South Florida PI: Former Commander, FHP LT. Florida State Police

South Florida roofer arrested over bad checks
AND MICHAEL LAFORGIA

A company run by a roofer facing a litany of lawsuits alleging shoddy work and failure to pay subcontractors wrote as many as 300 bad checks per month while doing business in Palm Beach County, authorities said.

Rick Scott huddles with lobbyists in Tallahassee
Republican Rick Scott did some political barnstorming through the state capital Friday -- holding a series of closed-door meetings with groups of lobbyists and association officials.

FIU basketball schedule includes Louisville, FSU
Isiah Thomas hasn't ducked the big boys in his second season at FIU, scheduling a home date with Florida State and a visit to Louisville, according to the team's 2010-11 schedule, which the school released Friday.

Cuban hunger striker rushed to hospital
Cuban dissident Guillermo Fariñas underwent emergency surgery Friday to remove his gall bladder, inflamed as a result of his 135-day hunger strike earlier this year to demand the release of political prisoners.

Miami Dolphins acquire offensive lineman from Cowboys
The Miami Dolphins added some security on the offensive line Friday by acquiring veteran tackle Pat McQuistan from the Dallas Cowboys.

Left tackle Jake Long and right tackle Vernon Carey are both recovering from minor injuries, and lineman Nate Garner was placed on injured reserve this week with a left foot injury.

President René Préval's meetings with candidates puzzle Haitians
There was the quiet meeting with a snubbed, former Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard Alexis followed days later by the well-publicized encounter with Wyclef Jean, the night before he was booted from Haiti's upcoming presidential tourney.

Health Department: Crandon Park beaches remain off-limits for swimmers
A popular South Florida beach remains off-limits for swimmers as Labor Day weekend approaches.

The Miami-Dade Health Department said Friday it is extending its swimming advisory at Crandon Park beaches because of high bacteria counts. That means beach-goers should avoid the water there until the advisory, first imposed on Wednesday, is lifted.

`America's Most Wanted' fugitive found at Miami Springs hotel
A registered sex offender on the run from a Texas halfway house -- and who was to be featured on America's Most Wanted this weekend -- was caught at a Miami Springs hotel Friday, before the show even aired.

Palm Beach airport gets retail makeover
Didn't have time on your vacation to take a stroll along Worth Avenue? Not to worry -- just head to the main terminal at Palm Beach International Airport on your way out.

North Miami Beach officials allege Sunshine Law violations, but won't name names
Two North Miami Beach city officials allege members of the city council have repeatedly violated state open-government law and both have lodged written complaints. Neither complaint names a specific council person -- but one councilwoman said she takes the allegations as a personal affront.

Selection to start for new Public Health Trust members
The selection of five new members of Jackson Health System's governing board will start Tuesday when the PHT Nominating Council meets in the County Commission chambers at 10 a.m.

Marco Rubio postpones national debate due to father's ailing health
A nationally-televised debate Sunday between U.S. Senate candidates Marco Rubio and Kendrick Meek has been postponed due to Rubio's ailing father.

Residents near Biscayne Blvd. pipe break ordered to boil water
A boil water order has been issued to residents near a water main break at Biscayne Boulevard and Northeast 25th St.

The Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department issued the order Friday as a precaution after contractors broke a 12-inch water main, causing the system to lose pressure.

Some Floridians still waiting on appliance rebates
About 7,000 rebates for appliances Floridians bought in April still have to be mailed, the state said this week.

It could be near the end of September before everyone who applied for a rebate toward the cost of refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, washing machines, single-room air conditioners and tankless gas water heaters receives their cash.

Fugitive Texas sex offender caught in Miami Springs
A convicted sex offender who fled from a Dallas halfway house and cut off the electronic monitoring device he was required to wear has been caught in Miami Springs.

Davie mobile home fire displaces five people
Five Davie residents were displaced after their large mobile home caught fire late Thursday night, a fire official said.

Tour bus hits, kills woman in South Beach
A woman died after a tour bus hit her while she attempted to cross the street in South Beach Friday morning.

Billingsley leads Dodgers to 4-2 win over Giants
Chad Billingsley hit a go-ahead two-run single in the fourth inning and limited the San Francisco Giants to two hits over eight innings, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 4-2 victory Friday night.

Ojeda's sac fly lifts D'backs over Astros 4-3
Augie Ojeda hears it from interim manager Kirk Gibson nearly every day, often several times a game: Augie get ready, Augie get ready.

