Across the southeast

Florida civil rights leader dies at 92

TAMPA, Fla. - The Rev. A. Leon Lowry, a civil rights leader who once taught the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and led the desegregation of public facilities in Tampa, Fla., has died at 92.

His history with the civil rights movement dated back to his days of teaching theology at Atlanta's Morehouse College in the 1940s. Dr. King was among his students.

Known for his deep voice and powerful presence, Mr. Lowry was one of Tampa's most celebrated activists. In the 1960s, he led peaceful protests at lunch counters and helped found Tampa's first biracial bank. He became president of the Florida NAACP and was the first black person elected to the Hillsborough County School Board. Elected in 1976, he served four terms over 16 years.

Former Mayor Sandy Freedman said Mr. Lowry was among the last great civil rights leaders in Tampa.

The Florida Bar awarded him a Medal of Honor for easing racial tensions and promoting social justice in Tampa.

Heart ailment might have caused death

BESSEMER CITY, N.C. - An 8-year-old boy who collapsed while doing exercises at the start of football practice and later died might have suffered from an undiagnosed heart ailment, his grandmother said.

Doctors believe a bacterial or viral heart infection caused Matthew Surcy, of Bessemer City, to collapse early Friday evening, said his grandmother, Shirley Neice. The family is waiting for an autopsy.

Matthew had a cold last week, family members said. Doctors ruled out any heat- or football-related cause of death, Ms. Neice said.

Matthew seemed to recover from the cold symptoms and was not complaining of any other ailments, relatives said.

Gas station owner is run over, killed

FORT PAYNE, ALA. - A gas station owner was run over and killed when he tried to stop a driver from leaving without paying for $52 in gasoline, police said.

The driver had not been caught Sunday, and police Chief David Walker said the case was being investigated as a robbery-homicide.

Witnesses told police that Husain Caddi, the owner of Fort Payne Texaco, "grabbed onto the vehicle" Friday when the driver began to drive off.

Mr. Caddi was dragged onto a highway, where he fell and was run over by the late-model sport utility vehicle, Chief Walker said.

Mr. Caddi, 54, later died at a hospital, Chief Walker said. Police said the driver was in his 20s or 30s.