Amanda Haworth

Amanda Haworth, (AFP) – Two policemen were killed and a suspect in a shooting in North Miami when officers raided a house, officials said. Authorities have identified the officers Roger Castillo, who was killed at the scene, and Amanda Haworth, who died shortly after surgery. Gunfire erupted when police entered the house low-income neighborhood of Liberty City in search of several wanted criminals, including murder suspect Johnny Simms, who was killed in the shootout.

“They contacted a family member who said they would be back,” the mayor of Miami-Dade Carlos Alvarez told reporters at the scene. “They did not come out. Obviously, they met with the subject. There were shots exchanged. ”

Simms, 23, was described by the Miami-Dade Police Director James Loftus as a “career criminal” who was released from prison last year after serving time for armed robbery.

Area schools were locked down while police investigate.

Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved.

A shootout erupted Thursday in a section notoriously crime-ridden Miami, a team of heavily armed law enforcement officers tried to serve a warrant murder, leaving two officers dead and a suspect, authorities said.

Miami-Dade Police Director James Loftus said 21-years experience; Roger Castillo was shot and died at the scene. “Amanda Haworth,”a veteran of 23 years, was taken to hospital and later died from multiple gunshot wounds. Oscar officer shot the suspect Placencia, 22, Johnny Simms, who was armed with a pistol, “said Loftus.

A squad of the warrants division serving a summons for first-degree murder to Simms in the poor district of the city of Liberty City.

Randy Shannon

Randy Shannon, (AP) – Miami fired coach Randy Shannon on Saturday night, hours after the Hurricanes finished a 7-5 regular season that began with championship expectations.

Athletic director Kirby Hocutt made the call.

“We have made a decision to seek new leadership for our football program,” Hocutt said in a release. “Our expectations are to compete for championships and return to the top of the college football world.”

Shannon received a four-year extension just before the start of the 2010 season. He was 28-22 in four seasons at Miami.

The fate of all members of Shannon’s staff has not been determined. Some will remain for Miami’s bowl game, but one assistant coach told The Associated Press that “everybody, all the coaches, weight room, the training room guys, secretaries, we all think we’re gone.” The coach spoke on condition of anonymity because he had not been told about his own job.

Shannon had considered firing both offensive coordinator Mark Whipple and defensive coordinator John Lovett in recent days, along with some — but not all — of his other assistants.

Hocutt was scheduled to meet with reporters at 1 p.m. Sunday, and players were told a team meeting would be held beforehand.

Hocutt made the decision shortly after Miami lost to South Florida 23-20 in overtime on Saturday afternoon, in a game where only about 27,000 people filled the 73,000 seats at Sun Life Stadium. A plane circled the stadium before kickoff calling for a coaching change, and players left fearing that it would be the last time they played for Shannon.

“Put it on us as players,” wide receiver Leonard Hankerson said.

The sentiment may have been noted, but in the end, Shannon was ultimately responsible.

Shannon is expected to receive a buyout of around $1.5 million. Miami — a private school that doesn’t have the deepest of pockets when it comes to paying coaches — has had a fundraising drive to support athletics for several years and believes it will be able to put together enough money to lure a top-notch staff.

It’s expected that one of the offensive coaches, likely line coach Jeff Stoutland, will coach the bowl game, though as of 11 p.m. Saturday, there was still some uncertainty about the Hurricanes’ short-term plans. The Hurricanes expect to be selected for the Sun Bowl, although that still’s far from a done deal.

Hocutt said he would begin a nationwide search, and there’ll be no shortage of names on his list. Among the possible candidates: former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach (who has a residence in the Florida Keys), Georgia’s Mark Richt, and Oklahoma associate head coach Brent Venables, who has ties with Hocutt going back more than 20 years.

Shannon drove away from the stadium around 5:30 p.m. Saturday unsure of his fate, though he had suspected that he would be fired after the Hurricanes were embarrassed at home by Florida State on Oct. 9 and then were beaten by lowly Virginia three weeks later. He considered making many changes to his staff and was deciding whether to dismiss some coaches later Saturday evening.

Instead, Miami beat him to the punch.

“I’m not worried about me,” Shannon told The AP earlier in the week when asked about his job security. “If they do it, they do it. I think someone will give me another job.”

Shannon took over for Larry Coker at the end of the 2006 season and went on a mission to change the culture at the school — which, in many respects, he did.

Miami has been among the nation’s leaders in academic success by its football program, and the off-the-field reputation has been cleaned up considerably.

But it never translated into wins. More specifically, not enough of them.

Shannon went 5-7 in his first season, then 7-6, then 9-4 last year. He never won a bowl game, and never got the Hurricanes past second place in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Coastal Division. Miami still has not won an ACC championship since leaving the Big East, and hasn’t been part of the Bowl Championship Series since the 2003 season.

“Randy Shannon is Miami,” university president Donna Shalala famously said when he was hired, with good reason. Shannon is a native of Miami, played for the Hurricanes and was a longtime assistant coach there before getting the chance to lead the program.

Even after Miami lost last week to Virginia Tech and was eliminated from the ACC race, Shalala sent Shannon a note of support. But when asked by The AP after Saturday’s loss if he was concerned about his future, Shannon simply shrugged and said it would remain a source of speculation, as it had been for about the past six weeks.

Less than six hours later, he was out of a job.

When Hocutt made the decision to fire Miami women’s soccer coach Tricia Taliaferro earlier this fall, he said the Hurricanes’ teams were being judged on how relevant they were nationally.

And football is not a major player on the national scene — nor has it been for the past several seasons.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press.

