Traffic tickets, fraud probes and deaths: what Rep. Daphne Campbell says about the citizen legislature and Miami-Dade

A Campbell family minivan has racked up five tickets for running right lights since 2010.

Most citizens would slow down. But Daphne Campbell isn’t like most citizens.

She’s a Democratic state representative who has another way to deal with future red-light tickets: file legislation to ban the traffic-surveillance cameras that shot video of her husband’s Honda Odyssey breaking traffic laws.

It could seem like a conflict of interest. But as long as a lawmaker’s bills don’t benefit him or her or a family member uniquely, it’s generally not a conflict of interest.

This is the state of ethics in the Florida Legislature. It’s a citizens’ legislature of 160 part-time lawmakers. They theoretically come from all walks of life and private professions.

This is representative democracy.

And Campbell, of Miami Shores, represents so much more in Miami-Dade.

Many citizens run red lights in Miami-Dade. Campbell is from Miami-Dade. And someone in her family ran red lights five times.

Miami-Dade is also a Medicaid fraud capital. Campbell and her husband own businesses that bill Medicaid. And the state’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit began investigating them two years ago. Their son, 30-year-old Gregory Campbell, faces Medicaid fraud charges in an alleged $300,000 scheme.

Many in Miami-Dade have tax problems. Campbell is from Miami-Dade. And she and her husband last spring were slapped with $145,000 worth of liens. The IRS also began examining the Campbells over financial transactions involving a web of family healthcare businesses. Two former business associates told The Herald and IRS that the Campbells scammed them.

Miami-Dade has questionable mortgages. The Campbells own numerous properties in Miami-Dade. Campbell’s husband pleaded guilty in 2007 to a federal charge of falsely using someone else’s Social Security number to obtain $829,103 involving six separate loans, one of which was from a Honda dealership.

Miami-Dade has lots of immigrants who get ripped off. Campbell’s legislative office is in Miami-Dade. Turns out, her top aide Janice Shackelford was arrested for grand theft last fall for allegedly charging constituents, mostly Haitian immigrants, phony fees for help that never materialized. Before Campbell hired her, Shackelford had pleaded guilty to a 2006 grand theft charge in Miami-Dade; a swindling charge was dropped.

North Miami has been plagued with “unscrupulous” absentee ballot irregularities at assisted living facilities, a county ethics group reported in 2008. Campbell campaigned in a North Miami ALF. And that very ALF was highlighted in the ethics group report that pointedly mentioned the Democrat by name.

Some group home residents have died or been raped in Miami-Dade. Campbell and her son ran Professional Group Home, based in Miami-Dade. And two developmentally disabled Miami-Dade residents died in its care in 2006, one after she was raped by a dangerous resident. The rapist wasn’t supervised closely despite Daphne Campbell’s assurance to a judge that he would get “’one-on-one” monitoring from staffers who will “’be with him everywhere he goes.”

Beyond Miami-Dade, in Lee County, two other disabled people died in Professional Group Home’s care in 2006. One disabled man, who had profound trouble eating, was allowed to have a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich that choked him to death.

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Jazz event is a highlight for Black History Month

Jazz is popular music that originated among black people in New Orleans in the late 19th century. It’s a mix of blues, folk, march and ragtime, and it helps define the black experience in America. This year, for the second time, Jazz On The Green, a Black History Month program, will be held at Plymouth Congregational Church in Coconut Grove. The Feb. 10 presentation will again benefit The United Negro College Fund.

During a 10 a.m. church service, three educators will be recognized for their community service: Leona Cooper Baker, a retired teacher who works quietly and diligently to preserve and promote the historically black West Grove; Chester Fair, a college administrator who is active in the local and national Pan Hellenic Council, and who travels from Richmond Heights to Miami Gardens promoting youth programs; and retired school administrator Dorothy Wallace, who helps provide young women a second chance in life. The D.M. Wallace COPE Center-South, a Miami-Dade County Public School Academy of Health Science & Medicine, is named in her honor.

At 11:30 a.m., the jazz set begins. Featured artists include local favorites the Jesse Jones Jr. Quintet, vocalist Brenda Alford, musicians from the FIU Jazz Quartet, and Plymouth Congregational Church.

The public is invited to attend and donations to the United Negro College Fund are encouraged.

Why Black History Month?

Black History Month began in February as Negro History Week. The idea for the week was conceived by Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson. He founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History later renamed the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).

The week selected contains the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12) and Frederick Douglass (Feb. 14). The first event was held in 1926. Fifty years later, in 1976, during the nation’s bicentennial celebration, Negro History Week was expanded to the entire month of February. Then-President Gerald R. Ford encouraged all Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

Every president since then has dedicated February as Black History Month. The 2013 proclamation is online.

