LOCAL | A3 SPORTS | B1 PARENTS REPORT EUSTIS WINS AGAINST INJURIES ON NEW LEESBURG IN DISTRICT SLIDE AT MOUNT DORA SEMIFINAL PARK Tuesday, January 29, 2019 YOUR LOCAL SOURCE FOR LAKE & SUMTER COUNTIES @dailycommercial Facebook.com/daily.commercial 75¢ Federal employees return to backlog of work BP money eyed to By Lisa Rein, Tracy Jan dozens of smaller ones from and Juliet Eilperin Agriculture to the Peace help with The Washington Post Corps. Employees’ biggest concern hurricane WASHINGTON — Hun- besides the work they have dreds of thousands of federal fallen behind on was when recovery employees across the country they would receive the two returned Monday to offices paychecks the government they vacated in a hurry days owes them. By Jim Turner before Christmas - and began Agencies planned to News Service Florida the long slog to dig out from disburse the pack pay on dif- mounds of piled-up work. ferent days, depending on TALLAHASSEE — Calls Several senior leaders their payroll provider, and in are growing to use BP oil personally welcomed their many cases with two sepa- spill money to bolster employees back after 35 days rate checks, the second of Hurricane Michael recov- on furlough or working with- which may not hit their bank ery efforts, potentially out pay as maintenance staffs accounts until February. reducing the financial turned the lights back on. It “Agencies work with Ben Carson, secretary of Housing and Urban Development, speaks burden on local and state was back to official business during a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing in Washington budgets. at nine Cabinet agencies and See BACKLOG, A6 last March. [ERIC THAYER/BLOOMBERG] Senate Appropriations Chairman Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, last week indicated he could support the idea of pump- ing settlement money from the 2010 Deepwa- ter Horizon disaster into Done, but not fi nished building and replacing infrastructure in com- munities reeling from the deadly Oct. 10 hurricane. “I don’t see why those need to be separated out,” Bradley told reporters at the Capitol. “I don’t think there should be money used only for oil spill and another pot for Hurricane Michael concerns. So, the idea that we would utilize Triumph (Gulf Coast) both for its bonding capacity and real dollars to help address things in the Panhandle, I think that’s a serious discus- sion we need to have in his building.” Created by the Leg- islature, the non-profit agency Triumph Gulf Coast was created to dis- tribute to Bay, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Wakulla and Walton counties three- quarters of the $2 billion the state will get over the next 12 years through the BP settlement. As part of its charge from the Legislature, Triumph is expected to direct money Ed Bowman attempted to walk from Mount Dora to Tallahassee to convince legislators to pass Clara’s Law, which would fl ag healthcare to regional projects that workers with troubled pasts. [ROXANNE BROWN/DAILY COMMERCIAL] have wide impacts rather Ed Bowman comes up short in walk for Clara's Law but the fi ght isn't over See RECOVERY, A6 By Roxanne Brown 237-mile walk to Tallahassee beyond Chiefland. talked to dozens of people and roxanne.brown@daily- on Jan. 5 to raise awareness for Bowman said his unex- a handful of news outlets about commercial.com Clara’s Law, didn't make it the pected early arrival to his quest and got the attention entire way. Tallahassee last week does of Sen. Dennis Baxley, a state MOUNT DORA — Ed Bowman ended up accept- not mute the successes of his legislator who met with him in Bowman, the 75-year Mount ing a car ride to the steps of 12-day adventure. Dora man who set out on a the state capitol from just Bowman said he met and See BOWMAN, A6 GoFundMe for accident victims nearing $4,000 By Katie Sartoris Amanda lost control of her Amanda Frosch and LOCAL | A3 [email protected] car and ran into a palm tree her children Ashton during a heavy storm. She was Frosch, 15, and Ethan SUMTER UMATILLA — A GoFundMe ticketed for careless driving. Carr, 4, were involved started for a 34-year-old Amanda and Ethan were in a single vehicle DETECTIVES woman and her children taken to AdventHealth in crash on County involved in a car accident has DeLand and Ashton was Road 42 on Thursday SAY NO reached nearly $4,000. airlifted to Arnold Palmer morning when lost Amanda Frosch and her Children’s Hospital in control of her car and MOTIVE IN children Ashton Frosch, Orlando, according to a crash ran into a palm tree 15, and Ethan Carr, 4, were report. during a heavy storm. GRUESOME involved in a single vehicle The report said Amanda A GoFundMe started KILLING crash on County Road 42 on and Ethan both had for the family has Thursday morning in unin- reached nearly $4,000. corporated Lake