Tampa briefs

MacDill airman dies from wreck injuries

TAMPA -- A 26-year-old airman at MacDill Air Force Base died Wednesday from injuries he suffered in a motorcycle crash on Gandy Boulevard, hospital officials said.

Anthony Folk, 26, was driving his 2000 Honda west on Gandy when a 2002 Dodge pickup turned left in front of him, Tampa police said. The crash happened at 1:13 p.m.

Folk and his motorcycle struck the left rear of the truck. Both caught fire.

Several bystanders rushed to put out the fire.

The driver of the pickup, Donald Bennett, 63, of Tampa, was cited for violation of right of way.

Speeding driver killed in crash

TAMPA -- A 26-year-old Tampa man died when he ran a red light with his 1993 Acura and struck another vehicle, police said.

Terry Tyrone Smith, of 1509 E 29th Ave., was driving fast on N Florida Avenue shortly before 11 p.m. Tuesday. He ran a red light at E Hillsborough Avenue and struck a 1999 Mazda driven by Raxim Bajric.

After hitting the Mazda, the Acura struck a light pole. Smith died on impact, police said.

Bajric was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital with minor injuries.

Ex-cop gets probation for phony tickets

TAMPA -- James L. Ferguson, a former Tampa police officer who pleaded guilty to writing bogus traffic tickets to two female acquaintances, was sentenced Wednesday to 48 months of probation.

Ferguson, 47, faced two counts of official misconduct for writing the tickets last March using a phony name. Authorities said the 19-year veteran wrote dozens of other traffic tickets to fictitious people, apparently in an attempt to improve his performance evaluations.

Hillsborough Circuit Judge William Fuente agreed to withhold a finding of guilt in the case. Ferguson's lawyer, David A. Dee, told the judge a finding of guilt would threaten Ferguson's police pension.

County drops idea to cut back tax waivers

Hillsborough commissioners on Wednesday abandoned the idea of scaling back an impact fee waiver program near Gibsonton after the developers of two new housing subdivisions said the proposal would scuttle their efforts to build affordable homes.

Commissioners had talked about cutting the Kings Lake and Southpointe subdivisions out of the impact waiver zone after reports showed that they accounted for most of the waivers -- 334 homes so far, with lost revenues expected to reach at least $3-million.

But builders and developers said the homes being built in both subdivisions are from $5,000 to $8,000 cheaper than similar homes they have built elsewhere -- about the amount the waivers are worth.

They said they are making it possible for low-wage earners to buy a home. Ending the program before its planned termination in 2003, they said, would be "arbitrary and capricious," terms signaling that they might file a lawsuit.

Commissioners voted 4 to 1 to abandon any talk of killing the program.

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