By Shelley Rossetter, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, November 7, 2010
TAMPA — Electrical problems may have caused a house fire Sunday afternoon, according to Tampa Fire Rescue.
A crew put out the flames at a house at 2116 W Nassau St. at about 12:45 p.m. No injuries were reported, but the house suffered moderate damage.
An initial investigation indicates the fire may have been caused by an electrical problem between the central heat and air conditioning unit in the attic, officials said.
By Colleen Jenkins, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Pam Bondi celebrates her Nov. 2 victory to become Florida attorney general at TPepin’s Hospitality Centre in Tampa.
TAMPA — Pam Bondi had no political base and no political ambitions.
Yet, in less than a year, the longtime prosecutor beat out a sitting lieutenant governor and two seasoned politicians for the job of Florida attorney general.
"It's a phenomenal feat when you look at the whole playing field," said her former boss, Hillsborough State Attorney Mark Ober.
She won with timing and hard work, by choosing possibility over comfort. The victory will take Bondi from a job supervising no one to the helm of an office that employs more than 1,200 people.
It started with a phone call from a man in a Baltimore parking lot.
• • •
Spring 2009.
Adam Goodman had traveled north to visit his father, but the GOP imagemaker's mind was mired in Florida politics.
At the time, Charlie Crist looked poised to run for Senate instead of seeking a second term as governor. A cascade of races for open statewide offices would follow, including attorney general.
Goodman considered Bondi, 44, a candidate straight out of central casting: fresh, smart and attractive. A real-life prosecutor.
The man who helped Rudy Giuliani win re-election as New York mayor in the '90s pulled into a parking lot, dialed Bondi's number and told her that she should consider running.
The idea "seemed to hit her like a ton of bricks," he said.
Are you kidding? she responded. Me?
Then, Goodman remembers, she cross-examined him, asking all sort of questions before saying she had a lot to think about.
Who could blame her? Bondi had a solid job prosecuting crime and serving as the public face of the Hillsborough State Attorney's Office. Tampa had always been home. Her family was close by. She was in a long-term relationship with a Tampa ophthalmologist.
"It was a very difficult decision for her," said Goodman, a media consultant who first met Bondi through Ober's re-election campaign and got to know her better during her doomed adoption of a Hurricane Katrina rescue dog.
In the months after that initial phone conversation, "at times she was emboldened, and at times she was reluctant and sometimes both simultaneously."
By year's end, she was all in.
"She truly believed that she could make a difference," Ober said.
• • •
One campaign staffer likened the early efforts to a startup company.
Bondi and a few staffers fanned spreadsheets of potential donors around her kitchen table and got to the task of raising money.
Then they hit the road to build name recognition.
Her experience as a Fox News legal analyst gave her a boost in a tight three-way Republican primary race. So did the guidance of political insiders including Goodman, former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker and Kathleen Shanahan, who served as chief of staff to Gov. Jeb Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
Former Gov. Bob Martinez said his wife, Mary Jane, who taught Bondi at King High School, urged him to get involved in the campaign. The couple asked friends around the state to meet with Bondi and hear her platform.
"If she could get the meeting, she can be very convincing about what her credentials are," Martinez said. "I always felt real good that she was not only going to get nominated but, if she got nominated, she would win."
Bondi reveled in the connections she made with people in the dozens of cities she visited. Her outsider status and tough talk against the federal health care law resonated with many voters.
But the battle wasn't without bruises.
Critics poked at her spotty voting record and somewhat recent conversion to the Republican Party. She sometimes struggled to state her positions on controversial subjects like gay adoption or policy issues that went beyond the legal system.
A critic questioned her conservative values.
Writing that Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp was the strongest supporter of marriage and family issues, social conservative John Stemberger noted that Bondi has no children and lives with her boyfriend.
"She took great umbrage to that," Goodman said.
Amid the personal attacks, Bondi questioned her decision to run, he said, but encounters with voters on the campaign trail reinvigorated her.
"In many ways, the 18 years as a prosecutor really did prepare her for the rough and tumble of politics," he said.
In the end, Bondi benefitted from the surge of support shown for Republicans in elections around the state and country. Defeating state Sen. Dan Gelber with 55 percent of the vote, she became Florida's first female attorney general.
