Lady Cats Bowler of Open Season The Year Named See Page B1 See Page B3 WAUCHULA BOWLING GREEN ZOLFO SPRINGS ONA FORT MEADE SERVING THE PEACE RIVER VALLEY 121st Year • No. 1 • 2 Sections 93¢ www.TheHeraldAdvocate.com Plus 7¢ Sales Tax Thursday, November 26, 2020 Downtown Development Moving Forward By MICHAEL KELLY worth of rent and moving expenses, totaling (Nov. 19) and said he needed to stand up and over the years to make the city of Wauchula Of The Herald-Advocate $18,700, in order to move to another location defend himself after the way he was treated better and he felt he received pushback all The Hardee County Industrial Development and break the three-year lease agreement that during previous meetings. along the way. Authority (IDA) agreed to terms to purchase a was signed earlier this year. He said he was unhappy with some of the Last Thursday the board called a special large downtown building after two sometimes The request did not sit well with board comments made about him and he did not feel meeting to approve the contract but continued contentious meetings cast doubts of the devel- members and after a nearly two-hour discus- like he was being treated like an American cit- it until Tuesday morning before it was ap- opment plans coming to fruition. sion earlier this month a motion to approve the izen. proved. The IDA agreed on Tuesday morning to pay purchase contract failed to pass with a 3-3 “My name has been drug through the mud Board member Denise Grimsley was not $910,000 for three parcels located at the inter- vote. when I didn’t come to this board wanting to happy after receiving a 13-page purchase con- section of Main Street and U.S. 17 northbound Board members expressed displeasure with sell the building,” he said. “I am not up here tract the morning of the meeting and being lanes. The parcels are owned by Victory In- the owner of the property, Gary Delatorre, and begging to sell this building. If you want it you asked to approve it without having time to re- vestments and appraised for $785,000. accused him and One Hope United of operat- can buy it.” view it. In September the board agreed to buy the ing in bad faith while negotiating the deal. “It is disturbing to be told the IDA board Grimsley said she did not have an issue with properties but an issue arose with a lease. The Delatorre, who was not present at the first hates me by a friend,” he said. Delatorre, One Hope United or the project tenant – One Hope United – asked for a year’s meeting, addressed the board last Thursday He said he has invested in several projects See DEVELOPMENT A2 Pedestrian Giving Thanks Killed In Wreck By TOM STAIK Of The Herald-Advocate Carter Pellom A pedestrian was killed last week on State Road 64 after being struck by two vehicles. Two Suspects As of press time on Tuesday, the Florida Highway Patrol had not identified the pedestrian. Arrested By WPD According to a statement by the FHP, the wreck occurred around 7:12 p.m. Thursday, Following Stabbing Nov. 19 on State Road 64 to the west of South Warfield Road. By TOM STAIK rived at the home with a female The pedestrian was report- Of The Herald-Advocate friend. edly in the eastbound travel Two men were arrested last The female friend, according lane of State Road 64 at the week in connection to a fight to arrest reports, went inside time of the accident. that ended with the stabbing of the home, the residence of The pedestrian was report- PHOTOS BY JIM KELLY a local man. Carter. edly struck by a sedan-type ve- Volunteers, many from Aubry Austin Dale Pellom, The female friend reportedly hicle traveling east on State SendMeMissions, 20, of Wauchula, and Melvin told lawmen that Carter fol- Road 64. The pedestrian was handed out 100 Thanks- Wayne Carter, of Wauchula, lowed her back to the truck and then struck a second time by a giving meals Tuesday at were arrested by the Wauchula approached the victim. The second sedan-type vehicle. Catherine McDonald Police Department in connec- victim exited the truck and a Hardee County Fire Rescue Center in Wauchula to tion to the incident. fight ensured, it was reported. responded to the scene. The seniors in a drive- Pellom was charged with ag- Witness accounts differ once pedestrian was declared dead at through service. Meal re- gravated battery with a deadly the victim exited the truck. the scene. cipients drove by in their weapon. Carter reportedly told law- Both vehicles were able to cars to avoid possible Carter was charged with mis- men that the victim exited the come to a controlled stop on COVID-19 exposure. demeanor