Internet raises the bar for soapmaker [Times photo: Boyzell Hosey] A Kenwood denizen has, literally, a cottage industry that started with local consignment sales and has bulked up.

South Pinellas County news

Upham Beach project nearly done
After four months, the sand dredging and oil cleanup are done; now the huge piles of sand only need leveling.

Plan crafted for fine arts expansion
Directors of the downtown cultural center commit to push ahead with plans to more than double the size of the facility.

No down payment? Middle class? No problem
Now even people with rather healthy incomes can qualify for no-interest loans for the down payment and closing costs.

Lealman plans Park Street rescue station
The move is good for service, but it also has political ramifications involving the city of Seminole.

Official recovering from minor stroke
Pinellas Park Council member Patricia Bailey is in "very good spirits," said City Manager Jerry Mudd, who has spoken with her.

Housing director well worth her pay
The St. Petersburg Times has run several articles on Pinellas County Housing Authority director Helen Piloneo's recent salary increase.

St. Petersburg woman charged in DUI death
She is accused of running over a Baltimore man who was changing a tire on the shoulder of I-275 in March.

Barr wins South Pasadena seat
SOUTH PASADENA -- Wayne C. Barr, at 63 making his first run at public office, routed veteran politician Lou Ippolito in a special election Tuesday and won a seat on the City Commission.

Downtown tax district to be explained
A meeting scheduled for May 22 will be the first broad survey of downtown interests on a possible tax to improve services.

Two women are killed in traffic accidents
ST. PETERSBURG -- A 19-year-old woman was thrown from her car and killed Tuesday in a four-car crash at Roosevelt Boulevard and Dr. M.L. King (Ninth) Street N, police said.

Former police spokesman honored
ST. PETERSBURG -- Bill Doniel, who retired in March after more than 25 years as the St. Petersburg Police Department's media spokesman, has won a statewide honor.

Low-income seniors may get bigger break
An additional $25,000 homestead exemption may be in the offing, but it doesn't add up to much.

Cost of employee storm shelter underestimated
The building at Broderick Park would be renovated to become hurricane-proof, so it could house an emergency recovery team and families.

Jeweler who closed store proves elusive
PINELLAS PARK -- More customers have filed complaints with the Pinellas Park police alleging that a jeweler who closed without warning took their property with him.

Firefighters pumping up knowledge by degrees
Eckerd College's Program for Experienced Learners accommodates the demands of the firefighting profession in degree program.

Creativity instead of crime
Teens of all stripes are learning to express themselves -- and get paid for it -- rather than get in trouble.

Computer manager in laptop flop reconsiders
Randy Linthicum withdraws the resignation he had submitted two weeks ago, and city officials are glad to see him return.

Party draws artists as well as art lovers
Not one to put stock in talismans or lucky numbers, I smiled when Sean Manning said to me Friday evening at the Arts Center's On and Off the Wall party: "You're 57. I wanted that number. I'm 58."

Chunky Sunday: R.I.P., neighbors say
'Tis the season, but there's no sign of a giant pack of partiers in the Bartlett Park neighborhood.

Baseball booster filled Lang's shoes
The harmonious team of "Robbie" Robison and Al Lang flourished for decades, then soured. After Lang died, Robison stepped up to the plate.

Baby Rays lose, but kids win
ST. PETERSBURG -- The St. Petersburg Devil Rays lost the game by 10 runs, but 2,342 people, most of them children, still had a good time Saturday night.

Children's worker loves Bar association's surprise
Virginia Irving of Happy Workers Children's Center was invited to talk shop but walks away with the annual Liberty Bell Award at the Law Day Luncheon.

Jewelry store leaves mall with the goods
The owner guaranteed to return customers' property, but neither they nor police can reach him.

Local pro bolstered in bid for Senior PGA Tour
One of the area's top PGA professionals, teaching pro Jim Smith of Largo's Missing Links Range, is trying to capitalize on his recent victory in the North Florida PGA Senior Open by earning a start on the Senior PGA Tour.

Daytona Beach gives state tennis group a moving deal
Local leaders had a voice in making tennis history last weekend. The state tennis association's 38-member board of directors unanimously approved relocation of its headquarters from the Pompano Beach area to Daytona Beach.

Tampa Bay headlines