She will oversee an office with a $187 million budget and help set statewide policy as a member of the Cabinet.
"This is so surreal," Bondi said after getting swarmed by well-wishers at her victory party.
She plans to put a gang violence initiative into effect in January. She called for a bipartisan effort in Tallahassee but vowed to continue the legal challenge to the "federal government health care takeover."
Throughout the campaign, Bondi said she wanted to serve eight years as attorney general and then return home to Tampa.
Will her new political base and statewide office amp up her aspirations?
Bondi was traveling late last week and could not be reached.
"To her, being attorney general of the state of Florida is akin to being the president of the United States," Goodman said. "That's as big as it gets."
Colleen Jenkins can be reached at cjenkins@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3337.
Times staff
Sunday, November 7, 2010
CLEARWATER — Firefighters responded to a house fire Sunday morning that left the home on Evergreen Avenue a loss.
Clearwater Fire Rescue officials reported there were no injuries.
The house's only occupant, a 91-year-old man, escaped after he heard a smoke alarm, Bay News 9 reported. A central heating system may have started the blaze.
The fire, in the 1300 block of Evergreen Avenue, was extinguished in about 15 minutes.
Fire officials said Sunday they are awaiting a report from the fire marshal before confirming the cause.
By Richard Danielson, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Goodbye, college tuition by the credit hour?
Maybe at the University of Florida, where administrators say that charging "block tuition" instead could give students an incentive to graduate sooner.
But maybe not at other Florida universities, which have yet to express an interest in the idea.
And certainly not in the near future at the University of South Florida, where administrators say they need to study how block tuition might affect USF students before deciding whether to make a proposal.
This spring, the Legislature made it possible for Florida's 11 public universities to propose charging tuition in one-semester blocks, instead of by the credit hour, for full-time undergraduates.
Last week, the Florida Board of Governors opened the door to start considering block tuition proposals as soon as February. A switch to block tuition could be implemented only beginning with a fall semester.
So far, UF is the only university in the state to express serious interest in block tuition.
Administrators in Gainesville believe that making the change could increase access to the university. The university's four-year graduation rate is 58 percent, but increasing that rate would open up more seats to prospective students.
"We're trying to encourage students to graduate in a more timely fashion so their younger sister or brother or cousin can come to the University of Florida," university spokesman Steve Orlando said.
Here's how block tuition might work:
Currently, in-state undergraduates pay about $168 per credit hour to attend UF. The university is thinking about charging full-time students a block tuition rate equal to 15 credit hours. Based on this year's tuition, that would equal $2,520 per semester. Next year, after tuition increases that could hit 15 percent, the maximum annual tuition increase allowed in Florida, it could be closer to $2,900.
So if you took 18 credit hours, you would essentially buy five classes and get one free.
Take 12 hours, however, and you would still pay for the block of 15.
Students wouldn't be required to take a certain number of hours. But, Orlando said, "if they want to take a little longer to graduate and they want to take fewer hours, they'll have to pay for that privilege."
UF administrators haven't decided whether to cap the maximum number of credit hours a student could pay for under block tuition. In the fall of 2009, less than 1 percent of UF students took more than 18 hours. The most any single student took was 23, taken by a lone undergraduate.
Rules approved by the Board of Governors last week require universities that want to charge block tuition to explain how they'll ensure that sufficient courses are available to meet demand. UF would open sections if necessary, Orlando said.
Students with Bright Futures scholarships would see the program pay for only the hours they took. Therefore, if they took 12 hours, Bright Futures would pay for 12 hours. Students would still have to pay for the three credit hours they did not take.
The picture for students with Florida Prepaid College Plan contracts would be different, according to the Board of Governors' rule. Any student whose prepaid tuition contract was purchased prior to the implementation of block tuition would be billed on a per-credit-hour basis.
UF administrators estimate that block tuition would bring in an additional $4 million to $5 million a year, a fraction of what it takes to run a university with more than 50,000 students.
Raising revenue is "not the primary goal here," Orlando said.
Similarly, UF officials would not expect the change to have a dramatic impact on most students, who currently average 14.1 credit hours per semester.
At USF, the picture is different, and so is the university's reaction to block tuition.