County. See GOFUNDME, A6 [GOFUNDME] Volume 143, Issue 29 Local & State ............... A3 Sports ..........................B1 © 2019 GateHouse Media Opinion .......................A9 Comics ........................B6 Home delivery: 352-787-0600 Weather .....................A10 Classified .................... B7 A2 Tuesday, January 29, 2019 | DailyCommercial.com NATION&WORLD OUAGADOUGOU, BURKINA FASO Gunmen kill 14 in Burkina A second government shutdown? Faso’s Sahel region Gunmen have killed at least Trump has several 14 people in Burkina Faso’s reasons to avoid a volatile Sahel region in the repeat situation past two days, attacking a marketplace and military By Andrew Taylor base, officials said Monday. The Associated Press Nearly a dozen gunmen opened fire on civilians at a WASHINGTON — Presi- Sunday market in the Soum dent Donald Trump learned province, killing at least over the past month a valu- 10 people and injuring two able Washington lesson others, said security minis- that old-timers like House ter Ousseni Compaore. The Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attack on Sikire in the north- Senate Majority Leader Mitch ern Sahel region took place in McConnell learned long ago: the middle of the day while Shutdowns never work. the market was full, he said, After beating a retreat and adding that investigations agreeing last week to end the into the attack are ongoing. shutdown on Pelosi’s terms Early Monday, gunmen — with no money for his oft- attacked a base of anti-ter- promised U.S.-Mexico border rorist forces further west in wall — it’s difficult to imagine the Soum province in Nas- Trump getting anywhere near soumbou, burning tents and his $5.7 billion demand for wall equipment and killing four funding in an upcoming round people, said the director of of negotiations. And it would President Donald Trump waves as he walks through the Colonnade from the Oval Offi ce of the White the local national television, seem unlikely that Trump House on arrival to announce a deal to temporarily reopen the government Friday from the Rose Bouma Nebie. would attempt another shut- Garden of the White House in Washington. [JACQUELYN MARTIN/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS] down strategy after the last CARACAS, VENEZUELA one blew up in his face. Capitol Amid mass arrests, Maduro Hill Republicans, especially in two budget agreements. When possibility that Trump might with nothing. And just last won’t touch rival Guaido the Senate, have little appetite the president injects maximal- sign a catchall government year, Democrats were on the for a reprise. ist partisan demands into the funding bill that shortchanges losing side when sparking a More than 700 opponents With the government process, negotiations tend to his wall request and imme- brief shutdown over protect- of President Nicolas Maduro funded for three weeks, it’s up fall apart,” Schumer, D-N.Y., diately grab some or all of the ing “Dreamer” immigrants — a have been arrested during to a group of House and Senate said Monday. funding anyway. move easily quashed by Trump the latest push by Venezu- negotiators from the powerful Trump himself is pessimistic “The best fix is to be able and McConnell. ela’s opposition to oust the Appropriations Committee about a deal and says he likely to do it legislatively,” White The fundamental flaw in a socialist leader. to try to iron out a deal under won’t accept less than his House press secretary Sarah shutdown strategy is simple: But there’s one anti- the close watch of top leaders $5.7 billion demand. Adding a Sanders said Monday. But, she It’s usually obvious who’s government activist including Pelosi, McConnell bigger immigration deal such added, “If Congress doesn’t do responsible, and that side car- security forces notably and Senate Minority Leader as protection for so-called their job, then the president ries less leverage into the fight haven’t touched: Juan Chuck Schumer. Pelosi, Dreamer immigrants illegally will be forced to make up for because the public awards Guaido, the lawmaker who D-Calif., was a longtime brought to the U.S. as children all their shortcomings.” them the blame. It’s difficult declared himself interim member of the panel before is a long shot as well, Trump While issuing an emer- to shift blame to the other side president in a direct rising into leadership, and told The Wall St. Journal in an gency declaration would when one’s opponent simply challenge to Maduro’s McConnell, R-Ky., still sits on interview Sunday. likely draw pushback from asks to reopen the government. rule. it. Both of them know how to “If everybody could leave the Trump’s own party, it In this case, opinion polls Maduro’s refusal, at least cut a deal. thing to the appropriators and would bow to the reality about were decisive.