The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Pasco County Sheriff's Office

Wesley Chapel sewage repair still in progress

By

Pasco County is repairing the sewage pipeline that runs along Northwood Palms Boulevard in Wesley Chapel.

The construction, which began in early April, came in response to a routine inspection, which determined that the pipeline was fractured.

The Pasco County Utilities Operations and Maintenance Department discovered that the corrosion allowed for road debris to build up within the sewage system.

“Through some little depressions in the road, there may have been some infiltration going into the pipes,” explained Jason Mickel, director of Pasco County’s Operations and Maintenance.

Current construction is along the stretch of Northwood Palms Boulevard that intersects with Breakers Drive.

Breakers Drive goes around in a loop, connecting with Northwood Palms Boulevard at two intersections.

This loop is the best detour to avoid the sewage repair before turning back onto Northwood Palms Boulevard, the director stated.

The construction zone is not in a residential area, so there is no interference for motorists entering or exiting homes off the road.

The work schedule is from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with signs posted to direct motorists.

Drivers are encouraged to use Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, if possible, as opposed to Northwood Palms Boulevard, as an alternate route when traveling either from East County Line Road or State Road 56.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office has had a presence near the construction site off Breakers Drive for the past month.

Mickel cautions motorists to abide by the speed limit on Breakers Drive, as tickets have been issued frequently since construction began.

Pipe realignment is still in the early stages. The project, estimated at $3 million, is expected to be completed in September.

Published May 29, 2019

Hazel Wells’ mission: To help the less fortunate

By

Hazel Wells views herself as a “second mother” to disadvantaged residents living in East Pasco County.

And, her years of community outreach throughout Dade City, Trilby and Lacoochee are evidence of her commitment.

Hazel Wells stands alongside her brother, Robert S. Perkins, in the church sanctuary, which he pastors: Faith Fellowship in Jesus Christ. Through the Trilby church, Wells has been able to form meaningful relationships with the less fortunate and provide them access to their basic needs. (Brian Fernandes)

She attributes her charitable drive, partially, to a wish that she’d been more engaged with her own children, as they were growing up.

“I realized that I wasn’t the greatest mother in the world,” Wells said. “I wanted to make up for all that I didn’t do.”

The Trilby resident said she witnesses the poverty that many in her region live with on a daily basis.

And, she has formed a bond with many of the young people in the community — particularly those attending her brother’s church, in Trilby.

There, she came across a young man who is paraplegic and has trouble getting to church.

Seeing that situation spurred Wells to make an appearance before the Pasco County Commission to request additional sidewalks around the building.

She has also noticed that some children attending her brother’s church lack proper clothing.

She doesn’t have the financial ability to expand their wardrobe, but she does pass along clothing donated by friends.

Both parents and children have been grateful for the help, Wells said.

Kids also drop by her home to visit, and for advice.

She said they know they are welcome there.

Wells offers a simple formula for developing a strong relationship with youths.

All it requires, she said, is “just loving them and listening to them.”

It’s typical to find Hazel Wells preparing a hearty meal for attendees of the Faith Fellowship in Jesus Christ church, in Trilby. Wells has been a longtime advocate for helping the disadvantaged people of East Pasco County.

As she passes along precepts she’s learned in life, she’s also had a chance to learn from the youths.

She’s had a chance to observe many youth during her time as a Pasco County school cafeteria worker and on her job at a juvenile detention center.

Seeing troubled youths in the system made her realize that they lack much-needed love, Wells said.

To provide more opportunities for kids, Wells is on a quest to gain support for improvements to the Trilby Community Center.

Wells would like to use space in the center, which is currently closed, to engage youths in arts and crafts, sewing, crocheting, cooking and other activities.

She’s already made one appearance before the Pasco County Commission, and is encouraged by the support she’s received from other local women.

Another one of her initiatives was to persuade a barber to provide free haircuts for some of the area’s disadvantaged kids.

She said she’d also like to collaborate with Pasco County Sheriff’s Deputy Jessica Ziegler, who is known in the county as “Officer Friendly.”

Wells said Ziegler has been a strong advocate for youths in community outreach efforts.

Wells doesn’t limit her help to area youths.

She’s also involved in helping disadvantaged adults.

Wells and friends have helped distribute food, blankets and hygiene items to homeless people living within Dade City, Trilby and Lacoochee.

