Florida

Failed switch and fire

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) — “A failed switch and fire at an electrical substation outside Miami triggered widespread blackouts across Florida on Tuesday, cutting off power for nearly 1 million customers across most of the state, a utility executive said.”

Nuclear Reactors Shut Down

“The substation trouble set off a sequence of events that within two to three minutes had knocked numerous power plants off-line — including the Turkey Point nuclear power plant south of Miami.

(Read the full post about ‘Massive Florida power outage’…)

TAMPA — Hillsborough Circuit Judge Daniel Perry didn’t hide his exasperation upon hearing Jessica Sierra’s name in court this morning.

"What are we going to do with her now?" he asked.

Except this time, it’s not the former American Idol contestant who is causing problems. According to her attorney, John Fitzgibbons, she "couldn’t be doing any better" in her California drug and alcohol rehab program.

But the state of California still is refusing to accept a transfer of Sierra’s probation.

(Read the full post about ‘Ex-Idol Sierra to complete California rehab’…)

NEW PORT RICHEY — The second victim in the double shooting that took place outside a strip club early Sunday morning has been identified as Kellie L. Zorka.

Zorka, 27, of Holiday, and Anthony P. Monti, 32, were shot in the parking lot of Diamonds Gentleman’s Club at 3935 Grand Blvd. about 2 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.

Zorka was taken to Bayfront Medical Center for treatment of a gunshot wound to the head, Pasco County sheriff’s spokesman Doug Tobin said in a statement. Her condition was not immediately available.

(Read the full post about ‘2nd victim identified in strip club double shooting’…)

TAMPA — Call it the Monday morning miracle.

A slight tweak in the road construction pattern that spurred so much commuter anger last week appears to be working, with traffic on Interstate 275 near downtown Tampa on its usual slow crawl instead of all-out gridlock. And traffic on the Howard Frankland bridge into Tampa was backed up to the hump instead of all the way to Pinellas County.

Last week’s congestion was caused by a relatively small change: the blocking off of an interstate merge lane between the Howard Avenue entrance ramp and the exit to downtown Tampa, one of many projects slated for a major interstate reconstruction project.

On Friday, Department of Transportation officials made a slight change in hopes of improving the traffic flow.

(Read the full post about ‘Traffic eased on Howard Frankland (so far)’…)

TAMPA — A Tampa police officer is recovering at home after hanging from the driver’s side of a stolen car for four blocks. The speeding car later crashed into a telephone pole and caught fire after a police chase.

Police said the chase started about 11 p.m., when Officer Kiet Truong approached the driver’s side of a white 1994 Chevrolet Corvette near Beach Street and Rome Avenue.

Police said the engine was off and driver Legrand Pratt, left, had the sports car’s keys in his hand.

But while another officer investigated the car’s license tag and information about Pratt, police wrote in a report that the 42-year-old North Carolina man "got nervous" and reached for the ignition.

(Read the full post about ‘Officer hospitalized, driver jailed after police chase’…)

BELLEAIR BLUFFS — A Clearwater man was arrested while shaving in a supermarket bathroom Sunday, shortly after deputies said he used a stolen kitchen knife to hold up a nearby Walgreens and demand all of the pharmacy’s Oxycodone.

Robert T. Halstead, 31, was charged with three counts of aggravated assault, armed robbery, trafficking in Oxycodone and petty theft.

According to a sheriff’s Office news release, Halstead stole a kitchen knife from an Albertson’s grocery store at 2770 West Bay Drive about 3 p.m. A short time later, deputies said Halstead walked into a nearby Walgreens pharmacy, brandished the knife, jumped over the pharmacy counter and demanded the Oxycodone, a narcotic pain relief medicine.

Witnesses told authorities Halstead then walked back to the grocery store.

(Read the full post about ‘Stolen kitchen knife used in Oxycodone heist’…)

Fats Domino sang, “I found my thrill on blueberry hill …”, but Bessie Smith in her song Backwater Blues “went out to the lonesome, high old lonesome hill”. When Richard Goddard found out what was going on at Lonesome Hill, he was blue vexed and definitely not thrilled! Mr. Goddard stated his concerns in this letter, which I have quoted below. Blood, Grease and Water “There is a blood and grease liquid disposal site operated by government at Lonesome Hill. This is put into unlined trenches dug into the soil which goes into the underground, or washes into the ravine, going through Sailor Gully, The Whim gully, and then into the Salt Pond in Speightstown and into the sea, especially after heavy rain.” http://earth.google.com/ Below: Blood and Grease Disposal Facility, Lonesome Hill, St. (Read the full post about ‘Richard Goddard finds no Thrill on Lonesome Hill’…)

Most Tourists Harassed!

A study on harassment was conducted in Barbados between 1991 and 1994. Alarmingly, it showed that most visitors to the island were harassed.

Here is the abstract of the report:

“This first study of its kind presents data on tourist harassment derived from satisfaction surveys of those visiting Barbados between 1991–94. Most reported experiencing harassment, primarily at the beach and secondarily in the streets and sometimes while shopping. Males were more likely to be harassed by drug peddlers, females by vendors. Younger and first-time tourists reported more harassment than those in the older and repeat categories.

(Read the full post about ‘Tourist Harassment - Barbados Survey Results’…)

TAMPA — One person was killed after a car veered across a median and crashed into a palm tree on Dale Mabry Highway early Saturday.

According to Tampa police, a driver and two passengers were traveling south at high speed near Cayuga Street at 5:24 a.m.

The driver lost control of the 2000 silver Honda Accord, crossing over the median and hitting a palm tree before stopping on the other side of the median.

The front-seat passenger, whose name has not been released, died instantly, police said. The driver and other passenger were taken to St.

(Read the full post about ‘Passenger dies when car hits palm tree’…)

An iron sparked a home fire in St. Petersburg Saturday night, but no one was injured, according to Lt. Rick Feinberg of St. Petersburg Fire Rescue.

Laurel Janeen Stoddard, the owner of the house at 4437 17 Ave. S, wasn’t home when it started.

The blaze burned through her bedroom, where the iron was in a closet, and caused about &10,000 in damage.

Firefighters arrived about 7:20 p.m. and contained the blaze to one room. It was under control in about 20 minutes.

Firefighters also rescued a white cat from the house.

Stephanie Garry, Times staff writer