Florida Today from Cocoa, Florida • Page 29

"1 STATE HEWS INSIDE A homicide investigation is launched into the death of a teen who went into a coma after an apparent suicide attempt, 6B. Covering: Sebastian, Fellsmere, Wabasso, Roseland and the beaches. WEDNESDAY. October 18, 2000 SECTION Sebastian office, 388-4888 SEBASTIAN LOCAL BRIEFS Teem amm dill ITSlplO SFiL (S 00 By Jennifer Ellis FLORIDA TODAY Girl attacked in Cocoa High bathroom COCOA An 18-year-old has been charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in a Cocoa High School restroom. Police have charted William Simeon with sexual assault, a dent and medical help was not offered because the victim went home.

In addition, it took almost 24 hours for the victim's statements to be taken. The plan also shows the School District office of Public Safety should be notified. Brevard County Public Schools Spokesman Bill Johnson said he wasn't aware of either attack, and that the Public Safety Office was not notified. "To my knowledge, we've not had such incidents before," he said. "But the correct procedures were followed." The action plan, which covers sexual battery on a school campus, outlines proper procedures.

In a sexual assault case, it says, a representative of the school administration should call 911. Administrators are to take the victim to the hospital, cooperate with police on the investigation ana document all statements made by the victim, witnesses or suspects. In the Aug. 22 case, the report shows police were not notified until hours after the inci- tigated by Cocoa police although a search of the crime scene was never performed because officers didn't know where the attack occurred and turned over to the State Attorney's Office for prosecution. No weapon was involved, the police report said, and no evidence was collected.

The school's responses to the incidents appear not to follow the Brevard County School Board's Critical Incident Response Manual. tacted police, who didn't respond until 4 p.m., after students had been dismissed. In another Cocoa High case Aug. 22, police say a 16-year-old pulled a 15-year-old girl into a restroom and assaulted her. He was charged with first-degree sexual battery.

Principal Richard Blake says he's unaware of that case, despite a police report. "I don't know anything about a rape at our school," he said. The Aug. 22 rape was inves first-degree felony, in the attack, which occurred about 11 a.m. Monday while about 1,300 students were in their fourth-period classes.

Cpl. Charles Womack of the Cocoa Police Department said the attack was reported to the school's resource officer, Cliff Webster. Webster then con- O'Brien Dad, daughter meet for 1st time to take Families start time off getting to know one another By Jennifer Ellis FLORIDA TODAY Courts to offer teacher training TALLAHASSEE Secondary school teachers in Florida interested in learning more about Florida's judicial system are invited to apply for a five-day Justice Teaching Institute to be held early next year at in Tallahassee. A group of 20 to 25 middle or high school teachers will receive hands-on training during the March 25-29 institute, sponsored and hosted by the Supreme Court of Florida. The application deadline is Oct.

31. The Justice Teaching Institute will cover all related travel expenses, and the cost of providing a substitute teacher while the participant is at the institute. For more information or an application, contact Anne Fitch at the Justice Teaching Institute, 500 S. Duval Tallahassee, FL 32399-1900, or via e-mail at High school hosts new superintendent MELBOURNE Eau Gallie High School is hosting a reception for new school superintendent Richard DiPatri on Oct. 30.

Parents, teachers, students and neighbors of Eau Gallie High School, Johnson Middle School, and Croton, Creel, Harbor City, Longleaf, Roy Allen, Sabal and Sherwood elementary schools are invited to attend the meeting. Participants are asked to meet in the school auditorium to meet and chat with the superintendent from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. For more information, call 242-6400. Support group aids home school families A south county home school support group is offering new and established home-schooling families help with everything from reading to socializing their children. The support group offers flexible field trips, extra-curricular activities and study groups among other group activities.

Weekly meetings are held in Palm Bay. For more information contact coordinator Diane Kann at 726-8882 Minister to speak to Interfaith group MELBOURNE The Rev. Ken Babing-ton of First Baptist Church of Cocoa Beach By Jeff Schweers FLORIDA TODAY VIERA Brevard County SATELLITE BEACH In Commissioner Randy O'Brien is taking a break from public life to reexamine his personal life fol June 1958, 18-year-old Norman LeBlanc met 25-year-old Shirley Tracchia in Salem, Mass. She was a Girl Scout leader; he was a soldier about to ship overseas. lowing his weekend arrest on charges he battered his wife.

