All it took was a few swipes from an excavator to demolish the house in Ohio where three women were held captive for a decade.
Cheers and applause filled the streets in the Cleveland neighborhood were the house of Ariel Castro, the man who held three women against their will for over a decade while beating, raping, and even fathering a child by one of the women, once stood. The demolition started Wednesday morning lasting only 20 minutes. It was part of a plea deal that kept Castro-62 from receiving the death penalty. Castro was sentenced to life in prison plus 1,000 years last week.
Victim Michelle Knight showed up early Wednesday morning before the demolition started. After making a brief statement, she released balloons into the air.
With rosary beads hanging from her neck, Knight said, “Dear Lord, give the missing people strength and power to know that they are loved. We hear their cry, they are never forgotten in my heart. They are caterpillars waiting to turn into a butterfly. They are never forgotten, they are loved.”
“The balloons represent the millions of children that were never found and the ones who passed away that were never heard,” said Knight.
A relative of one of the victims represented the three women and took the controls of the excavator for the first smash at the top of the house with the wrecking crane. Later, as the demolition reached the basement where the women were held, church bells rang out.
“Tearing the house down was important for the neighborhood, to show that monster that he is behind bars and that he’s never going to get out,” said Katie Mae Brown-62, a former resident of the neighborhood.
According to Cuyahoga County prosecutor Tim McGinty, the two houses to the left of Castro’s are also being torn down. That site will eventually be developed into a park or whatever the residents there agree on.
As Castro signed over the deed to the house, he cried while recalling his “many happy memories” there with the women. Prosecutors used the teary-eyed scene to show Castro’s “distorted and twisted” personality calling him “one evil guy”.
Monday Castro’s son, Anthony Castro along with other relatives showed up to the house to collect personal items from the residence including photographs, guitars and bicycles. They said that the demolition of the house was part of a healing process for them.
Ariel Castro House Torn Down
“It’s sad and hard but it’s necessary for us to move on,” said Anthony Castro.
At the sentencing of Castro, prosecutors showed photo’s of what the rooms looked like where the three women were kept inside the home.
In the room where Amanda Berry lived with her young, who was father by Castro, there were stuffed animals along the bed, a drawing on a shelf that read, “Happy Birthday”, and numerous drawings with crayon taped to the walls. The windows had boards on them, door knobs were replaced with locks and small holes in the door were meant for circulation.
The photo of the room shared by Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight, showed a portable toilet, a clock radio and multiple chains.
The house had been fenced off and guarded by police 24 hours a day due to threats of arson after the women were found.
The Florida School for Boys, also known as the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys (AGDS), was a reform school operated by the state of Florida in the panhandle town of Marianna from January 1, 1900, to June 30, 2011. For a time, it was the largest juvenile reform institution in the United States. A second campus was opened in the town of Okeechobee in 1955.
Throughout its 111-year history, the school gained a reputation for abuse, beatings, rapes, torture, and even murder of students by staff. Despite periodic investigations, changes of leadership, and promises to improve, the allegations of cruelty and abuse continued. Many of the allegations were confirmed by separate investigations by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in 2010 and the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice in 2011.State authorities closed the school permanently in June 2011.
After decades of questions and allegations about boys buried on the grounds of the state’s first, oldest, and now abandoned reform school on the outskirts of the Panhandle town of Marianna, a team of forensics experts will finally exhume all of the bodies. The University of South Florida may soon be able to use science to answer allegations that the boys were not returned to their families after they died. The fear is they were not returned because there would have been signs of death by beating.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet had previously blocked the University of Florida from exhuming the bodies. Pressure from grieving parents and State Attorney General Pam Bondi, who filed a petition to try and convince Rick Scott to allow the bodies to be examined, paid off. The permit was finally granted today and now families can maybe find answers they have been looking for.
At the Cabinet meeting Bondi said, “We know something happened there and know it wasn’t good, we as Floridians cannot ignore it.”
There could be more than 100 burials in and around a clandestine graveyard surrounded by thick pines. The true number is not yet known however the unmarked graves tell a gruesome story.
This could potentially turn out to be a part of Florida history. A Part of history that Florida does not need nor want.
The skeletal remains of the boys will hopefully be used to identify each and every boy that was buried, maybe even answer questions as to whether or not they were beaten to death while they were imprisoned at the school. There is no question about the abuse that went on in the school however the extent of the abuse has never really been known.
For many families, the answers cannot come fast enough.
Places Mosquitoes Breed [ventura.org]As the populations in Florida increases so does the threat of diseases,
especially from mosquitoes. Mosquitoes in Florida carry four types of virus called arboviruses.
These viruses are; St. Louis encephalitis (SLE), Eastern equine encephalomyelitis(EEE), Western equine encephalitis , and West Nile Virus (WN).
SLE is the most common of these diseases in Florida. In an average year,
one to 10 cases of SLE are reported. EEE occurs sporadically in Florida. WN is
newly reported in the state, but it is quickly becoming a health concern.
Many people may not even know they are infected with an arbovirus. When
symptoms do occur (2-15 days from the bite of an infected mosquito), they may
include fever, headache, fatigue, dizziness, weakness and confusion. WN may
also cause rash or muscle weakness.
