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Today's Top Stories

News Alerts:

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Firefighters battle simultaneous blazes

The city of Venice fire department responded to two simultaneous fire alarms Friday evening. A restaurant office fire caused minor damage, while a mobile home suffered extensive damage. No injuries were reported in either fire. “Holy cow,” said VFD Chief John Reed, “It was crazy.” The first call came in … Find out how to read more Online.

LATEST LOCAL NEWS

SCF charter school OK’d
Wed Feb 22 2012 09:14AM

The Sarasota County School Board voted 4-1 Tuesday to approve a charter school application for State College of Florida to create a collegiate high school on its South Venice campus. … Find out how to read more Online.

Commission approves Village On The Isle cottages
Wed Feb 22 2012 09:14AM

The Venice Planning Commission, which hasn’t had many land use petitions during the past few years, considered five on Tuesday. Two are related to new cottages planned as an addition … Find out how to read more Online.

Legacy Park workshop set
Sat Feb 18 2012 08:03AM

The city of Venice will hold a workshop to view plans for Legacy Park at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Community Hall at Venice City Hall, 401 W. Venice Ave. The preliminary … Find out how to read more Online.

County weighs options for $6M
Wed Feb 22 2012 09:14AM

The $6 million windfall that county government unexpectedly realized at the end of the last fiscal year was due to a combination of factors. Several offices, including that of Sarasota County … Find out how to read more Online.

State, National and World News

Jurors get murder case of ex-Va. lacrosse player
Wed Feb 22 2012 11:00AM

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Jurors in the murder trial of a former University of Virginia lacrosse player began deliberations Wednesday, deciding whether he battered his ex-girlfriend to death in a drunken, jealous rage or if his intent to simply talk … Find out how to read more Online.

Court says man responsible for campaign violations
Wed Feb 22 2012 11:00AM

BRADENTON (AP) — A former business partner of State Rep. Vern Buchanan says he was responsible for improperly reimbursing employees for contributions they made to Buchanan’s congressional campaigns. The Bradenton Herald (http://bit.ly/xwBww6) reports a federal court in Jacksonville said Sam … Find out how to read more Online.

Citigroup ‘Defrauded’ Fannie, Freddie, Whistle-Blower Says
Wed Feb 22 2012 11:00AM

NEW YORK — Citigroup, which last week admitted breaking FHA rules and paid a fine, also violated regulations for home loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, according to a whistle-blower’s complaint. The bank “defrauded, falsified information or misled … Find out how to read more Online.

Ex-NY Giant Carson says no to NJ bid for Congress
Wed Feb 22 2012 11:00AM

ess TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Harry Carson has ruled out running for Congress as a Democrat in New Jersey. The 58-year-old retired New York Giant tells The Associated Press on Wednesday that he just … Find out how to read more Online.

Dow flirts with 13,000 mark
Tue Feb 21 2012 09:42PM

NEW YORK — It came and went in a flash each time, a number on a board for mere seconds, but its symbolic power couldn’t be dismissed. The Dow Jones industrial average, powered higher all year by optimism that the … Find out how to read more Online.

Appalachia ages quickly
Tue Feb 21 2012 09:42PM

MT. ORAB, Ohio — It’s winter, so Donna Robirds puts on two sweaters in the morning and keeps heavy blankets handy as she sets her thermostat low — 60 at night — and bundles up to keep her utility bill … Find out how to read more Online.

Greek bailout stops Europe meltdown
Tue Feb 21 2012 09:42PM

BRUSSELS — The bailout has saved Europe, for now, but it’s unlikely to save Greece. The (euro) 130 billion ($172 billion) rescue — agreed to Tuesday after an all-night summit of European ministers — prevented an uncontrolled bankrupcty and calmed … Find out how to read more Online.

Budget panel clears texting and driving ban
Tue Feb 21 2012 09:42PM

TALLAHASSEE (AP) — A statewide texting-while-driving ban bill that has eluded passage for several years cleared the Senate’s budget panel on Tuesday. The Budget Committee unanimously voted for the bill (SB 416) that already has made it through three previous … Find out how to read more Online.

Justices will review affirmative action in college
Tue Feb 21 2012 09:42PM

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is setting an election-season review of racial preference in college admissions, agreeing Tuesday to consider new limits on the contentious issue of affirmative action programs. A challenge from a white student who was denied admission … Find out how to read more Online.

