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Prosecutors: Keep Raja in prison during Fedstosend500 appeal in Jones death immigrantstocounty By Daphne Duret verdicts a Palm Beach The Palm Beach Post County jury returned Palm Beach, Sheriff calls Gov. DeSantis against him in March Calling him a killer on manslaughter and Broward officials ‘catch-and- wasn’t notified in who wounded the law attempted murder charges. critical of plan release’ a ‘danger’ advance, A7 enforcement community, The convictions make the prosecutors this week asked now imprisoned 41-year- a judge to keep former old the first police officer Palm Beach Gardens police in three decades to be held Officer criminally liable for taking Nouman a life while on duty. Raja in Assistant State Attorney prison as he Brian Fernandes objected fights his to Raja’s request Monday, convictions asking Marx in a six-page and 25-year courtfilingtorejectitwithout Raja prison sen- conductingahearing.Florida tence for Department of Corrections the 2015 shooting death of recordsshowRajaarrivedata stranded motorist Corey prison reception center from Jones. thePalmBeachCountyjailon Raja’s attorneys this May 1, less than a week after month asked Circuit Judge Marx sentenced him. Joseph Marx to free Raja as he appeals the guilty See RAJA, A7
Trump’s businesses down $3.6M in county
2018 financial report Beach, was the biggest loser Palm Beach County Mayor Mack Bernard speaks next to Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and FAU Police Chief shows drop for Mar- compared with other South and Palm Beach County Association of Chiefs of Police President Sean Brammer, far right, after the a-Lago and two golf Florida Trump businesses. announcement Thursday that the Border Patrol will transport 1,000 immigrants a month to Palm Beach courses in the county Mar-a-Lago saw a 10% and Broward counties. [GREG LOVETT/PALMBEACHPOST.COM] drop from $25.1 million By Christine Stapleton in 2017 to $22.7 million in The Palm Beach Post 2018. The decline could By Hannah Morse Inside said the process would begin reflect the hit Trump sus- The Palm Beach Post within two weeks, but federal President Donald Trump’s tained when more than 20 President Trump introduces agents did not indicate when it revenue from his Palm Beach charities canceled their WEST PALM BEACH — an immigration plan favoring would end. County businesses, includ- pricey fundraisers at in Palm Beach County officials ‘merit’ over family ties A3 “It’s not a good plan,” ing Mar-a-Lago and two response to the president’s on Thursday criticized the Bradshaw said during a golf courses, dropped $3.6 comments about protesters federal government’s plan news conference Thursday million in 2018, according at a deadly white-suprema- to send as many as 1,000 informed earlier this week by afternoon at PBSO to financial disclosure forms cist rally in Charlottesville, immigrants per month from the head of Border Patrol in headquarters. “We think it’s a released Thursday. Virginia, in 2017. the U.S.-Mexico border to Miami that about 500 people in danger to this community, and Mar-a-Lago, the presi- Palm Beach and Broward “family units” who had crossed it’s going to put a real strain on dent’s private club in Palm See TRUMP, A7 counties. the border illegally would be what the resources are.” Palm Beach County Sheriff brought from El Paso, Texas, to Ric Bradshaw said he was Palm Beach County. Bradshaw See FEDS, A12 Jury awards cyclist millions for injuries How NextEra became national utilities star
Jonathan’s Landing along a lushly landscaped Florida Power & nation’s most valuable util- would snap it up. must pay for injuries path near the couple’s home Light’s parent rides ity, an investor darling and a Nearly two decades ago, suffered when man in Jonathan’s Landing in smart buys, alt energy green energy stalwart. NextEra — then known as hit pole in path Jupiter. to lofty post as nation’s As the Juno Beach-based FPL Group — said it would The next minute, most valuable company’s share price rou- be swallowed by a Spanish By Jane Musgrave the 64-year-old chief tinely sets new records, it’s utility. That deal fell apart, The Palm Beach Post accountant for the By Jeff Ostrowski easy to forget that, in recent and FPL Group followed up Securities and Exchange The Palm Beach Post memory, NextEra was an later in 2000 by announcing WEST PALM BEACH — Commission was lying in a afterthought in the energy it would buy New Orleans- One minute James Schnurr heap, his body and his life In a stunning transforma- business, a company whose based Entergy. Investors were was enjoying a postcard- irreparably broken. tion from also-ran to star, prospects seemed so mediocre irritated. perfect South Florida day NextEra Energy has emerged that investors held the stock with his wife, bicycling See INJURIES, A10 over the past decade as the in hopes that a larger rival See NEXTERA, A10
