Do a good deed; see Disney on Ice for free

TAMPA -- Volunteers will be collecting canned goods tonight in exchange for free tickets to see the Disney on Ice "Princess Wishes" show for free this weekend.

The exchange benefits the "critically bare shelves" of America's Second Harvest of Tampa Bay, organizers said. Donations of non-perishable food items will be accepted tonight from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. today outside the McDonald's Box Office outside the St. Pete Times Forum.

Ten cans are required per ticket, with a limit of four tickets per family. Organizers say the tickets are good for the best available seats on any performance tonight through Sunday. Here are this weekend's showtimes:

• Friday: 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday: 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday: 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Casey Cora, Times staff writer

U.S. Postal Service announces extended hours tonight for tax deadline

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ST. PETERSBURG -- Mailing in your tax forms? The clock is ticking as Tampa Bay area U.S. Post Office locations extend their hours during the final push of tax season today.

The following locations will offer extended hours tonight:

Clearwater Main Post Office, 100 S Belcher Road: Drive-through tax return drop from 5 p.m. until midnight. Full retail service available in the lobby until 9 p.m.

St. Petersburg Main Post Office, 3135 First Ave.: Drive-though tax return drop until midnight. Along with the automated postal center on site, full services are available in the lobby until midnight.

Tarpon Springs Main Post Office, 850 E Lime St.: Full retail service available until 9 p.m.

Brandon Main Post Office, 1315 Oakfield Drive: Full retail service available until 10 p.m.

New Tampa Station, 6350 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.: Full retail service available until 9 p.m.

Lakeland Main Post Office, 2800 Lakeland Hills Blvd.: Full retail services available until 8 p.m. Mail deposited up until midnight will receive an April 15 postmark.

Sarasota Main Post Office, 1661 Ringling Blvd.: Open until midnight with full retail service.

Tampa Main Post Office, 5201 W Spruce St.: Post office officials will set up a tent on the approach to the office for drive-through drops from 5 p.m. until midnight. Full retail service will be available until midnight, and the on-site automated postal center is available around the clock.

Mailing at a different post office or mailbox? Officials ask that you double-check the collection times. Failing to do so could result in April 16 postmark — and a federal fine.

Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Ruskin child found

Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputies found the Ruskin boy who was apparently abducted by his father after the man had a fight with the boy's mother.

The father, Jason Davis, has been charged with domestic violence and interferring with child custody. He is being held in the Palm Beach County Jail, Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Debbie Carter said.

An Amber Alert was issued this morning for Jacob Wyett Davis, pictured at far left, a one-year, three-month old boy, and his father, Jason Travis Davis, also pictured.

They were found in Palm Beach County just before 1 p.m. today during a traffic stop, Carter said. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement had issued an alert for Davis' Mercury Mountaineer.

Jason Davis and the boy's mother, Cecilia Guerra, got into an argument this morning that led to a physical fight. Guerra left the home the three share at 217 Sixth Ave. SW in Ruskin, at 3:20 a.m. and went to a store to use a phone to report the altercation. Upon her return, she discovered the boy and his father missing.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued the Amber Alert because Jason Davis threatened during the altercation that he would take his son and harm him.

This is the second time that Jason Davis has abducted his son. Just over a year ago, he took with his son and was later apprehended after being spotted by state troopers on Interstate 10 in Tallahassee.

Ken Walker, Times staff writer

Panel discussion set on prescription drug problems

The St. Petersburg Times invites the public to a free panel discussion on prescription drugs.

Prescription painkillers and antianxiety drugs now kill about 500 people a year in the Tampa Bay area, three times the number killed by illegal drugs such as cocaine and heroin.

Prescription drug overdoses killed 433 people in the bay area in 2006, up from 339 the year before. Though 2007 figures aren't complete, the area is on pace for about 550 deaths. That means prescription drug overdoses are likely to overtake car crashes as the leading cause of accidental death here.

Discuss the issue with Times staff writer Chris Tisch at 7 p.m. Tuesday evening at the Quorum Hotel, 700 N West Shore Blvd., Tampa.

Troopers: Ease off that pedal

TAMPA -- Speeders, take heed.

The director of the Florida Highway Patrol announced this morning a statewide crackdown on speeding.

Dubbed "Operation Safe Ride," troopers this weekend will use lasers, radars, helicopters, motorcycles, marked and unmarked FHP cruisers to nab speeders on each interstate and major state road as well as Florida's Turnpike.

Officials say March and April have historically been the peak months for traffic crashes. This weekend's special detail aims to reduce the number of traffic crashes over the spring break weekend.

-- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Progress and TECO reliability down slightly

If you’re a customer of Tampa Electric or Progress Energy, chances are you probably spent a few more minutes in the dark last year.

The reliability of both utilities worsened in 2007, according to reports the utilities filed this week with state regulators. The average Tampa Electric customer spent nearly 77 minutes in the dark, as opposed to about 69 minutes in 2006. Progress Energy’s customers spent 3.5 minutes more in the dark in 2007, for a total of just more than 78 minutes.

Both utilities blamed the slight uptick on severe weather.

Once a year, the utilities report to the state their System Average Interruption Duration Index, or SAIDI. It’s a system-wide average based on outages and the number of customers. The average doesn’t include lengthy outages caused by hurricanes.

Rick Morera, spokesman for Tampa Electric, said the company had the best record in the state in 2006, thanks to mild weather. Although the system-wide average worsened slightly in 2007, other numbers improved. For example, if your lights went out, Tampa Electric had them back on in 75.3 minutes, two minutes better than 2006.

Progress Energy has been steadily improving its performance, said spokeswoman Cherie Jacobs. When Carolina Power & Light bought Florida Progress in 2000, creating Progress Energy, the average customer spent more than 100 minutes a year without power. Since then, the St. Petersburg utility spent more than $100-million on new equipment, and beefed up tree-trimming programs.

