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MiamiHerald.com: Broward

MiamiHerald.com: Broward Packed schools at issue again in Broward
The contentious issue of school boundary changes is once again on the table.

The Broward School Board on Thursday reopened discussion on ways to relieve overcrowding in western schools while also exploring a plan to eliminate portables over the next decade.

Coast Guard advises extra caution for boaters
The Coast Guard is urging Florida boaters to use extra caution over Labor Day weekend.

Coast Guard crews will be patrolling, conducting safety checks, and watching for people boating while intoxicated or operating in an unsafe manner, the agency said.

Coyote trapper steps up attack plan in Parkland
Blaming intrusive residents for his bagging only one coyote so far, a trapper hired by the city is bringing in dozens more traps this weekend.

Trapper Edward Batten said Thursday he has the one coyote to show for almost two weeks of work. He blames the residents of Parkland. They notice where he is laying traps -- and monitor them too closely.

Parents of Parkland girl who fell 100 feet stay optimistic
Teagan Marti, the 12-year-old girl from Parkland who plummeted 100 feet to the ground in a free-fall ride in Wisconsin, is back in South Florida.

Teagan, who hasn't been able to walk since the incident, is undergoing evaluations at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Doctors are hoping she can start rehabilitation by next week, said her mother, Julie Marti.

Davie mobile home fire displaces five people
Five Davie residents were displaced after their large mobile home caught fire late Thursday night, a fire official said.

Review | Dig into India Garden's gems
Thanks to Broward's burgeoning Indian community -- it quadrupled between 1990 and 2007, according to the U.S. Census, to nearly 22,000 -- restaurants are moving beyond tandoori, kebabs and curries.

Review | Havana's brings Latin flavors to Cooper City
Havana's Cuban Cuisine opened its doors in mid-June, facing a long hot summer in an economy that hasn't been kind to restaurants. But this 90-seat venue has been sizzling, bringing crowds to a humble strip shopping plaza in Cooper City, one of the few places in South Florida where it's tough to find Latin food.

Review | Newcomer Bluejays Cafe off to flying start
What can you expect of first-time restaurateurs in their 20s? Quite a lot, it turns out, if you're talking about Jeremiah Buchanan and his wife, Zandra Lindgren, who opened shoe-box-size Bluejays Cafe two months ago in Himmarshee Village.

Roundup | This Italian trio is a cut above the usual pizzeria
For today's budget-conscious diners, pizza and Italian food are always winners. If you're looking for a place with more style than the neighborhood pizzeria, here are three options. All are casual enough to bring the kids, yet nice enough for an affordable date night.

Review | 24-hour Davie diner is a welcome blast from the past
Blueberry pancakes or a beer-simmered hot dog at 3 a.m., moussaka as well as matzoh ball soup, a warm welcome whether you're dining alone or bringing the whole family -- ah, the joys of the 24-hour diner.

Parents of Parkland girl who fell 100 feet stay optimistic
Teagan Marti, the 12-year-old girl from Parkland who plummeted 100 feet to the ground in a free-fall ride in Wisconsin, is back in South Florida.

Teagan, who hasn't been able to walk since the incident, is undergoing evaluations at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Doctors are hoping she can start rehabilitation by next week, said her mother, Julie Marti.

Packed schools at issue again in Broward
The contentious issue of school boundary changes is once again on the table.

Trapper Edward Batten said Thursday he has the one coyote to show for almost two weeks of work. He blames the residents of Parkland. They notice where he is laying traps -- and monitor them too closely.

Davie foundation gives teen special wheelchair
Darrell Gwynn met his match this month -- 16-year-old Levi Lamb.

Gwynn, a National Hot Rod Association Hall of Famer from Weston, and Levi, a hunter, fisherman and 4-H hog-raising champ from Okeechobee, came wheel-to-wheel at the Darrell Gywnn Foundation office in Davie.

Watch Marlins from bullpen; raise glass
The fall brings a new school year and a new fundraising season, with ways to have fun for a good cause.

A win-win event

Help the homeless and watch the Florida Marlins take on the Philadelphia Phillies from bullpen seats at 7:10 p.m. Sept. 13 at Sun Life Stadium.

Museum, zoo offering discounted admission
I try, at all costs, not to pay full price for anything.

When I shop, I go armed with a fistful of coupons and march straight to the sale section. When I plan a trip to a local attraction, I hunt down the ones offering deep discounts. And when I dine out, at least one person in my party is usually munching on their meal for free.

Parkland synagogue plans service for kids with special needs
For families with children with special needs, attending the High Holy Day services can sometimes be a stressful and unrewarding experience.

The children may not be able, or willing, to sit through an entire service, and fellow congregants don't always show much understanding toward interruptions.

House candidates David Rivera, Joe Garcia can't escape Cuba factor
The campaign websites and stump speeches of congressional hopefuls David Rivera and Joe Garcia don't mention the defining issue of their careers: Cuba.

Rick Scott's likely No. 2: Navy vet
Rick Scott's running mate on the Republican ticket for governor is expected to be state Rep. Jennifer Carroll, a U.S. Navy veteran and mother of three who, if elected, would be Florida's first black lieutenant governor.

House speaker nixes special legislative session on oil spill
A special legislative session to provide relief for the oil-stained Florida coast dissolved Wednesday as a top Republican lawmaker said no urgent action is needed.

Florida land sought for 2 more veterans' cemeteries
Property owners alert: The federal government needs more land to open two more Veteran Administration cemeteries in the northern portion of veteran-rich Florida.

