Headlines for Thursday, July 29, 2010

• Man in 2009 Hernando pistol-whipping assault gets 40-year sentence

  
  
  By Joel Anderson, Times Staff Writer
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  BROOKSVILLE — Given his first chance to speak in court Thursday, Christian Rivera twisted around in his chair and made a last-minute plea to one of the men he was convicted of pistol-whipping more than a year and a half ago.Rivera apologized to Domenic Musicaro and his family. He blamed the assault on drugs and peer pressure. He told the judge he wanted a chance to be a father to his 3-year-old son."I'm not a savage," said Rivera, now 21. "I don't want to get out of prison when I'm 40 or 50 years old. That's all I ask."No such luck. In fact, Rivera will likely be much older than that if he ever gets out of prison.Rivera was sentenced to a total of 40 years stemming from the January 2009 pistol-whipping of Musicaro at Amity Trails Park in Spring Hill. A jury found Rivera guilty last month of aggravated assault with a firearm, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and attempted robbery with a firearm."I know to the defendant's family this was too harsh," Circuit Judge Stephen Rushing said. "And to the family of victims, it's probably too lenient. But it's the best I could do today."Under state sentencing guidelines, Rivera could have received a life sentence."It's a harsh sentence but it's a harsh crime," Assistant State Attorney Rob Lewis said later.Rivera was also sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to a separate charge of aggravated battery with great bodily harm following a brawl last year in the Hernando County Jail.Fellow inmate Raymond Dawson suffered a broken nose and cheekbone in the fight.But the charges that will send him to prison for a long time stem from a brutal confrontation at the usually tranquil county park on the evening of Jan. 21, 2009.According to court documents, Musicaro, 17, and Kevin Strickland, 31, had wrapped up four hours of a fantasy role-playing combat game involving foam weapons when they were hit with a shower of paintballs.Strickland said he yelled obscenities in the direction of the paintballs, but took no further action. The two headed toward Strickland's truck and began packing up to leave.Rivera jumped out of an SUV and approached the victims, brandishing a gun in Musicaro's face. Musicaro said he looked at Rivera and said, "Why can't we handle this maturely?" Rivera struck him three times in the face with the gun. Musicaro went blind in his right eye, and another blow shattered part of Strickland's skull and destroyed his peripheral vision.During last month's trial, the jury took three hours to reach a guilty verdict.Moments before Thursday's hearing, Rivera sat handcuffed at a table and cracked jokes with some of his family members as he tried to keep his mother and sister from tearing up.Things turned more serious when a bailiff explained to Rivera and his family members that there was to be no contact following the judge's ruling."I can't give you guys a hug," he told them.Following the sentence, Musicaro's mother said the trial had taken a toll on all three families involved in the case. "It'll never be over," Toni Musicaro said.Public defender Mike Amico said he planned to appeal the sentence, claiming that Rushing improperly sentenced Rivera because of an error in the interpretation of a statute on crimes involving firearms.But "we expected a very lengthy sentence," Amico said. "It's just sad and it's a statement to those out there about not using drugs and staying away from guns."Joel Anderson can be reached at joelanderson@sptimes.com or (352) 754-6120.
  

• At Trinity Oaks Elementary's summer writing academy, young writers flourish

  
  
  By Jeffrey S. Solochek, Times Staff Writer
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  Navada Ridge, 9, works on an exercise Tuesday during the summer writing academy at Trinity Oaks Elementary. Forty-six of the school’s top writers applied to take part in the program. The group includes students in third, fourth and fifth grades.
  Grace Pilman carefully folded a sheet of yellow legal-sized paper into four equal quadrants and wrote the letters B, M, M, E down the left side. Beginning. Middle. Middle. End.The rising third-grader then grabbed a paper with a heart on it that her teacher had provided. Like all the students gathered at Trinity Oaks Elementary, Grace had ideas for stories she might like to tell written in the heart. She homed in on one at the top."My idea is going to be about my hamster Rhino," Grace said as she began adding details of the beginning, two middles and an end to her legal pad. "It's going to be about how we got Rhino and what he did when we got him."All around her Tuesday, a group of third-, fourth- and fifth-graders went through the same assignment. They were 46 of the school's top writers, and they applied to get into the summer writing academy — the school's first — as a prelude to the school year."We really felt that oftentimes we spend a lot of time on remediation," principal Allison Hoskins said. "We wanted to provide an enrichment opportunity in a small group setting so we could really focus on what their writing needs are and get them to the next level."Originally, the school planned to charge families to let kids attend the program, which runs from 9 a.m. to noon over six days. But when Pasco district officials learned of the school's plans, particularly relating to teachers' intention to use the academy as professional training for new ways to teach writing, the district decided to cover the costs and look to the program as a possible countywide instructional model.Each day after the students leave, the teachers gather for three hours to discuss the children's individual strengths and weaknesses and then determine where the next day's curriculum should go. The school will track the participating students through the year and see if the methods used make them better writers and keep them interested in writing."We want to see what works here," said Rachel Powers, district reading and language arts supervisor.The first lesson for the 46 children involved listening to the book Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street, a short story about a girl named Eva who wants to write about her neighborhood but can't think of anything interesting to say. As Eva wanders, greeting and observing her neighbors, she gets some advice on such things as paying attention to details and describing common things in new ways.Teacher Michele DiIorio urged the children to listen for tips themselves, stressing that writers can mimic the best skills that other authors employ as they improve. At the end of the story, she again asked the students, "What are some things that (author) Roni Schotter does?"Hands shot up."She used the five senses, describing the smell of the pizza with peppers and stuff," rising fourth-grader Allyson Cole said."She used similes. … You compare two things together. It makes the story better and gives it more pizazz," rising fourth-grader Navada Ridge offered.Comfortable that the children "got it," DiIorio had them begin writing in journals, just to get their ideas flowing and the writing started. The room grew silent as the kids began scrawling in the booklets that the school provided.Some frowned, their writer's block forming early. The teachers told them it didn't matter what they wrote. Just get started. Maybe something will click.Everyone tried.After a few minutes, the teachers began another round of reading and writing with the children.Far from complaining, the kids eagerly joined in all the activities."I like to write about what I do over the weekend, and some poems," said rising fourth-grader Derick Stager. "I want to be here because it's fun and you get to see all your friends and you get to learn more."Grace Phillips, a rising fifth-grader, shared that enthusiasm. She said she hopes to become a professional writer, and that J.K. Rowling is her muse."It makes me feel myself," she said. "It makes me feel special, like I'm somebody in the world."Teacher Stacey McGinnis said she, too, was excited to take part in the new program. Teaching writing is fun, but not necessarily as straightforward as teaching subjects such as math, she said.Getting new ideas and directions on how to use them makes for a better teaching experience, she said between mini conferences with students.For the remainder of the academy, the students will learn more writing skills while also getting lessons about technology so they can put together a multimedia story. Grace Pilman looked forward to all of it."Making stories just makes me feel like I can tell everything to everyone," she said, Beach Boys music playing quietly in the background to relax the class. "You can just write about it and express your feelings. … I like to write. A lot."Jeffrey S. Solochek can be reached at solochek@sptimes.com or (813) 909-4614. For more education news, visit the Gradebook at blogs.tampabay.com/schools.
  

• Trainees say Able Body Labor in Clearwater misled them

  
  
  Times staff
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  CLEARWATERTrainees say labor company misled themProsecutors are investigating a Clearwater staffing company that is accused of offering hazardous emergency response training, but then withholding certification. The State Attorney's Office said Thursday that individuals have complained that Able Body Labor, a company based on Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard, advertised free training for hazardous waste operations certification, which is required for workers hired to help clean up oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill. But when the training was completed, the company never provided the proper certification, trainees complained. In addition, some said the company charged between $150 and $450 for the certification. Southern Cat Inc., a company in Panama City, was accused of the same wrongdoings. The State Attorney's Office says Able Body Labor has cooperated with the investigation so far.TARPON SPRINGSHomeless man is arrested in robberyA 48-year-old homeless man was arrested Wednesday after he threatened a 70-year-old Tarpon Springs woman and forced her to give him $50 in cash, police say. They say Pedro T. Flores showed up at her door Tuesday afternoon and initially demanded $150 in cash. The woman said she would need to drive to an ATM. Flores grabbed a steak knife and told her that if she made any turns toward the Police Department while driving to the bank, he would "chop her up," an arrest report said. The woman then told Flores that she had $50 in a drawer. He took the cash and the knife and left. Tarpon Springs police found him riding his bicycle on U.S. 19 Wednesday evening. He is charged with robbery using a deadly weapon and was jailed in lieu of $50,000 bail. In 2003, he had been sentenced to three years in prison for battery.CLEARWATERNAACP to hold annual banquetThe NAACP Clearwater/Upper Pinellas Branch is hosting its 36th annual Freedom Fund Banquet at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Martin Luther King Center, 1201 Douglas Ave. The keynote speaker will be Leon Russell, NAACP vice chairman, national board of executives. Russell is serving as Pinellas County's director of human rights. The theme for the event is "One Nation, One Dream.'' Cost: $35 adults; $25 children under 13. Tickets will be available at the door. Call (727) 461-5827 or (727) 742-4103.BELLEAIRRepublican club to host candidatesThe Belleair Women's Republican Club will hold a candidates forum and luncheon at Belleair Country Club, 1 Country Club Lane, at 11:30 a.m. Aug. 6. The cost is $21. For information, call (727) 596-5464.
  

