A 040909 Breeze Thursday
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Post Comments, share Views, read Blogs on CaPe-Coral-daily-Breeze.Com District CAPE CORAL baseball Ida S. Baker wins 7-6 in 9 innings DAILY BREEZE — SPORTS WEATHER: Partly Sunny • Tonight: Partly Cloudy • Thursday: Partly Sunny — 2A cape-coral-daily-breeze.com Vol. 48, No. 99 Wednesday, April 29, 2009 50 cents Commissioners remove Stilwell ‘without cause’ “I cannot defend that conduct in the County manager has one week court of public opinion. There are stan- dards that must be upheld. There’s no question the county’s relationship with the county manager must be terminat- to review terms of his dismissal ed.” By DREW WINCHESTER times controversial county manag- package. — Chairman Ray Judah [email protected] er’s nearly 16-year career to an end. Stilwell has one week to decide if The Lee County Commission The board voted 3-2 to dismiss he will accept the offer, allowing terminated Don Stilwell “without Stilwell with three months’ salary him the opportunity to resign. If sioners will be forced to fire him. manager for the next seven days. and full benefits as a severance Stilwell rebuffs the offer, commis- He retains full power as county cause” Tuesday, bringing the some- See STILWELL, page 3A County pledges $500,000 toward new biofuel plant Work in progress Site, start date not set Motorists pass By DREW WINCHESTER through the intersec- [email protected] “No one is against build- ing alternative sources of tion of Del Prado Lee County is now in the biodiesel fuel business. fuel. But I don’t think the Boulevard and Commissioners voted 3-2 to county should be in the Diplomat Parkway. help fund the construction of a business of fuel produc- The intersection will biodiesel processing plant by pledg- tion.” close Monday for ing $500,000 to Florida BioFuels roadway work on the LLC. — Commissioner ongoing Del Prado The plant, which has no site or Frank Mann widening project. The start date for construction, would closure is expected have Lee County as its first cus- tomer under an agreement that The plant would use recycled to last until August. grease from restaurants, as well as For more information would supply biofuel to the county for three years with a two-year vegetable oil, poultry oil and oil about ongoing and renewal option. See BIOFUEL, page 8A completed road proj- ects, call 707-9050 or visit: www.capecoral- transportation.com. City head justifies MICHAEL PISTELLA UEP and proposed public service fees History, present focus By GRAY ROHRER [email protected] “We were using 75 per- Students need funds to compete Cape Coral City Manager Terry cent of capacity on a Stewart defended the city’s routine basis. State Now, the students are asking for donations to pay approach to the controversial utili- requirements say the city for the competition’s $2,500 registration fee. The ties expansion project and his pro- has to plan for increases Team sets sights deadline to pay the fee is Friday. posal for a new public service fee in capacity.” Seven students from the school — Conor Tuesday during a meeting of the Dougherty, Courtney Dougherty, David Cato, Emilee Cape Coral Civic Association. — City Manager on world finals Cato, Gracie Fisher, Hailey Pearson and Sarah Kane The UEP, a project designed to Terry Stewart — earned first place for “Classics ... the Lost Labor of bring water, sewer and irrigation By MCKENZIE CASSIDY Heracles.” utilities to areas of the Cape that do ers rose dramatically. [email protected] Cape Elementary sent a total of 70 students to the not have them, was started because Stewart said the decision to go Students from Cape Elementary who are Odyssey state competition. the city’s water usage crossed the forward with the UEP was the cor- of the Mind state champions learned this week that the “It’s a huge accomplishment. It is one of two teams threshold the state uses to require rect one, and the city council’s funding needed to compete in Iowa’s world finals in going to the competition out of Cape Coral,” said Cato. municipalities to increase their recent decision to stop it carries ram- May is no longer available. Each parent has already purchased airfare to Iowa, capacity. ifications for current utility cus- Teresa Cato, parent and Odyssey of the Mind coach, but $2,500 still needs to be raised to pay Iowa State “We were using 75 percent of tomers, including the prospect of said a miscommunication between the school’s parent- University for the students to participate. Some of the capacity on a routine basis. State higher rates. teacher organization and the team led the students to fee has been