People 50 and older tend to be more severely affected by SLE or WN viruses.
At this time, there are no human vaccines against SLE or EEE, although a
WN vaccine is being developed.
SLE, EEE, and WN pass back and forth between birds and mosquitoes.
Mosquito control agencies located throughout the state monitor mosquito
populations. In many areas, these agencies and county health departments also
keep chicken flocks and monitor these chickens for evidence of exposure to
arboviruses. Chicken make good sentinels because they do not get sick from
these viruses or transmit them to people. Dead birds are an indicator the WN virus may be in an area. Please report dead birds on the internet site www.wildflorida.org/bird/ (or call your county
health department or local Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission office). Another indicator that WN or EEE may be present is through horses.
Arboviruses:
What is a virus? Virus is a germ which sneaks into your system. Viruses have to
live inside an animal or human. Once inside the host, they produce other
viruses.
West Nile Virus:
This virus originated in Africa near the Nile River. Mosquitoes bit
infected birds and in turn bit people. There is not a vaccine for West Nile, at this
time, however, a doctor can treat the systems. There is a vaccine for horses.
Eastern Equine Encephalitis: This virus is found in wild birds. This virus can be
located along the eastern seaboard of the United States and is associated with
horses. It is usually fatal in horses if they are not given a vaccine. There is no
vaccine for humans.
St. Louis Encephalitis:
It was discovered in St. Louis, Missouri in 1937. It is
usually found in the mid west and eastern United States. Cold or flu like
symptoms results if a person is bitten by an infected mosquito.
Culexnigripalpus:
This type of mosquito is found in Florida. It infects birds and
people and needs high humidity. It mainly flies at dawn and dusk.
Malaria:
This is the number one insect-borne disease to human in the world.
Florida, however, has fewer than 100 cases.
Natural habitats that promote breeding are ones that hold a week of water
such as salt marches, mangroves, swamps, fresh water marshes, lakes, ponds,
streams, rain pools, tree holes, bromeliads, pitcher plants and crab holes. Some
man-made created mosquito habitats that hold water a week or more are storm
water control ditches, swales, and storm water ponds. Also, mosquito larvae and
pupa attach themselves to the roots of aquatic plants, water hyacinth, cattail and
water lettuce.
Prevention of Mosquito Bites:
Due to the mild weather in Florida, outdoor activities extend from dawn to
dusk. Prevention of mosquito bites is the key.
Five rules to follow for prevention of mosquito bites are:
1. Dawn to Dusk: Avoid being outdoors during this time.
2. Dress: Wear protective clothing if you must be outdoors.
3. DEET: Use products containing DEET to prevent mosquito bites.
4. Drain: Drain containers such as wading pools, wheelbarrows, empty plant
containers, garbage cans and their lids, birdbaths, rain gutters and other
areas in the yard where water may collect undisturbed for a week or more.
5. Screen: Make sure house windows are closed and sealed with a screen.
2012 was the largest and most deadly outbreak of West Nile virus (WNV) since 1999 when it first appeared in New York. The best way to prevent West Nile virus disease is to avoid mosquito bites.
It only takes a single mosquito bite to make you or your family member sick with West Nile virus – just one bite could make you or your loved one sick, cause severe illness, or even death. Don’t risk your health this summer!
Know the facts
More than 37,000 people in the U.S. have been reported with West Nile virus disease since 1999, and of those over 16,000 have been seriously ill and more than 1,500 have died. Many more cases of illness are not reported to CDC. It is estimated that over three million people from every state (except Alaska and Hawaii) have been infected (780,000 became sick) in the 14 years since West Nile virus came to the U.S.
Know your risk
All 48 states in the continental U.S. have had human West Nile virus cases. Though anyone can get infected with West Nile virus, there are people at higher risk for severe disease. People over the age of 50 are at higher risk for encephalitis. The reasons one person becomes severely ill and another doesn’t aren’t entirely known.
West Nile virus (WNV) neuroinvasive disease incidence reported to ArboNET, by state, United States, 2012
Where is West Nile virus a problem?
Some states, such as those in highlighted in black on the map to the right, had greater concentrations of cases of severe disease than others represented in lighter colors in 2012. This can change each year. Some areas of the U.S. are affected by other viruses such as eastern equine encephalitisvirus, LaCrosse encephalitis virus, and dengue.
Insect repellent: What you need to know
Why take a chance? Prevention is up to you. No one is safe from West Nile virus, but there are steps you can take to help prevent an infection. Avoid the weeks even months of aches and fatigue that come with West Nile fever, or the more severe problems of being hospitalized with encephalitis or meningitis (inflammation of the brain and surrounding tissues).
Apply insect repellent on exposed skin and clothing when you go outdoors. Use an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellent. Permethrin sprayed on clothing provides protection through several washes. Don’t spray repellent on skin under clothing and don’t use permethrin on skin.
Cover up! Wear long sleeve shirts and long pants and socks while outdoors to prevent mosquito bites.
Avoid mosquitoes. The mosquitoes that spread West Nile virus bite between dusk and dawn. Limit the amount of time you spend outdoors during these hours. If you are outside, be sure to wear repellent and protective clothing.
