The Hillsborough County Commission has rejected a domestic partner registry for unmarried couples. There are registries in St. Petersburg, Tampa, Gulfport and Clearwater. Pinellas County and Dunedin also recently approved registries but they are not in effect yet.

A seventeen year old Hillsborough High School student was arrested yesterday after setting off fireworks at the school, triggering a lockdown and sending Tampa PD rushing to the scene. Akeria Bowden is now charged with inciting to riot and tampering with evidence.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri admits his office did follow through on department policy, resulting in the death of a five year old foster child, Elizabeth Holder  had been removed from her mother’s and did not receive a required medical screening within 72 hours. She died last week after complaining of head pain.

Rays owner Stu Sternberg says major league baseball is losing faith in the Bay area and could close the franchise if they want to. He met with Hillsborough County Commissioners yesterday to present plans and discuss the Rays goals for the future, including a new stadium, and reinforce the Rays commitment to Tampa Bay.

The autopsy is so far inconclusive in the death of six year old Jose Maria Pinta-Rosa. The kindergarten student at Cypress Creek Elementary collapsed and later died this week. The coroner’s office is still waiting for toxicology results

A Tampa Police 911 dispatcher and mother became a victim of domestic violence. Deanna Mendoza died when her husband Pedro shot her while she sat in her car at his apartment in Town ‘n Country yesterday. He then took his own life.

Heading to Gasparilla tomorrow? You’ll be on camera, thanks to the system installed for the RNC convention. Police plan to use them to monitor the crowds and avoid problems before they start.

And the Lowry Park Zoo has finally named their new baby elephant born on Christmas Eve. It’s Mpumi (Em-pumi) and was chosen by a family of wildlife conservationists in Swaziland.