the life of m

Arrrrr matey!! Pirates invaded Tampa today. They sailed in on the Jose Gasparilla, stormed the Convention Center and demanded the keys to the city in exchange for blanketing it with beads.

By far one of the saddest stories I’ve had to cover in a while.

A young neighbor weeps at the crime scene tape after surveying the scene where Tampa Police investigate a reported double homicide in Tampa Palms Friday afternoon. Julie Powers Schenecker is charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of her children, Calyx Powers Schenecker, 16 and Powers Beau Schenecker, 13.

As U.S. Navy Diver Second Class Robert Daly, left, watches, U.S. Navy Diver chief Kevin Moore, center, turns upside down much to the awe and wonderment of Azlan Safdar, 3, of College Station, Texas, Darrell Scott, 2, and his cousin Zyon Willis, 7, both of Tampa (left to right) during a demonstration in the Florida Aquarium’s Coral Reef exhibit. Six divers total from the Trident Refit Facility in Kings Bay, Ga. are taking a break from their usual jobs of doing underwater mechanics on naval submarines to participate in the 2011 Navy Week Celebration in order to educate the public and promote what they do.

Learning Gate kindergartener Emmy Stepp, 5, peeks through the opening as she plays on a tire that the students recovered from a lake and repurposed as a swing in their recess yard. The charter school, which focuses on nature, sustainability and green living, is hoping to expand to k-12 soon.

Justin George wrote a wonderful story on the world of Indian athletics, including a 7-foot-tall, 250 lb., 14-year old basketball player who is carrying the expectations of an entire country on his broad shoulders. I got to go hang out at the world famous IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. where 29 talented young Indian athletes were handpicked to live, learn and train with the best.

Former American Idol contestant Constantine Maroulis, stars in the ’80s Broadway musical “Rock of Ages” which runs from January 18-23 at Clearwater’s Ruth Eckerd Hall. Here he plays guitar on a toilet plunger while working as a busboy at an LA’s most famous Rock Club.

While at the beach with his mom and grandma, Jackson Kwilecki, 13 mos., of St. Petersburg is mesmerized by all the sights and sounds at the 14th annual Treasure Island Kite Festival. About 300 kites are in the sky at any one time, including ones on display and skillfully-controlled ones in the competitor ring.