• United Way of Hernando County collecting supplies for teachers

  
  
  Times staff
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  Chief Warrant Officer Four Robert Box stands outside the C-23 Sherpa 
he piloted during his vast career. Box, of Polk County, touched down 
for the last time at Hernando County Airport on Thursday afternoon, 
as fellow pilots and Army members welcomed him in. During his career, spanning 42 years of service, Box flew with the National Guard Company H, 1/171st of Hernando, which led him to a tour of Vietnam and one 
in Iraq. Box earned 35 air medals and accrued 14,000 military and 
civilian hours in flight time. Now that his time in the military has come 
to an end, Box will still pilot Life Flight helicopters, based in Polk County.
  COUNTYWIDEUnited Way collecting supplies for teachersUnited Way of Hernando County will host the fourth annual Stuff the Bus school supply drive for Hernando County teachers from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today through Sunday. Residents may drop off gift supplies or gift cards at yellow school buses at the following locations: Publix stores at 160 Mariner Blvd., 14371 Spring Hill Drive and 13455 County Line Road, each in Spring Hill; Publix at 19390 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville, and 9595 Commercial Way in Weeki Wachee; all Walmart stores in Spring Hill and Brooksville; and Staples, 4210 Commercial Way. Also, drop boxes will be available at all Walgreens and Regions Bank locations for donations. For information, call (352) 688-2026 or visit unitedwayhernando.net.BROOKSVILLEVolunteers needed to help people apply for benefitsThe Florida Department of Children and Families and Mid-Florida Community Services offers online assistance for benefits including food stamps, Medicaid and cash assistance through Access Florida. Volunteers are available to help with the application process from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays at the Retired Senior and Volunteer Program office, 880 Kennedy Office. Additional volunteers are needed; those interested should be computer-savvy and have a patient and caring demeanor. For information or to volunteer, call (352) 796-8117 or (352) 330-2162, ext. 5518. Today's meetingsSpring Hill Fire Rescue District, negotiation session, 2 p.m., district headquarters, 3445 Bob Hartung Court, Spring Hill.Today's picksChildren's Stories and Crafts Program: 11 a.m. for toddlers ages 18-35 months; 11:45 a.m. for children ages 3-5 years, West Hernando/S.T. Foggia Branch Library, 6335 Blackbird Ave., Spring Hill. Free. (352) 540-6391.Hernando County Sheriff and Florida DEP host "Easy as One" recycling event: 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Weeki Wachee Springs, 6131 Commercial Way, Weeki Wachee. Visit dep.state.fl.us/easyasone.Florida Library Youth Program presents Fritzy Brothers-One Man Circus: 10:15 a.m., Spring Hill Branch/Harold G. Zopp Memorial Library, 9220 Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill. Free. (352) 540-6391.Hernando deathsDetailed obituaries are published in Section B.
  

• Fire destroys Spring Hill home

  
  
  Times staff
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  SPRING HILL — Two cats and one dog are missing after an electrical fire destroyed much of their Spring Hill home, authorities said.Neighbor Merrille Bartley said she called 911 Wednesday morning after seeing smoke rising from the house at 1416 Findlay Ave., a report from the Hernando County Sheriff's Office said.Homeowner Lori Garetano told a deputy her three cats and two dogs were in the house. One cat and one dog were found alive, a Sheriff's Office report said. Authorities think the other animals are buried under the rubble of the home.Garetano told deputies her home was not insured.A Spring Hill Fire Rescue official said an electrical problem caused the fire, the report said, but the Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative said the power had been turned off the day before at 3 p.m. Fire Marshal Tom Hall is continuing the investigation, the report said.
  

• Filthy Clearwater home declared uninhabitable; mother and daughter forced out

  
  
  By Douglas R. Clifford, Times Staff Writer
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  Bobbie Hancock, 80, left, and her daughter Rebecca Ann Fancher, 53, mill through piles of items outside their home at 1937 Alton Drive in Clearwater on Thursday.
  CLEARWATER — Two weeks ago, a Pinellas County judge ordered a Clearwater woman to clean up her filthy house. Officials removed 11 cats, then returned for a followup this week and took six more cats and two dogs.They also declared the home uninhabitable.Conditions inside were so bad that a sheriff's deputy reported Wednesday that, "I could not make my way inside the front door but I could see the living room and it was covered with trash from floor to the ceiling and smelled of urine."The house at 1937 Alton Drive belongs to Bobbie Hancock, 80. She lives there with her daughter Rebecca Ann Fancher, 53. Greg Andrews, operations manager with Pinellas County Animal Services, said the situation had improved little since the judge's cleanup order.Andrews said two pit bull terriers, tethered outside the home, and six cats in animal crates remained at the property when officials returned. Animal Services first issued Hancock a warning on July 15, finding her in violation of the county's new anti-tethering ordinance. It prohibits tying a dog to a tree or other object, labeling such acts a form of animal cruelty.On Wednesday, Hancock was issued the first citation based on the new ordinance. Officials also removed Hancock's remaining animals, which she voluntarily surrendered. Several other agencies were at the scene, including the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office and the Department of Environmental Management. The latter declared the home uninhabitable, forcing Hancock and Fancher to stay with friends, said sheriff's Sgt. Tom Nestor.Nestor said the Florida Department of Children and Families had been contacted out of concern that the women will become homeless.Andrews said the saga began after a July 13 hearing before Pinellas Circuit Judge John Schaefer on a case against Hancock prompted by complaints from neighbors. Schaefer found the property in violation of three county codes that govern trash and debris on private property. He gave her 60 days to comply.Two days later, Pinellas County Animal Services and the Humane Society of Pinellas inspected the home. Andrews said they found ceiling-high mounds of trash bordered with narrow pathways and cockroach and spider infestations."This house was one of the worst houses we have ever gone into," Andrews said. "The animals were not in the best condition but were not in any immediate threat as far as health goes."Andrews said all the animals (17 cats, two dogs) are being assessed for health and temperament."These animals are not friendly, they are not socialized," Andrews said.Sheriff's Deputy Joseph Minor reported that Hancock told him she had lived in the home for at least 16 years, that she and her daughter had become overwhelmed with cats in the house and that she had called the Humane Society for help. They also told Minor they have had issues cleaning the residence and have been doing the best they can.
  

• Clearwater staffing company accused of withholding certification for oil clean-up

  
  
  By Martine Powers, Times Staff Writer
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  CLEARWATER — Prosecutors are investigating a Clearwater staffing company that's accused of offering free hazardous emergency response training, but then withholding certification.The State Attorney's Office said Thursday that individuals have complained that Able Body Labor, a company based on Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard, advertised free training for hazardous waste operations certification, which is required for workers hired to help clean up oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill.But when the training was completed, the company never provided the proper certification, trainees complained. In addition, some said the company charged between $150 and $450 for the certification.Southern Cat, Inc., a company based in Panama City, was accused of the same wrongdoings.According to the State Attorney's Office, Able Body Labor has fully cooperated with the investigation so far.
  

• Sexually abused girl's family sues New Port Richey church, two pastors

  
  
  By Molly Moorhead, Times Staff Writer
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  NEW PORT RICHEY — The family of a girl who was sexually abused by a youth pastor at Calvary Chapel Worship Center has filed a lawsuit against the church and two of its other pastors.The suit says the church knew that youth pastor Scott Wright had made sexual advancements on the girl, who was 16, but did nothing to protect her and even talked Wright out of resigning.Wright, 36, who was married with four children, was arrested last year and accused of penetrating the girl with his fingers in her Palm Harbor home in 2007. He pleaded guilty last August in Pinellas County to two counts of unlawful sexual activity with the girl.At the time of his arrest, Wright lived on Echo Lake Drive in New Port Richey. He had left Calvary Chapel and served briefly as youth pastor at The Crossing Church in Tampa, which fired him in November 2008. He was arrested on the sex charge five months later.Wright was sentenced to more than four years in prison, followed by six years of registered sex offender probation.When he gets out of prison, he will be barred from living near a school or other location where children congregate. He also will face restrictions on where he can work and whether he will be allowed to use the Internet.The girl and her family are not being named because of the nature of the case.In their lawsuit, they say she was suffering from anxiety and other emotional problems when Wright offered her counseling and spiritual guidance. The church, and pastors William Strayer and Andre Erasmus, were aware of the arrangement."After (the girl) had received sexual advancements from Pastor Scott Wright, she informed (him) that these sexual advancements made her feel uncomfortable," the suit says. "(Wright) thereafter confessed his inappropriate actions with the minor child to Erasmus, who is in charge of counseling at the church. … Erasmus talked (Wright) out of resigning and took no further actions to protect (the girl), discipline (Wright) or rectify the situation."The church declined to comment Thursday. The lawsuit was filed in Hillsborough County.Molly Moorhead can be reached at moorhead@sptimes.com or (727) 869-6245.
  

