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meetings set on choosing major for high school

By TIMES STAFF
Published March 10, 2007

COUNTYWIDE

The Pinellas school system has scheduled two countywide meetings to explain the new state rule requiring all students who enter ninth grade in 2007-08 to select a major before entering high school. The meetings are geared to parents of students now in eighth grade. The first meeting will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the multipurpose room at Dunedin Highland Middle School, 70 Patricia Ave. The second will be at 7 p.m. Thursday in the multipurpose room at Thurgood Marshall Fundamental Middle, 3901 22 Ave. S in St. Petersburg. In addition, every middle school plans to hold evening or Saturday parent meetings in March or April to explain the new majors policy. Under the new rule, all students entering high school next year must earn one credit in a chosen major during each of their four years in high school.

Down-payment help offered

The Housing Finance Authority of Pinellas County is helping residents become homeowners with its Making Pinellas Home and the HomeTown Heroes-Plus down payment assistance programs. These new programs were designed to work with the agency's Home Key programs, which offer first and second mortgages at below-market interest rates to people who have not owned a home in the past three years. The Making Pinellas Home program offers an interest-free loan of up to $15,000 for a down payment and closing costs. The HomeTown Heroes-Plus program offers an interest-free loan of up to $25,000 for a down payment and closing costs to police, fire or emergency medical service personnel, school employees, hospital workers, 911 dispatchers, assisted living facilities employees, pharmacy technicians or active duty or reserve military personnel. For more information, contact the Housing Finance Authority at (727) 464-8210 or visit www.pinellascounty.org.

LARGO

Human remains still unidentified

Investigators were still trying Friday to identify the human remains found in the home of a missing 68-year-old Largo woman. An autopsy was performed, but officials said they would need more time to determine the cause and manner of the person's death because the remains were decomposed. Patricia Rita Steck, who lives in the Oak Crest Mobile Home Park at 9925 Ulmerton Road, was last seen by neighbors Feb. 4, authorities said. A relative who lives out of state reported her missing March 2 and detectives on Thursday searched her home, where they found the remains covered in concrete under the floor. Detectives said they would like to interview William F. Hommel Jr., 61, who lived at the mobile home, but said his whereabouts were unknown. Hommel has an outstanding warrant for his arrest on a grand theft charge and was last seen at the residence sometime around Saturday, authorities said.

[Last modified March 10, 2007, 07:40:53]