Plant City Times &
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
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Business leaders compete in first Kiwanis spelling bee.
Meet Plant Plant City golfer City artist Roy hits the links at Hilry Adams. amateur national. PAGE 11
PAGE 8
PAGE 9
OUR TOWN
FREE • THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2013
crime by Michael Eng | Editor
ONE STEP AT A TIME by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
Plant City teen arrested for fake bomb threat The 14-year-old called the Plant City Walmart Supercenter July 30, and told employees there was a bomb inside the store.
+ Bruton library showcases artist
Local artist Colleen Justin is displaying 11 pieces of her work this month at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St. At the urging of her friend and instructor, Von Watson, Justin has been painting regularly since 2004, using her favorite mediums of oil and watercolor. She has recently retired, after owning an art and framing store in Plant City for more than 12 years. For more information, contact Justin at colleens135@aol.com or (813) 763-4821.
Editor’s note: Per editorial policy, the identity of the juvenile defendant has been withheld from this report. One Plant City teenager is facing felony charges after he called the local Walmart Supercenter and reported a bomb inside the store. According to Plant City Police Department reports, at about 8:02 p.m. July 30, the teenager called Walmart’s business line and indicated to the responding employee that a bomb would detonate in two minutes, inside the store. Immediately, store personnel evacuated the building, forcing dozens of shoppers to leave their shopping carts and exit to the parking lot. Police officers responded and searched the store for about two hours. When officers determined the store was safe, Walmart resumed normal business operations. Brittany Diaz was inside the store when the threat was reported.
SEE BOMB / PAGE 4
+ Twirlettes to host registration
heritage by Michael Eng | Editor
The Hillsborough County Twirlettes will host registration for its upcoming season. Registration for Plant City will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. Aug. 19, at Shiloh Charter School, 905 W. Terrace Drive. Classes are held from 3:15 to 4 p.m. Mondays and are open to girls from kindergarten through middle school. For more, call (813) 634-7988.
+ Calling PCHS’ Class of 1978
The Plant City High School Class of 1978 will celebrate its 35th class reunion this weekend. The festivities take place from 6 to 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, at Keel & Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. The 35-year reunion fun continues from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, at Embassy Suites, 10220 Palm River Road, Tampa. For more, email PlantCity1978@aol.com or search for “Plant City Class of 1978” on Facebook.
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This week’s winner is
Lisa Fliehman See her photo on PAGE 14.
Amber Jurgensen
From left: Teenagers Taylor Mallory, Hana Alsamman, Emma Strayer-Ellis and Lauren Schorejs all are working to change their lives, with the help of Steppin’ Stone Executive Director Cindy Churchill, right.
A CHANCE
TO CHANGE
Steppin’ Stone Farm, a girls’ home just south of Plant City, has been helping troubled teens for 40 years. In its history, about 800 girls have come through the program. The phosphate mine glowed ominously when Cindy Churchill and her family drove by it more than three decades ago. But, it was the stench of sulfur Churchill remembers the most. “I thought they were taking me to hell,” Churchill says. With the exception of rural farm houses, there was nothing around for miles. Churchill hated instantly the desolate roads that twisted and turned deeper into the sprawling country. It was 9 p.m., and she would have rather been drinking with her
friends. Churchill was from Fort Lauderdale and had grown accustomed to the lifestyle it offered — days at the beach, nights spent partying. The problem was Churchill was only 14 years old. Things spiraled out of control quickly. By the sixth grade, Churchill began drinking. Alcohol led to drugs. But she was sneaky, concealing her behavior as much as she could, until her parents finally realized she wasn’t just having a casual drink at a high school party.
Downtown resident launches historic walk
Longtime Plant City resident Angie Davis will host a walking tour of Historic Downtown Plant City the first and third Saturdays of each month. Taking inspiration from proud historic towns such as St. Augustine, one Plant City resident is taking the task of ensuring the community’s rich heritage is not forgotten. Angie Davis, a resident of Historic Downtown Plant City for nearly three decades, is launching a new historic walking tour. The free, hourlong tour will begin at 6 p.m. the first and third Saturdays of each month, at the Train Depot. The walk coin-
SEE TOUR / PAGE 4
When they decided to send her to a voluntary program, she ran. It took a month — and assistance from a private investigator — to find the rebellious teen. “I really didn’t care about my family at that point,” Churchill says. “It was all about my friends.” To combat her destructive behavior, Churchill was court-ordered to Steppin’ Stone Farm. The farm, just south of Plant City, is a Christian home for at-risk teenage girls. When Churchill stepped out of
SEE CHANCE / PAGE 4
INDEX Calendar.......................2
Michael Eng
Angie Davis has lived in Historic Downtown Plant City for nearly 30 years.
Vol.1,No.2 | Onesection Crossword...................14
Obituaries.....................9
Opinion ........................6
Sports.........................11
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