• Books still absorb, even if they're electronic

  
  
  By Dan DeWitt, Times Columnist
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  A few weeks ago, before vacation, I drove down to Wesley Chapel to pick up some books at Barnes & Noble, the only chain store I can say I'd love to see in Hernando.Maybe you agree. When a previous columnist asked readers what kind of retail outlet they most wanted to open here, the easy winner was a major bookstore.If these media supermarkets don't quite meet the county's definition of big-box stores, they're still big and boxy. They crush independent enterprise, are surrounded by expanses of asphalt and promote the dreaded "culture of sameness.'' I shouldn't approve.But their coffee is hot and their chairs comfy. They're usually packed with people reading old-fashioned ink on paper — nice to see if you're in the business. The clerks don't mind when I sift through piles of glossy, overpriced magazines I have zero intention of buying — probably because most browsers drop plenty of cash before they leave.On the visit this summer, I did. The total bill for the family was well over $100. My treat was a $20 (factoring in discount and tax) new release by acclaimed author Sebastian Junger: War.A few pages in, I decided I didn't need to read an entire book to know Afghanistan is a brutal, frustrating mess. For me at least, War was a dud.And now it's junk — paper, cardboard and cloth gathering dust in the discard pile of reading material by my bed and, soon, on bookshelves full of other half-read books in our den.I bring this up because Amazon.com recently announced that it's selling more e-books than hardcovers.My family gave me Barnes & Noble's e-reader, a "Nook," for Father's Day. You may remember I denounced the shallow materialism of giving gifts on this holiday. Forget it. This thing is great, especially if you live in a place with underfunded libraries and no full-service bookstore.It helps that every book I've downloaded so far has been a winner: Neville Shute's classic post-apocalypse novel, On the Beach; Empire of the Summer Moon, by S.C. Gwynne, about the final years of the Comanches; The Greatest Trade Ever, in which Gregory Zuckerman tells the story of a hedge fund manager who made billions betting against the housing market — tells it so well that even I'm starting to figure out credit default swaps.In articles I read about surging e-book sales, experts debate if this will be the death or salvation of the publishing business. Newspapers face the same question: Can their intellectual product be delivered profitably without the traditional, resource-heavy delivery network — paper, presses, trucks, buildings?If these two industries really are in it together, I find it reassuring that my book-buying has accelerated since I got my Nook; e-books are cheaper — $7 cheaper in the case of War — and easier to access. I don't miss turning pages or any other aspect of what people are starting to call "physical books.'' I don't miss the bulk or weight of the stack of them I pack for vacations and certainly don't miss the bad ones piling up in our den.I'd still like to see a Barnes & Noble in Hernando, or even the Books-a-Million that was once supposed to open on U.S. 19. I like coffee, comfortable chairs and well-read, tolerant clerks. But even a good bookstore comes in second to a good book.
  

• Casa Tina's Mexican restaurant in Dunedin offers lunch, dinner — and acrobats

  
  
  By Terri Bryce Reeves, Times Correspondent
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  Dixon, 21, an aerialist, dazzles diners while hanging from drapes during Sunday’s performance at Casa Tina’s Mexican restaurant in Dunedin.
  DUNEDINIf find yourself sitting in Casa Tina's Mexican restaurant, gazing at the magenta walls adorned with religious trinkets and skeleton mariachis, and you spot some fairy-like creatures above your head, don't worry. It's not the tequila.Rather, you've happened upon some cirque artists, aerial performers who train at BB's Dance & Circus Arts of Tampa Bay, a Clearwater dance studio owned by Beth Brier. This is the 11th year the studio has been in operation, and Brier credits her daughter Catie, now 21, with helping to bring the art form to the local arena."One day she told me she didn't want to dance anymore — she wanted to become a contortionist," Brier said.Catie went to Montreal to learn the art. Upon her return, she shared her love of extreme twists and turns with other dance school members.Seeing how popular the response was, Brier began hiring contortion and aerial teachers, buying equipment and holding classes. In 2006, BB's Dance Factory officially became BB's Dance & Circus Arts of Tampa Bay.The aerialists, usually two or three a night, put on a show every Saturday and Sunday evening at the funky ethnic eatery. For the uninitiated, their performances can be as surprising as, well, a Mexican restaurant in the heart of a Scottish downtown.Russell Luce of Chicago was dining with some relatives Sunday night when two acrobats dressed in tie-dyed leotards began their repertoire of splits, arabesques, death-defying drops and torso-twisting feats on the trapeze, hoop and fabric panels."When they first started, I thought, okay, we have a floor show. Cool," Luce said. But he was surprised at how good the act was."They were mesmerizing. I've never been in a restaurant in Chicago where you had something like this," he said.Bob and Kay McCune of Dunedin sat just a few feet from the performers. The couple alternately smiled, gasped and clapped as the pair performed myriad fluid movements gracefully above their heads."It makes coming here so festive," he said. "The girls are amazing. You can tell how hard they've worked."Cathy Beckett of Safety Harbor was also impressed but wondered about the aerialists performing without mats, belts or nets."It's kind of scary when they drop down," she said, referring to moments when their heads came within a few inches of the concrete floor.To spill is a thrill, said aerialist Chelsea Meredith, 19, of St. Petersburg, who hopes one day to perform with Cirque du Soleil, the world-renowned troupe of acrobats, contortionists and aerialists."I like scaring people," she said as dots of glitter twinkled on her skin. "It's entertaining for me to catch someone's eye, pause, and then drop down and almost hit the floor."Instructor Jessica Watson, 24, of Tampa said safety is the top priority. The aerialists spend hours upon hours learning to brace themselves on the trapeze and hoop and create safety knots with the fabric using their feet, ankles and other body parts.The other performer on Sunday, Morgan Dixon, 21, of Clearwater, said she teaches contortion classes at the dance studio."Contortion is intense stretching with the goal of getting crazy flexible," she said. Like when one rests her chin on the floor and brings her legs and feet over the head and in front of the body, she said.The aerial moves have quirky names like the slinky, the rotisserie chicken, the man in the moon, the coffin and the crucifix."The crucifix," said Meredith. "That's when I sacrifice myself."Reach Terri Bryce Reeves at treeves@ tampabay.rr.com.
  

• Burglar sues men who captured him, claims rough citizens arrest

  
  
  By Kameel Stanley, Times Staff Writer
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  ST. PETERSBURG — One October day in 2007, a homeless man broke into a car and stole a bike.He didn't get very far.Within five minutes, the man, Michael Dupree, was caught trying to sell the bike down the street. Police arrested him. He was sent to jail.Now, he wants payback. Dupree, who is serving a 12-year prison sentence for burglary and cocaine possession, has filed a civil lawsuit against three men who helped police take him down.Dupree says he's the victim of a rough citizens arrest, and was assaulted and battered by the men. He is seeking $500,000 and punitive damages."It's laughable," said Anthony McKoy, one of the men being sued. "It's a waste of taxpayer money."McKoy remembers Dupree well.He says that on the morning of Oct. 11, 2007, he was working at his business, AMPM Bail Bonds, 2130 Martin Luther King Jr. St. S.At some point, he went into his office for something. When he came back, he noticed that the passenger window of one of his vehicles — which was plastered with the name of his business — was broken.He quickly spotted Dupree, who had a red bike that had been inside the vehicle.McKoy and two other men, Paul Word and Arrid Green, gave chase. They found Dupree hiding naked a few hundred feet away. McKoy says he put Dupree in a shoulder hold until officers arrived.According to a police report, Dupree, who has a criminal record dating back to 1990, was homeless at the time. He told police that a guy had given him the bike and he went to the corner store and was trying to sell it.Then, he said, McKoy and the other men jumped him, pointed a gun at him, placed a knee painfully on his spine and handcuffed him. Dupree claims in his suit, which he filed without the assistance of a lawyer, that the take-down "resulted in permanent disabilities and psychological disorders which the Plaintiff continues to suffer."A jury convicted Dupree of burglary in 2008. He is serving his sentence at the Apalachee Correctional Institution in Sneads. He pleaded no contest to the drug charge and is serving a concurrent two year sentence.McKoy said he couldn't believe it when he was served with Dupree's lawsuit earlier this month. The suit was filed June 29."I thought it was a joke," McKoy said. "I'm the victim."McKoy said he expects the suit to be dismissed."What gall," he said. "I guess time in prison just makes you go crazy."Kameel Stanley can be reached at kstanley@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8643.
  