Volume 111, Issue 75 Business...... B6-7 Lottery...... B2 Like and follow us on social media: To subscribe: 561-820-4663 Classifieds ...... C7-9 Opinion ...... A13 @pbpost © 2019 GateHouse Media Deaths ...... B4 Sports...... C1 Facebook.com/palmbeachpost A10 Friday, May 17, 2019 The Palm Beach Post REAL NEWS STARTS HERE
built through years of low NEXTERA power prices and excel- Real Journalism. Worth your time. lent customer service,” Real Worth your support. From Page A1 Morningstar analyst Andrew Bischof wrote in a Local Impact. recent report. “Although “I thought FPL would be regulatory relations in sold to another company Florida have improved at a premium,” Steven significantly, it’s always Lehman, manager of the possible that regulators Federated Utility Fund, could reverse their stance said at the time. “It’s a and put at risk FP&L’s disappointment to get no ability to deploy capital at premium.” attractive rates of return.” The Entergy merger col- Color him a bit skepti- lapsed, but NextEra shook cal, if only a little— Bischof off that setback and pro- lauds NextEra’s results but ceeded to build itself into suggests investors have the utility sector’s star. In overvalued the company’s 2001, NextEra’s $10 billion shares. He thinks shares value was the 30th-larg- are worth $175, a bit below est market capitalization An FPL crewman puts a switcher on the power lines above recent levels. NextEra amongpubliclytradedutil- North County Road in Palm Beach back in 2015. [GREG shares closed Thursday at ities. Today, it’s worth $90 LOVETT/PALMBEACHPOST.COM] $197.11. billion, making it No. 1 by The possibility of rising a wide margin. In a distant Early green this year. interest rates also poses a second is North Carolina- power investor “Only AT&T, Verizon threat. With U.S. unem- based Duke Energy, worth and Amazon invested more ployment at a 50-year low, $63 billion as of Thursday. As an early investor in in this country than we did it’spossiblethattheFederal Since the days of FPL’s green power, NextEra set in terms of capital invest- Reserve could raise interest ill-fated negotiations with itself up to sell wind energy ment,” Chief Executive rates — and that, in turn, Entergy, NextEra has to other utilities. Many James Robo told analysts in might lead some investors rewardedshareholderswith power companies are com- January. “And we’re going to trade their utility shares a return of 1,692 percent, pelled by state regulators to continue to do what we for safer investments. said Ken Berman, head of to produce at least some of have done for more than In general, utility stocks investment-advice service their electricity from green a decade, which is invest are defensive plays. Utility GorillaTradesinJupiterand sources. smart capital at FPL to investors typically focus on an owner of NextEra stock. “NextEra didn’t just see improve the value propo- the dividend rather than In other words, NextEra’s the trend coming,” Berman sition for customers.” the company’s growth days of disappointing says. “It was aggres- NextEra reported a profit prospects. investors are long past. sive about capitalizing on of$6.6billiononrevenueof “They’reperceivedasthe government support for $17 billion in 2018, making Utility as best— the fastest-growing, renewable energy, in par- it both massively profitable growth stock the highest-quality, with a ticular the tax subsidies and the largest company robust future,” said Andy that help finance wind and headquartered in Palm “As a general rule, utili- Smith, a utility analyst at solar projects around the Beach County. ties go down or sideways Edward Jones in St. Louis. country.” if interest rates go up,” How did NextEra out- TheresultisthatNextEra 14,148 employees said Carl Domino, a money smart and outmaneuver its for years has been the in US manager in Palm Beach. rivals? The answer is com- nation’s largest producer “NextEra may well be the plicated, but it starts with of renewable energy — a Investors aren’t the exception.” NextEra’s Florida Power & lead it aims to keep. As the only ones to benefit from That’s because NextEra Light, a reliable profit pro- costs of solar panels have NextEra’s strong run in seems to have pulled off the ducer that’s the primary fallen, NextEra and its recent years. The company unusual feat of positioning provider of power in a fast- FPL division have invested also employs thousands of a utility as a growth stock. growing state that’s now aggressively in harnessing well-paid workers. In 2018, Its yield of 2.6 percent is the nation’s third-largest. energy from the sun. FPL, the company had 14,148 below that of other utilities, Populationgrowthisonly for its part, now operates employees in the U.S., suggesting its shareholders part of the story, however. 