Support your local community mosquito control programs. Mosquito control activities are most often handled at the local level, such as through county or city government. The type of mosquito control methods used by a program depends on the time of year, the type of mosquitoes to be controlled, and the habitats where the mosquitoes live. Methods can include eliminating mosquito larval habitats, applying insecticides to kill mosquito larvae, or spraying insecticides from trucks or aircraft to kill adult mosquitoes. Your local mosquito control program can provide information about the type of products being used in your area. Check with your local health department for more information.
What repellent should I use?
CDC recommends a variety of effective repellents. The most important step is to pick one and use it. There are those that can protect you for a short while in the backyard or a long while in the woods. DEET, picaridin, IR3535 and the plant-based oil of lemon eucalyptus are all repellents recommended by CDC. All contain an EPA-registered active ingredient and have been evaluated for efficacy and safety. EPA has a long listing of every registered repellent brand in the U.S. There are good repellents for every budget, age and preference.
Know the symptoms of West Nile infection
No symptoms in most people.
Most people (70-80%) who become infected with West Nile virus do not develop any symptoms.
Fever in some people.
About 1 in 5 people who are infected will develop a fever with other symptoms such as headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash. Most people with this type of West Nile virus disease recover completely, but fatigue and weakness can last for weeks or months.
Severe symptoms in a few people.
Less than 1% of people who are infected will develop a serious neurologic illness such as encephalitis or meningitis (inflammation of the brain or surrounding tissues). The symptoms of neurologic illness can include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors, seizures, or paralysis. See your healthcare professional if you think you have the symptoms of West Nile infection.
Orlando-Georgia Aquarium and its partners, including SeaWorld, may file an appeal against NOAA’s decision to deny the group permission to bring 18 beluga whales to the US.
Georgia Aquarium asked to transport the group of whales from Russia. The whales would then be separated and sent to partner aquariums across the country, including SeaWorld Orlando.
SeaWorld parks would receive its whales on loan from the George Aquarium.
In the group’s application, it said that the whales faced a number of threats in its natural habitat but the whales were not going to be imported for their protection. The whales would be imported for the sole reason of increasing the theme parks profit although the park claims it is to promote conservation and education about the whales.
NOAA, however, says it could not determine whether importing the belugas would have a negative impact on the stock of wild beluga whales. They also say five of the belugas were possibly still nursing, and therefore not independent. NOAA received thousands of comments in regard to importing the whales and was most likely a deciding factor in the agency’s decision.
NOAA says this is the first application for a permit to import wild marine mammals in more than 20 years.
SeaWorld Orlando currently has four beluga whales. SeaWorld is already under fire for its use of killer whales in its parks, particularly those caught in the wild. In 2010, Dawn Brancheau, a trainer at SeaWorld was killed by the killer whale Tilikum that was born in the wild but transported to SeaWorld.
There is no word yet on whether the appeal will actually be filed.
The summer is winding down and school will be in session soon. School shopping is just about done and you want to spend one last weekend of the summer with the kids, what do you do?
If you are looking for a nice relaxing quiet spot on one of Florida’s beaches you should take the family on a trip to Ormond Beach.
Just north of Daytona Beach along Florida’s Atlantic Coast, Ormond Beach offers a first-class resort experience without sacrificing its small-town grace.
One of the best spots to stay in Ormond Beach is The Cove On Ormond Beach. What used to be Ormond Beach’s best kept secret is no longer a secret at all. In fact, you would be lucky to get a reservation, as they book months in advance. The Cove On Ormond Beach is the perfect beachfront getaway! Located directly on the beach, The Cove On Ormond Beach includes a story tube slide with lazy river, an indoor pool, exercise room and it is near restaurants, golf courses, and shopping. It is the perfect family getaway with a very child friendly atmosphere.
We searched out to find the best deal for a stay at The Cove On Ormond Beach, and after 10 to 15 websites we found it at Poshprice.com. The Cove On Ormond Beach does require a three night minimum stay, however, you do get discounts for longer stays and Poshprice.com offers mail-in-rebates starting at a three night stay. We were fortunate enough to book a stay and the price was a steal for the amenities that were offered. With a private master bedroom, pullout for the kids, full kitchen, and laundry; how could you go wrong?
Chrissy, a guest at The Cove On Ormond Beach, told Ocala Post “it’s the most relaxing fun our family has had, if that makes any sense. We came from out of state just to stay here and it was worth every penny.”
If you have not stayed at The Cove On Ormond Beach, it should be a must on your to do list. Away from Daytona but still on the beach it is very peaceful and relaxing. Give it a try, your kids will thank you.
The terrorist (Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan) from the Fort Hood Shooting In Texas
The massacre that took place back in 2009 at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas has dramatically changed the lives of many people. Not only the families of the 13 victims who died that day but the survivors of the shooting as well.
Victim Shawn Manning still has bullets in his body and gets very uncomfortable in crowds. Kathy Platoni is haunted by images of the man who died at her knees in a pool of blood. Alonzo Lunsford has problems getting out of chairs and warns family members to wake him gently. Those are the struggles they face every day.
Now four years after the shooting they will face another demon, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the Army psychiatrist who was charged in the shooting, goes on trial Tuesday. Hasan, is a Muslim who argues that he was protecting the Taliban from American aggression. The trial will be even more difficult for the survivors as Hasan has dismissed his attorneys and been given permission to represent himself. This will give him an unusual opportunity to question the very people he targeted.
