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THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2020

COVID-19

CONTINUES TO SPREAD THROUGH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY Now that testing availability has improved in the state, the number of confirmed local cases is increasing.

SEE PAGE 5

FLORIDA PREPS

FOR STAY AT HOME ORDER Governor Ron DeSantis has officially issued a Stay at Home order for the entire state of Florida that will go into effect at midnight tonight and will last for the next 30 days.

BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis finally bowed to demands for action from his local governments and residents alike. He announced Wednesday a statewide Stay at Home order would go into effect at midnight tonight and last for the next 30 days.

“At this point, I think that even though there are lots of places in Florida with a very low infection rate, it makes sense to make this move now,” DeSantis said.

Hillsborough County’s Safer at Home order, which has been in effect for nearly a week, essentially covers all of the bases in the order drafted by DeSantis. Now the rules will be enforced across county lines.

All Floridians now must limit their movements outside of their home for the next 30 days, only leaving for essential services and to conduct business.

Breanne Williams

McCall Park downtown is now much emptier after social distancing guidelines have been encouraged and implemented.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

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PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2020

NEWS BRIEFS

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Goodwill-Suncoast reducing store, donation site hours Lending a helping hand to others in the community is as important now as it’s ever been, but be aware that COVID-19 is forcing many charitable groups to change things up. One such example is GoodwillSuncoast, which has had to reduce its hours for both its stores and donation sites.

For the time being, Goodwill-Suncoast retail store hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Monday through Saturday and 12 to 6 p.m.

Sunday. Donation centers are still open seven days a week, but only from 1 to 5 p.m. Goodwill Outlet Stores in Lakeland, Ocala and St. Petersburg are only open from 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

Chronister warns of coronavirus scams Because there’s always someone out there trying to make a dishonest dollar, scammers are using the coronavirus pandemic to their advantage. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister released a public service announcement last week warn

view the PSA online at youtube.com/ watch?v=6mCtDCmNT-Y&feature=youtu. be.

Florida Blue helps Tampa Bay area YMCAs

ing residents to stay vigilant and realize if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

“Scammers are trying to take advantage of your fears,” Chronister said in the PSA. “If you or your business gets a call from someone claiming they are selling face masks or other personal protection equipment, proceed with caution.”

One such scam involves individuals posing as sales representatives from companies that sell N95 face masks. When you buy the masks — which the scammers don’t really have — they get your money and you get nothing. Chronister encourages people and companies to buy from trusted businesses and to document all transactions thoroughly.

Some scammers are pretending to be with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They’re sending emails containing false information about COVID-19 treatments or cures, none of which actually exist yet or are safe for human use, and may also request your personal information under the guise of sending you an economic stimulus check from the government.

“When in doubt, always go to an official government website to see if what you’re reading is real,” Chronister said.

Visit FTC.gov to report any coronavirusrelated scams and check out the HCSO Sheriff YouTube channel to

Tampa Bay area YMCAs just got a big assist from Florida Blue, which has donated $2 million to help facilities all over Florida offer child care for essential workers.

“The health and well-being of our communities is our top priority right now. We are grateful for the health care workers, emergency responders and other essential staff who are on the front lines combating COVID-19,” David Pizzo, Florida Blue Market President, West Florida, said. “We commend the efforts of the YMCAs of Tampa Bay for collaborating on this regional effort to provide vital members of our community with an affordable, safe and supportive location for their children while they are fulfilling critical work to keep our communities healthy.”

Of the $2 million donated, $100,000 will go to 21 facilities in greater Tampa Bay area. That includes the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA network, of which the Plant City Family YMCA is a member.

Essential workers can drop their children off at the Plant City Y five days a week for just $10 a day, though no child will be turned away because of an inability to pay and financial aid is available. Register online at tampaymca.org/relief-care.

Curbside Cuddles offers drive-through pet adoption The Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center now offers a “Curbside Cuddles” program allowing people to adopt pets without physically entering a shelter.

Anyone interested in having a “selfisolation sidekick” can find a pet online at HCFLGov.net/Adopt, then register for

the service and identify their favorite furry friend at HCFLGov.net/AtYourService or by calling 813-272-5900. You can then either stop by the PRC yourself for curbside pickup or, if you live within the qualifying area, have the pet delivered to you by the “Cuddle Shuttle.” The PRC is located at 440 N. Falkenburg Road and is open from 12 to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and from 2 to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Plant City-area artists sought for upcoming Periphery Media virtual art exhibition Local artists have the opportunity to be a part of Periphery Media’s new exhibition, the “Social Distancing Virtual Art Exhibition.”

The group is accepting donations until April 10. The online show will run from April 13 to April 27 and the public will have the opportunity to vote on their favorite pieces. The artist with the most votes will win a cash prize composed of 97 percent of the submission fees Periphery takes in for the exhibition (the group’s credit card processor takes three percent). The submission fee is $10 per submission and each artist can submit up to three pieces.

Visit peripherymediaonline.com/calls for more information.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2020

THE (MORNING) SHOW PlantCityObserver.com

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MUST GO ON

Plant City High School students are now producing the Raider TV morning show from home to keep a sense of “normalcy” going for the student body.

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

You never know what’s going to happen on Raider TV. One minute, a faculty member or community leader is making an important announcement. The next minute, students will give mental health advice over soothing music. Right after that, the “LaCroix Boys” barge unannounced into classrooms and give students and teachers more canned sparkling water than anyone would ever need.

It’s a mixed bag they can describe in just four words: “sweet, stupid, informative and entertaining.” For the rest of PCHS, this is “normal.”

It might be exactly what PCHS students need now that the COVID-19 coronavirus pulled the rug out from underneath them and closed school through at least May 1. As zany as RTV is, being able to count on the morning show running five days a week with new content gives the students something that could easily have been taken away from them in the blink of an eye.

“As long as we are needed, we will be there,” Kristen Ryan said.

“It’s a sense of normalcy and it’s always there for the students.

They can always watch, count on us for announcements and to make them laugh. We’ll be there for them.”

Casey Hamilton, who has taught TV Production classes at PCHS for three years, said he initially “freaked out” when he heard the news about school closing indefinitely. Guidelines prohibiting gatherings of 10 or more people and asking people to stay six feet apart from each other presented a new challenge. How

could his students stay together and stay creative with the deck stacked against them?

Within an hour of Hamilton floating the idea of keeping the morning show going to his upperlevel students, the kids made three videos.

“Really, it’s a time to throw anything at the wall and see what sticks,” Hamilton said.

If anything, the school closure has forced RTV to get even more creative.

Rylee Baxter said ideas are constantly being floated in a massive group chat and most get filmed within a day. Bigger projects, like an upcoming “Shark Tank” spoof that was originally about a PDA prevention device but is now being rewritten for the quarantine, take longer to film but are generally done within a month.

“We have a majority of the input,” Baxter said. “Any creative sketches we want to do, we can send to the chat. It’s kind of filtered through what’s gonna be put on the show. It’s probably 40 or so kids in the chat for the morning show.”