18 solar plants. FPL expects and their median pay was might be less worried about Florida’s influx of new to install 30 million solar $125,365,NextEradisclosed dividendchecksthaninves- residents slowed during panels statewide by 2030. in a regulatory filing. tors in such companies as the Great Recession, just FPL also hopes to begin That’s higher than any Charlotte-based Duke or as NextEra was widening harvesting solar energy in other publicly traded com- Atlanta-based Southern its lead on other utilities. its home county. The utility panyheadquarteredinPalm Co., both of which yield At any rate, rapid popula- plans to build a solar plant BeachCounty,accordingto more than 4 percent. tion growth is something in Westlake, the recently Palm Beach Post research. Jupiter investor Berman of a mixed bag for utilities, incorporated municipal- NextEra’s employee pay says the looming expira- which must invest heav- ity in western Palm Beach is ninth-highest among tionoffederaltaxcreditsfor ily in new power plants to County. In another solar publicly traded utilities, a wind power could hamper pump out electricity for project, FPL last year paid sector that commonly pays NextEra’s growth. But he all those new homes and $19.3 million for 1,288 acres six-figure salaries to rank- thinks the company can businesses. in western Palm Beach and-file workers. cut through that head- NextEra’s fortunes have County. That property, Ratepayers also have wind with more growth in risen thanks to a combina- surrounded by Indian Trail benefited from NextEra’s solar power. Intriguingly, tionofmergerswithsmaller Groves, is slated for a solar acumen, a message that NextEra is beginning to rivals such as Gulf Power farm. FPL tirelessly repeats. build wind farms and solar and investments in wind “They’re the clear lead- FPL’s residential custom- arrays directly for power- and solar power around the ers in wind and solar, and ers’ typical bill is $99.38, hungry data centers run by U.S. and the world. it looks like the country is well below the national Google and others. “The secret sauce of moving more and more average of $142.81. NextEra’s “out-perfor- NextEra is an extremely toward clean energy,” That has led to conge- mance seems very likely to aggressive acquisition Smith said. nial relations between FPL continue as NextEra keeps strategy in combination and its regulatory overseer, investing aggressively in with a correct bet on the Investing $12B the Florida Public Service both energy storage and emergenceofwindpower,” in projects Commission. renewables,” Berman said. Berman said. “Much of the com- NextEra declined to NextEraexpectstoinvest pany’s success hinges on [email protected] comment for this story. $12 billion in new projects the relationships it has @bio561
Todd Ehrenreich, who rep- testified that poles should a general contractor, said INJURIES resented the association be painted bright yellow. he hopes other property during the five-week trial. Markings should be placed owners associations take From Page A1 The jury also found that on the sidewalk to warn note of the verdict and Jonathan’s Landing Golf bicyclists that there’s an analyze their communi- Club was 5% responsi- obstacle up ahead. Further, ties in search of dangerous Schnurr broke his neck ble for the accident. The instead of heavy, immov- obstacles. when he crashed into a pole Schnurrs reached a confi- able wooden poles, flexible In2013,asimilarmessage he couldn’t dential settlement with the ones are recommended, was sent out when a Palm see and that club before the trial, said Schlesinger said. Beach County jury ordered was placed attorney Thomas Angelo, Palm Beach County a Jupiter condominium in the path who also represents the building officials would association to pay $12 without couple. That means it can’t not have signed off on the million to a couple whose permits and be forced to pay any addi- poles if the association had son was hit and killed by a in defiance tional money. sought permits for them, driver who couldn’t see the Schnurr of decades- Ehrenreich said he will which it didn’t, he said. youth because the hedges