Israel posts video of its attacks on Hamas

Israel posted video of its attacks on militants firing rockets on a new YouTube channel to try to show the world the threat against it.

Link to East Lake High engineering program honor

The Academy of Engineering at East Lake High School has grown from 24 students to 325 students in just four years. Now Project Lead the Way has chosen the academy as one of 14 Model Schools engineering programs for 2008 nationwide. In conjunction with the Rochester Institute of Technology, Project Lead the Way underwrites the college-level engineering program taught in more than 3,000 schools across the nation. Paul Wahnish, department chair, was a retired engineer and substitute teacher when he was offered a full-time teaching position at East Lake. He set the engineering department on its current course. To see what Project Lead the Way said about East Lake’s program, go to page 22 at this site.

Links from the Times for Dec. 31

New NASA report details final minutes of Columbia
A new NASA report (PDF) released Tuesday details the chaotic final minutes of Columbia, which disintegrated over Texas on Feb. 1, 2003. The point of the 400-page analysis is to figure out how to make NASA's next spaceship more survivable. The report targeted problems with the spacesuits, restraints and helmets of the Columbia crew. | Story: New NASA report on Columbia | Photo gallery: See final critical moments in Columbia's flight.

Links from the Times for Dec. 29

In an interview with the Times, one of the clerks injured in a Gulfport convenience store shooting said he thought the robbery was a joke, at first. The three robbers have not been caught. Gulfport detectives are working with other agencies to see if the latest robbery is connected with any of the others in the Tampa Bay area recently.
Video of the shooting:

Audio report: Listen  to a recording of the 911 call made by the son of one of the Joy Mart clerks.
Interactive: Explore a map of recent convenience store shootings.

Dogs exchange holiday kiss

A tampabay.com reader shares a photo of Hannah giving her friend Sadie a holiday kiss.

Share your favorite pet photos: E-mail them to submit@tampabay.com. Make sure to include your name and some info about your pet, then find your photos in our Pets Gallery.

You also can join tampabay.com's Community Photo Gallery for free and upload your own galleries.

Links from the Times for Dec. 28

Curing cancer takes heart
Dr. George Vesely of Tampa is focusing on heart hormones that he thinks may slow or eradicate certain types of cancer. Read John Barry's first article on Vesely, published Oct. 14, 2007: Cancer killer: One leap in logic may help a Tampa man cure cancer.

Ten to watch in 2008
Check out our list from Jan. 1 on the 10 people we thought could have a very interesting year.

Nine to watch in 2009
Think we left off the most obvious choice of all? Don't stew about it. Talk back! Let us know who (or what) you would have picked and why. Let the debate begin.

Double dippers
A loophole in state law allowed hundreds of state employees to receive retirement benefits and a salary at the same time. Search the database

St. Petersburg Mayor aspires to achieve goals
Mayor Rick Baker has a long list of goals he wants to accomplish during his last year in office. Some are simple. Others are much more ambitious. | 40 things Mayor Rick Baker wants to accomplish.

Links from the Times for Dec. 27

Double dippers: A loophole in state law allowed hundreds of state employees to receive retirement benefits and a salary at the same time. Search the database

Lead in toys: Lead also may be lurking in your home — and your children could be at risk. Watch video reports, find tips, resources.

Your favorite photos

St. Petersburg Times photographers told you about their favorite photos of  2008. Now we offer you the 5 most popular pictures from tampabay.com's Community Photo Gallery.

Take note, these were your faves: We haven't selected these as the best photos published on tampabay.com; these are photos you clicked on the most from our community gallery.

1. Charlie Crist and Carole Rome greet the media for their first photo as Florida's First Couple.

Times staff photographers' favorite images from 2008

View the Times staff photographers' favorite images from 2008, and read their reflections about the pictures.

To share your favorite photos from 2008, email them to: submit@tampabay.com

She's all wrapped up in Christmas spirit

Sandy Major of Tarpon Springs shares a photo of her cat India all wrapped up in Christmas garland.

Did your pet make a mess in all the wrapping paper and ribbons? Share your favorite photos: E-mail them to submit@tampabay.com. Make sure to include your name and some info about your pet, then find your photos in our Pets Gallery.

You also can join tampabay.com's Community Photo Gallery for free and upload your own galleries.