TAMPA -- A local mechanic filed a federal lawsuit Thursday asking that a judge place a lien on the Russian submarine recently towed to Tampa from St. Petersburg.

James N. Tsacrios claims the original owners of the sub, Oy-Sub Expo of Finland, owe him $13,333 for work he did to help get the motors started, among other things.

He wants to make sure the sub stays put until he gets paid.

Last week a production company signed an agreement with the owners to use the Juliett class guided missile launcher in the movie K-19: The Widowmaker. Harrison Ford is under consideration for a starring role in the movie about a crew's attempt to avoid a nuclear meltdown.

Man finds woman's body in alley; police seek ID

TAMPA -- At first, Rander Blocker thought he was seeing a mannequin in the alley off Oberry Lane and E 21st Avenue. The woman's body was so still.

Blocker, 40, a supervisor at Chemex paint and coating, ran back inside and dragged a co-worker out to confirm what his disbelieving eyes had seen: the body of a partially nude woman in the alley scrub grass.

Recalling the scene hours later Thursday, he broke down crying.

"It's crazy," Blocker said. "She was somebody's daughter, somebody's sister."

Tampa police spokesman Joe Durkin said the woman was black, looked to be in her 30s, and died of upper body trauma, though homicide detectives weren't sure exactly how she died.

"It's obviously a homicide," Durkin said. "But at this point, we're still trying to figure out exactly who she is."

EPA accelerates toxic site cleanup

TAMPA -- Fearing the spread of dangerous chemicals into local drinking water sources, the federal government will undertake an accelerated cleanup schedule at the former Alaric Inc. site in Orient Park, the government's project manager said.

Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency added Alaric to its national priorities list.

The 1.7-acre Alaric site joined the list despite a Florida Department of Health report showing no immediate danger to surrounding residents. The report, performed for EPA, concluded the contaminated underground water was traveling south, away from homes, and that residents were safe because most use municipal water instead of well water.

But EPA, which is involved with the nearby Helena Chemical Company Superfund site, views longer-term risks in larger geographic areas when deciding whether to undertake cleanups, project manager Brad Jackson said.

Council votes to annex 47 acres near ranch

TAMPA -- The City Council voted Thursday to approve the annexation of 47 acres in unincorporated Hillsborough, clearing the way for the annexation of the adjoining 2,500-acre K-Bar ranch early next year. The 47 acres, owned by Guy Spicola, are just south of the massive cattle ranch and are surrounded on three sides by city property. The city could not have proceeded with plans to annex the ranch without those acres, since it would have created an illegal enclave around the Spicola land, which U.S. Homes plans to buy.

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