BY THE NUMBERS: Average anual outage per customer in minutes

Tampa Electric
2003: 70.87
2004: 78.43
2005: 83.90
2006: 69.16
2007: 76.80

Progress Energy
2003: 85.8
2004: 77
2005: 74.5
2006: 74.8
2007: 78.3

Source: Progress Energy, Tampa Electric, Florida Public Service Commission

-Asjylyn Loder, Times staff writer

1 dead in gas station explosion

[Photo courtesy of Tampa Fire Rescue Capt. Bill Wade]
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TAMPA -- An explosion at a Citgo gas station left one man dead early this morning, Tampa Fire Rescue officials said.

Witness said the man was screaming as he burned to death inside the service bay of the station.

"He was engulfed," said eyewitness Alonzo Brown. "That's something you never want to see or hear again."

Police identified him later in the day as Farid IA Karakra, 22, of New Tampa.

911 callers reported that an automobile service bay at the Citgo gas station at 901 W Busch Blvd. had caught fire just after midnight. The building sits about 20 feet from the gas pumps.

Brown and Eric Frantz were just arriving for a shift at Nicola's Donuts across the street. They said they heard a powerful explosion and ran across Busch to assist. Frantz, 37, said he tore through layers of duct tape to reach the station's emergency shut-off button.

Both men found the west end of the station, a car service area, ravaged by flames.

"It blew the doors out and the roof off," Frantz said.

Inside, a man lying on the ground had caught fire. He was screaming but unresponsive to their calls, Brown said.

The pair said they tried to help him, but it was too hot and probably too late.

About the same time, Master Patrol Officer Ed Croissant and Cpl. Jim Thompson with Tampa police arrived. The two officers tried to enter the garage, but they, too, were stifled by the intense heat.

The victim was pulled out of the garage by a Tampa Fire Rescue crew minutes later, but Tampa Fire Rescue spokesman Bill Wade said he was already dead. No other injuries were reported.

About 29 firefighters from across the area had the blaze under control in about 30 minutes, Wade said. Damage estimates were not immediately available. Wade said two cars, one parked inside the garage and another outside, were heavily damaged.

The intersection of Busch Boulevard and North Boulevard was closed for several hours, but the roads have since reopened to traffic.

An arson task force comprised of the Tampa Fire Marshal's Office, the state Fire Marshal's Office and Tampa police are still working to find out what caused the fire and "determine if there's anything suspicious or if it was accidental," Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said. A police bomb squad unit is also on the scene.

The station had been closed for the night. Officials haven't said why the man was inside, though he reportedly is known to the station's owners. Frantz said it was common for mechanics at the shop to arrive early and stay late.

- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

TECO defends higher rates

12:07 UPDATE

TECO Energy spokeswoman Laura Duda defended the company's "rate relief'' request for Tampa Electric and People's Gas. "As you can imagine, the cost to serve our customers looks a lot different today than it did 16 years ago," Duda said.

Tampa Electric's current rate is $114.38 for 1,000 kilowatt hours, Duda said. That includes a monthly customer charge for services of $8.50, as well as the base energy charge that covers all non-fuel energy costs needed to produce electricity, like power plants and transmission lines. Those two items would be reviewed as part of any rate increase. The average residential customer uses close to 1,300 kilowatt hours per month.

The company hasn't said how much it expects rates to increase. "I think it's too early to project that," Duda said.

Also included in a customer's monthly bill is a passed-through fuel charge. It's the single largest component of a bill, and Tampa Electric's fuel charge is $52.41 for a 1,000 kilowatt hour per month bill. That amount is reconciled every year by the Florida Public Service Commission based on what the utilities pay for fuel, and wouldn't be part of a base rate review.

The request could mean higher prices for Tampa Electric's more than 666,000 customers, and the more than 330,000 customers served by Peoples Gas.

Gordon Gillette, chief financial officer and executive vice president for TECO Energy, said he couldn’t say when the rate case would be filed. “We think we’re going to need rate relief in 2009 with Tampa Electric, but we haven’t been specific, and really can’t be at this point, as to when we would file,” Gillette told the financial community Tuesday morning.

Tampa Electric hasn't sough a base rate increase since 1992, said spokeswoman Laura Duda. Since then, the utility has added 1,100 megawatts of generating capacity, 17 substations, 100 miles of transmission, and more than 200,000 customers -- a 42 percent increase in its customer base. In those 16 years, the consumer price index has risen 48 percent, labor costs have increased 77 percent, prices for steel and concrete soared more than 70 percent. Add to that the increasing cost of health care as well as new federal and state safety and environmental requirements, and the company needs to raise rates, Duda said.

The Tampa utility announced its 2007 results Tuesday morning. The company more than tripled its net income and share price in the fourth quarter of 2007. That includes the $146.1-million after-tax gain from the sale of TECO Transport. Despite that bright spot, the company is coping with higher operating costs, higher capital demands, and slower growth and lower per-household energy use at both People’s Gas and Tampa Electric.

                       4th Qtr     Year ago
Net income      $173.9M    $48.9M
Per share         83 cents    23 cents
                       2007         2006
Net income      $413.2M    $246.3M
Per share         $1.98        $1.19

GAAP results excluding synfuels and the TECO Transport sale give a clearer picture of the company's performance. See below:

                       4th Qtr     Year ago
Net income      $47.7M     $37M
Per share         23 cents    18 cents
                       2007         2006
Net income      $223.7M    $201.5M
Per share         $1.07        97 cents

-Asjylyn Loder, Times staff writer

Builder files for bankruptcy

TOUSA Inc, parent company of the builder behind New Tampa's Live Oak Preserve, filed Tuesday for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The Florida company, which also built Pasco County's Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club, blamed the credit crisis, falling home prices, low consumer confidence and high inventory for its troubles.

It promises "business as usual" as it restructures. TOUSA is the second builder active in the Tampa area to file for bankruptcy. The first was Levitt & Sons, active in Hernando County.