• Hernando County political notebook

  
  
  By Phyllis Day, Times Staff Writer
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  • Political signs and literature, plus McCollum for Governor, Veterans for McCollum, Women for McCollum and Sportsmen for McCollum bumper stickers are available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays through Aug. 24 at two locations: Hartland Centre, 2939 Landover Blvd., Spring Hill; and Century 21 Alliance Realty, 507 E Jefferson St., Brooksville. All purchases benefit the McCollum for governor campaign. Bill McCollum is a Republican candidate for Florida governor. For information or to volunteer for the McCollum for governor campaign, call Laurie Pizzo at (352) 428-8011.• A meet and greet for the campaign of Keane Chapman for Hernando County School Board will be from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Rising Sun Cafe, 10 S Main St., Brooksville. For information, call Kelly Chapman at (352) 799-4958 or visit www.votekeane.com.• The Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee will host the 2010 Primary Candidates Forum at 6 p.m. Thursday in the County Commission Chambers at the Hernando County Government Center, 20 N Main St., Brooksville. A meet and greet will precede the forum at 5 p.m. For information, call Carla Hayes at the chamber, (352) 796-0697.• Wesleyan Village will sponsor a Congressional Candidate Forum at 1 p.m. Thursday in the Nicholson Center at 8210 Wesley Drive, Brooksville. The forum will include Democratic and Republican candidates for the District 5 congressional seat, including Jim Piccillo, a Democrat, and Republicans Richard Nugent and Jason Sager. The public is welcome. For information, call (352) 799-1644.Candidates are welcome to submit information on fundraisers, meet and greets and other campaign events to Phyllis Day by e-mail at pday@sptimes.com, by fax to (352) 754-6133 or by mail to the Hernando Times, 15365 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville, FL 34613. Notices must be submitted at least 10 days prior to the event or ticket deadline. For information, call (352) 754-6101.
  

• 'Smiling persistence' usually got it done for Charlie Weisgerber

  
  
  By Andrew Meacham, Times Staff Writer
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  TREASURE ISLAND — Retiree Charlie Weisgerber dressed each morning as if headed to work. Khakis and a dress shirt, hard shoes. A haircut every 10 days.Presentation was important to the former salesman. He still had pitches to make. He said goodbye to his wife and was gone for hours.When former Treasure Island City Manager Chuck Coward saw Mr. Weisgerber at his door, he knew a request was coming. Some project he wanted the city's help with."Charlie would get all out of you he could," said Coward, who is now city manager of Indian Rocks Beach. "But he was reasonable."Mr. Weisgerber had a style. Coward called it a "smiling persistence."It's how he raised the money to put up flags on light posts every Fourth of July, or sold bricks for downtown restoration.He called Bob Dowling, a buddy. We're doing Canadian Thanksgiving again, he said. Can you bring the turkey cooker?"Of course, if you bring the cooker, you were expected to do the cooking, too," said Dowling, 63.Mr. Weisgerber never asked for more than people could do."He would put the touch on you, but it was always just a little something," said Patricia Hubbard of Hubbard Enterprises, who has been hit up by a lot of causes.Yet when his name flashed on her caller ID, "It was, 'Oh, it's Charlie, what's going on?' " Hubbard said.Mr. Weisgerber was born in Woodbury, N.J., into a patriotic family. His grandfather, artist Charles H. Weisgerber, painted Birth of Our Nation's Flag in 1892. The depiction of Betsy Ross with George Washington was reproduced on a 3-cent stamp in 1952.The painting lay rolled up in storage for decades at his brother's house.He served in the Air Force and its reserves, dabbled in radio, then hired on as a salesman for National Cash Register. His marriage to his first wife, Rubimae, produced five sons in five years, starting with twins.He retired from NCR after 18 years, then opened Baskin-Robbins ice cream franchises in Iowa and Largo. Rubimae died in 1983, of cancer. In 1985 he met Janet Milton, a banker who was selling a sailboat. "He was a persistent suitor," said Milton, who married him that year. He stayed close to his sons, talking to all five at least twice a week.His work was never finished. In recent years, he was lobbying the Smithsonian Institution to display Birth of Our Nation's Flag in its museum.Mr. Weisgerber died July 21, of lung cancer. He was 84.Andrew Meacham can be reached at (727) 892-2248 or ameacham@sptimes.com.
  

• Land O'Lakes Little League All-Star team comes up short in run to state

  
  
  By Davis Rice, Times Correspondent
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  The Land O'Lakes 9- and 10-year-old Little League All-Star baseball team won the Section 4 championship to become one of the eight teams eligible to play for the state championship last weekend. It was the first time Land O'Lakes had made it to the final eight of the tournament that started with more than 300 teams. It was also the first time the tournament was at the Land O'Lakes Recreation Complex.To get to the state tournament, Land O'Lakes had to win 11 of its 14 games on the district and sectional levels. They won one of their three games at the state tournament for a fifth-place finish, but the achievement is still one for the scrapbooks."It was really neat to be there because we had never experienced going that far before," coach Mike Peeples said. "We had an incredible run and we just fell short. I thought the boys played incredible baseball and when it was all over I just told them how proud I was of them. We did well and just fell short."KARATE: On the weekend of July 11, Cheryl Cleveland and her students from Community Fun and Fitness Center in Odessa entered the U.S. Open Karate tournament in Orlando, where the group found some new accolades to go along with their new training center. Cleveland topped her former record of breaking five boards with a side kick by breaking six, which was enough to win the competition for her. Students Danielle Pollard, 14, and Anthony Swinford, 13, also took honors. Pollard broke seven boards with a stomp kick to finish second while Swinford won first place in the sparring competition. The students are part of Cleveland's martial arts classes at the Odessa Community Fun and Fitness Center, a donation-based recreation facility created by Cleveland. For information on the center and the classes it offers, call Ginger Alemaghides at (813) 842-3202. GOLF: The second annual Wiregrass Ranch High School football tournament will be on Aug. 7. The tournament will take place at 9 a.m. at the Links of Lake Bernadette in Zephyrhills. The cost of entry is $65 per player or $220 per team. The fee includes greens fee, cart, range balls and a post-tournament barbecue and awards ceremony. The entry deadline is today. For information, call Jeremy Shobe (813) 571-7271 or Chris Barber at (813) 469-1082.TENNIS: USTA instructor Brent Wellman is holding tennis camps throughout the remainder of the summer for students looking to improve their speed, footwork, strategy, technical ability and fitness levels. The camps are open to kids ages 5 to 14. The cost for the 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. morning sessions is $85 per week. Competitive players will train from 3 to 6:30 p.m. and will cost $110 per week. For information, call (727) 919-2011 or register online at www.brent wellmanimpacttraining.com.
  

• Tampa City Council backs away from airport stop for high speed rail

  
  
  Janet Zink, Times Staff Writer
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  TAMPA — After hearing from transportation officials Thursday, the City Council backed off an effort to get money for a high speed rail stop at Tampa International Airport.Council member Mary Mulhern has been pushing for the stop, along with a light rail station, saying it's critical to the future of the airport. But airport leaders and those working on a high speed rail line connecting downtown Tampa to Orlando have said logistics won't allow a bullet train stop there. They reiterated those arguments at a City Council meeting, saying the airport doesn't have the space to accommodate the trains. Mulhern rejected those claims, saying she was astounded that in 26 years of planning no one has studied taking high speed rail to Tampa International Airport. "If we've never studied that route from downtown to the airport, how do we know it's not feasible?" she asked. President Barack Obama awarded Florida $1.25 billion in federal stimulus money to build a bullet train connecting downtown Tampa to Disney World, the Orlando convention center, and Orlando International Airport. State officials will apply for a grant next month for the remaining $1.5 billion needed to complete the project. Mulhern had hoped next month's grant application would include a request for money to study a stop at TIA. She has argued that cutting out Tampa International Airport means the airport will lose passengers to the Orlando airport, which has more international and direct domestic flights.After learning that grant money will fund only rail construction, she now wants to find another source of grant money to study a Tampa stop.Hillsborough transit officials are now studying the possibility of connecting the downtown high speed rail station to the airport via light rail or bus rapid transit. John Wheat, interim director of TIA, said those options have long been part of airport expansion plans. He said Orlando can accommodate the large high speed rail trains and tracks because its airport owns nearly 15,000 acres compared to the Tampa airport's 3,300. Miami is planning for a high speed rail stop at a large transportation center about a mile from its airport, he said. But Tampa, Wheat said, differs from those locations. "We have a very limited corridor," he said. Putting in high speed rail would require huge physical changes, such as moving runways, he said. "Anything is possible, I suppose, in today's environment if you throw enough money at it," Wheat said. Ed Turanchik, director of communications for the high speed rail project, said that since the idea of a Florida bullet train first surfaced in 1984, plans have called for connecting downtown Tampa to some place in Miami.The Tampa airport has never been on the table, he said. He said he sees the glass as "7/8 full." "We have the unique position of being the only city in Florida with a high speed rail stop downtown," he said, noting that location allows for surrounding development possibilities not available near an airport. "In 2015, if all things go well for us, high speed rail trains are coming here." He said the focus now should be on connecting the downtown stop to the airport via light rail or bus. Light rail, though, depends on voters approving a 1 cent sales tax in November, something council member Curtis Stokes pointed out. "The one-penny sales tax should be forefront in our minds right now as we go toward the November election," he said. The two issues shouldn't be mixed up, he said. He suggested tabling the airport and high speed rail discussion until a later date. The council voted 4-3 against a resolution supporting a high speed rail stop at the airport and requesting that state transportation officials ask for federal money to study the station. Council members Yolie Capin and Joseph Caetano voted with Mulhern on the losing side. After the meeting, Mulhern said she isn't discouraged. She plans to ask the county's Metropolitan Planning Organization to apply for grant money to complete the study. "We need to study it," she said. "That's it." Janet Zink can be reached at jzink@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3401.
  

