TAMPA — The good news: Hillsborough County has learned that an insurance policy it holds will cover its legal expenses from Commissioner Kevin White's sexual discrimination trial.
The bad news: The policy has what amounts to a $350,000 deductible. And it doesn't cover $75,000 in damages awarded to the former aide who sued White.
The National Research Council released a controversial report in June that said science could not link polluted water at Camp Lejeune to illnesses suffered by thousands of residents who lived on the Marine Corps base.
The NRC, an arm of the nonprofit National Academies of Science that often advises government agencies, said no further study would prove such a link.
TAMPA — The Chinese government bears ultimate responsibility for the houses built with Chinese drywall that corrodes copper piping and other metals, Sen. Bill Nelson said Friday.
The corrosion, caused by chemicals found in the drywall, can destroy air-conditioning systems, bathroom fixtures and appliances.
EAST LAKE — The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office is searching for a man who dressed as a woman and robbed a bank Friday afternoon, authorities say.
Just before 4 p.m., the suspect, described as a black man wearing a wig and a long, purple sweater over black stretch pants, entered the Bank of America at 2551 Tarpon Woods Blvd., deputies said.
Florida's unemployment office is bracing for a surge of calls after President Obama on Friday signed legislation triggering an extended round of unemployment benefits.
The Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation, which handles unemployment issues, has extended hours for its customer service hot line over the weekend to handle queries. The toll-free hot line, 1-800-204-2418, will be staffed 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Tampa's One Source Landscape and & Golf Services will cut 253 jobs by the end of the year, according to a state-required Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filing on Friday.
The business at 3605 Bougainvillea Avenue provides landscaping and grounds maintenance at Busch Gardens.
ST. PETERSBURG — Deputies on Friday arrested an 18-year-old student they say had weapons in his car while on school property.
Michael August Volpini of 6433 49th Ave. N, faces a charge of felony possession of weapons on a school campus. Authorities took him into custody shortly after 11 a.m. Friday in the parking lot of Dixie Hollins High School, where he is an 11th grader.
As expected, Lazydays RV Center in Seffner followed through on Friday on its plan to file voluntarily for bankruptcy under a prepackaged Chapter 11 reorganization. Lazydays CEO John Horton in a statement said the filing has the "full support" of lenders and bondholders. "We expect to move through the process quickly and emerge a stronger company by year end – all without disruption to our business or to our customers," he said. Filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, the plan is expected to eliminate all of the company's $137 million of bond debt, reducing its annual cash interest costs by about $16.2 million through the elimination of bond interest payments. "This is a process that will help Lazydays weather the present economic storm," Horton said, adding the financial restructuring will not affect business operations, customers or employees. Lazydays, founded in 1976 by Don Wallace, is the nation's largest singe site RV dealership.
TAMPA — A mentally ill Vietnam veteran was sentenced Friday to five years of probation for making repeated threats to kill his Veterans Affairs financial guardian and blow up the agency's office building.
Ronald Franklin Barnes, 59, of Wildwood had already spent close to 15 months in custody following his arrest. He pleaded guilty in August to making the threats, and U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Kovachevich granted a defense motion to vary from the sentencing range of 15 to 21 months based on the amount of time Barnes has already served.
TAMPA — Immigration officials won't appeal the ruling of a judge who refused to deport University of South Florida student Youssef Megahed on terrorism charges.
"After carefully reviewing and evaluating the decision made by an immigration judge to terminate Megahed's removal proceedings, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has decided to not appeal the judge's decision," ICE said in a statement released through spokeswoman Nicole Navas. "The ICE case is closed."
News