Judge scolds Sierra, sends her to California rehab

TAMPA - Hillsborough Circuit Judge Daniel Perry scolded Jessica Sierra this morning for talking to reporters but allowed her to leave for California immediately to begin drug treatment.

"I am not happy with you,'' Perry told Sierra. "I don't like turning on my TV and seeing you do what I told you not to do. Those microphones are like a magnet for you. You are not a celebrity. You're a drug addict.''

Sierra talked to reporters immediately after leaving jail Wednesday. At a court hearing Monday, Perry gave her a break, putting her on probation and sending her to rehab instead of going to prison. At the same hearing, Perry told her not to talk to reporters.

So today Perry issued a new order: Sierra cannot get within 100 yards of a TV camera or microphone.

The former American Idol finalist, who has had a couple of recent brushes with the law involving drugs and alcohol, did not leave as expected because California did not accept her emergency request for probationary status there.

Now Sierra has 45 days to work things out with California. During that time she will be treated at the Pasadena drug center with Dr. Drew Pinsky, host of the Celebrity Rehab show on which she is a participant. If California continues to reject her request, Perry said, she will have to return to Tampa to work out something else.

Sierra's attorney, John Fitzgibbons, said she has a plane ticket to leave for California this afternoon. She will go directly to the rehab center, he said.

- Colleen Jenkins, Times staff writer

Sysco puts Zephyrhills plant on hold

Sysco Food Services is suspending plans to build a 393,000-square-foot distribution center in Zephyrhills, employing 250 people, Pasco County Commissioner Michael Cox said this morning.

The company still is pursuing land purchases and design, but problems cropped up during environmental reviews and financial pressures have forced the company to hold off, Cox said. He said Sysco ultimately still wants to create the distribution center.

The County Commission agreed by a 5-0 vote to not spend any money on roads or other improvements until the company renews construction planning.

"They're moving forward with the purchase of the properties. They're moving forward with the design of the project," Cox said. "What they have not funded is the construction of the project."

UPDATE: County officials say Sysco anticipates a six-month delay, although no money will be spent until the company and the county agree in writing.

- David DeCamp, Times staff writer

Skydiver dies in Zephyrhills accident

A 45-year-old Finnish man died this morning after he was apparently knocked unconscious in mid-air and lost control of his parachute, Zephyrhills police said.

The man was among more than 100 Finnish jumpers who come each year to Skydive City in Zephyrhills around the Christmas holidays to take advantage of good weather and relatively cheap skydiving rates.

Skydive City welcomes them with signs in Finnish. The drop zone was somber after the accident, but it didn't deter other jumpers from boarding planes and heading up to jump.

"It's like seeing a fatal accident on the road, you don’t quit driving,'' said Laszlo Andacs, 35, a professional skydiver and freelance photographer from Hungary.

Police think the dead man was from Auka, Finland, and with 20 or so other jumpers who boarded a plane about 10 a.m. today. The plane climbed to 13,500 feet, and the jumpers began their free fall.

The man opened his parachute between 2,000 and 3,000 feet. Jumpers said they heard a strange popping noise. The man's chute opened too quickly, officials believe, and he was knocked unconscious. Fellow jumpers don't think he hit his head but instead believe the sudden deceleration may have knocked him out.

Helen Anne Travis, Times staff writer

Observe these safety tips while keeping warm

Weather experts, fire officials and a doctor offered several tips to help people prepare for and stay safe during tonight's cold snap:

Don't use these indoors: generators, grills, camp stoves or other gasoline, propane, natural gas or charcoal burning devices. And don't use a barbecue grill indoors or in an enclosed porch or garage, even with the door open.

Avoid using the oven to heat your home. Fire officials say doing so is a fire hazard and can be a source of toxic fumes.

Use kerosene heaters with caution and maintain ventilation to avoid accumulating toxic fumes. Keep the units at least 3 feet from flammable objects. Refueling? Do it outside your home.

Use indoor space heaters only if they are attended and keep them away from flammable objects. Fire officials recommend space heaters that shut off automatically when tipped over.

Dennis Deruelle, a physician at University Community Hospital in Tampa, said people using gas furnaces or space heaters should be wary of signs of carbon monoxide poisoning, including headache and confusion.

Deruelle also warned that temperatures could be cold enough to cause hypothermia to someone who spends the night outdoors.

Plants should be covered with light cloth, not plastic.

- Casey Cora and Jan Wesner, Times staff writers

A little snow falls on the Sunshine State

Snow flurries were reported this morning in parts of Brevard and Volusia Counties, the National Weather Service says.

Cold temperatures combined with strong north to northeast winds to produce "ocean effect snow" near Holly Hill and Ormond Beach.

Forecasters say the potential for additional flurries exists from Brevard County south through Indian River.

The snow isn't expected to stick. The flurries may continue into the morning before it changes over to very light rain or drizzle.

No snow was reported elsewhere in Florida. Forecasters say the last time it snowed in east central Fla. was Jan. 24, 2003.

-- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Downtown Lake City, 1989. [Jack Rowland | Times]

Budweiser/AAA offer free tow for impaired drivers

Ringing in the new year tonight? Don't drink and drive.

Budweiser and AAA have teamed up for the 10th annual "Tow to Go" program, which dispatches a tow truck to parties and bars intent on getting you -- and your vehicle -- home safely.

Funded by Anheuser-Busch and AAA, the program is free and available throughout much of the state to AAA members and nonmembers.

Call 1-800-AAA-HELP and follow the prompts for a lift.

