The Laker-East Pasco-May 24, 2017

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The LAKER

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EAST PASCO EDITION

LAKERLUTZNEWS.COM

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A time to remember military sacrifice By Mary Rathman

clared an official federal holiday in 1971. To mark the holiday weekend, several events and ceremonies are planned for the region. Here is a listing of some of those events. • Lutz-Land O’ Lakes American Legion Post 108 will be placing flags at the Lutz cemetery May 27 and retrieving them May 30, both days at 9 a.m. The group also will

mrathman@lakerlutznews.com

Signs of a heart attack are rarely this obvious.

Our nation is preparing to observe Memorial Day, in honor of the men and women who died while serving in the armed forces. The American holiday, which falls on the last Monday of May each year, originally was known as Decoration Day. It began in the years following the Civil War and was de-

See MILITARY, page 15A

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This view looks west along State Road 52, in Pasco County, where work is continuing to widen the state highway and Interstate 75, at the interchange near the Flying J truck stop.

Widening of State Road 52 and Interstate 75 nearing end By Kathy Steele

ksteele@lakerlutznews.com

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Nearly three years after dirt began flying, a $72.6 million project to widen State Road 52 and Interstate 75 is heading into its final phase. Completion is expected in summer 2017. Motorists have learned to navigate through construction cones, barricades and lane shifts — heading north or south on I-

75, or east and west on two-lane State Road 52. Traffic flow has slowed, and sometimes halted, as construction workers twirled their signs signaling lines of motorists to go “slow” or “stop.” Construction work has greeted residents entering and leaving the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club on a daily basis. Amid the passenger vehicles, a steady stream of 18-wheelers rolled in and out of

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the Flying J truck stop, just east of I-75. It became a routine of the daily commute. The work began in May 2014. The state department of transportation tried to minimize the impact to traffic by having road crews work at night, and scheduling lane closures after 9 p.m. “We will have added capacity to allow See WIDENING page 15A

Pasco students showcase their talents

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extra hours worked. Brewer, like Shears, is a longtime member of the Zephyrhills Police Department. Hired as a patrol officer in 2002, Brewer served as a field training officer, patrol sergeant and lieutenant, before his promotion to patrol captain in 2014. Brewer, 44, earned an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Hillsborough Community College, and attended the senior leadership training program at the Southern Police Institute in Louisville, Kentucky and the Florida Police Chiefs executive leadership training in 2014. He also is slated to graduate from the Command Officer Management Program and obtain a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Saint Leo University this year. Besides regular law enforcement duties, Brewer is a member of several committees

The talent was endless. The applause was, too. Special needs students from seven Pasco County schools displayed their unique skills on May 17 before more than 100 parents, peers and school faculty. The eighth annual Showcase for Exceptional Talent was held at the Wesley Chapel High School Center for the Arts auditorium. From dancing and singing/duets, to lipsyncing and comedy skits, there was no shortage of fun and entertainment. The two-hour show featured more than 30 routines from dozens of exceptional student education (ESE) students. Performers hailed from Wesley Chapel, Ridgewood, Wiregrass Ranch and Zephyrhills high schools; Seven Springs and Weightman middle schools; and,Watergrass Elementary. On the main stage, students exhibited passion and confidence with each act. The crowd responded with roaring applause and enthusiastic cheers. Everyone seemed to be sharing an enjoyable time. Wiregrass Ranch’s Nicholas Jones enlivened the audience as he jammed away at his guitar during a solo performance of “Wherever I May Roam” by Metallica. Wesley Chapel High’s Regan Black left observers awestruck when she belted out the catchy sing-along tune of “Don’t Worry About a Thing” by Tori Kelly. Acts such as a SpongeBob SquarePants reenactment and roaming “Comedy Chickens” generated hearty laughs.

See POLICE, page 15A

See TALENTS, page 15A

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Zephyrhills police chief David Shears is retiring after 25 years of service. Shears has been the city’s police chief since 2008.

Zephyrhills police Capt. Derek Brewer has been appointed interim chief, effective June 1. He’s been on the force since 2002. In 2015, Brewer won the City of Zephyrhills Employee of the Year award.

Zephyrhills Police to have a changing of the guard By Kevin Weiss

kweiss@lakerlutznews.com

Zephyrhills police chief David Shears is hanging up his uniform following 25 years of service. His retirement, effective May 31, was announced during the Zephyrhills City Council May 8 meeting. The council then unanimously approved City Manager Steve Spina’s appointment of Zephyrhills police Capt. Derek Brewer to interim chief, effective June 1. The city now will undergo a hiring process—expected to take several months— to fill the position permanently. Shears, now 54, had 16 years on the force when he replaced former chief Russell Barnes in 2008. Barnes resigned after accusations he created a “flex time” policy that allowed employees to receive time off instead of overtime pay for


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