old rules file motions asking Palm Ironically, the poles at the complex hadn’t been established by traffic engi- Beach County Circuit were installed to protect trimmed.Statewide groups neers, said his attorney Judge Lisa Small to toss bicyclists that represent condo- Gregg Schlesinger. out the verdict. If that fails, While roughly 10miles of minium associations urged Paralyzed from the chest he said the association will bike paths cut through the their members to take note down, the former profes- decide whether to launch exclusive communityalong of that verdict, which was sional basketball player an appeal. Schlesinger said the IntracoastalWaterway, upheld on appeal. who became a wildly suc- the accident was totally poles were placed at only Like the couple who lost cessful businessmancan no preventable. oneintersection.Theywere their son, the Schnurrs are longer feed himself, much Riding behind his wife, put in more than a decade dealing with the horrific less work, Schlesinger said. Schnurr couldn’t see the agoafterresidentssaidthey consequencesofpoor deci- Acknowledging the pole before it was too late, saw a car using the path as a sion-making, Schlesinger senseless and tragic turn Schlesinger said. His view shortcut, Schlesinger said. said. of Schnurr’s life, a Palm of the pole was blocked by The association tried to Schnurr, who played Beach County jury late his wife and also because it arguethatitwasn’trespon- professional basketball in Wednesday agreed that was painted beige to blend sible for the bike paths, but Europe before beginning the Jonathan Landing’s in with the surroundings, legal documents say other- his business career, was property association was he said. wiseandSmallrejectedthat wearing a helmet. He was partially responsible for his “The association was claim, Angelo said. riding about 14 mph. He devastating injuries and the more interested in the Schnurr,now67,isliving was simply enjoying an pain inflicted on his wife. way things look than the in a rehabilitation facility in afternoon out in the sun- ThejurysettheSchnurrs’ way things function,” Connecticut, dealing with shine with his wife. damages at $41 million, Schlesinger said. health woes that plague “This shouldn’t have includingmedicalexpenses, Had the association hired quadriplegics, Angelo said. happened,” Schlesinger lost wages and pain and engineers before planting While the multimillion- said. “This man is a quadri- suffering. But because it poles in the middle of each dollar jury verdict may plegic because those people also found Schnurr was lane of the path,they would sound high, the money will installed something that 50% responsible for the have discovered decades of be quickly consumed by shouldn’thavebeenthere.” 2016 crash, the association research about how to do it Schnurr’sstaggeringhealth will have to pay only about safely, Schlesinger said. needs, he said. [email protected] $18.5 million, said attorney Transportationengineers Schlesinger, who is also @pbpcourts A12 Friday, May 17, 2019 The Palm Beach Post REAL NEWS STARTS HERE
“To bring hundreds of people here every week IN BRIEF FEDS without providing the necessary resources to house and feed them is inhumane. Although our ALEXANDRIA, VA. months. He also imposed a U.S. Army Green Beret From Page A1 commission has not had the chance to address this Chelsea Manning fines that will kick in at in Africa. issue, in my opinion, the people that we can’t find sent back to jail for $500 a day after 30 days Adam Matthews shelterfor and will become homeless, I would suggest, refusing to testify and $1,000 a day after 60 entered the plea at a Once brought to the Port that we bring them to the Trump hotels and ask the days. special court-martial of Palm Beach, the immi- president to open his heart and home as well.” Former Army intel- Manning already hearing at Naval Station grants would be processed ligence analyst Chelsea spent two months in jail Norfolk in Virginia. and given a notice to appear Mark Bogen, Broward County mayor Manning was ordered for refusing a previous Matthews was one of in court at a later date, the back to jail Thursday subpoena to testify to a four U.S. service mem- sheriff said he was told by for refusing to testify to grand jury investigating bers who were charged federal officials. Bradshaw placed in a tough spot. has threatened to send a grand jury, even after Wikileaks. with murder and other scoffed at the notion the And he raised a key issue: people who illegally cross telling a judge she’d crimes in the hazing- immigrants would show Will the influx of immi- the border to