PLANT CITY TIMES &
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 4, NO. 36
PCHS student hits the field for the first time.
SEE PAGE 12
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FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2017
City Commission cranks its commitment to road safety Plant City leaders approved a resolution to join the Vision Zero action plan to reduce traffic fatalities. SEE PAGE 7.
A Grand Upgrade
YOUR TOWN
By October, the Florida Strawberry Festival will have completed improvements for seating around the Wish Farms Soundstage and a new building for vendors. SEE PAGE 6.
File Photo
Michael Wilson is the owner of Dark Horse Music Store.
Dark Horse Music Store to host grand opening After relocating to Historic Downtown, Dark Horse Music Store will host its official grand opening from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, March 31 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 1. The grand opening will include food trucks, giveaways and live bands. The opening will be held at Dark Horse Music Store, 108 N.E. Drane St. in Plant City. The store’s regular hours are from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, call (813) 754-5269.
Wine & Dine
Rise Plant City will host its second event from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 23, at The Corner Store, 121 E. Reynolds St. Rise, Plant City’s newest young professionals group, seeks to create networking opportunities for professionals in Plant City. The event, A Taste of the Corner Store, includes a craft beer and wine tasting, a door raffle and 50/50 raffle and music by Cliff Brown. The event is $5 for members and $10 for nonmembers. Rise Plant City has a $50 per year membership fee. For more information, visit RisePlantCity. com.
Jose Lozoya
The existing bleachers at the festival will be removed. They will be replaced by 2,000 additional seats with backs. A new building for vendors also will be added.
C.J. Major
Topper named managing editor On Thursday, March 9, Emily Topper was officially named the managing editor of the Plant City Times & Observer. Topper, 23, began as a staff writer for the Observer in May 2015 after graduating with cum laude honors from Flagler College in St. Augustine. She took over as interim managing editor in November 2016. Topper, who earned her degree in journalism, is responsible for overseeing the weekly content and the daily operations of the editorial side of the Observer’s print and online editions. She will continue to write stories and cover photo events weekly. She resides in Plant City. For story pitches, questions or comments, she can be reached at ETopper@PlantCityObserver. com.
South Florida Baptist rolls out new cath lab The hospital unveiled its new cardiac catheterization lab on Tuesday, Feb. 28. JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR
One of the most dangerous types of heart attacks is now more treatable in Plant City. South Florida Baptist Hospital’s new 768-square-foot lab, located in the Steve and Krista Howard Heart and Vascular Center, was designed to treat patients experiencing ST elevated myocardial infarction, or STEMI, as well as perform other cardiac catheterization procedures. According to the hospital, STEMI attacks involve a prolonged blockage of blood supply for the heart, and are best treated within 90 minutes of
initial medical response — therefore, the patient is going to be transported to the nearest hospital capable of performing STEMI treatment. In these instances, the treatment method will likely be a percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI, which is an attempt to open the artery and restore blood flow before muscle loss can occur. South Florida Baptist Hospital has performed cardiac catheterization since 2010, and began interventional cardiac procedures in 2011. The hospital’s pre-existing cath lab, which was installed in 2011, can perform many of the same functions as the new lab, but it was designed with interventional radiology procedures in mind. The new lab, according to the hospital, is a more optimal choice SEE LAB PAGE 3
Justin Kline
The new STEMI lab will treat one of the more dangerous types of heart attacks.