The LAKER
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EAST PASCO EDITION
LAKERLUTZNEWS.COM
SEPTEMBER 6, 2017
Helping Hurricane Harvey victims
By B.C. Manion
bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
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Area churches, and others, are getting involved to help raise money, or collect goods, to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey. Bishop Gregory Parkes has asked all 81 parishes and missions in the Diocese of St. Petersburg to hold a special collection the weekend of Sept. 2 and Sept. 3, or Sept. 9 and Sept. 10, for the needs of people affected by natural disasters, including Hurricane Harvey that is causing devastating damage to Texas and is expected to impact Louisiana. “Our hearts and prayers go out to the families that have lost loved ones and to all who have lost homes and businesses along with their sense of peace and normalcy,” Bishop Parkes said in a statement published on the Diocese’s website.“The prayerful and financial support of people from all around the country is urgently needed.” First Baptist Dade City, at 37511 Church
COURTESY OF ARMY NATIONAL GUARD LT. ZACHARY WEST
Thousands of Texans are being rescued from the floodwaters of Hurricane Harvey.
Ave., is collecting items to provide relief to Hurricane Harvey victims.The church is accepting bottled water, blankets, soap, shampoo, deodorant and toilet paper. Donations are being accepted until Sept.
10, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 8:30 a.m. to noon on Friday and on Sunday morning. See HARVEY, page 11A
Land O’ Lakes jail unveils educational tablet program By Kevin Weiss
kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
Miguel Perez just wants to better educate himself as he awaits trial on racketeering charges at the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center. The 53-year-old inmate has an added tool to do that, thanks to the jail’s new tablet program. Last month, the detention center distributed over 200 Google Nexus 7 tablets to be shared among nearly 1,700 inmates. Its primary focus is on education and rehabilitation. The tablets, secure and unable to connect to the Internet, come preloaded with various learning and spiritual applications, such as Kahn Academy and Calm. Kahn Academy features in-depth reading material, interactive videos, virtual museum tours and TED Talks, as well as GED prep education, math, engineering, humanities, economics, science and college career prep studies; Calm helps inmates deal with substance abuse, anxiety and emotional trauma. “There’s just so much in there — algebra, physics, economics, biology,” Perez said. “It goes from ‘A to Z.’” The tablets, equipped with protective hard shell cases, were donated to the jail by Telmate, a leading provider of secure inmate communication systems, at no cost to Pasco County taxpayers. Other county jail systems in the state, including Flagler and Walton counties, have implemented similar educational tablet programs. Perez, like others, has been glued to a tablet since they were delivered Aug. 17. “It is amazing; I really love it,” Perez said. “Instead of wasting time playing cards or doing nothing or walking around moping, you can actually do something with your mind and your life.” He added: “We’ve made a mistake — whatever we’ve done — so it gives us the option to fix it...and move forward in a posi-
KEVIN WEISS
Last month, the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center distributed more than 200 Google Nexus 7 tablets to be shared among nearly 1,700 inmates. The tablets, secure and unable to connect to the Internet, come preloaded with various learning and spiritual applications, such as Kahn Academy and Calm. Inmate Doney Bedford shows off some of the features.
Inmate Miguel Perez shows off a Google Nexus 7 tablet. The 53-year-old, who’s awaiting trial on racketeering charges, enjoys studying economic concepts through the Kahn Academy app.
tive manner.” Besides learning apps, the tablets come equipped with a law library and inmate staff requests. There are also email capabilities,
for a small commissary fee. The tablets also have pre-downloaded religious texts, including the Bible and Koran. That feature is especially meaningful to 46year-old inmate Doney Bedford, who’s awaiting trial on drug possession charges. He aspires to become a theologian, as he receives credits for college education through mail-in correspondence courses. “It’s got every possible translation of the Bible, it’s got the Koran, it’s got Aramaic Hebrew, and the history of the Bible. It’s an endless supply of information,” Bedford explained. Bedford also uses the tablet to dive into subjects like ancient Egyptian history, which helps him to effectively use his jail time. “When you have something like this, to educate yourself, it just broadens your horizons,” Bedford said. “These resources are very, very good for us, so that way we can learn to better ourselves and become better, productive men of society,” he added. Another inmate, 31-year-old Christopher Murgatroyd, says the tablets have even eased tensions within his housing unit. See TABLET page 11A
Funding and flexibility needed Roads, beautification in substance abuse fight among legislative By B.C. Manion
bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
lakerlutznews.com
B INSIDE, PAGE 1B
While President Donald Trump has declared opioid abuse to be a national emergency, local experts have urged U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis to remember that other substance abuse problems also remain to be a real concern in Pasco County. Bilirakis paid a visit to the Land O’ Lakes Community Center on Aug. 22 seeking to hear from people on the front lines of tackling substance abuse problems. His visit came immediately following the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention’s meeting. Those gathered for Bilirakis’ session included health care and social service providers, people recovering from drug addictions, family members of addicts and others interested in the topic of substance abuse. “I wanted to hear directly from you,” Bilirakis said.“The best ideas about how we can help will come from you. I’m here to listen and to take your feedback back to Washington with me. The congressman said he expects Trump’s emergency declaration to result in
more funding to address the opioid crisis. And, Bilirakis said, there’s no question action is needed. “More people are dying each year from opioid overdose than from car accidents. The statistics are staggering and truly tragic,” said Bilirakis, who represents Florida’s 12th Congressional district. “This is something that needs to be attacked. It transcends political lines,” Bilirakis added. Then, he asked the crowd:“Where is the need in the community?” Those attending had plenty to say. They told Bilirakis about the waiting lists for public beds and services, and the empty beds at private providers. They told him there were too many strings attached to state and federal funding. They said people who need mental health care can’t get it, and that impedes the ability to help them in their recovery efforts. They said doctors still prescribe too many pills, and that pill mills are still going strong — noting there can be lines of a hundred people or more waiting for their See SUBSTANCE, page 11A
priorities
By Kathy Steele
Ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
Funds for the Interstate 75/Overpass Road project and the Land O’ Lakes Boulevard Beautification Plan are among priority requests for the 2018 legislative session. Pasco County commissioners agreed to a wish list for the upcoming session at their Aug. 29 meeting in Dade City. The $15 million sought for I-75 and a new interchange at Overpass Road made it into the state’s 2017 budget. But, Gov. Rick Scott vetoed the money. County commissioners are hoping for a better outcome the second time around. The approximately 9-mile project would widen, extend and re-align Overpass Road, and build a new I-75 interchange. It is a high-priority transportation project for the county in an area of northeast Pasco County that is rapidly developing, residentially and commercially. See ROADS, page 11A