Jeff Greene sues Miami Herald, St. Petersburg Times over coverage
Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene accused The Miami Herald and St. Petersburg Times in a libel lawsuit filed Wednesday of orchestrating a ``plan to assassinate [his] character'' that cost him the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate in Florida.

With Bud Chiles out of governor's race, it's a one-on-one matchup
In a sign of relief for Democrats, Lawton ``Bud'' Chiles III is expected to abandon his independent bid for governor.

His departure would make it a two-way race between Democrat Alex Sink and Republican Rick Scott -- a contest in which Chiles, a former Democrat, was expected to play spoiler.

Alex Sink unveils plan for school changes
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink envisions an education system in Florida where at-risk students have incentives to stay in school, better-trained teachers get performance-based raises and school buildings become community centers.

3 amendments kept off Florida ballot
The November ballot just got less crowded.

The state Supreme Court on Tuesday affirmed lower court rulings to strike three ballot amendments proposed by the Legislature concerning redistricting, the new federal healthcare law and property taxes.

Charlie Crist returns $10,000 to Jim Greer
Gov. Charlie Crist's independent U.S. Senate campaign is refunding nearly $10,000 to Jim Greer after the indicted former Republican Party chairman asked for the money to help pay for his legal defense. ``As you know circumstances have caused me to need money to defend myself and take care of my family,'' Greer wrote in an Aug. 5 letter. ``I know sending the money back is hard, but with what has happened it may be politically beneficial for you to do.''

Scott, McCollum take civil approach in debate
In a room crowded with Christian conservatives in Miami, Bill McCollum and Rick Scott joined a collection of mostly GOP candidates running for attorney general Saturday to tout their equally conservative credentials.

GOP rivals McCollum, Scott face-off at Christian Family Coalition forum
In a room crowded with Christian conservatives in Miami, Bill McCollum and Rick Scott joined a collection of mostly GOP candidates running for Attorney General Saturday to tout their equally conservative credentials.

Choice of words knocks amendments off ballot
Attempts to use Florida's Constitution to make political statements and policy continues to prove challenging, even for the Legislature.

In the past month, state judges have knocked a trio of Legislature-approved proposals off the ballot, declaring them misleading.

Sandra Ruiz disqualified from Florida House race
Doral Councilwoman Sandra Ruiz has been disqualified from running for Florida House District 112, after a judge sided with two of her opponents who sued because Ruiz did not follow the resign-to-run state law.

Florida environmental chief Mike Sole resigns
Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Mike Sole is resigning to pursue other unspecified opportunities, Gov. Charlie Crist's office announced Monday. Sole, who has been perhaps the most visible person other than Crist in Florida's response to the massive Gulf oil spill, will be replaced on Sept. 10 by DEP's deputy secretary of regulatory programs, Mimi Drew, Crist said.

GOP race for Florida attorney general seems wide open
Three's a crowd in the most wide-open race on the statewide primary ballot: the Republican nomination for attorney general.

With the Aug. 24 vote less than four weeks away, this down-ballot race appears wide open, with most voters not paying close attention and all three candidates struggling to raise enough money to pay for targeted TV ad campaigns.

Federal appeals court sides with GOP candidate Rick Scott in public financing case
In a major blow to Bill McCollum's gubernatorial bid, the 11th District Court of Appeal in Atlanta reversed a Florida court Friday and agreed to Republican Rick Scott's request for an injunction halting Florida's public financing law, saying it violates his 1st and 14th amendment rights.

2 Daytona officers charged with denting trailer
Two Daytona Beach police officers are charged with felony criminal mischief after they allegedly dented a mobile home by kicking it.

3 killed in Tampa car wreck
Three people have died after two cars collided at a dangerous Tampa intersection.

Police question scientist in Miami airport scare
A government official says a scientist has been detained in Miami after screeners found a metal canister in his luggage that looked like a pipe bomb.

BP says cost of Gulf of Mexico spill hits $8B
BP says it has so far spent $8 billion responding to the disastrous oil well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico.

Suit: recalled meat caused long illness
A 75-year-old Florida man says he was in intensive care for more than a month after eating jellied pork that had been recalled.

Haitian man gets 13 years for fatal smuggling trip
A Haitian man has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for helping run a smuggling voyage that ended when the boat capsized, killing at least nine people.

Feds launch investigation of Gulf platform fire
The agency that oversees offshore drilling will investigate the fire on an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico.

Fla. woman who lived with dead mom faces eviction
A southwest Florida woman who lived with her dead mother's body for more than a year is fighting authorities' attempts to raze her rundown house.

Davie foundation gives teen special wheelchair
Darrell Gwynn met his match this month -- 16-year-old Levi Lamb.

Gwynn, a National Hot Rod Association Hall of Famer from Weston, and Levi, a hunter, fisherman and 4-H hog-raising champ from Okeechobee, came wheel-to-wheel at the Darrell Gywnn Foundation office in Davie.

Parents of Parkland girl who fell 100 feet stay optimistic
Teagan Marti, the 12-year-old girl from Parkland who plummeted 100 feet to the ground in a free-fall ride in Wisconsin, is back in South Florida.

Teagan, who hasn't been able to walk since the incident, is undergoing evaluations at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Doctors are hoping she can start rehabilitation by next week, said her mother, Julie Marti.

Packed schools at issue again in Broward
The contentious issue of school boundary changes is once again on the table.

Coast Guard crews will be patrolling, conducting safety checks, and watching for people boating while intoxicated or operating in an unsafe manner, the agency said.

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