Programs nationwide celebrate national figures who made sacrifices in order to help advance society and recognize local figures working in the community to help improve life for future generations. Locally, Plymouth Church’s Black History is one of many program that carries out President Ford’s request.

At Plymouth, the activities of the event’s chair, Henry Givens, and co-chair Leatrice Taylor Damus are noteworthy. Both are active members of Plymouth Congregational Church, supporters of the United Negro College Fund, and each is recognized in a variety of community organizations for their outstanding leadership.

Committee chair Henry Givens, a native Miamian “born down south in Princeton,” is a Miami-Dade County Capital Inventory Specialist. He is Vice President of the Bahamas Education, Culture and Science Foundation, past chair of the Miami-Dade Community Relations Board and the first black person to chair the Coconut Grove Chamber of Commerce.

Co-chair Leatrice Taylor Damus, was born in River Rouge, Michigan outside of Detroit. One of American Airlines’ first black stewardesses, she and her husband moved to Miami in 1972.

She is a member of the Young Patronesses of the Opera, The Links Inc., Opera America, American Red Cross Ball Committee, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens Gala Committee and the advisory committee for the University of Miami’s Friends of the Young Musicians’ Camp. Affiliated with Girl Scouts since childhood, in 2012 she received a signature award at the 100 anniversary of the Girl Scouts of America luncheon.

With their skills, the committee was able to have this event underwritten again by members of the Plymouth Church congregation and corporate sponsors. The goal is to help black college students continue their education. The public is encouraged to participate by making checks payable to The United Negro College Fund and sending them to Plymouth Congregational Church, 3400 Devon Road, Coconut Grove, FL 33133.

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Miami-Dade woman apologizes to judge for flipping the bird

After apologizing Friday for flipping the bird to a judge earlier this week, 18-year-old Penelope Soto saw her $10,000 bond and remaining jail sentence vacated.

But Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Jeffrey Rosinek also ordered Soto to attend drug addiction counseling.

Soto had appeared before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Jorge Rodriguez-Chomat earlier this week on a Xanax possession charge. During the hearing, Soto had giggled and stroked her hair when questioned by the judge.

After the judge initially setting her bond at $5,000 and saying “bye-bye” to Soto, she replied with a laugh and an “adios.”

Irritated, he reset her bond at $10,000.

To that, Soto offered up the rude gesture and an expletive.

That time, Rodriguez-Chomat issued a 30-day sentence for contempt of court.

Soto wasn’t laughing Friday when she apologized to the judge.

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Murder charge dropped in Miami Gardens self-defense case

Prosecutors on Thursday dropped a murder charge against a man who claimed self-defense in fatally shooting an armed teen during a June 2010 brawl in Miami Gardens.

Travis Cooper, 28, had been charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Gregory Gant, 16.

The men were part of two groups of fighting men. Cooper claimed Gant pistol-whipped a friend of his, then “pointed the gun in his direction.”

Cooper, a security guard who had a concealed weapons permit, shot and killed Gant. He later called police.

“It’s a relief. They charged me with second-degree murder for no reason,” Cooper said Thursday, flanked by lawyers Andrew Rier and Jonathan Jordan.

Prosecutors decided they could not defend a request for immunity filed under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, which gave judges greater leeway to throw out criminal cases.

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Sen. Marco Rubio will deliver Republican response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address

Adding to his growing political influence in Washington, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is scheduled to deliver — in English and in Spanish — the Republican response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address next Tuesday night.

The announcement was made Wednesday by House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell R-Kentucky.

“Marco Rubio is one of our party’s most dynamic and inspiring leaders. He carries our party’s banner of freedom, opportunity and prosperity in a way few others can. His family’s story is a testament to the promise and greatness of America,” said Boehner in a statement.

“Marco Rubio embodies the optimism that lies at the heart of the Republican vision for America. On Tuesday, he will contrast the Republican approach to the challenges we face with President Obama’s vision of an ever-bigger government and the higher taxes that would be needed to pay for it,” said McConnell in a joint statement with Boehner. “Marco’s own experience as the child of immigrants has always informed his belief in limited government and free enterprise, which is why he has helped lead the fight against out-of-control spending and job-destroying tax hikes that continue to hold our economy back and stifle opportunity for millions. He was a natural choice to deliver the Republicans’ alternative to the administration’s reliance on government and debt.”

Said Rubio in a statement: “I’m honored to have this opportunity to discuss how limited government and free enterprise have helped make my family’s dreams come true in America.”