Though the show’s runtime has doubled from 10 minutes to 20 for the quarantine, plenty of ideas to fill the bigger runtime are flowing. Ideas like Gustavo Vasquez’s “Spirit Week from Home,” in which PCHS students share selfies or videos from home with their “quarantine outfits” on like a traditional “Spirit Week” theme, are also welcome as they get the rest of PCHS involved and can bring Raider Nation together remotely.

“A lot of us spitball through the group chat,” Baxter said. “It’s just a matter of filming them over two minutes. Most of the videos we can come up with a day in advance. They’re simple ideas

and meant to be fun. Gustavo is always coming up with ideas.”

It’s not just goofy skits, of course. Raider TV is also a place for announcements to be shared, constantly reminding students about their online resources in Edsby and Clevver for remote learning while schools are closed.

Students can learn about things that are important right now, like updates on the Hillsborough County Public Schools Grab ’n’ Go program that provides free meals for students in need.

Ryan said the transition from working at the school to working from home was smooth.

“I feel like it’s not any more difficult than it was before, just because we don’t have any restrictions in making it,” she said. “We’re all home, we all have our phones, some of us even have cameras and real equipment. “ Since the show was already being uploaded to the Raider Television Network RTV channel on YouTube, they didn’t have to worry about how to host it. The students quickly adapted to filming on their phones, though Hamilton did take all the equipment from his classroom when school closed and will deliver it to his students if they need it. Instead of uploading the final project to a flash drive and plugging into a computer at school, everything’s sent by text and email.

The only major difference in the editing process is that Hamilton and his students can no longer be together to watch finished products. The RTV crew is like a big, quirky family and the students said the support they all give to each other makes even the “stupidest” sketches feel special.

“That’s a sad difference, too,” Hamilton said. “When you’re

Screenshots: YouTube

Raider TV is a diverse mix of news, positive messages and funny skits.

there and you watch the video together, you get to see everyone’s reaction. To me, that’s the hardest part. That part sucks. But we’re working our best to get through it.”

Hamilton said the plan for now is to keep working remotely through May 1, the date HCPS has circled as the tentative end to the coronavirus closures, then go right back to normal. If HCPS extends the closures, they’ll keep working remotely for the rest of the school year and plan to return to the classroom at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year.

If the latter ends up happening, it will be a bittersweet time for an RTV crew that’s set to lose a lot of seniors to graduation — seniors

who have been with Hamilton for all of his three years at the school.

“I’ve learned so much from them,” he said. “I wouldn’t take my job as seriously as I do if I didn’t have kids like these. They make it so easy to care about them… every teacher wants to cry over students leaving and feel happy they’re moving on into the world to become adults.”

You can watch the show on YouTube and expect new content from Monday through Friday each week until the end of the school year, whether the students are back in the classroom this month or still working remotely.

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COPS CORNER

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

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PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2020

PLANT CITY

Observer

This week on Cops Corner: Plant City Police investigated a stolen book bag, damaged mail boxes, a stone thrown through

Publisher / Karen Berry KBerry@PlantCityObserver.com

a window, a stolen trailer and more.

Managing Editor / Sarah Holt SHolt@PlantCityObserver.com Associate Editor / Sports Editor / Justin Kline JKline@PlantCityObserver.com Staff Writer / Breanne Williams BWilliams@PlantCityObserver.com Advertising Graphic Designer / Juan Alvarez Circulation/ Office Manager / Linda Lancaster LLancaster@PlantCityObserver.com

TO ADVERTISE Call (813) 704-6850

Advertising / Richard Brame richard@plantcityobserver.com

MARCH 20

MARCH 21

MARCH 22

MARCH 26

ISN’T IT IRONIC? 2500 block of West Baker Street Warrant arrest: Upon responding to a call of a suspicious woman in the area, officers made contact with said woman and found she was not breaking any laws. However, upon further digging they did confirm she had an outstanding Hillsborough County warrant. She was arrested and transported to Orient Road Jail without incident.

LOCK YOUR DOORS 600 block of South Gordon Street Vehicle burglary: This victim reported to police that during the night of March 20, an unknown suspect entered her unlocked vehicle and stole a black book bag, which contained her wallet with miscellaneous cards.

TRAILER HEIST 2600 block of North Airport Road Stolen trailer: On March 22, two unknown subjects cut the lock at the above listed address and gained entry into the fenced area.

They then stole a 2016 Big Tex 7’x16’ trailer with a Florida tag.

RED ALERT 600 block of Charlow Court Residential burglary: This victim reported he received a phone notification at 8 a.m. that his alarm had gone off at the home at the above listed location. A window was broken at the home and a television was stolen from inside.

FIGHTING ‘RONA WITH CORONA 1500 block of South Alexander Street COVIDGIRL Petit theft (waiver): This com1400 block of South Collins Street plainant reported to police that an Theft: Officers responded to the unknown man entered the busiabove listed location in reference ness at the above listed location to a theft complaint. Contact was and grabbed a 12-pack of beer made with the store manager from the cooler. He then exited the STICKS AND STONES David Steinberg who advised that miscellaneous Edited business without paying for said 100by block of South HowardApril Street2, 2020 makeup products had been stolen. Criminal mischief/waiver: This beer. The complainant stated she The items ACROSS were valued at $40.20. 47victim did not 41 wantTake, to pursue reported that someone 18 Just made, in criminal Opened charges andchess only wanted the incithrew glass “out” in 1 On the widea rock through the with dent documented.

GUNS OUT BEFORE frontcover, door, causing to shat19it Vandyke 42 Throbs ocean 48her Hard THE SUN’S6OUT ter.

The victim signed a waiver. beards 43 Exit Lead-in to a often?

2900 block of Granfield Avenue 49 Walk with cover them 44 Smear, as texter’s view Theft: This victim stated that at 24 Swedish paint 10 It’s near the a swagger 2 a.m. on March 17, an unlocked retail giant 45 Lamp cover funny bone 51 Fury shed and trailer on her prop25 Potted 46 Electric 14 Castle erty were entered and someone 54 Made an plant car manuprotectors extraordinary removed five pneumatic framfoundation facturer 15 Indian football play? ing guns, which were valued at 26 Velvety 48 What flatbread 57 Sit at a red $1,500.

YOU’VE GOT MAIL 400 block of West Renfro Street Criminal mischief: Instead of a normal letter delivery, this victim reported to police that two mailboxes in front of his place of business had been damaged.

Universal Crossword

CONTACT US

The Plant City Observer is published once weekly, on Thursdays. The Plant City Observer also can be found in many commercial locations throughout Plant City and at our office, 1507 S. Alexander St., Suite 103.

If you wish to discontinue home delivery or if you wish to suspend home delivery temporarily, call Linda Lancaster at 704-6850.

FINDER’S KEEPERS HCSO Stolen vehicle recovery: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office recovered a 2003 Hyundai that had been reported stolen. No arrest was made and the vehicle was returned to its owner.

SEND US YOUR NEWS

We want to hear from you. Let us know about your events, celebrations and achievements.

To contact us, send your information via: Email: Sarah Holt, SHolt@ PlantCityObserver.com.

Mail: The Plant City Observer, 1507 S. Alexander St., Suite 103, Plant City, FL 33563

Facebook: Plant City Observer Instagram: @plcobserver Twitter: @PlantObserver

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

COVID-19

CONTINUES TO SPREAD THROUGH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

As more testing is becoming available in the county, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is quickly rising.

BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Hillsborough County continues to brace for impact and find a way to handle the quickly increasing number of residents infected with COVID-19.

The Florida Department of Health has reported Florida has nearly 7,000 confirmed cases as of press time. Those numbers include both in-state residents and non-residents who tested positive while they were in Florida. The latest death count has risen to 87 people in Florida as of press time and public health experts say the peak is yet to come.

The Department of Health has indicated there are also four confirmed COVID-19 cases in patients who are from Plant City.

Data is rapidly evolving and Hillsborough County has seen a massive spike in diagnoses and deaths due largely in part to the greater availability of testing in the area.

Last week, the county set up a drivethrough testing location at Raymond James Stadium, 4201 N. Dale Mabry Highway.

They had approximately 900 test kits and all testing appointments were filled within a matter of days.

At the start of this week, the county announced it secured an additional 1,500 test kits as well as personal protective equipment, so the site was re-opened Wednesday to those who had appointments. They can only schedule as many appointments as there are kits, however, so those who believe they may have COVID-19 are asked to call the county’s call center at 813-272-5900 by 5 p.m. tonight to get an appointment.

The phones are manned by health care professionals who will screen callers and identify those with the strongest cases. If they believe you have enough symptoms to indicate you could potentially have COVID-19, you will be told to head to the site at a specified time. The location will be in operation until Friday at 11 a.m., unless supplies run out earlier.

The fear, as was discussed in the March 30 Emergency Policy Group meeting, is that local hospitals may soon be overrun with patients seeking aid with their COVID-19 diagnosis. County Administrator Mike Merrill announced in the meeting that the county signed two six-month renewable leases with two yet-to-be-named hotels.

That deal alone will open up 360 beds for any residents who need to isolate or be quarantined due to the rapid spread of the virus.

The hotels will act predominately as isolating venues. The Yuengling Center, formerly called the USF Sun Dome, has also been tapped as a potential site that can house up to 250 beds if hospitals become swamped during this crisis.

The hotels are reserved by the Florida Department of Health and will be assigned to patients who the group believes are suitable and meet their criteria. The rooms are intended to be given to those who live with elderly family members or are co-inhabiting with people who are vulnerable to the virus.

During the EPG’s meeting, the group also made its first alteration to the Safer at Home order. The group agreed to alter the verbiage in the order to give priority rooming to truck drivers and agricultural workers at local hotels, as well as essential workers.

Plant City Mayor Rick Lott asked the group last week to dive a little deeper into the possibility of businesses like nail salons or hair parlors reopening under stricter criteria during Monday’s meeting. Several members of the EPG, which is comprised of three county commissioners, the mayors from the cities of Plant City, Tampa and Temple Terrace, the sheriff and chairman of the school board, echoed Lott’s prior concerns in the latest meeting and said they received countless emails and phone calls from those affected by the forced closure of their businesses.

A presentation by the Florida Department of Health’s Hillsborough Director Douglas Holt made it clear there really wasn’t any wiggle room. The only way they could possibly open is if the EPG altered the order to allow them to work as long as they could heavily reduce spreading COVID-19 to its patients and fellow employees.

And that could only occur if everyone involved was constantly wearing protective gear. Masks, eye goggles, gowns and gloves would be mandatory for every haircut or nail appointment. Considering PPEs are in high demand and that it is a struggle for even medical professionals to get their hands on enough of the items, the discussion reached a moot point. It never even came to a vote.

Merrill made it clear that simply wasn’t a possibility as getting the necessary equipment was impossible, thus they couldn’t ensure everyone involved would remain safe.

“Otherwise, we’d let nurses at the collection site wear shorts and a t-shirt,” Merrill said.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2020

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

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PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2020

PCPD SERGEANT GRADUATES FROM PRESTIGIOUS FBI NATIONAL ACADEMY Sgt. Barry Maurer recently was one of 255 graduates from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. He is the first from PCPD to achieve the honor.

BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Officers from across 49 states and the District of Columbia as well as several international officers compete each year for coveted spots at the FBI National Academy in order to take part in 10 weeks of advanced training.

Sgt. Barry Maurer completed the course and graduated along with 254 other law enforcement officers on March 13. He is the first from Plant City Police Department to achieve the honor and he said he hopes this opens the door for many others to follow in his footsteps.

“We’ve known about the FBI Academy for a long time, but each region only gets a certain number of seats and we have never had the chance to go before,” Maurer said. “So say our region get’s ‘X’ amount of seats, Tampa Police Department may get one, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office may get one. Well this year they offered Chief (Ed) Duncan a seat and he examined everyone’s history and performance with the department, and asked if I would be interested in going. It was very humbling.”

Once a name is selected, the department has to nominate them and the candidate is heavily vetted.

Every aspect of their background is analyzed and then the Academy announces who it has selected to come. This was the 279th session and

its class consisted of law enforcement agencies from 32 countries, five military organizations and eight federal civilian organizations.

The course features 10 weeks of “advanced communication, leadership and fitness training.” According to the U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation, the attendees have an average of 21 years of experience in the field and usually return to their agencies to serve in executive-level positions.

Typically the requirement for attending is the candidate has to be a Lieutenant or higher within their department. Maurer, however, was an exception to the rule because PCPD does not have Lieutenants on its force. He said when he realized he had been nominated to go, he was immediately struck by the high honor of the opportunity.

“I was super excited, super flattered,” Maurer said. “I used to do training within the police department so I was well aware of what it was and how rare it was. To be able to go for 10 weeks, well, there’s not too many occupations outside of law enforcement or even in law enforcement where they allow an employee to leave for that period of time. I was super humbled to be able to go.”

Once he arrived, Maurer said each day left him more humbled than the last. Training in the FBI academy and learning from not only his highly acclaimed and experienced instruc-

tors, but also the talented men and women in his class made the experience “second to none.”

He said though he was the first class member PCPD has ever had, he walked away even more proud of his department than he already was going in. He said he realized PCPD was a premier agency and hopes to continue to be able to see his fellow officers build a reputation for the department at the Academy.

Now that Maurer has returned to work, he is sharing his new knowledge with the department. He said the first thing he did when he walked back through the doors was sit down with the chain of command and report in detail what he learned.

It was more than just the coursework. The overall training gave him and the other attendees a better insight into the best practices of law enforcement, ranging from how he works with his squad to professional standards within the department as a whole.

With this training under his belt, he said his ultimate goal would be to hopefully one day be considered for a command or executive position within the department. He said he has always wanted to make his department the best it can be so when there is a need, he will always be ready to step up to the plate.

Courtesy of Plant City Police Department

Sgt. Barry Maurer is the first Plant City Police Department officer to graduate from the FBI National Academy.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

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THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2020

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INTRODUCING THE

‘SIX FEET APARTCAST’

The Plant City Observer is rolling out a new podcast to help keep our readers — or listeners, in this case — plugged in to what’s happening in the community while they isolate at home.

BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

COVID-19 has sent much of our community indoors as part of a county-wide effort to flatten the curve of the spread of the virus locally.

