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Iowan Libertarian candidate for US Senate dies in plane crash

A doctor who was running as a Libertariancandidatefor U.S. Senate has died in aplanecrash.

The Dubuque County Sheriff's Office says Dr. Douglas Butzier was the pilot of theplanethatcrashedaround 11 p.m. Monday near Dubuque Regional Airport. He was the sole occupant of the aircraft.

Butzier worked at Mercy Medical Center-Dubuque. Jennifer Faley, a hospital spokeswoman, confirms Butzier was running for U.S. Senate against Democratic U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley and Republican state Sen. Joni Ernst.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford says theplanetook off from Ankeny Regional Airport about an hour before thecrash. The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate thecrash.

The party'scandidatefor governor, Dr. Lee Hieb, says Butzier just last weekend had flown her and several Libertarian Partycandidatesaround the state to campaign.

Hieb, an orthopedic surgeon, says she talked medicine with Butzier, a Dubuque emergency room surgeon, during some of their campaign events. He told her he became a Libertarian after studying economics for a Master of Business Administration about seven years ago.

She says "Iowa and the cause of individual liberty are significantly diminished by his passing."

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Iowan Libertarian candidate for US Senate dies in plane crash

Libertarian candidate for Iowa Senate killed in crash

Published October 14, 2014

In this photo provided by Mercy Medical Center is Dr. Douglas Butzier. The Dubuque, Iowa, doctor who was running as a Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate, died in a plane crash Monday near Dubuque Regional Airport, authorities said Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2014.(AP)

The Libertarian candidate running in the hotly contested Iowa Senate race died Monday night in a plane crash.

Authorities say the candidate, Dr. Douglas Butzier, was piloting the single-engine plane when it crashed at about 11 p.m. local time. The Dubuque County Sheriff's Office says the plane crashed upon approaching the Dubuque Regional Airport.

A brief statement on the candidate's campaign website announced his death. "He will be sorely missed by family, his coworkers and friends," the statement says.

The 59-year-old Butzier was running as a third-party candidate in the Senate race otherwise dominated by Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley and Republican state Sen. Joni Ernst. Most polling had shown Butzier with support in the single digits (one survey in September showed him at 2 percentage points).

Braley and Ernst are virtually tied in the polls, and it's unclear what impact Butzier had. Both candidates put out statements on Tuesday mourning his death.

Im shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden and tragic death, Braley said. I have enormous respect for anyone who puts their name forward as a candidate for public office. (Wife) Carolyn and I send our thoughts and prayers to Dr. Butziers wife and family during this difficult time.

"I am deeply saddened to learn the tragic news about Dr. Doug Butzier, Ernst said. I appreciated Doug's willingness to contribute to this important election. In addition to representing Libertarians in this campaign, Doug served his community as an ER doctor and medical leader. (Husband) Gail and I will keep Doug's family in our thoughts and prayers as they mourn their untimely loss."

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford said the plane took off from Ankeny Regional Airport about an hour before the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.

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Libertarian candidate for Iowa Senate killed in crash

Libertarian party candidate can't force his way into governor debate

Adrian Wyllie, the Libertarian Party candidate for governor, failed to persuade a federal judge that he had a right to appear in Wednesday night's debate between governor candidates Charlie Crist and Rick Scott.

U.S. District Judge James I. Cohn, who is based in Fort Lauderdale, said in a ruling late Tuesday afternoon that Wyllie did not have a right to appear in the debate, which originates from the Broward College campus in Davie.

A central tenet of Libertarian Party philosophy is keeping government involvement in private decisions to a minimum. Cohn found that the two debate sponsors, the business group Leadership Florida, and the Florida Press Association, are private organizations.

Though the judge said Broward College, "a public community college," is a host of the debate, he rejected Wyllie's contention that excluding him from the debate there warranted denial of equal protection or prior restraint on protected speech that would violate his constitutional rights.

The college, Cohn wrote, "exercised no control over which candidates may appear in the debate" and the event is a "nonpublic forum."

He wrote that Wyllie didn't have a reason to expect that he could appear in the debate because he didn't meet the threshold of getting at least 15 percent support in a public opinion poll before the debate. The judge said the criteria were clear when Leadership Florida and the Press Association announced the debate in August 2013.

The latest poll, released Tuesday by CNN found the race tied with 44 percent for Democrat Crist and incumbent Republican Scott, with Wyllie at 9 percent.

Cohn based his ruling on written arguments filed by both sides. He wrote that a hearing was unnecessary because the essential facts were not in dispute and there was a "need to rule promptly on this time-sensitive" matter.

The debate is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday.

It can be seen online at SunSentinel.com/governor debate and on television on WFOR-Ch. 4, in the Miami-Fort-Lauderdale Market, WFTV-Ch. 9 in the Orlando market, WPBF-Ch. 25 in the West Palm Beach market.

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Libertarian party candidate can't force his way into governor debate

Emulate Aregbesolas education policy, Akande tells FG

Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola | credits: File copy

A leader of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State, Chief Ayo Akande, has asked the Federal Government to adopt the child education policy of the Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, in primary and secondary schools across the country.

A statement on Tuesday quoted Akande as saying this in Ogba, Lagos, at the thanksgiving prayer organised to celebrate the re-election of Aregbesola.

Aregbesola of the APC won a re-election on August 9, 2014, defeating the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Iyiola Omisore, and others.

Akande said the feeding of pupils in all the public schools in Osun State was a unique education policy meant not only to give the pupils a sense of belonging but to also promote learning and understanding.

He said, The child education policy is a social responsibility and commitment that provides a solid foundation for the total development of the child and growth of the nation.

In view of its novelty and contribution to the development of education, the Aregbesole model should be adopted by the Federal Government in all primary and post-primary schools in the country.

The party chieftain said the provision of a good learning environment was not limited to physical structures in public schools.

The mental stability of the pupils to assimilate what they are being taught by their teachers is equally important, hence the feeding policy of the Aregbesolas administration to give the mental stability to pupils in Osun public schools should be commended and emulated, he said.

Akande, who said a hungry man was an angry man, noted that it would be difficult for a pupil to assimilate what the teacher teaches if such pupil was hungry.

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Emulate Aregbesolas education policy, Akande tells FG

PDP has messed up Nigeria -Buhari

A former Head of State and All Progressives Congress presidential aspirant, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), said on Tuesday that the Peoples Democratic Party had messed up the country.

He identified the inability of managing the nations resources as one of the problems affecting Nigeria, adding that he was coming to bring about positive and progressive change.

Buhari spoke in Port Harcourt when he paid a courtesy visit to the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, ahead of his declaration for the presidency in Abuja onWednesday.

The former head of state explained that he was disturbed by the frosty relationship between Rivers and the centre, even as he hailed the courage of the state governor.

He said, The PDP has messed itself up, it has messed the country up. Nigerians know we have a good opportunity to change the situation. What happened in Ekiti and Osun is a clear indication. It is either we totally mobilise and get the election results and form the government or we go under for good.

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PDP has messed up Nigeria -Buhari