Balloons, posters and hugs welcomed Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio back to her alma mater recently. ...more

October 31, 2007

Lisa Hawk patiently tries to corral son Aiden, 5, back to business, drawing clowns from geometric shapes at his home-school worktable. But there are people in the house — big, big excitement. His bare feet skitter across hardwood floors as he runs room to room, showing off his prized dominoes and Thomas the Tank Engine trains. Then he throws himself across the front door and pleads with grown-up visitors to stay and play. His mother knows he gets bored and lonely at home, even though she brings in playmates as often as she can. It breaks her heart to watch the carefree children at her St. Petersburg neighborhood school, knowing Aiden will never join them. "I would love for him to be able to go to school and play with the other kids," Hawk says. "But for someone with allergies, a peanut in the classroom is like a loaded gun." ...more

October 28, 2007

When 15-year-old Roberto Jesus Ortiz spiked his teacher's bottled water with Visine on Friday, the result wasn't the gut-buster he anticipated, according to a police report. ...more

October 4, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY - A 15-year-old student at Harry Schwettman Educational Center was arrested by city police Tuesday, accused of trying to use Visine to poison a teacher. Other students at the dropout prevention school saw Roberto Jesus Ortiz put something in the teacher's water Friday, according to a report. School staff interviewed the teen Monday, and Ortiz admitted to tainting the woman's water, the report states. ...more

October 3, 2007

SEBRING — Staff bonuses are in the offing at seven Highlands County schools that will receive incentives totaling more than $500,000 for their academic achievement in the 2006-07 school year. The state's School Recognition Program awards $100 per student to schools that achieve an "A" based on the school grading criteria or improve at least one grade from the previous year. ...more

October 3, 2007