01.30.14 Plant City Times & Observer

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Plant City Times &

Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

A PARTNERSHIP WITH

IN THIS ISSUE

SPORTS

EXCLUSIVE

Plant City’s Wish From the Farms announces pageant to the pitch. Meet PCHS’ Drew Knotts. new challenge.

OUR TOWN + Lancers to host dinner fundraiser Looking for a way to kill two birds with one stone? Feed your family and raise funds for a wonderful Plant City organization through the Plant City FC’s chicken dinner fundraiser. The dinner will take place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31, at the Otis M. Andrews Sports Complex, 2602 E. Cherry St., Plant City. The $7 dinner includes a leg quarter, rice, beans, tortillas, salsa and a beverage. All proceeds go to the Plant City Football Club. Organizers also can deliver meals to any local business during lunchtime that would like to support. For preorders, email president@plantcityfc.com.

Residents hit the runway for fashion show.

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FREE • THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

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update by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

Plant City fires police chief A weeklong investigation revealed Steven Singletary violated several code of conduct items to hide an extramarital affair.

Ever since Plant City sus- several of the Plant City Police Department’s general pended Police Chief order code of conduct Steven Singletary Jan. items, including mak17, one question reing false statements mained: Why? on reports, faking illCity Manager Greg nesses for sick days Horwedel revealed and persuading anthe reasons behind other police officer Singletary’s suspento cover up activities sion — and now terpertaining to an extramination — during a marital affair. press conference Jan. Singletary For three years, 28, at City Hall. Singletary primarily violated Singletary had been abusing

department code and assets to carry on an affair, according to a city-led investigation. His termination also resulted in another officer’s firing, Sgt. Mark Mathis. “I want to emphasize at this point that Mr. Singletary is not being terminated solely because he had an extramarital affair,”Horwedel said. “I understand those things happen in today’s world, like it or not. The most important issues for me

were Mr. Singletary’s actions related to the code of conduct, specifically those items outlined above that were sustained violations.” City officials had been silent on the reason behind Singletary’s suspension during the weeklong investigation.

HIGHER EXPECTATIONS

Singletary reported his own indiscretions on Jan. 13. According to the investiga-

Editor Michael Eng discusses the editorial decisions we made regarding this story. SEE PAGE 6 tion, Singletary had been having an affair with family friend Melissa Hardwick. Most recently, she joined Singletary for dinner while he was attending a Florida Police Chief’s Conference Jan. 12, in Orlando. While

SEE CHIEF/ PAGE 4

4XHHQ First Railfest -HVVL 5DH chugs into 9DUQXP Plant City by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

The two-day event will celebrate the new train platform and train museum.

Youth pop group NRG entertained some of Plant City’s budding bookworms during a special concert Jan. 24, at Cork Elementary School. The group performed several of their catchy tunes for about 350 students who met their reading goals.

Choo! Choo! Hear that? It’s not just trains that will be chugging through Historic Downtown Plant City this weekend. The city’s first Railfest will celebrate the new train platform and memorabilia that has been donated by R.W. Willaford. The two-day event is family friendly and designed for railfans. Modeled after a simi-

+ Civitan Club to honor teens The Plant City Civitan Club will be honoring the Outstanding Students at 7 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, at its monthly breakfast at Buddy Freddy’s, 1101 Goldfinch Drive, Plant City. Jessi Rae Varnum and Austin Bruner have been selected as this year’s Outstanding Youth and also will be the 2014 Youth Parade grand marshals on March 1.

IF YOU GO RAILFEST WHEN: 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Feb 7; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8 WHERE: Union Station Depot, 102 N. Palmer St., Plant City WEBSITE: plantcityrailfest. com

SEE RAILFEST / PAGE 5

now open

by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

Hillsborough to open park at Cone Ranch

+ Scouts plan annual banquet The deadline to RSVP to the 11th Annual Friends of Scouting Banquet is Feb. 7. The banquet will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, at the HCC John R. Trinkle Center, 2206 E. Cherry St. To RSVP, call (813) 752-2505.

Lower Green Swamp Preserve features hiking and equestrian trails. A family celebration is scheduled for Saturday.

SEE PAGE 7 FOR MORE PAGEANT PHOTOS

0RUH FRYHUDJH RQ 3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP Video interviews with the 2014 Florida Strawberry Festival Queen and Court and pageant footage

This week’s winner is

Cheryl Boles

See her photo on PAGE 14.

OUR VIEW

ALL ABOARD!

+ NRG promotes reading at Cork

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INSIDE

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES Gallery of all 20 2014 pageant contestants

Gallery of the 2014 Strawberry Festival Queen and Court

Gallery featuring the outgoing Florida Strawberry Festival Queen and Court

Beautiful hiking and equestrian trails nestled among the pines are now open to the public at the Lower Green Swamp Preserve off Knights Griffin Road. A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place Jan. 28, to celebrate the trails as well as a new kiosk, parking area and more. On Saturday, Feb. 1, there will be another family celebration, complete with guided hiking tours, hayrides, tree planting and more. In line with the Lower Green Swamp Preserve’s land management and land-use plan, the Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program has been working to bet-

INDEX Calendar.......................2

SEE PRESERVE / PAGE 4 Vol. 1, No. 27 | One section

Crossword...................14

Obituaries...................10

Sports.........................11

Weather ......................14

3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP


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