Tuesday, June 30, 2009

The History Channel's Gangland

Hello Everyone,

Evelyn here,

With some breaking some on an interest story.

The History Channel's Gangland series will feature the Attorney General and the Office of Statewide Prosecution this week in an episode about the Top 6 gang, a dangerous gang that operates statewide, on charges of criminal racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering. Over the past few years, South Florida law enforcement has investigated 41 shootings and 14 homicides, including the triple homicide in Lake Worth on March 27, 2007, directly related to this gang. Law enforcement has also attributed over 150 shootings, including the 2006 Christmas Eve shooting at the Boynton Beach Mall, to Top 6 over the same time period. This gang has
been an extremely active and violent criminal enterprise in Palm Beach
County for several years.

The episode will air on the History Channel this Thursday, July 2, at
9pm/8pm Central.
More information is available The History Channel's Gangland.

http://www.history.com/content/gangland

Evelyn out.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

School grades plummet statewide and around the bay area

School grades plummet statewide and around the bay area
Ron Matus, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Friday, June 19, 2009

After years of struggling, Gibbs High in St. Petersburg got an F. Nine other Pinellas high schools dropped a letter grade. High school grades plunged all over Florida on Thursday, the latest sign that progress in the upper grades remains sluggish despite a decade of reforms.

The number of A high schools dropped to 68 — down nearly 50 percent — while the number of D high schools climbed from 70 to 116, according to results released by the Florida Department of Education. The trend looked worse around the Tampa Bay area. Two high schools improved. Nineteen held steady. Thirty-seven fell. Among them: Gibbs High in St. Petersburg, which became Pinellas County's first F high school.

"It made me sick," said Pinellas superintendent Julie Janssen.

Principals scrambled Thursday to pinpoint why they struggled more this year, particularly with their bottom-tier kids in reading. At the same time, an especially bad year for their high schools put a stark frame on a bigger picture.

It wasn't just the usual suspects who got hit. In Hillsborough, Freedom High went from an A to a C. In Hernando, Nature Coast Technical went from a B to a C.

"It's a challenge," said Frances Haithcock, Florida's K-12 chancellor. "We have a long way to go."

Critics of Florida's accountability system, largely shaped by former Gov. Jeb Bush, offered other descriptors.

"Abysmal," said Rep. Marty Kiar, D-Davie, the Democrats' point person on education issues in the state House. The high school results "show the state's accountability system . . . does not work."

School grades can bring joy or shame, rewards or sanctions. They're based on Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test scores in reading, math, writing and science.

Schools that make A grades or improve their grades get bragging rights, plus a modest share of reward money that totaled $147 million last year. Schools that make poor grades get branded with the stigma and are subject to increased oversight.
Not all the news was bad Thursday.

Statewide, 1,822 schools earned A grades, 237 more than last year. Six schools leaped from F's to A's.

"Give me a hug!" principal Christi Buell told her teachers at Sulphur Springs Elementary in Tampa, after learning the school had moved up from an F to a B.
The state also announced how Florida schools fared under federal standards set by the No Child Left Behind Act. The result, again, was not good. Only 23 percent made "adequate yearly progress."

But all of that was overshadowed by the high school grades.
In the short term, the results show more high schools struggled this year with their lowest performing students. Under the state's grading formula, schools that don't make enough progress with those students get docked a full letter grade.
Last year, 78 high schools got whacked. This year, 106 did.

At Central High in Brooksville, principal Dennis McGeehan was at a loss to explain why.
"Something just didn't come across," he said.

There's plenty of speculation. Maybe budget cuts whittled away at programs for struggling students. (Pinellas alone cut 63 reading coaches.) Maybe the lame economy put more strain on at-risk kids. Maybe the scores just reflect the natural ups and downs that come with standardized testing.

Then again, maybe a tweak in the grading formula last year made this year's drop look worse. Sixty-three high schools did not get penalized a grade last year after the state Board of Education eased the requirement on the lowest-performing students.

Regardless, a one-year dip wouldn't attract so much attention if it wasn't for a long-term funk.

In the past decade, Florida's elementary students have made big strides, and middle school students are beginning to perk up. But since 2001, the percentage of high school students reading at grade level has grown more modestly, from 32 percent to 42 percent. This year's scores didn't budge after three years of gains.

Former K-12 chancellor Jim Warford said we shouldn't be surprised.

The state has done a good job beefing up academic standards and increasing expectations, he said. But it hasn't done as well making students realize why their classes matter.

