Digest

Woman helps recover her stolen car

By TIMES WIRES
Published July 16, 2007

OCALA

A woman whose car was stolen while she was out of town saw the vehicle being driven a few days later and followed it until police could intervene and recover it, authorities said. The woman, whose name was not released, reported the vehicle stolen July 5 and saw it being driven around an Ocala neighborhood Saturday. She notified police, who intercepted the vehicle. Police did not describe the vehicle except to say it was a sport utility vehicle. The driver, Lance Eugene Nathan Hardy, 20, led police on a brief chase before being taken into custody to face charges, police said.

ORLANDO

Balcony stunt leads to fatal fall

An Alabama woman died after she fell 15 feet from an apartment balcony, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Jessica Ashley Hawkins, 20, asked two friends to take her to the hospital after she struck the ground headfirst Thursday evening. Hawkins was attempting a handstand from the balcony when she fell. Hawkins lost consciousness in the car on the way to the hospital, according to a sheriff's incident report. She was taken to Winter Park Hospital, transferred to the Orlando Regional Medical Center and died at 11:35 p.m. Hawkins, a former University of Central Florida student, was visiting her boyfriend when she fell, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

BIG PINE KEY

Songs float among fish and swimmers

More than 500 scuba divers and snorkelers listened to a local radio station's four-hour broadcast Saturday, piped in beneath the sea in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Musical selections at the annual Underwater Music Festival included the Beatles' Yellow Submarine and Jimmy Buffett's Fins. This year, two local musicians - singing in the station's studio - premiered songs, and opera was added to the program for the first time. "We even played Songs of the Humpback Whale," said festival organizer Bill Becker. "But thankfully, no whales came." Some divers wore costumes and imitated musicians, including Elton John, Sammy Hagar and Sonny and Cher. The event at Looe Key reef also had a serious side. Public service announcements about coral reef preservation were played between selections.

JACKSONVILLE

Naval station withstands twister

Strong winds from a small tornado caused some minor damage at a northern Florida naval station Saturday, but no injuries were reported, National Weather Service meteorologist Pete Wolf said. Wolf said wind gusts of about 60 mph damaged some windows at Mayport Naval Station. He said the tornado touched down at the naval station about 2 p.m. Saturday and was "small and brief." "It blew out windows and caused some minor damage," Wolf said. "I'm not aware of anything major. And there were no injuries from the tornado." Wolf said the tornado was on the ground for about two minutes.

[Last modified July 16, 2007, 06:38:23]