“I have to keep my composure and not go after the guy,” said Manning, a mental health specialist who was about to be deployed to Afghanistan with Hasan. “I’m not afraid of him, obviously. He’s a paralyzed guy in a wheelchair, but it’s sickening that he’s still living and breathing.”
Now retired Staff Sergeant Alonzo Lunsford, who was shot seven times by Hasan, looks forward to the day when he can look him in his eyes and tell him that he did not win. Lunsford still has a bullet in his back and one that he keeps in a small wooden box.
“That man strikes no fear in my heart. He strikes no fear in my family. What he did to me was bad. But the biggest mistake he made was I survived. So he will see me again,” said Lunsford. He added, “I will never show fear in the face of my enemy, never.”
Platoni just wants to hold herself together for the sake of the family of Capt. John Gaffaney, her friend and fellow soldier who died right next to her.
This trial is going to take an emotional toll on all parties involved, from the survivors who have to face him again to the families of the fallen soldiers who were killed by Hasan, who is facing him for the first time.
Eduardo Caraveo, son of Libardo Eduardo Caraveo who was killed, took some time off as a prison supervisor so he could get ready for the trial mentally. “You’re going to hear stuff, that you don’t know how you’re going to take,” he said.
“I want to be the one in control here, not him,” said Joleen Cahill, wife of Mike Cahill who was shot six times while trying to fight off Hasan with a chair. She struggles with the loneliness of an empty house, now she has to struggle to not take her anger out on the killer of her husband at his trial.
Shawn Manning recalls what happened that day in a large hall where troops were preparing for their deployments and were all unarmed. All except one person. Hasan.
“I hear someone yell ‘Allahu Akbar’. Usually, something bad is going to follow after that, so I look up at him and he started shooting. He probably fired five or six shots before he shot me in the chest,” said Manning.
Manning was a newlywed of only a few weeks at the time of the shooting and was almost done with his duties for the day. Platoni had already left the hall and was in a nearby building. Caraveo was also in the hall seated in a row of chairs. Then without warning everyone’s life changed in a heartbeat.
“The memories are there all the time when I’m not otherwise actively engaged in patients or doing gardening. It’s something that haunts me constantly,” said Platoni. The shooting only lasted 10 minutes, but the aftermath will last forever.
Lunsford and Manning were hospitalized for weeks and have both retired from the military. They are still fighting to receive wages they were denied when officials ruled that the shooting was not a terrorist act and that their wounds were not received in combat. Manning will have to undergo surgery to remove a bullet from his thigh and possibly one from his back.
Only a month after the shooting Platoni was back serving her country on a deployment to Afghanistan despite the trauma she had just lived through. She is still a clinical psychiatrist in her private life in Ohio, as well as for the military.
Some are hoping that Hasan will be getting the death penalty.
Lunsford said, “The same way he tried to kill us. Or, if he wants to follow Islamic law, then he can be put to death according to Islamic law, which is by stoning. I would love to be the first one to throw the first pitch. That would be a joy. But we’re better than that as a people. We don’t do that.”
“Realistically, Hasan may never be put to death, but that may not be a total disappointment. Living in a cell, paralyzed for the rest of his life is some sort of justice as well,” said Manning.
Our hearts go out to everyone who was affected by this cowardly act of terror and we can only hope that our lack of government will be brought to justice, by being forced to compensate the soldiers as they should be compensated.
DEA is violating Americans rights by illegally spying
The Justice Department will allegedly investigate a report that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is covering up facilitated spying tactics on Americans, White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters Monday.
Reuters reported Monday that the DEA routinely covers up the practice of spying on Americans to generate drug crime leads.
“It’s my understanding… that the Department of Justice is looking at some of the issues raised in the article,” Carney said during his daily briefing at the White House on Monday.
According to reports, the DEA has been covering up spying on Americans for decades to generate drug crime leads that result in arrests and convictions.
According to attorneys, the DEA funnels tips from domestic spying programs to local law enforcement, who then fake the beginning of an investigation in order to arrest and convict suspected drug traffickers. For example, the DEA will tell local police to pull over a specific truck at a specific location, then local police will say they “randomly” stopped the vehicle. This type of behavior is not acceptable at the local level. Why is it OK for the DEA?
Covering up evidence used to investigate and convict an American is unconstitutional because defendants cannot challenge the secret evidence, lawyers state.
Ezekiel Edwards, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Criminal Law Reform Project, Said, “The [DEA] procedures violate the fundamental right to a fair trial. When someone is accused of a crime, the Constitution guarantees the right to examine the government’s evidence, including its sources, and confront the witnesses against them.” He went on to say, “Our due process rights are at risk when our federal government hides and distorts the sources of evidence used as the basis for arrests and prosecutions.”
The DEA’s actions could jeopardize thousands of drug convictions. What does this mean? It means that if it is found that the DEA’s actions did, in fact, violate the rights of anyone that has been convicted by use of deceptive tactics, then prisoners could potentially be released due to the fact that the evidence would be tainted and no longer admissible.
