It was modern-day puppy love until police got involved.

Kaitlyn Hunt, an 18-year-old senior at Sebastian River High School in Indian River County, had been dating a 15-year-old girl through most of the school year, but when she turned 18 the other girl's parents called police and had Hunt charged with sex crimes.

Hunt's mother believes the other parents' disapproval with her daughter's sexuality might be to blame.

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Gilberto Santiesteban Jr.

The family that grew ganja together is now the family that pleaded guilty together. In the spring of last year, federal agents and Miami-Dade narcotics detectives dismantled a clan of marijuana growers that distributed thousands of pounds of high-grade weed from South Florida to New York City. Gilberto Santiesteban Jr., his dad, and his three brothers operated 21 grow houses for nearly seven years. Heck, even their significant others participated in the green conspiracy. It all unraveled when the Santiestebans decided to kidnap and murder a man who stole close to 50 pounds of their weed.

On April 29, Gilberto Jr. and his brother Darvis pleaded guilty to kidnapping and marijuana-trafficking charges after their father and two other siblings cut deals with federal prosecutors.

See also:
- Santiesteban Growhouse Empire Crumbles as Three Members Plead Guilty to Murder, Drug Charges

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photo by PictoralEvidence via Wikimedia Commons

Sales is a tough job. Those widgets ain't moving themselves. And everyone knows what happens at the weekly sales meeting: First prize is a Cadillac, second prize is a set of steak knives, and third place is you're fired. It's no different at Dynamic Medical Services, a Miami chiropractic center where salespeople had strict daily quotas: 12 new appointments for free consultations plus followups to persuade patients to pony up for paid services.

But if federal investigators are to be believed, those sales folks were also forced to spend half of each day toiling over L. Ron Hubbard's books and were coerced into screaming at ashtrays, staring down strangers in malls, and undergoing "cleansing" rituals in a sauna. If they didn't commit themselves to Scientology, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says in a federal complaint, they were fired.

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It's bittersweet for Miami Hurricanes fans that Shane Larking, only a sophomore, is making the jump to the NBA, but apparently the dude is good at jumping. Like, really, really good at jumping. He posted the second highest vertical leap ever recorded during the NBA combine today, and the highest recorded in more than a decade.

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Today's photo comes from TropicalTrip's Flickr. If you'd like to see your photo here join our Flickr group.

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Listen, if you're hungry for the D, don't actually try to bite into the D. That's what Krystle M. Harrison tried to do when her boyfriend refused to engage in sex and now she's sitting behind bars.

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Allen West's entire four years in Washington were essentially a giant performance art piece aimed at Fox News viewers. The Republican rep would bluster at a Muslim constituent that "you attacked us," or claim that 80 sitting Democrats in Congress are secret communists or blabber about gays "breaking down" the military, and Fox News would happily plaster his face all over the airwaves for a few hours.

Now that West is out of Congress, the team finally made their relationship formal this morning, with the network hiring the ex-politico as a contributor.

See also:
- Allen West, Uncut

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via YouTube

For the next month, two teams will be fighting tooth and nail for the chance to lead a billion dollar renovation of Miami Beach's convention center. But the Beach may soon have some serious competition on its hands for convention traffic, if a just released plan from downtown developers comes to pass.

A new player in the on-again, off-again Miami World Center project unveiled details today on YouTube for a twisty-looking Marriott and massive convention space on the old site of the Miami Arena.

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Every Friday, Riptide brings you the most eye-catching mugshots taken the previous week (or thereabouts) in Miami-Dade County. Yes, there is some mockery of bad neck tattoos, but also adulation directed at perps who just plain look more badass than we ever will. This is the italicized intro to that series.

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Last time we checked in with Chad Johnson, he was hanging out with a homeless guy in South Beach. Next time we check in he could be hanging out with prisoners behind bars. The Broward Sheriff's Office has issued a warrant for Johnson's arrest stemming from a possible violation of his probation.

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Public Enemy's "Fight the Power" may have been one of those politically radical songs to crack the American mainstream, but apparently Rep. Trey Radel (R-Naples) thinks that, "really, if you really get down to it, in many ways reflects the conservative message."

Yes, Radel has decided to join Marco Rubio as the latest hip-hop fan in the Republican party, and gave an interview to Now This News about his love of old school hip-hop.

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Today's photo comes from Patricia Turo's Flickr. To see your photo here join our Flickr group.

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Health nuts at Miami Beach's fancy David Barton Gym were just trying to relax and wash off after a tough workout when a group of armed bounty hunters stormed the locker rooms and searched the showers for two men. Apparently that's totally legal, too.

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Someone looking at child porn in the office is creepy. Someone looking at child porn while at Disney World is skin crawling. A pastor looking at child porn is just sick. Only in Florida, though, do you get pastors who work at Disney World getting caught looking at child porn and contacting underaged girls during office hours.

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Tim Padgett

National magazine journalism may be coughing and gagging its last breaths, but public radio is giving print reporters hope. In an email to supporters late last night, WLRN-Miami Herald News Director Dan Grech announced the station is reopening its Americas Desk. Even better: The desk will be helmed by Tim Padgett, a veteran reporter who spent 23 years covering Latin America and the Caribbean for TIME and Newsweek magazines. Their loss is Miami's gain for sure.

"We're doing this in collaboration with our partners at the Miami Herald and NPR," Grech says in the email. "Join me in welcoming Tim to the WLRN-Miami Herald news team! And stay tuned for his great work."

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Hugo Chavez toilet paper on sale on Calle Ocho

When it comes to sanitation, Americans are spoiled. We have so much toilet paper in this country of anal-wipe abundance that we can afford to slap politicians' faces on it in protest.

Not so in Venezuela, where a TP shortage currently has government officials and opposition leaders blaming each other for the crappy situation. Newly elected president Nicolas Maduro has even accused private companies of toilet paper speculation.

So spare a thought -- and a square of your finest quilted tissue -- for Venezuela today.

See also:
- Hugo Chavez Toilet Paper Is a Hot Seller on Calle Ocho
- Barack Obama Toilet Paper Being Used at Florida Fire Station

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Throughout his rocket-ship ride to the top of the GOP, Marco Rubio has fought to keep some financial skeletons from tumbling out of his closet. There were thousands in questionable credit card charges, a six-figure student loan debt, the Tally house (shared with David Rivera) that went into foreclosure.

These days, Rubio's accountant can sleep a little easier. The Tea Party wonderboy just released disclosures that show he nabbed an eye-opening $800,000 advance on An American Son, his autobiography, and used the cash to finally pay off that student loan.

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Big offense early and tough defense late helped the Heat close out the Bulls 94-91 Wednesday night to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. LeBron finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists, leading the Heat who will face the winner of the Knicks-Pacers series that Indiana currently leads three games to one.

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Kiera Wilmot, the teenage girl who was arrested, expelled from school and charged with two adult felonies all for conducting a science experiment on school grounds, will not face any criminal charges after all.

According to The Orlando Sentinel, the State Attorney's Office announced today it will not pursuit charges against the Bartow High School student.

See also:
- Kiera Wilmot's Failed Science Experiment Brings Out the Racism

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Apparently Jesus doesn't have as much sway at the polls as you would have imagined. After trumpeting her supposed endorsement by Mr. Jesus H. Christ himself in campaign material, Anna Pierre still came in dead last out of seven candidates in yesterday's North Miami mayoral primary.

So she's responded by claiming that voters have picked Lucifer over Jesus.

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