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Family complains about noisy, alleged drug-dealing neighbors; gets DCF-style investigation by Sheriff’s office

in Apolitical/Top Headlines by

A mother and father have had enough of their neighbors’ drug-dealing, late-night romps that devolve from friendly partying into “screaming matches,” court records in a lawsuit filed in early March indicate. Jose and Lisa Alecia, with their two children, are homeowners in the Gibsonton neighborhood, located in Hillsborough County outside of Tampa, are seeking $75,000 for damages caused by three neighbors renting a townhome next door in violation of community background screenings. Around two years ago, Yaritza Heredia, Victor Vincente…

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Child welfare investigator, mother arrested for cocaine, heroin in home

in Apolitical/Top Headlines by

A recently-fired employee of the Florida Department of Children and Families, who had worked as a child protection investigator since 2015, was taken into custody by sheriff’s deputies on drug trafficking charges after a warrant was issued for her arrest, a spokesperson with the agency said Tuesday. According to the Lakeland Ledger, Laymeshia Hicks, 25, turned herself into the Polk County Sheriff’s Office late Monday afternoon. She and her boyfriend, Xzaiveous Scott, 31, are each facing charges of trafficking in…

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The bad, the ugly and the downright horrible – a roundup of today-in-DCF news

in Statewide by

Guns, children, neglect, animal abuse, human trafficking and forced prostitution. These aren’t the beautiful, clichĂŠ, sundown-on-the-beach Florida stories, but in an attempt to raise public consciousness about these issues we at Florida Politics bring you today’s ‘DCF Files.’ *** On Monday, the Palm Beach Post published a story citing chilling figures from the Florida Department of Children and Families — in an annual human trafficking dossier, fiscal year 2015-2016 — in which 1,892 reports of human trafficking were recorded during the period. It…

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Florida’s children live and die at the crowded corner of Dickens & Orwell – Part 3

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

How many adults does it take to get a 4-year-old girl from day care to her “destination?” Quite a few for a 4-year-old in the “care” of the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) and its “community partners” at Eckerd Kids and Camelot Community Care. We don’t know the child’s name because #PrivacyLaws. But her face is on RaSheeda Yates’ smartphone, as well as the internet, thanks to the underpaid, undertrained, and now unemployed Camelot driver who brought the…

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Maximo Elementary principal sued by employee fired after reporting abuse

in Local Courts by

A principal assigned to improve one of Pinellas County’s infamous “failure factories” is being sued by a co-worker who reported a student assault, and was fired for her trouble. Lakisha Falana, 42, is principal of Maximo Elementary School, which she took over after the school received three consecutive “F” grades. Falana was previously principal at Tarpon Springs Elementary before she took over the Maximo job in 2014. Emily Marie Vaultonburg, a 35-year-old St. Petersburg resident, served as a behavior specialist…

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Human trafficking cases increase 50 percent in Florida

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

Officials say the number of human trafficking cases have increased more than 50 percent in the state from the previous year.The Florida Department of Children and Families says Florida received 1,892 reports of human trafficking. That’s a 54 percent increase from the previous year. The increase in reported allegations of human trafficking was due in large part to increased training and a new screening tool developed between DCF, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice and the attorney general. The Statewide…

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Personnel note: Florida Ports Council names Niki McKinnell as Public Affairs VP

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

The Florida Ports Council named Niki McKinnell as Vice President of Public Affairs. McKinnell replaces Jennifer Krell Davis who has accepted a position as Deputy Director of the Office of Public Information at The Florida Bar. McKinnell brings more than a decade of communications and public affairs experience to the Florida Ports Council. She comes from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV), where she managed marketing programs and grants to increase driver safety on Florida’s roadways.…

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