Anti-prohibition advocacy group Drug Policy Alliance joined others in condemning the DEA’s attack on civil liberties Monday.
For years it has been said that the DEA qualifies as a rogue agency – one that was appointed by President Richard Nixon in 1978 and has been scrutinized ever since. Congress needs to immediately investigate, the allegations that have surfaced are most likely just the tip of the iceberg stated Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance. The DEA has been mired in a series of scandals lately:
– The DEA agreed to pay $4.1 million to an innocent California college student left for dead for 5 days in a cell without food or water.
– Human rights group have blasted a DEA-assisted drug war mission in Honduras killed four Hondurans.
– In 2011, as part of Fast and Furious scandal, the DEA helped launder or smuggle millions of dollars in drug profits for Mexican drug cartels.
-Illegal drug raids on CVS Pharmacies, violating HIPPA laws be seizing patient records without notice to patients.
“It’s remarkable how little scrutiny the DEA faces from Congress or other federal overseers,” stated Nadelmann. “With an annual budget of over $2 billion as well as significant discretionary powers, DEA certainly merits a top-to-bottom review of its operations, expenditures, and discretionary actions.”
The DEA has admitted that is does, in fact, use illegal tactics that clearly violate Americans constitutional rights. In fact, the DEA claims it is golden for their agency and is a huge key in convicting drug crimes. The DEA has been breaking laws for decades and they have gone untouched. The DEA is like legalized organized crime, modern day lynch men that are supported by Congress. No different than the CIA.
Many Americans are not hopeful that a thorough investigation will be done. Many feel that Eric Holder will hold up or cripple the investigation completely. Just as he did when charges were filed against the Black Panthers for trying to intimidate voters into voting for Obama.
In a world where the government is supposed to protect American rights, it seems that it is the government that is the biggest offender in violating American rights. These are not conspiracy theories, these are the facts and many feel the DEA should be dismantled said, Nadelmann.
With summer vacation winding down, it’s not just back to school for kids… It’s also back to school for germs.
The Marion County Health Department will be holding a special back-to-school immunization clinic to help parents get their kids ready for the start of a new school year.
The clinic will be located at 1801 SE 32nd Ave.
Clinic hours are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday Until August 19th.
Immunizations are free for kids 18 and younger, with no appointment needed.
If parents have their child’s shot records the clinic asks that you please bring it with you.
The U.S. Navy will be conducting training exercises with live bombs in the Ocala National Forest in the coming week.
The training will take place at the Pinecastle Range Complex from August 7, 2013, through August 9, 2013, between the hours of 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The United States Navy’s Pinecastle Bombing Range, located in the Ocala National Forest, is the only place on the East Coast where the Navy can do live impact training.
The Navy drops nearly 20,000 bombs a year at the site, a few hundred of which are live.
The Pinecastle Bombing Range is a fenced 5,760 acre area, with the eastern edge of the range located about two miles west of State Road 19 and the Camp Ocala campgrounds, and one-half mile west of the Farles Lake campground.
F/A-18 Hornet jet fighters and other aircraft take off from Naval Air Station Jacksonville or from aircraft carriers off the Florida coast, fly low over the forest, and drop their bombs in the middle 450 acres of the range. All air-to-ground exercises using conventional ordnance up to and including 500 pound MK 82 bombs and five-inch Zuni rockets are authorized.
Napalm and High Explosive Incendiary (HEI) are prohibited. Live ordnance is restricted to the Live Ordnance Impact Area; inert ordnance is used on all other targets.
Pinecastle targets have also been certified for laser operations. The Navy has used the area for target practice for 50 years under a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service.
Residents are asked to call (800) 874-5059 if the noise gets to be too loud.
Tuesday will begin the new school year for students in Sumter County and come the end of August all school districts in central Florida will be in full swing.
Seminole county along with a few other districts will have an increase in police presence at schools this year.
However other school districts will have the same security as they did before the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting in Connecticut on December 14, 2012, when a gunman opened fire inside the school, killing 20 children and 6 adults.
Some Central Florida schools increased the presence of law enforcement directly following the shooting.
In Orange County, Mayor Teresa Jacobs added deputies to elementary schools for the remainder of the school year, but officials of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office are saying those extra deputies will not be there this year because the money just isn’t there.
In Volusia County they didn’t have the money to increase the number of deputies at schools, but they did increase their patrols around schools and that will continue this year.
The sheriff department and local police in Osceola County added more uniformed officers to schools and reports indicate that the increase in officers will remain in effect this year.
In Seminole county a $750,000 request for increased security was approved and is adding 10 new deputies to the Seminole school district.
Officials for schools and sheriff departments are saying the main focus is on adding police to elementary schools because middle and high schools already have resource officers in place in most counties.
Florida has not gone as far as Arkansas, where teachers will now be known as guards and will be permitted to carry 9mm hand guns. While there is strong opposition from the left field, Arkansas teachers say that teachers in Utah have been carrying concealed weapons in schools for more than a decade now. The state has never had a mass shooting in its schools and has never had an accidental shooting or problems with students getting their hands on a teacher’s gun. In fact their schools are probably the safest and the kids are more behaved than that of students in Florida Schools.
School safety should be a number one priority for every school district.
