Digest

Dateline Florida

By TIMES WIRES
Published June 28, 2007

DIVERS TREAD SLOWLY THROUGH TIRE CLEANUP

What should you do before embarking on a massive environmental cleanup? A test run, apparently. A crew of Army, Navy and Coast Guard divers plucked more than 10, 000 tires from the ocean floor near Fort Lauderdale that were part of an ill-conceived plan to build an artificial reef in the 1970s, the Miami Herald reported. The divers attached cables to the tires and used float bags to get them to the surface. The tires were then shipped to Port Everglades, where they will fuel a Georgia newspaper recycling plant. The three-week trial was in preparation for a $2-million project that aims to remove 700, 000 tires from the ocean floor. One lesson learned: Divers should work only five-day weeks because the job's so strenuous.

Where's Waldo chief going next?

The Waldo police chief known for creating one of Florida's most notorious speed traps is retiring. A.W. Smith, 61, who has squabbled with AAA over the years, is stepping down July 6, the Associated Press reports. AAA posted signs on U.S. 301 outside Waldo and nearby Lawtey designating them as speed traps. Smith, who said he's been proud of Waldo's low crime rate and traffic safety record, plans to work security at the Gainesville federal courthouse. Waldo officials plan to continue Smith's traffic enforcement methods.

Landlord accuses renter of killing cat

A DeLand man faces a charge of cruelty to animals, accused of killing his landlord's cat. The landlord told Volusia County sheriff's deputies that Peter Torrance Smith, 33, was behind on his rent and became enraged because she packed up some of his belongings and put them in the front yard, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Smith, who was arrested over the weekend, denied killing the cat. However, the investigating deputy said he overheard a call placed on speaker phone during which Smith talked about killing the cat and threatened to burn down the house.

Correction

Thomas Jackson is St. Petersburg's recreation manager. A story Wednesday listed an incorrect title.

[Last modified June 28, 2007, 00:13:36]