356 Special Commission Meeting
8B I SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2006
FLORIDA
BRO
MiamiHerald.com I THE MIAMI HERALD
AROUND FLORIDA
BRADENTON
Punched school aide cleared
. MAYPORT
Navy prepares plan
to modify naval station
.The girl whose father
punched a teacher's aide
was lying when she said the
aide fondled her, school
officials say.
evidence of any wrongdoing
by the Lakewood Ranch High
School aide, who had been
placed on paid leave.
"We have found that [the
aide] is not guilty of what this
young lady has accused him of
doing, that her accusations are
false:' Superintendent Roger
Dearing said. "The timelines
don't match up and the other
students in the class don't cor.
roborate her story. He'll be
back to work Monday."
But the father, Dave F.
Swafford, 42, is standing by his
foster daughter. He barged
into a classroom Tuesday
morning and punched the aide
in the face in front of a class
full of students.
He says he questioned her
before reporting ber allega.
tions that the aide touched ber
inappropriately last week. He
has said her friends told him
they of similar experiences.
"I told her that I wasn't
doubting her, but if she had
any second thoughts on this,
or thinks it might have hap.
pened differently and she
interrupted me and said, 'Dad,
come on, if I was lying, I
would have told you before we
went to his classroom because
I saw how mad you were,' "
Swafford said. "So I said, 'I
don't care, tell them what you
saw.'''
But Dearing said the district
has statements from several
students and footage from a
school security camera that
show the 35-year-old assistant
couldn't have been in tbe
classroom w hen the girl said
the harassment took place.
The teacher's assistant,
who monitors students sent to
in-school suspension, had
turned the girl in last week
after seeing her pour soda
from the second floor of a
school stairwell onto another
girl's head, Dearing said.
As punishment, she was
sent to a suspension class.
room. She later said he kept
her in his classroom after dis-
missal and put his hands on
her. Dearing said the district
would pursue criminal
charges against Swafford. He
bas been charged witb felony
battery of a school employee.
..;
l:
.,
i:
0
...
:>.
~ l:
CO
::I: 0 .,
... III
() m 0
Q,
<C - 5
CIO
w m Q,
m - e
Q) 5
::E -
III -
~ - '0
en Ii.
::E '0 ..
.,
LL C :>.
<C CO
0 ~
> 0 :>.
... l:
~ - CO
Q) .E
() ::E ...
0
Qj iii
-'"
c ~
0
~ .,
Qj Q) .~
Cl Oi
E L..:: CO C >
0 .;:
CO Q) a... :a .,
Z en -- 'tl
1:: c s
C 0 'C
Q) n u CO
.9:1 > en e
"0 Q) Q) ...
C3 <( CI) 0 '0
l:
:>.
CO
E
::J
0
>-
.... .... .,;
0 0 .,
,... ,... Oi
0 0 ...
...... ...... 0 ~ :;;
N N cD .E
N N .,
N N >< 01
...... ,... M m CO
Q,
'tl
L..:: l:
CO
Q) .,
..c Oi
E 'tl
L..:: ::J .,
Q) Z Qj ;;
..c a. l:
E c >. 0
0 I- 'tl
::J 1:: ... E
z Q) Q) 0 .,
"0 en N 0 :J:
<( ..!: en 0 'E
CO
i
.,
J:
I-
.E
e 'tl
U) e
CO
0 .,
Q,
Q,
0 CO
'tl
,-::, N CO
....... .,
CO ;;
--- Oi
e N ;;
....... .,
or- ...
l:
W 0 .,
'tl
~ 'S:
.,
.,
Q) >
'iij
.... .... ::J
= ns Ii
l:
0
C ...
III
.$ CO
t: 'tl
.,
Ii 0 'tl
'S:
.- l:!
.... Q,
ns .!!!
W U ~
..r::. .- .,
- .,
.c J:
~ rn
::J w
III
a. :E
I-
From Herald Wire Services
The Navy is set to announce that it will take the [lIst step
to modify Mayport Naval Station so it could be used as base
for a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, officials said.
The Navy is expected to announce that it will start an
environmental study, the titst step in the process.
"This is great news for Jacksonville. This prepares May-
port for the future," said Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton.
Since plans were announced about a year ago to mothball
the 38-year-old aircraft carrier, the USS John F. Kennedy, law-
makers and city officials have been pushing for the upgrade
of the base to support a nuclear carrier.
Adm. Mike Mullen, tbe chief of naval operations, in a letter
to other naval commanders on Thursday, said there are sev-
eral possible ship-basing options for Mayport. Tbose options
include making Mayport the home of two different classes of
amphibious assault ships and cruisers and destroyers..
The $10 million environmental study, estimated to take
between 18 months and three years, will help the Navy evalu-
ate where to base its ships in the Atlantic Fleet, Mullen wrote.
Any upgrades at Mayport would take about three addi-
tional years.
