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Florida in brief

Briefs and news of note fromm around our state.

By STAFF, TIMES WIRES
Published May 26, 2006

USS 'Florida' returns to service after makeover

MAYPORT NAVAL STATION - Sailors in dress whites ran onto the deck of the USS Florida in a ceremony returning the submarine to duty after a $1-billion makeover that changed its mission from a Cold War nuclear deterrent to a stealth weapon in the war against terrorism.

Gov. Jeb Bush, Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton and a host of Navy dignitaries attended the ceremony Thursday for the ship, which underwent a three-year overhaul at Norfolk, Va., that included replacing its Trident nuclear missiles with conventional Tomahawk missiles and adding the ability to deploy special forces.

The nuclear-powered submarine will be ported at Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, Ga.

Former President Clinton to headline fundraisers

Former President Bill Clinton will zip into Florida next month to raise money for state Democrats. He is scheduled to lead a June 11 fundraiser in Miami for Sen. Bill Nelson's re-election campaign and headline a luncheon fundraiser in Orlando June 12 for the state party.

"President Clinton and Bill Nelson are friends," said Nelson campaign manager Chad Clanton. "President Clinton was kind enough to offer his support and we're proud to have it."

The former president's wife, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, did a similar trip through Florida in February.

Republicans are bringing in some big guns too. President Bush this month headlined a fundraiser for Rep. Clay Shaw's re-election campaign in South Florida. Karl Rove, the president's chief political strategist, next week will help raise money for the Broward County GOP.

Harris' poll support weak against new challengers

Rep. Katherine Harris had weak support in a poll released Thursday that includes three little-known recent entries in the Republican Senate primary.

Just 37 percent of respondents said they favored Harris, compared with 13 percent for Will McBride, 4 percent for LeRoy Collins Jr. and 2 percent for Peter Monroe. Forty-three percent didn't choose a candidate.

Against Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson, Harris trailed 58 percent to 25 percent in the May 12-22 poll by Quinnipiac University.

The survey of 424 Republican voters about the primary had a margin of error of 4.8 percentage points.

Police, feds recover stolen Picasso draft of painting

MIAMI - Miami-Dade police and federal agents, working undercover, have recovered a Picasso sketch stolen almost two years ago from a luxury yacht on the Miami River.

They arrested Orlando Granados, 47, of Miami, who allegedly arranged a sale to undercover agents of a charcoal draft, valued at $200,000, of the 1925 painting Les Trois Danseuses. The price was $50,000.

Another man showed up and left the sketch at the arranged place Wednesday night, but ran off when police moved in. He is being sought.

[Last modified May 26, 2006, 06:21:25]