Digest

Foster care task force takes comments today

By Times Staff Writer
Published September 27, 2007

LARGO

People with an opinion about how foster care is run can speak today to a special task force studying the Safe Children Coalition of Pinellas and Pasco counties.

The state Department of Children and Families created the task force after a critical report about its handling of a 2-year-old foster girl who disappeared for nine months.

Authorities say her mother kidnapped her from a Lake County foster home.

It took her caseworker four months to report it to the local sheriff.

People can speak from 1 to 6 p.m. today in Room 418 of the Mary Grizzle State Office Building, 11351 Ulmerton Road, in Largo.

To schedule a specific time to speak, call Doria Moody this morning at (850) 488-6062.

ODESSA

Building plans callfor Pasco to get taller

Today, the tallest building in Pasco County is still the Landings at Sea Forest, a residential complex stacked nine stories high in seaside New Port Richey.

But the Seagull Drive condos might not hold that distinction for long.

County commissioners have approved a 1.8-million-square-foot office center destined for the Suncoast Parkway and State Road 54, tentatively called Ashley Glen.

Its developers want to erect a cluster of 12-story towers that would overlook the highway.

"We've already negotiated with the county and they're in agreement with that," said Dr. Doug Weiland, the surgeon-turned-developer behind JES Properties. "But we haven't totally designed it yet."

JES wants to have five towers in the project.

TAMPA

Prosecutors dropcase against Serb

Federal prosecutors moved Wednesday to dismiss charges against Branko Popic, accused of lying on immigration forms about his involvement in the Serb military.

The government will not seek a third trial in Popic's case. Two previous trials ended with hung juries. One jury split 11-1 in favor of convicting Popic. But the second jury split 11-1 for acquittal.

Popic, 59, was the first Serb to be tried in Tampa federal court as part of a sweep by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department to find soldiers involved in the massacre of Srebrenica. The local defendants, who all live in St. Petersburg, aren't accused of direct participation in war crimes, but prosecutors say they may have served in units that were involved.

None of the men to stand trial so far has been convicted.

[Last modified September 27, 2007, 00:19:56]