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Briefs

Nonprofits benefiting homeless will split grant

By Times Staff
Published September 20, 2005

Eight local nonprofits will split a $100,000 state grant to provide a range of services to Pasco County's homeless.

The money, announced Monday by the Florida Department of Children and Families, represents a slice of the $2.1-million in grants awarded to 41 counties.

In Pasco, Youth and Family Alternatives will receive $20,000 to support its runaway shelter, and $22,000 will go to Catholic Charities' Bethany Apartments in Dade City. Other recipients include Sunrise of Pasco County, the Salvation Army domestic violence shelter and Gulf Coast Community Care.

Woman sentenced for trying to sell her baby

NEW PORT RICHEY - A woman accused of trying to sell her unborn child was sentenced Monday to a year in jail.

Heather Grace Betz, 29, agreed to sell her baby to an undercover Pasco County sheriff's detective for $5,000 in May, explaining after her arrest that she needed money to support her crack cocaine habit. She pleaded no contest to a felony charge of illegal sale of an unborn fetus and to violating her probation on convictions for uttering forged bills and possessing cocaine.

Upon her release from jail, Betz must serve 18 months of drug offender probation, Circuit Judge Stanley Mills ordered.

GOP congressional candidates to debate

NEW PORT RICHEY - The four Republicans vying to replace state Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, will participate in a debate Oct. 3 at the Spirit of '76 Republican Club meeting.

The GOP candidates - Robin Borland, Brian Flaherty, Peter Nehr and Ken Peluso - will take questions from the audience, said Bill Bunting, head of the Pasco County Republican Party.

Dinner/social hour starts at 6 p.m., followed by the 7 p.m. meeting at the Quality Inn & Suites, 5316 U.S. 19 in New Port Richey.

Gus Bilirakis will vacate his legislative seat in District 48, which covers northeast Pinellas and part of Holiday, to run for the congressional seat held by his father, U.S. Rep. Mike Bilirakis.

Phone numbers for city officials change today

NEW PORT RICHEY - City government is switching to a new set of phone numbers, and officials say a new part-time receptionist will replace the recorded message that formerly greeted callers.

The new main City Hall number is (727) 853-1016. City Manager Scott Miller can be reached at 853-1021. City Clerk Vicky McDonald's new phone number is 853-1024.

The new phone numbers are effective today.

[Last modified September 20, 2005, 01:55:19]