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    From Times staff and wire reports

    © St. Petersburg Times, published October 8, 2000


    Car hits, kills Port Richey man

    TARPON SPRINGS -- A pedestrian was killed Friday evening when he was struck on U.S. 19 by a 1996 Toyota Corolla, Tarpon Springs police say. Dennis G. Keritsis, 83, of 5744 Mariposa Drive, Holiday, was driving his car northbound on U.S. 19 when he hit Robert William Wilhelm, 24, of 8102 Gabriel Drive, Port Richey, according to police. The accident happened just north of Live Oak Street about 5 p.m. Richard Wilhelm said police told him his son was with someone else in a car, but that he was not in the vehicle when he was hit. Tarpon Springs police say the accident is under investigation.

    Shark attacks injure two people

    NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A swimmer and a surfer suffered minor injuries when they were bitten by sharks in separate attacks.

    Taylor Holley, 11, of DeBary was bitten twice on the right foot as he swam Friday afternoon with his father and his sister. He received 28 stitches to his heel.

    Cy Holley, the boy's father, said they were standing in the water watching a large school of fish pass when Taylor was bitten.

    "I thought one of the fish had finned him, but he knew what it was," Holley said. Two hours later, Austin White, 23, of Apopka was surfing when a 2-foot shark bit his right hand, damaging tendons. He may require surgery.

    It was the 12th shark attack in Volusia County this year, and there have been more than 20 statewide, including one fatal attack on the Gulf Coast. New Smyrna Beach is about 15 miles south of Daytona Beach on the Atlantic coast.

    "We knew there were a lot of shark bites here, but he has lived near the beach all his life and he has never had a problem," said Jackie Singerland, his girlfriend.

    Fire destroys vacant mobile home

    PORT RICHEY -- A suspicious fire destroyed an abandoned mobile home Saturday afternoon, firefighters said.

    No one was injured in the fire, which started about 1 p.m., said Lt. Pete Alexopoulos of the Magnolia Valley Volunteer Fire Department. Pasco County Fire investigators deemed the blaze suspicious and were investigating Saturday. The abandoned mobile home at 8420 Blueberry Drive is part of a cluster of about five units, some of which are occupied, Alexopoulos said.

    The building's roof fell in about a minute after firefighters arrived, Alexopoulos said. They put out the smoldering debris, as well as burning grass and trees.

    Port Richey firefighters also responded to the fire.

    Residents lack water because of main break

    NEW PORT RICHEY -- A water main break Saturday morning left residents in Harbor View Mobile Manor without water for about three hours, police said.

    A pipe burst about 11 a.m. near Congress Street and Louisiana Avenue, said Corp. John Volpe of the New Port Richey police.

    About 1 p.m. city workers shut off water to several hundred homes in the development, Volpe said. Water service was restored by 4:30 p.m.

    Many of the development's residents spend only winters there and were not home Saturday, Volpe said.

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