"Kids don't get more stupid or less capable in high school. It's just not relevant (to them)," said Warford, who now heads the Florida Association of School Administrators. "These are iPhone kids. Our schools are still chalkboard worlds."

The state knows it must find ways to get high schools moving, said Haithcock, the current chancellor.
It's pushing more career and technical education. It's pushing Advanced Placement classes. It has come up with more precise ways to get kids reading better.
Haithcock said there's reason for hope, too, in the growing numbers of kids testing better in early grades.

"We're hopeful that in the next two, three, four years we are going to see high schools . . . not stall," she said.

Neither Haithcock nor Warford would rule out an irony at play.

In the past decade, Florida's drop-out rate has fallen substantially, from 5.4 percent to 2.6 percent, according to Department of Education figures. But progress on that front may have left more marginal students to drag down test scores.
Whatever the reasons behind this year's report card, making the grade won't get easier.

Beginning this fall, Florida will evaluate high schools on a slew of factors besides FCAT scores, including graduation rates and AP results.

A computer simulation found a third of them would drop a grade.

Times staff writers Donna Winchester, Jeffrey S. Solochek, Tom Marshall and Tony Marrero contributed to this report. Ron Matus can be reached at matus@sptimes.com.

For full story: School grades plummet statewide and around the bay area http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/article1011593.ece

Breaking News: Obama's Health Reform Get Help From Drug Companies

Hello everyone,

Evelyn here,

with some breaking news of the Health reform program. Drug companies are offering Congress and the White House a $80 Billion saving, which will span a ten years period. According to POLITICO stated that this saving will help President Obama's reform plan.


For more information... Politico.Com

Attorney General Bill McCollum Recognizes Father's Day

Hello Everyone,

Evelyn here,


Attorney General Bill McCollum recognizes Father's Day and the responsibilities of being a father.

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Recognizing the Importance of Florida's Fathers

This Sunday is Father's Day, a time to recognize the important impact fathers and father figures have on children and who those children will become. The love, support, and wisdom provided by these men set a powerful example and are key factors in raising responsible citizens. I know my dad has been an incredible influence in my life and in the lives of my three sons and two grandsons.

Many fathers will be away from their children this Father's Day, serving in the Armed Forces. These men are making strides to promote freedom and democracy around the globe, ensuring a better future for children all over the world, and for that we owe them our sincere appreciation.

I encourage everyone to take a moment to reflect on the time they?ve shared with fathers and family. Make a phone call, send an email, or write a letter to thank a male role model in your life for the difference he has made. A few words can make all the difference, and these men deserve that and so much more.


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Evelyn out.

Republicans Herald "Juneteenth" And The End Of Slaver

Hello Everyone,

Evelyn here,

The following news release is from RPOF Chairman Jim Greer.

Republicans Herald "Juneteenth" And The End Of Slavery

Tallahassee - Representative Jennifer Carroll, Chairperson of the Republican Party of Florida’s African American Republican Leadership Council, and RPOF Chairman Jim Greer today released the following statement regarding "Juneteenth," a celebration recognizing June 19, 1865, the day the last American slaves learned that they were free:

"'Juneteenth' is a celebration of the day when the last remaining slaves received word that President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation, resulting in their freedom. As the Party of Abraham Lincoln, the Republican Party of Florida is built on the foundation of freedom, and this principle is as important to us today it was so many years ago, when President Lincoln helped to found the Republican Party as the anti-slavery party," said Representative Carroll. "Over 140 years, we have championed these convictions. From the Civil Rights laws of the 1860s to the landmark 1954 decision in Brown vs. the Board of Education, which called for the end of segregation in public schools, the Republican Party has always been an advocate for civil rights."

"Republicans are still spearheading reform today, including efforts to increase access to homeownership among African Americans, provide quality education for all children, and ensure strong support for small businesses. We are proud to share the same core beliefs of lower taxes, less government, and more freedom as many African American families, and this is why we will continue to fight for the African American vote," said Chairman Greer.


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Evelyn out.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Bill McCollum Bid for Governor Runs Strong

Hello Everyone,
Evelyn here,

According to Blas Padrino, journalist for the Orlando Republican Examiner, Attorney General Bill McCollum 2010 race for the covet position of the office of governor is running strong, while Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink’s democratic bid for the office is still recovering from Sink attempt to block payment of McCollum’s television endorsement of his Child Predator CyberCrime Unit (CPCU).