- Times staff writer

Four-vehicle crash on I-75 ties up traffic

Pasco County firefighters attend to an occupant of a vehicle involved in a four-vehicle accident in the southbound lanes of Interstate 75 between State Road 52 and State Road 54 around 1:30 this afternoon. The four vehicles involved were a dump truck loaded with dirt, two SUVs and a smaller sedan. No major injuries were reported and the cause of the accident is under investigation. Traffic in the southbound lanes was backed up for miles. [Mike Pease | Times]

Two dead in late-night accident

ZEPHYRHILLS - A motorist and his passenger were killed late Saturday night in a two-car accident on Lane Road.

Florida Highway Patrol identified the driver as Harry R. Hutto, 25, of Plant City. Troopers did not name his 31-year-old passenger, saying the family had not yet been notified.

According to a news release from the highway patrol, Hutto was headed south in a two-door Hyundai on Lane Road at a high rate of speed. He drove onto the grassy shoulder, steered left to get back on the road and lost control, rotating counter-clockwise and hitting a northbound Chevrolet 150 driven by Jeffery Gazella of Zephyrhills.

Troopers say Hutto and his passenger were killed in the collision. Gazella had minor injuries. The investigation continues.

--Times staff writer

Caught on tape: Deputies denigrate USF explosives duo

TAMPA -- A South Carolina sheriff's deputy and his partner referred to Youssef Megahed and Ahmed Mohamed as "graduates of suicide bomber school" and called them members of the "Taliban" during their arrest, according to federal court documents filed today.

Berkeley County Sheriff's Department Deputy Lamar Blakely also joked that Megahed and Mohamed had copies of the Koran in their possession, court records say.

The remarks taint the entire investigation and should prevent the government from using any evidence gathered during it, a defender argues in a motion.

The deputies' behavior was caught on video by a camera mounted on the dash of their cruiser during an Aug. 4 traffic stop near Goose Creek, S.C., that ended with the two suspended University of South Florida students being arrested and charged with carrying explosive materials.

"Shockingly, on the video, Deputy Blakely even expresses concern over the fact that his ethically-inappropriate remarks were being recorded by his in-vehicle video recorder," assistant federal public defender James W. Smith III wrote in a motion. "These and other inappropriate, ethnically-stereotyping comments occurred prior to the search and discovery of any items in the vehicle and shockingly illustrate that Deputy Blakely's decision to search the vehicle was not based on reasonable suspicion of unlawful acts but upon nothing more than his own biased, unlawful racial profiling."

Syniverse completes acquisition of BSG wireless

Tampa-based Syniverse Technologies today said that it completed its acquisition of the wireless service business of Billing Services Group Limited.
Syniverse, which provides technology for the global communications industry, is buying  European company BSG for $290-million in cash, including debt to be refinanced at closing. The acquisition allows the company to serve more than 500 customers in more than 100 countries, a release said.

- By Madhusmita Bora, Times staff writer

Forum on unlicensed psychologists at Haley

TAMPA -- The ranking member of a congressional subcommittee with oversight of the Department of Veterans Affairs will hold a forum on Dec. 28 about unlicensed psychologists at a Tampa VA hospital.

Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville, scheduled a fact-finding forum at the James A. Haley VA Medical Center to answer questions raised by a St. Petersburg Times report on the psychologists.

She is the ranking member of the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

Tornado watch issued for Tampa Bay area

Weather forecasters have issued a tornado watch for the Tampa Bay region, to last through 6 a.m. Sunday morning.

An oncoming cold front is expected to push a squall line of strong thunderstorms into the area late tonight, beginning roughly at midnight and clearing the area by sunrise Sunday. Locally heavy rains are possible, which may cause minor flooding of low-lying and poor-drainage areas, as well as roadways.

The National Weather Service is reporting the highest risk for severe weather from the Tampa Bay area northward through the Nature Coast.

In addition to strong winds and heavy rain, the storms are expected to cause heavy waves offshore, with seas building to 5 to 7 feet overnight, building to become as strong as 8 to 12 feet well offshore. Boating conditions are rough, and the National Weather Service warns small craft operators to postpone trips into the gulf until conditions improve over the next few days.

Times staff writer

Cold weather set to sweep through bay area

The leftovers of Tropical Storm Olga will combine with a cold front to produce gusty winds and strong thunderstorms across the bay area overnight, forecasters say.

But the stormy weather should start to break Sunday morning, ushering in some of the coldest weather since the start of fall.

Lows Sunday are expected to be in the high 30s to low 40s, and the high Monday is forecast to reach only about 60.

Shannon Colavecchio-Van Sickler, Times staff writer

Deputies release new information on Wesley Chapel bank robbery

WESLEY CHAPEL -- Pasco sheriff’s deputies released more information today about a man they think robbed a Bank of America on Wednesday. The man is described as 30 to 40 years old, 6 feet tall, 170 to 190 pounds, with short black hair and a mustache. He had a light complexion and possibly a scar on his right cheek. The man was wearing a gray shirt, jeans, sunglasses and a biker jacket with four letters on the right sleeve, possibly "cket." He also had a backpack, cell phone and motorcycle helmet. He was seen getting into a gray vehicle.

Deputies say the robbery occurred at 3:25 p.m. at a Bank of America on Bruce B Downs Boulevard.

Anyone with information about this crime is asked to contact Detective Dean Quinlin at 1-800-854-2862, ext. 7394.

- Times staff writer

Boy, 7, hospitalized after venomous snake bite

NEW TAMPA -- A 7-year-old boy was hospitalized Sunday after he was bitten on the foot by a venomous water moccasin while playing in a neighbor's yard in the Kingshyre neighborhood, according to a University Community Hospital spokesman.

The boy, Jake Hoffman, has received 12 vials of antivenin serum while at the hospital's pediatric intensive care unit. He was listed in fair condition, hospital spokesman Will Darnall said in a statement.

"People need to be warned that, although December, it's warm, and venomous creatures are out at a time of year they're usually not seen," Darnall said.

University Community Hospital treats about five venomous snake bites each year.

- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Homicide in apartments near USF

Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputies are investigating a homicide at 14511 Valor Circle in the Breckinridge Apartments complex near USF.