They spent one night to At the same time, local advi gether before he left for Korea. A few weeks later, lracchia sors to Gov. Jeb Bush have already begun discussing what might hap- V- I yj i A found out she was pregnant She never told her husband, with whom she had since reconciled, about the affair and that the baby wasn't his. if O'Brien is removed from office. When LeBlanc returned O'Brien, the Brevard County Com- from Korea, she told him about the baby, whom she named after herself, but they agreed to stay apart since Tracchia was mission vice chairman, did not Brien LeBlanc never stopped think ing about his daughter, Shirley.

I always looked for her, he said. "I'd make calls and ask around, but always very Saturday, after 41 years, Norman LeBlanc met the adult that Shirley has become. will address the next meeting of The Inter The reunion began at midnight at Orlando International Airport when the long-lost daughter and her 8-year-old daughter, Tori Tracchia, arrived in Florida. But they didn't come faith Alliance at 7 p.m. Thursday at Unitarian Universalist Friendship Fellowship, on U.S.

1 just north of Sun tree Boulevard. alone: the younger Shirley Babington, a conservative activist, has brought her mother and a friend along for emotional support I knew this was going to be difficult," she said. "I wanted to A have those people around me who know me best." attend Tuesday night's meeting. "I'm not resigning," O'Brien said before the meeting. "But I'm going to take some time off from the office to reconsider what I've been doing with my life and my family." O'Brien, 55, was arrested early Sunday at his home at 2112 Sykes Creek Drive.

His wife, Virginia, called deputies following a fight that left her bruised, her blouse torn and broken glass and other items on the patio floor, according to police The arrest report said O'Brien pulled her by the hair to the patio floor and pulled her across the floor. The report said alcohol was involved. State Attorney Norman Wolfinger was still investigating before deciding whether to file formal charges, but he has already notified the governor's office of the arrest "The Governor is aware of the situation, the legal office will monitor the case, and the governor will review it as the case proceeds and determine if there ought to be further action," press secretary Liz Hirst said. State law says the governor can suspend any local official who's been formally charged or indicted with a misdemeanor or felony and can name a temporary replacement See O'BRIEN, 4B been critical of some Alliance initiatives and exhorted candidates not to endorse the alliance's Pledge of Civility for political campaigns. Alliance leaders invited him to explain his reasoning at this meeting, which is open to the public.

Call 726-9077. Space workers reunion Sunday TITUSVILLE The U.S. Space Walk of Fame Foundation's annual space workers reunion and picnic is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at Fox Lake Park.

Delinda Kamehm, FLORIDA TODAY NORMAN LeBLANC of Satellite Beach met over the weekend. With them is Tracchia's his daughter, Shirley Tracchia, for the first time daughter, Tori, 8. Oral histories will be recorded throughout the day to provide future generations with the history of the space program from those who actually did the work. Partici a community outside Dianna LeBlanc responded mr I 1. A Boston, married Dianna, had vv sui as ueiiv uuu t.

pants are asked to come prepared to talk about what they did during the early years Norman LeBlanc's history three children and took up work of space exploration. after 1958 is fairlv strairfitfor- as an electrician for fcssex fold. They tease one another mercilessly. "I don't want anyone to think I am a bad person for being with (Norman)," said mom Shirley Tracchia, now McMannus. "Who cares what they think?" County.

ward. Deadline to submit reservations to participate in an evening buffet is Sunday. Send $15 a person, payable to USSWOFF 2000 Picnic to Nora Ross at 4812 Archer Court, After four years in the he moved back to Peabody, See MEET, 4B Titusville, 32796-1013. Members of the picnic committee include Charlie Mars, Norm Carlson and Pete Lutz, all of Titusville and Jerry Pruitt of Co Commissioners seek exemption for seniors coa. Disabilities Awareness Month observed at BCC The reunion also included LeBlanc's wife, Dianna, and their two daughters, Pam and Leah a close family who, along with their brother, divide their time between Massachu-sets and Satellite Beach.

