Mayfield’s team not in garage at Daytona; car owners Gunselman, Baldwin say no to Mayfield

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Four team owners won’t put Jeremy Mayfield in their cars this weekend at Daytona International Speedway, one because of sponsor concerns and another because Mayfield is “marked” following his legal battle with NASCAR.

Correction: Billy Mays obituary

TAMPA, Fla. — In stories June 28 and June 29 about the death of Billy Mays, The Associated Press misstated the relationship between the TV pitchman and one of his survivors. Mays was survived by a son, Billy Mays III, not a stepson.

Fla. authorities say man walking through security checkpoint at courthouse tried to steal watch

LARGO, Fla. — Authorities said a man walking through a security checkpoint at a Pinellas courthouse tried to steal an expensive watch, just feet from deputies. The sheriff’s office reported that a man who had emptied his pockets to walk through a metal detector Monday complained that his $1,000 Wittnauer watch was gone.

NASA: Space shuttle fueling test successful and leak-free, launch on for July 11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — To NASA’s relief, a fueling test on space shuttle Endeavour uncovered no hydrogen gas leaks Wednesday and paved the way for another launch attempt late next week for the delayed mission.

Officials: Python apparently strangled 2-year-old girl in central Florida

OXFORD, Fla. — Authorities in central Florida say a toddler has apparently been strangled by a python.

NASA: Space shuttle fueling test looks to be success, no hydrogen gas leaks detected

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A fueling test on space shuttle Endeavour uncovered no worrisome hydrogen gas leaks Wednesday and paved the way for a launch in a week-and-a-half for the delayed mission, NASA said.

NASA fuels space shuttle Endeavour for leak test, hopes repairs prevent hydrogen seepage

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA has filled space shuttle Endeavour’s fuel tank in a test, and is finding everything to be leak-free.

Plane makes emergency landing in Florida because of smoke in cabin, no major injuries reported

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A commercial airliner with 128 passengers and crew has made an emergency landing in Florida because smoke was detected in the cabin.

Florida husband accused of drenching wife with hose for smoking in the house

JENSEN BEACH, Fla. — Authorities said a man has been charged with domestic battery after he drenched his wife with a garden hose and elbowed her for smoking in the house. An arrest report shows that the 51-year-old husband was charged Saturday. Police said the couple began arguing when the wife began smoking a cigarette in their home.

Police release 911 call in TV pitchman Bill Mays’ death; caller says he was cold, unresponsive

TAMPA, Fla. — A frantic woman tells emergency operators she found television pitchman Billy Mays cold and unresponsive on 911 tapes released by authorities in Florida.

NASA sends into orbit sophisticated weather satellite, meant to track hurricanes and tornadoes

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A sophisticated new weather satellite rocketed into orbit Saturday, giving forecasters another powerful tool for tracking hurricanes and tornadoes.

Sophisticated new weather satellite rockets away, meant to track hurricanes and tornadoes

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A sophisticated new weather satellite is on its way to orbit.

Tampa airport runway closed after USAirways jet apparently blows tire, scatters debris

TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa International Airport spokeswoman says a runway was closed after a USAirways jet apparently blew its front tires while landing.

Tourist’s family says vacationer from Virginia became victim of Miami Beach police shooting

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Swim trunks for the beach, T-shirts for the heat and a pair of new, black Prada loafers for going out. That’s what Virginia limo driver Husien Shehada packed for his 5-day vacation to Miami. He was like any 29-year-old tourist vacationing with his girlfriend, his brother said.

Man using drive-through at bank deposits $200 and small bag with pot and cocaine, police say

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Authorities said a man using the drive-through at a Tallahassee bank deposited $200 and a small bag containing marijuana and cocaine. Police said an employee at the Wachovia Bank called police Wednesday after the unusual deposit. An officer arrested a 38-year-old man and found the remnants of three marijuana cigarettes inside his vehicle.

Navy says sonar impact on endangered whales negligible at planned training site off Florida

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Navy believes sonar in a planned training range for submarine warfare off the coast of north Florida will not disturb calving by endangered North Atlantic right whales, it said in an environmental impact statement Friday.

US accountant pleads guilty in UBS tax investigation of alleged hidden assets

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A wealthy accountant who is the first U.S. citizen charged in a wide-ranging tax probe of Swiss banking giant UBS AG has pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return.

$40K found and turned in by 2 employees at Florida car dealership; authorities seeking owner

ORLANDO, Fla. — Two employees who found $40,000 in cash at a Florida car dealership have made their boss proud: Instead of keeping the money, they turned it in.

NASA plans fueling test next week for shuttle Endeavour, replacing seals to plug leak

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA will conduct a fueling test next week on space shuttle Endeavour to see if a hydrogen gas leak has been plugged.

Lunar science probe sends back moon shots less than week after launch, another orbiting moon

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA’s new lunar probe launched less than a week ago has already sent back some shots of the moon.

Verizon, Alltel to refund millions to Fla. customers for unwanted third-party cell charges

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Verizon and Alltel have agreed to refund an estimated $30 million to Florida cell phone customers billed for unwanted third-party services including ringtones, music and horoscopes.

Biofuel buzz builds around jatropha tree; backers say it beats ethanol, but some are skeptical

FORT MYERS, Fla. — What some see as the biofuel of the future starts out as short, thick stems with a few leaves sticking out at sharp angles. But in just a few years, they will be tall, leafy trees with bright green spherical pods spilling their seeds all over the ground.

Former presidential candidate Huckabee endorses Rubio over Gov. Crist in Fla. Senate race

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is endorsing Marco Rubio for Florida’s U.S. Senate seat.

Jabil Circuit posts 3rd-quarter loss, hurt by charges, as sales fall

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Electronics parts maker Jabil Circuit Inc. posted a fiscal third-quarter loss Tuesday, hurt by charges, but the company said it is seeing “genuine stabilization” across most of its markets.

Office Depot says private equity firm BC Partners invests $350M for 20 percent stake

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Office Depot Inc. said Tuesday that private equity firm BC Partners has made a $350 million investment through a preferred stock purchase, giving it a stake in the office supplies chain of approximately 20 percent.

Florida woman pleads guilty to collecting dead mother’s Social Security benefits

FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A Florida woman accused of hiding her dead mother’s body and collecting federal benefits for six years has pleaded guilty to a theft charge.

Report: Ex-Scientologist ordered evidence destroyed in death of woman under church care

CLEARWATER, Fla. — A former high-ranking Scientology official who handled the case of a mentally ill member who died under church care ordered the destruction of incriminating evidence to cover up missteps, a newspaper reported Monday.

Truck carrying gas explodes, closes northbound lanes of Interstate 95 in West Palm Beach, Fla.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Authorities say a tanker truck carrying more than 8,000 gallons of gasoline exploded on Interstate 95 in South Florida.

Tropical Storm Andres forms off SW coast of Mexico; 1st named storm of 2009 in Eastern Pacific

MIAMI — Forecasters say Tropical Storm Andres off the southwestern coast of Mexico is strengthening and could become a hurricane in the next day or two.

Report: Ex-Scientology executives say physical abuse was common among management

CLEARWATER, Fla. — The leader of the Church of Scientology struck his subordinates numerous times and set an example for physical violence among the tightly controlled religion’s management team, four former high-ranking executives told a newspaper for a story published Sunday.