The victim, whom deputies have not identified, is a white male of about 28 years, said Debbie Carter, Sheriff's Office spokeswoman.

Each apartment in the complex is made of up four units with a shared common space, she said, but none of the roommates in this unit know each other well. One roommate returned home at about 6 p.m. to find blood there, and called the Sheriff's Office.

Detectives gained entry to the apartment about 1 a.m. and discovered the victim, who had suffered trauma to the upper torso. They ruled the death a homicide.

The Sheriff's Office us still trying to reach possible out-of-state relatives of the victim, whose rental car is also missing, Carter said.

The car is a 1998 Honda Accord, black or dark blue, with an Oklahoma license plate reading 484-CJI.

S.I. Rosenbaum, Times staff writer

Busch Blvd. at standstill after pedestrian killed

TAMPA -- Police are investigating the death of a pedestrian that occurred just after 8 a.m. today at Busch Boulevard and 12th Street.

All but one eastbound lane of Busch are closed between Nebraska Avenue and 12th Street. The lanes will remain closed for at least the next hour while the investigation continues.

Tampa police say the driver who hit the pedestrian stopped at a nearby business and called 911.

- Melanie Ave, Times staff writer

Lane closes tonight on northbound I-75

Beginning tonight, one of Interstate 75's two northbound lanes closes at 9 p.m. at Bruce B. Downs Boulevard to accommodate interchange improvements there.

The interstate's left northbound lane  is to close Thursday and Friday nights also. It's set to reopen by 5 a.m. daily, Thursday through Saturday. Beneath the interstate, workers are continuing to close all lanes of Bruce B. Downs between 8:30 p.m. and 5 a.m. tonight and tomorrow night.

Construction crews there are building a flyover, plus other improvements. When complete in Spring, 2009, the flyover will allow southbound motorists on BBD to climb a ramp and merge onto southbound I-75, instead of waiting for a left-turn traffic light.

Ex-Wharton coach gets three years in prison

Wallace reads a prepared statement to the court at the end of her sentencing hearing today. [Ken Helle | Times]

Former Wharton High School basketball coach and teacher Jaymee Wallace (left) was sentenced to three years in prison today for having sex with a student who was one of her players, beginning at age 14.

The sentence came at 1 p.m., minutes after Wallace sobbed and asked Judge J. Rogers Padgett for mercy.

"Please don't send me to prison, Judge Padgett," she said.

It was an emotional hearing that lasted about three hours. As Wallace was led from the courtroom, she called for her infant son, who is 10 months old.

The prison time will be followed by three years of sex-offender probation.

After today's proceeding, defense attorney Joe Bodiford compared his client's three-year prison sentence with the three years of house arrest that former teacher Debra Lafave drew in a similar case.

The difference, he said, was the victims' mothers. In the Lafave case, the victim's mother agreed to a sentence that didn't involve prison. In the Wallace case, even though the victim spoke in court on the coach's behalf in October, the victim's mother in court today said that justice wouldn't be served if Wallace was spared prison time.

"You preyed on my daughter," the mother said.

- Colleen Jenkins, Times staff writer

Tampa ranked worst for walking

Picture a place where you can step out of your home and walk to work, the movies or a restaurant. Just don't picture Tampa. A new survey ranks the city dead last for walkability among 30 major metro areas. The top three: Washington, D.C., Boston and San Francisco. Miami ranked eighth, and Atlanta 14th. It's not the first time Tampa has been rapped for its mean streets. A 2004 survey determined pedestrians in the Tampa Bay area take their lives in their hands more than in any other metro area in the country except Orlando.

Gang member facing life in prison after guilty plea

TAMPA -- A member of the Latin Kings gang pleaded guilty in federal court today to one count of conspiring to conduct and participate in the activities of a racketeering enterprise.

He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Elbert Hidalgo, 23, of Tampa, also known as "King Queso," was scheduled to stand trial today. Instead, he entered a guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Pizzo. A sentencing date has not been set.

Court documents describe Hidalgo as a member of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation. Prosecutors say he is part of the Palmetto Tribe in West Tampa. He was previously a member of a Latin Kings tribe in the Queens borough of New York City, prosecutors said.

Hillsborough County jail records show that Hidalgo was arrested at his Bruce B. Downs Boulevard home in October 2006 on numerous charges. At the time, Tampa police charged him with possession of marijuana, drug trafficking, grand theft with a firearm, dealing in stolen property, possession of cocaine and conspiracy, among other things.

A federal grand jury indicted him in May.

According to Hidalgo's plea agreement, he conspired with other gang members to distribute illegal drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy. He also conspired to commit murders of rival gang members and fellow Latin Kings members who had violated the gang's rules, the agreement says.

In 2005, Hidalgo and three unnamed members of the Latin Kings fired guns at individuals in Tampa after receiving orders to do so from a higher-ranking gang member, court papers say.

Hidalgo remains in jail.

-Kevin Graham, Times staff writer

Explosives suspects to have joint trial

TAMPA -- A federal judge ruled today that two suspended University of South Florida students will stand trial together on explosives charges.

An attorney for Youssef Megahed, 21, filed a motion earlier this month asking that his trial be separate from that of Ahmed Mohamed.

Defense attorney Adam Allen, who represents Megahed, argued that the indictment against the pair never charged them with conspiracy. Allen also argued that Megahed's case would be prejudiced by Mohamed, 26, who faces an additional charge.

An indictment charged both men with illegally transporting explosive materials. It also charged Mohamed with demonstrating how to make and use a destructive device.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hoffer responded in court papers, insisting that the men stand trial at the same time.

"He has made little or no showing that such prejudice is likely to occur or that appropriate judicial instructions can not negate or prevent such prejudice at trial," Hoffer wrote.

U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday, who denied Megahed's request, has set the case to go to trial as early as Dec. 3.

