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Charlotte County hires more teachers for upcoming school year

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – Elementary students in Charlotte County Public Schools are getting their weekly gym days back. After years of budget cuts, the district is hiring physical education teachers and media specialists for its 10 elementary schools. “The kids will be excited, when they come back and know they’ll have PE every week and […]

Use of batboys and girls suspended after 9-year-old’s death

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The National Baseball Congress suspended using batboys and girls during its World Series games in Kansas following the death of a 9-year-old boy who was accidentally hit in the head with a bat during a game. Kaiser Carlile died Sunday, a day after he was hit by a follow-through swing […]

17-year-old arrested in deadly hit-and-run crash

FORT MYERS, Fla.- A 17-year-old is under arrest in connection with a deadly hit-and-run that happened in January. The teen is facing charges in the crash that killed 27-year-old Mark Evan Shepherd at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Palm Avenue. Family and friends called Shepherd “The Flash.” His sister, Lauren Harkins, says he got struck by lightning […]

Kidnapped toddler found safe after landlord sees CNN report

PALATKA, Fla. (AP) – Authorities say a 3-year-old girl reported kidnapped more than a year ago in South Florida has been found with her mother about 280 miles away. Multiple news outlets report that 23-year-old Megan E. Everett was arrested by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office on Monday when a tip came in because her […]

Man jailed after trying to rob church during sermon

MELBOURNE, Fla. (AP) – A 21-year-old central Florida man faces multiple charges after authorities say he tried to rob a church during Sunday services. Pastor Les Snodgrass of The Door Christian Fellowship Church tells Florida Today he was in the middle of his sermon on Sunday when a man stood up and pointed a gun […]

Sheriff: 2 men fire at soldiers in Mississippi; none hurt

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) – Authorities are searching for two men who fired gunshots from a vehicle at soldiers at a military facility in Mississippi, although no one was reported wounded, a sheriff said Tuesday. Perry County Sheriff Jimmy Dale Smith told WDAM-TV (http://bit.ly/1UlrHi6) that the soldiers were training at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center […]

Florida GOP moves date of presidential summit to November

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Florida Republicans, seeking to push the battleground state into the national limelight, announced Tuesday they are holding a presidential candidates’ summit in November. The “Sunshine Summit” will coincide with the premiere fundraising dinner held by the Republican Party of Florida which will feature former Vice President Dick Cheney as the main […]

More fights ahead on Planned Parenthood after Senate vote

WASHINGTON (AP) – After the Senate’s derailing of Republican legislation halting federal dollars for Planned Parenthood, one thing seems clear: Many on both sides think they can ring up gains from the battle. Abortion-rights groups are already releasing TV ads attacking GOP supporters of the measure for stomping on women’s health care needs. Conservatives are […]

Sandra Bland’s family sues state trooper, wants answers

HOUSTON (AP) – The family of a woman found dead in a Texas jail three days after a confrontation with a state trooper filed a wrongful-death lawsuit Tuesday against the officer and other officials, saying it was a last resort after being unable to get enough information about the case. Sandra Bland, a 28-year-old Chicago-area […]

6th body positively identified at Florida boys school

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – Researchers say they have positively identified the remains of a 15-year-old boy who died at a Florida reform school where guards were accused of brutality throughout its troubled history. University of South Florida anthropologist Erin Kimmerle said Tuesday the remains of Robert Stephens, who died in 1937, were positively identified. According […]