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Motorcyclist dies in U.S. 19 wreck

By Times Staff Writers
Published December 23, 2007

CLEARWATER - A 51-year-old motorcyclist was killed early Thursday while weaving through traffic on U.S. 19 at high speed, police said.

The wreck took place about 2:34 a.m. just north of Drew Street.

John Edward Paul Jr. and two other motorcyclists were going north on U.S. 19 when Paul apparently misjudged the distance between himself and another vehicle while trying to change lanes, said Clearwater public safety spokeswoman Elizabeth Daly-Watts.

Paul's black 2001 Kawasaki motorcycle ran into the back of a 1998 Ford Explorer driven by 18-year-old Tarryne Rogers of Safety Harbor.

Paul, who lived on S Greenwood Avenue in Clearwater, was thrown from his motorcycle and died at the scene, police said

Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Four vie to fill two seats on Seminole's council

SEMINOLE - Voters will have a chance March 11 to put some different folks on the Seminole City Council, but the choices all have familiar faces.

Two candidates are incumbents, one is a former council member and the fourth is making a second run for a Seminole council seat. Two seats are up for grabs. The candidates are:

- Incumbent John Counts, 41, is a banker and has worked as a financial consultant.

- Incumbent Bob Matthews, 63, retired from Progress Energy in 2002. He and his wife own Seminole Garden Florist. He has served on the Seminole City Council since 1990 except for eight months in 2006.

- Patricia Plantamura waged an unsuccessful campaign for the council last spring. She lost out when voters decided to return three incumbents to the open seats. Plantamura, 50 , is a former police officer turned teacher.

- Trina Watkins was elected to the council in 2006 and resigned nine months later to run an unsuccessful campaign for mayor against Jimmy Johnson. Watkins, 62, is a community relations director.

Anne Lindberg, Times staff writer

Off-duty police officer shoots at intruder

TARPON SPRINGS - The knock on the door came while Clearwater police Officer Eliad Glenn was in the shower.

When he didn't answer, a man forced his way into Glenn's house through a side door.

Glenn, 29, grabbed his gun and fired a single shot at the intruder, missing him. The man then fled in a waiting maroon or red sedan. Glenn fired at the car too, Tarpon Springs police said. The incident took place at 12:17 p.m. Wednesday near Meres Boulevard and Carlton Road.

Glenn, a Clearwater police officer for nearly a year, has been placed on administrative leave while the incident is reviewed, Clearwater police spokeswoman Elizabeth Daly-Watts said.

Jonathan Abel, Times staff writer

[Last modified December 22, 2007, 21:39:48]