Broward and a former county party chair who was also an early supporter of Trump’s 2016 candidacy, said the overall result is the key takeaway.

“President Trump had a resounding victory in Florida, and Republicans have always united behind our nominee in even greater numbers for the general election,” he said via text.

His biggest pockets were in northern and central Florida, along or near the borders of Alabama and Georgia, with a pop of support in the central part of the state — plus, significantly, Miami-Dade County, the state’s largest.

Trump’s support was weaker mainly along the state’s coastal regions, from Broward and Palm Beach counties north to Indian River County along the Atlantic Ocean, and from Hillsborough County south along the Gulf Coast.

Significance

The Florida presidential preference primary was as close to a pure test of Republican sentiment as possible. Unlike some other states, only people who were registered Republicans four weeks before primary day were allowed to participate.

And Democrats painted the results in Florida, as well as other primaries held around the country on Tuesday and previously, as ominous for Trump.

“Donald Trump struggled in his adopted home state,” Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said Wednesday in a video news conference. “Donald Trump is in trouble here in the state of Florida,” she said, arguing that the primary results “show that Donald Trump is weak and getting weaker by the day. He is in significant trouble, not just here in the state of Florida, but across the entire country.”

Eric Johnson, a Democratic strategist who has managed federal, state and local campaigns, said repeated rounds of voting this year have shown a “significant protest vote continuing to happen in Republican primary after Republican primary.”

“There is a canary in the coal mine for the Trump campaign,” Johnson said.

The question is what do those Republicans who didn’t favor Trump in the primaries do in November. “Do those voters go back to him in a binary choice? Some will. But to the degree that any of them switch over to Biden that’s a real problem for the Trump campaign,” he said.

Republicans scoffed at the notion that the results have any broader implications.

“Nikki Fried and the Democrats should focus on how to save their party from extinction in Florida. It’s normal in primaries to have some people vote for other candidates, but we are united and ready to send Joe Biden back to his basement in Delaware,” state Republican Chair Evan Power said via text.

And Sean Foreman, a political scientist at Barry University, said the lower turnout and the overall results were neither a surprise, nor an indication of how Republicans will do in Florida in November.

“I don’t think it’s cause for concern for the Trump campaign or that Democrats should be overjoyed by those numbers,” Foreman said. “The Florida primary just wasn’t significant this year.”

Foreman said some small but unknown share of the anti-Trump vote undoubtedly came from people who switched their voter registration to Republican just so they could participate in the primary.

Florida in play?

Florida once was the biggest swing state in the country, with the potential to have a major impact on presidential elections because its large cache of electoral votes could go to either candidate.

And for a generation that meant the state’s voters were courted, with candidate campaign visits, advertising and targeted messaging that sought to appeal to Floridians. But it’s become increasingly Republican red.

Few independent analysts — and privately, many Democrats — see Florida within Biden’s reach in 2024.

“Florida continues to be in play,” Fried declared.

Johnson was somewhat more cautious in his assessment.

“Trump only won Florida by 3 (percentage) points” in both 2016 and 2020, he said, so there is potential. It’s an expensive state for either side to campaign in. He said the Biden campaign is “putting in groundwork for a campaign. They’re preparing for one.”

Budd said there is no scenario for a Biden victory in Florida. “I think Florida’s securely red,” he said, pointing to the surge in Republican voter registrations in recent years. “The enthusiasm gap is not going to help Joe Biden in Florida, no way.”

DeSantis, at a Miami Beach news conference Wednesday, said the state is so sure to go Republican that the candidates won’t devote much time or advertising to the state this fall.

“This is not going to be a state that’s competitive in November. And that’s just the reality,” DeSantis said.

Foreman, too, said most of the Republicans who didn’t vote for Trump in the primary will in November.

Republicans will “come home in the fall and vote for Trump or Biden despite all the grumbling to the contrary that we will hear through the summer,” he said.

Related Articles Widespread win

Trump won big everywhere, but his performance wasn’t uniform.

His statewide total was 81%. In 16 counties he received a smaller percentage of the vote.

In 50 other counties he received a higher share of the vote.

Trump received 79.8% in Broward and 78.2% in Palm Beach County, slightly less than his statewide average.

He received 86.7% of the vote in Miami-Dade County.

Voters’ views

Most primary voters willing to speak to reporters outside polling places Tuesday said — as the results showed — they were voting for Trump.

Dominick Casale, voting in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, cast his ballot for Trump. “He’s the best,” Casale said. “We’ve got a mummy for a president right now. He’s destroying our country, every second.”