USF students tend to be less affluent than their counterparts at UF or Florida State University. Compared with those schools, more USF students qualify for need-based Pell grants and take out student loans to pay for college. Many more must balance school with work, with 23 percent of USF's seniors working off-campus more than 30 hours a week.
That might explain why USF students start out taking an average of more than 14 hours per semester during their freshman year, but by their junior and senior years are averaging closer to 12 hours a semester.
Consequently, several USF officials said the university needs to study how students would react to block tuition, and whether it would help them graduate sooner, before looking at submitting a proposal to the state.
"We have to be careful about how we move," said Paul Dosal, USF's director of student success.
Richard Danielson can be reached at danielson@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3403.
By Ernest Hooper, Metro Columnist
Sunday, November 7, 2010
From 1942 to 1945, Tampa's Evelyn C. Johnson served in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion of the Women's Army Corps.
As a staff sergeant in the only all African-American, all-female unit to serve overseas, Johnson kept mail flowing to nearly 7 million soldiers in the European theater during World War II.
Glowing and energetic at 90, Johnson was one of the honorees at the Salute to Black Veterans program staged by Salute to Veterans on Saturday. Led by Air Force veterans Bob Samuels and Lloyd Newton, a retired four-star general, the program proved to be a stirring tribute to the oft-overlooked contributions of blacks.
From a personal perspective, I couldn't help but think that Johnson helped deliver mail to my late father when he served. …
Not only do the new "USFSP" signs on the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus look good, but they remind us it's a separate institution within the USF system. USFSP, which earned independent accreditation in 2006, wants to encourage students, faculty and staff to communicate its individual identity. I like that school pride. …
Seen on a bumper sticker: There Are Two Ways To Argue With A Woman — Neither Of Them Is Right. …
Tampa Bay Tech stages an open house from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 16. Students leave the district's unusual high school with diplomas and technical certificates in specialized fields such as health care, computer repair and green construction.
Go to mytbt.com for more information. …
Veterans Day seems to grow in stature each year, but if you ask me, we need Veterans Week.
That's all I'm saying.
By Lorri Helfand, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, November 7, 2010
A memorial to Delaney Rossman was erected in her family’s front yard on Kings Manor Avenue in Hudson where she and other children were struck by a Jeep on Friday night.
HUDSON — A white cross stands in the yard where little girls playing outside were run down by a neighbor's Jeep.
Delaney Rossman, a 5-year-old triplet, was killed in Friday night's accident.
On Sunday, friends, neighbors and strangers stopped by to place flowers and stuffed animals in front of the cross, which read, "We love you Delaney."
Some knelt to pray. One brought by meatloaf, turkey breast and macaroni and cheese.
A note tucked in a bunch of silk flowers, said: "Sorry about the tragedy. If you all need anything let us know. With love, Jason Gordon, Betty-Jo Tagerson."
Tagerson, 39, is the woman investigators say was driving the sport utility vehicle that swerved onto the lawn where the girls played.
Delaney's sister, Gabrielle, was critically injured. A neighbor, 9-year-old Marissa Manuli, escaped with minor injuries. Isabella Rossman, a third triplet, was shoved out of the way by her older sister, Victoria Morgan, and was scraped and bruised.
Tagerson could not be reached for comment Sunday. The Florida Highway Patrol, which is investigating the crash, has not announced any charges.
Neighbors said Tagerson and Gordon, who records show is a former husband, remain a couple.
"She's a fun-loving person. She would never harm anyone intentionally," Gordon said Sunday in a brief interview. "She'd give the shirt off her back to help somebody else."
Tagerson wrote on her Facebook page recently she was excited by the birth of her first grandchild.
But neighbors also say they have heard arguing and yelling at the couple's house, and one says she has complained to authorities about the Jeep speeding through the neighborhood.
Jay Nault, who lives a few doors down, said the couple sometimes has had a volatile relationship. Wednesday, he heard Gordon and Tagerson arguing in the yard.
Margery Duncan, a member of the neighborhood crime watch, said she had seen the Jeep race down the road and has told the Pasco County Sheriff's Office.
"I have complained numerous times on that Jeep," she said.
Local court records show no driving infractions for Tagerson. Driving histories from the state Department of Motor Vehicles were not available this weekend.
The patrol's traffic homicide unit is investigating the accident, which occurred just before 8 p.m. Friday.
