St. Petersburg Times Online: News of Florida

Fort Florida
A federal program allows police agencies nationwide to equip themselves like the military, but with little training and not much oversight. An analysis in Florida shows a stockpile of unused weapons and overarmed communities.

Budget battle a family feud
HOUSE SPEAKER JOHNNIE BYRD: The conservative's resolve put him on the fast track from small town to state power broker.

Budget battle a family feud
SENATE PRESIDENT JIM KING: Memories of poverty shape his "bleeding heart" conservativism, which is often unpopular.

Schools urge: Don't skip FCAT
With a lot at stake for teachers and students, educators work to dispel talk of an FCAT boycott.

New rules aim to curb Bike Week excesses
A new list of "thou shalt nots" is greeting the estimated 500,000 motorcyclists heading to Daytona Beach for the annual 10-day celebration of bikes, booze and bare bodies known as Bike Week.

Woman escapes from shallow grave after alleged sex assault
PENSACOLA -- A woman is recovering after allegedly being sexually assaulted by her ex-boyfriend and left in a shallow uncovered grave last week. The woman, whose identity was not disclosed, was found bound and gagged along Interstate 10 on Thursday morning, according to the Escambia County Sheriff's Office.

Miami-Dade mayor plans Senate run
Alex Penelas said he'll file to start raising funds for his campaign to fill U.S. Sen. Bob Graham's seat, but he's calling it quits if Graham decides to seek re-election.

Cubans sneak past Navy area into Key West
The landing Wednesday comes amid heightened Coast Guard security and a few weeks after four Cuban coast guardsmen also sneaked into Key West by boat.

Rescued whale dies suddenly
KEY LARGO -- A pygmy sperm whale that was rescued off the Florida Keys died Saturday, with preliminary findings of a necropsy indicating heart failure was the cause of death.

Fort Florida: Florida officers get limited training
The military surplus M-16A1s that many Florida law enforcement agencies have received are powerful weapons that can empty a 30-round magazine with a single pull of the trigger. The standard rifle of new Army recruits is the M-16A2, which is more reliable and easier to control, firing a maximum of three rounds with a pull of the trigger.

Fort Florida: Old rifles, long lives
Thanks to programs that provide surplus military weapons to local law enforcement, many military rifles never seem to die. They just get recycled. Here is the history of three rifles that made their way to Florida police and sheriff's agencies.

Fort Florida: Agencies refuse to disclose records
At least 24 of the 78 Florida law enforcement agencies that have been approved for military weapons through federal programs refused to release all or part of their records to the Times.