Florida Courier - September 26, 2014

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SEPTEMBER 26 – OCTOBER 2, 2014

VOLUME 22 NO. 39

AT WAR – AGAIN

President Obama orders bombardments in Syria – as Congress stands by – then makes the case against ISIS at the United Nations. BY W.J. HENNIGAN AND DAVID S. CLOUD TRIBUNE WASHINGTON BUREAU /MCT

WASHINGTON – Tomahawk missiles roared in from two directions in the predawn hours Tuesday, as the guided-missile destroyer Arleigh Burke in the Red Sea and the cruiser Philippine Sea in the north Persian Gulf fired 47 cruise missiles across the cold night desert and into the heart of northern Syria. Half an hour later, F-22 Raptors, F-15 Strike Eagles, F-16 DAVID ENDERS/MCT Fighting Falcons, supersonic A fighter in the city of Kfar Nbouda, Syria holds a Serbian-made gre- B-1 bombers and unmanned drones swarmed overhead and nade launcher, part of a weapons shipment to Syrian rebels by Saudi unleashed scores of precisionArabia’s government. Such weapons were intended for moderate guided bombs. The third and final bombrebel groups, but have fallen in the hands of the ISIS terrorist group.

ing wave, about three hours later, involved Navy F/A-18 fighter jets from the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush in the north Persian Gulf and F-16 fighters from regional bases. By dawn, the air assault by American and allied Arab air forces against ISIS/ISIL and alQaida affiliates had damaged or obliterated 24 distinct targets spread across hundreds of miles, Pentagon officials said.

Arab coalition White House officials had repeatedly warned that President Obama would not approve an air attack in Syria unless Sunni Arab nations agreed to join the effort to dislodge and ultimately

destroy the heavily armed Sunni extremists who have seized control of more than a third of Syria and more than a dozen cities in neighboring Iraq. Five Sunni Arab governments – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain and Qatar – finally signed on over the weekend and officials said the first four nations flew bombing missions or air patrols. Qatar expressed political support without scrambling fighters. Their involvement was crucial for the White House, which desperately wanted to avoid accusations it was again intervening in the Middle East in the face of Arab opposition. See WAR, Page A2

Corrections firings continue

FLORIDA LIVING

Beach therapy

Employees dumped from three prisons BY DARA KIM THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

MARK RANDALL/SUN SENTINEL/MCT

Mikhail Rezmak of Delray Beach exercises on the beach just after sunrise. South Florida medical experts and beachgoers alike agree that the beach can truly help people de-stress.

Jetie B. Wilds, Tampa’s longtime community voice, dies at 74 BY JENISE GRIFFIN MORGAN FLORIDA COURIER

Jetie B. Wilds Jr., a longtime revered community leader in Tampa Bay whose popular weekly public affairs radio program enlightened listeners on substantive issues impacting their neighborhoods and the nation, died Sunday at age 74. Wilds, a native of Tampa, served his community for decades as a powerful yet calm voice – whether on the Jetie B. airwaves or in Wilds Jr. boardrooms. His titles were numerous – educator, activist, columnist, talk-show host, and be-

ALSO INSIDE

loved member of one of Tampa’s iconic Black families. Most will remember him as the host of the “Citizen’s Report’’ on WTMP, Tampa’s R&B leader for decades. From the 1990s to 2011, the Saturday morning radio show was a staple for the community, a place to turn for a wealth of information on politics, education, civic engagement and more. The program returned this year on WTMP when the station reappeared in an urban format.

‘Sage at the table’ But Wilds had great impact and influence beyond the microphone. Longtime friend James Ransom, who worked with Wilds on numerous community and eco-

nomic development projects, referred to him this week as “the sage at the table.’’ Ransom told the Florida Courier how Wilds worked behind the scenes with corporate, government and civic leaders on a variety of issues to improve conditions in Tampa. Ransom and Wilds both served as board members of the Tampa Organization of Black Affairs (TOBA), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to political education, economic development and youth development within the African-American and general community. They also co-founded the Saturday Morning Breakfast Group, a diverse group of men who meet weekly at the Open Café, a Black restaurant in the Tampa area.

Brother, father, friend Ransom called Wilds a “big brother,’’ adding that “sometimes he seemed like a father and all of the time he was a friend. He was

to me someone who was an extraordinarily gifted listener and a man of few words. When he spoke it was meaningful and of substance and was very thoughtful.’’ Wilds’ accomplishments in helping Black businesses were plenteous, Ransom explained, and cited how Wilds’ influence helped Black entrepreneurs receive a half-million dollars in work during the Republican National Convention in Tampa last year. That came about from meetings with senior executive leadership of RNC and convention bureau executives, Ransom said. “You would not know how deep and wide he was connected in different places,” added Ransom, noting how Wilds was a regular in another community group, one of Italian men who meet at the West Tampa Sandwich Shop. Just two days after his friend’s

On Sept. 19, Department of Corrections Secretary Mike Crews fired 32 workers accused of breaking the law, including three prison guards involved in the gassing death of an inmate at a Panhandle prison four years ago. All of the workers fired were on administrative leave pending a review launched earlier this summer. The housecleaning is part of the secretary’s attempt to salvage the reputation of the beleaguered agency in the wake of reports of widespread abuse and corruption, whistleblower complaints and federal investigations surrounding prisoner deaths. Among the axed workers are Rollin Austin, Randall Johnson and Kevin Hampton, three former prison guards at Franklin Correctional Institution where inmate Randall Jordan-Aparo died after allegedly being repeatedly gassed by guards and then left to die. Dismissal letters from Crews to the workers say they are being let go because they “participated in a force incident that resulted in the death of an inmate.” None of the fired workers has been arrested or charged with any crimes.

Departmental collusion? Four Department of Corrections investigators say they’ve been retaliated against for exposing a cover-up about Jordan-ApaSee FIRINGS, Page A2

SNAPSHOTS FLORIDA | A3

New nursing home site for vets selected

NATION | A6

Spelman named top HBCU again PERSONAL FINANCE | B4

Student loan debt and the housing market

See WILDS, Page A2

GUEST COMMENTARY: DR. SINCLAIR GREY III: THE DOUBLE STANDARDS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE | A4 COMMENTARY: ANTHONY HALL: THE CASE AGAINST OBAMA’S BUSH-LITE WAR ON TERRORISM | A5


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