Now owned by top executives, Cruise Planners on course toward continued growth

With a background in travel and present-day focus on raising her two small children, Lori Jahner set out to find work she enjoyed that would give her the flexibility she needed.The 33-year-old from Aurora, Colo. decided on Cruise Planners — American Express Travel, a home-based travel agent network headquartered in Coral Springs. “They have so much training to offer, ongoing...

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State to crackdown on tutoring contractors

Florida will crack down on tutoring contractors that defraud school districts and — for the first time — require criminal background checks for people who head tutoring firms under changes announced Tuesday by the state’s top education official.Education Commissioner Tony Bennett issued a statement outlining a series of steps his department will take to rein in fraud and...

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Window washer left hanging sues scaffolding company

A window washer who was left dangling at a 45-degree angle from a midtown high rise last summer is suing the scaffold company and the building for multiple injuries he sustained during the slip, according to a new lawsuit. Steven Kind, 40, of Long Island, was 42 stories above the street polishing the exterior panes of 1177 Sixth Ave. on July 11 when the...

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Romance and the executive woman: When it comes to love, leave work mode at the office

While on a blind date, Alexandra Arguelles found herself behaving as if she were interviewing a candidate for a job. “I caught myself asking him question after question and trying to control everything.” Afterward, she says she felt as if she had been at a business dinner.“It’s not easy for me to be laid back,” says Arguelles, a 42-year-old sales executive at a travel IT...

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Papal transition won’t lead to big changes in South Florida parishes, archbishop says

Like millions of other Roman Catholics, when Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski woke up Monday morning and heard the news that Pope Benedict XVI had announced his resignation, he thought it was just rumor.When he realized it wasn’t, Wenski called Mary Ross Agosta, the Archdiocese’s communications director, and told her: “ ‘Get ready for a busy day.’ ’’And so it was, as he gave...

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Sneak Peek: Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue Featuring Cover Girl Kate Upton

Kate Upton and the ladies of Sport's Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue preview this year's highly anticipated spread for ET!Clad in impossibly tiny bikinis, the gorgeous girls representing SI's 50th edition of the beach-themed edition travel across the globe to show some skin across all seven continents.Pics: Top 5 Sexiest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Covers Check out a sneak peek of the sizzling hot pics...

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Indian national busted on visa fraud charges after claiming film biz connections

He tried to pull an “Argo” on the feds.An Indian national arrived at JFK Airport in New York and told US Customs and Border Protection officers he was a production manager for a film company known as "Fire and Ice."Nitinkumar Chandubhai Patel explained that his firm was gearing up to make a movie titled "I Love New York," and he had traveled from New Delhi...

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Green cards for sale at a South Beach hotel: Competition is on for EB5 investment visas

If David Hart gets his way, South Beach’s 42-room Astor Hotel will be on a hiring spree this year as it adds concierge service, a roof-top pool, an all-night diner, spa and private-car service available 24 hours a day. New hires will be crucial to Hart’s business plan, since foreign investors have agreed to pay about $50,000 for each job created by the Art Deco boutique....

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Tawdry allegations may emerge in criminal trial of former Florida GOP chairman Jim Greer

TALLAHASSEE -- They headed for Marsh Harbour Airport in the Bahamas, most of them on private planes owned by billionaire Harry Sargeant III, then the finance chairman of the Florida Republican Party.The weekend trip began on Friday Jan. 11, 2008, for a select group of Floridians —maybe 20 or so — who helped raise money for a constitutional amendment that would increase homestead...

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3 Killed Filming Discovery Channel Production

Three people were killed Sunday morning in a helicopter crash during a production shoot for a Discovery Channel reality show.The crash occurred about 3:40 a.m. in an open field in the town of Acton outside Los Angeles, Deadline reports. The three victims were thrown from the helicopter and pronounced dead at the scene.PICS: Star SightingsIn a statement to Deadline, the Discovery Channel confirmed...

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