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Dolphins get unanimous support for stadium tax deal in first Senate hearing

TALLAHASSEE --
The Miami Dolphins started off the legislative season 1-and-0 in their attempt to get lawmakers to approve a multi-million dollar deal to upgrade

Lawmakers in the Florida Senate Commerce Committee gave unanimous support to a bill that would clear the way for higher hotel bed taxes and a new sales tax rebate to help fund a $400 million renovation of the Fins’ digs.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Oscar Braynon, D-Miami Gardens, has cleared its first hurdle, but it still faces an uphill climb. There will be several more committee stops and the bill also has to clear the Florida House, where Braynon acknowledged that there’s still some heavy lifting to do.

“In the Senate, I don’t think that we’re going to have as many problems as we’re going to have in the House,” he said.

The bill would allow the Dolphins to collect an annual $3 million in sales tax rebates from the state for 30 years, as well as millions more in new bed taxes.

Several stakeholders came up to Tallahassee to support the bill at its first committee hearing, including Miami Gardens mayor Oliver Gilbert, SunLife stadium CEO Mike Dee and Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce President Bill Diggs.

All supporters pitched the same message: This tax deal is a smart economic move for the state, and would lead to Super Bowls, college championships and other major tourism events.

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Driver killed after car hits home in Opa-locka

One person was killed when a car plowed into a home in Opa-locka early Monday morning.

Neighbors in the 1800 block of Opa-locka Boulevard said the driver lost control around a curve.

The car slammed into a utility pole, sending a power line flying. It then struck a wrong-way sign before it hit the home and caught fire.

Homeowner Alan Burrows said he and his neighbors tried to help the men in the car.

“I had just gone to bed. I heard a loud crash, right against the house, opened up the door to see what was going on and I couldn’t open the door,” he said.

“The car crashed. There was guy on the ground and another guy on the ground. We tried to help to help them. Our neighbors came out and they had the guys who were in the car,” Burrows said. “The [power] line was down, jumping around and there was fire and smoke. Chaos.”

The driver, Julian Lamar Mitchell, died. His passenger, whose name has not been released, was injured.

Police said the two men had been at a bar earlier and suspect alcohol played a role in the crash.

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Details emerge about Boynton Beach man who killed two sons

BOYNTON BEACH (AP) The Boynton Beach man who killed two of his sons before killing himself had declined an invitation to a party hours earlier, saying he had to do “something important,” his roommate said on Sunday.

Police say Isidro Zavala killed his younger sons, 12-year-old Eduardo and 11-year-old Mario, early Saturday at his estranged wife's home.

According to police, Victoria Zavala was watching television when she heard a commotion just before 2 a.m. She found Isidro Zavala choking one of his sons, and she begged him to kill her and spare the boys.

Isidro Zavala told her that he would leave her alive to suffer their loss. She was not injured. Officers found both boys dead at the scene, and they found Zavala, dressed all in black, dead with self-inflicted gunshot wounds in the chest and head.

“This is an unusually brutal type of murder,” said Boynton Beach Police Chief Matthew Immler.

The Palm Beach Post reports the couple had filed for divorce in October after nearly 20 years of marriage. They were scheduled to go to court Tuesday for a mediation hearing.

Zavala's roommate said he last saw Zavala Friday evening at their house, less than a mile away from the crime scene. Mariano Batalla told the newspaper that Zavala said he couldn't attend a friend's birthday party because “he had to do something important.”

Batalla said he returned from the party around midnight and repeatedly tried to call Zavala, who never answered his phone. Zavala's truck remained parked in their driveway. Police woke Batalla around 5 a.m. and told him what happened.

“I feel so, so, so sad because he's my best friend,” Batalla said. “It's a big surprise for me. He don't tell me nothing about this.”

The Zavalas also have a 19-year-old son who does not live at his mother's house. Investigators found a note from Zavala to his oldest son in a bag at the crime scene.

In the note, Zavala told the 19-year-old that he was a good son and to take care of himself, Immler said. The bag also contained a second gun, extra ammunition, duct tape and cutting shears.

A second note was found at Isidro Zavala's home, but police did not release its contents.

Victoria Zavala had been licensed as a cosmetologist, and Isidro Zavala owned a landscaping company.

Children who live across the street say they last saw Mario several days ago when they were flying kites with another friend. They remembered him playing in their backyard or playing video games, and they could not understand why Mario's father would kill him.

Police said they had never visited the Zavalas' home. A spokeswoman for the Department of Children and Families said the agency also had no previous history with the family.

Batalla said he knew Zavala as a gentle friend who made pork and rice dishes for special occasions and who walked to church every weekend. Batalla had recently been baptized, and he had encouraged Zavala to do the same.

