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News & Notes

Briefs from Tampa Bay and beyond.

By Times Staff
Published April 25, 2006

No Pinellas Leverock's for first time since '48

Gone for now but not forever. The last Leverock's Seafood House in Pinellas County closed Monday night in St. Pete Beach, marking the first time since 1948 the area has been without one. Owners sold their spot on Corey Avenue to condominium builders. George Lewis, one of the partners, said they will reopen as soon as they get a new location and remodel it into Leverock's. "We had a great run and very good business the entire time," Lewis said.

Brandon High teacher accused of child abuse

A Brandon High School English teacher is accused of hitting a child and pulling the child's hair. Kelly D. Gordon, 47, was arrested Sunday evening on a charge of child abuse. It was a domestic situation, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Gordon was transferred out of the classroom Monday, and the superintendent will likely recommend she be suspended without pay, pending the outcome of the criminal investigation, school officials said. Gordon, hired by the district in 1981, has taught at Brandon High since 1982. Her district evaluations show no problems. If convicted of felony child abuse, she could lose her state teaching license.

Schools send a note on immigration campaign

Hillsborough County schools began sending letters home Monday alerting parents to the district's attendance policy as the nationwide "Day Without An Immigrant" May 1 campaign approaches. The campaign calls on immigrants to stay home from work and school and not buy American products. The letter reminds parents to notify the school about an absence and to "make prior arrangements with the principal." The form letter says, "It is not our position to determine the importance of your personal views," but the district expects students to attend school.

2 Pinellas beaches win renourishment awards

Pinellas County's beaches are among six across the nation to win a national award for sand renourishment efforts. The beaches of Treasure Island and St. Pete Beach were recognized Monday by the 80-year-old American Shore and Beach Preservation Association for the economic and ecological effects of renourishment and protection against storms. The Pinellas beaches were singled out because the effort required coordination at the local, county, state and federal level.

That jet noise is sound of TIA shifting runways

Think of it as a little pain for a lot of gain. Residents to the north and south of Tampa International Airport will have to put up with a lot more jet noise for the next 25 days. The main runway on the west side of airport property will close, and most planes will use the east runway, which takes traffic over South Tampa and neighborhoods along Anderson Road. The closure is to build a new taxiway to increase the main runway's capacity. When finished May 18, it should further decrease demand for the runway that generates the noise.

[Last modified April 25, 2006, 11:04:58]