Authorities said Tagerson left her home only 200 feet away, but immediately lost control of the Jeep. She drove over the curb, knocking down a mailbox and striking a parked pickup before careening into the girls playing on Marissa's lawn.
Tagerson fell out of the door onto Marissa's driveway, but the empty vehicle continued to roll into the triplet's yard across Kings Manor Avenue. It smashed into a van owned by the triplet's mom, Danielle Malm.
Gabrielle was still in a medically-induced coma Sunday evening, said Danielle Malm's sister, Ryan Kalhorn. Doctors say Gabrielle, who suffered broken bones, a collapsed lung and internal bleeding, was in critical condition but stable, she said.
Kalhorn said the family, who spent Sunday at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, is trying to plan a private funeral for Delaney. They're also working to plan a memorial and fundraiser to cover funeral and medical bills.
Marissa's grandmother, Nancy Wyatt, said Marissa's teeth were badly damaged by the crash. Some were broken, others loose. They had to be wired together and she can only eat soft food.
Marissa, a tiny girl with a bob and peace-sign earrings, came out front Sunday to arrange the items in front of the memorial.
About 4 p.m., the Duncan family knelt at the cross to pray.
"This family that needs our help and sympathy, we just hope the other child comes through," Duncan said.
Her daughter, Rachael, 11, continued: "I hope nothing else happens bad to her family."
Lorri Helfand can be reached at lorri@sptimes.com or (727) 445-4155.
By Dominick Tao, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Sunday’s cooler temperatures — daytime highs in the 60s — didn’t keep Duane Hanning, 54, of St. Petersburg from visiting Gandy Beach. “Getting rays, man,” he said, “just getting rays.”
For the past three days — and until Tuesday, at least — a nip of winter has coaxed sweaters from closets and quieted that ever-present noise of summertime: the air conditioner.
During daytime hours this weekend, miles of sunshine mixed with the high temperatures in the 60s produced nothing short of autumnal revelry.
Walking dogs, a day in the park, even checking the mail meant a breath of crisp air — and a respite from a warm October that saw its share of sweltering and muggy afternoons.
Just one example: All along the waterfront in St. Petersburg, thousands Saturday enjoyed the weather with music and culture for the city's centennial celebration of its parks along the bay.
During nights in some areas, temperatures dropped into the 40s and heaters clicked on to match.
But, according to Bay News 9 meteorologist Brian McClure, this taste of chilly weather is fleeting — a cold front that came and is on its way out.
"We're going to start moderating. We've seen the coldest of it," McClure said. "We're predicting 40s Monday morning, 70s by Monday afternoon and on Tuesday, highs in the mid to upper 70s."
The average high for this time of year is about 80, and about 75 toward the end of the month.
And for those who experienced their first Florida winter only earlier this year, no, that was not normal.
"We had three straight months of tremendous below-average temperatures," McClure said. "Our personal opinion is this winter is going to be much more typical."
For those who forgot, what is a normal Florida winter again?
"A few cold days, followed by five to seven mild days, then a few cold days again," McClure said.
By cold, he means around 53, and mild, around 70.
Dominick Tao can be reached at (727) 580-2951 or dtao@sptimes.com.
Times staff
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Clearwater
Driver is killed in single-vehicle rollover wreck
An Apollo Beach woman died early Sunday after she lost control of her vehicle, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Silvia Ratton, 21, was driving a Mitsubishi sport utility vehicle east about 2:45 a.m. on Ulmerton Road approaching 40th Street N when she lost control, the patrol said. The SUV overturned several times and left the road, striking a sign and a light pole. Ratton, who wasn't wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle, the patrol said. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The accident is under investigation.
LAKELAND
Pregnant woman shot; man nabbed
Polk County sheriff's deputies have arrested a man accused of shooting a Plant City woman who is four months pregnant. Tamesha Miles, 25, was sitting in her car outside a Lakeland house on Oct. 30 when a man began firing shots, deputies said. Miles was struck five times in the thigh, torso, hip and pelvic area. She was taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center, where she and the unborn child remain in critical but stable condition. Deputies identified the shooter as 37-year-old Terry Lee Thomas of Lakeland. Thomas was arrested Saturday on charges including attempted murder. Deputies said Thomas has been arrested in Polk County 33 times since 1990. They said he's a suspect in a killing. He was held in jail without bail. Deputies also arrested another man in the incident, 26-year-old Kelvin Hall of Lakeland, on drug charges.