-Kevin Graham, Times staff writer

Wesley Chapel 'holiday tree' irks some

WESLEY CHAPEL -- All Jason Wilson wanted to do, he said, was build community spirit in a place occupied mainly by newcomers who travel somewhere else to work.

What better way to do that, he and his colleagues at the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce thought, than to sponsor a tree lighting during December? The committee pictured families circling the tree, oohing and ahhing as it illuminated the new county park.

But the chamber is a business organization open to members of all religious faiths or no faith. And the park is supported by taxpayers. Chamber members wanted to be inclusive. They billed the event as a holiday tree lighting. Santa was in; Jesus was out. However, their effort to please everyone has backfired with some Christians who feel miffed that their religion is being censored.

"Why call it a holiday tree in a town named after a historic British evangelist?" asked the Rev. Paul Burdick, a reference to John Wesley. Burdick, pastor of Wesley Chapel Church of the Nazarene called a couple of his fellow chamber members. He said he was told it was to be a nonfaith-based event.

Burdick compared the event to an auto show that doesn't mention certain models of cars.

Lisa Buie, Times staff writer

Wesley Chapel mall announces tenant line-up

WESLEY CHAPEL -- The biggest mall under construction in the Tampa Bay area released its line-up of tenants Wednesday, saying it’s about three-quarters of the final list.

The Richard E. Jacobs Group, developer of the 1-million-square-foot Cypress Creek Town Center, listed 42 business names, led by a SuperTarget, Kohl’s, AMC Theatres cinema, Linens-N-Things, Books-A-Million and Circuit City. The mall is due to open in fall 2008, and mall officials say more names will be announced in coming months.

Here is its who's who list, so far:

AMC Theatres
Akaya Japanese Steak House
Asphalt
Bamboo Creek Asian Bistro
Books-A-Million
Caribbean Adventures Travel
Circuit City
Claire’s Boutique
Coldstone Creamery
Dress Barn
Family Christian Bookstore
Famous Footwear
Fish City
5 Guys Original Hamburgers
Game Stop
Hair Matrix
Hallmark
Jamba Juice
Justice for Girls
Kohl’s
Linens-N-Things
MacDill Federal Credit Union
Matoi Sushi
Mattress Firm
Motherhood Maternity
Movie Stop
Nail Trix
Old Navy
P.F. Changs
Panera Bread
Payless Shoe Source
Picture Factory
Red Brick Pizza
Soccer Corner
Sports Authority
Staples
SuperTarget
T-Mobile
TGI Friday’s
Urban Flats
Vitamin Stop
Yankee Candle

Study: Tampa has worst home price decline among 20 metro areas

Tampa home prices have dropped an average of 11.1 percent the past year, the steepest fall among 20 major metro areas ranked under the the S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index released Tuesday.

Tampa nudged out other stressed housing markets like Miami, Detroit and San Diego in the period between September 2006 and September 2007.

The average decline in the index was 4.9 percent.

- James Thorner, Times staff writer

State Road 54 in Pasco reopened after gas leak

Pasco sheriff's deputies have reopened State Road 54 after it was closed due to a natural gas leak near Gunn Highway and Black Lake Road. The leak occurred in a construction area, authorities said, citing preliminary  reports.

Times vendor faces drug charges

A St. Petersburg Times newspaper vendor was arrested in Tampa on Sunday morning on cocaine and drug paraphernalia charges. Salvatore Naso, 54, was arrested at the intersection of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and Highwoods Preserve Parkway at 8:15 a.m. Sunday's arrest was Naso's fifth in Hillsborough County in the past five years. Previous charges include contempt of court, driving while license revoked, possession of an open container and cannabis and trespassing.

[Last modified November 25, 2007, 23:49:16]

Last sextuplet heads home

All Children's Hospital volunteers Lorraine Guderia, left, and Joan Elton, right, rock the Byler sextuplets during a press conference with neonatologist Danilo Escoto, at table left, and parents Karoline and Ben Byler. [ James Borchuck | Times]

ST. PETERSBURG - The last of the Byler sextuplets is headed home.

Charlie Byler, weighing 6 -1/2 pounds, left All Children's Hospital just after 4 p.m. today after a news conference at which his parents showed off his five siblings.

"I'm exhausted,'' said Karoline Byler, the mother of Florida's first surviving sextuplets. "My mom was ecstatic when I told her Charlie was coming home for Thanksgiving.''

Charlie, who weighed 2 lbs at birth, was breathing through an oxygen tube when he left, but that' s not unusual, said Dr. Danilo Escoto, a neonatologist at All Children's. Some babies need extra oxygen as long as two months, but Charlie's lungs should grow normally, he said.

"When you say you've come a long way baby,'' Escoto said, "this baby has come a long way.''

The rest of the babies were also there, in two three-person strollers: Mackenzie Margaret, Brady, Eli, Jackson and Ryan. All wore matching baseball shirts, except for Mackenzie Margaret, who wore a shirt that said "I'm the little sister.'' Her sister Zoe, 4, wore her own shirt: "I'm the big sister.''

The whole family showed up as a way to thank the public. Ben, the dad, said:  "We've been happy to share the babies with everyone.''

-- Donna Winchester, Times staff writer

Clean-up on Kinnan Street

At 9:30 this morning, crews were still out at Kinnan Street on the outskirts of Live Oak Preserve, cleaning up months of overgrowth on a road that dead-ends just south of Pasco County. Large machines mowed the median and along the sidewalks. Workers then picked up the thatch by hand. The county moved quickly to clean up the street because of this article, which was published yesterday.

You'll find more news about New Tampa in Bruce B. Blog.

A lonely, messy road

So what's going on with Kinnan Street? Not much apparently. The Road to Nowhere still dead ends at the Hillsborough/Pasco border. And it hasn't been maintained in months. Read all about it here. For the most comprehensive New Tampa news every day, go to Bruce B. Blog.