“But he kept telling me, `No, not yet,“’ Batalla said. “He said he wanted to learn more before he got baptized.”

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Information from: The Palm Beach (Fla.) Post, http://www.pbpost.com

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Police investigating ‘suspicious’ death of elderly woman in Miami home

Police are investigating details surrounding the death of an elderly woman found inside her home near midtown Miami.

Shortly after 4 p.m. Friday, Miami Police officers went to the home of Carmen Diaz, 78, whose adult son decided to visit her after not hearing from her in a few days, according to a news release. When he arrived, he found Diaz dead inside her home of 50 years at 120 NW 34 St.

Miami Police spokeswoman Kenia Reyes said although the death appeared “somewhat suspicious,” the department isn’t releasing details until the county medical examiner determines the cause of death.

WSVN-Channel 7 reported that the adult son found Diaz’s house ransacked and her body wrapped in a blanket in her bathroom.

Police confirmed the house was in disarray, but wouldn’t say if there had been a burglary.

The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner is currently investigating the scene.

This article will be updated as more information becomes available.

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Two men found shot to death, dog fatally wounded inside car on Miami street

An early morning shooting in Model City left two men dead and a puppy fatally wounded.

The shooting happened about 1:15 a.m. Friday at Northwest 41st Street and 13th Avenue, Miami police spokeswoman Kenia Reyes said.

After responding to a 911 call about shots heard in the area, officers found a Buick Lacrosse "completely riddled with bullet holes" and two men in their 20s shot to death inside, Reyes said.

Also inside the car: a 4-month-old pitbull puppy who was shot in the head.

The wounded dog was taken to Miami-Dade Animal Services for treatment, where it was euthanized due to the severity of the injury.

“Unfortunately, the trauma was severe,” said Animal Services spokeswoman Xiomara Mordcovich.

Police are not releasing the identity of the dead men until their families are notified.

This report will be updated as more information becomes available.

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Another Miami police officer criminally charged with extortion

A Miami police officer who recently resigned while under investigation surrendered to authorities Thursday on criminal charges stemming from an FBI investigation. He became the second officer charged with involvement in an alleged protection racket for a sports-betting ring operating out of a Liberty City barbershop.

Harold James, an eight-year veteran, is charged with two counts of extortion involving providing protection for “the cashing of fraudulent checks’’ in exchange for cash payments, according to court records.

He is scheduled to make his first appearance in federal court Thursday afternoon. Prosecutors are seeking to seize $800 from James that they say he pocketed from the alleged protection racket in 2012.

James became the second Miami officer criminally charged in as many days. In an unrelated case, authorities arrested Officer Luis Hernandez, 27, Wednesday and charged him with armed kidnapping and sexual battery by a law enforcement officer. Also Wednesday, the department fired an officer, Reynaldo Goyos, for shooting and killing an unarmed motorist two years ago.

In federal court, James is charged by criminal “information,’’ a sign that he is cooperating with authorities and will eventually plead guilty to limit any prison sentence.

James last worked in the Model City neighborhood before he resigned in November, city records show. He generally received above-average performance evaluations, and he received nine commendations over his career. James was reprimanded seven times, mostly for traffic accidents or failing to appear for court hearings, records show.

Earlier this month, fellow Miami Officer Nathaniel Dauphin became the first of several cops swept up in the broad anti-corruption dragnet of the city’s embattled police department.

Dauphin, 41, allegedly helped organize the protection racket for the Liberty City sports-betting operation. He pleaded not guilty to a single charge of extortion conspiracy, alleging that he “protected and facilitated illegal activity — gambling — in exchange for receipts of cash payments.’’

Dauphin, a police officer since 1996, was allegedly paid $5,000, according to the charge. The government filed papers to seize that money from him. Dauphin also was charged by “criminal information.’’ He was released from custody on a $100,000 bond.

James and Dauphin are among at least 10 Miami police officers expected to soon face federal criminal charges or internal discipline related to the protection scheme and other criminal activity, The Miami Herald has learned.

Seven of the officers under scrutiny, including James, have already resigned or been relieved of duty in recent weeks, according to sources close to the probe.

The FBI, which has been working with Miami internal affairs investigators since the gambling operation was shut down in March 2012, is expected to make more arrests.

The targeted officers, who worked in the Model City substation, are suspected of providing off-the-books protection and frequenting the Player’s Choice Barber Shop, 6301 NW Sixth Ave.

Also relieved of duty are officers Malinsky Bazile, 27, Vital Frederick, 26, and Angel Mercado, 29, who are suspected of other criminal activity unrelated to the alleged protection racket. All continue to receive pay while the investigation continues.