Tampa
House fire put out, causes no injuries
Electrical problems may have caused a house fire Sunday, according to Tampa Fire Rescue. A crew put out the flames at 2116 W Nassau St. about 12:45 p.m. No injuries were reported. The house suffered moderate damage.
St. Petersburg
Two detained after fleeing deputies
Deputies are investigating an incident that led to a driver fleeing authorities before crashing Saturday night. According to deputies, two people entered a convenience store at 100th Way N near Bay Pines Boulevard about 9 p.m. and acted suspiciously. A Chevrolet Blazer driven by one of the suspects failed to stop when deputies tried to pull it over and struck a utility pole near 13th Avenue and Tyrone Boulevard. The Blazer, which wasn't owned by the suspects, sideswiped a deputy's cruiser during the pursuit, deputies said. No one was injured. Tyree Dudley, 18, was arrested on numerous charges, including aggravated assault with a vehicle, felony fleeing and eluding, and driving with a suspended or revoked license. A 17-year-old male was also detained.
Today's picks
Pasco County
Card party and salad bar: Noon to 3 p.m., St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, parish hall, 5326 Charles St., New Port Richey. Doors open at 10:30 a.m. $6. (727) 372-9546.
Ed Salmon's String Band: 4-8:30 p.m., Aripeka Elks Lodge 2520, 9135 Denton Ave., Hudson. Includes sandwich, doughnut and coffee for $3. (727) 863-2520.
Today's meeting
Pasco County
Zephyrhills City Council, 6 p.m., City Hall, 5335 Eighth St.
By Ileana Morales and Danny Valentine, Times Staff Writers
Monday, November 8, 2010
Seventeen-month-old Ulysiss Franklin was killed after being struck by a car while outside with his mother early Monday morning in Thonotosassa.
THONOTOSASSA — A 17-month-old boy was struck and killed by a car early Monday as a neighbor pulled out of his driveway, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies said the boy, Ulysiss Franklin, was taken to University Community Hospital, where he later died.
The incident happened about 7:55 a.m. at 9417 Eastfield Road.
Deputies said Ulysiss and his mother, Shanita Clarrit, 20, were outside their residence when Marcell D. Walsh, 31, pulled out of his driveway. He apparently did not see Ulysiss, according to deputies.
Deputies haven't charged anyone involved in the crash.
Neighbor Juana Garcia, 35, woke up early Monday to the screams of the boy's mother.
"She came out yelling, 'They killed my baby,' " she said.
Garcia said she saw the mother hugging the little boy and holding a towel to his head.
Walsh's driving record shows he was convicted this year of driving an unregistered vehicle and a seat belt violation. Adjudication was withheld for a charge for driving without a license.
Walsh was released from prison in 2009 after serving 11 years of a 12-year sentence for armed robbery and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and possession of cocaine, state records show.
Danny Jordan, 47, has lived across the street for 10 years. He said Clarrit moved in about 8 months ago.
On a road with no sidewalks, neighbors say kids are often in the road.
"They just let the kids come out here and don't watch them," Jordan said. "They just let them run around. I knew eventually it was going to happen."
Follow This Just In on Twitter.
Times researcher John Martin contributed to this report. Ileana Morales can be reached at 813-226-3386. Danny Valentine can be reached at 727-893-8804.
By Janet Zink
Monday, November 8, 2010
TAMPA — When he retired in 2004, Crosby Few was hailed as one of the longest-serving school district attorneys in the state after holding the post in Hillsborough County for nearly 40 years.
He died Saturday at the age of 77.
"Mr. Few was just very much an icon to our school district," said Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Earl Lennard, who retired from his job as superintendent of schools in 2005 and worked with Few for about 25 years. "He never tried to be another board member or anything, but he always wanted to ensure that students were taken care of and protected."
The school district's desegregation case and the 1968 teacher strike were among the high-profile cases Few handled over the years. He also represented the district when Rosa Martinez sued in 1986 to get her 7-year-old mentally handicapped daughter with AIDS in a classroom with other children.
He also served on the Tampa Sports Authority when it built the original Tampa Stadium and was a chairman of the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority.
