Thursday, September 6, 2012

KEY WEST

Bicyclist collides with Conch Train

A bicyclist was reportedly hurt in a wreck involving a Conch Tour Train Wednesday morning at Fleming and Duval streets, according to police dispatch records.

The woman injured her leg and was transported to Lower Keys Medical Center about 10:35 a.m. The crash incident report was not available Wednesday, said police spokeswoman Alyson Crean.

Dispatch records indicated that the woman was underneath the train at one point, but was conscious and sitting on the sidewalk when emergency responders arrived on scene.

Care Ambulance Manager David Erwin confirmed that one person was taken to the hospital, but he declined to comment further citing federal privacy laws.

MONROE COUNTY

Governor appoints Porter

Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday appointed Mark Porter as superintendent of Monroe County schools, a formality required for Porter to fulfill the rest of Randy Acevedo's second elected term.

The School Board chose Porter as the county's first hired superintendent, a power voters relinquished to the board the year after the Acevedo embezzlement scandal.

Porter, a 32-year veteran of public schools in Minnesota who started Aug. 1, was technically "deputy superintendent" before the governor's nod.

Jesus Jara resigned as the appointed superintendent in July to take a job with Orange County schools.

KEY WEST

Reading fest in Bahama Village

Key West children and their families are invited to a free reading festival from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Willie Ward Park, next to the Martin Luther King Jr. Pool on Catherine Street.

The inaugural event, the Venora B. Mingo Family Festival of Reading, aims to distribute 1,000 new books to Key West kids and is presented by The Frederick Douglass School Black Educators' Memorial Project. The first 100 children to show up will receive book bags. Free food and drinks will be provided, along with face painting, games, storytelling and other activities.

Sponsors include the nonprofit A Positive Step of Monroe County, St. Peter's Episcopal Church, the public library and the county health department.