Gamers: This DTF Nabs Alleged Place Is For You Narcotics Dealers B1 A3 Herald-THE Advocate HARDEE COUNTY’S HOMETOWN COVERAGE 118th Year No. 34 2 Sections www.TheHeraldAdvocate.com 70¢ Plus 5¢ Sales Tax Thursday, July 19, 2018 18-Year-Old Slain In Shooting By CYNTHIA KRAHL ment said. Local, state and nationwide ing in Hardee County under the Friday night when Ceja pulled Of The Herald-Advocate His alleged assailant fled the manhunts are actively search- assumed name of Angel into the driveway at 816 Pleas- An 18-year-old boy was shot scene firing gunshots into the ing for the alleged killer. Ramirez, Dowden said. ant Way in his maroon 2007 and killed Friday night while air as he drove away, witnesses Dowden identified the sus- While he has family in the Ford Fusion. Though he no on the front porch of his home and police said. pect as Gabriel Arenas Ceja, 25 area, “he just kind of comes longer resided there, he was with his girlfriend. “This tragic shooting has years of age. Ceja is 5’6” tall and goes,” Dowden said of his coming to visit his children, ac- Eddie Grant, an upcoming devastated a family, it has dev- and weighs 160 pounds. He has most recent location. cording to police. 12th grader at Hardee Senior astated our officers, we all brown hair and brown eyes. At one time, the suspect was “The victim was outside his High School, suffered multiple know him, and it has devas- Dowden additionally de- residing at 816 Pleasant Way, residence, and the two began gunshot wounds and died at tated this entire community,” scribed Ceja as “armed and ex- next door to Grant’s home at arguing,” Dowden said. “It’s Lakeland Regional Medical the captain said. “And all over tremely dangerous.” 820 Pleasant Way. Both are in sketchy what they were argu- Center, where he had been a trivial thing that didn’t even Ceja, who had been released the area called “The Villa,” but ing about, but it may have been flown by medical helicopter, matter.” from Florida State Prison on officially named The Azalea over a cell phone.” Capt. Brett Dowden of the Grant was shot following a Jan. 19, 2017, after serving Apartments. Dowden said the disagreement Bowling Green Police Depart- fight over a cell phone, he said. time for battery, had been liv- It was shortly before 8:30 on See SHOOTING A3 Ceja RIP-ROARING RODEO County OKs 26,853-Acre Mosaic Mine By MICHAEL KELLY The permit allows Mosaic to Of The Herald-Advocate mine or disturb 22,854 acres, After two days of hearings, while 3,999 acres deemed as the Hardee County Board of high-quality wetlands or lying County Commissioners and the within the 25-year floodplain Planning & Zoning Board ap- of Horse Creek will be set proved a Mining Major Special aside in conservation ease- Exception permit for Mosaic’s ments. 26,853-acre Ona Mine. After mining is completed, a Most of the mine boundary total of 7,466 acres will be left is west of County Road 663, in clay-settling areas and a total known as Fort Green/Ona of 6,164 acres will be placed in Road, and north of State Road permanent conservation ease- 64 up to the Manatee County ments. line. Some limited mining will Mining will occur on 3,871 occur south of SR 64 and west acres of wetlands on the prop- of Ona, and also along Van- erty, and 5,738 acres of wet- dolah Road. lands will be recreated during After reclamation is com- the reclamation process. plete, a 390-acre lake will be Mosaic will not be allowed created west of the Wauchula to begin mining in the wetland Municipal Airport, on the south areas until it receives the re- side of Vandolah Road. quired permit from the U.S. If the permit is not chal- Army Corps of Engineers. lenged, the company expects to Mosaic expects to recover begin mining operations in the 178 million tons of phosphate upland areas of the site toward rock over the 25 years of active PHOTO BY KATHY ANN GREGG the end of this year. See MINE A2 It's the third weekend in July, and that means it's ranch rodeo time! The Hardee County Cattlemen's Association is holding its annual ranch rodeo at the arena located at the corner of Stenstrom and Altman roads in Wauchula. Performances are Friday and Saturday nights, with the action starting at 7. Admission is $10 for adults, with children 10 and under admitted free. Come on out and watch 10 teams each night battle it out for a chance to go to the State Finals, including locals on the Roman III Ranch, Rafter Bar H, Arcadia Stockyards, Fly-By-Night and Rockin RB teams. The events are team sorting, roping and branding, trailer loading, double muggin' and ranch bronc riding. There'll