Alan Waxman, of Delray Beach, said he voted for Trump “because I love this country. I’m a patriot. And there was a time I was a Democrat, and then there was a time I was a Republican. And now I just care about this country.”

Joyce Holzapfel, a Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Republican and Trump supporter, said she believes he’ll win in November, though she expressed a hint of concern.

From her home overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway, she said she used to see far more boaters flying Trump flags. Lately, she said, she’s seen fewer.

Lauren Douglas, of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, said she was “really frustrated that I don’t have any options” since all the non-Trump candidates dropped out.

Douglas said she was voting for Haley. “We need a female in office and somebody who’s not over 80,” she said. Trump is 77 and Biden is 81.

She declined to say if she’d vote for Trump, Biden, or another candidate in November. “It’s personal.”

Haley

Haley, the former South Carolina governor and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, was the last candidate in the contest against Trump — and mounted the most explicitly anti-Trump campaign in its final weeks, arguing he wasn’t fit for the presidency and couldn’t win in November.

She received 13.9% of the statewide vote.

Haley did notably better in Broward and Palm Beach counties, receiving 16% in both.

She did worse than her statewide share of the vote in Miami-Dade County where she received 11% of the vote.

Budd said he wouldn’t read too much into the Haley vote because most of the state’s vote-by-mail ballots went to voters by Feb. 8. Haley was a candidate until March 6.

Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried, center, speaks with Democratic Party activists after a party-building event in West Palm Beach on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023. (Anthony Man/South Florida Sun Sentinel) DeSantis

Fried — nemesis of DeSantis when she was state agriculture commissioner from 2019 to 2021 and unsuccessful candidate for the 2022 Democratic nomination to challenge him — mocked him for receiving just 3.7% of the vote in the state he leads. He dropped out on Jan. 21, after months of personal attacks from Trump and failing to catch fire as a candidate.

Florida records all the votes from candidates who are on the ballot, even if they dropped out.

DeSantis received 2.9% in Broward, 17% in Miami-Dade County, and 3.7% in Palm Beach County.

During his news conference Wednesday, he spoke at length about, and took credit for, the state’s increasing Republican tilt.

But he avoided one question: who did he vote for in the primary?

Staff writers Danica Jefferies and Abigail Hasebroock contributed to this report.

Anthony Man can be reached at aman@sunsentinel.com and can be found @browardpolitics on Bluesky, Threads, Facebook and Post.news.

Broward School Board divided on school closures; plan could come next month

Wed, 03/20/2024 - 15:22

A plan to close or overhaul schools is creating division on the Broward School Board, even before any specific school names are released.

Some board members said at a Wednesday workshop they’d prefer to only close no more than a tiny number of schools, while others proposed closing dozens. Some also questioned where the closures will come from and wanted to ensure they didn’t disproportionately impact schools in certain regions or with mostly minority students.

Superintendent Peter Licata said Wednesday he plans to bring forward ideas at an April 16 workshop proposals that could include specific schools that could be combined, merged or dramatically changed. Some could become charter schools, he said.

“It will be a list of proposals, including academic changes, mergers and potentially closures,” he said. “It will include partnerships with some cities that have charter schools. We’re also working with cities that want to create charter schools.”

The School Board is expected to make any final decisions by June and any changes would take effect for the 2024-25 school year.

Related Articles

The district has published a list of 77 underenrolled schools. Some board members wanted to consider some action if a school was below 60%, others below 50%. Some didn’t say enrollment should be the primary consideration.

“I don’t think a school should be doomed just because it’s underenrolled,” Board member Brenda Fam said.

Fam said some underenrolled schools could becoming technical schools, noting the district’s existing technical schools perform well academically and attract students.

Board member Sarah Leonardi said she’s heard district officials say in past years they can’t invest in underenrolled schools because they’re underenrolled. Many were underenrolled because the district didn’t invest in them, she said.

“I do accept the idea that we may have to close some facilities,” she said.

Board members Debra Hixon, Jeff Holness and Nora Rupert voiced skepticism of closing many schools.

“Closing schools should be a last resort,” Holness said.

Allen Zeman and Daniel Foganholi voiced support for a more aggressive plan. Zeman said the district needs 180 campuses, not 239.

“We have to be grounded in reality. Our resource allocations are limited,” Zeman said.

DeSantis administration flies Americans out of Haiti to Sanford

Wed, 03/20/2024 - 15:07

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday announced the first of what he said would be many flights evacuating Floridians and other Americans out of Haiti amid the country’s spiral into violence.

DeSantis spoke at the Orlando Sanford International Airport shortly before the first chartered flight was scheduled to land Wednesday night. He left before its arrival.

DeSantis and state Division of Emergency Management director Kevin Guthrie said 14 people were on the flight, including some children.

