The Stuart News from Stuart, Florida • 33

The News Thursday April 13 2000 CT asTheNews IN BRIEF Poll finds popularity plunged Sailor was chased when he threw son Some Democrats say the honeymoon is over for Bush Now that he has endured By Mark Hollis Sun-Sentinel JACKSONVILLE A sailor accused of fatally injuring his infant son by throwing him to the pavement Friday was being The poll indicates the disapproval rating rose from 5 percent in February 1999 to 31 percent now chased at the time by Navy to tigalors who wanted to question TALLAHASSEE Gov Jeb Bush came into office as one of the most popular elected officials in recent Florida history But after 13 months on the job disapproval rating among likely Florida voters has risen steadily A newsletters poll indicates the Republican disapproval rating has risen from 3 percent in February 1999 to 31 percent now The poll did not suggest an explanation the poll Kar ane said 32 percent of the independents polled said they disapprove of performance He said independents make for the change but political opponents cite up about 16 percent of the registered the governors efforts this spring to end af- voters said firmative action in state hiring contracting Kane said the governor's popularity him about money missing from a payroll Two agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service went to question Petty Officer 1st Class Johnny Pittman at his May-port home about payroll money missing from his ship the USS Vicksburg Pittman ran from them carrying his 8-month-old son About a block away he threw the child to the pavement police said Johnny Pittman Jr died the next day Pittman 34 waived his right to a preliminary hearing Monday at Jacksonville Naval Air Station may be confined to the base brig for weeks before charges are formally filed and university admissions His One Florida plan infuriated civil-rights leaders and brought unflattering attention at a key stage of his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination Justin Sayfie spokesman said months of public criticism Bush is more vulnerable to challenge Democrats say However Bush remains a persuasive force in state government His fellow Re- Biblicans have a 73-44 majority in the ouse and a 23-13 advantage in the Senate And one of closest allies Rep John Thrasher is the House speaker whose agenda closely matches the legislative plan Sayfie said the statewide poll of 663 likely voters done between March 28 and April 6 suggests reason for optimism A majority of voters still approve of the performance Although the West approval rating in a Florida Voter poll Bush has the backing of 34 percent of all likely voters and 81 percent of Republicans surveyed The margin of error was reported as 4 percent you have a governor who is a change agent die way this governor is natural to see the disapprovals go up a little Sayfie said at the same time his approval ratings have remained strong in light of the reforms that the governor has undertaken in education and with the One Florida initiative encouraging to know that the people of Florida still strongly support this governor and what Yet after dominant first year in office the rowdy opposition to One Florida has been striking Last year the measures Bush wanted from the Legislature from large tax cuts to the natioiTs most sweeping school vouchers program were delivered to his desk in precise fashion slide among likely voters coincides with other information in the poll suggesting voters are generally content with economy and pleased with the direction Florida government is headed the elements are in play right now for people to be giving politicians a great deal of Kane said Jeb is doing just above average not necessarily a good sign not a position that be changed but the trend line is in the wrong direction this early in his The polling data did not indicate any one reason for dedining popularity It is likely though that some voters particularly Democrats who did not have strong the poll findings confirm one of the basic phitosoph jihies iltlfe Frtt Convicted molester beaten by neighbors governor believes that political capital is meant to be Spent on things that you believe Sayfie said Eight percent of Republicans disapprove of performance and 32 percent of the Democrats polled said they like the way leading Florida government are not warm and fuzzy for Jeb Bush but the loss of the dents that ought to concern him These are the people wno make or break an election in Florida and who politicians aim their attention said Jim Kane editor of Florida Voter newsletter which conducted opinions about the governor turned against him because of his One Florida alternative Gov Jeb Bush hugs Sheila Clifton on Wednesday after her Dare To Dream Victims' Rights commemoration speech Clifton talked about losing her daughter Maddie who was murdered by a Jacksonville teenager and called for the state to do more to help families of murder victims to affirmative action The governor also has been criticized for his approach to reforming education with the introduction of a statewide voucher program and the grading of all public schools I NORTH FORT MYERS A convicted sexual molester is nursing minor injuries after being beaten by a couple of neighbors who feared he would molest neighborhood children i Gene Crawford 39 convicted bine years ago of lewd and lascivious assault on a 15-year-old girl Sving in his house lost a tooth nf ind suffered a gash to his mouth Better retirement plan for teachers sought in beating with a baseball bat I Douglas Jacques 30 and 0onald Meredith 44 later were Arrested on charges of aggravated battery according to Lee County sheriffs reports Better benefits would help retain and recruit good teachers and officials a union president said Gov Jeb Bush was not there but he earlier voiced support for optional retirement plans for all state employees Separate bills that would provide the new benefit for all workers or just teachers are moving through the Legislature should have benefits that look like the 21st century benefits not the 20th Bush said Educators also are pushing for other pension improvements One would allow employees to vest in the state rc- By BHKaezor Associated Press writer The men who have prior bat-- (cry convictions told investigators they went to Crawford's trailer and ordered him to leave town When Crawford refused Jacques talked into the trailer grabbed a baseball bat and told Crawford if be leave he was a One man then set fire to a small pile of trash TALLAHASSEE Teachers and school administrators said Wednesday that improving retirement benefits would help alleviate Legislature a growing teacher shortage tircment system after five years on tlie They joined forces to support acners that