BRADENTON - (AP) - A
high school teacher's aide who
was punched by a father after
his daughter claimed she was
touched inappropriately has
been cleared of wrongdoing.
The Manatee County
school board says evidence
shows the aide wasn't in the
classroom when the touching
allegedly took place and the 15-
year-old girl might have fabri-
cated the story to get back at
the man for disciplining her.
The Manatee County Sheriff's
Office also says it has found no
STATE POLITICS
e MIAMIBEACH
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
NOTICE OF A SPECIAL
CITY COMMISSION MEETING
Soft money
now an issue
in CFO race
. JACKSONVILLE
BLOODMOBILE DRIVER
CHARGED WITH DU I
The driver of a bloodmo-
bile was charged with
drunken driving after an off.
duty police officer saw the
bus run a red light.
Sharon Renea Dunlap, 46,
of Jacksonville, told police
she quit drinking about 3
a.m. Wednesday and about
the same time she took some
pain pills of unknown origin.
At 5p.m.., 14 hours later, a
Jacksonville police ofticer
working at an off-duty job
reported seeing the Florida
Georgia Blood Alliance
bloodmobile run a red light.
When Officer Steven L.
Carver stopped the bus and
talked to the driver, he
smelled alcohol, according
to the arrest report.
The bus was on its way to
a blood drive with Dunlap
and three others on board.
Police said Dunlap failed
a field sobriety test.
. TAMPA
MAN GETS 200 YEARS
FOR RAPING 9 MEN
.TALLAHASSEE
GRANDMOTHER CLAIMS
$50 MILLION PRIZE
A Leon County grand-
mother claimed last week-
end's $50 million Florida
Lotto jackpot, saying she
plans to buy a new home
and set up a trust fund for
her five children and her
grandchildren.
Doris Davis. 60, took the
immediate lump sum pay~
ment, which after taxes is
worth an estimated $305
million, the state lottery
commission said Friday.
Davis, a Florida resident
for 27 years and married for
40, plans to return to her
office managerial position at
a storage company.
NOTICE 1$ HEREBY given that a Special Commission Meeting will be held by the
City Commission of the City of Miami Beach, Florida, on Monday, January 30,
2006, commencing at 4:00 p.m., in the Commission Chambers, 3rd floor, City Hall,
17.00 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida, during which an Attorney.
Client Session will be announced and held pursuant to Florida Statutes 286.011(8),
concerning City of Miami Beach a Florida municioal corooration vs. Miami-Dade
County Mickv Biss and USA Exoress Inc. District Court of Appeal, Third District,
Case No. 3D04~1589. Lower Tribunal No. 03-682 AP.
TALLAHASSEE - (AP) -
Saying "politicians have hid-
den under the shade tree long
enough," state Rep. Randy
Johnson called Friday on his
opponent in the Republican
primary for Florida's chief
financial officer to also refuse
third-party support from
advocacy groups.
Johnson, R-Celebration,
will face Florida Senate Presi-
dent Tom Lee in the Septem-
ber primary. He wants to elim-
inate from the race advocacy
groups that produce issue ads
that are often thinly disguised
attacks on a candidate.
The groups, which aren't
supposed to have any direct
contact with a candidate, are
financed through soft money
contributions, which have no
limits. Contributions made
directly to candidates are reg.
ulated. "Unregulated soft
money, I believe, is tbe bane of
Florida politics," Johnson said.
Johnson trails Lee, R-Bran-
don, in fundraising, Tallahas-
see businessman Milton Bau.
gess is also in the GOP contest.
The lone Democratic candi.
date for CFO is former Tampa
banker AleJ: Sink, wife of 2002
Democratic gubernatorial can-
didate Bill McBride.
Inquiries may be directed to the City's Legal Department (305) 673.7470.
In addition, the City Commission may discuss and take action on other City
business at this meeting.
Robert E. Parcher, City Clerk
City of Miami Beach
Pursuant to Section 286.0105, Fla. Stat., the City hereby advises the pUblic that: if a
person decides to appeal any decision m~de by the City Commission with respect
to any matter considered at its meeting or its hearing, such person must ensure that
a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony
and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based. This notice does not constitute
consent by the City for the introduction or admission of otherwise inadmissible or
irrelevant evidence, nor does it authorize challenges or appeals not otherwise
allowed by law.
. ORLANDO
911 TAPES RECORD
FA TAL ACCIDENT SCENE
A woman, who allegedly
struck and killed two young
girls with her car, was cry.
ing on the phone to 9Il dis-
patchers moments after the
crash, audio tapes reveal
On the tapes Ashley
Townsend, 23, of Lake Mary
was allegedly crying and
trying to eIJ'lain the inci-
dent, the Orlando Sentinel
reported.
She was allegedly dis-
traught and a dispatcher
asked her to stop screaming.
The tapes also include
calh from witnesses who
described the scene, the
newspaper said.
