An open letter to a purse snatcher in Tampa

It's Your Times is the St. Petersburg Times' community journalism site, where you write the news and share your views. Today, Larissa Straub-Yates of New Kensington, Pa., addresses a woman who stole her purse from Tampa International Airport.

"It was nice of you to explain to the others that watched you find it that you were going to take it to the information desk so that it could be properly returned to me," Straub-Yates wrote. "Unfortunately, I guess you were unable to locate the desk and instead deposited it in the trash can in the ladies restroom."

"And since you now have my camera too, I hope you enjoy the priceless photographs that my husband and I took on our honeymoon cruise we had just returned from in the Caribbean."

Read the full letter. Then share your tales on ItsYourTimes: What's happening in your Tampa Bay neighborhood? Any good news?

'Birthers' spark noise, reader debate about President Obama's birth certificate

An Internet controversy that raged during the presidential campaign has resurfaced in recent weeks, posing more of a threat to Republicans than the intended target, President Barack Obama.

The "birther" movement, as it's called, claims that Obama was not born in Hawaii, but Kenya or Indonesia and therefore is not eligible to be president. The birth certificate that has been released and authenticated by numerous Hawaii state officials is a fraud, they say, and isn't the original anyway.

The St. Petersburg Times' fact-checking Web site PolitiFact.com has examined this issue several times over the past year and found a mountain of evidence that proves Obama was born in Honolulu.

Yet, the debate rages nationwide and among tampabay.com readers this morning. Here's a look at what some readers are saying on the issue:

"The racists still can't get over Obama as our President," wrote Richard from Tampa. "These losers are wasting the time of those trying to fix this broken country."

Your beach photos: Attacked by a big starfish

We love seeing tampabay.com readers'  beach photos. Here, Eric Taylor shares a picture of his son Zach on Sanibel Island. Taylor labeled the photo: "Big Starfish! On my head!"

Links from the Times for July 31: 911 calls, Barack Obama's birth certificate

Photo gallery: View the return of Army Spc. Coleman

Those 911 calls

- Erin Andrews' paparazzi complaint

- Pot-brownie policeman

- Irate McDonald's customer

- Call to Cambridge police

- Caller for Michael Jackson

- Mom in baby decapitation

PolitiFact: The truth about Barack Obama's birth certificate | YouTube Video

Backstory: Hissing python | Obstructive boa constrictor

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Links from the Times for July 30: Bloomingdale rape victim improving

Backstory: Rape at the Bloomingdale library

Photo gallery: Lost art of tree climbing

Tony Dungy believes Michael Vick deserves a second chance. Do you?

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Tony Dungy believes Michael Vick is focused on putting his life back together. Dungy has agreed to mentor Vick as part of the quarterback's conditional reinstatement to the NFL.

"I'm not sure what football is going to hold for him; that will be discussed at length in the sports pages over the next few weeks," Dungy said in a post on his blog Tuesday. "I believe in second chances for people who admit their mistakes and are committed to changing."

Dungy, who has long been involved in prison ministries, met with Vick in May at the federal penitentiary where the former Atlanta Falcons star was serving an 18-month term for running a dogfighting ring.

Do you believe Vick deserves a second chance? How would you react if your favorite team picked him up?

Great catch for a little guy

Jennifer Vellucci shares a photo 4-year-old Jacob Vellucci and the 30" snook he reeled in off the tip of Honeymoon Island earlier this month. His dad, Josh, and sister Jada were on board to help out.  

Links from the Times for July 29: Jack Kerouac, Shark attacks dolphin

Backstory: The fight over all things Kerouac (2002)

Sharks attack released dolphin: Video  |  Photo Gallery

Meet the newest member of the Ghost Hunters

Tampabay.com reader Laura Cholewa shares a "celebrity and me photo" and her tale of meeting Ghost Hunters star Jason Hawes.

Cholewa wrote: "We went to Buffalo, N.Y., to visit my brother and we found out that the Taps Team (Ghost Hunters) was at the old Train Station so we went and Jason Hawes was nice enough to take a picture with our son Michael. PRICELESS!"

Have you spotted any stars in Tampa Bay or beyond? We'd love to see your pics: E-mail them to submit@tampabay.com with your name and photo details. Then view them in tampabay.com's Community Photo Gallery and vote for your favorites.

You also can register to join tampabay.com's Community Photo Gallery and upload your own photo galleries.