• Hernando Nightlife

  
  
  By Phyllis Day, Times Staff Writer
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  Bar Envy: 11060 Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill. DJ Rhinestone from Wild 94.1 FM, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Saturday. Latin Night, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Sunday. Beer pong tournament ($10 entry; winner takes all) and free pool, 9 p.m. Tuesday. Hip-Hop DJ and Caribbean DJ , 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Wednesday. Free Texas Hold'em Poker, free pool and beer pong practice, 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Thursday. Cover Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday is $5. (352) 686-5171.Bayport Inn: 4835 Cortez Blvd., Weeki Wachee. Live entertainment, 6-10 p.m. today and Saturday and 2-6 p.m. Sunday. No cover. (352) 596-1088.C's Pub: 12572 Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill. DJ and karaoke, 8 p.m.-2 a.m. today and Saturday. No cover. (352) 688-4249.Coney Island Drive Inn: 1112 E Jefferson St., Brooksville. Kenn "E" Grube as Elvis, 6-8 p.m. Wednesday. Face painting with Mr. Armadillo's Backyard, 7-9 p.m. Wednesday. (352) 796-9141.Flamingo's Lounge: 3447 Commercial Way, Spring Hill. Karaoke, 9 p.m.-1:30 a.m. today and Saturday. No cover. 21 and older. (352) 683-7272.Jake's Wherehouse: 7318 S Broad St., Brooksville. DJ Gooch, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. today and Saturday. Bike night, 6-9 p.m. Monday. Pool tournament at 8 p.m. and karaoke at 9 p.m. Wednesday ($10 entry for double-elimination eight-ball pool tourney). (352) 593-4107.Jerry's Place: 10553 Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill. Karaoke, 9 p.m. daily. No cover. (352) 666-9866.Mermaid Lounge And Eatery: 4658 Commercial Way, Spring Hill. Bike night and DJ Dave (outdoors), 6-10 p.m. Saturday, and live music with Rebound (indoors), 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Saturday. Pool tournament ($5 buy-in), 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Monday Night Madness with DJ Al, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Monday. Karaoke with K.J. Jersey, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Tuesday. No cover. (352) 597-5884.Miss Kitty's Hilltop Lounge: 504 N Broad St., Brooksville. Live entertainment, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. today, Saturday and Thursday. $3 cover today and Saturday. (352) 796-3475.Pickled Parrot: 5526 Commercial Way, Spring Hill. Borderline and DJ Mat, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. today and Saturday. Miss Dynamite, 8 p.m.-midnight Monday. Stars N Barz karaoke, 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday. Sink or Swim/karaoke, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Wednesday. $5 cover today and Saturday. (352) 597-0707.The Pits Lounge at Louie's Bowling Center: 1691 E Jefferson St., Brooksville. Live music, 8 p.m.-midnight today. Karaoke, 8 p.m.-midnight Saturday. (352) 799-1987.Pitstop Bar and Grill: 4279 Mariner Blvd., Spring Hill. Live music, 9 p.m. today. Bike night, 6-9 p.m. Tuesday. Karaoke with Beantowne Entertainment, 8 p.m.-midnight Wednesday. No cover. (352) 263-2263.R Beach: 4054 Shoal Line Blvd., Hernando Beach. DJ, 8 p.m. today and Saturday. Southern Exposure featuring Norm Bernard and Kim (jazz), 6-9 p.m. Wednesday. National Talent Quest/Sunshine State Singing Competition (karaoke), 6-11 p.m. Thursday. (352) 592-5556.Rebar: 10123 Broad St., Brooksville. Karaoke, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Saturday and Thursday. No cover. (352) 799-6031.Spare Time Sports Bar & Eatery: 3544 Mariner Blvd., Spring Hill. Latin dance, 9 p.m. today. Hip-hop/Top 40, 9 p.m. Saturday. Karaoke, 9 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. No cover. (352) 684-7998.Swanie's Supper Club: 6172 Commercial Way, Weeki Wachee (inside Quality Inn). Marti Carroll, 7 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays. No cover. (352) 597-5588.Tijuana Cowboys: 1365 Kass Circle, Spring Hill. Blues jam, 8 p.m. Mondays. No cover. (352) 610-4385.If your Hernando County bar or restaurant has live entertainment, get it included in Nightlife. Fax the information to (352) 754-6133, e-mail to pday@sptimes.com, or mail or bring it to our office at 15365 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville, FL 34613. Be sure to include the name of the act, dates, times and cover charge.
  

• Hernando Has Talent finalists take the stage Saturday

  
  
  By Phyllis Day, Times Staff Writer
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  Singer Raney Nord
  SPRING HILL — While television talent shows such as American Idol and America's Got Talent are on hiatus during the summer months, there's a local version taking place this weekend in Spring Hill.Although it won't be televised, folks can head over to Stage West Community Playhouse on Saturday evening to watch some of Hernando's finest talent compete in a new competition, Hernando Has Talent.The contest will feature 15 finalists from auditions conducted this month."There were a lot of really talented performers, and a different variety of entertainment," said Stage West president Barbara Everest, who is helping out backstage with the show. "The good side is there are so many people (who auditioned) who have never been to our theater. And it's always good to see new talent."The show will feature a variety of singers and dancers, and even a comedian, all competing to win cash prizes. The first-place winner will receive $500, second place $300 and third place $200.Contestants include the Pine Chords Quartet, the POP Ensemble (a 12-member singing/dance group); dancers P.J. DiGaetano, Gabriella Marcic and Ashley Vonada; soloists Crystal Lawrence, Raney Nord, Christen Petruzelli, Jacob Rice, Matthew Romeo, Pete Rostel, Yvette Velez and Mika Wescomb; comedian Maurea Sleesman; and pianist/singer Lizz Voorhees.Judges include Grammy-winning professional sound-mixing engineer Dan Hetzel, professional singer and voice coach Susan Falcone, Chief Mike Maurer of the Hernando County Sheriff's Office; and Stage West veterans Leanne Germann, Terri Marwood, Saul Leibner, Micki Mandel and Wayne Raymond. The master of ceremonies is Jim Hansen.Proceeds from the event will benefit Stage West's scholarship fund. Everest said 50 percent of ticket sales from all shows at Stage West throughout the year go to the scholarship fund. This past year, five $1,000 scholarships were given to students who will further their education in the arts, as well as to a student who has helped at Stage West but won't be studying the arts.Everest said proceeds from Hernando Has Talent will help provide a cushion for the scholarship fund, as the economic slump has affected the past season's ticket sales."(Hernando Has Talent) really is an added benefit," she said.The show is a collaboration between the St. Petersburg Times/Hernando Times and Stage West, with sponsors including Flammer Ford, Senica Air Conditioning and Capital City Bank.Linda Raab, marketing manager for the Hernando Times, said the purpose of the event is to show community support and raise funds for a good cause."We're always looking for another way to show our support of the community," Raab said.She said the first contest has been well received and that it may become an annual event."Maybe in the future we'll see magicians, jugglers and other types of performers," she said.Added Everest, "It is just going to be an amazing evening."
  

• Months later, authorities unsure how LaBrake granddaughter died

  
  
  By Kim Wilmath, Times Staff Writer
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  TAMPA — In late January, a teen mother gave birth to a baby girl inside her family's South Tampa home. According to a Hillsborough County Medical Examiner report, the infant may have lived just three hours.For four days, 18-year-old Kaitlyn McCarter hid the baby and didn't call 911, the report states. Then, on Feb. 1, it states, she came out holding the body. Someone called 911 and police arrived at 11:45 a.m.Months later, authorities still do not know how Tiffany Grace McCarter died. The cause of death is listed as "undetermined." The autopsy found nothing unusual, and a toxicology test found only acetaminophen, the drug found in Tylenol."Because the autopsy is inconclusive, detectives are now working to determine whether the mother's actions played a role in the child's death or whether this is just a tragic loss," Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said Thursday.No charges have been filed, but the Hillsborough State Attorney's Office is reviewing the investigation, McElroy said.Attempts to reach Kaitlyn McCarter for comment were unsuccessful.She is the daughter of Lynne LaBrake, who is married to former Tampa housing chief Steve LaBrake. Lynne LaBrake answered the door at the family home on DeLeon Street Thursday and declined to comment. According to the medical examiner report, the couple did not know McCarter was pregnant.The investigative summary from that office states that McCarter told police Tiffany stopped breathing hours after she was born on Jan. 28. The LaBrakes became household names in 2001 after investigations revealed the pair, who worked together for Tampa's city housing department, were trading city contracts in exchange for favors from builder Dean R. Ryan and former Tampa Hillsborough Action Plan executive Chester M. Luney.In February 2005, Steve LaBrake was sentenced to five years in federal prison and Lynne LaBrake to three years and five months on charges of conspiracy, wire fraud and accepting bribes and gratuities.Lynne LaBrake was released in June 2008, and Steve LaBrake left federal prison in March 2009.Kim Wilmath can be reached at (813) 661-2442 or kwilmath@sptimes.com.
  