Few, who was divorced, is survived by three children: Terrin, married to former Bucs general manager Rich McKay, now president of the Atlanta Falcons; John Crosby, a trader with Smith Barney; and Jennifer Burchill, assistant athletics director with the school district.
He had six grandchildren ranging in age from 15 to 28, and a great-granddaughter who is nearly two.
"You couldn't have made them any better than him when it comes to how much he loved his family," Burchill said. "He was fiercely loyal to his people."
Lennard described Few as a "southern gentleman" who was always courteous and loved sports.
Few grew up in New Smyrna Beach. His mother was a teacher and his father, an assistant railroad superintendent.
He attended the University of Florida and dreamed of playing professional baseball before he was drafted into the Korean War. Afterward, he went to the UF law school on the G I Bill.
After graduation Few worked for a Sarasota law firm and later became a Hillsborough prosecutor. Then, in January 1965 he became an assistant county attorney, representing the school district and supervisor of elections. In 1967, former superintendent Raymond Shelton hired Few as the school attorney.
"He worked very hard to ensure that the school district was cared for," Lennard said. "When he saw a rule that out of line or wasn't treating people fairly, he was quick to point it out."
When he retired, Few estimated he had attended about 1,500 school board meetings.
"The school system was his love," Burchill said.
Even after retiring, Few continued consulting with the school district, Burchill said.
But he also spent time with his children and grandchildren, fishing and golfing.
A celebration of his life is scheduled for Sunday at 5 p.m. at Palma Ceia Golf and Country Club. Memorial services are set for Monday at 10 a.m. at St. John's Episcopal Church.
Information from Times files was used in this report. Janet Zink can be reached at jzink@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3401.
By Tony Marrero, Times Staff Writer
Monday, November 8, 2010
BROOKSVILLE — The recount to finalize two Hernando County races will carry over to Tuesday, officials said Monday afternoon.
Elections staffers were expected to finish a machine recount of precinct ballots around 5 p.m., said County Judge Donald Scaglione, a member of the Hernando elections canvassing board.
Workers will get started recounting about 20,000 early and absentee ballots at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Scaglione said. Officials also are expected to double-check so-called over- and undervotes — ballots that did not register a response in the races.
Elections staffers worked in shifts Monday to feed more than 59,000 ballots into a dozen ballot scanners.
"They're getting to the large precincts now," Scaglione told Ken Fagan at about 3 p.m.
At the start of the day, Fagan had a seven-vote lead over Rusty Amore in the race for a seat on the Spring Hill Fire Board — a margin of victory of 0.02 percent.
In the District 5 School Board race, retired educator Cynthia Moore of Brooksville had a 41-vote advantage over four-term incumbent Sandra Nicholson — a margin of victory of 0.08 percent.
State law requires a recount when the margin is less than one-half of 1 percent.
Williams and the rest of the canvassing board oversaw the counting of provisional and absentee ballots last week.
Fagan said people, mainly supporters, are already calling to talk with their newest Fire Board member, to voice a concern or ask how he plans to cut the department's budget.
"I say, 'Wait a minute, it's not over,' " he said.
Nicholson and Moore also showed up Monday to make sure the count had started without a hitch. Moore said she hoped the results come sooner rather than later.
"My body can't take it," she said.
Tony Marrero can be reached at (352) 848-1431 or tmarrero@sptimes.com.
By Jessica Vander Velde, Times Staff Writer
Monday, November 8, 2010
TAMPA — An Army veteran accused of killing two women in a string of crashes he caused while driving drunk pleaded guilty Monday to two DUI manslaughter charges.
Randy Archiquette, 40, of Riverview, had a 0.147 percent blood alcohol level while driving the afternoon of April 13, 2009, investigators said.
He caused five crashes within 30 minutes, stopping only when his gold Chevrolet Yukon flipped upside down near Hillsborough and Florida avenues, police said.
Betty Williams, 69, and Brittany McFarland, 20, died in separate crashes.
On Monday, Archiquette agreed to an open plea, meaning the judge could sentence him to the maximum, which would be life in prison.
McFarland's mother hopes he gets that. Several family members from each victims' family attended the hearing. They said they're glad there won't be a trial, but they're impatient for sentencing, scheduled for Feb. 11.