S. Korea police arrest 6 over false rumors
Tue Feb 21 2012 09:40PM

SEOUL, South Korea (Bloomberg) — South Korean police arrested six people for spreading false rumors about a North Korean nuclear reactor explosion on Jan. 6 to manipulate the stock market. The six, including two office workers and a university student, … Find out how to read more Online.

Munch’s ‘Scream’ may fetch $80M
Tue Feb 21 2012 09:40PM

LONDON (Bloomberg) — One of the best-known images in the history of art, Edvard Munch’s “The Scream,” is being sold at a New York auction in May. The 1895 work by the Norwegian artist, one of four versions of the … Find out how to read more Online.

Israelis flock to sages’ tombs seeking miracles
Tue Feb 21 2012 09:40PM

NETIVOT, Israel (AP) — One man prays to heal the legs he broke in a car accident. An older woman pleads for grandchildren. Another visitor has come to see “God’s secretary.” These believers are part of a growing phenomenon in … Find out how to read more Online.

Iran says UN nuke inspectors will not visit sites
Tue Feb 21 2012 09:40PM

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A U.N. team visiting Iran has no plans to inspect the country’s nuclear facilities and will only hold talks with officials in Tehran, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tuesday. The remarks by Ramin Mehmanparast cast doubt … Find out how to read more Online.

Both sides claim win from pollution ruling
Tue Feb 21 2012 09:38PM

TALLAHASEE (AP) — Both sides in a dispute over water pollution rules are claiming victory from a federal court ruling that ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to implement the new regulations for Florida’s lakes and springs by March 6 but … Find out how to read more Online.

Angry Afghans rally over Quran disposal at US base
Tue Feb 21 2012 09:28AM

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — More than 2,000 angry Afghans rallied Tuesday against the inadvertent burning of Qurans and other Islamic religious materials during trash disposal at an American air base. They demanded to meet the country’s president over the issue … Find out how to read more Online.

Pastor found dead 5 months after church shooting
Tue Feb 21 2012 09:28AM

LAKELAND (AP) — A Florida pastor was found dead in his home five months after a shooting at a central Florida church that also wounded another pastor. Polk County Sheriff’s officials say a friend became worried last week after he … Find out how to read more Online.

Pakistan to ask Interpol to arrest ex-president
Tue Feb 21 2012 09:28AM

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan will ask Interpol to arrest ex-President Pervez Musharraf for his failure to prevent the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, the interior minister said Tuesday. Rehman Malik said the government was seeking Musharraf’s arrest because … Find out how to read more Online.

Fla. teacher dies during Pres. Day fishing outing
Tue Feb 21 2012 09:24AM

SARASOTA (AP) — Police say a 54-year-old elementary school teacher died during a President’s Day fishing trip. Sarasota police spokesman Paul Sutton says Calvin Esaw and a relative were wading in Sarasota Bay Monday afternoon when they began yelling for … Find out how to read more Online.

Republican shift
Mon Feb 20 2012 09:46PM

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — Philosophical differences between the top two Republican presidential candidates are becoming starker as Rick Santorum drives harder on religious and social issues that Mitt Romney rarely discusses in detail. In recent days, Santorum has questioned the usefulness … Find out how to read more Online.

Fla. Senate panel clears foreclosure bill
Mon Feb 20 2012 09:46PM

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The state’s mortgage foreclosure process would be speeded up and streamlined under a new proposal cleared by a Senate panel on Monday. Critics say a faster process will infringe on the rights of homeowners who already are … Find out how to read more Online.

Oil gushes to 9-month price peak
Mon Feb 20 2012 09:46PM

Oil prices jumped to a nine-month high above $105 a barrel on Monday after Iran said it halted crude exports to Britain and France in an escalation of a dispute over the Middle Eastern country’s nuclear program. By Monday afternoon, … Find out how to read more Online.

Greece awaits bailout decision
Mon Feb 20 2012 09:46PM

Find out how to read more Online.

Syrian forces mass outside rebel stronghold
Mon Feb 20 2012 09:44PM

BEIRUT — Syrian tanks and troops massed Monday outside the resistance stronghold of Homs for a possible ground assault that one activist warned could unleash a new round of fierce and bloody urban combat even as the Red Cross tried … Find out how to read more Online.

Scientists revive ancient plant
Mon Feb 20 2012 11:16PM

NEW YORK (Bloomberg) — Researchers have revived a fertile plant from the remains of its 32,000-year-old fruit found deep in the Siberian ice and buried within the fossilized burrows of ancient squirrels. The resurrected plant, from an era of woolly … Find out how to read more Online.

