Is that an orangutan in a North Florida forest?

By Times Wires
Published November 16, 2007

An orangutan may be loose in Baker County. State wildlife officers have laid traps, using doughnuts as a lure, to try to catch a "big orange ball of fur" that several residents have reported seeing near Macclenny, the Associated Press reported. Wildlife officials wouldn't confirm that the animal is actually a large primate, though a local animal control officer reported seeing an orange-colored ape "much larger than a spider monkey" sitting in a tree. Other residents think it's just a large squirrel. It's illegal to own an orangutan in Florida without a permit and none is registered in the area. The closest zoo, in Jacksonville, isn't missing any.

State Rep. Allen avoids jail in park sex case

State Rep. Bob Allen was sentenced Thursday to six months of probation for agreeing to pay for oral sex with an undercover officer in a men's park restroom. Allen, found guilty last Friday of soliciting a prostitute, faced up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. Besides probation, the Merritt Island Republican also was ordered to pay a $250 fine, undergo sexually transmitted disease testing and is not allowed to return to the Titusville park where the incident took place. In the past, Allen, elected in 2000, has worked to pass tougher public lewdness laws.

[Last modified November 15, 2007, 23:58:27]