In December, The Herald reported that 31-year-old officer Lashunda Hodge was relieved of duty with pay as part of the protection-detail probe.

At least three other Miami officers are facing scrutiny in connection with the protection scheme: Hodge’s roommate, Kenya Crocker, 39; Dauphin’s girlfriend, Carol Vargas, 39, and Darryl Bryant, 51, according to sources familiar with the case.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

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Healing gardens: Horticulture therapy takes root in South Florida

Allspice and heirloom roses scent the garden where Robert Bornstein starts his work day at his home, tending plants meant not for show but for healing.

"We have 35 years of scientific documentation to tell us we were meant to be with nature,” says Bornstein, potting an Everglades tomato that his seniors with limited mobility can grow indoors. “I need at least ten minutes in the garden or I’m no good.”

Bornstein’s work, called horticultural therapy, uses gardens and gardening activities to improve memory,, physical coordination, rehabilitation and social skills. According to Elizabeth Diehl, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, a growing body of research shows horticulture therapy’s benefits among older populations.

“Having access to natural spaces reduces violent behavior in Alzheimer’s patients,” Diehl says.

As hospitals and treatment centers become aware of the benefits, they are adding horticultural activities to their recreational therapy programs. Bornstein, who began his career working with patients who had been declared criminally insane, now has a busy practice serving 40 senior residence facilities across South Florida and charges roughly $90 an hour for his services.

Ten minutes slip to thirty.

“I’m late!” he realizes, and jumping into his Prius, guns it to Deerfield Beach.

"You see, ladies? He’s always running," Geraldine Markiewicz, a retired first-grade teacher, tells fellow Horizon Club residents as the therapist races into the assisted living facility bearing bags of materials for a flower arranging hour. Fifteen residents range around the common area, some in wheelchairs. Bornstein passes around thimble-sized plastic containers that look like champagne glasses, followed by sprigs of eucalyptus, cattails and dried flowers. Each person selects an element, decides its arrangement, and attaches it to a thumbnail of floral foam with all the hand-eye coordination he or she can muster.

Neuropathy, rheumatoid arthritis and the shaking hands of Parkinson’s disease can make such fine movements difficult. Yet as the arrangements take shape, no bigger than a salt shaker, they look as fine as if a caterer had created them for a wedding table.

Activities Assistant Gwenda Rodriguez stands by as a resident who can barely move wills her hands to place a purple flower in the cup. The woman’s face beams. She has made the most elegant arrangement of all.

* * *

Elena Naranjo used to be an assistant director at a mental health center, dealing with continual crisis management. Then she got a license in permaculture, the design of holistic living spaces based on sustainable agriculture. “I think there’s a very healing application working with nature. It’s where I wanted to end up,” Naranjo says.

Now she, a small staff, and the homeless and formerly homeless families of Verde Gardens, a 145-unit affordable housing community of Miami-Dade Homeless Trust and Carrfour Supportive Housing, are reaping their first full harvest on the Farm at Verde Gardens.

Modeled on the Homeless Garden Project in Santa Cruz, Calif., the 22-acre farm on former Homestead Air Reserve Base land offers skills and business opportunities to community members like Xavier Wright, as well as fresh food

“I’m an outdoor person. My grandparents grew cotton and peaches,” says 25-year-old Wright who arrived at the Chapman Partnership homeless shelter a single father with full custody of his autistic son. “I love this,” he says, setting pigeon pea seedlings in the soil.

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Study: Medicaid expansion may save state money

Florida would save money over the next decade — not lose billions as Gov. Rick Scott has argued — by accepting Medicaid expansion under federal healthcare reforms, according to a detailed economic study.

Miami-Dade legislators and healthcare industry leaders, getting together on Monday, heard about the report by Georgetown University — the most positive yet on a highly debated provision of what is often called Obamacare.

Jack Hoadley, a senior researcher with the Georgetown Health Policy Institute, said the study was the first to calculate spin-off savings in other state programs if Florida accepted the expansion, which over the next 10 years could bring $26 billion in federal funds to provide insurance to an estimated 815,000 to 1.3 million Florida residents who are now uninsured.

In Miami-Dade, expansion would cover an additional 150,000 to 225,000, according to the Georgetown projections. That reduction in the uninsured would bring huge relief to the county’s hospitals, which by federal law must treat anyone who comes to the emergency room, regardless of ability to pay.

The top-level meeting, at the United Way of Miami-Dade headquarters, was convened by United Way, Health Council of South Florida and Health Foundation of South Florida.

At the very least, the Georgetown findings and other recent analyses have some critics reconsidering opposition to the 2010 Affordable Health Care Act.