be plenty of wild cowboy action, fun for the whole family, and good eats provided Mine Mitigation by the Hardee FFA. Shown above is last year's winner in the roping and branding event, Bit Cattle & Horses, which will be here again this weekend. Fee Set At $50M WEATHER Woman Sues Florida Hospital By MICHAEL KELLY DATE HIGH LOW RAIN Of The Herald-Advocate 07/10 94 73 0.00 Says Employee Caused Broken Hip The Hardee County Commission and Mosaic representatives 07/11 93 73 0.01 have tentatively agreed to a minimum of $50 million in economic 07/12 92 72 0.26 By CYNTHIA KRAHL Adventist Health System has her balance and fall to the floor. mitigation for the 26,853-acre Ona Mine approved last week. 07/13 93 72 0.00 Of The Herald-Advocate 20 days to review the claim and She landed on her left hip, Russell Schweiss of Mosaic told commissioners after the 07/14 94 72 0.00 A woman whose left hip was file its initial response with the the suit asserts. 07/15 94 71 0.83 lengthy negotiations that the proposal will be submitted to Mo- 07/16 95 74 0.49 broken while recovering from Circuit Court. As a result, Miller sustained saic’s Board of Directors, which will have to sign off on the deal Rainfall to 07/16/2018 - 29.15 surgery on her right hip is suing The five-page complaint fractures of the left femur and before it is finalized. Same period last year - 22.98 Florida Hospital. states that Miller, 84, was ad- fibula, requiring further hip In addition to guaranteed payments of $2 million annually for Ten Year Average - 49.17 The civil action, filed last mitted to Florida Hospital surgery, the complaint alleges. 25 years, the county will receive payments tied to “stripping mar- Source: Univ. of Fla. Ona Research Center week in Hardee Circuit Court, Wauchula on Jan. 18, 2017, for Lawyers for Miller claim gins,” which is an industry-wide metric that measures the prof- names Adventist Health Sys- rehabilitation of her right hip Adventist Health System/Sun- itability of the phosphate industry in any given year. INDEX tem/Sunbelt, doing business as following a surgical procedure belt “knew or should have If the stripping margin materialized as presented, it would pro- Classifieds . .B6 Florida Hospital Heartland to stabilize a fracture. known” that an 84-year-old vide an additional $37.4 million for economic development, Medical Center and by exten- woman recovering from hip Courthouse Report . .B2 She was receiving in-patient bringing the total compensation to $87.4 million. sion Florida Hospital Wauchula treatment through The Therapy surgery would “seriously injure Last month during the first of two meetings, Schweiss pre- Crime Blotter . .B2 The Therapy Center, as defen- Center, the document goes on herself” if allowed to fall; that sented a proposal for $35 million of guaranteed payments with Entertainment . .B10 dant. to say. while recovering she was “es- an estimated total value of $70.7 million after the stripping mar- Hardee Living . .A5 Bringing suit is Irene J. Miller, it notes, was using a pecially prone” to falling and gin adjustment was added. Obituaries . .A4 Miller of Wauchula. walker to stand in the hallway further injury; and that it was During that meeting, Commissioner Mike Thompson led the She and her attorneys, Chris outside her room on Jan. 23, necessary to “exercise due care board by asking for $2 million per year in guaranteed payments. Puzzles . .B4 Limberopoulos and Georganna 2017, while waiting for a and diligence” to avoid actions At last week’s meeting, Schweiss returned with a proposal of Save The Date . .A2 Frantzis of The Florida Law worker to bring a wheelchair to which could cause a fall. $1.8 million per year in guaranteed payments, with a lowered Solunar Forecast . .A8 Group in Tampa, are seeking take her to a physical therapy Further, they allege the hos- stripping-margin multiplier that would produce an estimated unstated damages in excess of session. pital’s employees or agents $25.2 million in additional payments. the $15,000 minimum for in- The lawsuit then alleges that should have warned the woman The mitigation amount being offered was based off of the clusion on the Circuit Court an unnamed employee came up they were approaching from 13,630 acres that have constrained development potential after docket. behind Miller and struck her in behind with a wheelchair and mining, which includes 7,466 acres of clay settling areas and They have asked for a trial the back of the legs with the should have assisted her into 6,164 acres of conservation easements, and not the entire by jury.