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JANUARY 18, 2017
New rules to protect cats and dogs By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
The Pasco County Commission has approved new regulations to make it harder for convicted animal abusers to buy or adopt cats and dogs in the county. But, those measures fall far short of what’s needed, a trio of animal rights advocates said during a Jan. 10 public hearing.They advocate the adoption of an animal abuser registry. The county’s program will be “nothing more than a list on a website,” said John Marinello of the Alliance to Save 90. Alliance to Save 90 is a Hillsborough
County-based coalition that supports no-kill policies at animal shelters. Its goal is to save 90 percent of shelter populations from euthanasia. County commissioners said a statewide registry is the better solution but, until legislation is passed, the new ordinance will help. “We need to show we’re part of this now,” said Pasco County Chairman Mike Moore.“We can do something stricter later.” Beginning March 1, to knowingly transfer a cat or dog to a convicted animal abuser will be a violation of county code. The Pasco County Clerk of Court’s office will provide a link on its website of people
convicted of animal abuse after March 1. Individuals or organizations that sell or adopt cats or dogs must document that they checked the link prior to the sale or adoption of a dog or cat. Records must be kept for five years. Farm animals and service animals, including miniature horses trained to work with disabled people, are excluded from the ordinance.And, because the website link will rely on “other sources” for data, the county can’t guarantee the link’s accuracy or completeness. No penalties are included in the ordiSee RULES, page 13A
Sunlake High student earns college degree By Kevin Weiss
kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
Technically, Madison Riggle is still a high school student — but she’s a college graduate, too. The 17-year-old received her Associates of Art degree from Pasco-Hernando State College on Dec. 13, while still enrolled at Sunlake High School. The feat was made possible through the Collegiate High School program, a partnership between PHSC and Pasco County Schools. Riggle was one of the first students chosen for the dual-enrollment initiative, which began during the 2015-2016 school year. A lottery process is now used each year to select students to fill up to 60 available seats. To qualify, junior and senior-level students must meet several criteria, including traditional Dual Enrollment participation requirements — 3.0 GPA and College Ready PERT (Postsecondary Education Readiness Test) assessment scores in all areas. For Riggle, the achievement was a long time coming. In seventh grade, she drew up several long-term goals. One was to earn an Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree prior to graduating high school. Mission accomplished. In fact, Riggle accumulated enough credit hours — at least 60 — to graduate a semester early, another notable achievement. According to the school district’s website, the Collegiate High School program allows students to earn an AA/AS Degree or a Cape Certification while also earning their Standard High School Diploma. Students in
COURTESY OF AILEEN GOCEK
Riggle has been accepted to several universities, and is still deciding where she wants to attend. She plans to become a pharmacist.
the program attend class full-time at PHSC campuses, and don’t take any courses on the high school campus. However, they are still considered a student of their zoned school, and are able to participate in their zoned school athletics, student activities and graduation ceremonies. For Riggle, it “was a great opportunity.” “The great thing about this program,” she
said,“is that...it pays for your college, it pays for your books, it pays for your lab fees, and everything else that comes with college.” Riggle attended Sunlake High School for her freshman and sophomore years. In the summer leading up to her junior year, however, she exclusively took classes at PHSC. See DEGREE, page 13A
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Natalie Epo, an associate dean at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus, said the college wants to help the community to be aware of important issues, such as human trafficking.
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Shedding light on a hidden problem By B.C. Manion
B INSIDE, PAGE 1B
Karen Foster and Diane Parker are volunteers who have made it their mission to help spread the word about human trafficking. They want to people to understand the dangers, so they can be vigilant about protecting themselves and their loved ones.
bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
Human trafficking is the second largest criminal enterprise in the world, just behind the illegal drug trade — netting billions of dollars annually, experts say. But, it’s a crime that many know little about and often are unaware that it’s happening in their own backyard, said Cpl.Alan Wilkett, of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. “When we talk about this problem, we’re not talking about a Mexico problem, or a Guatemala problem, or a Colombia problem,” Wilkett said, during a symposium on human trafficking at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus, on Jan. 12.
“We have to look at our own communities and say,‘What’s going on, around us?’” Wilkett said. “Not too far from where we’re sitting right now, we have cases working. In Wesley Chapel, there was a house that was housing human trafficking adult victims,” he said. “Just down the street from here, some folks who had been educated about human trafficking, interrupted two 15-year-old girls who were being snatched by a human trafficking predator. Nationally, Florida ranks third in the number of human trafficking crimes — trailing only California and Texas,Wilkett said.Tampa Bay ranks second highest in Florida, in suspected cases reported to the national human trafficking hotline.
The law enforcement officer told those gathered about a case he worked that began as a traffic stop. A van ran a red light, and when Wilkett stopped it, he discovered that it was filled with men. They were obviously laborers who had been working all day, he said. “Nobody has paperwork,” he said. Finally, one of them calls someone and a guy arrives a few minutes later. He tells Wilkett:“I am so glad you pulled them over. I just fired them today. I just found out today that they are illegal.” The men had been working on a local construction project, hanging drywall. “I knew we had a problem here,”Wilkett See HIDDEN, page 13A