Two confirmed cases of Cyclosporainfection were reported to the Centers for Disease Control back on June 28th, 2013 after residents in Iowa became ill in June with no history of international travel 14 days prior to the onset of illness. The CDC has since been working with US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and public health officials in other states across the U.S., investigating the Cyclospora outbreak.
As of August 2, 2013 there have been 425 cases of Cyclosporainfection reported to the Centers for Disease Control by 16 different states and New York City.
The reporting health departments are as follows: Louisiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Texas, Florida, Wisconsin, Illinois, New York City, Georgia, Missouri, Arkansas, Connecticut, Kansas, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio.
The investigations performed by Nebraska and Iowa health officials show that the Cyclospora infections in their states are the outcome of contaminated salad mix as reported to CDC. The CDC is working with federal, state, and local agencies to determine whether the findings by Nebraska and Iowa investigators are also the cause for the Cyclospora cases in other states, but as of right now it is not clear if they are part of the same outbreak. Most of the illness onset dates range from mid-June to early July with at least 24 people hospitalized in five states, according to reports.
Some people infected with the microscopic parasite that causes Cyclospora infection develop no signs or symptoms. For others, signs and symptoms — which usually begin within two to 11 days of eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water — may include:
Watery diarrhea
Frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements
Bouts of diarrhea alternating with bouts of constipation
Loss of appetite
Weight loss
Bloating
Flatulence
Burping
Stomach cramps
Nausea
Vomiting
Muscle aches
Low-grade fever
Fatigue
General feeling of un-wellness (malaise)
The diarrhea may end by itself within a few days, or it may become chronic, lasting for weeks. If you have HIV or another condition that compromises your immune system, the infection can last for months if not treated.
When to see a doctor
Many conditions can cause diarrhea and other gastrointestinal signs and symptoms. If you develop persistent diarrhea that lasts several days or recurs, contact your doctor so that he or she can identify the cause and recommend treatment. If you’ve eaten a food that’s been recalled because of a Cyclospora outbreak, be sure to tell your doctor.
If you experience dehydration due to diarrhea, see your doctor. Warning signs of dehydration include:
A fight broke out at an Ocala nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning leaving one man badly beaten and police in search of the attackers.
Shortly after 2 A.M. Monday at nightclub, Cloud 9, located at 1910 South Pine Avenue, multiple fights erupted outside of the establishment. According to Marion County Sheriff’s Office reports, when security staff proceeded outside to break up the fights, they heard at least seven shots fired in the south end of the parking lot.
This is the second shooting at an Ocala nightclub in the past two months. In the beginning of June a shooting took place at AJ’s on the Square, located at 11 East Silver Springs Boulevard, when gunman Andrew Lobban-31 shot and killed three men outside of AJ’s.
The three victims, 20-year-old Jerry Bynes, Jr., 25-year-old Josue Santiago and 23-year-old Benjamin Howard all worked with the Lobban as bouncers at the Ocala Entertainment Complex.
Lobban told detectives his reason for shooting and killing the three men was because at an earlier time the men had went to a shooting range together and the three victims had pulled a prank on Lobban, rigging his gun so it would not fire. He said “they took video of the prank with a cell phone and began teasing me about it.”
Lobban shot the three men at point-blank range and then ran from the scene, tossing the gun in a trash can just down the block from AJ’s. He was arrested and booked into the Marion County Jail on three counts of first degree murder.
Fortunately none of the patrons at Cloud 9 were hit by the gun fire, although one man identified as Timothy Jenkins-31 of Summerfield was left on the ground badly beaten. He was taken to Ocala regional Medical Center for treatment.
A bouncer for the club told police he recalls seeing four men beating Jenkins just before they got into a late model Dodge Durango and drove away. Other bouncers stated that they did not know the names of the assailants, but did recognize them as regulars of the club.
Investigators are asking anyone with information about the case to call the Marion County Sheriff’s Office at (352) 732-9111 or Crime Stoppers at (352) 368-7867.
An Ocala man was arrested Saturday morning on a number of charges including DUI and leaving the scene of a crash.
According to Florida Highway Patrol reports, John R. Aiello-42 allegedly crashed his 2005 Chevy Silverado at three different locations, fleeing the scene each time. After receiving reports of all the accidents, Aiello’s vehicle was located by deputies at the intersection of State Road 200 and Southwest 80th Avenue. According to reports, when deputies tried to initiate a traffic stop, Aiello refused to pull over. “Deputies had to box Mr. Aiello’s vehicle in to get him to stop,” the report states.
Aiello was taken to West Marion Hospital for his impairment from what officials are saying is some sort of drug. At the hospital, Florida Highway Patrol arrested Aiello, charging him with five counts of DUI with property damage, seven counts of leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, two counts of felony DUI with property damage, and one count of felony DUI.
Aiello was released from the Marion County Jail shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday on a bond of $19,000.
A Lake County Catholic school principal was arrested this weekend in Marion County after causing a crash while driving under the influence of alcohol.
Florida Highway Patrol said, “Mary Ann Staley was trying to cross the eastbound lanes of SR 40 at 7th Street, when her vehicle struck the left side of 1994 four door Oldsmobile that was traveling east on SR 40.”
