Gator has run-in with the law, bites patrol car

Posted in: News by admin on May 2, 2011

On Saturday, a 10-foot alligator bit down on the front bumper of a Crown Victoria that belongs to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. The deputy driving the car, Victor Borrero, had to slowly back up the vehicle several feet to get the gator to release the front bumper of the green-and-white car.

Man chose wrong location to lead deputies on chase

Posted in: News by admin on April 4, 2011

Car crashes into house early Sunday morning

Posted in: News by admin on March 28, 2011

OCALA – Jenny Conley received a rude awakening Sunday morning when a car barreled into her living room, rousing her family from sleep as an explosion-like sound shattered the calm.

“It was a wake-up call, to say the least,” Conley, a Realtor and mother of a 6-year-old girl, said Sunday afternoon.

When Conley’s husband reached the front area of the house early Sunday, he saw a four-door beige sedan inside the living area.

The car had just crashed through the wall and its horn was blaring and burnt smells were seeping into the house.

No one was hurt, but several nearby homes lost electrical power.

A neighbor came by to check on the family.

According to officials, Storm Hall, 19, of Ocala, was driving the Ford Taurus when it struck a utility pole sometime between 4 and 5 a.m., then crashed into the house at 2336 SE Seventh St.

Madelyn Lefebvre, 18, also of Ocala, was a passenger in the car.

Conley, her husband, her daughter and a family dog were all asleep at the time of the crash.

Hall was treated by paramedics. Lefebvre got out of the vehicle and fled on foot.

According to Conley, the young man told police several different versions of a story.

Conley said she was told he was driving at a high speed when he rounded the curve, clipped the telephone pole and went airborne several times before the car crashed through the wall.

“We’re in that TV room all the time. It just could have turned out a whole lot worse,” she said.

Her family must temporarily evacuate the house as repairs are being made.

Out front in the residential area is a three-way stop sign, a traffic stop Conley said drivers often ignore.

She said she never expected this type of reckless driving, however: “The speed that he had been going, I don’t think that’s a typical thing.”

Police officials said late Sunday that alcohol is suspected as a factor in the crash, but that has not yet been verified and no arrests have been made.

Source: http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110327/ARTICLES/110329492/1002/news01?Title=Car-crashes-into-house-early-Sunday-morning

Eastside athlete who collapsed during practice dies overnight

Posted in: News by admin on March 9, 2011

The Eastside High School athlete who collapsed earlier this week died overnight.

School officials have confirmed that Sarah Landauer, 17, died at Shands at the University of Florida.

According to Eastside boys soccer coach Ron Messick, the faculty at the school received an e-mail this morning from Principal Jeff Charbonnet stating that Landauer had passed away early Wednesday morning.

“Sarah was an unbelievable athlete, but she was an unbelievable person and she set the bar high for all of us to compete and be a model person,” Messick said. “Just having her smile out in the hallways is going to be something that I will miss. But knowing that she is smiling in a better place will help everyone get through this.”

The family’s pastor, the Rev. Steve Gregg of Creekside Community Church, said Landauer died at 6 a.m. Wednesday.

Grief counselors are on campus at Eastside today and will be meeting with Landauer’s teammates, many of whom have been at Shands hospital for the past three days standing watch with her family.

A banner has been set up at the school where students can write their messages of support for her and her family.

Dozens of family and friends on Tuesday got to spend what would be their last few minutes with Landauer, who had been hospitalized since collapsing at track practice Monday.

A top regional soccer player, Landauer was in the intensive care unit.

Throughout the day, Landauer’s coaches, school staff and friends came to the hospital to pray, to support her family and to try to get each other through a difficult time.

By Tuesday night, a Shands lobby was filled with classmates, teammates, churchmates, their parents and others. Among them was Sarah Higgins, youth director at Creekside Community Church, which the Landauer family attends.

“It doesn’t surprise me that all of these people are here. Sarah is very well-liked because she is the kind of girl who will be friendly to anyone whether they are similar to or different from her,” Higgins said. “A lot of these kids were in elementary school with Sarah. It was really great that the Intensive Care Unit let anyone in to say goodbye to her.”