Reporters at the Plant City Observer have received messages from many readers asking for clarification on what’s going on in the nation, state, county and our city regarding COVID-19. This is a stressful time for everyone and many are coping by staying as informed and up-to-date as possible.

In an effort to make news even more rapidly available, the Observer is rolling out a new podcast, the “Six Feet Apartcast,” to bridge the gap between the outside world and those social distancing in their homes.

Every Friday, we’ll share the latest data, updates and instructions as well as answer

some of the questions submitted by members of the community. During the podcast, the reporters will also spend some time sharing some inspiring — and more than likely humorous — tips and tidbits on isolation and will highlight some of the more positive stories happening around town that have come from the pandemic.

There’s only so much Netflix and HBO one can consume before the mere thought of starting another series becomes an arduous ordeal.

Humans are built for companionship and, unfortunately, long periods of isolation tend to leave us feeling, well, empty.

Plant City is known for its strong sense of community. It’s what sets us apart and is the sole reason so many have chosen to call this strawberry town home. While we

all do our part to self-isolate and reduce the spread of COVID-19 to those we love, let’s not deprive ourselves of camaraderie.

Tune in to the new podcast while you cook dinner, vacuum, start a puzzle or play your latest downloaded video game. We hope the “Six Feet Apartcast” helps our listeners remain informed while also bringing some hope and levity to this bizarre new existence we’ve all found ourselves in.

As the show progresses, we plan to include some special guests and share some of your stories as well. The podcast will be updated weekly — sometimes more if news progresses rapidly — and can be streamed straight from any of your devices, aka your cell phones, monitors, tablets or laptops.

The podcast will be hosted on the paper’s website, plantcityobserver.com, as well as on social media. If you have any questions you would like featured in the show email Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com or Breanne Williams at bwilliams@plantcityobserver.com. You can also leave your comments or questions on the Plant City Observer’s Facebook page.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU.

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PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2020

THINGS TO DO

WHILE SOCIAL DISTANCING

Just because daily life has changed drastically doesn’t mean you have to be bored while you stay safe.

JUSTIN KLINE AND BREANNE WILLIAMS

Are you going stir crazy? You’re far from alone.

Though we know social distancing and other ways of limiting interactions with other people are the right things to do right now, we’d all prefer to live life like we were even two weeks ago. It’ll be a while before we get back to normal, or even something closer to normal.

But whether we’re simply social distancing or have tested positive and are going through 14 days of self-isolation, we can still keep ourselves entertained and distracted when we need to. Take a break from social media and the news every now and then and make some time for yourself.

and the Spice Girls played back to back to back. The shows are free and virtual tipping through Venmo or PayPal is available.

You can also check online for resources like NPR’s living document that will be updated regularly with shows in a variety of genres. That link is online at npr.org/2020/03/17/816504058/alist-of-live-virtual-concertsto-watch-during-the-coronavirus-shutdown.

Also, if you still have “Life is Good” by Drake and Future in your regular rotation, keep in mind you now have three more months to sing along as the IRS moved the deadline for filing taxes from April 15 to July 15.

Disney World is closed, but anyone who misses riding the rides (but not waiting forever in line) should check out the Virtual Disney World YouTube channel, put on a VR headset if there’s one handy and experience all their favorite rides with a 360-degree camera.

‘LIVE’ MUSIC Let’s face it: the only live performances anyone’s going to see in person for a while are in your home if you’re a musician. But many bands and artists are using the Internet as a means to get around that and bring us the closest thing we’ll get to going to a show.

Facebook

Plant City’s own Casey Stidham is one of them. Every Sunday night, Stidham goes live on his Facebook page for a “Stuck Inside with Stiddy Watch Party” acoustic jam session where all kinds of requests are taken — you might hear Garth Brooks, OutKast

BOOKS

MOVIES, TV AND GAMES No one’s going to a movie theater anytime soon, which is a bummer for those of us who really wanted to see “A Quiet Place 2” and the next Fast and the Furious movie. But many movie studios warmed up to digital releases way before 2020 started, and Universal even made a few of its new movies (“The Invisible Man,” “The Hunt” and “Emma”) available for streaming shortly after their theatrical release. If the coronavirus shutdowns boost streaming numbers and digital sales, other major studios will likely follow suit and make their content available digitally later on.

When you buy movies digitally, you can still share them with your friends like you would let them borrow your DVDs. Disney’s Movies Anywhere service just launched its Screen Pass feature, which lets you share three movies per month with friends. Each shared movie is available for 14 days, but you have 72 hours to finish the movie once you start it. You can only share movies that are in Disney’s Movies Anywhere network, but there are thousands available and that does include the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars and much more. Visit moviesanywhere.com to make your free account.

Since you have so much time to chill at home, this is a great excuse for you to get through your Netflix and Hulu backlogs.

Check online to see if any of the movies and TV shows coming to both platforms in April appeal to you, and it’s also a good time to see what’s leaving so you don’t miss your chance to catch it.

It’s also a great excuse for gamers to spend a little more time on the sticks. If you just got a lot more free time, it’s a great excuse to dive into a role-playing game or check out a title you’ve had your eye on for a while but never got around to playing. Xbox owners should check out Microsoft’s Game Pass feature, which is often on sale for $1 (new subscribers only) but is generally a costeffective way to get access to hundreds of games at any given time.

This is also a fun time to watch livestreams, as dozens of NBA players are now regularly streaming video games while they wait for their season to resume. For example, Devin Booker found out about the shutdown during a livestream of Call of Duty: Warzone and now the Phoenix Suns are playing out the rest of their regular-season schedule on NBA 2K20 live on Twitch. The New Jersey Devils recently started playing out their remaining schedule on NHL 20 while streaming live on Twitter, too.

There is no better form of escapism than that of cracking open the spine of a wellworn book and delving into a world far away from the one in which you live. In times of solitude there are countless adventures to mentally embark upon.

Thanks to the advancement of technology, you can pick something up without ever leaving your couch.

The Hillsborough County library system lets anyone with a library card access a massive database of ebooks at hcplc.org/books/ebooks. Kindles or any online reading services like the Apple Books app on iPhones or Nook, or even Audible if you want someone to read the story to you, have streamlined the process. If you can’t get to a brick-andmortar store, fear not: you still can track down nearly any book you’d like.

Library cards are free and you can get yours online at hcplc.org/account/ get-a-card. Because libraries are closed, you’re stuck with a temporary card that lasts for 90 days before expiring and can’t register for the real deal online until they re-open and you can physically go there. However, if you’re worried about the library closures possibly lasting longer than that, you can get around this if there are multiple people in your household by having one person sign up for a temporary card at a time.

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A lot of these performances are going to be one-offs streamed on platforms like YouTube and Facebook, so you’ll have to remember to catch these shows online at a specific date and time. You can find out who’s playing these shows by following your favorite artists on social media and keeping an eye out, and you can also check out websites like bandsintown.com and Sofa King Fest (sofa-king-fest.com) that give listeners a directory for live concert streams with the artists’ preferred donation platform (donations are for the artists themselves or to a charity of their choice). Live Nation started Live From Home, a “virtual hub” for live streaming performances that began this week with Metallica, Miley Cyrus, Third Eye Blind, Gavin Rossdale and more.