 

Pebble Creek Minigolf Dies for Good

PEBBLE CREEK -- The county's rejection of a controversial minigolf course will stand.

Developer Bill Place, who proposed the project, initially said he would appeal the Oct. 9 decision of the Hillsborough County Commission to vote minigolf down.

But today, Place said costs changed his mind.

"I talked to a number of attornies about it," Place said. "They said we had a good case. But they said it would cost $20,000 to $30,000 or more."

Appealing also would take two years, Place said.

Place, who owns Pebble Creek Golf Club, had proposed to weave a minigolf course among an acre of trees next to the golf course's current buildings on Regents Park Drive. He had sworn off windmills, dinosaurs and other decor common to the industry.

But neighbors, led by the Pebble Creek Homeowners Association, argued that such an attraction belonged on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, several hundred feet away, not tucked inside Pebble Creek.

The commission's public hearing attracted some 200 people, many arriving in buses from New Tampa. Generally, friends of the golf club supported the minigolf proposal, while residents of Pebble Creek opposed it. County planners endorsed it, but commissioners sided 5-2 with the opponents.

Place has continued to list the property for sale.

"We've since had a few more inquiries, medical-office related," Place said. "That's pretty low-intensity."

-- Bill Coats

Read about the County Commission's decision here.

For the most comprehensive New Tampa news every day, go to Bruce B. Blog.

Committee Decision

Lauren Wall, 9, looks over her mother Nancy Wall's shoulder as Nancy, 43, tries on a necklace at this weekend's New Tampa Arts Festival. Jewelry designer Christina Paluszek of Seminole looks over  Lauren's head. Paluszek had a booth for her handcrafted jewelry, called Kryzia Kreations, at the two-day festival in Tampa Palms.

Times photo|Ross Mantle

Cold this morning, and colder tonight

Mark James of Tarpon Springs reads "Left Behind" by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins on a bench at sunrise today alongside Spring Bayou in Tarpon Springs. The cold wind is hard on the hands, he said. "I'm kind of letting the wind turn the pages.'' [JIM DAMASKE | Times ] 

Prepare to stay chilled, at least for another day.

As predicted, temperatures took a dip into the 40s this morning, thanks to a cold front that pushed through Thursday. The low reached 45 degrees in Tampa, 49 in St. Petersburg, 45 in Ruskin, 43 in New Port Richey, 40 in Wesley Chapel and 40 in Brooksville.

Highs today are expected to be the coldest of the season, only reaching the low to mid 60s.

Temperatures are supposed to get even lower tonight thanks to a weather phenomenon known as radiational cooling, when the ground cools faster than normal under clear skies with little wind.

Overnight temperatures will drop to the lower 40s. Some areas, including eastern Hillsborough County, could see some patchy frost early Saturday, said Anthony Reynes, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Ruskin.

"The cold air is settling in, and temperatures on Friday are going to be 10 to 15 degrees colder than Thursday,'' said Bay News 9 meteorologist Juli Marquez. "It'll be breezy today, and tonight temperatures will drop to 45 degrees in Tampa and into the 30s in the northern counties.''

A freeze is possible in a few of those normally colder locations away from the coast in Citrus and Hernando counties.

But warm weather will return this weekend. Saturday's highs will be in the 70s and by Sunday, highs could be near 80.

- Melanie Ave, Times Staff Writer

Outrage fueled by Cory Lake Isles lawsuit

Tuesday night's meeting of the Cory Lake Isles property owners association was a heated one, with complaints tumbling out in the aftermath of a lawsuit against the community management company. It lasted two hours. Questions remain. Read the full story here. For the most comprehensive New Tampa news every day, go to Bruce B. Blog.

Macy's to join lineup at Wesley Chapel mall

WESLEY CHAPEL -- Macy’s Inc. ended two years of speculation Tuesday when it announced that it has picked the $105-million Shops at Wiregrass for its eighth Tampa Bay area store.

Construction on the 140,000-square-foot, two-story store is expected to start in December. The store plans to open in October 2008, said Macy's spokesman Jim Sluzewski.

Macy's joins Dillard's and JCPenney at the 750,000-square-foot Shops at Wiregrass at State Road 56 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. The mall, backed by Forest City Enterprises Inc. and the Goodman Co., is scheduled to open in fall 2008.

The mall's developers have long guarded the identity of its third anchor amid contract negotiations. They also won't confirm the rest of the lineup, citing ongoing talks, but site plans filed with Pasco County show names including Barnes & Noble, Apple, Victoria's Secret and Banana Republic.

For the most comprehensive New Tampa news every day, go to Bruce B. Blog.

- Chuin-Wei Yap, Times staff writer

Bruce B. Downs Blvd. to close at night after Thanksgiving

TAMPA -- Bruce B. Downs is shutting down.

The boulevard that functions as the main way in and out of New Tampa will be completely closed at night at the Interstate 75 junction for a week after the Thanksgiving weekend.

It'll be blocked off from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. for construction work, forcing late-night or early-morning drivers to be detoured nearly 10 miles out of their way.

This will start on Monday night, Nov. 26, and will likely continue through the following Friday night, highway officials said.

Crews will close the road so they can install girders for a new flyover ramp that will eventually take southbound drivers on Bruce B. Downs to southbound I-75.

"Hopefully they'll get it done a night or so sooner," said John McShaffrey, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Transportation.

When drivers on Bruce B. Downs approach the interchange, they'll be detoured onto I-75. They'll get off at the nearest exit -- Fletcher Avenue to the south or State Road 56 to the north, each four or five miles away. Then they'll return on the opposite side of the interstate to get to the other side of the Bruce B. Downs/I-75 interchange.

- Mike Brassfield, Times staff writer

Paying for shade

At Live Oak's Turner Elementary School, the PTA is raising money for a covered PE court while students wear hats during outdoor play. Should school parents have to pay for shade? In other school districts, they don't have to. Read more here.