Her church has provided boxes of food, and a local Dade City restaurant has provided soup she can give to people on the streets.

Wells also has brought attention to people in the community who dedicate themselves for others.

For instance, she held a ceremony to honor the African-American instructors who taught her at the Moore-Mickens Education Center in Dade City.

She also presented certificates to Pasco County Firefighters, to honor them for their sacrifices.

One of her longtime friends was Capt. Charles “Bo” Harrison, of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, who was slain in 2003.

Wells was involved in the renaming of 11th Street in Dade City, to honor Harrison.

Besides providing recognition for her friend, the renaming reduced confusion for first responders.

The city previously had two 11th Streets and the renaming created clarity, she explained.

“I think Bo is still saving people’s lives,” she added, with a chuckle.

More recently in 2018, Wells worked with city officials to have June 1 proclaimed as Capt. Charles “Bo” Harrison Day.

Her future plans include rebuilding her nonprofit organization, Dade City Widow’s Mite.

Established in 2004, the organization relies upon community funding to provide financial help in times of emergency, help with home maintenance and educational resources.

And, as Wells continues her quest to improve community life, she wants to make the best use of her time.

“I want to do what I can before I leave this world,” the Trilby woman said. “I want to leave a legacy of honoring people and giving children a voice in this community.”

Published May 22, 2019

Pasco terminates agreement with USF regarding ‘body farm’

By

The Pasco County Commission has voted to terminate an agreement with the University of South Florida involving 6 acres of land, north of Central Boulevard in Land O’ Lakes.

Commissioners ended the arrangement with USF — effective May 7, 2022 —  as part of their consent agenda on May 7.

Items on the consent agenda are voted on in a single block without discussion, unless someone pulls the item for discussion.

No commissioner pulled this item for discussion, but some people from the audience signed up for public comment to ask commissioners to rethink the county’s position.

Terms of the original agreement state that it can be terminated without cause by the university or the county, upon 36 months written notice.

Speakers told commissioners that the site is well-managed, plays an important role in research and has attracted widespread attention.

Melissa Pope, of Tampa, told commissioners: “I am investigator at the Medical Examiner in Hillsborough. I’ve worked with the medical examiner that services Pasco and Pinellas, and I have either worked for or with USF anthropology for about 12 years.

“I’m here to urge you to reconsider your stance on this termination. The program is still in its infancy, but it appears to be doing very well.

“I think this is clear based on doing a Google search of how much news has come out of there, as well as the sheer number of researchers, graduate students, undergrads and law enforcement, medical and legal agencies that have been involved in training and research.

“I believe it’s been doing well because of the good leadership that has been in place so far. Dr. (Erin H.) Kimmerle has been working on this project for years.

“She has overseen everything from the infancy of the beginning of the planning up until today and, as previously mentioned, has a lot of plans for the future.

“Ultimately, this project is her intellectual property. She wrote the grant for this. I feel that the work it represents is hers, and she is the reason it has been doing so well.”

Other speakers told commissioners that Kimmerle’s reputation has attracted considerable interest in the site and the work being done there. They also cited ongoing research and training sessions that reflect well on the relationship between USF, the county and sheriff’s office, relating to the site.

Chase Daniels, policy director for the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, told commissioners that the contract termination is essentially “a land use issue.”

“When this agreement was approved, it was 6 acres. USF is currently using approximately 3 acres,” Daniels said.

“We have multiple partners at this (body farm) site. We have UF, FGCU, UCF, USF, FSU and other universities that are still coming onboard,” Daniels said.

“USF was the only entity that had its own exclusive land use agreement, over 6 acres.

“We approached USF, with this desire, to have 3 acres returned,” he said, but that did not occur.

So, the decision was made to terminate the agreement, Daniels said. He also noted that USF is welcome to join with the other universities, but it won’t have an exclusive arrangement.

“The field is not going anywhere. This is just mainly to take out that exclusivity, return 3 acres back to the county for use,” Daniels said.

He also told commissioners: “We also have an additional forensics field that is coming online that this board has already approved, as well. That will be in addition to this existing field.”

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey responded to the agreement termination this way: “We’re not excluding anyone. We just want everyone to work together.”

Published May 15, 2019

Pasco has no plans to allow employees to carry firearms

By

Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed into law a measure passed by the Florida Legislature that clears the way for classroom teachers to serve as armed school guardians, but Pasco County Schools has no intention of pursuing that option, according to a district news release.

