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Oriskany will soon be sunk as a reef

By Times Staff
Published May 17, 2006

A worker with a torch cut through the USS Oriskany's chain, and the old aircraft carrier is under way on its final voyage. Tugboats are towing it 24 miles off Pensacola's coast, where it will be sunk today as the world's largest artificial reef.

Miami's mean streets are tops in road rage

Today's news bulletin that will shock no one: Miami drivers tailgate and cut off others so often their city is the road rage capital, according to a survey of actual drivers released Tuesday by AutoVantage, an auto club. Other baddies: Phoenix, New York, Los Angeles, Boston. Places where driving is sweetness and light touches on the gas: Minneapolis, Nashville, St. Louis, Seattle and Atlanta. They use turn signals, they don't swear.

Rain brings relief, but not enough

Rainfall brought some relief from extreme dryness Tuesday but probably not enough to eliminate the wildfire threat. Although 2 to 4 inches fell on parts of Polk County, most of the Tampa Bay area got under half an inch. The rainmaker front will be followed by more dry air, which increases the prospect of brush fires - but also makes it likelier Pinellas public high seniors will have a pleasant graduation today.

London, yes, but Indianapolis?

Okay, there aren't many places you can fly from St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport. Still, say you could. Officials wanted to know where. So, a survey. They passed out forms; 1,000 people responded. Top spot: Las Vegas. Then New York City, London, San Juan, Indianapolis (huh?), Washington, Gulfport-Biloxi, Chicago, Denver and Germany.

Tarpon was home to first soccer mom

You read it here first. Truly. The earliest recorded newspaper use of the now-so-tired phrase "soccer mom" occurred in your St. Petersburg Times, in 1987, according to a Lexis-Nexis search by this past Sunday's New York Times. Here it is: "When Irene Maddox died unexpectedly Sept. 29, a lot of Tarpon Springs area soccer players felt as if they'd lost a second mom. 'She loved those kids, and they her,' said Bev Holley, another soccer mom."

20 Citrus businesses used as targets

In Citrus County, someone spent Monday night using glass doors for target practice. More than 20 east Citrus businesses were hit. The BB gun or pellet gun did $250 to $400 in damage per shop. The targets included a pharmacy, an insurance office, a beauty salon, even the local Army recruiting office. No suspects.

[Last modified May 17, 2006, 06:17:11]