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Week in review

By Times Staff Writer
Published March 6, 2005

Wharton, Liberty students take top spots: Wharton High School student Justus Roberts II won "Best of Fair" in the 2005 Hillsborough County school science fair, senior division, for his study on stem cells and their possible effect on stroke victims. Elisa Berson, a student at Liberty Middle School, won the junior division with her math project, "How do you measure up?"

More than 800 students took part in this year's fair at the University of South Florida. Others qualifying for state competition are:

Gordana Krone, Hillel; Veronica Jove, Benito Middle; Barry Brudny, Hillel; Ayman Mageed, Young Middle; Spandan Bandyopadhyay, Liberty; Benjamin Newell, Young; Sindhu Gudala, Liberty; Mark Parrish, Adams Middle; Nicholas Sholl, Liberty; Drew Drotleff, Christ Our Redeemer; Eric D'Alessandro, Stewart Middle; Jasmine Roberts, Benito; Taylor Allen, Hillel; Joseph Worth, Randall Middle; Alexander Ronay, Burns Middle, junior division.

In the senior division: Allyson Stanfill, Gaither High; Dustin Fraze, Gaither; Robert Parrish, Chamberlain High; W. Paul Skelton, King High; Margaret Kennedy, Gaither; Michelle Ronay, Bloomingdale High; Poorav Rohatgi, Hillsborough High; Jim Liepkalns, Gaither; Mitchell Kirby, Hillsborough.

Minivan too close to Starbucks: While parking her minivan outside a Starbucks, a customer accidentally rammed through its front window Monday afternoon. Emily Spana, 39, told police she inadvertently hit the gas pedal instead of the brake, causing her Toyota van to smash into the coffee shop at 14394 N Dale Mabry Highway. The van bounced over the curb and burst inside the building about 1 p.m. It stopped near the front counter. No one was hurt. "We're lucky," said Scott T. Hamilton, a Hillsborough County sheriff's deputy. "No customers were in the store at the time. Ten minutes earlier, the place was packed."

Spana, who lives in Zephyrhills, was too upset to talk to reporters at the crash scene. Authorities said she will not be charged with a violation. "We won't add insult to injury," Hamilton said. "We know she's at fault. There's no point in pouring salt into the wound."

The accident caused about $2,000 damage to the van and up to $20,000 damage to the building.

[Last modified March 5, 2005, 08:12:04]