Superintendent Kurt S. Browning

The new law implements legislative recommendations of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission.

Despite the measure’s approval, Superintendent Kurt Browning has made it clear that “there are no plans under consideration to allow any Pasco County Schools employees to carry firearms on school board property, unless they are employed for the specific purpose of protecting the security of students and staff.”

Browning issued that statement before DeSantis signed the new law, but in the statement, Browning noted that he expected the measure to become law.

Browning’s statement also noted that “no school board member has requested that the superintendent pursue allowing teachers or other non-security employees to carry firearms.

“School safety guards and the district’s director of safety and security are the only school board employees authorized to carry firearms on school board property. School resource officers, who are employees of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office or local police agencies, also are authorized to carry firearms on school board property in their official capacity,” according to the news release.

Published May 15, 2019

Help is available for domestic abuse survivors, experts say

By

There are resources available to help survivors of domestic abuse, according to a panel of speakers who talked on the theme of “Safety and Access” on May 6 at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library.

The panel discussion was organized by the Pasco County Commission on the Status of Women, and supported by the Pasco County Commission.

Cpl. Gina Yoman-Madden, left, and Det. Danni Murphy of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office talked about the law enforcement agency’s efforts to help domestic abuse survivors. (Brian Fernandes)

It was the third in a series of three seminars aimed at empowering Pasco County women.

Representatives from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office explained how that agency seeks to assist abused women.

“I work with victims of intimate-partner domestic violence,” Det. Danni Murphy said.

In investigating abusive households, she works alongside victim advocates, such as Cpl. Gina Yoman-Madden.

As a team, they assist the survivor from the crime scene all the way to the courtroom hearings, providing guidance and referring them to community resources.

The unit now has five victim advocates, who are on call 24/7, Yoman-Madden said.

The advocates serve as liaisons for the survivors and often work alongside state attorneys to seek justice.

The sheriff’s office also has direct contact with offenders, and checks on the top 100 offenders each quarter, Murphy said. “It’s a way for us to be proactive,” she added.

Perpetrators are directed to resources that can help with issues such as substance abuse or anger management.

Some assistance is voluntary. Some offenders, however, must attend court-ordered counseling sessions.

Despite the availability of these services, the law enforcement professionals said there are still obstacles.

One of the biggest obstacles is that domestic violence cases often go unreported, Murphy said.

Some survivors may fail to come forward because they must rely on their abusive partner for financial help or transportation, Yoman-Madden said.

There is a program designed to help with that.

Funded with a grant, victim advocate technicians transport survivors to important engagements, such as court hearings, doctor’s appointments or counseling sessions.

Victim advocates, working out of the sheriff’s office, also help to identify people who are trapped in a cycle of abuse.

The sheriff’s office also partners with other organizations with the goal of helping survivors improve their economic prospects.

Many survivors are referred to the Sunrise of Pasco County Inc. – Domestic & Sexual Violence Center for assistance.

Noelle Polk-Clark, the center’s attorney, was another presenter at the seminar.

She talked about what Sunrise does.

She began her talk by showing a clip from the British documentary “Behind Closed Doors,” — providing an up-close glimpse of domestic violence.

Polk-Clark explained that, like the couple portrayed in the film, the abuser in a relationship often “programs” the target of their abuse to believe that the abuser’s actions are not so bad.

“The grip of control is so profound,” Polk-Clark explained.

Sunrise, which is funded through local, state and federal sources, provides a 40-bed shelter in Dade City.

It has a 24-hour hotline, a case management team, counseling, legal advocacy, support groups and a thrift store.

Polk-Clark oversees the Injunction for Protection Project (IFP).

The project relies on the testimony of the abused in order to form a case and file a request for an injunction – seeking to keep the offender away at a safe distance.

“If an injunction is in place, studies show that the incidents of violence decrease,” Polk-Clark said.

In 2009, Sunrise and the sheriff’s office collaborated to create the Intimate Violence Enhanced Service Team (InVEST).

Working together, the agencies make referrals to each other and keep one another in the loop regarding the status of survivors — aimed at reducing the risk of homicide.

Polk-Clark noted that domestic violence incidents cross economic lines.

But, homeless women are particularly vulnerable, according to Don Anderson, CEO of the Homeless Coalition of Pasco County, another panelist at the seminar.

The Homeless Coalition works with Sunrise and the sheriff’s office to address issues facing the homeless.

