SPORTS | B1 LOCAL | A3 LSSC HOPES GRAPES TOOK SWITCH TO DII ROOT IN LAKE WILL LEAD TO COUNTY MORE SUCCESS DECADES AGO Monday, August 20, 2018 YOUR LOCAL SOURCE FOR LAKE & SUMTER COUNTIES @dailycommercial Facebook.com/daily.commercial 75¢ Trump: White House counsel not a ‘rat’ In series of tweets, the ongoing Russia investiga- House Councel Don McGahn In this Aug. 16 president denounces tion as “McCarthyism.” was giving hours of testi- photo, White report saying McGahn Trump, in a series of angry mony to the Special Councel, House counsel turned on him in Russia tweets, denounced a New he must be a John Dean type Donald McGahn, investigation York Times story that his ‘RAT,’” Trump wrote, mis- left, listens White House counsel, Don spelling the word “counsel,” as President By Jill Colvin McGahn, has been cooper- as he often does. “But I Donald Trump The Associated Press ating extensively with the allowed him and all others to speaks during a special counsel team inves- testify — I didn’t have to. I cabinet meeting BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — tigating Russian election have nothing to hide......” in the Cabinet President Donald Trump meddling and potential collu- The New York Times said it Room of the insisted Sunday that his White sion with Trump’s Republican stands by its story. White House House counsel isn’t a “RAT” campaign. Dean, a frequent critic of in Washington. like the Watergate-era White “The failing @nytimes the president, was the White [ANDREW HARNIK/ House attorney who turned on wrote a Fake piece today ASSOCIATED PRESS Richard Nixon, and he blasted implying that because White See TRUMP, A6 FILE PHOTO] Protecting the kids LOCAL | A3 CLERMONT MAKES FIXES TO VICTORY POINTE PROJECT Welcome to college — don’t forget to vote By Sarah Larimer The Washington Post WASHINGTON - It was an From left, Offi cer Christa Kemeny, Offi cer Jeremy Alexander, Offi cer Conner Deering, Offi cer Ethan Green and Offi cer St. Francis Smith are August morning at Howard the new resource offi cers from the Mount Dora Police Department for fi ve area schools. [CINDY SHARP/CORRESPONDENT] University, and the freshmen were coming. This particular Saturday was move-in day, a time when new students settle Lake Schools offi cials hopeful voters approve safety tax into their new home. And so they descended, arriving with By Payne Ray are worth an increase in property value. The means she's optimistic about the bright futures, eager parents [email protected] their property taxes. the owner of a home with an measure's chances of pass- and piles (and piles and piles A referendum on the assessed value of $125,000 ing, and feels good about the and piles) of dorm-room TAVARES — School ballot for the Aug. 28 pri- and a homestead exemp- work they’ve been able to do essentials. safety measures come with mary election will ask Lake tion of $25,000 would pay to spread the word. An endless line of cars a hefty price tag, and the County voters to consider $75 per year for the school “Fortunately, Bill Mathias pulled up to the curb. Families Lake County School Board a school-safety property safety measure. and I are on the campaign spilled out onto the grounds. is working hard to convince tax of 0.75 mills, or 75 cents School Board Chair- Mr. and Miss Howard Uni- voters that those measures for each $1,000 of taxable woman Stephanie Luke said See SAFETY, A7 versity showed up. So did Howard’s cheerleaders. Amid all the joyful chaos was a table stacked with fliers. Here, a student could pick up a list of important campus Red tide leaves foul taste telephone numbers. Or, if they grabbed a small blue for some early voters handout, students could learn how to get information about By Tim Fanning on the first day of early voting elections and absentee bal- Gatehouse Media Florida for the Aug. 28 primary, there lots, and about a website that was a sense of bipartisan would help with all of that. SARASOTA — As red tide frustration. Welcome to Howard. Don’t fouls beaches, kills sea life “That makes it especially forget to vote. and chokes coastal Southwest hard to know who to vote for,” “We have a civic duty,” Florida communities, the said Colin Gibbons, 37, a reg- Howard’s president, Wayne toxic blooms also are leaving istered Democrat. “There’s a A.I. Frederick, said. “Our a bad taste with many early lot of politicians trying to say motto is truth and service, voters who are vowing to hold and that service part of it also politicians accountable. A red tide bloom on Aug. 15 near north Siesta Key. [MOTE MARINE In interviews with voters See TIDE, A7 LABORATORY/KERRI SCOLARDI] See VOTE, A8 VOLUME 142, ISSUE 232 Local and State ............. A3 Sports ..........................B1 ©2018 GateHouse Media