Palm Beach County
FAMILY MISTRUST
Willie Lang Jr., 50, has been arrested on charges related to the sale of his father’s home without the man’s permission. A court-appointed guardian, who said the father is mentally incapacitated, discovered that Lang sold the home for $50,000. Lang allegedly failed to give the proceeds to his father. At the time, his father was living in a nursing home and Lang signed the sales contract under a power of attorney, but had no authority to do so. He is charged with exploitation of an elderly person and grand theft.
COUNTERFEITING SUSPECTS
Four people from Tennessee were arrested in Panama City for making purchases with counterfeit bills. Authorities found more than $15,000 in fake cash at the hotel where they were staying. In Lake Worth, a couple is being sought after allegations they paid for gift cards using fake $100 bills. Surveillance video from a Lake Worth Dollar General Store located in the 2500 block of N. Dixie Highway shows a man buying the gift cards. A few minutes later, a female, tried the same thing, but the clerk checked the bills and found they were fakes. The female suspect then fled. They are described as a white male and female both with black or dark brown hair. Anyone who can identify these people is asked to call Palm Beach Crime Stoppers at 800-458-8477.
MEDICINE VS. TRADITION
Heather Hironimus of West Boynton is on the run after she reneged on a legal agreement with Dennis Nebus to have their 4-year-old son circumcised. She now faces jail time for contempt if she doesn’t produce the boy and authorize the surgical procedure, Circuit Judge Jeffrey Gillen ruled. Nebus says the procedure is the right thing to do; Hironimus believes the risks are too great for an unnecessary procedure.
INDICTMENT LOOMS
United States Sen. Robert Menendez, D – New Jersey, could be indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice for allegedly misusing his office to help the business interests of Salomon Melgen, his friend and campaign donor. Melgen is a prominent eye physician who has several offices spread out mostly over Palm Beach County. Melgen received $20 million in Medicare payments in 2012, more than any other doctor in the nation. He has been under investigation for years and federal agents raided his offices several times.
Broward County
CAMERAS SUSPENDED
The city of Fort Lauderdale has temporarily suspended its red-light camera program. The move comes after a judge ruled the cameras violate state laws. Attorney Gary Kollin, who is seeking class-action status to obtain refunds for those issued tickets, argued the city contracts with a private company to issue the red light tickets. Florida law does not allow private firms to issue traffic tickets, the judge determined.
MOLESTATION ACCUSATION
Corey C. Williams, 43, is charged with molestation of a child under the age of 12. Police allege Williams pointed a flashlight and touched the sleeping child. The child’s mother contacted police who investigated. Williams was arrested and has lost his job over the accusations.
EVALUATION
Five of the nine Broward School Board members have given Superintendent Robert Runcie a passing evaluation. Runcie was subject to a mid-year evaluation and received high marks for overall improvements to the district, but was asked to improve communications with board members.
Miami-Dade County
MAYOR’S DEAL
Former Homestead Mayor Steve Bateman pled guilty to two campaign expenditure violations. He will serve 18-months’ probation. He says he is working on appealing earlier convictions related to voting on business for an organization from which he received pay for consulting work.
HIV ON THE RISE
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), South Florida has the highest rate of new HIV cases in the nation, followed by Washington, D.C. In recent years, there had been a softening of outreach efforts about AIDS and now we’re witnessing the results.
CLINTON FOUNDATION
University of Miami President Donna Shalala is leaving the post later this year. Former President Bill Clinton revealed Shalala will take over as CEO of the Clinton Foundation when she steps down. The announcement was made while the former president was speaking at the Global Initiative at the University of Miami event. Shalala served eight years as Health and Human Services Secretary during the Clinton Administration.
Monroe County
KEYS INVENTOR
Sean Snowden of Marathon has invented a see-through raft. It’s called the ‘‘Aquavue’ and the patent is pending, but already it is on sale. The Aquavue allows people to view the ocean or underwater from inside the inflatable craft. The Aquavue could someday be used for search and rescue or other functions where visibility under water is a challenge.
BUI BILL
State Sen. Thad Altman (R-Cape Canaveral) and Rep. Gayle Harrell (R-Stuart) hopes tickets issued to operators of boats will be reflected on driver’s licenses. They have filed a bill that could end up doing just that. The Florida Wildlife and Conservation Commission says over 50 Boating Under the Influence citations are issued in the Florida Keys annually, but few are linked to a person’s drivers license. The bill would require BUI convictions to be reported to the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and reflected on the driving record.
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