BY LIZA STROUT - First, pictures and videos began to appear on Facebook. Dead tarpon, floating in the Pass after a Professional Tarpon Tournament Series event. A tarpon slowly dying, a circle hook snagged through its throat.

They spread through the local Facebook community and beyond like wildfire.

BY LIZA STROUT - Lew Hastings has spent time tarpon fishing. He has even managed to land a few silver kings, and has also overseen three tarpon tournaments of his own - two Ladies Day events and this year’s successful return of the World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament.

So it came as a bit of a surprise to find out that Hastings had never actually been in a tarpon tournament in his life. What is truly amazing is that of everyone on the winning team from Saturday’s Howl at the Moon Tarpon Tournament, he has the most experience with actually catching the fish.

Ginger Watkins, George Baker and Gay Darsie will be joining the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority board later in the year. They are all running unopposed in the November 6 election.

For Watkins, an incumbent, this will be her second term on the board. Baker has served on the GIBA board before. This is Darsie’s first time around in dealing with bridge action, though.

As of press time, 10 boats were signed up for the Turnin’ Tides All-Release Tarpon Tournament ... and lots more possibilities are available for those who are interested.

If you want to grab a captain and a team, sign-ups begin after 1 p.m. on Friday, June 15 and must be cash. Saturday, June 16 is the deadline.

Final registration and T-shirt pickup will be from noon to 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 17, the day of the tournament.

Registration will take place at Gasparilla Outfitters. Call them at 964-0907 for more information, or call tournament coordinator Angie Mills at (941) 270-0289.

Island resident Jan Goetches was recently targeted by the”grandchild scam,” and she wants to make sure that others are forewarned.

“What tipped me off is that they said that it was my eldest grandson,” she said. “I explained to them that I only have one grandson, and hung up.”

BY CHERYL HOPKINS - It was a beautiful Sunday evening. We met Capt. Shane and Mike Sovan, climbed aboard the Haywire, and set off for what would be a most fabulous time. It proved to be exactly what we had bargained for … and more! I am ready to go back.  

I must admit that I was a good bit nervous because all of my friends aboard the boat with me had all caught their “first” tarpon. I had watched a few children work their magic as an observer during the recent kids tournament, but that was my entire history with the famous silver king.