The driver of the Oldsmobile, Casteria Young-59, was taken to Ocala Regional Medical Center, while the passenger James Bennett-55, was taken to Tampa General Hospital. Both Young and Bennett were seriously injured in the crash. Staley, the principal of St. Paul Catholic School in Leesburg was not injured in the crash. She was taken to the Marion County Jail, charged with one count of DUI with crash or injury, two counts of DUI with serious bodily injury, and one count of DUI with property damage.
The chancellor for administration of the Orlando Diocese, Carol Brinati, released this statement on Sunday.
“The Diocese of Orlando holds its principals to high standards of ministry outside of work hours as well as when school is in session. When Diocesan officials learned of the DUI arrest of MS. Mary Staley, principal of St. Paul Catholic School, she was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation into the matter. We pray for the victims of the automobile accident, their families and for Ms. Staley and her family during this time.”
Staley has since been released from the Marion County Jail on $2500 bond.
The future is happening right in front of our eyes. The day of the old projector film rolls will be no more. Any drive-in that cannot afford to upgrade their systems will be stuck trying to pay the bills by playing reruns or face closing their doors.
Starting next year, new films will be released exclusively on digital film. All movie theaters must convert to digital film projectors, or they will be unable to offer the latest movies.
The Ocala Drive-In on Pine Street is just one of many across the United States that are hoping to win a contest being hosted by the motor car company “Honda”. The contest is called “Project Drive-in”, and it is scheduled to start in August of this year and voting will run to September. Everything hinges on this project and could most certainly be the difference between closing down or having a state or the art digital projection system that will keep the Ocala Drive-In thriving.
THE COST
The estimated cost of a new up-to-date digital projection system installed would cost between $85,000-$100,000. Residents can see why this contest is such a big deal for drive-ins across the United States. However Marion County residents need to be concerned with one.
HOW TO KEEP THE OCALA DRIVE-IN OPEN
The contest will be held on-line by votes being cast. The more votes, the better the chance to win. Contest Begins August 9, 2013. Visit Project Drive Infor official rules and remember to cast your vote for the Ocala Drive-In.
Residents will certainly play a part therefore community participation is an absolute must. While Ocala may have seen its share of businesses closing down, some parents that attended the drive in as a child, wish for their children to experience the same.
News is usually about the negative. For residents that call Ocala home, it’s about saving a piece of Ocala’s history.
Ariel Castro, the Ohio man that kidnapped three women and held them captive for over a decade has accepted a plea deal. The agreement reached will send Castro to prison for life with no possibility of parole plus an extra 1,000 years.
“I’m fully aware and I do consent to the deal,” said Castro in a Cuyahoga County court room earlier today.
Accepting this deal guarantees Castro- 52 that he will not be facing the death penalty.
Castro told the court, “I knew I was pretty much going to get the book thrown at me.”
Judge Michael Russo asked Castro, “You understand by accepting this plea, you’re accepting life without parole?” “You’ll never leave prison alive.”
Castro replied, “Yes, I do.”
The trial was set to begin August 5th 2013. Had the case gone to trial, Castro would have been facing the death penalty for charges of aggravated murder of a fetus after causing a miscarriage in one of the victims he impregnated. Reports suggest, Castro repeatedly punched the victim and starved her until she miscarried.
Castro had originally plead not guilty to almost 1,000 counts of rape, kidnapping, and other crimes.
Gina Dejesus, Amanda Berry, and Michelle Knight were discovered in Castro’s home back in May. He abducted the women between 2002 and 2004, when they were just 14, 16, and 20 years old. Castro also fathered a baby by Amanda Berry while he held her captive.
Attorney Kathryn T. Joseph in a statement said, “Amanda, Gina, and Michelle, are relieved by today’s plea. They are satisfied by the resolution in this case and are looking forward to having these legal proceedings draw to a close in the near future. They continue to desire their privacy.”
Nevertheless, “Castro could still be indicted on charges that include the death penalty if any evidence of additional crimes should emerge in the future”, said prosecutors.
“I was willing to work with the FBI and tell them everything about my crimes,” said Castro.
When asked by the judge if he understands what’s going on, Castro replied, “I read and signed the plea deal and understood it even though my addiction to pornography and my sexual problem has taken a toll on my mind and sometimes causes problems with comprehension.” In an attempt to explain his crimes Castro said, “I was a victim as a child and it just kept going.” But he was interrupted by the judge telling Castro to save it for the sentencing hearing.
Judge Russo will still have to agree to the terms of the deal made by Castro and attorneys following the sentencing hearing. According to a spokesperson for the victims, the women had previously not wanted to testify at a trial. However they may now want to speak at Castro’s sentencing.
The daughter of Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro tearfully apologized to her former best friend, whom her perverted dad captured and locked up a decade ago when the girls were both teens. “I am absolutely so, so sorry,” Arlene Castro, 22, said in a message to childhood friend Gina DeJesus, one of her father’s alleged victims, in an appearance on “Good Morning America” back in May of this year.
As for the home where the women were held captive, it will eventually be torn down, said prosecutors.
Marion County is under a rabies alert for the second time this month. Wednesday, just west of Ocala City limits, a raccoon tested positive for rabies.
