Digest

Dateline Florida

By TIMES WIRES
Published July 27, 2007

Action delayed on case that led to '67 riot

The Tampa City Council on Thursday postponed discussion of the Martin Chambers case until next week, when it could decide to send the issue to the federal authorities for more investigation. Chambers, 19, was shot in the back and killed by a Tampa police officer in 1967, sparking days of riots. Both a state attorney and a subsequent investigation at his family's behest in 1990 found the shooting was justifiable. But Chambers' family sees hope in the proposed Emmitt Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act, which would provide $100-million for federal prosecutors and agents to revisit civil rights-era slayings.

If only he was going as slow as molasses

The truck driver's loss was the ants' gain. Molasses from an overturned tanker truck leaked onto an Interstate 4 interchange bridge Thursday morning in Lakeland. Trucker Melvin Roberts, 72, was going too fast when he tried to turn onto I-4, the Florida Highway Patrol told the Ledger newspaper. He was cited for careless driving and treated for minor injuries. The instant ant picnic was both mess and menace: Molasses can actually damage asphalt, Highway Patrol troopers said.

GIULIANI MAY SKIP MAHAFFEY DEBATE

Rudy Giuliani may have better things to do than answer YouTube users' questions at the GOP debate in St. Petersburg. The New York Daily News reported late Thursday that the former New York mayor has "scheduling issues" with the Sept. 17 date, jeopardizing the showdown at the Mahaffey Theater. The news comes a week after the debate's location was announced, and days after Democratic candidates fielded questions from citizens who made YouTube videos. Elected officials touted the choice of St. Petersburg as a sign of Florida's increasing political clout.

[Last modified July 27, 2007, 00:00:13]