Richard Calabrese

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Collier County School Board member Richard Calabrese was admitted to Physicians Regional Medical Center on Pine Ridge Road on Monday after suffering a heart attack, School District officials said Tuesday.

It is not the first time Calabrese has had heart trouble.

In March, Calabrese told the Daily News that he had two angina attacks since the publicized one that hospitalized him in August.

“I felt a crushing feeling in my chest,” he told the Daily News then, “and my arms went numb.”

At the time, Calabrese went on to say his doctor says his heart is fine; his problems stem from anxiety and stress rather than some mechanical defect and can be treated.

School District officials were unable to say Tuesday how long Calabrese might be out of commission.

School Board Attorney Richard Withers said Calabrese would be allowed to serve as a board member until he resigned, was voted out of office or was removed by the governor.

“It is too early to talk about that,” Withers said.

If Calabrese elects to resign or does not have the capacity to serve, Withers said, the governor would appoint someone to serve in his place. If that came before June 30, the governor’s appointee would serve until November and the district would hold an election to replace him. If that appointment came after June 30, the person appointed by the governor would serve the remainder of Calabrese’s term, which is set to expire in November 2010.

Withers said he planned to check in on Calabrese on Tuesday night.

“I know he hasn’t been himself lately,” he said.