Pensacola News Journal from Pensacola, Florida • A4

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ORLANDO, Fla. President Donald Trump toured a private religious school in Florida on Friday, praising it as an ideal institution for while re-emphasizing that his education agenda will focus on school choice. Trump visited St. Andrew Catholic School in Orlando, dropping in on a fourth-grade classroom and shaking hands with students who said they were learning about the history of Florida. When one girl said she wanted to own her own business, he said with a smile that make a lot of money.

But run for The president, who was joined by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, a longtime charter schools advocate, described St. Andrew as of the many parochial schools dedicated to educating some of our most disadvantaged is the civil rights issue of our said Trump, repeating a line from his address to Congress this week. Teachers unions were quick to criticize the visit, saying it showed hostility by Trump toward public schools and an intention to turn education into a profit-making industry. Trump said he would ask lawmakers to pass a bill that would fund school choice for disadvantaged young people, including minority children. He did not offer any details.

Among his guests were Gov. Rick Scott, Sen. Marco Rubio and Denisha Merriweather, who used school voucher program to attend a private high school that she credits with turning her life around. Many of St. students attend the school using the same voucher program as Merriweather, said White House spokesman Ninio Fetalvo.

want millions more to have the same chance to achieve the great success that Trump said. The president also told Latrina Peters-Gipson, the school principal, that love you have for what you do is really Despite being at the school, Trump also noted anew that he captured Florida in last election. After the visit, he flew to his coastal home in Palm Beach and was attending a Republican National Committee fundraiser later Friday. DeVos has a long history of promoting charter schools and vouchers. Charter schools are funded with taxpayer dollars, but are run by private groups and have more freedom over curriculum, staff and budget.

Vouchers are essentially publicly funded scholarships given to low-income families to help cover private- school tuition. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said earlier in the week that education is top for the president. has said many times before that education has the ability to level the playing field for the next Spicer said, adding that Trump determined to provide choice for every parent and opportunities for every child, regardless of their zip St. Andrew Catholic School teaches 350 children from pre-K to eighth grade. The school defines its mission as the spirituality and creativity in order to be disciples of Christ in the 21st A photo on the website shows a smiling boy in school uniform holding a sign that reads goals: College.

a very powerful said Samuel Abrams, director of the National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, referring to choice of school to visit. of traditional public schools should be worried because this means a diversion of funds from public coffers and thus support for public Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said that by visiting a private Catholic school, Trump is continuing an Weingarten said that in many cases voucher programs have not improved academic outcomes. She added that voucher programs are often not transparent in how they spend public dollars and in what the kids are taught. borrow a word from President Trump so that the president and his secretary of education have demonstrated such an antipathy toward public Weingarten said in a statement. is in Florida to push choice and a backdoor voucher proposal as a way to turn education into a Lemire reported from New York.

Associated Press writers Maria Danilova and Jill Colvin in Washington contributed to this report. Trump tours private school in Florida AP President Donald Trump thanks fourth-graders Janayah Chatelier and Landon Fritz for the homemade greeting cards they presented during his visit to St. Andrew Catholic School in Orlandoon Friday. visit emphasized his focus on school choice DARLENE SUPERVILLE AND JONATHAN LEMIRE ASSOCIATED PRESS Panther found dead in southwest Florida ARCADIA- Officials say a Florida panther has been found dead from an apparent vehicle strike in southwest Florida. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports that the 3-year-old male body was found Tuesday on a rural road in DeSoto County, east of Arcadia.

The remains will be taken to a Gainesville facility for a necropsy. Atotal of five Florida panthers have been found dead in 2017, with three road fatalities. Florida panthers once roamed the entire southeastern U.S., but only around 230 remain in the wild. Report: Florida is number 1state for higher education TALLAHASSEE- New rankings released by U.S. News and World Report say Florida is the number one state in the nation for higher education.

The Sunshine State got the top ranking because of several factors, including the relatively low tuition rates for colleges and universities. Florida also had a high ranking because more than half of students seeking a two-year degree graduated either on time or within three years. Gov. Rick Scott and others heralded the new rankings, which are coming at a time when the Florida Senate is considering pushing through changes to the higher education system. Senate leaders want to boost spending on student financial aid and provide more money for college faculty.