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In theory — emphasis on “theory” — it should be really hard to find anywhere cleaner than a gym. In practice, it’s understandable why some people don’t want to set foot in one for a while. You never know if whoever used equipment before you wiped it down or if they drenched it in sweat when they got up and left it to dry.

So if you’ve ever been curious to try out a home fitness routine, there’s no time like the present. There’s been a surge of home workout videos popping up on YouTube since the shutdowns began, and many workouts don’t require you to have much (if any) equipment on hand. You can do HIIT training and use your bodyweight as resistance in the comfort of your own home. Sports Editor Justin Kline just started an Athlean-X one-month home workout plan (youtu.be/vc1E5CfRfos) that only requires a few things you may already have on hand or can get creative with (in this case, using a cooler instead of a box). When you do get back to the gym after the virus passes, please don’t stop wiping down the equipment after you use it.

If you need fresh air, you can still go outside. You can’t go to Plant City’s parks anymore, as they were officially closed Monday, but you can still use your yard or neighborhood or open walking trails and such for exercise. Just keep an acceptable distance between yourself and anyone else around you.

Chris Welbon Karate Clubs started streaming online classes for kids and adults last week. Visit plantcitykarate. com or check out the Chris Welbon Karate Clubs Facebook page for more information. Ares BJJ, formerly Senshi Do Kai MMA, has online training videos at aresbjjonline.com and anyone who wants to learn a thing or two about Brazilian jiujitsu can contact the Plant City dojo through its Facebook page, facebook.com/AresBjjPlantCity.

EDUCATION Keeping your brain engaged during the shutdowns will go a long way.

Scholastic is offering a free Learn at Home online program for pre-K-12 students that keeps them engaged for three hours a day over a four-week period with STEM, language arts, social studies and social-emotional learning options available. Visit classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html to get started.

Higher-level education is also free online. All eight Ivy League schools offer more than 500 classes, many of which are self-paced. Visit classcentral.com/collection/ivyleague-moocs to see what’s out there for you.

Khan Academy is another free option that covers topics like math, grammar, science and history as well as standardized test prep for students as young as kindergarten through those who recently started college. Visit khan academy.org to sign up.

If you’ve always wanted to learn how to code, you can do so for free at sites like code.org and freecodecamp.org, as well as Khan Academy.

You can also explore many museums around the world with virtual tours. That includes the Dali Museum in St. Pete, which you can check out at thedali.org/virtual-tour/.

Google’s Arts & Culture project has numerous virtual tours, online galleries, 360-degree videos, high-definition zooms and other offerings from hundreds of the world’s best and most famous museums, galleries, collections and curations. Visit artsandculture.google.com/ to get started.

FOOD AND DRINK

When you’re stocking up on food delivered by Amazon or during a necessary Publix run, don’t forget the protein.

Ramen does come cheap, but your body will hate you if you don’t shoot for some meal balance where you can.

If you can find everything you need for some recipes you’ve long wanted to try, you might as well throw it all in the cart if you can. Getting creative in the kitchen will keep your eating habits from getting stale at a time when everyone’s hoarding all of the bread, snacks, meats and water bottle packs.

Keep in mind that take-out is still an option, at least as of press time. You may not be able to eat out like you used to, but it’s still a good way to both spice up your meal plan and help local businesses out. Many of your favorite local restaurants still have take-out options and some are even offering free meals to kids (sometimes with purchase of an adult entree) for as long as they can. Call or check online with your favorite restaurants for more information.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

programming, for a full 24 hours well before its annual Aug. 8 return date. A lot of us may have taken things like Jelle’s Marble Racing, Stupid Robot Fighting League, the World Sport Stacking Championships, axe throwing and more a little less seriously than, say, March Madness, but these are also most likely to be the sports we’re going to have to keep tabs on for the time being. Let’s hope they keep the Ocho programming going on ESPN2 longer than just one weekend. The WWE and AEW are still doing TV broadcasts, but the arenas are empty and that’s made some of the non-match segments a lot funnier, intentionally or otherwise. Also, WWE Network has opened up most of its vast library for free for anyone with or without a subscription.

YouTube is also your friend in the same way “The Ocho” is. Remember all those strongman competitions and alternative sports leagues ESPN used to broadcast all the time in the late 1990s and early 2000s? A lot of that stuff’s on YouTube now and you can easily kill hours on there digging up things you forgot about that could only have existed back then. Pro Beach Hockey? World’s Strongest Man? Lumberjacking? It’s all there. The UFC is still on for now, but if that ever shuts down and you still want to watch people beat the heck out of each other, dig up some old Pride FC fights. That was the jam. And, of course, you can search just about any sport you like on YouTube and there’s a good chance someone will have uploaded full games from the big four American leagues and the NCAA. You won’t be able to find every game ever broadcast, but there’s still plenty of content at your fingertips.

No major sports league has set a hard return date yet, so it looks like we’re at least a few months out from live pro sports making their grand return to our TV screens.

Stay patient.

SPORTS The latest NFL free agency period has been a blessing for those of us who were desperate to hear about anything that’s not the coronavirus, but that wave’s not going to last forever. Pickings are slim and sports fans have to be both creative and vigilant when it comes to finding something to watch. Fortunately, we do have options.

Two weeks ago,, the NFL made Game Pass free and available for everyone. You can watch any game in full with commentary (and no ads) from the 2009 season to the 2019 season, including preseason and postseason games. You can watch the All-22 footage and Game Pass Film Sessions to learn more about the game, too. All you need to do is visit NFL.com/GamePass and sign up to get access. Sports Editor Justin Kline is going to watch the Sept. 25, 2011 Patriots-Bills game more times than he cares to admit.

Last Sunday, ESPN did us all a solid by bringing back “The Ocho,” its “Dodgeball”-inspired alternative sports

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SPORTS AN UPDATE ON PARKS, SCHOOLS AND THE FHSAA File photo

LOCAL ATHLETES WORKING AROUND COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS

High school athletes aren’t letting the coronavirus prevent them from staying sharp and in shape while they can’t have formal practices or play in sanctioned games.

The Plant City Recreation and Parks Department updated its park closure policies on March 27 in a move that will benefit the community.

Though city parks are still closed, the PCRPD has re-opened the walking trails at Brewer Park, Cherry Street Park and the McIntosh Preserve. The catch is, anyone using the trails must follow Hillsborough County EPG guidelines regarding social distancing — in other words, keep six feet away from anyone else using the trails.

No other changes have been made at this time, meaning parks, programming and walk-up registration for future events are still a no-go through May 10. Check plantcitygov.com/parksrec for more information and for the latest updates on the ever-evolving COVID-19 situation.

The State of Florida recommended all school districts remain closed through the end of April, and Hillsborough County Public Schools has now gotten on board.

HCPS will stay closed through May 1, which also applies for high school sports and related activities.

The FHSAA followed up Tuesday morning with an update on its own policies.

“Pending schools are back in session and afforded the opportunity to resume activities after May 3, by Federal, State and Local authorities, the FHSAA will follow the advice and guidance available to us at that time regarding the continuance of all FHSAA spring sports,” the organization said in a press release.”