Anderson shared some startling statistics.

Ninety-two percent of homeless women have experienced physical assault, Anderson said. Sixty-three percent of those were abused by their own partner, he said.

The Homeless Coalition is supported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as the Florida Department of Children and Families.

With these funds, programs can be implemented like the homeless prevention, to help families on the verge of losing their home.

“We’re working with individuals and families that are in trouble now,” Anderson said. “We do our best to provide back-rent, utility deposits [and] any number of things that ensure they stay in their home.”

It also provides anywhere from 300 to 400 people a month with showers, toiletries, clothes and meals at the New Port Richey office.

For additional information on Sunrise of Pasco County Inc., call (352) 521-3358, or visit SunrisePasco.org.

To learn more on the Homeless Coalition of Pasco County, call (727) 842-8605, or visit PascoHomelessCoalition.org.

Published May 15, 2019

Pasco Sheriff’s Office hone crisis intervention skills

By

Pasco County Sheriff’s Office deputies recently spent a week learning how to use the power of words to de-escalate situations that have the potential to turn dangerous.

In one role-play scenario, Pasco Sheriff’s Office deputies Breanna Chandler and Lindsay Steward intermediated between a mother and her teenage daughter with oppositional defiant disorder.

In another scene, deputies Ricardo Ortiz and Jose Vazquez-Trujillo sought to calm a schizophrenic man who had paranoia and homicidal ideations about a next-door neighbor.

In one mock scenario, Pasco Sheriff’s Office deputies Ricardo Ortiz, left, and Jose Vazquez-Trujillo are tasked with calming a schizophrenic man who had paranoia and homicidal ideations about a next-door neighbor. The practice exercise was part of the agency’s crisis intervention training to better equip law enforcement officers with verbal de-escalation techniques in dealing with citizens in various mental states. Crisis intervention instructor Tom Kelley plays the role of the man with schizophrenia disorder. (Kevin Weiss)

Other mock scenarios had deputies and corrections officers encounter inmates or juveniles with suicidal thoughts, or, deal with someone with severe substance abuse. There was even a situation that exposed deputies to someone with low-functioning autism.

There weren’t any takedowns, hands-on combat nor use of nonlethal force.

Rather, this type of police training simply required conversations to resolve problems.

For each participating law enforcement officer, the objective was to have a better understanding of mental health in crisis and to learn how to better respond to de-escalate a situation during a call for service.

It was all part of the agency’s recent Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training program at Pasco Safety Town in Shady Hills.

The weeklong, 40-hour CIT program is a collaborative effort between the sheriff’s office and many local behavioral and mental health community partners. It is held four times per year within the agency.

Throughout the week, deputies received instruction on various subjects, such as signs and symptoms of mental illness, co-occurring disorders, addiction, dementia, trauma informed care, and juvenile and veteran response.

De-escalation techniques centered on maintaining positive body language and tone of voice, along with active listening skills to appropriately reflect upon a subject’s feelings.

Deputies then put those techniques to the test with role-play scenes, which were written out by a licensed mental health counselor in collaboration with a law enforcement officer. Volunteer actors played the various roles of persons in crisis.

The mock exercises required deputies to determine whether or not to detain a subject for an involuntary mental health evaluation, otherwise known as the Baker Act; provide a referral to various behavioral health services and resources; or, simply offer someone a shoulder to lean on and to listen to a subject’s personal problems.

One of the instructors and role play actors was Tom Kelley, a former law enforcement and military officer, who operates a consulting firm specializing in crisis intervention and crime prevention.

In traditional law enforcement academies, trainees are taught to enter situations with authority in voice and action.

In the crisis intervention program, however, Kelley instructed deputies to find a softer, more inviting tone when dealing with people undergoing a mental crisis.

Kelley put it this way to a classroom full of deputies: “Let them know that you’re there and you care. At that moment, they need to feel like you’re the most caring person in the world, because they are at their worst.”

In this role-play exercise, Pasco Sheriff’s Office deputies Breanna Chandler, left, and Lindsay Steward try to calm a with teenage daughter with oppositional defiant disorder. It was part of the law enforcement agency’s recent weeklong Crisis Intervention Team training program. Volunteer Brittany Graniero, a licensed mental health counselor, plays the role of the defiant teen.

Pasco Sheriff’s Lt. Toni Roach has been the agency’s CIT coordinator since 2016.

