Florida

TAMPA – A 26-year-old motorcyclist died after he rear-ended an SUV Saturday night.

Arius E. Fayson of Tampa was heading north on Interstate 75 in an outside lane north of Fletcher Avenue when he darted between two cars and crashed into the rear trunk of a 2003 Toyota SUV, according to Florida Highway Patrol.

The impact flipped Fayson’s motorcycle over as he was impaled in the vehicle’s trunk area, FHP said.

Rescue crews cut him out and airlifted him to Tampa General Hospital, where he died early Sunday.

The driver of the SUV, Robert E.

(Read the full post about ‘Motoryclist killed after rear-ending SUV’…)

OLDSMAR — An Oldsmar couple escaped their burning home early Sunday morning after they were alerted to the blaze when their smoke alarm went off.

Deputies with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office were on routine patrol at 4 a.m. when they noticed smoke coming from the home at 508 E. Buckingham Ave., sheriff’s office officials said.

Residents Lee King, 61, and Julie King, 53, had already escaped the home by way of a spiral staircase at the back of the residence when deputies arrived. All other exits were blocked by smoke or flames, deputies said.

No one was injured in the pre-dawn blaze.

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LITHIA — Hillsborough County parks and forestry officials are monitoring a brush fire near Alafia River Park that has burned about 500 acres since Saturday evening, but do not expect it to affect homes or businesses.

They will monitor the fire, county fire rescue spokesman Ray Yeakley said, and fog and smoke visibilities warning signs have been placed in the area for drivers on State Road 39.

Times staff writer

PINELLAS PARK — A Kenneth City teen was shot in Pinellas Park early Sunday morning. Errick Pholone Lovan, 18, suffered a gunshot wound to his leg after a confrontation with other young men near 74th Avenue and 35th Way, police say.

Lovan, who underwent surgery to remove the bullet, is expected to recover, Pinellas Park Police Lt. Paul J. Andrews said.

"The last I heard he was going into surgery and he was fine," Andrews said.

The incident may have stemmed from an altercation at a party earlier in the night, Andrews said.

The shooter is not yet known.

At around 3 a.m. patrol officers responded to a report of multiple gunshots near the 7300 block of U.S.

(Read the full post about ‘Teen shot in Pinellas Park’…)

TAMPA — Tampa police were investigating an unexplained death after snorklers found a human skull near the Courtney Campbell Causeway.

Saturday afternoon, two snorklers found the skull about 1 mile west of the boat ramp near the Causeway, spokesman Cpl. Jared Douds said.

Police divers searched the north side of the causeway for additional bones and possible evidence.

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Money and Paco got a reprieve. The two pit bullterriers were claimed by their owner, Sherman L. Britten, Thursday morning at Pinellas Animal Services, where they had been quarantined for 10 days after one of them killed a Boston terrier.

The dogs were scheduled to be euthanized Saturday if they were not claimed. Britten, 33, was required to pay $260 in fees and faces other fines.

The owner of the terrier, Jean Post, 80, began to cry when told the dogs had been released. "I’m scared to death of them," she said. "I’m going to get Mace."

Eileen Schulte, Times staff writer

TAMPA — Deputies are searching for a man who exposed himself to children at a Brandon lemonade stand.

The children, a girl and a boy, set up a lemonade stand on their front porch near Tradewinds Drive and Ketch Place in Brandon at 4 p.m. June 13. The suspect drove up in a large sport utility vehicle, paid a dollar for lemonade and then opened the driver’s door of the vehicle and began masturbating, investigators say.

The children ran and told adults what had happened.

Deputies are looking for a thin man approximately 20 years old with a tattoo on his upper left arm, black hair and brown eyes. He wore blue jean shorts and a white tank top.

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Deputy Constance Boyd tries to remove a woman’s piercing at Orient Road Jail in March 2008. People are required to open their mouths and stick out their tongue as part of the search when they are booked. [CHRIS ZUPPA | Times]

TAMPA — They’ll be assigned to jails where they’ll be screamed at and picked on for low pay and long hours, but 15 new detention deputies will be sworn in to service with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office during an afternoon ceremony.

The 15 deputies, graduates of the Sheriff’s Office Detention Class 195, will be sworn in by Chief Deputy Jose Docobo during a ceremony slated for 2 p.m.

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Above: Brides-to-be from across the bay area check over the wedding dresses available at the Goodwill store in Brandon this morning. At right, below: Rachel Whidden, 22, beams as she looks over at her mother after placing the veil on her head while trying on dresses. [KEN HELLE | Times]

BRANDON — About 100 people lined up before sunrise this morning for the Goodwill store’s Bridal Bonanza.

The booty? Two hundred handmade wedding dresses originally priced up to $2,000. This morning, though, most were selling for half price or less.

(Read the full post about ‘Bridal Bonanza: Deep discounts for early risers’…)

WESTCHASE — Concerned that proposed changes to the county’s after-school program could wreak havoc in the lives of thousands of children who depend on it, more than 30 parents confronted Hillsborough’s Parks director Thursday night.

For more than two hours, they asked Mark Thornton about suggested changes to the county’s $16-million Out of School youth program, which serves more than 5,600 children.

A consultant recommended three shifts as the county faces a projected $87-million operating budget shortfall. Among the consultant’s proposed remedies:

• Charge a fee.

(Read the full post about ‘Parents to parks director: Keep coaches’…)