“We’re committed to rescuing Floridians from a bad situation,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis and Guthrie said 360 Floridians and 501 other U.S. citizens had requested the state’s help in being evacuated so far.

The state conducted similar flights out of Israel after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, for which charter company ARS Global was paid $18.5 million by the state. But DeSantis said there was far less coordination with the Haitian government than with Israel’s.

“So it’s a more challenging situation,” he said. “But there’s been people that have been doing a lot of great work, and in really difficult circumstances, to be able to bring people to safety.”

Guthrie said the state sent its Orlando Regional Coordinator to the Haitian Consulate in Orlando “to knock on the door and try to get some help. … We’re just running into problem after problem getting people vetted.”

Guthrie said that for the last five days, “I’ve had a room of about 25 people working … with our federal government, State Department, [Bureau of] Consular Affairs.”

But DeSantis and Guthrie criticized the U.S. State Department’s requirement that people evacuated on their chartered planes reimburse the federal government.

Orlando resident Abson Louis flew out of Haiti on the first such flight  Sunday.

Orlando man escapes chaos of Haiti, hopes for family’s safety

“I think the last thing these people want is to get stuck with a bill when they’re just basically running for their lives,” DeSantis said.

As for Haitians themselves, however, DeSantis said anyone attempting to arrive in Florida by boat would be caught and turned back.

“People should just understand that the last thing you want to do is get into a boat and go over very dangerous waters just to get intercepted and sent back to where you came from,” he said. “It’s just not worth it.”

DeSantis told a conservative podcaster on Tuesday that for Haitians who land in Florida, “their next stop very well may be Martha’s Vineyard,” a reference to the controversial migrant flight program funded by the state that has enticed migrants onto planes bound for Democratic states and abandoned them there.

Earlier this week, Louis told the Orlando Sentinel that DeSantis should allow refugees into Florida and not send them back to the war zone.

“I think a lot of people want the same opportunity to come here out of the chaos,” he said.

Staff photographer Stephen Dowell contributed to this report.

A recount and some runoff elections are still ahead in Palm Beach County after Election Day

Wed, 03/20/2024 - 15:07

As the March 19 municipal elections wrapped up, two communities in Palm Beach County still are facing some unfinished business for their elections. Wellington faces two runoff elections, and Lake Worth Beach faces a runoff election.

Here’s what they expect to see in the coming days.

Wellington

In Wellington, an automatic recount was triggered for candidates in the Village Council Seat 4 race.

Five candidates ran for that seat, but voting results for two came close to each other — as of late Tuesday night and with all precincts reporting, candidate Shelly Lariz Albright had 2,239 votes while one of her opponents, Maria Antuña, had 2,270 votes, which is within a 0.5% difference, leading to the initial call for a recount.

But according to the village of Wellington clerk, the recount was ultimately waived. However, that race will still go to a runoff, said Wendy Sartory Link, the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections. This is essentially an additional election after a tie or inconclusive result.

Another Wellington runoff is set for the Seat 1 Council seat between Amanda Silvestri, who got about 31% of the vote, the highest of the four candidates vying for the seat, and Bob Margolis, who got about 26% of the votes.

The village “actually has to call for the runoff and call for the recount,” Sartory Link said.

According to the village charter, if a candidate wins by less than 35%, a runoff occurs.

Lake Worth Beach

Another runoff may also take place in the Lake Worth Beach race for mayor between incumbent Betty Resch and one of her opponents, Andy Amoroso.

While Resch received about 600 more votes than Amoroso, she only received about 48% of the vote, according to the most recent results from the supervisor of elections.

Winning by less than 50% plus one automatically triggers a runoff in Lake Worth Beach.

These runoff elections will take place on April 2 and are in-person voting only.

In-person voter turnout in Palm Beach County on Tuesday was two or three times higher than any other county in the state, Sartory Link said. Palm Beach County is one of the most populous counties in the state, and a majority of its total 39 municipalities had elections, figuring into the large turnout.

Between 40 and 50 “provisional ballots” will go before the county’s Canvassing Board on Thursday afternoon, she said. Provisional ballots are those where a voter’s eligibility is in question, perhaps because the voter didn’t have ID. And then that voter is given some time to address the issue so the ballot can be counted.

For the municipality election results, certification is expected to be completed after the Canvassing Board meeting on Thursday.

Besides minor hiccups, such as jammed machines here and there or poll workers not showing up to their stations, Sartory Link said the county “had a really good election.”

In Broward County, the scene was similar, with Lisa Arneaud, a spokesperson for the Broward County Supervisor of Elections, writing in an email “everything went smoothly.”

