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JUNE 9, 2021
DeSantis pens $101.5 billion budget
By Kevin Weiss kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
It’s not very often the governor makes a public appearance in Zephyrhills, let alone to make a major statewide announcement. But that’s what happened on June 2, when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appeared at Zephyrhills City Hall for a state budget-signing ceremony — penning into law a record-setting $101.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2021-2022.
The invite-only press conference drew several dozens of area residents, business owners and government officials, in a standing-room only affair. “It’s great to be in Pasco County,” DeSantis said, opening his speech.“It’s great to be here.” The Republican governor was accompanied by several members of the Republican-led state legislature, including Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson (RTrilby), Florida House Speaker Chris
Sprowls (R-Palm Harbor), state Rep. Randy Maggard (R-Dade City), state Rep. Ardian Zika (R-Land O’ Lakes), state Sen. Danny Burgess, (R-Zephyrhills), state Rep. Amber Mariano (R-Hudson), and state Sen. Kelli Stargel (R-Lakeland), among others. As for dropping by the City of Pure Water, DeSantis acknowledged plans to stop somewhere in the Tampa Bay region for one of his multiple budget-signing ceremonies. See DESANTIS, page 9A
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City of Zephyrhills administrators and officials pose for a picture with Gov. Ron DeSantis outside of Zephyrhills City Hall. From left: Council President Alan Knight, City Attorney Matt Maggard, Councilman Ken Burgess, Mayor Gene Whitfield, DeSantis, Council Vice President Jodi Wilkeson and City Manager Billy Poe.
SIGN WARS INSIDE, PAGE 1B
One expert focuses on preventing suicides; the other talks about partnerships between mental health providers and law enforcement aimed at helping mentally ill people to get help and to avoid jail time. By B.C. Manion
Need help? • Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255. • Call 2-1-1 for additional resources.
Want to help? BayCare offers free Mental Health First Aid Training. To find out more, call 800-878-5470.
bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
Suicide prevention and partnerships be- of suicide deaths than the state of Florida. tween law enforcement and mental health “You’ll see that all of Florida had a total of providers were the focus of talks delivered in 15 deaths per 100,000.And Hernando, Pasco a Zoom Session, on May 11, hosted by Saint and Pinellas are all in the 20s (per 100,000),” Leo University’s East Pasco Education Center. she said. Sarah Shirina, licensed supervisor of be“Suicide affects men at a much greater havioral health with BayCare Behavioral percentage than it does women. Health, shared her expertise on the topic of The study found that from 2010 to 2016, suicide prevention, while also discussing the suicide rate for men was twice as great local services that are available to help peo- as it was for women, she said. ple struggling with mental illness. “As our age groups increase, our military Shirina is the supervisor over BayCare population is at a greater risk to be affected Behavioral Health’s mobile response team in by suicide,” she added. Hernando County. One of the big conclusions of the reShe’s also an adjunct professor for Saint search was that Pasco, Hernando and Leo University, with a bachelor’s Pinellas bear a disproportionate and master’s degree in social work burden of death by suicide, in from the university. comparison to the state and surShe began by sharing national rounding counties, Shirina said. suicide data from the Centers for Another conclusion:These are Disease Control and Prevention. the same counties that bear the “Suicide, unfortunately, is one burden of the opioid addiction of the leading causes of death in crisis. the United States. It is the 10th She also noted that “80% of leading cause of death in the people who died by suicide had United States, claiming over never had an involuntary exami48,000 lives. nation, also known as the Baker “Suicide was the second-lead- Sarah Shirina Act. ing cause of death in individuals, “This, to me, was an alarming between the ages of 10 and 34, statistic,” Shirina said. and the fourth leading cause of death, Among those who had undergone a among individuals between the ages of 35 Baker Act examination, 60% of those who and 54,” she said. died by suicide did so one or more years “There were actually 2½ times as many after their involuntary examination. suicides in the United States as there were The study also found that middle- and homicides, in 2018. older-aged white men had the highest rates “So, what does that look like for our of suicide, and among those who died by state? In 2019, Florida had a total of 3,427 suicide, many had military backgrounds. deaths by suicide. The research showed that guns were the “In Florida, suicide is the eighth-leading most common method of suicide by men in cause of death,” Shirina said, adding the age all five counties. group of 55 to 64 is most affected. By comparison, in Hillsborough, Pasco Shirina shared information derived from a and Polk counties, more women died by research project by BayCare Behavioral overdose than did by guns, Shirina said. Health and the University of South Florida, “So, what can we do to help those who focusing on suicide in the Tampa Bay region. may be struggling?” Shirina asked. Hot spots have been identified in all five Safety planning can help. counties in the Tampa Bay area, Shirina said. “When we’re safety planning with some“Hernando, Pasco and Pinellas, unfortuSee HEALTH, page 9A nately, are all ahead and have higher averages
B.C. MANION
Those interested in a rezoning for a proposed gas station next to the Walgreens, north of the intersection at U.S. 41 and Sunset Lane, can weigh in at a public hearing on the request set for June 14.
Opponents are lining up to fight Lutz rezoning By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
A proposed rezoning that would allow a gas station and car wash on the east side of U.S. 41, about 900 feet north of Sunset Lane, is drawing stiff opposition from Lutz residents. The hearing, initially set in December subsequently was rescheduled. Now, a hearing date is planned for June 14 at 6 p.m. It will be held at the Robert W. Saunders Sr. Public Library, 1505 N. Nebraska Ave., in Tampa. The applicant is seeking to rezone the 2.6-acre parcel at 18601 U.S. 41, to allow a 4,650-square-foot convenience store and 16 gas pumps, as well as a car wash. The parcel is adjacent to an existing Walgreens store. The land, owned by Lutz Realty and Investment LLC, currently is zoned for agricultural and single-family conventional use. The request calls for rezoning the site to become a planned development zoning. See REZONING, page 9A