A 60-day rabies alert was issued by the Marion County Health Department for the area of:
Southwest 38th Street to the north
Southwest 40th Avenue to the east
Southwest 70th Avenue to the west
Southwest 66th Street to the south
The rabies alert issued on July 18th for the area just north of Ocala is still in effect for the location of:
Highway 326 to the north
Northeast 35th Street to the south
Northeast 25th Avenue to the east
West Anthony Road to the west
Residents should be on the lookout for raccoons, bats, foxes, otters, skunks, bobcats, and coyotes as animals with rabies could infect pets and other animals that have not been vaccinated. Once infected by rabies, it attacks the nervous system, which can be fatal to both humans and animals.
If your pet has been bitten by a wild animal call Marion County Animal Services at (352) 671-8727.
Call the Florida Department of Health in Marion County at (352) 622-7744 for further information regarding rabies.
Third grade Lake Mary elementary school teacher, Kimberly Witt-48 was placed on administrative leave following her arrest on drug charges. Witt was charged with possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Witt was riding in a car with Martyn Dennis-61, Seminole County deputies pulled Dennis’s vehicle over after they smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the car, according to an arrest report. Investigators said there were drugs in Witt’s purse and she also told deputies that she had a small vile of cocaine hidden in her bra.
A spokesman for the Seminole County School Board said, “The superintendent will first ask the School Board to suspend Witt with pay, and then recommend at a later meeting that her position be terminated.”
“As teachers you expect them to be law-abiding, patient, and a good person,” said parent Jenny Kassner. Adding, “It makes me feel insecure about where I’m sending my kids to school and makes me want to send my kids to private school.”
Chantell Clark, another parent, shared similar concerns, saying, “It makes me upset, because they shouldn’t be allowed around our children like that. They should be screened more for those types of things.”
Paula Olsen said, “I think the people that are teaching should be above that kind of behavior. There should be some kind of random screening in place to prevent the use of drugs by teachers.” Her grandchild starts Lake Mary Elementary School this year.
Employees are drug-tested when hired, but other than that they are only tested if drug use is suspected, according to school officials.
Witt has had no prior complaints and has been employed by the Seminole County School District since 1991.
Dennis was charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Juror B29 in the trial of George Zimmerman is speaking out for the first time since Zimmerman’s acquittal. The black community has cried out that it was an unfair trial due to the six jurors being all white women; claiming that white women are afraid of black men. However Juror B29 is a minority and she did serve on the panel of six jurors.
Juror B29 sat down in an exclusive interview with ABC’s Good Morning America host Robin Roberts.
“George Zimmerman got away with murder,” she said. “But you can’t get away from God. And at the end of the day, he’s going to have a lot of questions and answers he has to deal with. [But] the law couldn’t prove it.” “I was the juror that was going to give them the hung jury. I fought to the end,” she said. “That’s where I felt confused, where if a person kills someone, then you get charged for it. But as the law was read to me, if you have no proof that he killed him intentionally, you can’t say he’s guilty.”
She went on to say, “It’s hard for me to sleep, it’s hard for me to eat because I feel I was forcefully included in Trayvon Martin’s death. And as I carry him on my back, I’m hurting as much Trayvon’s Martin’s mother because there’s no way that any mother should feel that pain,” she said.
Did the pressure from Al Sharpton and the rest of the black community make juror B29 break her silence? Her statements have certainly added fuel to the fire and Juror B29 may regret breaking her silence.
We will see what juror B29 has to say in her interview that is said to air in part on Thursday evening on “Nightline” and in full on Friday.
We will keep you up to date with any new information we receive.
A man from Leesburg, FL has been arrested after Lake County police say he lured three children into his vehicle.
David Richard Kyle-56 was arrested after Groveland Police received complaints of a suspicious man in the area of Lake David trying to pick up children.
A short time later, police located Kyle’s vehicle and initiated a traffic stop.
Upon questioning, Kyle admitted that on numerous occasions he had picked up children and took them to his home.
Luis Hernandez, a Groveland resident said, “In the eight years I’ve been living in Groveland, I never experienced anything like that. So this is all new to me and now that I’m aware of it, I’ll be more careful with my children and be more vigilant.”
Kyle’s neighbors say that he kept to himself, but overall was a pretty good neighbor.
At least three children were victimized by the suspect ranging in ages from 9 to 12-years-old, said investigators.
The charges Kyle faces are; two counts of interference with child custody, two counts of false imprisonment, two counts of luring or enticing a child, and one count of aggravated stalking.
Investigators say that in the home they found a backpack with rags, rope, and duct tape inside, but what happened in Kyle’s home on Sunday remains a mystery. Lt. John Flinn of the Groveland Police Department said, “The backpack was a little suspicious to us, the items contained in that backpack really raises our awareness that most likely this person was planning something far more dangerous.”
The criminal history of Kyle shows arrests for kidnapping and luring-enticing dating back to the 1970’s.
Investigators are working with other agencies across the state to see if other cases connect to Kyle as they believe there may be more victims.
Kyle remains in the Lake County Jail with a bond of $7.5 million.
If you or anyone you know are a victim or have any information that could help with the case please call Groveland Police at (352) 429-4166, Lake County Sheriff’s Office at (352) 343-2101 or the Central Florida Crimeline at (800) 423-TIPS (8477).