raised but more is needed. requirements say the city has to plan “The city council very wisely believe that their $10,000 trip to Iowa was covered. “All of the parents have gotten our tickets and have for increases in capacity,” he said. took (state requirements) under But, according to Cato, the PTO is short on funds been fund raising, but it has been slow to go,” Cato The project has come under fire advisement and we began plan- in recent years as the cost in assess- ning,” he said. because of the economic downturn. See STUDENTS, page 8A ments and fees faced by homeown- See UEP, page 8A Deputies charge man for local bank robberies that it was a retired FBI chief in Department of Law Enforcement for West Palm Beach, a customer at DNA testing. It pulled up a partial He reportedly hit two in the Cape City Federal Savings and Loan, who match to Sharp. nabbed Sharp after a holdup in The affidavit states that after By AISLING SWIFT West Palm Beach, on charges he 2008; a Royal Palm Bank in Fort February that year. Sharp was con- Sharp was identified, detectives Special to the Breeze held up a Cape Coral bank Monday. Myers Oct. 28, 2008; a Valrico victed two years later. checked records and it turned out DNA from a blue baseball cap is Sharp was booked Tuesday into the State Bank in Brandon March 13; The federal affidavit states that Sharp had been linked to seven bank the evidence that led authorities to a Palm Beach County Jail. and a BB&T Bank in Clearwater the bank robber usually stole a bank robberies in Miami during 1985, convicted bank robber who has been A federal affidavit signed March 19. employee’s car and the baseball cap and he was convicted of bank rob- linked to eight bank robberies since Tuesday accuses Sharp, who often Also arrested and charged was was found after the December bery in March 1987. October, including two in Naples wore an Indiana Jones-style fedora, Bradley Groceman, 38, of West holdup at PNC bank in North Federal prison records show that and one in Fort Myers. of holding up a PNC bank in North Palm Beach, the alleged getaway Naples. The employee said it was Sharp was released from a federal Palm Beach County deputies Naples Dec. 8, 2008, and Feb. 11; a driver. not hers and Collier County sheriff’s arrested Mark Everett Sharp, 52, of Regions Bank in the Cape Oct. 6, News reports from 1985 show deputies sent it to the Florida See ARREST, page 8A ATAGLANCE AROUND THE CAPE NEWS OF NOTE WHAT’S INSIDE Mayor’s Scholarship Fund Laughter Day Celebration Annie’s Mailbox......16A Nation ..............10A A free World Laughter Day Celebration Fla. Lottery awards banquet scheduled will be held from 9-11 a.m. Sunday at Lynn Cape Life ..........7A Obituaries ..........3A The 23rd Annual Awards Banquet for Hall Park, 950 Estero Blvd., Fort Myers CASH 3: the Cape Coral Mayor’s Scholarship Fund Classifieds ............1-6B Police Blotter ....2A 8-4-6 / 4-3-8 Beach, with certified Laughter Yoga instructor will be held today at Cape Coral Yacht Meg Scott and Ellen Poage. Comics ............12A Sports ........13-15A PLAY 4: Club, 5819 Driftwood Parkway. 2-5-7-7 / 9-4-9-5 Laughter Yoga is a combination of laugh- Crossword........12A State ..................9A Sponsors will present scholarships to 13 ing, yoga breathing and playful activities and Fantasy 5 students from several high schools. The Dr. Donohue......16A Today in History....11A 1-3-19-28-35 is one of Lee County Parks and Recreation’s 4-5-16-20 MB 4 students earned the scholarships through a newest activities. Editorial..............4A TV Listings............11A Lotto combination of academic achievements No registration required. Wear loose-fitting and community service efforts. Horoscopes......16A Weather ............2A 19-25-26-32-37-45 clothing and bring a beach towel. For informa- Florida Powerball Mayor Jim Burch is the master of cere- tion, call (614) 216-9371 or e-mail 8-26-30-45-52 monies. PB 15 x 5 [email protected]. Anyone interested in attending the Laughter Clubs are held at 8 a.m. Fridays at awards banquet can purchase tickets for Lynn Hall Park at Fort Myers Beach and 6:30- $40 by calling 574-0436 or by visiting: 7 p.m. Wednesdays at Wa-Ke-Hatchee Rec 7 48445 46010 1 www.capecoralmayorscholarship.com. Center, 16355 Summerlin Road, Fort Myers. Page 2A Wednesday, April 29, 2009 cape-coral-daily-breeze.com CAPE CORAL DAILY BREEZE Gulf Middle band earns high marks at competition By DREW WINCHESTER cert band and best director, and the fits from performing at one of the The concert band generally per- dents hope to pursue music profes- [email protected] gold award at Walt Disney World top competitions in the country.