State Sen. Rene Garcia, R-Hialeah, who previously was an “absolute no” vote against Medicaid expansion, said after the meeting that he was now “open to the thought” that expansion makes sense.

State Rep. Eddy Gonzalez, R-Hialeah, said he was still concerned about the debt-ridden feds’ ability to fund Medicaid over the long term, but “we are looking at all the options.”

Estimates about the real costs of expansion have varied wildly based on the law, which requires the federal government to pay all costs of the expansion for the first three years. Starting in 2017, the state will start paying a small share, which will reach 10 percent of the expansion costs for 2020 and beyond.

Gov. Scott, who has long been critical of Obamacare, contended in December that expansion would cost Florida taxpayers more than $26 billion over 10 years. Opponents and healthcare experts criticized that estimate as way too high, and earlier this month the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration gave a much lower estimate of $3 billion for the decade.

That was lower even than a report by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, a Washington research group, which in November estimated that expansion would cover an additional 1.2 million residents at a cost to the state of $5.4 billion over 10 years.

Georgetown’s Hoadley said Monday that the Kaiser study used only rough data for all 50 states, while the Georgetown study, funded by two Florida nonprofit foundations, looked in detail at how Medicaid expansion would save money in other areas. The Georgetown study found that the state would have to spend less for safety-net hospitals such as Jackson Health System, mental-health and substance-abuse programs and the medically needy program.

Hoadley said the savings calculations were “a very cautious estimate.”

The Georgetown report projected that the state would save $300 million in 2014, the first year of Medicaid expansion, and $100 million in 2020, when the state would be paying for 10 percent of the expansion costs.

The Georgetown study found that expansion was especially important in Florida, where almost one in three — 30 percent — of nonelderly adults are uninsured, compared to 18 percent nationwide.

In South Florida, the figures are even higher for uninsured non-elderly adults: 57 percent in Hialeah, 50 percent in the city of Miami, 48.5 percent in Deerfield Beach and 31.2 percent in Kendall.

Hospitals strongly support the expansion. On Monday, Phillis Oeters, an executive with Baptist Health South Florida, told legislators that hospitals have already seen their Medicare and Medicaid payments reduced greatly in other areas.

“Enough is enough,” she said. “Hospitals can’t take it anymore.”

A study done for the Florida Hospital Association estimated that the infusion of federal funds from Obamacare would add 56,000 jobs to the state.

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Miami Heat’s LeBron James at White House event: ‘Mama, I made it!’

Out of uniform and looking dapper, Miami Heat players were honored Monday at the White House by President Barack Obama, a basketball fan who gushed over the play of team stars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

In the packed East Room of the White House just before 2 p.m., Obama recapped the team’s road to victory in last year’s NBA championship, as 25 players, Coach Erik Spoelstra and team owner Micky Arison stood behind him.

He singled out James’ performance during Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, describing it “as one of the best in basketball history.”

He also kidded Wade about his outfit, a gray suit worn with stylish-sneakers

At one point, James asked the president if he could say a few words.

“Hey, it’s your world, man,” the president answered.

James praised his team and expressed excitement at being at the White House.

“Mama, I made it!” he said.

Miami Herald reporter Luisa Yanez contributed to this report.

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ING Miami Marathon winner Luis Carlos Rivero Gonzalez inspired by father’s murder

Guatemala’s Luis Carlos Rivero Gonzalez has been a professional runner for more than two years — mainly at distances of ten to 21 kilometers – but he had never raced 26.2 miles until Sunday’s ING Miami Marathon.

Toeing the front of the starting line with about a dozen elite marathoners from Africa, South America, Europe and the U.S., the 26-year-old law student ran away from them and never saw them again until after he broke the tape in Bayfront Park in 2:26:14 – two minutes ahead of runner-up David Kipkoech Tuwei, 29, of Kenya (2:28:15) and third-place Tesfaye Girma Bekele, 30, of Ethiopia (2:28:22).

“Yeah, I had expectations of winning,” Rivero Gonzalez said through a translator. “It felt good to be able to represent my country in the marathon. My dream is to be in the Olympics. I’m going to fight to reach that goal.”

He collected $2,000, plus a colorful race medal. Tuwei and Bekele won $1,000 and $500, respectively.

Rivero Gonzalez said as a child, he ran with his dad — a lawyer in the town of San Marcos. But five years ago, his father was killed by “criminals,” and it spurred him to train harder in his dad’s honor.

Rivero Gonzalez admitted when questioned by reporters that his coach falsified his best marathon time as 2:23:08 on his application for elite runner status for the ING.

Top runners get to start at the front of the pack, along with other perks.