• North Pinellas entertainment calendar

  
  
  Times staff
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  Ronald McDonaldEnjoy magic with Ronald McDonald. Don't forget your camera! 2 p.m. Today. Free. Clearwater Main Library, 100 N Osceola Ave. Call (727) 562-4970 or visit myclearwater.com/cpl.TodayPark It Fridays! Oldsmar's Leisure Services Department invites families to "Park It" in a comfortable spot and learn about different topics. This week, representatives from Sunstar EMS discuss "911 Ambulance." 10 a.m. Free. R.E. Olds Park, 107 Shore Drive W, Oldsmar. (813) 749-1152; ci.oldsmar.fl.us/Events_ News/events_news.htm.Grunge photography on exhibit: Jim Lucadam's High Dynamic Range "grunge" photography is on exhibit in the library's Art Alcove. These pictures look like paintings due to digital software enhancement. View during library hours. Exhibit ends Sept. 3. 12 p.m.-5 p.m. Free. Palm Harbor Library, 2330 Nebraska Ave. (727) 784-3332, ext. 3021.Get Up and Dance: Help launch the first National Dance Day by learning the Nappy-Tab dance, created by So You Think You Can Dance choreographers Napoleon and Tabitha D'umo. Fans nationwide can learn the dance on YouTube, or locally you can dance in for a free lesson at the studio at 7 p.m. today. To celebrate Dance Day the studio is hosting a dance party where everyone will dance the Nappy-Tab routine to Don't Be Jealous of My Boogie. 30-minute free dance classes will be offered to new students all day, getting everyone primed and ready for the evening dance party. 7 p.m. Free. Arthur Murray Dance Studio, 34930 U.S. 19 N, Palm Harbor. (727) 786-2224; arthurmurray palmharbor.com.Dunedin Blue Jays: It's Friday Bingo Night, and fans can play bingo under the barbecue tent 6-7 p.m. before each Friday D-Jays home game that begins at 7 p.m. $6. Dunedin Stadium, 373 Douglas Ave. (727) 733-9302; dunedin.bluejays.milb.com.Flick N Float Family Movies: All ages are welcome to bring floats or chairs for the Friday night family movie. Free hot dogs and Chick-fil-A sandwiches; concessions are also available. The movie begins at dusk. This portion features Fame. 7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. $10 with Largo recreation card for up to five people; $15 without card for up to five people. Southwest Recreation Complex and Pool, 13120 Vonn Road, Largo. (727) 518-3125.Artist's exhibit opens with play: Meet artist Gayle Decoste, whose impressionistic artwork will be exhibited in the lobby at the opening of the smart comedy Regrets Only. Exhibit continues through the run of the play. 8 p.m. Included with admission. Free to view art. West Coast Players Theatre, 21905 U.S. Highway 19 N, Clearwater. (727) 437-2363; wcplayers.com.Suzanne Ruley and Friends: Love and Other Irrationalities: Suzanne Ruley shares songs from musical theater and cabaret. 8 p.m. $16, $14 for members, $12 for students. Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center, 324 Pine St. (727) 942-5605; tarponarts.org.Regrets Only: This comedy about friendship, loyalty and what it means to be in a relationship, is filled with outlandish characters. In the Commerce 19 Business Park, behind the Toyota Dealer at U.S. 19 and Drew Street. 8 p.m. $18, $15 seniors/students/military. West Coast Players Theatre, 21905 U.S. 19 N, Clearwater. (727) 437-2363; wcplayers.org.Friday Night West Coast Swing Dance Party : Swing dance every Friday to the sounds of DJ's Jim Scott & Doug Kirsch. Admission includes free soft drinks and refreshments. Visit tbwcsa.com. 8:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m. $5 for TBWCSA members; $8 for nonmembers. Dance America Dance Studio, 4445 East Bay Drive, Clearwater. (727) 393-5088.
  

• Events in Hernando County

  
  
  By Phyllis Day, Times Staff Writer
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  line dancingA Brookridge line dance social is planned for 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday at the Brookridge Clubhouse, 8150 Hampton St., Brookridge. Music provided by a DJ. No lessons offered, just dancing. An instructor will be on hand for assistance. Bring your own beverages, ice and snacks. Admission is $5. Call Norma, (352) 397-6088.This weekFamily fest: Brooksville First Presbyterian Church will host a free family event from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday at 250 Bell Ave., Brooksville. There will be food, music, water sports, badminton and other activities. Children and adults are encouraged to bring their bathing suits for the water-themed games. Call (352) 796-4228.Student art exhibit: A reception is planned for 1 p.m. Sunday for the "Back to School" Student Art Exhibition at CenterState Bank, 12435 Cortez Blvd., Spring Hill. Light refreshments will be served. There will also be free make-and-take activities for children, who will be able to make an "artsy" bookmark. The exhibit, sponsored by the Hernando County Fine Arts Council, features a compilation of works done by Hernando County students, from elementary through high school age. The exhibit is on display through Aug. 23. The bank is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays. Call the Fine Arts Council at (352) 754-4788.Quick tripsDisco inferno: The musical revue Boogie Wonderland: The Music of the '70s continues through Aug. 22 at Show Palace Dinner Theatre, 16128 U.S. 19, Hudson. Matinees and evening shows are available. Dinner and show, $48; show only, $36.95, plus tax and tip; 12 and younger, $28.45 and $23.45. Call toll-free 1-888-655-7469.Look aheadSome Pig! A children's production of Charlotte's Web will be presented at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays, Aug. 6 to 15, at Stage West Community Playhouse, 8390 Forest Oaks Blvd. Based on the award-winning children's novel by E.B. White, it is the classic story of a pig named Wilbur, who is saved from slaughter by an intelligent spider named Charlotte. Tickets are $10. Call the box office, (352) 683-5113.Down the river: Reservations are being taken through Tuesday for the "Row for a Cure" event that starts at 8 a.m. Aug. 7 at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, 6131 Commercial Way, Weeki Wachee. The cost is $35 per person or $55 per couple, which includes canoe/kayak rental, lunch and an after-party. The event, sponsored by Florida Cancer Institute-New Hope and Spring Hill MRI, will benefit Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. For details or to RSVP, call (352) 596-1926, ext. 183.Curtain call'Being of Sound Mind': Auditions for Brian J. Burton's psychological thriller will be at 7 p.m. today and at 1 p.m. Saturday at Stage West Community Playhouse, 8390 Forest Oaks Blvd., Spring Hill. Two men and three women are needed. There will be cold readings from the script. Performance dates are Oct. 7-17. Call the director, Peter Clapsis, at (352) 263-7282.Miss Hernando County and Miss Spring Hill and Teen Pageant: Free pageant tryouts will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Envy Pageant Productions, 2149 Mariner Blvd., Spring Hill. This is the official preliminary to Miss Florida U.S. International and Miss Teen Florida-World pageants. Open to girls ages 13-19 for Teen and women ages 18-25 for Miss. There will also be Little Miss and Jr. Miss divisions for girls ages 4-12. No talent requirement; no prior pageant experience necessary. Call (352) 256-9959.
  

• Police arrest man in Tampa killing, but are still looking for shooter

  
  
  By Jessica Vander Velde, Times Staff Writer
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  TAMPA — Police have made a second arrest in the December shooting death of Andrew Jones, but they're still looking for the man they believe fired a single shot at the 21-year-old, striking him in the chest and killing him.Investigators are asking for the public's help in tracking down Christopher Clayton Miller, 23. Tampa police say Miller shot Jones in an attempted robbery that was set up in advance by Miller's girlfriend, Asia Jackson, 19. Police say Miller may be armed and dangerous. They say his last known address was 3807 Crenshaw St. E in Tampa.Jackson was arrested the day after the shooting, and was sentenced Wednesday to 16 years in prison for second-degree murder. She was initially charged with first-degree murder, but she pleaded guilty to the lesser charge.On Wednesday, police arrested Mario Deadre Blaylock, 19, of 3701 Hamilton Ave. in Tampa and charged him with first-degree murder. He remains in jail without bail. Police say he admitted to participating in the robbery-murder.According to Jackson and Blaylock's arrest affidavits, this is what happened:Before the night of Dec. 18, Jackson and Jones met on MySpace and set up a date. They went out that night, and before they arrived at an apartment at 7309 Hutton Place, Jackson received several text messages from Miller on Blaylock's phone instructing her on what to do.Miller texted Jackson, saying that his "cuz" would be pointing a "fire," meaning gun, at her during the robbery. Police say that Blaylock is Miller's cousin.At about 1:40 a.m. on Dec. 19, Jones drove into the apartment complex, with Jackson as his passenger. After he parked, Miller walked up to the driver's side of the car and Blaylock went to the passenger's side. Miller opened the driver's door and fired a shot, killing Jones, police say.Jackson was arrested the next day, and police say she admitted to participating in the crime.Miller was arrested eight days after the shooting and charged with violating his probation on previous drug and petty theft charges. He was not charged in the shooting, and jail records show that he was released three hours after being booked at the Orient Road Jail.Police are asking anyone with information on Miller's whereabouts to call them at (813) 231-6130.
  

