Tampa Bay briefs

Section of Pierce Boulevard to close

CLEARWATER -- Starting Monday, beachgoers will have to bypass the bypass. Pierce Boulevard west of Oak Avenue will close to help with construction of the new Memorial Causeway Bridge, a $69.3-million project linking Clearwater Beach with downtown. The street will remain closed until the bridge's completion in December 2003.

Beach traffic should use Cleveland or Drew streets, which will remain open to eastbound and westbound traffic, city spokeswoman Joelle Wiley said. Access to 100 Pierce Blvd., the only building directly affected by the street's closure, will be through Pierce Street, which also will remain open. Eastbound traffic leaving the beach will funnel through Cleveland Street, Wiley said, which could create backups, especially on weekends.

TECO to send out voter forms

TAMPA -- Tampa Electric Co. is sending voter registration forms to its 531,000 residential customers in its June newsletter in an effort to help Hillsborough County increase its voter rolls.

The forms can be used to register to vote or to update records with a new address or name. "Tampa Electric has afforded us with a wonderful opportunity to reach every household in Hillsborough County in a relatively short period of time," said Pam Iorio, the county's supervisor of elections.

Florida Power & Light and Gulf Power said they are not providing forms. A third company, Florida Power, did not immediately return a telephone call.

Doctor charged in syringe case

TAMPA -- A Tampa doctor faces a felony littering charge after an eight-month investigation into the discovery of more than 100 syringe-filled containers, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection said.

Dr. John Kilgore, 53, chief executive officer for the Florida Cardiology Group, was arrested June 6 and released from jail the next day. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. He could not be reached for comment Wednesday. FDEP spokesman Lt. Jim Ramer said investigators found the syringes in a 50th Street warehouse storage unit rented by Kilgore.

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