With 25,000 runners in the marathon and half-marathon lined up in front of AmericanAirlines Arena for the pre-dawn start, Gonzalez did not want to be slowed by the huge crowd. The strategy worked; runner-up Tuwei said he didn’t have the leader in sight for long after the starting gun.

Women’s marathon winner Mariska Postma Kramer of the Netherlands – had been registered as an elite competitor for the half-marathon, but decided at the last minute Saturday to enter the double-distance race instead.

It turned out to be a good decision, as the 38-year-old professional runner cruised to a 2:46:07 victory in her first Miami race – more than two minutes in front of runner-up Tezata Desaign Dengersa of Turkey and Ethiopia (2:48:43).

Third-place Kir Selert of Brooklyn, N.Y. finished in 2:57:32.

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Sheridan House 5k walk to benefit kids, families

Organizers of The Sheridan House’s fifth annual 5k run, “Stepping out for Kids and Families,” have announced the event will take place Saturday, Feb. 2 at 9 a.m.

In the past, the event has attracted several hundred people who both run and walk to benefit the organization.

Sheridan House’s mission is to offer community services for children and families to meet their potential despite challenging circumstances at home or with their finances.

Individuals may register for the event now at http://www.sheridanhouse.org/web/events/5k.

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Former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz considering bid for governor.

Former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz looks ready to run for governor and has spent the past three weeks lining up support from strategists, financiers and elected officials.

Diaz, who hasn’t returned calls from The Miami Herald for three weeks about his plans, finally returned a text message on Friday and said he wasn’t ready to speak about the matter, in part because he was attending a charity golf tournament.

Diaz met Friday morning with top Democratic strategist Jeff Garcia, who said he’d like the former mayor to run.

"His potential candidacy presents a unique opportunity for Democrats and Floridians to take the state in a completely new and positive direction," said Garcia, U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia’s chief of staff who met Friday morning with Diaz. "I’m excited he’s considering running. It adds something new and fresh to the field."

Diaz, mayor from 2001-2009, would be the only Democratic Hispanic candidate among those who have announced or are considering a bid to challenge Republican Gov. Rick Scott. Hispanics, the fastest-growing segment of the electorate, helped President Obama win his reelection campaign in Florida.

If elected, Diaz would be the first Democratic Hispanic governor. The state’s first Hispanic governor was a Republican, Bob Martinez.

Diaz has made no formal announcement for the election, which is still nearly two years away.

Former Democratic state Senate leader Nan Rich, of Weston, has announced her intention to run. Former state CFO and the last Democratic governor’s candidate, Alex Sink, is mulling a run as is former Gov. Charlie Crist, a former Republican, who helped President Obama’s campaign in Florida this year.

Diaz was a big help to Obama’s Florida campaign as well. In the waning days of the election when he cut a Spanish-language ad rebutting a spot from Republican Mitt Romney’s campaign, which suggested the president was a socialist.

As a past leader of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Diaz has some close allies in top spots. He has approached Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown for support and wants to hire some of U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson’s campaign team.

New York Mayor and media tycoon Michael Bloomberg wrote the forward to Diaz’s book, Miami Transformed, which Diaz is promoting.

Diaz is also on good terms with former Baltimore Mayor and current Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, who recently stepped down as head of the Democratic Governor’s Association.

One Democratic source said the DGA is nervous about a potential Crist candidacy because of the former Republican governor’s "baggage."

But Diaz has some, too, according to his critics in Miami-Dade, home of the largest block of voters in the state.

His successor, Republican Tomas Regalado, faulted Diaz for leaving the city’s budget in bad condition.

Regalado noted that as mayor, Diaz spent more money than Miami took in, draining the reserves from $120 million at the beginning of his tenure to just $20 million by the end.

"He’s going to have a hard time explaining the way he left Miami," Regalado said.

Regalado also faulted Diaz for pushing for a new stadium for the Miami Marlins baseball team.

Diaz won’t, however, need to explain anything after recently changing his party affiliation from independent to Democrat, Regalado said.

"Thankfully, Charlie Crist has already done that," he said.

Other Miami movers and shakers, though, say Diaz did an excellent job in trying times.

"Manny is a visionary leader who has never lost his footing or his roots," Eduardo J. Padrón, Miami Dade College president, said in blurb about Diaz’s book. "He epitomizes the immigrant success story and the fruition of the American Dream."

At a recent Miami fundraiser for a Los Angeles candidate for mayor, Eric Garcetti, Diaz was introduced as "Gov. Manny Diaz." Diaz did nothing to quiet the talk, according to people in the room.

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Youth Crime Watch helps kids take a bite out of crime

Last week’s column generated several emails from you asking if Youth Crime Watch is in every school. Unfortunately due to budgets, we are not, but we do service those that contact us. Therefore I asked our program director, Joel Mesa, to write my column for today to enlighten my readers about our program.

