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June 18, 2017 ◆ Vol. 141 ◆ No. 169 ◆ 32 pages

Sunday

WEATHER

Mixed reactions to state education bill It requires public school districts to share revenues with charters

BY MANDY MILES Key West Citizen

Mya Chumpigny, third grade, Plantation Key School See forecast on Page 2A

FLORIDA KEYS

Questions remain regarding neo-Nazi What brought an admitted neo-Nazi wanted in Tampa on explosives charges to a Key Largo Burger King where he was arrested and found to be carrying fuses and two recently purchased high-powered rifles with hundreds of rounds of ammunition remains a mystery during the early stages of his prosecution in the federal court system. Page 7A

When it comes to divvying up local property tax revenues that can be used for school construction projects, the Monroe County School District will have a few extra mouths, or schools, to feed now that some of the county’s charter schools are eligible to share in the distribution. Florida Governor Rick Scott on Thursday passed a complex and controversial education bill that, among hundreds of other items, requires public school districts to share the locally generated reve-

nues with eligible charter schools in their districts. Prior to the passage of House Bill 7069, school districts had an option — not an obligation — to include charter schools when distributing the property tax pie. Charter school proponents say the measure evens the playing field for all schools in a district, while supporters of traditional public schools oppose the change for a number of reasons. “I don’t think Tallahassee needs to tell us how it is that we can and should work together with our charter schools,” Superintendent

“These mandates from Tallahassee are onerous and challenging and not a good fit for Monroe County.” Mark Porter Monroe County schools superintendent

Mark Porter told U.S. 1 Radio’s Bill Becker on Friday morning. “These mandates from Tallahassee are onerous and challenging and not a good fit for Monroe County.” In Palm Beach County, the School Board opposed the measure in a statement that explained, “Through HB 7069, school boards are required

BY SCOTT UNGER Key West Citizen

Man seeks names from DOJ

NATION

Cosby faces 2nd sex assault trial Bill Cosby, the comedian and actor once known as “America’s Dad” for his TV role as paternal Dr. Cliff Huxtable, avoided a conviction on Father’s Day weekend as a jury declared itself hopelessly deadlocked on charges he drugged and molested a woman more than a decade ago. Page 9A

WORLD

See SCHOOLS, Page 12A

City Hall green energy program has issues

CROC 2, FWC 0

FLORIDA KEYS

A Marathon businessman targeted in a failed murder-for-hire scheme that sent a former Coast Guard commander to federal prison for a decade wants a judge to order the Department of Justice to redact censored documents in the case in an effort to find unnamed conspirators. Page 7A

to distribute local capital outlay revenue generated by the ... property tax levy to eligible charter schools,” the Palm Beach County School Board states. “Local taxpayer dollars will be given to for-profit companies to purchase and maintain real

BRIAN BASHAM/The Citizen

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission crocodile response agent Chris Guinto prepares a series of snares at the Key West Golf Club on Saturday afternoon in hopes of catching a crocodile that has taken up residence in one of the courses’ ponds. He uses chicken pieces for bait, and even goes as far as putting feathers into the chicken to help disguise the trap.

Kinks are still being worked out on some of the green features that will earn Key West City Hall a Platinum energy rating, but staff remains hopeful that additional dollars will be saved once everything is working as it should. The building’s air conditioning and lighting systems are a work in progress, faulty inverters in the solar panels have led to lost energy and the cisterns have yet to be used, according to Energy Manager Terry Justice. The HVAC system, which is the building’s highest energy user, is currently being commissioned to operate at maximum savings and See ENERGY, Page 11A

Wildlife officials attempt to capture the reptile BY TIMOTHY O’HARA Key West Citizen

State wildlife officials have begun efforts to capture and relocate a crocodile that has taken up residence at the Key West Golf Club. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission crocodile response agent Chris Guinto attempted to capture the 10-foot-plus

County to explore placing toll on U.S. 1

reptile on Friday evening but the beast proved too elusive. Guinto baited several snares with raw chicken on Saturday in hopes of snaring the animal, but as of Saturday evening the reptile was still on the loose. “We were close, but he is pretty shy,” Guinto said. “It is a matter of time. The See CROC, Page 12A

BY TIMOTHY O’HARA Key West Citizen

cess moving forward,” Denny said Friday while at Sigsbee Park. The Navy reiterated that this step is an attempt by the Navy to test the waters in an effort to see how much interest is out there. “The Request for Information is a market research tool issued to determine the availability and adequacy of potential business sources

The Monroe County Commission will decide Wednesday whether to support exploring placing a toll on U.S. 1, even though state transportation officials have said no. The commission meets at 9 a.m. Wednesday at Murray E. Nelson Government Center, 102050 Overseas Highway, Key Largo. Islamorada Village Councilman Mike Forster has proposed placing a toll on U.S. 1, with proceeds going to local road improvement and water quality projects. Forster traveled to Washington, D.C. in April and discussed the proposal with U.S. Rep. Carlos

See SIGSBEE, Page 12A

See TOLL, Page 11A

Provided photo

This 10-foot long American crocodile has been spotted at the Key West Golf Club.

Afghan soldier wounds 7 US soldiers

Navy seeks developer input on Sigsbee housing

An Afghan soldier opened fire on American soldiers on Saturday, injuring at least seven, the U.S. military said. It was the second such insider attack in the past week. Page 12A

BY ADAM LINHARDT Key West Citizen

The Navy is moving forward with its effort to open 166 vacant units on Sigsbee Park that Key West and state lawmakers say would help alleviate the Lower Keys housing crisis. The Navy is moving forward with a bureaucratic formality known as a Request for Interest, in which the Navy hopes private developers will

respond with information on how they would open, maintain and manage the units. Naval Air Station Key West officials want to lease the 166 Sigsbee Park townhouses to another entity with the goal of providing needed affordable housing to Department of Defense workforce personnel and their families, said NAS Key West spokeswoman Trice Denny. “It’s an important step in the pro-

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