Although the Florida Professional Firefighters, Inc endorsed Sink in her campaign, a recent poll has McCollum ahead of the Chief Financial Officer in by 8% (41% to 33%) and Floridians pleased with the result the CyberCrime Unit in making the safety of Florida a must.

Evelyn out.

Florida GOP Congressional Delegation Endorses Bill McCollum for Governor

Hello Everyone,

Evelyn here,


The following is from the Florida's RGOP.

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Bill McCollum

Florida GOP Congressional Delegation Endorses Bill McCollum for Governor
Tallahassee – Members of the Florida GOP Congressional Delegation have endorsed Attorney General Bill McCollum to be Florida’s next Governor, the campaign announced today.

McCollum received the endorsement of U.S. Representatives Gus Bilirakis (9th); Ginny Brown-Waite (5th); Vern Buchanan (13th); Ander Crenshaw (4th); Lincoln Diaz-Balart; Mario Diaz-Balart (21st); Connie Mack (14th); John Mica (7th); Jeff Miller (1st); Bill Posey (15th); Tom Rooney (16th); Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (18th); Cliff Stearns (6th), and C. W. Bill Young (10th).

“Bill McCollum has the vision, the experience, and the conviction of his principles necessary to lead our state during these challenging times,” said Congressman Vern Buchanan. “Bill McCollum is the right candidate at the right time, and Florida’s Republican Congressional delegation is committed to ensuring we elect him as our next Governor and move our great state forward.”

“My years in Congress afford me a unique perspective on the importance of working closely with our Governor and Legislature to get the job done,” said McCollum. “Florida has benefited greatly from our delegation’s commitment to bipartisanship and putting Floridians first, and I look forward to continuing in that tradition as our next Governor.”

The McCollum campaign recently announced the endorsement of Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Bronson, more than 60 state legislators and U.S. Senator Mel Martinez. For campaign news and updates, visit www.BillMcCollum.com
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Evelyn out.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Pinellas School Board gives early approval to property tax rate increase

Hello Everyone,


Evelyn here,

The following article written by Donna Winchester St. Petersburg Times staff writer is of important to every home owner in the county. Personally, this should have been done long ago.

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June 16, 2009

Pinellas School Board gives early approval to property tax rate increase

Pinellas School Board members on Tuesday unanimously gave initial approval to a property tax rate increase to help offset a projected $19 million budget shortfall.

But not without first offering a few choice words to state legislators.

Board member Carol Cook was most outspoken, charging that politicians in Tallahassee have abdicated their responsibility to quality education in Florida.

"I’m supposed to take it on faith that the legislators will turn around (next year) and do the right thing," Cook said. "They have not done that so far. I cannot have faith when time after time it’s been proven to me that I can’t trust that they will do the right thing for our children."

At least one board member applauded Cook’s comments.

Board chairwoman Peggy O’Shea followed Cook, stating that the Legislature had put local school boards in a terrible position.

Without the additional $14 million budget infusion the district will receive with the tax increase, school employees likely will face six to 10 days without pay, O'Shea said. But the additional tax assessment could be a problem for many of them, especially for those who rent their homes, she said.

“This cuts both ways,” O’Shea said. “This will get passed off to them in the form of a rent increase, and they will pay a huge burden.”

The seven-member board must approve the measure again during budget hearings on July 28 and Sept. 15. But it’s not likely that the board can vote no at either of those meetings after the yes vote today, Cook said.

“Each time we vote on it, we’re more and more committed,” she said. “This time we’re saying, ‘Go forward and add this into the budget.’ In July, we’ll be saying, ‘This is the highest amount we can levy.’ But by that time, we’ve already hired people.

"In September, when we take the final vote, school already will have started. To say in September, ‘We’re not going to do this,’ that just won’t work."

- Donna Winchester, Times staff write
r

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Evelyn out

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Unemployment on the Rise!

Hello Everyone,

Evelyn here,


Six days ago, NPR reported that the U.S. unemployment Rate jumped to 9.4 Percent, and that employers cut 345,000 nonfarm jobs in May as the national jobless rate rises to 9.4 percent.

This rise in the unemployment is about 0.9% hike from the beginning of the year when it was nearer to 8.5%.

Evelyn Out.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Hello Everyone,

Evelyn here,

In honor of World Environment Day, which occurs on the 5th day of June each year, the following video was posted by Pete Cashmore, CEO at Mashable.





Evelyn out.

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