Youth Crime Watch of Miami-Dade County serves nearly 35,000 students per school year via youth crime prevention presentations, safety projects, YCW club meetings, assemblies, rallies, and special events. Our YCW School Coordinators conduct more than 500 presentations per school year at the Miami-Dade schools on: YCW orientations, YCW installation, YCW appreciation, reporting crimes, school safety, school violence prevention, bullying and cyberbullying prevention, sexting prevention, stranger danger, personal safety, drug prevention, gun prevention, character education, cyber safety, anger management, McGruff the Crime Dog, and much more.

I have experienced at first-hand the dominant factors that youth crime prevention education has in molding our future leaders to strive for success and strengthen our school communities. The students are the “eyes and ears” of our schools. They are the primary stakeholders in preventing crime at their schools by educating their peers on safety topics and by anonymously reporting threats and warning signs that can lead to violent incidents. However, they cannot do this without adequate training. YCW of Miami-Dade County’s primary mission is to provide them the training and skills to make their safety visions an observable reality. It is a mission that has been possible year after year.

Children and young people can be so vulnerable to fall for the ills of school crime. Youth Crime Watch of Miami-Dade County has been healing those ills throughout the last 33 years by implementing programs in the Miami-Dade schools. YCW of Miami-Dade County was selected as the National Crime Prevention Program of the Year by the National Crime Prevention Council. YCW educates students on safety skills which in turn the youth apply those skills in their schools to promote safe school environments, educate their peers on youth crime prevention, and curb school crime. The organization also provides students and faculty a multitude of crime prevention materials so the safety education can be reinforced in the classroom lessons and in YCW club activities. YCW is also the premier organization which has McGruff the Crime Dog appear at Miami-Dade school safety functions and help kids “take a bite out of crime.”

School crime statistics and survey assessments have continuously demonstrated that schools with YCW programs have lower crime rates and safer school environments. This in turn is a contributing factor in academic achievement. A child that is fearful of being bullied and harassed will prioritize their fear over their academics. On the other side of the “safety spectrum”, those children that feel comfortable and safe in their school environments will be more motivated & determined to focus on their academics.

Crime Prevention is a holistic process, working with teachers, counselors, parents, administrators and schools police, but the most important participant is the parent. For more information, feel free to call our office 305-470-1670 and we will be happy to send you a brochure.

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Student accused of shooting girl on school bus to be tried as adult

The teen accused of accidentally shooting a fellow student on a school bus will be tried as an adult, a Miami-Dade judge ruled on Wednesday,

Lourdes Guzman-DeJesus was killed just before Thanksgiving on the way to school from her South Miami-Dade home.

The suspect in the shooting, 15-year-old Jordyn Howe, will be transferred to Miami-Dade County Jail from house arrest. Judge Orlando Prescott ruled Wednesday that he will be tried as an adult.

Lourdes Guzman-DeJesus, whose nickname was "Jina, " was killed when Jordyn took a .40-caliber pistol out of his backpack on the school bus transporting kids to three charter schools in South Miami-Dade. The gun went off, striking Lourdes in the neck. Howe was a student at Somerset Academy Silver Palms.

The shooting occurred as the bus was near Southwest 296th Street and 137th Avenue. Lourdes, a student at Palm Glades Preparatory Academy, was shot in front of her 7-year-old sister.

Jordyn was not in court Wednesday, but will appear on Thursday when his bond will be set. He faces formal charges in court on Jan. 28 that include manslaughter and manslaughter with a firearm.

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Texas campus issues alert amid reports of shooter

A Texas college has gone into a lockdown amid reports of a shooter on campus.

Jed Young, a spokesman for the Lone Star College System campus in north Harris County, told The Associated Press that a shelter-in-place order has been issued.

Emergency personnel have responded to the Houston-area college campus.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office had no immediate details.

The shooting happened sometime shortly past noon at the campus, according to the Sheruff’s Office, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Initial reports indicate at least three people may have been wounded. No other information about injuries was immediately available.

"We know that shots have been fired and we are in a shelter-in-place situation on the campus," Vicki Cassidy, manager of media relations for Lone Star College System, told the Chronicle. "It's a pretty chaotic scene at this point in time."

Cassidy said she could not provide any other details about the shooting. The campus is one of six that makes up the community college system.

Early reports indicate the shooting may have occurred in the library as well in the cafeteria.

The campus has been placed on lockdown as authorities investigate the case. Officials asked students and faculty to remain where they are on the campus. They also ask other people not to come to the campus.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

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