communities rather “starve to death” NORFOLK, VA. related death of Army up for their court appear- grants be the county’s that are considered immi- than cooperate with Navy SEAL pleads Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar, ance, comparing the plan responsibility or the federal grant friendly,” the press prosecutors. guilty in hazing a Texas native. to a “catch-and-release government’s? release said. U.S. District Judge death of Green Beret “I can’t describe how program.” If resources are strained Broward Sheriff Gregory Anthony Trenga ordered sorry I am for the death of “No accommodations enough, Bernard said, it Tony said he was informed her to remain incarcer- A U.S. Navy SEAL Staff Sergeant Melgar,” for transportation leaving could force the county of the plan by Bradshaw, ated at the Alexandria jail pleaded guilty Thursday Matthews told the court. there. No accommodations to call for a state of “although no state or fed- either until she agrees to to hazing and assault “I am truly sorry.” for shelter or a place to live. emergency. eral official confirmed such testify or until the grand charges for his role in Just no real plan on what’s “We will do everything action would be taking jury’s term expires in 18 the 2017 strangulation of The Associated Press going to happen to these in our power to feed those place,” and would plan to 500 people every month individuals and provide meet with Broward com- that are going to come to them shelter, but it will ... missioners to address the Palm Beach County and be create this financial strain impacts. released into our commu- on our already tight budget Republican U.S. Sen. nity,” Bradshaw said. in Palm Beach County,” Marco Rubio tweeted that It’s not known yet known Bernard said during the “unlawfularrivalsareover- from which countries the news conference. whelming our system” and immigrants originated Had the county been that Bradshaw had noti- from, or why Palm Beach given the opportunity to fied him of the transfer and Broward counties were plan for this influx, Florida plan.Democratic U.S. Rep. chosen to receive them. Atlantic University Police Alcee Hastings, D-Delray Bradshaw said, as it was Chief and Palm Beach Beach, said the administra- explained to him by Border County Association of tion was “using the weakest Patrol, that during the Chiefs of Police President and most vulnerable as border interview process Sean Brammer said “we political pawns in its mor- immigrants likely said that would have been able to ally bankrupt immigration their final destination after tackle this a lot better than policies.” crossing the border would what was presented to us.” Bradshaw and Bernard have been Florida because Broward County Mayor noted that Palm Beach of family or other reasons. Mark Bogen said in a press County has a mass migra- Palm Beach County release that the plan was tion plan, but “it didn’t Mayor Mack Bernard told “irresponsible policy.” include having hundreds of The Palm Beach Post that “To bring hundreds of people coming on a weekly he believed the move was people here every week basis,” Bernard said. politically motivated in without providing the The migration plan, part because the county is necessary resources to Bradshaw said, is designed Democratic. house and feed them is to address immigrants “First of all, I’m con- inhumane,” Bogen said. coming via a mass influx, cerned about how it would “Although our commis- as happened from Cuba in impact our resources in sion has not had the chance 1980, “not Border Patrol Palm Beach County,” to address this issue, in my bringing us their overflow he said. “I’m concerned opinion, the people that from another state. That’s about just the adminis- we can’t find shelter for not what it was designed tration bringing people to and will become homeless, for.” Palm Beach County and I would suggest, that we “It’s not for this reverse potentially dropping them bring them to the Trump type of situation where off and leaving them as hotels and ask the president the federal government’s the responsibility of Palm to open his heart and home actually bringing the ille- Beach County and the as well.” gal immigrants to us versus community.” Like Bernard, Broward them coming from the out- Bernard, who learned officials also suggested in side,” Bradshaw said. about the potential plans a press release thatpoliti- around noon Thursday, cal motivations may be at [email protected] said the county has been play. “President Trump @mannahhorse Local breaking news. Know what’s really going on.
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