Cory Lake Isles homeowners sue

CORY LAKE ISLES -- A group of homeowners in this exclusive community has filed suit to find out how its management company has spent more than $4.6-million in fees.                  

Developer Gene Thomason has failed to produce adequate records, they say, making for a difficult transition a year from now, when Thomason gives up his seat as chairman of the taxing district board.

There is a property owners' meeting at 7 tonight at the Cory Lake Isles Beach Club. Read more about the lawsuit.

Pebble Creek voters thwart an old adversary

PEBBLE CREEK -- A man involved in a 6-year-old legal battle with the Pebble Creek Homeowners Association narrowly missed winning a seat on the association's board Monday night.

Ed Simmons, who is fighting a court order that he pay $114,000 to the association, was one of only five candidates to file for board seats when filing closed in early October. Five seats were available on the board, which enforces deed restrictions in the New Tampa community of more than 1,000 homes. That set the stage for Simmons and every other candidate to be elected.

Enter Pat Kloppenburg, a community volunteer and former board member.

"My whole neighborhood was in an uproar about it," she said. Kloppenburg stepped in as a write-in candidate. Monday night, she outpolled Simmons 85 votes to 51.

In 2001, the association found that Simmons' lawn was so dry and yellow that it violated the community's deed restrictions. It authorized one of its board members, a contractor, to resod Simmons' lawn, and sent Simmons the bill for $2,212. That led to a lien on Simmons' house and an escalating series of court actions that continue today.

-- Bill Coats, Times Staff Writer

Megahed wants separate trial

TAMPA -- Two suspended University of South Florida students jailed on federal explosives charges never conspired to commit a crime and should have separate trials, an attorney for one of the men said today in a motion to sever the cases.

Assistant Federal Public Defender Adam Allen, who represents Youssef Megahed, 21, says the Aug. 29 indictment against Megahed and Ahmed Mohamed, 26, never charged the men as co-conspirators or co-defendants.

The indictment charged both men with illegally transporting explosive materials. But only Mohamed faces an additional charge of teaching and demonstrating the making and the use of an explosive and destructive device.

"There is no evidence in the indictment or otherwise that Mr. Youssef Samir Megahed was involved in a common scheme or plan with defendant Mohamed," Allen writes. "To not grant a severance of defendants would result in ... prejudice to Mr. Youssef Samir Megahed because he would run the high risk of being found guilty merely by association with defendant Mohamed."

Samir Megahed of Tamap Palms, Youssef Megahed's father, has said several times that he doesn't think his son's case is as serious as Mohamed and wants it separated.

Both Megahed and Mohamed remain in jail awaiting trial, which a judge has scheduled to begin as early as Dec. 3.

-Kevin Graham, Times staff writer

Jenna Bush visits Tampa high school

Jenna Bush signs copies of her new book, Ana's Story,this afternoon at a Books-A-Million store in Brandon. [Zach Boyden-Holmes | Times]

TAMPA -- Freedom High School got the presidential daughter treatment when Jenna Bush made a stop at the school to promote her new book this morning.

More than 700 students were chosen for an honors assembly that featured Bush, who spoke for about 30 minutes. She talked to the students about her work with UNICEF and her book, Ana’s Story. She also answered five questions written by students and signed copies of her book.

“It was an extraordinary opportunity for the students to get to meet a young published author,” said principal Richard Bartels. Secret Service agents' work and heightened security did not impede regular school activities, he said.

Students came up with 10 questions, and Bush chose five of them to answer.

One question posed to Bush was what she thought the biggest threat facing America’s children today was and what high school students can do about it. Elizabeth Behrman, the school newspaper editor, said Bush talked about school violence, and one thing high school students could do to deter it is to smile in the hallways.

The school sold Bush’s book for three days before the event. She signed more than 100 copies after speaking.

- Jared Leone, Times staff writer

Hillsborough commission chooses Hagan as new chairman

TAMPA -- Hillsborough County commissioners chose Ken Hagan as their new chairman this morning, replacing Jim Norman, the dean of the commission and Hagan's former Little League coach.

Commissioners elected Mark Sharpe vice chairman over Kevin White, the commission's lone Democrat. Brian Blair will remain as chaplain.

Commissioners also made choices for other governmental boards and agencies, ousting Commissioner Rose Ferlita from a seat on the Tampa Port Authority and giving it to Commissioner Brian Blair.

Ferlita, whose district includes the port and Hillsborough's shoreline, argued to keep her post on the Port Authority. After losing it, she cited "scuttlebutt" that Blair had wanted to be vice chairman of the County Commission but other commissioners had decided to give him the Port Authority assignment as "a consolation prize." Blair denied that and said he had not been a candidate for vice chair. "I enjoy being chaplain."

Norman retained his longtime seat on the Tampa Sports Authority without any discussion. Blair relinquished his chairmanship of the Environmental Protection Commission to Al Higginbotham, a position Higginbotham had voluntarily ceded to Blair last year.

- Bill Coats, Times staff writer

Traffic delayed long after fire on I-75 northbound

TAMPA -- One northbound lane of Interstate-75 is still closed following a tractor-trailer fire that halted rush hour traffic for hours.

According to FHP, it began shortly before 5 p.m. as the driver of the truck approached the Fletcher Avenue onramp and heard a loud popping noise.

Warchal Krzysztof, 48, pulled over immediately, then saw smoke billowing from his tractor. Despite Krzysztof's attempts to put out the fire, the flames spread rapidly and the truck became fully engulfed.

Fire crews from Temple Terrace, Tampa and Hillsborough County responded and brought the fire under control. No one was injured.

But the clean-up took hours and traffic remained clogged late into the evening.

Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Bruce Dorus said he expected the cleanup to last until 11 p.m. Part of the delay, he said, is the time it takes to drain the truck of its fuel before moving it.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Rebecca Catalanello, Times staff writer