Landauer was a Sun all-area soccer player. She scored 28 goals and had four assists as Eastside (17-7-2) captured its third straight district title this past season. The 5-foot-9 forward, a first-team all-area selection in each of the last two seasons, had 111 goals and 29 assists in her three years with the Rams.

Landauer collapsed during track and field drills Monday. Someone at the field performed CPR on Landauer and an external defibrillator also was used to try to revive her, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office reported.

She had also collapsed while training at Percy Beard Track at the University of Florida on Feb. 24. Family members said she had been cleared by doctors to resume her sports activities.

Higgins said Landauer was active in church, attending every week and sometimes playing guitar during services. She also played several sports at church, and learned a new sport every year.

Track was one of them, and that is how Landauer got involved in the EHS track team. She excelled at the long jump, Higgins said.

Landauer was an A student in the International Baccalaureate program at EHS.

If Landauer was given medical clearance by doctors and her parents, she could continue to compete, said Roger Dearing, executive director at Florida High School Athletic Association.

“Anytime someone collapses like she did, she would be required to have medical clearance before she could even practice,” Dearing said. “It seems like if she had CPR done on her on Feb. 24 that she would have received a battery of tests. We require medical clearance. If that happens, and the parents are fine with it, we really don’t have the authority to say she can’t continue.”

FHSAA spokesman Seth Polansky said most cases of athletes collapsing are not reported to the FHSAA, adding that athletes frequently collapse from ailments such as dehydration or exhaustion. Polansky said some school districts require that collapse cases be reported to district officials.

Florida schools are not required to have athletic trainers or medical equipment on hand during practices or most competitions, Polansky said.

He said it would be expensive for schools to have athletic trainers present for practices and competition.

The association keeps track of school athletes who die, and Polansky said it is typically one or two a year in Florida.

“Fortunately, it’s a very small number that die,” Polansky said. “In [Landauer's] scenario, I think it happens more frequently than we know about, but we just don’t know unless someone tells us.”

A family member told The Sun that doctors had cleared Landauer to resume her athletics after she collapsed Feb. 24 at about 7 p.m. when training at Percy Beard Track at the University of Florida.

Landauer’s younger sister, Laura, a soccer player for Gainesville High School, said Sarah loves soccer and has been a mentor to her.

“She’s an amazing sister. She’s always there for me and is a great person,” Laura said. “She’s in God’s hands.”

Landauer’s father, Peter Landauer, is director of private investments for UF Investments Corp.

GPD major’s family thanks his rescuers

Posted in: News by admin on March 2, 2011

Gainesville Police Maj. Rick Hanna, who collapsed with a heart problem when working out on Jan. 21 at Gainesville Health and Fitness Center, is recovering — and his wife said quick response by gym staff and emergency responders helped his recovery.

Hanna, second in command at GPD, is home from North Florida Regional Medical Center after surviving a sudden death cardiac event, said his wife, Marlene Hanna, the executive assistant to Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell.

Hanna “only survived because of the quick, efficient ‘textbook’ CPR actions of the staff at GHFC, the transport team of the Alachua County Fire Rescue and the tremendous talent of [the North Florida] Regional Medical Center trauma and ER staff,” Marlene Hanna wrote in an e-mail. “The doctors and fire-response staff credit this ‘miracle’ recovery to the training and equipment at the gym. Had Rick been any other place when his heart stopped, he would not likely be around to tell about it.”

The Hanna family thanked the doctors, nurses, fire-rescue staff, GHFC staff and city and county law enforcement and officials who stayed by Hanna and his family.

“The lesson to all of us, besides the obvious, ‘Every day is a gift,’ [is to] learn CPR and don’t stop CPR until emergency teams arrive to take over. It works, along with a lot of prayer,” she wrote.

* * *

A recent uptick in the number of people going door-to-door trying to sell magazine subscriptions has officials urging residents to be cautious.

The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office said most of the increase has been on the western side of the county and appears to involve groups trying to sell subscriptions. While the increase in sales calls has not been connected to a corresponding increase in crime, deputies said residents should be cautious about opening their doors to strangers and should report any suspicious activity immediately.

The Sheriff’s Office offered the following suggestions:

Use a peephole to identify who is at your door.

Be cautious of unknown people at your door soliciting for anything.

Ask for identification from the individual as well as the company they represent.

