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Noteworthy

Briefs and news of note.

By Times Staff
Published June 9, 2006

Should we call it 'Underwater Idol'?

Tampa American Idol finalist Melissa McGhee tucked into a mermaid tail and tested the waters Thursday at Weeki Wachee Springs. She was practicing before appearing with the mermaids as part of the weekend Hurricane Expo. The event, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., is at the springs on Saturday. McGhee will sing twice. She will sing - and swim - for free.

Here be dolphins in, yep, the river

Dolphins are swimming in the Hillsborough River. That's the report from Liz Taylor and neighbor Daisy Jones, who independently spotted the mammals behind their riverfront homes. Taylor saw at least four dolphins frolicking 9 miles upstream from Hillsborough Bay on Thursday morning. She worries there's a downside to seeing saltwater animals in what should be a freshwater environment. Frank Muller-Karger, a marine science professor at the University of South Florida, said the sight shouldn't be met with alarm. Scarce rainfall has limited the river's ability to flush itself of saltwater from the bay. Some dolphins, in fact, dwell in rivers all the time.

Alberto, you won't be welcome here

Could the season's first tropical storm, which will be named Alberto, be forming? Unlikely, forecasters say, but they are still watching a broad area of clouds and thunderstorms in the northwest Caribbean Sea. Upper-level winds do not favor storm formation, and any development probably would occur over days, experts say.

Another good year for property owners

2005 was another good year to own property in Pinellas County. Preliminary estimates from Property Appraiser Jim Smith confirmed it Thursday. Property values jumped 31.1 percent in Indian Shores and 39.5 percent in Belleair Shore, Smith said. Values jumped more than 20 percent up and down the beach. Inland, Largo and Clearwater saw 22 percent spikes and St. Petersburg's property value went up 17.8 percent, Smith said.

Oh, say, can you see a new $500 flag?

Is a flag thief a patriot? Far from it, says the manager of American Transmission. After the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office arrested Virgil Cole, accusing him of stealing a 12- by 18-foot (yes, foot!) flag from the store, Cole claimed he did it because the store kept flying the flag upside down. Pure bunk, says manager David Badami, who adds that Cole drilled nails through the flag (which the store always flew right side up) after stealing it to use as a window curtain. The store spent $500 on a new flag.

[Last modified June 9, 2006, 05:46:27]