Digest

Dateline Florida

By Times Wires
Published October 10, 2007

Boy, 2, found home alone, strapped to high chair

A 22-year-old Seffner woman was arrested Tuesday, charged with child neglect after leaving her 2-year-old son home alone and strapped to a high chair, authorities said. A Hillsborough sheriff's deputy who had been to Stephanie Paige Thigpen's home earlier Tuesday morning later saw her at a gas station. The deputy asked about her son, who he had seen earlier, awake and playing. Thigpen admitted he was home alone, but said a drunk neighbor was listening out for him, according to a Sheriff's Office release. The deputy went back to her home and found the boy strapped to the high chair. He arrested Thigpen when she returned. She was taken to the Orient Road Jail. Her son was placed with family members.

Optical scan machines not high on her list

Pinellas Supervisor of Elections Deborah Clark isn't too happy about the pending switch from touch screen voting machines to optical scan technology. During a county workshop Tuesday, Clark said the new machines could be as problematic as the old punch card systems that led to hanging chads in 2000. Clark thinks there could be uncertainty over voter intent with the scan machines, which read a marked paper ballot. "There is no perfect voting system," she said. The county must buy optical scan machines for elections after July 2008. The cost? Between $4-million and $5-million, half of which will come from federal funds.e_SClBHail to chief here Friday

President Bush will visit Pinellas County on Friday to attend a private fundraising luncheon in Pinellas Park, the White House announced Tuesday night. Bush will speak at a Republican National Committee lunch at a private residence before flying to Miami to deliver a speech on trade policy Friday afternoon. No other details about the president's Pinellas visit were available.

Warrant for con mane_SClBJordan P. Gann has many aliases. He'll say he's a doctor. He targets single women, and he can be very convincing, as his unfortunate victims have found out, officials say. Tampa police are looking for the 27-year old. Story, 4B

[Last modified October 9, 2007, 23:47:39]