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Ethics complaint dismissed

By Times Staff
Published June 9, 2005

after meeting in executive session June 2, the state Ethics Commission dismissed a complaint against Pasco school superintendent Heather Fiorentino. According to the complaint, when Fiorentino served as a Pasco school administrator and a member of the Florida House of Representatives, she took pay for school duties when she was actually doing legislative work. In August, the St. Petersburg Times cited state and district records showing Fiorentino billed the school district for about 96 hours when she was working as a legislator. Fiorentino called the seeming billing conflicts "an honest mistake." But Pasco teacher Robert Marsh filed a complaint with the Ethics Commission, accusing Fiorentino of "double dipping." According to the commission, there is "no probable cause to believe (Fiorentino) corruptly" took school pay while working as a legislator. Neither Fiorentino nor Marsh could be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Advisories lifted at 3 beaches

Officials on Wednesday lifted the water advisories at three beaches after the latest tests showed lower levels of enteric bacteria in the water. The beaches in the clear are: Brasher Park Beach and Oelsner Park Beach, both in Port Richey; and Robert J. Strickland Beach, also known as Hudson Beach. The Pasco County Health Department issued the advisories last week after finding higher levels of the bacteria, which are an indication of fecal pollution.

[Last modified June 9, 2005, 01:18:10]