CHELSEA, Vt. – The investigation of the disappearance of a 12-year-old girl zeroed in on her uncle yesterday, with police searching his home while he was being arraigned on sex charges in an unrelated case.
Michael Jacques, a registered sex offender who was one of the last people seen with Brooke Bennett before she vanished, pleaded not guilty to a charge of aggravated sexual assault and was held in lieu of $250,000 bail.
Col. James Baker, the head of the Vermont State Police, said investigators began focusing on Jacques based on information developed over the weekend through computer forensics.
Associated Press
Doctors' Medicare
pay to be delayed
WASHINGTON – The Bush administration said yesterday it will delay paying doctors for treating Medicare patients in early July to give Congress more time to block a scheduled 10.6 percent fee cut.
The move by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services doesn't block the cut, scheduled to take place today. It's up to Congress to decide that.
Congress, facing the prospect of millions of angry seniors at the polls in November, will be under tremendous pressure to act quickly when it returns to Washington the week of July 7 to prevent the cuts in payments for some 600,000 doctors who treat Medicare patients. The cuts were scheduled because of a formula that requires fee cuts when spending exceeds established goals.
Associated Press
Everglades land deal
takes step forward
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A historic conservation deal for Florida to acquire 300 square miles of land for Everglades restoration moved forward yesterday when water managers approved a negotiation process for the potential $1.75 billion purchase.
The South Florida Water Management District board's approval to allow formal talks to begin with U.S. Sugar Corps was unanimous.
Gov. Charlie Crist announced last week that the state and the nation's largest producer of cane sugar were close to an agreement on turning over the land for Everglades restoration.
Officials hope to have a final agreement by November. U.S. Sugar would then be allowed to continue farming for another six years.
Farming in the region has long been considered a hindrance to restoring natural water flow to the Everglades, blocking flow patterns and contributing pollutants and fertilizers to the ecosystem.
Associated Press
La. governor vetoes
lawmakers' raises
BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has vetoed a bill that would have doubled salaries for the state's lawmakers.
The Republican had previously said he would not veto the bill even though he didn't agree with the raise. The veto came after several election recall petitions were filed against Jindal and other state legislators.
The pay raise has been sharply criticized by bloggers and talk-radio hosts.
The bill would have paid lawmakers $37,500 a year. The National Conference of State Legislatures says it would have made Louisiana legislators the highest-paid in the South and the 14th highest-paid in the country.
Associated Press