Tallahassee Democrat

Tallahassee Democrat, TALLAHASSEE – Democrat Bill Montford took an early lead in the race for State Senate District 6, a benefit that could be maintained throughout the night.

Montford received 70,995 votes to Republican John Shaw 31,855. Montford took 67 percent of the votes cast in the district that covers a large area of the Panhandle, including parts of Bay County. The new Senator is a lifelong educator who currently serves as executive director of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents.

“I am convinced that we had a very good campaign structure and people saw my experience as a county commissioner and superintendent last past,” said Montford.

Montord said he has been involved in District 6 through civic organizations and through their previous positions. Marianna born and raised in Blountstown, Jenks was an intern at the Middle School and his wife admitted to Cherry Street Elementary School.

Four candidates have been campaigning to replace Sen. Al Lawson, who made an unsuccessful attempt in the U.S. House District 2 race, and can not run for the seat in the State Senate because of term limits.

John Shaw, the team owner John Shaw, won 30 percent of the vote, while neither party candidate David Abrams received 3 percent.

“I gave my best effort,” said Shaw. “I did the best I can to spread the word about my campaign.”

Shaw ran in 2008 as an independent for the House District 9, received 3 percent of the vote. He said he believed his house and Senate races as a great campaign and has at least one more race in him.

“This was a very interesting choice,” said Shaw. “My opponent raised more money, but not so much the money as party affiliations. Ninety percent of people say they like what I heard in my campaign. I just had to get the word out more to constituents and that it would a great victory. ”

David Abrams ran without party affiliation. Tallahassee resident, a lawyer in private practice who specializes in consumer rights, took 3 percent of the vote.

Arencibia Harrison, a broker with Florida First Capital Realty, was a candidate in writing. We conducted a campaign to promote himself as a fiscal conservative, kind of tea party of the candidate.

Senate District 6 includes Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, freedom, Gadsden, Franklin, Wakulla and parts of Bay, Leon, Jefferson and Madison counties. Approximately 400,000 voters live in Senate District 6, according to the 2000 census.

The majority of Bay County voters is in Senate District 4. The new edition is for Don Gaetz of Niceville is running unopposed for the seat.

Senate District 2

In the state Senate District 2 race, Greg Evers collected at least 75 percent in each county in District 2 to win the state Senate race, beating Tea Party candidate Christopher S. Crawford by a vote of 72,854 to 18,803.

“I am deeply humbled. I am honored to represent the people in Senate District 2 having faith in me I’ll go to Tallahassee and fight for them as I have in the … nine years he served in the House” Evers said Tuesday night. “It is an honor to have placed in me, especially with the overwhelming vote.”

District 2 includes all of Holmes and Washington counties and parts of Bay, Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton.

The seat was previously held by Durrell Peaden Jr., who had to leave office because of term limits.

Evers, of Baker, said the Senate will work with three times the work and responsibility of his term as state representative.

In a press release issued Thursday night, ensuring the fulfillment of campaign promises and bring local issues to the Capitol. First on his list was the issue of septic tanks. Evers also said the Senate will work together in the state’s economy.

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Cleveland Plain Dealer:Parents & Families supporter Frank Glandorf parents published the letter oppressed by the unfair system of support for children in the Cleveland Plain Dealer in June 1927. The letter was in response to the newspaper Making sense of child support in Ohio: editorial (6/19/10), for which F & F Board President Ned Holstein, MD, MS was interviewed. Glandorf wrote:

Alimony is the modern equivalent, moral of the debtors’ prisons, which were banned in the 19th century. Failure to pay child support is a felony. Falling behind in payments due to job loss results in fines, jail and a felony conviction – making it even harder to find work. It’s just a downward spiral …

The ODJFS “Most Wanted” ad for February 2010 lists of parents only. Their occupations are diverse as health care workers, restaurant workers, factory worker and temporary services. These men are not financially better off than the “poor mothers, ‘that the Plain Dealer editorial judged to child support. By contrast, the editorial claims that parents “refuse to pay despite, officials say, having the means to do so.”

Such retrogressive measures for child support and gender discrimination only serve to drive parents to the margins of life for their children.

Miami Heat

Miami Heat:Dwyane Wade is expected to announce plans to re-sign with the Miami Heat today. He is not alone, says Chris Bosh Sports also plans to join the selection. Details when

Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh join the Miami Heat, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Shelley Smith of ESPN also reported pending passage through independent sources.

If LeBron James, the central pivot of the class held a free agent this summer, will join them remains to be seen. James announce its decision at 9 pm on Thursday for an hour one-hour special on ESPN.

Wade and Bosh is expected to announce his decision Wednesday, the source said.

James or not, the Heat could emerge as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference with Wade and Bosh on board. Wade, who led the Heat to the NBA championship in 2006, is re-signing with the club, while Bosh Toronto Raptors leave after seven years with the club.

Both players are expected to get the maximum amount allowed under the league agreement, collective bargaining, although the addition of James could change the salaries of the players. The contract can be officially signed until July 8.

It was not immediately clear if he signed with Miami Bosh outright or join the Heat through a sign and trade. Bosh could earn $ 125,000,000 over six years through the signing and trade, but only U.S. $ 96 million more than five without it.

“Either way, it is surely going to Miami,” the source said.

We believe that D-Wade is going to stay. Their divorce was final and Gabby is transferred to the fly birthplace. He also said that going by the heat will continue to play if Bosh or Lebron joined him. It seems that all your wishes come true.

With the signing of the Knicks Amar’e Bosh and Wade and Miami doing what we’re waiting for one last thing. His movement Bron Bron!

Source : Sports.ESPN