• Son of former Gov. LeRoy Collins struck, killed on bike in Tampa

  
  
  By Jessica Vander Velde and Danny Valentine, Times Staff Writers
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  LeRoy Collins Jr. announces his ultimately unsuccessful 2006 bid for a U.S. Senate seat in South Tampa.
  TAMPA — LeRoy "Roy" Collins Jr., a former U.S. Senate candidate, retired two-star Navy admiral, and son of a former Florida governor, died when an SUV hit him as he rode his bike in South Tampa early Thursday morning.Collins, 75, was pedaling across a pedestrian crosswalk when a vehicle driven by Margaux Manuel, 27, hit him, police said.Manuel was heading west on Brorein Street, a one-way street. She stopped at a red light before turning left onto S Hyde Park Avenue, which is also one-way. She didn't see Collins crossing the street, police said.Detectives determined the collision was an accident and they don't plan to file charges.Police said Manuel, who was on her way to work at Tampa General Hospital, immediately tried to help Collins by stabilizing his head and administering CPR. Two other nurses on their way to TGH assisted with the CPR, police said.At the intersection, Manuel noticed a scrape on Collins' knee but no other injuries were visible, according to police. An autopsy will be conducted to determine a cause of death, said police spokeswoman Laura McElroy.Manuel is a second-year obstetrics and gynecology resident at the University of South Florida and she works out of Tampa General Hospital, said USF health spokeswoman Anne DeLotto Baier.A neighbor who saw Collins leaving his driveway early today said he was biking to the University of Tampa to row, something he did nearly everyday.Collins was wearing a helmet.•••Collins' father, iconic Democratic governor LeRoy Collins Sr., led the state from 1955 to 1961 and is known for being a civil rights champion.LeRoy Collins Jr., a Tallahassee native, ran unsuccessfully for the Republican U.S. Senate seat in 2006. He has since spent his time working for the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs. Gov. Charlie Crist appointed Collins as executive director in January 2007.Collins was a reservist for the U.S. Navy and worked on submarines, Navy records show. He retired in 1990 as a two-star Rear Admiral.Family friend Bob Martinez, a former Florida governor and Tampa mayor, called the loss shocking and tragic."For most of us who knew him, it was his great commitment to the whole military community that stood out," Martinez said. "He was very proud of his service in the United States Navy and he was just a great contributor to Florida."Sandy Murman, a Davis Island neighbor of 16 years, said Collins was the friendliest man she ever met, a mentor and confidant."He was a very wise person," she said.She said she was always struck by his perfectly groomed white hair."He just looked like an admiral – tall, distinguished looking," she said. "It made you want to respect him when you saw him."Mayor Pam Iorio said she greatly admired Collins for his dedication to public service, his detail and his desire that things be done right."He had a great bearing, a very dignified bearing," she said.Iorio first met Collins back in 2000 when she was working as an election supervisor during the re-count.Collins spent a lot of time with ballot counters to ensure that military ballots were counted correctly."He wanted to make sure the voting rights of the oversees voters was being respected," she said.Crist said in a statement that Collins was a loyal and constant advocate for quality health care and economic support for Florida's veterans, as well as a lifelong Floridian dedicated to improving the quality of life of all in our state."As a consummate gentleman and outstanding role model, his sudden loss will impact veterans throughout Florida, as well as the Tampa community where he was a business leader while continuing to serve his country in the Navy Reserve," Crist said. "I join all Floridians in praying for peace and comfort to his wife Jane and their children and grandchildren."Democrat candidate for governor and chief financial officer Alex Sink said we are all indebted to Collins for his service."Admiral Collins dedicated his life to the protection of our state, country, and our veteran community," said Sink.Former Tampa City Council member and neighbor Bob Buckhorn also described Collins as a tireless advocate for those in the armed services, especially the men and women at MacDill Air Force Base."He thought it was his job that they were rewarded and recognized," Buckhorn said.Buckhorn, who is running for mayor, has known Collins for about 15 years. He said Collins also actively fought against the closing of military bases, including MacDill. "He had a passion for helping people who had served this country," Buckhorn said. "It was in his DNA."Collins biked or rowed nearly every day, Buckhorn said. "He was an exercise fanatic," he said. "He was as in as good of shape as any 75-year-old I've seen."Iorio said she last saw Collins about two months ago. The conversation turned to the 75-year-old's daily workouts."He was saying how he never felt better," Iorio said.Collins was married to Jane Sisson for more than 50 years. He had two daughters, two sons and eight grandchildren, according to the Department of Veterans' Affairs.U.S. Navy records show that Collins was commissioned on June 1, 1956 and was trained to work in submarines. His biography on the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs website states that as a naval reservist, he served as a commanding officer on several Navy submarine units.He was the Navy's liaison to the Florida National Guard in 1978-79, he was a commanding officer of the Navy liaison unit at U.S. Readiness Command at MacDill, and he served as deputy chief of Naval Operations (Reserve) for Logistics, until he retired as a two-star Rear Admiral in 1990, the biography states.Follow This Just In on Twitter.
  

• Pinellas County Health Department urges residents to test wells for arsenic

  
  
  By Martine Powers, Times Staff Writer
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  CLEARWATER — North Pinellas residents with private wells for drinking water should have them tested for arsenic, the Pinellas County Health Department announced Thursday.While conducting routine tests of local private water wells, the Health Department discovered above-average traces of arsenic in wells throughout Dunedin, Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs and north Clearwater."We started finding some wells that had higher levels than we'd want to see," department spokeswoman Maggie Hall said.There have not been any recent reports of arsenic-related illnesses in the county, Hall said. She did not know the arsenic levels for the tested wells, only that they were above the acceptable ratio, 167 micrograms per liter.There is no database that keeps track of the number of private drinking water wells in Pinellas County, Hall said.Hall said the Health Department did not know how the extra arsenic entered the wells. Arsenic can sometimes trickle down from fertilizer, or even seep naturally from soil and rocks.Homeowners who find high levels of arsenic in their private wells should either close their well and connect to a public water supply, or install a filter to trap the arsenic, Hall said.To have your well tested, call the Pinellas County Health Department's environmental's health hotline at (727) 538-7277, ext. 1157. Testing is free.Martine Powers can be reached at (727) 445-4224 or mpowers@sptimes.com.
  

• Man accused of murdering mother also threatened to kill father, records show

  
  
  By Andy Boyle, Times Staff Writer
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  PINELLAS PARK — Less than three weeks before a man murdered his mother, authorities say, he threatened to kill his father.Corey Hicks, 24, was shot to death in Mobile, Ala., Monday morning after a SWAT team tried to arrest him. Pinellas County Sheriff's deputies said Hicks killed his 51-year-old mother, Debbie Neace. Deputies said they tracked Hicks to Mobile after he stole his mother's 2006 Toyota Corolla.A search warrant released Thursday offered new details from the investigation:Neace was discovered Sunday by Bruce Hicks, her boyfriend of 28 years, at their mobile home, 6085 107th Ave. N. Deputies found Neace sitting in a recliner in the living room with a red towel covering her head.Her head was slashed through the skull.Bruce Hicks told deputies his son purchased a machete, hatchet and two knives a month before Neace was killed, and recently purchased a sword.Corey Hicks was depressed and had been off his medication. And two and a half weeks before Neace's slaying, he threatened to kill his father if he didn't leave the mobile home.Bruce Hicks moved out and tried calling Neace. When she didn't answer, he went to the home and found her dead.Deputies also searched Corey Hicks' car, a 1993 Toyota Camry, after seeing stains inside that they thought could be related to the homicide. Inside the car deputies found Florida unemployment statements, a blue plastic marijuana pipe, and various bank and utility receipts.Deputies also took multiple items from the mobile home, including three pipes, four bongs and nine bags of marijuana seeds.
  

• Brandon infant dies from equine encephalitis

  
  
  Letitia Stein, Times staff writer
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  
  BRANDON — An infant has died of a rare illness transmitted by a mosquito bite that causes inflammation of the brain, Hillsborough health officials reported Thursday.
  
  It was the second death reported in about a week in Hillsborough from eastern equine encephalitis, which had not killed anyone in Florida since 2008.
  
  Another death from EEE has been reported in a northern Florida county.
  
  Symptoms can begin four to 10 days after the bite of an infected mosquito and include sudden headache, high fever, chills and vomiting.
  
  The disease can progress into disorientation, seizures and coma. There is no treatment specifically for an EEE infection. About a third of patients will die, and many who survive have brain damage, the Health Department says.
  
  In the past week, Hillsborough has increased spraying for mosquito control in the northern part of the county, where the woman who died on July 1 had lived.
  
  County health officials learned of the baby's death Wednesday afternoon, but do not yet know when the baby died.
  
  To protect yourself, health officials recommend the following:
  
  •Avoid being outdoors at dusk and dawn.
  
  •Wear clothing that covers your skin.
  
