ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. The campers here monitor how many steps they take and how many calories they ingest, aim to eat zero fat, watch no television and rise each morning around 6. They have seen their families once at most this summer, are limited in their phone and Internet use, and put through hours and hours of activity each day. But, for once, it feels so good to be normal.

A Richmond woman was killed and her passenger seriously injured Thursday after a pickup truck’s tire blew out in Florida, authorities said yesterday. The crash killed Shirley G. Ricks, 58, the driver of one of three vehicles involved in the wreck, and seriously injured Joseph Ricks, 63, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The wreck occurred about 1:45 p.m. in Suwannee County in northern Florida west of Jacksonville and east of Tallahassee.

Republican Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida said Friday he will resign from the Senate as soon as a replacement can be appointed, leaving the seat more than a year before his term ends.

Fort Lauderdale’s new upscale hotels and pristine beaches paint a different picture of the Florida city than the one some remember from the popular 1960 film “Where the Boys Are.“ Those images of beaches packed with college students on spring break have faded into history. Streets once crammed are now scenic byways with little congestion and sweeping oceanfront views.

Police say 12 people were wounded when a gunman stormed a Miami house party and opened fire.

Rescuers were searching the ocean off Florida Thursday for survivors after a boat carrying about 30 people — many of them Haitian immigrants seeking to escape their country’s crushing poverty — capsized and sank.

Virginia Tech’s basketball team has received a commitment from Allan Chaney, a 6-8, 231-pound forward who played sparingly as a freshman last season at Florida. Chaney, who is from Baltimore, will be on scholarship next season while sitting out under NCAA transfer rules. He will be eligible to play as a redshirt sophomore in 2010-11. Later yesterday, Tech announced that sophomore point guard Hank Thorns has decided to transfer. His departure frees a scholarship for Chaney. With Thorns leaving and Chaney coming, the Hokies are on track to have an NCAA-maximum 13 scholarship players next season.

Norfolk will remain home—for now—for all five East Coast-based nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. In a victory for Virginia, the Pentagon yesterday postponed a decision on a proposal to shift one carrier from Virginia to Mayport, Fla. Virginia’s senators and House members from Hampton Roads resisted the move, saying it would be blow to the state’s economy.

After three spectacular seasons that put Virginia Commonwealth University in the national spotlight, Rams basketball coach Anthony Grant is moving on to Alabama. Grant told The Times-Dispatch yesterday that he agreed in principle to become the Crimson Tide’s coach. He said he could not comment on his contract or other aspects of his decision because of some legal issues that needed to be resolved, but that a news conference is expected tomorrow.

After three spectacular seasons that put Virginia Commonwealth University in the national spotlight, Rams basketball coach Anthony Grant is moving on to Alabama. Grant told The Times-Dispatch yesterday that he agreed in principle to become the Crimson Tide’s coach. He said he could not comment on his contract or other aspects of his decision because of some legal issues that needed to be resolved. A news conference has been scheduled at Alabama tomorrow at 7 p.m.

Is Anthony Grant now a candidate-in-waiting for Florida? Just Wednesday, the Virginia Commonwealth University basketball coach was being given the on-campus VIP treatment at Alabama, a school in search of a coach.

STORRS, Conn.—Next stop on the UConn express—Trenton. Renee Montgomery scored 25 points in her final game at home and undefeated Connecticut beat eighth-seeded Florida 87-59 in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Tuesday night. The Huskies (35-0) advanced to the regional semifinals for the 16th straight season where they will play fourth-seeded California on Sunday. This is the fourth time that UConn has been undefeated while playing in the NCAA tournament. Connecticut went on to win the national championship in 1995 and 2002. In 1996-97, the Huskies lost to Tennessee in the regional final.

Cold War relic deep in Fla. park Hourlong driving tour explores Nike Hercules Missile Site in Everglades EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, Fla. At the height of the Cold War, anti-aircraft missiles stood at the ready in Florida’s swamplands, protecting the South from a potential Soviet nuclear bomber attack launched from Cuba. For almost two decades, beginning shortly after the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, the HM-69 Nike Hercules Missile Site was manned by about 100 military personnel, one of the last lines of defense if the unthinkable happened. When it closed in 1979, the park took control of the site.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. Visiting Walt Disney World and watching the hit television show “American Idol” are two of my favorite obsessions. So you can understand why I was euphoric when I heard the two were pairing up. The American Idol Experience is the newest attraction at Disney World’s Hollywood Studios, one of the resort’s four theme parks. Based on the popular show of the same name, it gives park guests an authentic feel for the live television production.

Virginia political leaders are vowing to fight the Navy’s decision to homeport a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in Florida. The Navy announced yesterday that Florida’s Mayport Naval Station will be the home port for the carrier, bringing 3,190 military jobs with it. The move is expected to pump about $500 million into the north Florida economy.