"I feel a total loss of identity," the younger Shirley said. "I've always been a lost puppy, never right for anybody. "You're perfect for me," her father interrupted. "You're the daughter I always dreamed I had." The group spent two days in Orlando, one at Epcot Center, getting to know one another. The LeBlancs, married since 1967, have welcomed both daughter and mother into their Astronauts attach power converters By Kelly Young FLORIDA TODAY CAPE CANAVERAL Discovery's astronauts successfully completed another day of space construction Tuesday outside the International Space Station, putting into place cables and power converters from their perch 214 miles above Earth.

Astronauts Bill McArthur and Leroy Chiao worked outside Discovery for six hours and 48 minutes on their second spacewalk of the mission. Earlier in the mission, space-walkers attached the 21-1 truss structure and another shuttle docking port to the station. Keeping with his enthusiastic tradition, McArthur yelled, "Woo-hool" as he exited the shuttle. But it didn't take long for the spacewalkers to begin their work. Michael Lopez-Alegria, working inside Discovery, maneuvered the shuttle's robotic arm, moving Chiao into position.

McArthur was attached to the station with tethers. Brevard Community College is observ- inc Disabilities Awareness Month with a va riety of events at its campuses throughout October. Events vet to come include "Experience a Disability" day Friday at the Titusville campus. Campus president Al Roller and Dean Rebecca 1 alluto will spend tne morn-inc in wheelchairs. Students wearing blind AP folds will tour the campus at noon and an ex ASTRONAUT LEROY CHIAO waves to crewmates on shuttle Discovery as he connects cables on the International Space Station during Tuesday's spacewalk.

hibit of disability-related information will be on display all month. For information on campus events call 632-1 1 1 1 bxt. 42UU. cost the county up to $3.4 million in lost revenue. But Property Appraiser Jim Ford said his analysis of enrollment in other counties put that figure around $1.3 million, an amount the county could recoup in new construction revenues.

They also questioned the financial qualifications created by the Legislature, because they don't take into account tax-exempt income. "My concern is the way income is measured," Commission Chairwoman Nancy Higgs said. She asked staff to provide alternative financial criteria the board could adopt. In other action, commissioners withdrew the term-limit amendment they placed on the November ballot and substituted it with the Home Rule Charter Committee's version they rejected months ago. The charter committee had sued to hlixk the county's action, and Brevard Circuit Judge Lisa Davidson Kahn ordered the county to place the committee's version on the ballot.

By Jeff Schweers FLORIDA TODAY VIERA Brevard County commissioners are reconsidering an extra property tax exemption for poor seniors a year after voting it down because it would be too costly and too difficult to weed out nonde-serving homeowners. Commissioners ordered county legal staff Tuesday to write a local law that would give homeowners over 65 in unincor-porated areas who claim $20,000 or less in earned income on their tax returns an additional $25,000 homestead exemption. All Florida homeowners currently are entitled to a $25,000 homestead exemption for their primary residence. Voters in 1998 approved a constitutional amendment by a 2-1 margin that created a second exemption for seniors on fixed incomes. Only 21 of Florida's 67 counties and 17 cities have adopted the second exemption.

Brevard commissioners balked last year once they learned the exemption could A team of faculty members and adminis trators will race against students. A diver sity quilt will be on display at the Cocoa camous on Oct. 25. For information on other events at the Cocoa campus call 632-1111 Ext 63606. The Melbourne campus will have a "Ex perience a Disability Day" and show a film their spacewalk.

"Well, Leroy, how'd you like to live on this thing for a few months?" McArthur asked his counterpart "1 think it would be pretty cool." "Pretty cool," Chiao echoed. Today, Jeff Wisoff and Lopez-Alegria will embark on their second spacewalk and the mission's fourth to prepare the station for Endeavour's mission. Meanwhile, the launch of the station's first resident crew was pushed back one day to Oct 31 From the payload bay, Chiao released two 129-pound power converters one at a time and then helped McArthur reinstall them on the Z-l truss. The power converters are necessary because voltage to be produced by a large pair of solar arrays, which will be installed by the crew of shuttle Endeavour in December, will be too intense for the station to use. The components will convert the electrical power into a useable voltage.

McArthur and Chiao kept up a light banter during parts of called "Understanding Learning uisanm ties" today and Tuesday at noon and 1:15 p.m. For more information on campus events call 632-1111 Ext 32180. Briefs reported bv Patricia Wahh, Ze- naida A. Gonzalez, Marilyn Meyer and John McCarthy. WWW' -I I' 'I" I Hi W'-A VJ-.