  •Use mosquito repellents containing DEET (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide, or N, N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide). Picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus are other options.
  
  •Check the drainage around your home. Get rid of standing water where mosquitoes can lay their eggs.
  
  
  

• Three hospitalized after four-vehicle crash in St. Petersburg

  
  
  By Andy Boyle, Times Staff Writer
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  ST. PETERSBURG — Four cars were involved in an accident at 49th Street and First Ave. S Thursday morning that sent three people to the hospital, authorities said.The accident just before 9 a.m. involved a Ford truck, a Nissan Maxima, a Chevy truck and a Chevy TrailBlazer, said St. Petersburg Fire Rescue. The TrailBlazer wound up on its side with a man and two women trapped inside.Firefighters removed the vehicle's roof to free the occupants. Four other people involved in the crash were examined at the scene and released.
  

• USF athletics facing racial discrimination charge from fired academic adviser

  
  
  By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  PALM HARBOR — The University of South Florida's athletic department is facing allegations of racial discrimination and covering up NCAA violations from an African-American academic adviser who was fired last week after committing a secondary NCAA violation this spring.Myrtice Landers, 52, is 10 months short of being fully vested for retirement, and has hired attorney Wil Florin, who is also representing former football coach Jim Leavitt in his lawsuit against USF."I would like to have my job back. ... I want my full retirement," Landers said in a news conference at Florin's office in Palm Harbor, clarifying that she did not expect to return to the athletic department but to another area at USF.She does not deny the NCAA violation that resulted in her firing — she gave $326 in textbooks to a walk-on women's basketball player in January, thinking she was on scholarship — but contends that "numerous similarly situated white employees, including her superiors, committed both similar and more egregious NCAA rules violations but were not disciplined," according to a news release issued Thursday morning by Florin."I feel as though I have been discriminated against as a result of my race, in violation of the Florida Civil Rights Act," Landers writes in a claim filed Thursday with the Florida Commission on Human Relations and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission."I am aware of numerous other situations involving white Academic Advisors, including my superiors, who have given books, either intentionally or mistakenly, to nonscholarship student athletes without incident. I also have knowledge of numerous NCAA violations committed by white employees, including my superiors and employees of the Compliance Division of the Athletic Department that were unreported, and in some instances, actually covered-up by the Department."Landers and Florin declined to elaborate on the nature of those violations, but Florin said "USF knows obviously what a lot of them are ... We'll talk to the NCAA about it. We'll talk to USF's counsel about it. We're not going to get into specifics, but rest assured, they will be discussed."The personnel file for Landers, who has worked as an academic adviser in USF's athletic department since 2004, shows that she was reprimanded twice in 2006, the latter of which was written as a "final warning."She worked for USF outside the athletic department from 1981 to 2004, but was not reappointed to her position in March 2004, a move that took effect six months later. Having lost a job that paid $56,375, she accepted her current position in athletics with a salary of $32,000, starting the day after her previous position ended. Landers said Thursday said she lost her previous job because "that department was phased out."Landers was the academic adviser for men's and women's basketball, and her firing was significant enough that two weeks ago, former USF basketball player Dominique Jones, a first-round NBA draft pick now with the Dallas Mavericks, called a St. Petersburg Times reporter to voice his displeasure with the decision."I think it's the worst mistake USF could have made," Jones said. "She helped so many people, and she was the reason I was eligible. I would have fallen off the team my freshman and sophomore year without her. She pushed you to do your work, even when you didn't want to."Jones wasn't the only basketball player with an admiration for Landers, who presented an academic award at the men's basketball postseason banquet this spring.When the men's basketball team celebrated that all four of its seniors had graduated, Landers was praised. "We have one of the best academic advisers in America in Myrtice Landers," former guard Chris Howard said in the release in May.The names of several USF athletes, including Jessica Dickson, the all-time leading scorer for the women's basketball team, are among signatures on an online petition asking for Landers' reinstatement.In her claim, Landers argues that her violation in working with Sasha Bernard, a transfer from Indiana, was an innocent mistake. Bernard had been offered a scholarship out of high school by USF and will be on scholarship this fall, but because the Bulls didn't have an available scholarship when she transferred in January, she was a walk-on this spring.Landers admits being told this by USF coach Jose Fernandez, but wrote that she "had forgotten" to get the books back from Bernard. As a result of the violation, which USF reported to the NCAA, Bernard must repay the $326 to charity and will be suspended from the first two games of the upcoming season.Landers was issued two written reprimands in 2006, the second for an incident in which she "misrepresented facts" in asking for a student-athlete's reinstatement after the student had dropped classes, and signed documents in the student's name without indicating to others she was doing so, according to documents in her personnel file.A September 2006 memo from athletic director Doug Woolard states that "these findings point to behaviors that can be characterized as negligence and violation of departmental policy, which have serious academic, professional and ethical implications. … Your actions border on what the NCAA defines as unethical conduct."It warned that "any future infractions will result in disciplinary actions, up to and including dismissal."Landers said her previous reprimands resulted from friction from former associate athletic director JoAnn Nestor. When Nestor left USF and Amy Perkins was hired into her current role, Landers said she was told by Woolard that "your slate has been wiped clean" and that she "definitely" interpreted that to rescind her "final warning" status.Landers' claim was also filed with USF's Diversity and Equal Opportunity Office.No athletic officials will be commenting on the story. USF's sole response came through university spokeswoman Lara Wade:"The University of South Florida has received the employee's complaint which is being addressed through the normal review process,'' Wade said in a statement."The University takes seriously its responsibility for the academic progress of all student athletes and compliance with federal and state law, and NCAA rules. All athletic department employees are required to immediately report any violations. USF conducts timely and rigorous reviews of all alleged violations."To ensure institutional control, oversight of the Academic Enrichment Program for student athletes is provided by the Office of Undergraduate Studies, in Academic Affairs, in cooperation with the Department of Athletics. When a final decision is issued on this pending personnel action, it will be made available as a public record.''Times staff writer Greg Auman can be reached at auman@sptimes.com and at (813) 226-3346. Check out his blog at tampabay.com/blogs/bulls and follow him at Twitter.com/gregauman.
  

• Man pistol-whipped, shot at during St. Petersburg home invasion

  
  
  By Andy Boyle, Times Staff Writer
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  ST. PETERSBURG — About $1,000 worth of cash and valuables were stolen from a family early Thursday during a home invasion.Here's what police say happened:A man and his girlfriend were on their front porch about 3:30 a.m. in the 500 block of Eighth St. N. Three men in ski masks and gloves approached. One had a gun, and they ordered the couple inside.The three men demanded valuables and told the boyfriend to sit on the couch. One of the men hit the boyfriend on the back of the head with the butt of the gun.They fired several shots in the general direction of the boyfriend. The three men then searched the house and stole $1,000 in cash and electronics.As the three men left the house they fired several shots outside.After the men left, the boyfriend, 22, tried to see where they went. He then drove to his mother's house, brought her back and called police. An infant inside the house was unharmed and slept through the incident, police said.
  

• Two teens arrested after shooting outside St. Petersburg dance

  
  
  By Andy Boyle, Times Staff Writer
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  ST. PETERSBURG — Two teenagers were arrested early Thursday after shots were fired outside a teen dance, police said.At 12:10 a.m., police went to the RD Sports Lounge, 2710 Central Ave., to investigate a report of gunshots. The first two officers who arrived heard shots and saw a group of up to 100 people around the front of the building. The youngest person in the area was 12, and police later discovered it was a teen dance.When the two officers approached a group of kids, two started running. The officers thought they might be involved in the shooting so they started chasing them.One of the fleeing teens was 18-year-old Eric Jones. The other was 16-year-old Dondre English.Officers drew their weapons and told the two to stop running. At some point, English took a gun out of his pocket and threw it over a fence while running, police said.Eventually the officers took English and Jones into custody and retrieved the gun and a spent shell casing that didn't fully eject and jammed the weapon.English was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, carrying a concealed weapon, resisting arrest without violence and a probation violation from a previous felony.Jones was cited with resisting arrest without violence. He remained in Pinellas County jail Thursday in lieu of $150 bail.
  

• Deputies identify body found in Lake Tarpon as Gibsonton man

  
  
  By Katie Sanders, Times Staff Writer
  Thursday, July 29, 2010
  PALM HARBOR — A man whose body was found floating in Lake Tarpon last week was identified Thursday as Thomas C. Bryant, 61, of Gibsonton.The cause of Bryant's death has not been determined but is not considered suspicious, Pinellas County Sheriff's deputies said.A man saw Bryant's unmanned 18-foot, red Bass Tracker adrift on the lake Friday and called 911.Deputies towed it in and found fishing gear, a cooler, shoes and keys. A search of nearby boat ramps turned up the boat owner's vehicle and boat trailer.A marine search turned up Bryant's body in 10 minutes.Deputies withheld his name because they struggled to find his next of kin, said Sgt. Tom Nestor, a sheriff's spokesman.Neighbors told detectives Bryant had recently had a stroke. A former girlfriend said he could not swim.He was wearing street clothes, but not a life vest, when deputies pulled him from the lake.Follow This Just In on Twitter.