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On Nov. 15, the two top officials in charge of Orange County’s tax dollars met by phone and decided on a radical move. They withdrew all $370 million the county had invested in a state-run money market fund that for 25 years had been considered one of the safest bets for local government investments. Orange… Continue reading Multiple factors led to run on fund
Matthew Herman has a problem. But it isn’t finding a job. For three years at South Broward High, the teacher subjected teen girls to his sexual aggression, state records show. One girl said he tried to kiss her belly button. Two said he invited them home for sex. One later claimed he cornered her in… Continue reading Broken Trust
Sarasota County’s party faithful were the most reliable voters on election day, rarely skipping any of the high-profile races. But something odd happened when they were supposed to choose their U.S. congressional representative. A Herald-Tribune analysis of every ballot cast shows these loyal party voters -- on both sides of the aisle -- were largely… Continue reading Analysis points to bad ballot design
A Catholic priest told the Herald-Tribune on Wednesday about an intimate two-year relationship he had with former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley when the congressman was a teenage altar boy living in Lake Worth. From his home on the island of Gozo, near Italy, Anthony Mercieca described a series of encounters that he said Foley might… Continue reading Priest tells of Foley relationship
Ritz-Carlton co-developer Kevin Daves saw Vern Buchanan as the answer to his financial problems in July 1999. Daves, in search of what he called a ”$15 million man,” believed Buchanan was wealthy enough to secure a $94 million bank loan to finance the luxury hotel project Daves had been working on for years. Daves said… Continue reading Vern Buchanan’s failed Ritz deal
Matthew Doig 