Opinion .......................A9 Classified ..................... B5 Home delivery: 352-787-0600 Weather ..................... A10 Diversions ................... B6 A2 Monday, August 20, 2018 | DailyCommercial.com NATION&WORLD IN BRIEF CAMDEN, N.J. 1 of 3 sought in ambush police Women win primaries offi cer shooting One of three men sought in connection with an ambush shooting of two New Jersey in record numbers police detectives earlier this month has been arrested, police said. Camden police said in a Twitter post Saturday that Juan Figueroa, 20, had been captured. He and Alexander DeJesus, 19, and Ammar Hall, 26, are charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons offenses. Two plainclothes Camden County detectives were sitting in an unmarked police sport utility vehicle Aug. 7 at a red light in Camden. A minivan stopped at a green light and two men got out and opened fire, striking the detectives’ vehicle 14 times, according to an inves- tigation report. FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. Plane makes emergency landing on Alligator Alley Two people escaped injury when a small plane was forced to make an emergency land- ing on Florida’s Alligator Alley highway. Local news outlets report that the single-engine plane landed Saturday evening on the por- tion of Interstate 75 that runs through the Everglades west of Fort Lauderdale. The plane was located by authorities parked on the side of the highway. Both pilot and a student passenger were unhurt and no vehicles were struck on the road. Authorities say the flight experienced mechanical prob- lems on its way from Punta In this May 22 photo, Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams smiles before speaking to supporters during an Gorda and was bound for Opa- election-night watch party in Atlanta. [ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO] Locka Executive Airport. The cause of the problem is under By Christina A. Cassidy congressional seat in New Pennsylvania, Minnesota and “I was told that with two investigation. and Laurie Kellman Jersey. Michigan. But overall gains kids, a husband who worked The Associated Press Sherrill is one of some 200 will also be dependent on how full time and no child care, BAGHDAD women who have won their well the 71 congresswomen that it was impossible,” Iraq’s top court ratifi es manual ATLANTA — Women are primaries for U.S. House, with running for re-election fare Grechen Shirley says in an recount of May ballots not just running for office in 94 of these candidates surviv- in November. online ad, noting her effort record numbers this year — ing crowded fields with three Success in November will to change the policy. “Well, Iraq’s top court has ratified they are winning. or more candidates, accord- go a long way to improving it wasn’t impossible. It’s just the results of the country’s More women than ever ing to an analysis of election the nation’s dismal record of really hard.” May parliamentary elections before have won major party results. Previously, the most female representation. Cur- Experienced combat veter- following a manual ballot primaries for governor, U.S. women who had advanced rently, women account for just ans running for Congress this recount ordered by the out- Senate and House this year were 167 in 2016, according to a fifth of 535 U.S. representa- year are featuring their fami- going chamber following — setting a U.S. record and records kept by the Center for tives and senators, and one in lies in their ads as they speak charges of irregularities. paving the way for November American Women and Politics four state lawmakers. Six of with authority on national The Federal Court’s deci- battles that could signifi- at Rutgers University. the nation’s 50 governors are security and foreign policy. sion on Sunday paves the way cantly increase the number of In the Senate, a record 19 female. Meanwhile, women “The old model is a little bit for the president to summon women in elected office and women have won their prima- comprise slightly more than like trying to fit women into lawmakers to an inaugural change the public debate on ries. And for the first time, 13 half the U.S. population. the mold of male candidates,” session of the new, 329-seat issues such as health care, women have been nominated Women appear to be run- said Deborah Walsh, director house. In theory, parliament immigration, abortion rights, for gubernatorial races in a ning strong so far. As of of the Center for American should then proceed to elect education and gun control. single election year. mid-August, some 49 per- Women and Politics at Rut- a speaker, a president and a Some of these candidates And all these numbers are cent of women running for gers University.