battery. truck with a chain wrapped the eastbound shoulder of State Holding a Thanksgiving Chief of Police John Eason around his fist. The female Road 64. meal (at right) are Russ told The Herald-Advocate by friend’s version does not de- The driver of the first sedan, Melendy, chairman of the phone last Wednesday that the scribe a chain. a 25-year-old woman from Se- Hardee Board of County victim suffered a stab wound to The differing versions align bring, was not injured. Her pas- Commissioners, and the lower left side and a bite to later as the fight ensured when sengers, a 30-year-old man and Ingra Gardner, CEO of the right left shoulder. the victim discovered a hand- 3-year-old boy, both of Se- NU-HOPE Elder Care The incident reportedly un- gun in the waistband of Carter. bring, were also not injured. Services. The meals were folded around 5:19 p.m. on “(She) advised during the The driver of the second prepared by the GA Nov. 17 at a home in 207 block fight (the victim) discovered sedan, a 32-year-old woman Foods staff out of Fort of Goolsby Street in Wauchula (Carter’s) gun and took it from See PEDESTRIAN A2 Myers. when the victim, a male, ar- See SUSPECTS A2 WEATHER DATE HIGH LOW RAIN Texting While Driving Blamed In Rollover 11/17 78 54 0.00 11/18 78 52 0.00 By TOM STAIK gen sedan. sobriety tests administered at 11/19 76 58 0.00 Of The Herald-Advocate Both the Volkswagen and the the scene. 11/20 80 62 0.00 It was certainly nothing to Hyundai were parked in Damage to McCray’s vehi- 11/21 75 64 0.16 LOL over. marked parking spaces. cle, a 2006 Ford Fusion, was 11/22 84 64 0.01 11/23 80 67 0.00 A 28-year-old Wauchula man Officers noted “the odor of estimated at $8,000. Rainfall to 11/23/2020 - 44.10 has been cited in connection to alcohol” on McCray, according Damage to the Hyundai was Same period last year - 40.19 an early morning rollover to the report. estimated at $5,000 and dam- Ten Year Average - 49.45 wreck in downtown Wauchula McCray, according to the re- age to the Volkswagen was Source: Univ. of Fla. Ona Research Center that damaged two parked cars. port, passed standardized field See ROLLOVER A2 Aaron Alexander McCray INDEX was cited by the Wauchula Po- Classifieds . .B8 lice Department has been cited with careless driving as a result Courthouse Report . .B4 of the Nov. 17 accident. Crime Blotter . .A11 According to an accident re- Entertainment . .A12 port prepared by Cpl. Chris Fort Meade Times . .B10 Gicker, McCray reportedly told Hardee Living . .A10 lawmen he was “texting and driving” when the accident oc- Information Roundup . .A4 curred. Obituaries . .A5 McCray was reportedly trav- Puzzles . .B11 eling west on West Main Street when he “became distracted by his cell” phone and hit a parked COURTESY PHOTOS 2016 4-door Hyundai. Two parked vehicles were damaged on Main Street in The Hyundai was “pushed Downtown Wauchula after the driver of a third vehicle forward” and struck a third ve- reportedly lost control of his vehicle while texting. hicle, a 2017 4-door Volkswa- A2 The Herald-Advocate, November 26, 2020 THE DEVELOPMENT Herald-Advocate Continued From A1 HARDEE COUNTY’S HOMETOWN COVERAGE itself but rather she did not Tuesday. In September Erica velopment Agency. MICHAEL R. KELLY like the way the staff had pre- The board plans to spend up Scheipsmeier and Lisa “Moving forward with this Co-Publisher and Editor ceded with it. to an additional $1 million in Bradley told the board the project is one of the best JAMES R. KELLY “This is the last time I will renovations to the property for company had 25 full time em- things you can do for the City Co-Publisher vote for a document when I R. Riveter, which began man- ployees and three part-time of Wauchula,” city manager am handed it the morning of ufacturing handbags, totes and people and expected to in- Terry Atchley said during the NOEY DeSANTIAGO the meeting,” she said. “The other products in Hardee crease the number of employ- meeting last month. Production Manager TOM STAIK process we follow or don’t fol- County last year. ees to 50 after it moved. Jessica Newman, the CRA Managing Editor low is what made this mess R. Riveter has been operat- In September of last year R. and Main Street Wauchula di- DARLENE WILLIAMS and caused this very public ing in the warehouse building Riveter was awarded rector, has been actively work- Assistant Production Manager issue.” of the old Florida Hospital lo- $500,000 from the Hardee ing with One Hope United to The board agreed to ad- cation and the planned new lo- County Economic Develop- show them other suitable loca- 115 S.