Never give out personal information without knowing who you are dealing with.

Never allow a stranger into your home.

Residents who become suspicious of anyone in their neighborhood should contact the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office at 955-1818 or 911.

Discussion delayed on bill to allow guns on campus

Posted in: News by admin on February 23, 2011

A state Senate committee yesterday delayed discussion of a controversial measure that would allow guns to be carried on university campuses.

The committee heard emotional testimony from the father of Ashley Cowie, the Florida State University student accidentally shot to death at a fraternity house. Dr. Robert Cowie told the Senate Criminal Justice Committee about the shooting and a failed attempt by Ashley’s twin sister to perform CPR, the St Petersburg Times reported.

“Allowing guns in an atmosphere of college parties puts everyone involved at increased and undue risk,” he said. “Would you feel more or less at risk today if I were carrying a gun?”

Sen. Greg Evers postponed further discussion of SB 234, which would allow concealed weapons to be carried openly and lift a prohibition against carrying them at universities. State university police chiefs, including University of Florida Chief of Police Linda Stump, have come out in opposition to the measure.

At a speech this month at UF, state Senate President Mike Haridopolos dodged a question about whether he supported the bill by saying he was more focused on the budget. He later told reporters that he thought it was “a mistake to reduce the ability of a person to protect themselves.”

Man chose wrong location to lead deputies on chase

Posted in: News by admin on February 21, 2011

Wharton, 30, bailed out of his car during a traffic stop on Southeast Hawthorne Road earlier this week and ran into the nearby woods.

Wharton’s location when he ran off was nearly ideal for those chasing him — directly north of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.

And the nearby location of Cowboy, a Sheriff’s Office canine, meant Wharton was quickly apprehended with a bite to the left bicep.

While handcuffing Wharton, deputies found plastic bags of cocaine and marijuana in a nearby location. They were underneath Wharton, so he was charged with drug possession.

* * *

Walmart parking lots have long been a popular overnight parking spot for those hauling travel trailers or driving motor homes.

That practice is beginning to change nationwide, including in Lake City.

City officials recently announced that they will begin enforcing a city ordinance that bans recreational vehicle camping in commercial parking lots.

The decision to begin enforcing the ordinance came after area RV park officials complained that recreational vehicle drivers apparently have been camping at the Walmart Supercenter just a few blocks from Interstate 75.

It is a practice of which Walmart approves. On its website, the retailer notes that, “While we do not offer electrical service or accommodations typically necessary for RV customers, Walmart values RV travelers and considers them among our best customers.”

Park owners told city officials it was unfair they had to follow ordinances and pay fees but Walmart was not bound by the same constraints. City officials agreed and ordered the signs erected around the parking lot notifying drivers about the ordinance.

* * *

No matter the weather, the folks in bright green vests make sure thousands of Alachua County students get to school by stopping traffic and escorting them through crosswalks.

On Friday, the county’s School Crossing Guards will be recognized with a breakfast — but not until the last children have crossed the street safely.

Former Gov. Charlie Crist proclaimed the first Friday of February as School Crossing Guard Appreciation Day.

This year’s breakfast at the Martin Luther King Center is being put on by all of the local law enforcement agencies in the county. During the breakfast, one person will receive the second annual Alachua County Crossing Guard of the Year award, qualifying him or her to be considered for the State Crossing Guard of the Year award.

* * *

Rural Hawthorne residents soon might get a visit from a Florida Division of Forestry employee or a local firefighter. The visits are intended to help property owners recognize ways they can reduce their wildfire risks.

State forestry officials are working with local firefighters in communities deemed particularly susceptible to wildfires this winter. They are going door to door to remind residents about what they can do to reduce their risk, for example by clearing dead leaves from around their homes. Those who are not home will find a brochure, and those who are home will be able to talk directly with the officials and ask them questions.

Similar efforts already have been made near Bell and Island Grove.

Fireman helps wheelchair-bound woman stuck in rain

Posted in: News by admin on February 7, 2011

A Gainesville Fire Rescue crew came to the rescue of a woman whose motorized chair broke down during the torrential rains Tuesday.

About 2 p.m., a crew was on Buckman Drive at the University of Florida when members noticed a woman whose chair had shorted out from the rain in the middle of the traffic lanes, said Lt. Keith Saunders.

