BY DIANA MOSKOVITZ The Miami Herald sued the Department of Children & Families Thursday, seeking records the agency has refused to release about a call made to its abuse hotline days before adopted twins were found — one dead, the other with severe chemical burns — in a truck on the side of Interstate 95.…
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The St. Petersburg Times Fund, Inc. has selected two students from Pinellas County and two from Hillsborough County as winners of the 2011 Barnes Scholarships. The students are eligible to each receive up to $15,000 annually for four years at an accredited U.S. college or university. The 2011 Barnes Scholars are Fedner Lauture (St. Petersburg…
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The American Society of News Editors recognized three Florida publications in its annual journalism contest. Michael Kruse of the St. Petersburg Times won the Distinguished Writing Award for Nondeadline Writing. Additionally, the staff of The Palm Beach Post were finalists for the Jesse Laventhol Prize for Deadline News Reporting, and Paige St. John of the…
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The First Amendment Foundation has announced that they now offer an electronic version of their Sunshine Litigation Seminar that took place earlier this year. The eight hour session is geared toward attorneys interested in learning more, including practical tips, on litigating open government issues. The seminar also features a keynote address by Lucy Dalglish, Executive…
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The Columbia Journalism Review recently added the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting to its News Frontier Database. The FCIR describes itself as “a nonprofit, digital and bilingual investigative journalism organization working to expose corruption, waste and miscarriages of justice,” and it is based out of the International Media Center at Florida International University in Miami.…
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Come help us celebrate National Freedom of Information Day at the University of South Florida the evening of March 16. Citizens, journalists, and attorneys will engage in a lively discussion about Florida’s famed open government laws and their struggles accessing the records and meetings of our government. During the second half of the program, representatives…
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BY JASON GEARY LAKELAND — A Wauchula city commissioner has been removed from public office by Gov. Rick Scott for attending closed-to-the-public meetings and another four have resigned. Scott issued an executive order Friday suspending and removing Daniel Graham for violating Florida’s Sunshine Law. Olivia Minshew, acting city manager, confirmed Monday that resignation letters have…
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Investigative reporter Bob Woodward will be speaking at the Poynter Institute on March 15, 2011, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available for dinner and reserved seating, as well as general admission seating only. See http://about.poynter.org/woodward for details, or call 727-553-4231.
Nominations are still being accepted for a new inductee into the Open Government Hall of Fame. Heroes of the 50 States: The State Open Government Hall of Fame is a joint venture by the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Freedom of Information Coalition. It was developed by leaders in both organizations as a…
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RESTON, Va. — The organization responsible for administering Sunshine Week today issued a model open-government proclamation that can be used by citizens and community groups to fight for greater transparency in government. The “Sunshine Week Open Government Proclamation,” can be adapted for local, state and federal use by open-government activists, who can use language in…
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