Ferguson left after the state began investigating the allegations.

One year after Thompson Academy settled a federal lawsuit alleging a 14-year-old boy was twice sexually assaulted by a counselor at the lockup, the head of the Pembroke Pines juvenile detention center is facing scrutiny. Administrator Craig Ferguson has left his post amid allegations that he took residents home with him, bought them new clothes, and allowed them to shower at his house.

Thompson is an all-male, "moderate risk" detention center for teenagers, funded by the state and run by the for-profit company Youth Services International. Local attorney Michael Aaron Hoffman represents three former Thompson Academy employees -- Kamal Warren, Farouto Austin, and Marcus Blue. In March, Hoffman called the state Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) to report a troubling incident described by the ex-employees.

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Flickr user: Shirley Two Feathers

Wear nothing, and enjoy the ride.

The penny pinchers at Spirit Airlines have come up with a new way to ruin your flying experience. Starting in early November, the Miramar-based discount carrier will charge up to $100 for a carry-on bag. The fee only applies if, like us, you procrastinate packing, sprint through the airport, and end up having to pay for the bag at the gate.If you're one of those weirdo advance planners, it will still cost you $35 to pay for the bag online, or $50 at the airline counter. Checking a bag will cost $30 to $45.

Never fear. The staffers at the Pulp have expert advice for avoiding all such fees.

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​​A group of inmates facing tough charges at the Broward County Main Jail is suing representatives of the Broward Sheriff's Office and the jail's health-services contractor, Armor Correctional Services, for inadequate dental care.More >>

AMW host John Walsh

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This is a serious issue, people. Just listen to the man.

​It's the dry season, and Broward County is looking to encourage water conservation efforts by offering rebates to residents who buy high-efficiency toilets and other incentives, depending on your city. The goal is to cut water use by 30 million gallons per day -- and officials decided the best way to tell people about it was to send out an animated 30-second puppet show with a weird, cheery news release.More >>

crooksandliars.com

​Yep. A Broward Republican actually called the county Supervisor of Elections Office to ask for his absentee ballot back so he could vote again.

Mary Cooney, public services director for the county election's office, says she's "only aware of one" person who tried to do this.

As we mentioned earlier today, there have been a few reports around the state of Republican voters trying to call a mulligan on their Rick Perry/Michele Bachmann/Herman Cain/Jon Huntsman/Gary Johnson/other votes and pick someone who's actually running for president.

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broward.org

One of the three helicopters the BSO currently has. The sheriff's office says it needs another one.

The Broward Commission will be deciding today whether the Broward Sheriff's Office gets $6,505,593 for a new helicopter.

Sure, they already have three other helicopters -- the most recent one being purchased in March 2010 -- but the sheriff's office apparently needs a brand new one, because the three other helicopters are having "increasing maintenance issues."

Letters and memos attached to the commission agenda show this has already been approved by Sheriff Al Lamberti and other county administrative people, and looks like it's all but a done deal pending the commission's approval.

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​It's $9.99 on Amazon; you can get it on your Kindle in seconds. What better way to read a self-published book about alleged corruption in the Broward Sheriff's Office, including manipulation by everybody's favorite Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein?

A new anonymous e-book being hawked on the web retailer, and available in print from Lulu.com, is called Inside the Broward County Sheriff's Office. Chapters include "The Rise to Power of [Sheriff] Al Lamberti," "How Close Was Rothstein to Lamberti," and other promising topics. It also includes a few sections on Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Frank Adderley, who has been extensively linked with Rothstein.

The response from inside law enforcement? Mixed, with some calling it old news.More >>

shirtoid.tumblr.com

​No county employee is paid more in the state of Florida than Broward County Attorney Joni Armstrong Coffey, according to information compiled by a new open-government website.

FloridaOpenGov.org put together a ton of information regarding state and county spending, as well as payroll and revenue information.

Coffey's 2011 salary is $346,195, one of only two county employees statewide (with former Miami-Dade County Manager George Burgess) who banked -- or were set to bank -- more than $300,000.

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BSO

Broward Sheriff's Deputy John Blackwelder.

​Broward Sheriff's Deputy John Blackwelder died in a motorcycle crash shortly after noon on New Year's Day, according to the BSO.

The sheriff's office says Blackwelder, 45, was riding his 2010 Honda motorcycle west on East Commercial Boulevard when a 75-year-old woman driving a four-door Cadillac made a left turn into his path at NE Third Avenue.

Blackwelder ran into the Cadillac's rear passenger door, according to the sheriff's office.

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