No recounts or runoffs were triggered in any of the Broward races, she added.

Sun Sentinel staff writer Lisa J. Huriash contributed to this news article.

Man killed in Miramar drive-by shooting; shooter or shooters sought

Wed, 03/20/2024 - 14:53

A 20-year-old man was killed in a drive-by shooting outside of a Miramar home Tuesday morning, and the shooter or shooters remain at large.

Miramar Police identified the victim Wednesday as Ernst Valcourt, who turned 20 years old a day before he was killed. Records show he lived in Miami-Dade County.

Tania Ordaz, a spokesperson for the police department, said SoundThinking gun-shot technology, formerly known as ShotSpotter, alerted officers to the shooting in the 3200 block of Southwest 66th Way shortly before noon Tuesday. The car was shot at dozens of times, she said.

Footage from local TV news stations showed a Bentley parked outside the home with bullet holes in its windshield and the doors open on the front passenger’s side and front driver’s side of the car.

The shooting happened outside the home of an acquaintance of Valcourt, Ordaz said. Six people were inside the acquaintance’s home at the time of the shooting. Other people may have been in the car with Valcourt when the shooting began, but he was the only person found in the car parked outside by the time officers arrived.

Ordaz said the shooting appeared to be targeted, and investigators believe multiple people were in the car that the shooter or shooters fired from.

As of Wednesday evening, no arrests have been made and investigators have not yet identified a motive. The police department has not released information as of Wednesday about the shooter or shooter’s car.

“This was a very brazen shooting that happened in residential neighborhood in broad daylight, and obviously the individual or individuals who are responsible for this quite possibly won’t hesitate to do this again,” Ordaz said.

Luxury condo tower with 350 units to rise across from Hollywood’s Diplomat Resort

Wed, 03/20/2024 - 14:38

When the beachfront Diplomat Beach Resort Hollywood changed hands last year, the new owners were quick to offload two pieces of land on the Intracoastal Waterway to a pair of long-time development firms.

Now, Miami-based Related Group and BH Group of Aventura  are formally unveiling what they have in mind: The Icon Beach Waterfront Residences, a 37-floor luxury condo tower with 30,000 square feet of amenities including access to an on-site marina, full-service beach club, health club, spa, and wellness center.

“The property will also feature an expansive pool deck, complete with outdoor cinema and summer kitchens, magnificent waterfront event space, and a curated collection of museum-quality pieces from the Jorge M. Pérez Contemporary Art Collection,” the companies said in a statement released Wednesday.

In short, it’s yet another potential landing spot for upper-income new arrivals to South Florida, or for current residents looking for a fresh take on luxury living not far from the beach.

For Hollywood, it’s a validation that the South Broward city is making progress in its quest to up its game as a prime destination as it continues to rehabilitate its downtown and improve its accessibility through projects such as a local commuter rail.

Related and BH acquired the two sites last year at 3660 S. Ocean Drive, on the west side of State Road A1A, from a joint venture of Trinity Real Estate Investments of Honolulu, Hawaii, and Credit Suisse Asset Management, which acquired the Diplomat Resort for a reported $835 million.

At the time, Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy said the Related-BH Group plan involved a “public plaza” along the Intracoastal Waterway and additional hotel rooms on the west side of A1A.

On Wednesday, Levy hailed the evolving project as a move that will buttress the Diplomat’s standing as one of the city’s largest employers and the county’s largest convention hotel.

“This residential component is part of the Diplomat Activity Center that was approved by the city and county some years ago, and includes the public access component along the Intracoastal that will benefit the surrounding condo neighbors, who came out and supported this new addition,” he said in a statement to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Condo tower to be followed by hotel

In a telephone interview Wednesday, Nick Perez, president of Related’s condo development division, said the Icon condo tower is essentially the first phase of a two-part project that will ultimately include a 500-unit condo hotel that is now in the planning stages.

“The first project which we’re speaking about now is a 350-unit residential tower,” he said. Unit owners will have access to the oceanfront beach behind the Diplomat, among other amenities.

“There are going to be a lot of synergies with Trinity and the Diplomat Resort,” he said. The hotel will serve as a kind of “extension” for the 1,000-room Diplomat, which regularly plays host to large conferences and conventions each year.

Related, he said, expects to draw both domestic and South American buyers to the condo tower.

“We’re not doing extremely large units,” he said.

Buyers will have the choice of one- to three-bedroom condominiums ranging in size from 948 to 2,500 square feet. Prices will run from $825,000 to $2.8 million. Dezer Platinum Realty, led by developer Gil Dezer and Sebastian Tettamanti, is the project’s exclusive sales and marketing partner.

