Just because your house overlooks a golf course doesn’t mean it will always be a golf course May 22, 2013

SARASOTA COUNTY – Realtors say it’s another sign of the housing market making a comeback — but not everyone is pleased about plans to close one of the oldest public golf courses in the area.

The Sarasota Golf Club on Palmer Road, east of Interstate 75 is shutting down next week, with plans to turn the golf course into new homes. Realtors are pleased, but others are concerned. And it’s not just golfers who are teed off.

The course has been there 53 years, but realtors say projects like this are a positive sign about the direction of the area’s economy. “The pendulum seems to have swung several months ago. All this year, we’ve been reporting sales higher than previous,” says Kathy Roberts of the Sarasota Association of Realtors.

The concept of closing a golf course to build houses isn’t new in Sarasota; it happened at Forest Lakes along Beneva Road in Sarasota — and those houses still haven’t been built.

“That’s why I bought this condo in the first place, it was next to a golf course,” says Forest Lakes resident Rick Cavanaugh. His place was next to a golf course, but now he lives next to a lot of high grass.

Back at the Sarasota Golf Club, neighbors are aware of what’s happened to other golf courses that were closed to make way for houses several years ago; and they hope the same thing doesn’t happen there.

“We don’t want a Forest Lakes or Sunrise (Golf Club) debacle behind us. We would want a nice community if that’s the way it’s gonna go,” says Gloria Dehaven, who lives next to Sarasota Golf Club.

New numbers released Tuesday show the positive trend continues in local real estate. But all this comes as bad news for those looking for public golf in Sarasota.

Giant tiger needs surgery. Fark: To remove giant hairball

Clearwater, Florida — It’s a typical story of a cat with a hairball… only the cat weighs about 400 pounds, and what appears to be a giant hairball is too large to be removed without surgery.

Thai the tiger is scheduled to undergo the procedure on Wednesday afternoon at BluePearl Veterinary Partners emergency hospital in Clearwater.

PHOTOS: Tiger needs surgery to remove hairball

The hospital says Vernon Yates with Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Inc. brought the 17-year-old male jungle cat in to see a specialist on Monday, after the tiger had not eaten for nearly two weeks. Dr. Brian Luria performed an ultrasound and took X-rays before using a scope with a camera to determine the problem, which appears to be a giant hairball.

The hairball was too large to be removed using the scope, so Thai was scheduled for surgery.

Woman jailed after allegedly shooting man on dialysis table

A woman has been charged with a shooting Monday morning that wounded a patient at an Orlando dialysis center, according to police.

Shemira R. Hargrove was charged with attempted murder (domestic violence) for the 9:30 a.m. shooting at the Florida Dialysis Center of Orlando on 34th Street, according to police spokesman Diego Toruno.

The victim has not been identified or the nature of his relationship with Hargrove. Details about the shooting also have not be released.

Hargrove, 32, who had been questioned at police headquarters since the shooting, will be taken to the Orange County Jail to be booked.

In December 2000, Hargrove was charged with shooting or throwing a missile into a dwelling or vehicle and criminal mischief. The charges were dismissed.

On Monday, the victim was taken to a local hospital and was described as alert when he left the dialysis center, Toruno said.

Man accused of exposing himself to cop at park

A 60-year-old man was arrested Monday and charged with exposure of sexual organs and loitering in a public bathroom after officials said he exposed himself to an under­cover officer inside a bathroom at a park.

Around 1:30 p.m. at Scott Springs Park at 2300 SW 24th Ave., the officer saw a man opening and closing the bathroom door several times while he was looking in the officer’s direction, according to reports.

The officer approached the door, and found it locked. He knocked on the door and the man, later identified as Robert Purdon, opened the door while rubbing his genitals. The officer said Purdon then pulled up his right shorts leg, exposing his genitals, according to reports.

Purdon was arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail.

The police department has received numerous complaints about blatant sexual activity and other illegal occurrences at the park. Early last year, Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn, who oversees the police department, started a crackdown at the public venue. From April 1, 2012, to the present, officers have arrested 18 men there for exposure of sexual organs and one for prostitution.