The crew — Lt. Jeffrey Schuhmacher, driver-operator John Cicio and firefighters James Brown and Joseph Gonzalez — blocked traffic, gave the woman a rain coat and wheeled her to a nearby building.

With the chair out of service, the GFR crew and a University of Florida police officer contacted a Regional Transit System supervisor and arranged a ride home for the woman.

“Our job is not all about fighting fires. We saw a citizen in need and stopped to help. We would never leave any job half done, including getting her home,” Schuhmacher said.

Added Saunders, “Gainesville Fire Rescue seeks to be recognized nationally as a model of excellence by the provision of our services. That’s important. It’s cut and dry. That is our vision.”

Record GEDs at jail

A record number of inmates at the Alachua County jail passed the GED test in 2010.

Jail officials said 66 inmates — 63 adults and three juveniles — earned a GED while behind bars last year, far more than the previous record of 43 in both 2008 and 2009. During 2007, jail officials said 22 inmates earned a GED, while 15 completed a GED in 2006.

The average length of stay at the jail for GED recipients is 40 to 60 days, said jail spokesman Gene Morris.

A partnership between the jail and the Alachua County School Board makes it possible for all inmates in the jail’s general population who have not received a high school diploma to advance their education.

Interested inmates must first complete the Florida Test of Adult Basic Education. Those who test at or above the ninth-grade level on the TABE receive help preparing to take the GED. Those who test below the ninth-grade level in reading, writing or math receive pre-GED preparation to help them advance to the point where they can take and succeed in GED classes.

Smart 911 service

Dixie County residents now have a way of ensuring that emergency responders get to their homes more quickly, thanks to the purchase of Smart911 software from Rave Mobile Safety.

The software allows residents to enter personal information online so that it will automatically be available to 911 operators. Information such as photos, medical conditions, allergies, disabilities, special needs, home addresses of mobile phone callers and other vital rescue-related data can be entered.

“Smart911 provides us with critical information about callers, as well as enhanced capabilities to locate mobile phone subscribers that will help us more efficiently process emergency calls for service,” said Dixie County 911 Director Chuck Elton.

Source:  Gainesville.com

Library bomb threat brought Levy County police dog to Gainesville

Posted in: News by admin on

A Levy County police dog was so in demand in Gainesville on Tuesday night that he got picked up by helicopter and flown to the city.

Levy County Deputy Kevin Kinik and his K-9 partner Rossi, who is trained to sniff bombs, were needed here to search the Alachua County Library downtown after a bomb threat was called in.

Because of the size of the library — 86,000 square feet — Gainesville police needed extra help to search. The quickest way to get Kinik and Rossi here was by the police helicopter.

“It was a bomb threat and with all of that space it would have been a safety issue and would have taken forever [to search] without that dog,” GPD Cpl. Tscharna Senn said. “Levy County was the closest one that they could get to at the time.”

A bomb-sniffing team from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office — deputy Brian Ritter and Razor — were able to join the search later. No bomb was found.

Levy County Sheriff’s Maj. Evan Sullivan said he is not aware of one of the agency’s dogs previously being flown to an assignment.

“With it being a public place and trying to handle it in an expedient manner, they sent the helicopter over,” Sullivan said.

* * *

A woman who was caught drinking a can of beer in public landed in jail not only on those charges, but also on an animal cruelty charge when officials reported seeing her kill a small bird at the jail.

The arrest report for Sandra L. Williams, 46, of Gainesville, states that she stomped on a small bird with her right foot in the vestibule on the booking area at the Alachua County jail on Tuesday afternoon.

Williams was taken to the jail by Gainesville police when she was caught with a can of Natural Light beer and refused to give a thumb print on a citation requiring her to appear in court.

A small bird was in the vestibule when they arrived. Williams killed it with her right foot, the report states.

* * *

Beware of telemarketers calling your home to arrange an energy audit — it could be a scam.

Progress Energy Florida customers have reported receiving calls from people claiming to represent Progress Energy or independent contractors. The caller offers to conduct home energy audits.

Customers report that the callers are extremely persistent, even threatening, and often try to confuse customers.

The company does not make such solicitations, adding that customers must make an appointment for audits.