Florida briefs: Beached whale could help its species

By Times Wires
Published March 2, 2008

PALM COAST

Scientists hope a carcass that washed up on Florida beach will yield new clues about an endangered whale species. A 25-foot fin whale washed onto the sands near the Club of Hammock Beach, about 30 miles north of Daytona Beach, on Friday morning. Volunteers and scientists worked to quickly secure the body so that a necropsy could be performed and certain parts could be harvested for research. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration estimates there are only about 2,400 fin whales in the western North Atlantic. Researchers say only three have become stranded in Florida since 1990.

DAYTONA BEACH

Topless protester files lawsuit

An Ormond Beach woman who exposed her breasts to protest laws that bar women from publicly going topless has filed a lawsuit claiming she was falsely arrested twice. Elizabeth Book was first arrested for baring her chest during Bike Week in March 2004, then again in July 2005. Charges were dismissed both times because she says the city ordinance allowed such protests. The city has since changed it's nudity ordinance and now Book is asking the court to strike down those amendments, which include language from federal court rulings, which Book says is an attempt by the city to "end run" her previous court victories. Her suit, which seeks unspecified damages, was filed a week before a planned protest.

Associated Press

[Last modified March 1, 2008, 23:31:35]