For those of you following the Tampa City Council’s decision to close Gene’s Bar in the dailies, I have some completely expected news: the East Tampa bar is done.

I stopped there yesterday around “Happy Hour” to talk with owner Eugene O'Steen and found the doors locked. One of the bar’s neighbors informed me the bar has been closed nearly a week while O’Steen works out a deal with the city to buy the property at 2932 N. 22nd St. The city is planning on some sort of community use for the bar that logged in hundreds of police calls a year. But something tells me that won’t attract as many people as 2-for-1 drinks.

Also, another bit of old news: St. Petersburg’s infamous tent slashing video on YouTube has over 17,000 views now. But while perusing the other videos posted by St. Pete For Peace, I came across this gem: a video of a St. Petersburg police officer citing a van who honked at an anti-war demonstration held at Baywalk in 2005.

CL's Wayne Garcia reported on this brave act of crime fighting when it happened, along with an update five months later.

This article appears in Feb 7-13, 2007.