| |
No one disputes that Sweetwater High needs fixing, even after $16.6 million in reconstruction from a bond measure passed six years ago. If South County voters approve another school bond measure next month, Sweetwater High would get an estimated $40 million more in repairs and upgrades: a new classroom building, more science labs, additional restrooms and the makeover of 49 classRooms. An additional 34 middle, high and adult school campuses would share an additional $604 million in construction and renovation. In considering Proposition O, a $644 million bond measure, voters will decide if the annual property tax surcharge for at least the next 25 years – $27 per $100,000 assessed value of a home – is worth it. The San Diego County Taxpayers Association says it is.
Federal regulators have found Casselberry-based R-G Crown Bank violated multiple civil banking laws, including failure to properly monitor its customers' accounts for potential illegal activity, documents released Wednesday show.
In a sweeping criticism of the Central Florida savings bank, the Office of Thrift Supervision said R-G Crown was engaged in a series of unsafe and unsound banking practices largely related to its residential development lending business.
Among other things, the thrift failed to effectively watch customer accounts for possible fraud or other crimes; did not have adequate guidelines for its residential development loan portfolio to avoid undue credit risk; and failed to address similar criticisms from past bank examinations.
The cease-and-desist order, which took effect Tuesday, bars R-G Crown from issuing new construction, acquisition and development or land loans until the savings bank "demonstrates that it has addressed the asset quality deficiencies set forth in the examination report and the corrective actions set forth in the order."
R-G Crown is the 11th-largest financial institution in Central Florida, with more than $640 million in deposits and a dozen offices.
CAPE CORAL: Residents on Southwest 17th Avenue in Cape Coral expected to have their street torn up while the city installed new water and sewer lines, but they didn't expect it to stay that way. A bald eagle's nest two streets over stopped construction before the road could be repaved and it could remain that way for several more months. "It's a nightmare, it's a definite nightmare," said Kathleen Cherasia. Cherasia dreads driving down her street. Even though she inches along rock-covered road, she fears stones will fly up and damage her car. But that isn't Cherasia's biggest concern. "People walk the street, kids ride bikes, there's two schools here. I'm afraid of a safety issue. Someone could get hurt. Doesn't it look like a war zone to you, honestly?" said Cherasia.
Because of hostage-taking, contractors in the Niger-Delta have been abandoning work sites, prompting the Minister for Works, Chief Cornelius Adebayo, to plead with Julius Berger to stay, assuring them of safety. Adebayo who was on a tour of federal road projects in the Niger Delta region, assured that as soon as he goes back to Abuja, he would process money for payment of compensations to the communities so that work would not be stalled. .
|
|