“Given the the variation of one to three bedrooms with a reasonably sized condominium, we think it’s going to be a pretty good mix of primary and secondary homebuyers,” he said. “We believe we will have a healthy South American demand.”

The project will take two years to build. Sales are beginning this week.

Established in 1979, Related Group has built, rehabilitated, and managed over 100,000 condominium, rental, and commercial units. With a portfolio worth more than $40 billion, it has more than 90 projects under development.

Over the last several years, it set its sights on Broward County with a variety of rental and condo projects. They include the Icon rental tower on Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, a workforce housing project called Gallery at FAT Village, and other luxury projects in downtown Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach and Hillsboro Beach.

The company is also partnering with  the Tate brothers and Rok family of Miami to redevelop Fort Lauderdale’s Bahia Mar with a 250-room hotel and four standalone residential towers.

He’s accused in a deadly hit-and-run. His car has no damage. Will a judge dismiss the case?

Wed, 03/20/2024 - 14:34

Less than half an hour after he got home shortly after midnight on May 18, 2022, Bryan Robert found himself answering questions from police about his involvement in a fatal car accident in Fort Lauderdale.

A 911 caller identified Robert’s Chevrolet Traverse as the vehicle that struck and killed Ernson Jean, 52, a homeless man who was drunk and either lying or sitting on Sunrise Boulevard at 12:15 a.m.

That 911 call, according to court records, is some of the strongest evidence the state has that Robert left the scene of a fatal accident, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison. His lawyer, Robert Buschel, argued in court Wednesday that the phone call not nearly enough to convict his client, and he’s asking Broward Circuit Judge Edward Merrigan to dismiss the case.

Investigators found no evidence on Robert’s Traverse that it was involved in an accident. There was no front-end damage, no damage to his tires, no blood stains, nothing that specifcally ties Robert to the scene of the accident. Prosecutors concede as much in their written response to Robert’s motion to dismiss.

The eyewitness testimony is compelling. The woman who called 911 said she witnessed the accident and took a video of the vehicle as it drove away. Her phone call came right after the accident and gave police what they needed to identify the suspect vehicle.

But the witness also said she did not want to be involved, and investigators have not located her. Buschel hinted that he would challenge the admissibility of her phone call.

Prosecutors will need to account for the evidence investigators thought they would find but didn’t, said Buschel. But Assistant State Attorney Ross Weiner told Merrigan that he can’t grant the motion to dismiss as long as key facts are in dispute.

The value of the 911 call is in dispute.

Merrigan did not say when he would rule.

Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457.

JetBlue will drop some Fort Lauderdale flights to focus on more profitable routes

Tue, 03/19/2024 - 15:30

By The Associated Press

JetBlue Airways will end service at several cities and reduce flying out of Los Angeles in a move to retrench and focus on stronger markets after years of losing money.

The changes will also help the airline cope with the grounding of some of its planes for inspections of their Pratt & Whitney engines, an executive told employees Tuesday.

Starting in June, the New York-based airline will end flights between Fort Lauderdale and Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Nashville; New Orleans and Salt Lake City, and service between New York and Detroit. It also plans to drop several destinations from Los Angeles including Seattle, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Miami.

Beginning June 13, JetBlue will pull out of Kansas City, Missouri; Bogota, Colombia; Quito, Ecuador; and Lima, Peru.

“These markets are unprofitable and our aircraft time can be better utilized elsewhere,” Dave Jehn, the airline’s vice president of network planning, said in a memo to employees.

After JetBlue and Spirit part ways, South Florida retains its ‘hometown’ airline, but what’s next?

JetBlue has lost more than $2 billion since its last profitable year, 2019. The airline tried to grow through a partnership and a merger, but the Biden administration’s Justice Department sued to kill both deals.

Last May, a federal judge ordered JetBlue and American Airlines to dissolve a partnership they created in Boston and New York. In January another judge blocked JetBlue from buying Spirit, saying the proposed $3.8 billion deal violated antitrust law.

The architect of those unsuccessful deals, Robin Hayes, stepped down as CEO in February and was replaced by Joanna Geraghty.

Frustrated by the courtroom defeats, JetBlue under Geraghty is turning toward growing on its own, which will take much longer.

Spirit expects return to profitability with or without JetBlue takeover

Even before the change in CEOs, investor Carl Icahn began to buy nearly 10% of JetBlue stock, and his side got two seats on the airline board.

The airline has struggled to improve its operation. JetBlue ranked ninth out of the nation’s 10 largest airlines in both canceled flights and on-time arrivals last year, according to U.S. Transportation Department numbers.

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