would let teacl Jury chosen in murder rial off teen daughter job instead of 10 Another would base retirement pay years Bush TAMPA A jury was picked Wednesday to hear the first-degree (lurdcr trial of Valessa Robinson teenager accused of killing her nother The 17-year-okl is charged in lie death of 49-year-old Vicki If convicted Valessa ould be sentenced to life in rison Because she was 13 at the bme of the 1998 slaying prosecutors cannot seek the death penalty Prosecutors maintain Valessa cr boyfriend Adam Davis and boyf legislation and perhaps other state employees participate in optional retirement plans similar to 401(k) plans available in the private sector These plans often in addition to regular pension programs usually allow employees to invest part of their pay in a variety of ways including stocks and bonds benefit of an optional retirement system will help us keep good teachers and support personnel on the job and help us to recruit those qualified graduates in the field of education said Maureen Dinnen president of the Florida Teaching Profession a union affiliated with the National Education Association She spoke at a Capitol news conference conducted by the Florida Independent Retirement Commission which includes teachers unions and state associations of school boards and friend Jon Whispel high on acid tilled Vicki Robinson because she is against making any changes in the retirement system however unless lawmakers include a reserve fund to make sure a $9 billion surplus docs not become a deficit The State Board of Administration headed by Bush plans to meet next week to make a specific recommendation but the governor said there is little disagreement with lawmakers on the issue Dinnen said the optional plans cost the state nothing The other proposals however are drawing some opposition because they would increase costs to the state Was trying to get her daughter to break up with Davis The woman Vas injected with bleach and her treat was slashed Davis was sentenced to death st year Whispel who turned evidence and agreed to testify against the others is scrying a 25-year sentence for his part in the slaying Senate passes ban repeal on 4 generic medicines Secretary wins civil trial against her boss A helicopter dumps water on a brush fire near Golden Gate Estates in Collier County Right Scott Whiddon 17 helps a friend move belongings from a home near the western edge of Big Cypress Swamp Officials said Wednesday that wildfires had burned about 13000 acres near Naples and could scorch 20000 acres The cause is not yet known I By David Roys Associated Press writer The bill now must go to the House where it faces an uphill battle IhcAhominPini Fire near Naples takes 3 homes advancing flames Monday though pins and needles waiting to see going to said Robert Heed manager of Koun- theiroperalors escaped unharmed fire doesn't give you a GAINESVILLE A legal secretary who accused her boss of foul language sexual innuendo and physical assault won a judgment of more than SI million a civil court trial Pamela Thigpen 44 accused Attorney Huntley Johnson of intentional infliction of emotional distress assault battery and the threat of violence After five hours of deliberation Tuesday a five-woman one-man jury awarded Thigpen SI 05200 in future and past medical costs and SI million for pain and suffering closing statements Contained the same salacious details revealed by witnesses in the ieeklong civil trial The woman's attorney showed a 4- by 3-foot picture of a lounging naked John-Jon one leg covering his genitals It was a poster-sized version of a photo Thigpen said she found in a stack of papers that Johnson told her to look through i Johnson denied assaulting Thigpen He claimed she was a willing participant in ofT-color banter anJ often initiated it tree Kampinn RV Resort about 2'A miles from the blaze Some residents were advised to leave campers fled and a school was closed but the wildfire didn't spread as far as feared TALLAHASSEE The Senate voted Wednesday to allow easier access to some generic prescription drugs over the objections of opponents who say switching between generic and brand-name pills is unsafe The measure which passed on a 23-14 vote would remove four drugs from a state list of generics that pharmacists are not allowed to automatically substitute for their brand-name counterparts The bill now must go to the House where it faces an uphill battle Speaker John Thrasher has sail he doesn't like the idea of getting rid of the list of banned generics Lobbyists for the cUIeriv have argued the measure wouid cut costs for people who have to take one of the tour drugs although opponents dispute they would save much money The measure ould make generic versions of the popular blood thinner Coumadin and the epilepsy drug Dilantin easier to come bv for the thousands of Flo- ridians who take them Generic versions of the asthma drug Slo-Bid and the heart medicine Quinaglute Dura-Tabs also would be easier for pharmacists to prescribe if tlie bill twcomes law The Food and Diug Administration says tlie generic and brand-name versions of those four medicines are equivalent and in most states there aren't any restrictions on substituting them But opponents say the I DA has made mistakes before and tlut switching between Coumadin and warfarin or some ot tlie other drugs is dangerous Sen Charles Bronson shovreJ colleagues a chart listing 10 cases in which lie said there were adverse reactions in people who had switched By Vicki Chacfwr Associated Press writer long lead time It can change direction on a minute's notice said state fire-control spokesman Gerry LaCavera successfully have been able to steer it a little bit The wind has been our biggest enemy" Sheriffs deputies went door to door Tuesday to advise residents within a mile of the fire in Golden Gate Estates to leave Ely Elementary School was closed for the day The area was subdivided in the hevdav of Florida swampland sales leaving miles of paved roads About 40 campers fled Tuesday night but returned Wednesday re just ready to start up and pull out at a moment's Heed said Fire crews initially feared aggressive fire behavior" but by mid-afternoon they said the fire had not advanced Wednesday Afternoon winds which carried embers a half-mile beyond fire lines Tuesday were expected to push flames back to burned areas Three brush trucks used to fight the fires were caught by the NAPLES A 13000-acre wildfire burned Wednesday between Naples and Big Cypress Swamp after destroying three mobile homes driving away campers closing roads and a schooL One firefighter suffered heat exhaustion just kind of sitting on i Compiled from News wire of these people dicJ' said Bronson R-Satellitc Beach Pleas see FIRE on CB nil ill.