"I'm ready for him to go where he needs to be, which is away forever," said Rachelle McFarland, Brittany's mother.
"Because that's where my baby is."
By Barbara Behrendt, Times Staff Writer
Monday, November 8, 2010
BROOKSVILLE — While they acknowledged the growing need for shelter for Hernando County's homeless, the Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday denied a request by Jericho Road Ministries to expand an existing shelter from six to 48 clients.
Neighbors voiced a variety of concerns including the size of the planned new facility and the types of clients that would be served there.
"I think 48 units are a little too much,'' said nearby property owner Charles Mixson, the county's former public works director.
Mixson also noted that part of the property was in a flood zone and that a congregate care home in a flood zone is a bad idea because clients don't have their own transportation and don't have a means of support.
"We have a lot of women and children in the neighborhood,'' said neighbor Janet Hehn, who was concerned that the clients, as described by Jericho Road executive director Bruce Gimbel, would include men with drug, alcohol and domestic abuse backgrounds.
Local businessman John Mitten urged planning commissioners to approve the expansion citing the growing need for the program. "You have an opportunity,'' he said.
But planning commissioners also had concerns.
"In my mind, this is an issue of public safety,'' said commission member Ron Caldi. He pointed out that the facility was near assisted living facilities and schools and in a residential neighborhood.
Gimbel countered that Jericho Road's existing shelter locations have not had any reported incidents in 10 years of operation. The nearness to the city of Brooksville was important because it meant that clients were closer to needed social services, including medical facilities and legal aid.
He also argued that programs he offers helps people who would have nowhere else to turn for help.
"If we don't have a facility like this, that would be more dangerous to the community,'' Gimbel said.
To seek another hearing before the planning commission, Gimbel must wait 12 months or he can petition for a hearing sooner. The County Commission also may hear the case if Gimbel appeals the decision.
By Danny Valentine, Times Staff Writer
Monday, November 8, 2010
ST. PETERSBURG — Police are looking for a man who robbed a grocery store on Oct. 27.
A man entered the RightWay Food Store at 7835 38th Ave. N about 7:20 p.m., according to St. Petersburg police. He approached a clerk, brandished a knife and demanded that the clerk open the register.
The man walked around the counter and reached into the cash register.
The clerk tried to reach for his cell phone, but the robber grabbed the cell phone and left the store.
The robber is described as white, in his 40s, with a medium build and a mustache. He was wearing a tan camouflage cap, a blue T-shirt with the word "America" and a drawing of a pickup truck printed on the front. He also wore blue jeans and white sneakers.
Police ask anyone recognizing him to call (727) 893-7780. Anonymous tipsters can call the Tip Line at (727) 892-5000 or Text a Tip to (727) 420-8911.
Follow This Just In on Twitter.
By Alexandra Zayas, Times Staff Writer
Monday, November 8, 2010
TAMPA — A former Tampa Preparatory School swim coach accused of secretly videotaping girls as they tried on bathing suits apparently will not stand trial.
In court Monday, prosecutors announced that 33-year-old Kimberly Brabson will accept a plea deal. Neither side would elaborate on the terms of the resolution, which will play out in court on Jan. 6.
Brabson is charged with 19 felony counts of promotion of sexual behavior by a child and 10 counts of misdemeanor voyeurism. Had he been convicted by a jury, he would have faced a maximum prison term of 15 years for each felony and one year in jail for each misdemeanor.
The Brabson investigation began in November 2006 after girls told school administrators their coach had asked them to try on swimwear, and had asked some to do so after removing their bras and panties.
In January 2007, he was arrested after police said they found videos of nude girls, shot from neck to groin, ranging in age from 10 to 15. Police said the videos capture him setting up the camera.
That November, Hillsborough Circuit Judge J. Rogers Padgett dismissed the felony counts saying the videos didn't depict sexual conduct. But an appellate court reversed the judge's decision, saying that decision should be left to a jury.
In a motion to dismiss the felony counts, Brabson's attorney Eddie Suarez says that since there is no sex or simulated sex in the videos, prosecutors would need to prove "actual lewd exhibition of the genitals." He says none of the videos met that standard.
If Brabson were to take a plea deal in which all felony charges were dropped, he would not be labeled a sex offender. No longer a teacher, he now works as a landscaper on a golf course.
