Leading off today: Florida students participating in high school football, baseball and weightlifting will be subject to
random testing for anabolic steroids under a one-year pilot program Gov. Charlie Crist signed Tuesday in Tallahassee.
The Florida High School Athletics Association will supervise testing in 426 public and 224 private schools beginning July 1. One percent of high school athletes in the three sports will be randomly tested. Athletes who refuse to provide a urine sample would be kicked off the team. Those who test positive would be suspended from the team, but could be reinstated after a follow-up test.
Budget votes and re-votes: Stillwater school district voters approved a $26.6 million building project by a 411-406 margin on Tuesday, but a proposition to fund artificial turf and lights for a new field at the school complex failed, 430-315. The successful proposition does include money to reconstruct the football field and surrounding layout and add a new gymnasium.
Skaneateles voters approved a nearly $10 million project that includes installation of an artificial-turf field and new tennis courts. The vote was 438-433.
Maine-Endwell voters said OK to a new pool complex at the high school. The district will convert the current pool area into a fitness center and wrestling room.
Budget re-votes in Brentwood, Cairo-Durham, Ithaca, Mamaroneck, Mount Sinai, Naples, Patchogue-Medford, Pawling, Pleasantville, Roosevelt, Tuxedo, Webutuck and Wyandanch succeeded. Clinton, Corning-Painted Post and Westbury will have to go with contingency budgets following a second rejection by voters.
'Architect of Albany High Football' dies: The death last week of Alex Sokaris was noted this morning in a Times Union piece by Bill Arsenault.
Sokaris, 67, was a three-sport standout at Albany High in the late 1950s. After a decade as an assistant coach, he took over an Albany High program coming off of consecutive 0-8 seasons. His 1972 team went 0-7-1, followed by a 5-3 mark and then a championship the year after that, Arsenault wrote.
Sokaris remained at Albany through 1986 and then spent three seasons at Guilderland. He returned to Albany in
