Digest

Foster care agency wins national award

By the Times staff
Published September 11, 2007

TAMPA

Foster care agency wins national award

A nonprofit agency that oversees foster care in Hillsborough County has won a national award. Hillsborough Kids will receive the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institutes "2007 Angel in Adoption" award in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 10. Republican Sen. Mel Martinez, a former foster child, and the Tampa Metropolitan YMCA nominated Hillsborough Kids for the award. Since its inception five years ago, Hillsborough Kids has placed 1,143 foster children in permanent homes.

Injured lawn worker continues to improve

Felipe Diaz, 17, the lawn care worker who was pinned underneath a riding lawn mower Thursday in Tampa Palms, has been upgraded to fair condition at Tampa General Hospital.

The blades broke his leg in two places, severed two fingers and cut his head before emergency room doctor Farid Visram, his wife, Luz Hernandez, and a neighbor rushed to his aid.

RIVERVIEW

A dozen were absent, hundreds are notified

Ippolito Elementary School intended to send a phone alert Monday to the parents of a dozen or so students who didn't show up for school.

But somehow, hundreds got the call.

"It went out to everybody and that's not good," Hillsborough schools spokesman Stephen Hegarty said. Officials aren't sure whether to blame a new automated messaging system, user error or a computer mistake.

Ippolito officials cut off the alert as soon as they realized what happened, and sent out another message, urging parents to ignore the first.

[Last modified September 11, 2007, 01:03:35]