============================================================ DIGITAL DIGEST � http://www.naplesnews.com � December 29, 2004 ============================================================ Subscribe to the Naples Daily News: http://web.naplesnews.com/circulation/ EERIE NORMALCY IN UNAFFECTED THAILAND, HORRIFIC REALITY FOR CLEANUP CREWS PHUKET, Thailand � Two days after a series of tidal waves devastated coastal towns on this resort island in southwestern Thailand, an eerie normalcy pervades the streets in areas unaffected, while a horrific reality overwhelms those involved in the cleanup and increasingly futile rescue efforts. On Sunday morning an earthquake in Sumatra generated a series of tsunamis, or tidal waves, that pummeled coastlines in India, Asia and Africa, killing more than 55,000 people. NAPLES MOTHER RELIEVED TO HEAR SONS SURVIVED TSUNAMIS A musical ring blares from her cell phone and Margaret Bromley is quick to answer, knowing her son is on the other end. It's been only two days since they last spoke, but to Margaret, it seems much longer. Lucas Sloven, 17, is in southwestern Thailand, far from his home in Naples' Coquina Sands community. Lucas and his brother, Gus Sloven, 14, were vacationing with their father in Phuket, a resort island where people rise early to snorkel, scuba dive and golf on elite courses beneath sunny skies. YOUNG MAN DIES AFTER SHOCKED BY SHERIFF'S TASER A 19-year-old Fort Myers man died after Collier County sheriff's deputies shocked him with a Taser stun gun during a struggle outside a North Naples convenience store Tuesday. Christopher Hernandez, whose address was listed as 778 Delan Lane in a sheriff's news release, died later at Naples Community Hospital, where he and a deputy were taken for treatment of injuries they received in the struggle, according to the news release. MERIT PAY PLAN FOR COLLIER TEACHERS MOVES INTO THIRD YEAR Collier County educators will move into their third year of the state's pay-for-performance teacher program. Florida legislators required all 67 school systems to come up with a local merit pay plan, which they considered a bold shift away from rewarding educators based solely on seniority. "We learned a lot from the first year," said Debbie Terry, Collier's director of instructional staffing and recruitment. AIRPORT OFFICIAL: LAWSUIT WON'T AFFECT TERMINAL WORK The new Midfield Terminal at Southwest Florida International Airport is still slated to be completed on time this coming spring, even though a primary contractor is being sued in federal court. Dick Corp., a Pennsylvania company hired by the Lee County Port Authority to build the terminal building, is being sued by a subcontractor, which contends it hasn't been paid for steel work. Get details on all these stories and more at http://www.naplesnews.com PERSPECTIVE: EDITORIAL: AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY -- POSSIBLE LAW SCHOOL SHIFT NEEDS DELICATE HANDLING Southwest Florida may get a law school sooner than many could have imagined. Officials of Ave Maria University, which plans to open a teeming campus in eastern Collier County in 2007, have confirmed there is talk of moving the Ave Maria Law School from Ann Arbor, Mich., to this part of Florida. The law school was founded in 1999 by Tom Monaghan, the founder of the Domino's Pizza chain and champion of conservative Roman Catholic causes. See more of today�s Perspective stories at http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/perspective BUSINESS: AVIATION CONSULTANTS PLAN MOVE TO NAPLES It took a little coaxing. But it looks like The Regional Business Alliance of Southwest Florida Inc. has its first success story. The headquarters for Advocate Aircraft Taxation Co., an aviation consulting firm in Indianapolis, may soon move to Collier County. The company's executives want to see it happen. See more of today�s Business stories at http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/business NEAPOLITAN: BOXES OF BAGS: WEB SITE DELIVERS THE TRENDIEST TOTES Handbag enthusiasts disappointed that Santa didn't drop off the latest Fendi baguette or Prada backpack this holiday season have another option: Bag, Borrow or Steal. The Internet-based company that Lloyd Lapidus co-founded with brother-in-law Greg Pippo several months ago offers access to more chic handbags than an army of fashionistas could sport in a single season. See more of today�s Neapolitan stories at http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/neapolitan
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Click on the link below to be removed from the Naples Daily News mailing list. http://web.naplesnews.com/cgi-bin/[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
