Jury selection begins in trial for ex-BP rig supervisor

NEW ORLEANS (AP) – A judge questioned jurors Tuesday as a former BP rig supervisor went on trial for a misdemeanor pollution charge from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Robert Kaluza is likely the last person to stand trial after a sweeping Justice Department investigation into the rig […]

Fort Myers Fantasy 5 player wins jackpot worth $74,445.98

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Three “Fantasy 5” players selected all five winning numbers to each take home a jackpot of $74,445.98. The Florida Lottery said Tuesday that the winning tickets were purchased in Bonifay, Fort Myers and St. Petersburg. A total of 309 tickets matching four numbers won $116.50 each. Another 9,282 tickets matching three […]

GM recalls 200,000 cars for Takata air bag trouble

DETROIT (AP) – General Motors is recalling about 200,000 Saab and Saturn cars in the U.S. and Canada to replace the Takata driver’s air bag inflators. The move is part of a broader recall of about 5.4 million vehicles announced last month by U.S. safety regulators. Takata inflators can explode with too much force in […]

Mr. Food: Braised country short ribs

What You’ll Need: 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 3 1/2 to 4 pounds beef short ribs (see Note) 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-1/2-inch chunks 1 celery stalk, cut into 1-inch chunks 1 onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks 1 bay leaf 1 […]

Prosecutors believe human error caused German train crash

BERLIN (AP) – Prosecutors say they believe the head-on train crash in southern Germany last week was caused by “human error” by the train dispatcher. Eleven people died and scores were injured when two commuter trains slammed into each other on a single-line track near Bad Aibling, 60 kilometers (40 miles) southeast of Munich. Chief […]

Judiciary chairman open to hearing for Supreme Court pick

WASHINGTON (AP) – The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee is leaving open the possibility of holding a hearing for President Barack Obama’s choice to fill a Supreme Court vacancy, amid signs of uncertainty about how Republicans would treat a nominee to replace the late Antonin Scalia. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said he backs Majority […]

Coast Guard hearings begin in Jacksonville into sinking of El Faro

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – The captain of the doomed freighter El Faro emailed his superiors asking about changing the route home the day before his ship sank in a hurricane near the Bahamas, according to testimony Tuesday at an investigative hearing. The email from Michael Davidson asked whether he could take a slower route home […]

UCF health center offering drug that helps prevent HIV

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – The University of Central Florida’s health center has begun offering a drug that helps prevent an HIV-negative person from becoming infected with the virus. The Orlando Sentinel (http://bit.ly/1TkYe8H ) reports the university is joining a number of schools that are beginning to offer pre-exposure prophylaxis. The drug being used is called […]

Florida woman arrested 3 times for Medicaid fraud

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – A Florida Panhandle woman has been arrested three times in six months on charges related to Medicaid fraud. According to a statement Monday from Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office, 31-year-old Megan Sanai of Freeport first was arrested in August for exploitation of a senior citizen. Sanai was arrested again in December […]

Investigators look for clues after Orlando woman, teen found dead

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – Investigators are searching for clues after a woman and her 16-year-old daughter were found dead in their Orlando-area home. The Orlando Sentinel (http://bit.ly/1KnlIZq ) reports a man whose relationship to the victims wasn’t explained found the bodies on Monday. Orange County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Jane Watrel says the woman and teen each […]