Townsend is charged
with two counts of vehicular
homicide in the deaths of
Anje1ica Velez, 5, and Victo-
ria Velez, 2. The children
bad been crossing the street
with their mother when they
were struck.
Townsend's trial is
scheduled for April
In September, Townsend
settled a civil lawsuit with
the parents of the two chil-
dren. Its terms were not dig...
01"""'-
To request this material in accessi~le. format, sign language interpr.eters, information
on access for persons With dIsabIlitIes, and/or any accommodation to review any
~~~2~8~t (~~i~rigW5)t~7~_7a;f800/Y,s~~~0;;~ iAr~~:~~gio ~~~~:ie ~~z~a~~eOs~~
TTY users may also call 711 (Florida Relay Service).
Ad #0356
A Tampa man convicted
in federal court of drugging
and raping nine young men
was sentenced to the maxi.
mum 200 years in prison
Friday,
Two of the victims ofSte.
ven Lorenzo ended up dead,
and he is likely to face mur.
der charges in state court,
., hope that he never sees
the light of day again," said
U.S. District Judge Richard
A. Lauan.
A jury in November
found Lorenzo, 46, guilty of
slipping tbe date rape drug,
GHB, into the drinks of the
victims and then sexually
torturing them at his home.
Michael Wacbboltz and
Jason Galehouse, both 26,
were killed. The! other seven
victims all testified about
meeting Lorenzo at ban and
either losing track of their
d,rinks or having Lorenzo
serve them drinks before
they lost consciousness.
Lorenzo's attorney
argued that the seJ: acts
were consensual.
Prosecutors said Lorenzo
teamed up with Scott
Schweickert, a Chicago man
he met online, to fu1fill their
ultimate fantasy by killing
Wachholtz and Galehouse.
Galehouse was killed and
dismembered by Schweick-
ert and Lorenzo on Dec. 19,
2003, after the three
engaged in sex, an indict-
ment said. Schweickert told
federal agents he and Lor-
enzocutup the body, put
the pieces in garbage bags
and scattered them in trash
bins throughout the city.
The next night, Lorenzo
and Schweickert allegedly
drugged, raped and killed
Wachholtz, wrapping him a
bed sheet and leaving him in
his Jeep, according to the
indictment The vebicle was
discovered Jan. 6, 2004,
Investigators found on
Lorenzo's computer photo-
graphs ofWachholtz's dead
body taken at Lorenzo's
house hours after he was
last seen.
Galehouse's DNA was
found in a pool of blood in
the dirt under the floor of
Lorenzo's garage.
Schweickert will face a
federal trial later.
. TAMPA
PROSECUTOR EXPECTS
TO RETRY SPY CASE
As a federal magistrate
decides whether to allow
Sami Al-Arlan's defense
attorneys to withdraw from
the case, a prosecutor said
Friday he is preparing for a
second trial for the former
college professor accused of
supporting Palestinian ter-
rorists.
The U.S, Attorney's
Office hasn't announced
detinitively whether it will
retry AI-Arian and a co-de.
fendant on counts a jury
couldn't decide during their
first trial last year. But pros-
ecutor Terry Zitek said he
and partner Walter E. Furr
m are planning for it.
Meanwhile, AI-Arian's
attorneys, William Moffitt
and Linda Moreno, have
asked to withdraw from the
case. After hearing from
them Friday, McCoun said
he will decide the issue in
the next two weeks.
After siJ: months of trial,
jurors failed to return a sin.
gle guilty verdict against Al-
Arian and three co-defen-
dants. AI-Arian was found
not guilty on eight counts
but the jury deadlocked on
the nine others. Two of the
defendants were acquitted
of all the charges.
Do You...
RO ENTS
-..-<!i>
Championship Cowboys
in Seven Rodeo Events
Rodeo Spe<:ialty.Acts. C!Owns,UvlI
Music, Rodeo Queen. & Homestll&d
EV!rgl8desPossePrecisiooRiding
TlCkets...$14Ac1ulls
S6 Children (Age 4.12) Under 4 Free
Doc DoMilly
Rodeo Arena
U.s.1&S.w.312St.,
""""'"'
For!nformationCaII305-247-3515
-_.~ <fii>
.), 1IIIILDIl
'2" BlB BlIOOl
__ :"Ii!!!N~"'k
~---
..611Ura,. ~
_ ~. L8.'L
T_'COUIf11l'l'~
. think your kids are safe from sexual predators?
. believe the government keeps convicted predators off the streets?
Discover how Florida's failed promise of treatment and rehabilitation
for sexual predators puts your children at risk.
Predators Among Us, a four-part series starting this Sunday,
Jan. 29 through Wednesday, Feb. I. Only in The Miami Herald.
ihc.HliamiHcralbm
MiamiHerald.com
Don't miss the news you need to know. Can 1-800-44J-()444 to subscribe.