Nadal beats Istomin; reaches 3rd round of US Open
Even Rafael Nadal felt compelled to applaud when his second-round opponent at the U.S. Open hit a spectacular, full-sprint winner and was left doing the splits at the net.

ICC: fixing case is most serious since Cronje
The International Cricket Council head called the fixing allegations against three suspended Pakistan players the most serious case of corruption to hit the sport since South Africa captain Hansie Cronje was banned for life 10 years ago.

Dodge faces win-or-else season at North Texas
Todd Dodge is no longer the hot shot high school coach hired to energize the North Texas football program.

FIU basketball schedule includes Louisville, FSU
Isiah Thomas hasn't ducked the big boys in his second season at FIU, scheduling a home date with Florida State and a visit to Louisville, according to the team's 2010-11 schedule, which the school released Friday.

Miami Dolphins acquire offensive lineman from Cowboys
The Miami Dolphins added some security on the offensive line Friday by acquiring veteran tackle Pat McQuistan from the Dallas Cowboys.

Left tackle Jake Long and right tackle Vernon Carey are both recovering from minor injuries, and lineman Nate Garner was placed on injured reserve this week with a left foot injury.

Fox picks up short-handed Twins in 4-3 win
Denard Span delivered the go-ahead single in the seventh inning, emergency starter Matt Fox pitched 5 2-3 innings in his major league debut, and the depleted Minnesota Twins beat the Texas Rangers 4-3 on Friday night.

Afghans continue pulling money from troubled bank
Nervous Afghans on Saturday continued pulling funds out of the nation's largest bank despite assurances from government leaders that their money was safe.

Plane wreckage removed from SF Bay Area lagoon
The wreckage of small plane that crashed in a lagoon off San Francisco Bay and killed the three people on board was recovered Friday. The founder of a local steel company was believed to be among the dead.

Obama says he's committed to helping middle class
A healthy economy needs bustling Main Streets and a thriving middle class even more than a healthy stock market, President Barack Obama said as he reaffirmed his commitment to work hard for America's hardworking men and women.

Burger King to stop buying oil from Indonesian co.
Environmentalists on Saturday praised Burger King's decision to stop buying palm oil from an Indonesian company accused of destroying rainforests.

Weakened Earl packs less force than feared
The remnants of Hurricane Earl took aim at Nova Scotia early Saturday after a brush with the Northeast that was far less intense than feared, dumping heavy, wind-driven rain on Cape Cod cottages and fishing villages accustomed to nor'easters.

Some Floridians still waiting on appliance rebates
About 7,000 rebates for appliances Floridians bought in April still have to be mailed, the state said this week.

It could be near the end of September before everyone who applied for a rebate toward the cost of refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, washing machines, single-room air conditioners and tankless gas water heaters receives their cash.

Luxury bus rolls out service with $40 Miami-Orlando round trip
A new luxury bus service launched this summer for the U.S. Southeast, with introductory rates for round trips starting at $40 between Orlando and Miami through Sept. 30.

Number of U.S. jobs increases but so does unemployment rate
Private employers hired more workers over the past three months than first thought, lifting hopes for the weak U.S. economy ahead of the Labor Day weekend. But the unemployment rate rose in August for the first time in four months as more Americans entered the market looking for work.

States file brief supporting Ariz. immigration law
Nearly a dozen states have filed a legal brief in support of Arizona's controversial immigration law.

Weakened Earl packs less force than feared
The remnants of Hurricane Earl took aim at Nova Scotia early Saturday after a brush with the Northeast that was far less intense than feared, dumping heavy, wind-driven rain on Cape Cod cottages and fishing villages accustomed to nor'easters.

Fla. kicking off crackdown on underage drinking
Underage students and fans who kick off the college football season with a beer or cocktail may find themselves spending up to 60 days behind bars.

Ligers move into Miami exhibit where tiger escaped
Two liger cubs are moving into a Miami animal exhibit where a grown tiger escaped, apparently in pursuit of a loose ape.

USF scientists take another trip to oil spill zone
Marine scientists from the University of South Florida are taking another trip out to study the effects of the Gulf oil spill.

Man wants memorials for drowning deaths
A Panama City Beach researcher says one way to reduce drowning deaths is to erect beachside memorials for victims much like roadside memorials sometimes erected for crash victims.

Woman makes caps for celebrities, presidents
The first celebrity to get one of Fathiyyah Muhammad's custom-made denim caps was Louis Stokes, a Democratic congressman from Ohio.

Fiona weakens to a tropical depression in Atlantic
To the southeast of Earl in the Atlantic, Fiona is weakening and has become a tropical depression as it heads toward Bermuda.