She said the objective of crisis intervention is twofold.

First, it’s to reduce potential injury to citizens and responding deputies.

Second, it’s utilized to help divert people with “potentially criminal behavior or disruptive behavior” away from the jail system and into a mental health system where they can get proper diagnosis and treatment.

Roach explained: “The idea is to use your words and de-escalate rather than quickly resorting to force when the people you’re interacting with become nervous or scared, and are apprehensive to do what the deputy asks them to do.”

The training is vital for law enforcement personnel, the lieutenant said.

Roach put it this way: “We want to make sure that we can serve our public and provide them with good resources, and then hopefully we interact with them in a positive manner, so that, especially people with mental illness who have a fear of law enforcement, we can reduce that level of fear and have a good relationship with our community.”

Twenty-nine sheriff’s office personnel graduated from the recent spring class.

Upon graduation, each deputy received a pin for their uniform indicating they’ve had advanced training in crisis intervention.

Roach said about 50 percent of patrol deputies are CIT certified, also noting the public is able to request a CIT trained officer in a call for service. The agency is striving to have all of its deputies CIT certified in the future, she said.

In addition to the sheriff’s office, organizations that assisted in facilitating the CIT program were the National Alliance on Mental Illness, HCA Florida Hospitals, Rogers Behavioral Health, North Tampa Behavioral Health, BayCare Health System, Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services, and Veteran’s Affairs clinics.

Published May 08, 2019

Pasco County is eyeing rental registry

By

The Pasco County Commission is considering the possibility of requiring owners of rental property to sign up on a rental registry —  to enable the county to find property owners quickly, if the need arises.

“It really is a life-safety issue,” said Commissioner Mike Wells, who is working on the initiative.

Mike Wells

“We need to do something,” Wells said, during the commission’s April 23 meeting. He has begun meeting with stakeholders on the issue, seeking their ideas and buy-in.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey threw her support behind the idea.

“Commissioner Wells, I’m very glad you’ve been working on this.

“I can’t wait for that ordinance,” she said.

On one hand, the county doesn’t want to over-regulate, Starkey said. But, she added: “When you have multiple houses and you’re renting them out, that’s a business and you should be accountable for the effects of your business, in my opinion.

“If your tenants are causing no problems, that’s fine.

“But, if you’re starting to have to have our sheriff and our code enforcement coming out there regularly, the other people on the street shouldn’t have to be paying for the time of the county employees to go out there, over and over again,” Starkey said.

Plus, she said, “when  you have someone on your street and they’re renting their house out and they don’t care what goes on that street, it becomes a real quality-of-life issue for the rest of the neighborhood and brings it down.”

Wells said there are 99,000 non-homesteaded properties in Pasco County.

“Obviously, they’re not all rentals. They could be summer homes or winter homes,” Wells said.

Chase Daniels, policy director for the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, said the Sheriff supports a zero fee registration and 100 percent participation.

“Our IT department can manage this program,” Daniels said. The idea is to have a local point of contact and be able to tell who should be in the house.

A budget amendment would not be needed to operate the registry, Daniels said. “This is something we can absorb in our existing resources.”

Commissioner Jack Mariano pushed back on the idea of requiring every rental property owner to register.

“I don’t know why we don’t focus on where the problems are,” Mariano said, adding he doesn’t understand why people who haven’t had any problems would be required to do so.

But, Commission Chairman Ron Oakley said: “Every person who falls in that category needs to be under the same rules.”

County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder said the board needs to discuss the issue in a workshop before moving forward on a rental registry ordinance.

Published May 01, 2019

Seminars aim to empower Pasco women

By

The first of a three-part series aimed to advance the interests of Pasco County women took place on March 4 at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, on Collier Parkway.

All of the meetings, being presented by the Pasco County Commission on the Status of Women and the Pasco County Commission, are being held at the library, and are free and open to the public.

The theme of the first part of the series was “Health and Wellness.”

Sarah Cobelli, of BayCare Behavioral Health, was one of the speakers who took part in a presentation on ‘Health and Wellness’ hosted by the Pasco County Commission on the Status of Women, on March 4 at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, on Collier Parkway. (Brian Fernandes)

Guest speakers Mike Napier, of the Florida Department of Health in Pasco County, and Sarah Cobelli, of BayCare Behavioral Health, shared pertinent information relating to women’s health issues.

