2000 Whatever happened to ...

By Times staff writer

© St. Petersburg Times, published December 29, 2000

Fears about a Y2K bug (remember that?) vanished as quickly as firecracker smoke as we got down to the business of daily living in the first year of the 21st century.

The stock market went topsy-turvy. The Middle East erupted in violence. A presidential election lasted more than a month. And a couple of guys named Warren and Warrick captivated football fans everywhere.

Closer to home, the year past brought a guilty verdict for Carrollwood teen Valessa Robinson. Westchase children faced uncertainty in their after-school programs, and Lutz lost the glamorous Hollywood 20 cinema. In Tampa Palms, homeowners were bitterly divided over a young cancer patient and his backyard treehouse.

While these major stories received in-depth coverage in this newspaper, others were disposed of in one or two quick reports. What, for example, became of that woman whose Lincoln Town Car was totaled in a North Tampa car wash? Or the auto shop owner in Lutz who was burned in an oxygen tank explosion? And what about that beautiful house that Mayor Dick Greco built in Tampa Palms?

Today and Sunday, as our reporters rest up for the year to come, we bring you updates of these and other North of Tampa stories. We thank you for reading and look forward to bringing you even more news in 2001.