The FHSAA added its staff is “actively working on creative solutions for the continuance of spring sports.” That could mean the spring season gets extended through June 30 if they are able to resume, but losing the spring season entirely could lead to the FHSAA adding eligibility for students who haven’t been able to play.

Previously, schools and the FHSAA targeted April 15 as the end of the selfimposed stoppages. Recent developments with COVID-19 forced an extension and with no clear end in sight, the future is as fluid as it is uncertain. Check FHSAA.org for further updates as time goes on and gets closer to the beginning of May.

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

No one knows for sure when things are going to get back to normal and when sports can finally come back. Hillsborough and the rest of Florida’s public school districts are eyeing a May 3 return date but, if we’ve learned anything from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that things can change in the blink of an eye.

High school athletes know that as well as anyone right now. With their seasons cut short if not entirely taken away — which we won’t know is the case for at least a few weeks — it’s gotten much harder for them to play the sports they love.

But if anyone thinks they’re just lounging around the house playing video games when they’re not taking classes online, well, that’s not really the case. Athletes are finding ways to stay fit and keep from getting rusty with the resources available to them at home.

For Durant senior Ahmad Fitts, the coronavirus presented an additional challenge. Fitts, who is rehabbing a knee injury he sustained before the start of baseball’s regular season, can’t go to his physical therapy office since it’s closed.

That means he has to make do with what’s available right in front of him.

“I’m doing leg weight routines at my house,” Fitts said. “I don’t have a leg press machine, but I stick to squats. We’ve been moving recently too, so I haven’t been

WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND?

able to do as much as I could. I’ve also been riding my bike a lot cause that helps strengthen my knee. I do that at least 30 minutes every day.”

He expects to have to get through two to three more months of his current rehab regimen before he’s cleared for more strenuous weight lifting and baseball activity. Because he can’t apply too much pressure to his knee, Fitts has been limited to just throwing when he’s been on the field.

Strawberry Crest junior Alyssa Grimes, like many of her classmates, had trouble adjusting to a long, unexpected break from school and softball.

“No one was expecting it, so it took me a minute to get organized with doing active stuff,” Grimes said.

She’s putting in work every day. Grimes said she works with a trainer on Mondays and Wednesdays, then runs on all of her off days. She doesn’t have much face-toface interaction with her teammates, but there is one way she’s able to work on her craft while socially distancing.

“I’ve also been meeting up with our catcher three days a week to pitch, 43 feet apart from each other,” Grimes said.

Both athletes are getting ready for college sports in one way or another. Fitts will move on from high school this year to play baseball at Florida Southern College.

Grimes committed to Nova Southeastern University at the beginning of the school year. They each said the coronavirus has affected their programs of choice, but not them directly.

“Nothing’s affected me,” Grimes said.

JUSTIN KLINE

THE ONE GOOD THING ABOUT GYM CLOSURES Everyone affected by the loss of their favorite gyms has a new, fun challenge ahead of them for staying in shape.

“Their whole season got canceled, so that sucks, but their seniors get another year so that’s good for them.”

All anyone can do right now is hope it’ll be safe to resume sports sooner than later. No matter what happens from here on out, it seems area athletes will be ready for anything.

STAYING SAFE WHILE TRAINING The CDC’s social distancing guidelines are likely to be in place through the end of the month, so it’s important to not get careless with your personal hygiene. Exercise and athletic activities, while essential, can also lead to easier spreading of germs if you aren’t careful.

Frequently washing your hands for 20 seconds at a time is a huge way to help fight the spread, but if you’re using equipment it’s just as important to remember to disinfect it immediately after use. Even if you don’t get COVID-19, other germs can spread and lead to more common illnesses you still won’t want to catch right now.

For more information on proper procedures for hygiene, sanitation, distancing guidelines and what to do if you or someone in your household appears symptomatic, visit cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.

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WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND?

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I can do weird-looking inverted rows.

Part of my bed frame is tall enough for me to grip and do triceps extensions against my own bodyweight. For everything else, all I need is myself.

And now that there are tons of free home workout videos popping up on the Internet in response to the pandemic, it’s easier than ever to not only find workouts but also to find enough to give you plenty of variety. My muscles are so confused right now! I’m not able to replicate exactly what I was doing in Power Shop, but it’s not the end of the world having to switch to three rotating full-body workouts a week.

I don’t plan on committing to this 100 percent homebound workout style after the virus is under better control and it’s safe to re-open the gyms. I’ll be back at Power Shop immediately. But this has been a surprisingly great way to both stay fit and pass the time while I’m at home and everything’s closed.

If you’re not taking this time to try and challenge yourself with something new, why not? We’re not all exactly lacking time anymore.

Justin Kline is the Sports Editor at the Plant City Observer.

Email: jkline@ plantcityobserver.com.

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If I had to rank all the things I dislike most about COVID-19 completely disrupting my daily life, taking the gym away would be at or near the top.

I want nothing more than to be able to go back to Power Shop and lift again like old times. When you’re stressed out and need some release, there’s no place better for it. But I knew closing the gyms was the right thing to do since they all have customers who never clean equipment after use or wash their hands after using the restroom. I’ve seen some stuff in my day, and I’ve worked out in all kinds of gyms and fitness centers around the country.

My greatest fear was that losing access to the gym would make it extremely challenging to maintain my body the way I wanted to. Now I know that was unfounded. Not having the gym went from being a problem to being an exercise in problem solving. I don’t think all of us know how much potential we have right under our noses in our homes or offices.

Take my “home gym” setup for example. There are a few things that are normal: I have one dumbbell (don’t ask about the other, I don’t know where it is), one resistance band and a pull-up bar I borrowed from work. Then I had to get creative. I’m using a cooler kind of like a plyometric box for step-ups and to prop my feet up on for decline pushups. I wedged a broomstick through the backs of two of my kitchen chairs so that

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We asked Facebook: How do you feel about the state’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic?

“I dont believe enough is being done on the borders of florida or the airlines in regards to allowing an influx of non-Floridians into the state. I believe the safer at home was a step in the right direction for Hillsborough county, unfortunately it is not being implemented by individuals. I understand the US is a massive place, but until we implement stricter guidelines to all states, this virus will continue to spread for a longer period of time. We are not respecting the healthcare workers enough by not following stricter guidelines throughout the country.”

— Erin Parke Watson

“The state should’ve been shut down a week ago at least. Just because there aren’t confirmed cases doesnt mean there aren’t cases, it just means they haven’t been tested. They may be doing the best they can with what they have, but that’s never been an acceptable excuse in school so why is it acceptable for adults.” — Amy Huchla “Thankful that they are doing what they are. It’s a situation none of them really know about and I think they are doing their best with whatever comes next and trying to keep everything going without collapsing.”

— Linda Pittinger Bevis

“I believe our government leaders at all levels are doing the best they can. This pandemic like all disasters relies on us to do our part. Unlike most natural disasters, this one requires patience in order to see the benefits of proper actions. We all need to continue to follow the official guidance and be patient. Together we can get through this.”

