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By TIMES WIRES
Published August 29, 2006

Should we expect to see pirate movies at Gasparilla film fest?

Numerous events have tied themselves to Tampa's iconic Gasparilla festival, from an arts festival to a distance run and a golf tournament. Add one more to the list: the Gasparilla Film Festival. The five-day event promises more than 60 films at venues around Ybor City Feb. 28 through March 4. No word yet on when to expect the Gasparilla Baking Expo, the Gasparilla Mime Competition or the Gasparilla Mud Wrestling Tournament.

Paper's support is called bribe

A Naples newspaper endorsement is now the subject of a criminal bribery investigation. A Collier County Commission candidate says the Naples Daily News tried to curry favor for a rezoning it is seeking by endorsing his incumbent opponent, the newspaper reports. Candidate Michael Lissack filed criminal charges against the Naples Daily News, saying it bribed Commissioner Frank Halas when it recommended him in the Sept. 5 Republican primary. Halas will vote Sept. 12 on a rezoning the newspaper needs for a new headquarters. Daily News editors said those involved in the endorsement are not involved in its expansion plans. The Collier Sheriff's Office is investigating.

CORRECTIONS

- Zach Hetzendorfer was shown Monday in a photo getting splashed near a church carwash. His name was misspelled.

- A story Monday misstated the name of the company that donated more than $14,000 to Jim Davis's campaign for governor. Radiation Therapy Services Inc. of Fort Myers and its subsidiaries made the donations. WellCare Health Plans Inc. did not donate to Davis.

Magazine says FAMU is tops

Florida A&M University may have more than its share of problems, but it's No. 1 to Black Enterprise magazine. The historically black university in Tallahassee, founded in 1887, hasn't had a permanent president for two years and its interim leader is still cleaning up years of financial mismanagement. But it beat such historically black institutions as Howard and Spelman and even Ivy League heavyweights like Harvard as the best place for African-American college students. The magazine surveyed more than 500 college administrators and looked at schools' black student graduation rate, undergraduate enrollment, academic and social environment and their 2004 ranking, when FAMU was No. 6.

[Last modified August 29, 2006, 00:54:21]