“We are dedicated in preserv­ing our parks for families and children without having to expose them to this kind of behavior,” said Sgt. Eric Hooper of the Special Deployment and Bicycle Units.

Purdon was released from the jail at 7:27 p.m. Monday. He said Tuesday he inadvertently exposed himself and it wasn’t intentional. He said it was a hot day and he did not have on any underwear.

“It’s his word against mine,” Purdon said of the arresting officer. “I went into the bath­room to wash my hands. I knew better not to do something like that.”

Purdon said he saw two other men expose themselves at the park, the report noted.

USSS girl’s softball coach jailed after headbutting umpire

Coach arrested for battery on a sports official.

• Sunday
• May 19, 2013
• Time: 3:54 PM

• FishHawk Sports Complex
• 16210 FishHawk Boulevard
• Lithia, Florida

Suspect:

Gordon Elliott Moore DOB 08/26/1975 4324 Melbrooke Ct. Lakeland, FL

Charge:

• Battery on a Specified Official or Employee

Victim:

Stephen H. Connell DOB 01/21/1957 4235 Tennyson Way Venice, FL

Details:

On May 19, 2013 at 3:54 p.m., Stephen H. Connell, who is an umpire for USSSA, was umpiring a softball game in which the defendant, Gordon E. Moore, was the coach for Christina Girls Minor Division, 12 and under team.
After the last out of the game, Gordon Moore got into a verbal argument with the home plate umpire, Kimberly Anderson. The victim, Stephen Connell, who was working the shortstop position, noticed Moore gesturing his arms and talking loudly got between Moore and Ms. Anderson.
During the verbal confrontation, Moore bumped Connell in the chest and then headbutted him on his nose. Moore then tried to headbutt Connell a second time, but Connell moved and struck Moore once in the face with a closed fist. Moore was arrested a short time later without incident.

Facebook pics led to arrest of alleged members of Crazy White Boys gang

MARION COUNTY, FL (May 21, 2013) – On Friday, May 10, 2013, Marion County Sheriff’s Office detectives started looking for felony fugitive and criminal street gang members Mario Daniel McDonald and Joseph Wayne Edwards. Detectives found  Facebook profiles featuring both McDonald and Edwards with photographs of each holding a shotgun.

Also, both suspects had gang-related photographs on Facebook. McDonald and Edwards are reportedly members of the Crazy White Boys Criminal Street Gang.

“The still images attached to these Facebook accounts promote and further the interests of the criminal street gang,” said Captain James Pogue, Marion County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer. The images show the suspects committing criminal activity, in this case: possession of a firearm by convicted felons. Both were arrested May 20, 2013.

ARRESTED:        Mario Daniel McDonald                  Joseph Wayne Edwards
D.O.B:                   08/17/1989                                        03/15/1986
CHARGES:          Criminal Street Gang Activity         Criminal Street Gang Activity
Possession of firearm by              Possession of firearm by
convicted felon                                  convicted felon
Grand Theft
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

Florida Teacher Suspended for Touching Student with ‘Banana Penis’ May 21, 2013

A former Teacher of the Year at North Marion High School in Marion County, Florida, was suspended without pay after a student complained that he touched her inappropriately with a banana during a college-level lecture on “cylinder objects, phalluses and/or sex symbols.”

The incident took place three months ago, but the student only came forward last week.

A discipline letter sent to Jonathan Hampton claims the teacher “crossed a line” while discussing the “Freudian implications” of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

The student alleges that Hampton “rubbed [her] head and neck area with a banana,” leaving her embarrassed and humiliated.

“That is disgusting, very disgusting,” said the grandmother of a student at the school. “I don’t think he should be allowed to teach kids. You don’t do stuff like that and get away with it.”

Hampton’s lawyer (and stepfather) Mark Fiedelholtz says the entire thing was blown out of proportion, and that Hampton tapped a student with a banana from his lunch to get her attention, and that sometimes a banana is just a banana.

“There was nothing else to it,” the attorney said.

After conducting its own investigation into the matter, the school district issued Hampton an official reprimand saying it was poor judgement on his part to use “a banana to make physical contact with a student.”

The teacher has since completed the three-day suspension and was allowed to return to class.