“Virtually everything we do at the health department is in partnership with someone else,” explained Napier, administrator for the Florida Department of Health — Pasco County.

The department works with Moffitt Cancer Center, Premier Community Healthcare Group and other partners.

They work to bring awareness to issues such as cervical and breast cancer, and provide information about treatment options.

The department also receives government funding, which is used to provide screenings.

Efforts also are being made to prevent the spread of Hepatitis A, and the health department is receiving assistance in this effort from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, Napier said.

Through this collaboration, vaccinations are offered in the jail system, Napier explained.

“The good news is, it’s almost 97 percent – after you’ve had those shots – that you’ll be immune to any Hepatitis A,” Napier said.

Napier also advocates child vaccination for Hepatitis A and for the human papillomavirus (HPV).

Napier dispelled the notion that HPV is always linked to physical intercourse, stating that the stigma makes parents hesitant about vaccinating their children.

Teenage pregnancy, however, is a reality that the department addresses through its family planning program.

“It’s very difficult when we see moms coming in at 16-17 [and] trying to get them to finish school,” Napier said. “We’ve got to do something about that.”

The program offers testing, counseling and various contraceptive methods.

It also works in conjunction with schools to make sure students are well-educated and have a resource to call for help.

Tobacco use is another area of local concern, Napier pointed out.

“Unfortunately, Pasco County continues to have some of the highest smoking rates in the state,” the administrator said.

As of last year, 21 percent of adult Pasco residents were chronic smokers, according to the health department.

It also noted in a 2013 study that 22 percent of women in the county were smokers – significantly in the 18 to 44 age range.

The health department is working with medical institutions to distribute and collect health surveys.

The effort allows hospitals and other health care facilities to share medical information, and to better identify health trends based on demographics.

“It’s going to be consistent with all the hospitals and the health industry, to be able to say, ‘We all see the same data and now we’re going to try to act on that data,’” Napier stated.

The administrator also noted that providing mental health care to women who need it remains challenging.

Cobelli provided a presentation focused on behavioral health and substance abuse among women.

As a program manager for BayCare, she oversees community-based services for both children and adults.

“One of the newer additions to BayCare – within the last couple of years – is behavioral health integration, that especially females find comfort in,” Cobelli said.

This program is a convenient means for women to see their primary care physician and speak with a mental health counselor within the same office.

Another outreach program allows nurses, with a mobile medical unit, to go outdoors informing the homeless about medical resources and housing that may be available to them.

There’s also outreach to teenage mothers.

With the help of case managers, another state-funded program provides intervention for pregnant or postpartum women struggling with substance abuse.

For the 2018 fiscal year, Cobelli stated: “About 65 percent of the women that are enrolled have a primary diagnosis of an opioid disorder.”

There are also services available to women outside the program to help with essentials, such as car seats, strollers and baby formula.

BayCare encourages women with substance abuse, who are coming out of jail, to attend its group meetings three times a week.

With the Alternatives to Incarceration Pasco program, BayCare works with the Sheriff’s Office to establish special services for those with substance disorders.

The second part of the series, focused on Economic Prosperity, will be held on April 8.

The third part of the series, focused on Safety and Access, will be presented on May 6.

For more information visit, PascoCountyFL.net/2662/Commission-on-Status-of-Women.

Women’s lecture series presented by the Pasco County Commission on the Status of Women and the Pasco County Commission
Where: Land O’ Lakes Library meeting room, 2818 Collier Parkway, Land O’ Lakes
When: Upcoming sessions are planned on Economic Prosperity on April 8 and Safety & Access on May 6. Both sessions start at 2:30 p.m.
Cost: Free to public
Details: A series of presentations from guest speakers will discuss educating and advancing Pasco County women
Info: Visit PascoCountyFL.net/2662/Commission-on-Status-of-Women. 

Published March 20, 2019

Project prompts school board to hire land use attorney

By

Project Arthur, a major development that’s been submitted to Pasco County for its review, has prompted Pasco County Schools to approve the use of a land use attorney on an as-needed basis.

In seeking the approval, district documents describe Project Arthur as “a new and unique development, which is proposing to use charter schools as a way to mitigate for future student impacts.”

Having that expert resource available, the document notes “will be beneficial to the Planning Service department” and will “help to protect the interests of the school district.”

