By CURTIS KRUEGER, St. Petersburg Times

Thousands of sightseers are flocking to Florida's Cape Canaveral this month, eager for the lightning-bright, thunderously loud final launch of the space shuttle Discovery.

But to technicians and managers who work on Discovery, and to astronauts who have flown it, the spacecraft's last launch is more than a historic milestone.

Astronaut Daniel Tani was orbiting 200 miles above Earth when he learned his mother had died in a car accident. So he sent a video message for the funeral.

Astronaut Vladimir Dezhurov was on board the Russian space station Mir when he learned of his mother's death. He was despondent for days.

A man who says he was roughed up and tossed out of a bar because he wouldn't drink alcohol has won a $209,000 judgment against two people and the company that owns Carlie's Lounge here.

When hurricanes hit, it's often the water that kills.
So the National Hurricane Center is making it easier for people to learn if a hurricane is likely to cause seawater to surge into their homes. They soon will be able to find out at the Web site www.hurricanes.gov.

When hurricanes hit, it's often the water that kills.
So the National Hurricane Center is making it easier for people to learn if a hurricane is likely to cause seawater to surge into their homes. They soon will be able to find out at the Web site www.hurricanes.gov.

Cornelius Cronin bought a $900 Chevy S-10 pickup and spent several weeks removing things he didn't like -- mainly its dirty, gas-guzzling engine.
He fitted an electric motor and batteries under the hood, and now purrs around Oldsmar, Fla. in a red truck that uses no gas and emits no air pollution.