The criminal case has caused a slowdown in 10 lawsuits filed by his victims. Lawyers have not been able to interview Brabson, because with a pending case, he has a Fifth Amendment right not to testify, Suarez said. A resolution to his case will allow him to answer questions.
Attorney Tom Carey's two daughters are victims. Without commenting on specifics of the deal, he said his family agreed with it. He said prosecutors did an excellent job, but that the Florida statute under which Brabson is being prosecuted is poorly-written and his family doesn't want to risk an acquittal.
He also said his girls have graduated and gone on to college. They want to move on. Testimony, he said, would have been stressful.
"This was a theft of their youth and they'd have to be drawn through the whole process over again," Carey said. "They were somewhat reluctant to relive all these events in fine detail."
Alexandra Zayas can be reached at azayas@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3354.
By Danny Valentine, Times Staff Writer
Monday, November 8, 2010
Police believe this unidentified man, who sent photos of his face and genitalia to an acquaintance, is the thief who broke into a car and stole a cell phone last month.
ST. PETERSBURG — A man accused of breaking into a car and stealing a cell phone may have snapped just enough evidence to help police track him down.
Police say the thief sent photos of his face — and genitalia — to an acquaintance named "Jewls."
On Oct. 25, police said William Hitchcock, 31, discovered that someone entered his 2000 Chevrolet pickup and took his cell phone. He didn't report it until he saw his account and noticed that someone had used it to send the photo messages.
Detectives ask people who recognize the suspect to call police at (727) 893-7780. Anonymous tipsters can call the St. Petersburg police tip line at (727) 892-5000 or text a tip to (727) 420-8911.
By Rita Farlow, Times Staff Writer
Monday, November 8, 2010
TARPON SPRINGS — A woman sustained minor injuries Saturday afternoon when a man drove his car into a store at the Sponge Docks, authorities said.
According to Tarpon Springs police, 81-year-old Theodore M. Billiris was backing his 1994 Cadillac out of a parking spot on the north side of Dodecanese Boulevard when he accelerated and crashed into the side doors of Catherine's Linen Shop at 628 Athens St. about 3:30 p.m.
The car continued into the store and hit racks of merchandise before it stopped at the counter.
Sevasti Karavas, 72, was working behind the counter at the time and was pinned behind debris, police said.
She was taken to Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital for treatment of injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening.
Karavas' condition was not immediately known Monday afternoon.
After the accident, Billiris put the vehicle back in drive and drove out of the building, police said. Billiris said the accelerator was stuck, but police didn't find any evidence of a mechanical failure, according to a department spokesman.
Billiris, who is one of the longtime owners of St. Nicholas Boat Lines at the Sponge Docks, was not injured and refused medical attention.
He was cited for careless driving, police said.
Damage to the building was estimated at $15,000.
Times staff
Monday, November 8, 2010
WEEKI WACHEE — The swimming area at Rogers Park on the Weeki Wachee River was closed Monday by the Hernando County Health Department because of high levels of fecal coliform bacteria in the water.
The high levels pose an increased risk of infectious disease, particularly to susceptible individuals and children, according to the Health Department.
The department will continue to monitor the levels until samples show the water at the park, 7244 Shoal Line Blvd., is safe again.
Times staff
Monday, November 8, 2010
TAMPA — Turning on the heat Monday morning at a nail salon caused a smoky haze that briefly closed a busy intersection.
Fire Rescue said that a buildup of dust and debris in the central heating unit was to blame.
It began when Yamina Scales, who works at the Nail Gallery at 32 W Hillsborough Ave., unlocked the businesses and turned on the heat. Within minutes she smelled smoke.
Fire crews responded at 11:49 a.m. and saw a haze gathering outside the building and coming from air ducts inside. The situation was under control in about 20 minutes, Fire Rescue said, and there were no injuries.
Hillsborough Avenue at Ola Avenue was closed in both directions for about 30 minutes while crews investigated.
Times staff
Monday, November 8, 2010
TAMPA — Police were on the scene of a hit-and-run crash involving a school bus Monday afternoon.
No one was injured in the collision, near E Busch Boulevard and N Florida Avenue.
Special-needs students aboard the bus will be transferred to another bus, police said.