Muslims take to Minn. State Fair to repair image
Despite the smells of fried dough and roasted meat wafting from the Minnesota State Fair, Salim and Zuleyha Ozonder were focused on the people who were leaving, not the food or festivities beckoning from across the street.

2 abortion Drs. ordered to stop after Md. injury
Maryland health officials have ordered two doctors to stop performing abortions after a woman was critically injured during a procedure last month.

Plane wreckage removed from SF Bay Area lagoon
The wreckage of small plane that crashed in a lagoon off San Francisco Bay and killed the three people on board was recovered Friday. The founder of a local steel company was believed to be among the dead.

Calif. wildfire sparked by migrants' signal blaze
Authorities say a wildfire burning in rural San Diego County was sparked by two illegal immigrants who set a signal fire after they got lost.

Mesa woman burned after acid thrown in face
Police are searching for a suspect who threw acid on the face of an Arizona woman who had arrived home and was getting out of her car.

La. officials suspend abortion clinic's license
Louisiana health officials suspended an abortion clinic's license Friday, the first time the state has used its new authority to shut down such a facility over health and safety concerns.

Head of alleged trafficking scheme arrested
The head of a labor recruiting company accused of exploiting 400 workers from Thailand and forcing them to work on U.S. farms pleaded not guilty Friday, part of what the FBI calls the largest human-trafficking case charged in U.S. history

Mother of slain camper files claim in Phoenix
The mother of an Oklahoma man believed to have been killed by an Arizona prison escapee has filed a $10 million claim against Arizona and a wrongful death lawsuit against the private company that operates the prison that housed the fugitive.

Indonesian Muslims protest plan to burn Quran
Thousands of Indonesian Muslims rallied outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta on Saturday to denounce an American church's plan to mark the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks by burning copies of the Quran.

Cholera kills 41 in Central African nation of Chad
Health officials in Chad say an outbreak of cholera in the Central African nation has killed at least 41 people.

Death toll rises to 65 in attack on Pakistanis
The death toll from a Pakistani Taliban suicide attack on a Shiite Muslim procession rose from 43 to 65 overnight as critically wounded people died in hospitals, police said Saturday.

Shoe, eggs hurled at ex-Brit PM Blair in Dublin
Anti-war protesters hurled shoes and eggs at Tony Blair on Saturday as he arrived for the first public signing of his fast-selling memoir.

US military chief seeks Turkish support over Iran
The United States' top military officer stressed on Saturday the need for Turkey to help enforce United Nations sanctions against Iran aimed at deterring the Islamic Republic from obtaining a nuclear bomb.

Sea lion mauls 11-year-old boy at Australian zoo
An 11-year-old boy was recovering Saturday after a sea lion mauled him at a popular Sydney zoo's aquarium show as horrified visitors looked on.

Mexico arrests 6 in deadly Cancun bar blaze
Mexican police have arrested six suspects in a bar fire that killed eight in the resort city of Cancun.

9 killed in New Zealand skydiving plane crash
A light aircraft carrying skydivers crashed in flames Saturday near a popular tourist spot in New Zealand's Southern Alps, killing nine people including four foreign tourists, police said.

Bristol Palin tells Leno 'Dancing' choice was easy
Bristol Palin said she didn't think twice before waltzing into "Dancing with the Stars," though she's barely danced in her life.

Taylor Lautner settles suit over RV for movie set
A lawyer for Taylor Lautner says the "Twilight" star has settled a lawsuit with an RV dealership he claims didn't deliver a $300,000 coach in time for a movie shoot.

Appeals court rules for Eminem in royalty lawsuit
A federal appeals court has found Eminem's former production company is entitled to more money from downloads of the rapper's songs and ringtones.

Jury deadlocks in Calif. marriage fraud case
A federal judge declared a mistrial Friday after jurors told him deliberations had grown hostile in the marriage fraud case of Mexican-born actress Fernanda Romero and her husband.

Longtime book editor Larry Ashmead dies at 78
Larry Ashmead, a former book editor who worked with Isaac Asimov, Tony Hillerman and other authors, has died at 78, his former employer, former employer, HarperCollins, said Friday.

Fox: Kara DioGuardi departs 'American Idol'
Kara DioGuardi is officially out at "American Idol."

Fox: Kara DioGuardi departs 'American Idol'
Kara DioGuardi is following Ellen DeGeneres and Simon Cowell out the door at "American Idol."

Vanity Fair reporter admits error in Palin article
A writer for Vanity Fair has acknowledged a case of mistaken identity in an unflattering article about Sarah Palin in the magazine's October issue.