Southern snowstorm leaves icy roads, power outages
Mon Feb 20 2012 11:16PM

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A day after a winter storm dumped several inches of snow on a handful of southern states, crews worked Monday to restore power to tens of thousands of customers as police responded to dozens of accidents … Find out how to read more Online.

UN inspectors to press Iran on weapons
Mon Feb 20 2012 09:42PM

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — U.N. nuclear inspectors starting a two-day visit to Tehran on Monday sought to meet Iranian nuclear scientists and visit a key military facility as they try to gauge allegations that Iran is pushing toward making an … Find out how to read more Online.

Disease killing impatiens, top landscape flower
Mon Feb 20 2012 11:16PM

WEST PALM BEACH (AP) — Starting in late October each year, Palm Beach County enters a colorful phase as millions of impatiens are planted to jazz up the entrances of gated communities and add punch at shopping centers, banks and … Find out how to read more Online.

UN nuclear inspectors to press Iran on weapons
Mon Feb 20 2012 09:44AM

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More Local News

Pit bull attacks, kills dog
Wed Feb 22 2012 09:14AM

A Venice woman’s small dog was attacked and killed by a pit bull Sunday. Authorities issued citations, but nearby residents say they are living in fear. Sunday, Jeanne Menendez was walking her mother’s dog, Louie, down their Venice neighborhood street. … Find out how to read more Online.

Rental law decision delayed
Wed Feb 15 2012 08:03AM

Giving its troubled short-term rental ordinance one last chance to survive, Venice City Council decided Tuesday not to scrap the ordinance. Instead, the city will wait until a lawsuit over vacation rentals plays out. The suit — Altier v. City … Find out how to read more Online.

The need for (less) speed
Sat Feb 18 2012 08:03AM

Members of the Jacaranda West Homeowners Association listened quietly to Sarasota County Commission Chair Christine Robinson’s prepared remarks at their meeting Wednesday evening at First Christian Church. Their attitude changed when she started taking questions and the topic of traffic … Find out how to read more Online.

Crime-spree suspect faces more charges
Sat Feb 18 2012 08:03AM

Jason Wayo, the North Port man who led authorities on a chase through multiple jurisdictions and is accused of committing a number of burglaries and car thefts before holing up in a house creating a three-hour standoff Saturday, now faces … Find out how to read more Online.

Work delayed on airport projects
Sat Feb 18 2012 08:03AM

Design and construction plans necessary to remove a runway protection zone from above 24 homes northwest of Venice Municipal Airport are being delayed another year. The delay is due to an environmental assessment expected to begin later this year. The … Find out how to read more Online.

Foundation, critics talk
Wed Feb 15 2012 08:03AM

Several of the leaders of Gulf Coast Community Foundation and several of their critics sat down for a meeting Monday for the first time since the foundation dropped “of Venice” from its name last July. A similar move in 2003 … Find out how to read more Online.

Alert confuses residents
Wed Feb 15 2012 08:03AM

A one-man crime spree that began in Manatee County Saturday morning and ended in South Venice late Saturday afternoon revealed a communications hiccup that city and county law enforcement said will need to be addressed. The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office … Find out how to read more Online.

Justice Dept. settles with banks in foreclosure abuse cases
Sun Feb 12 2012 08:02AM

The U.S. Justice Department has reached a settlement with 49 states over foreclosure abuses. The agreement with the nation’s five largest banks (Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Ally Financial) will provide $5 billion in cash for … Find out how to read more Online.

After long delay, Dona Bay restoration on tap
Wed Feb 15 2012 08:03AM

Greg Hunter, an avid kayaker and fisherman who moved to the Harbor Villas at Dona Bay in Venice in October, said he finally found where the flounder and trout are. Hunter, of New Jersey, who is semi-retired, fishes there about … Find out how to read more Online.

Settled, but unclear
Sat Feb 11 2012 08:02AM

The U.S. Justice Department this week announced a settlement with 49 states over foreclosure abuses. The agreement with the nation’s five largest banks (Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Ally Financial) will provide $5 billion in cash … Find out how to read more Online.

Energy zone plan moves forward
Sat Feb 11 2012 08:02AM

Sarasota County commissioners moved a step closer Wednesday to approving a controversial ordinance establishing an energy economic zone program. Approved by the state in 2009, the program is designed to attract businesses that produce clean technology services or products, like … Find out how to read more Online.

Simple dreams
Sat Feb 4 2012 08:00AM

Erin Coleman, 28, of Venice, has a few goals in life. “I really want to do my own laundry, stand in the kitchen and devote time to cooking a meal,” she said, “and — this is the girl part of … Find out how to read more Online.

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