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St. Petersburg's North Shore Park Beach was looking a little odd Friday. Were those blue polka dots on the sand? Yep. City officials said the city sprayed a combination of herbicide and blue dye early Friday in its annual weed-killing effort.

By TIMES WIRES
Published September 30, 2006

Weed killer casts a blue spell on beach of downtown park

St. Petersburg's North Shore Park Beach was looking a little odd Friday. Were those blue polka dots on the sand? Yep. City officials said the city sprayed a combination of herbicide and blue dye early Friday in its annual weed-killing effort. The dye is intended to show where the herbicide was sprayed. "You keep hearing, 'Whoa, what is this stuff?'" said Mitchell Lunsfield of St. Petersburg during his daily walk in the park. Now you know.

Remarks hang up state investigator

Some things are better left unsaid. Case in point: A state child abuse investigator left a string of anti-Semitic expletives on the voice mail of a family whose case she was working. Daniella Arnold left a message on the family's home voice mail, then believed she hung up her phone. But she had not hung up. Arnold launched into a string of vulgarities that mentioned Jewish stereotypes, which was recorded by the family's voice mail. Arnold resigned.

Added to her resume: life coach on 'Tyra'

Tampa televangelist Paula White plans to take on Hollywood. White debuts Wednesday as the life coach for the Tyra Banks Show, according to officials at Without Walls International Church in Tampa, where White serves as co-pastor. White, who also hosts her own daily religious talk show, is scheduled to appear on Banks' syndicated talk show about once a month. In her first episode, she'll counsel beautiful women who suffer from self-abuse, promiscuity and alcoholism.

CORRECTIONS

- In finalizing budget cuts Thursday, the Tampa City Council took $344,000 from an emergency reserve fund for hurricanes or disasters and an equal amount from a contingency fund. A story Friday incorrectly described where the money came from.

- Ernest "Tony" Peluso was a federal prosecutor whose involvement in the case of Steve and Marlene Aisenberg began after the criminal case against them ended. A story Friday stated otherwise.

[Last modified September 30, 2006, 01:29:08]