— Ron Rogers

“I think our Governor has really dropped the ball in taking this serious from the get go causing is a late start in the safety game, however I think that he did right by us by not allowing those ships to dock in FLL and spread more illness to the state. I think each Mayor should try to push DeSantis to do something better for their cities.” — Ashley Gerace

“We as a people are not doing a good job. Our government is simply “asking” us to stay home and not go out unless absolutely necessary. Meanwhile, other countries have police stopping every citizen they see out, drones flying up and down streets to monitor them, and some countries have fines if you are caught out.

People really take for granted the freedoms and liberties we have here. We are kindly being asked to stay home, so be gracious and do it!!” — Erica Hancock Garren

“I don’t understand why the State of Florida is not following the CDC’s recommendations regarding school closure. Mass closings were specifically advised against, individual schools “Desantis has been very weak that were experiencing an outbreak or located in a hot spot in his response and seems to area were advised to close as needed.” continue to lack urgency and — Alicia May critical understanding.”

— Lori Libhart

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

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Ronald S. Bennett, 67, of Seffner, born on Nov. 12, 1952 in Tampa, entered into eternal rest on March 25, 2020.

Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

Taking care of each other is what

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Robert D. Willis Robert D. Willis, 68, of Plant City, born on February 27, 1952 in Plant City, entered into eternal rest on March 28, 2020.

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Taking care of each other is what

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community

Taking care of each other is what

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community

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is all about.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2020

OBITUARIES

Ronald S. Bennett

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is all about.

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Tressa E. Miller Tressa E. Miller, 97, of Plant City, formerly of Marion, Indiana, born on July 9, 1922 in Shirley, Indiana, entered into eternal rest on March 28, 2020.

Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM

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Elizabeth Tadlock Elizabeth Tadlock, 89, of Plant City, passed away on March 29, 2020.

The family will be having a private graveside service and then

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Wells MeMorial & event Center Wells MeMorial & event Center

PlanT CiTy

PlanT CiTy

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YOUR CALENDAR

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

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PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2020

BEST BET EVERY DAY STAY HOME

Until our local, state and federal officials give us the all-clear to move around at will again, we should all do our part to stay home and restrict the spreading of COVID-19 in our community. While days at home watching Netflix may get monotonous, leaving to socialize with others could lead to someone getting sick and potentially dying. Do your part: stay home. To combat boredom, we recommend delving into a variety of virtual experiences to pass the time.

Due to the spread of COVID-19, or the coronavirus, many events around town we take pride in featuring each week in our local calendar have been postponed or canceled.

The community has been asked to step up, take the necessary precautions and isolate themselves as much as possible as part of mitigation efforts in response to the coronavirus.

THURSDAY, APRIL 2

Every week, the Plant City Observer runs a calendar of community events based off of items that have been submitted to the newspaper. Many are listed as “continuing” and we do our best to ensure they go in week after week. Unless we have been contacted by the event’s facilitators, we have left these “continuing” items in this week’s schedule.

You can also pop up to Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska on a virtual tour that is sure to captivate the entire family. Get “up close and personal” with icebergs via a TUESDAY, APRIL 7 kayaking tour, watch how a glacier melts and impacts climate change and “climb” into The SHUFFLEBOARD CLUB 9 a.m. Come on out to the Planteen Rec- Crevasse. Click on artsandculture.withreation Center, 301 Dort St., each Tuesday google.com/en-us/national-parks-service/ to play Shuffleboard. You’ll be an expert in kenai-fjords/crevasse to start the tour and no time. The club is hosted by Anita Balch the same link will have options to head all over the globe on an adventure of a lifetime. and she can be contacted at 808-722You can explore lava tubes in Hawaii, peek 5821 for more information. into the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico and gaze in wonder at the Bryce Canyon in VIRTUAL EXISTENCE Utah. steak and sides for $8. For more information visit amvetspost44.org.

COVID-19 TESTING

8 a.m. to The drive-through COVID-19 testing site at Raymond James Stadium was reopened on April 1. Testing will be administered by appointment only to symptomatic patients that have been prescreened and approved by the Hillsborough County’s call center. You can make an appointment by calling 813-272-5900.

Once all testing slots have been assigned, the call center will shut down.

FRIDAY, APRIL 3

OPERA

COVID-19 TESTING

8 a.m. to The drive-through COVID-19 testing site at Raymond James Stadium was reopened on April 1. Testing will be administered by appointment only to symptomatic patients that have been prescreened and approved by the Hillsborough County’s call center. You can make an appointment by calling 813-272-5900.

Once all testing slots have been assigned, the call center will shut down.

DUPLICATE BRIDGE

1 p.m. St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 302 Carey St., is now hosting a weekly Duplicate Bridge game, the most widely used variation of contract bridge in club and tournament play. Contact Walt Arnold at 813-752-1602 for more information.

AMVETS POST 44 FRIDAY NIGHT DINNERS

6 p.m. The AmVets Post 44, 5521 FL-60, Plant City, FL 33567, is hosting a weekly dinner on Friday nights. The fourth Friday of every month is a menu of Philly cheese

The Metropolitan Opera is hoping to “brighten the lives of our audience members even while our stage is dark.”

Each night, a different encore presentation from the company’s Live in HD series will be uploaded to the Met website — metopera.org — for 23 hours. Anyone can log on from 7:30 p.m. the night of until 6:30 p.m. the next day and stream the opera in its entirety.

This week includes such classics as Verdi’s “Don Carlo” and “Macbeth,” as well as Bizet’s “Les Pecheurs de Perles” and Bellini’s “Norma.”

BROADWAY

If you’re itching for a show, Broadway’s biggest stars have you covered. Many of its acclaimed performers are partnering with Broadway World to present a miniperformance every day called “Living Room Concerts.” You can find them on broadwayworld.com. You can also start a free trial with BroadwayHD to stream performances like Carousel, Cats, Macbeth, Swan Lake, Sweeney Todd and Kinky Boots.

ART

The Dali Museum, which is located in St. Petersburg, offers a free virtual tour at thedali. org/virtual-tour. Thousands of works of art PARKS If you’ve always wanted to explore Yellow- hang upon its walls and you can “walk” the halls for hours. stone National Park but have never had The Frida Kahlo Museum in Mexico City the chance to go in person, now you have the opportunity to try the next best thing: also offers a free virtual tour if you want to a virtual field trip. Head to nps.gov/yell/ immerse yourself in some of the greatest — and most poignant — art of all time. Visit learn/photosmultimedia/virtualtours. htm to explore many of the main attrac- museofridakahlo.org. tions around the park with a click of a button. Included in each tour is additional information about visiting in person.

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However, everything is subject to change. President Donald Trump has advised no one attend any social function, workplace event or gathering that has more than 10 people. Other leaders are recommending similar precautions but have kept the ideal number at approximately 50 people.

As of press time, these are the events that have still been sent to the Plant City

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, State Farm Indemnity Company, Bloomington, IL State Farm County Mutual Insurance Company of Texas, Dallas, TX State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, State Farm General Insurance Company, Bloomington, IL State Farm Florida Insurance Company, Winter Haven, FL State Farm Lloyds, Richardson, TX

Observer without any notice of change.

If you plan to attend anything listed, please head to the event’s social media or contact the organizer of the event to ensure it is still going on.