The Pasco County School Board voted unanimously to hire Alan Zimmet, a land use attorney with the law firm of Bryant Miller Olive, to assist the district in reviewing the Comprehensive Plan, Development Order, and other documents.

“The law firm’s services will be used on an “as-needed” basis over the course of this fiscal year,” according to the school board’s action.

Project Arthur is a proposed development on nearly 6,951 acres of land known as Bexley South and Bexley North.

The proposal calls for a 24 million-square-foot corporate business park, plus 11,495 residences and other supportive uses in an area east of the Suncoast Parkway, west of the CSX rail line and south of State Road 52.

The attorney will represent the district in negotiations and discussions with the owners of Project Arthur, which at this time include Lennar Homes and Metro Development — regarding the placement, construction, purchase and ownership of school facilities within the development.

In other action, the school board:

  • Approved a two-year extension, for the 2019 and 2020 calendar years, for these members of the Penny for Pasco Oversight Committee who wish to serve an additional term: Gary Evans, Hugh Townsend, Niko Tzoumas, George Iwan, Tom Massey and Paul McClintock
  • Approved a memorandum of understanding with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and the National Cyber Partnership regarding the district’s collaboration in the establishment and development of the Florida’s Forensic Institute for Research, Security, and Tactics (F1RST) program, which aims to develop leading edge research. The agreement has no binding impact on the district, but would be helpful in applications seeking grants, according to the board’s agenda materials.

Published January 23, 2019

New K-9 training complex breaks ground

By

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office soon will have a full-fledged facility dedicated to the tactical training of its K-9 units.

Ground was broken during a Nov. 15 ceremony for the Helen A. Rich K9 Complex — as part of the larger forensics research and training center project in Land O’ Lakes known as FIRST, an acronym for Florida’s Forensic Institute for Research, Security and Tactics.

Located at the intersection of Lucy Dobies Road and Central Boulevard off U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes, the K9 Complex is scheduled to have:

  • A 10,000-square-foot indoor training facility
  • A veterinary science center
  • A kennel for 40 dogs
  • An outdoor obstacle course and agility field
  • A rubble pile for search and rescue training

The K9 Complex will be completed in phases, with some features finished as soon as late 2019, according to Pasco Sheriff’s Capt. Justin Ross, who is overseeing the project.

A Nov. 15 groundbreaking ceremony marked the beginning of construction for the Helen A. Rich K9 Complex. The $5 million project is expected to be complete in phases, beginning in fall 2019. (Kevin Weiss)

The project alone is expected to cost about $5 million, not including other FIRST facilities, according to the sheriff’s office.

In addition to teaching standard K-9 tactics, the training grounds will be used to help develop advanced K-9 techniques in airport security, explosives and drug detection, and search and recovery.

It will also include an academia-based research component focused on the health and wellness of working and retired police dogs.

“It’s kind of that synergistic partnership between researchers and practitioners, where we want them to really improve upon the use of working dogs and dog safety,” Ross explained.

Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco described the forthcoming K-9 project as “special” and “absolutely incredible.”

Nocco explained: “It’s really about finding ways to make us safer, make our communities safer, and it’s about building a legacy for the next generation.

“One day somebody will be saved because of the training that goes on there (at the complex),” he predicted.

Besides the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the K-9 facilities will also be used by other local and regional law enforcement agencies. “We want to make sure we bring as many people as we can for the K-9s,” the sheriff said.

The K9 Complex is named after Wrigley gum heiress and Odessa resident Helen Rich, who donated more than $480,000 toward the construction of the project, according to the sheriff’s office.

In a brief statement at the ceremony, Rich said the gift was a “no-brainer” because the project goes to support both dogs and law enforcement.

“Why did I do it? Because God told me to. That’s it,” the 70-year-old Rich said, of the donation.

Ground was broken in September on the entire FIRST campus.

A resource for universities, forensic scientists and law enforcement in the entire state, FIRST will serve as an aid to improve crime scene operations and investigations in the realm of homicides, missing persons cases and so on.

At its build out, the multiple-building forensics research center campus will have a laboratory, classrooms, a morgue and evidence storage space, where work will be done in the fields of legal medicine, forensic intelligence, aviation reconstruction and cyber forensics.

There’s also potential for training in the use of robotics, drones and data processing in the arena of public safety and workforce training, among other fields.

The FIRST campus received $4.3 million in state funds this year. It is expected to also be complete in late 2019.

Published November 21, 2018