Haitian politician seeks immunity from US case MIAMI A former Haitian coup leader who was recently elected to that Senate is seeking immunity from U.S. prosecution in a drug case. Court documents recently filed by Guy attorney contend he cannot be prosecuted because a foreign state official due to his Nov. 20 election to the Haitian Senate. Philippe was arrested four days before he was to officially take office on Jan.

9. The filing says Philippe should be immune from the U.S. charges for his six-year Senate term. U.S. prosecutors say Philippe cannot use the political immunity defense.

Philippe has pleaded not guilty to drug smuggling and money laundering conspiracy charges that carry a maximum life prison sentence. Trial is set for April 3. Philippe led a 2004 uprising that ousted then- President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Tanker flips at Port Everglades, spilling fuel FORT LAUDERDALE -Authorities in Florida are cleaning up after a tanker truck loaded with gasoline and diesel fuel flipped over at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. Broward officials tweeted that more than 8,000 gallons of fuel leaked from the truck when it turned over late Thursday night.

The driver of the truck suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital. Fire crews laid down foam to soak up the spill. Video footage on local television stations showed the foam over a large area at the port. Local news outlets report the U.S. Coast Guard is helping to absorb fuel.

Terminal 18 is closed, causing the Celebrity Equinox cruise ship to dock at Terminal 25 on Friday morning. Officials say anyone coming to the port should use the In- terstate 595 entrance. Jury: Ford should not pay $25 million for fatal crash SANFORD- A central Florida jury took four hours to decide that Ford Motor Co. should not have to pay $25 million to the family of a 19-year-old woman killed when her Ford Explorer went out of control and rolled over. The six-person jury began deliberating Thursday afternoon after anearly two-week trial.

The Orlando Sentinel reports Katherine Parker was driving on Interstate 95 in June 2010, when her rear tire came apart. She lost control of the vehicle, hit a guardrail and was ejected. Records show she wearing a seatbelt. Her family sued Ford, alleging the company knew about design flaws that made the Explorer prone to rollovers. attorneys blamed the crash on the tire and said Parker would have survived if worn her seatbelt.

Condo manager orders inspections after collapse DESTIN- The general manager of a Florida Panhandle condominium complex says the building will undergo inspections following a balcony collapse that injured 11peo- ple. The incident occurred Wednesday at Sandpiper Cove in Destin as seasonal residents gathered to celebrate a 82nd birthday. The wooden second floor balcony collapsed, spilling residents onto the ground below. Jack Scelsi says building professionals will conduct inspections to identify any other issues at the complex. An Okaloosa County report identified the injured as residents of Kentucky, Indiana and Ontario.

They ranged in age from 71to 90. The Northwest Daily News reports none of the injuries were thought to be life-threatening. Judge: Dad who killed daughter ready to stand trial ST. PETERSBURG- A Florida man accused of throwing his young daughter to her death off aTampa Bay area bridge has been found competent to stand trial. Pinellas County Judge Joseph Bulone issued the ruling Friday.

In January, state mental health doctors determined 27-year-old Jon Jonchuck was ready to stand trial. He was deemed incompetent in February 2015, the month after prosecutors say he dropped 5-year-old Phoebe Jonchuck into Tampa Bay. Prosecutors are hoping for a fall trial. The Tampa Bay Times reports Jonchuck will remain at the state hospital in Gainesville until the case is closer to trial. Pinellas-Pasco Chief Assistant State Attorney Brian Bartlett says concerned Jon- chuck will become incompetent again if not forced to take his medication.

The state is seeking the death penalty. Police: Teenagers found with credit card skimmers PARKERSBURG, W.Va. Police have accused two juveniles of being part of a criminal enterprise to steal credit card information using card skimmers. Parkersburg Police Chief Joe Martin says a Vienna officer pulled over a 17-year-old boy and 14-year-old girl for speeding on Wednesday afternoon. The News and Sentinel reports that officers searched the vehicle and found between 40 and 50 manufactured credit cards, cash, smartphone cameras and skimmers.

Martin says criminals install skimmers inside ATMs or card-readers on gas pumps, where they record information. A small camera can also be used to record PINs. Associated Press STATE BRIEFS.