We have also added a variety of virtual events or learning experiences everyone has access to in the coming weeks. Delve into a virtual experience to enlighten and enrich your time at home.

MUSEUMS/AQUARIUMS

The Florida Aquarium, which is found right here in Tampa Bay, is keeping the public updated on how its diverse resident’s are handling their vacation away from the public with daily videos on “Sea-Span.” You can meet a penguin, listen to a unique storytime and even take some moment singing along with “Aqua Tunes.” Follow the museum on Facebook @floridaaquarium for daily updates.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

One of the greatest museums in America is offering a virtual tour that gives you a taste of everything the experience has to offer.

This is great for the whole family. Head to naturalhistory.si.edu/visit/virtual-tour to tour current exhibits and learn more about the world around you.

EXERCISE THE BRAIN

If you want to learn something new during your stay at home, consider taking a free course from one of the world’s greatest universities or download a lecture to stream while you cook or do chores.

Yale University is offering its most popular class, “Psychology and the Good Life” as a remastered course online for free. The title has been changed to “The Science of Well Being” and features lectures by Professor Laurie Santos. You can enroll at coursera. org/learn/the-science-of-well-being.

Of course, you can then dive into Coursera to find a variety of free courses from the country’s top schools. Princeton is offering “Imagining other Earths” and the University of Pennsylvania has released “Greek and Roman Mythology.”

Universal Crossword Edited by David Steinberg April 2, 2020 PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

I LOVE PLANT CITY

4/2

FORECAST THURSDAY, APRIL 2 High: 81 Low: 54 Chance of rain: 10%

FRIDAY, APRIL 3 High: 84 Low: 58 Chance of rain: 10%

32 One may respond to touch 35 Poodle pest 36 Quick trip 38 On the house 39 TV’s Danson 40 Arctic floater 41 Furnish food 42 Made an extraordinary baseball play?

45 Stadium souvenirs 47 Opened wide 48 Hard cover, often?

49 Walk with a swagger 51 Fury 54 Made an extraordinary football play?

57 Sit at a red light

58 Pupils’ places 59 Valerie’s role on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” 60 Brewed beverages 61 x and y, commonly 62 Cannes coins DOWN 1 Rocker’s blasters 2 Docent’s presentation 3 Cleaned 4 And so on, briefly 5 Red-faced, perhaps 6 One of the Gandhis 7 Damon of “Ford v Ferrari” 8 “Very funny!”

9 Unified 10 Use a key 11 Like baggy pants

THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2020

High: 87 Low: 63 Chance of rain:10%

SUNDAY, APRIL 5 High: 84 Low: 63 Chance of rain: 10%

TOMATOES

Shipping point: Central Florida $5.95-6.95

12 More pleasant 13 Boats like Noah’s 18 Just made, with “out” 19 Vandyke beards cover them 24 Swedish retail giant 25 Potted plant foundation 26 Velvety 27 Flag holder 28 Scones’ start 29 Sprint 32 Magazine design specialist 33 Hammer end 34 Sassy 36 Strong sprays 37 Rainbow’s curve 38 Destiny 40 Oath taker’s book 41 Take, in chess 42 Throbs 43 Exit 44 Smear, as paint 45 Lamp cover 46 Electric car manufacturer 48 What female llamas do to show disinterest 49 River of Hades 50 Pilgrim’s pronoun 52 Give a makeover 53 Periods of note 55 Narc’s org.

56 Wed. follower

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SUNRISE/SUNSET

Sunrise Sunset

Thursday, April 2

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Friday, April 3

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Saturday, April 4

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Sunday, April 5

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Monday, April 6

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Tuesday, April 7

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Wednesday, April 8

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MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, APRIL 4

Fantasy Sports by Susan Gelfand

ACROSS 1 On the ocean 6 Lead-in to a texter’s view 10 It’s near the funny bone 14 Castle protectors 15 Indian flatbread 16 Dark film genre 17 Made an extraordinary boxing play?

20 ___ Lanka 21 Dog breed from Japan 22 Fire truck items 23 Track official 25 Tool for cutting onions 26 Made an extraordinary volleyball play?

30 Seeped 31 Yours and mine

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Apr. 22 New

Apr. 27 First

Apr. 7 Full

Apr. 18 Last

RAINFALL Monday, March 23

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Tuesday, March 24 0.00 Wednesday, March 25

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Thursday, March 26 0.00 0.00

Friday, March 27

Saturday, March 28 0.00 Sunday, March 29

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YEAR TO DATE:

MONTH TO DATE:

2020 02.66 in.

2020 0.00 in.

2019 03.72 in.

2019

0.11 in.

WEATHER

ACROSS 18 Just made, 41 Take, in 47 Opened 1 On the with “out” chess wide ocean 19 Vandyke 42 Throbs 48 Hard cover, 6 Lead-in to a beards 43 Exit often? texter’s view 49 Walk with cover them 44 Smear, as 10 near the Swedish paint SendIt’s your photo submissionsatoswagger Associate Editor24 Justin Kline at jkline@PlantCityObserver.com funny bone retail giant 45 Lamp cover 51 Fury or hashtag #iloveplantcity on Instagram for @igersplantcity to feature.

14 Castle 25 Potted 46 Electric 54 Made an protectors plant car manuextraordinary 15 Indian foundation facturer football play? flatbread 26 Velvety 48 What 57 Sit at a red 16 Dark film 27 Flag female light genre holder llamas do 58 Pupils’ 17 Made an 28 Scones’ to show places extraordinary 59 Valerie’s start disinterest boxing play?

29 Sprint 49 River of role on 20 ___ Lanka 32 Magazine Hades “The Mary 21 Dog breed design 50 Pilgrim’s Tyler Moore from Japan specialist pronoun Show” 22 Fire truck 33 Hammer 52 Give a 60 Brewed items end makeover beverages 23 Track official 61 x and y, 34 Sassy 53 Periods of 25 Tool for 36 Strong note commonly cutting sprays 55 Narc’s org.

62 Cannes onions 37 Rainbow’s 56 Wed. coins 26 Made an curve follower DOWN extraordinary 38 Destiny 1 Rocker’s volleyball 40 Oath blasters play? taker’s 2 Docent’s 30 Seeped book presentation 31 Yours and 3 Cleaned mine 4 And so on, PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER 32 One may briefly The respond first knownto case of a cat catching the COVID-19 coronavirus happened in Belgium late last 5 Red-faced, week, but Brenda Miller saw cats in Plant City practicing social distancing back on March 23. touch perhaps Follow us 35 Poodle pest 6 One on of social the media: @PCObserver on Instgram, O N L I N E @PlantObserver 36 Quick trip Gandhis on Twitter and Plant City Observer on7Facebook.

38 On the Damon of house “Ford v 39 TV’s Danson Ferrari” 40 Arctic 8 “Very floater funny!”

41 Furnish 9 Unified food 10 Use a key 42 Made an 11 Like baggy extraordinary pants baseball 12 More play? pleasant 4/1 45 Stadium 13 Boats like © 2020 Andrews McMeel Universal www.upuzzles.com souvenirs Noah’s

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2020

PlantCityObserver.com