Going Ape 11 Shopping Days For Art Until Christmas! A5 Herald-THE Advocate HARDEE COUNTY’S HOMETOWN COVERAGE 118th Year No. 3 2 Sections www.TheHeraldAdvocate.com 70¢ Plus 5¢ Sales Tax Thursday, December 14, 2017 All You Want For Christmas Call To Get On The List For Hurricane Irma Debris Removal By TOM STAIK larger logs and root balls from Of The Herald-Advocate the right of way, she noted. Primary debris cleanup from Additionally, staff at the Hurricane Irma ended last Fri- Hardee County Landfill are day with many residents left maintaining a list of residents wondering if their streets will still in need of roadside be cleaned before Christmas. cleanup. The answer, according to Residents who still have un- Emergency Management Di- collected hurricane debris at rector Jill Newman, is compli- the roadside need to call the cated. landfill so their address can be The debris-hauling contract added to the work list, New- with Crowder Gulf – the man stressed. county’s private contractor for County officials are encour- hurricane debris removal – aging homeowners not to sneak ended Dec. 8, according to extra debris into their piles. Newman. “Residents need to avoid “We are about 98 percent as adding anything that is not PHOTO BY TOM STAIK of Dec. 8,” Newman said of the storm-related,” Newman said. Seth Fawley with the Wauchula Public Works Department prepares to install a control valve Tuesday afternoon cleanup. “(The crews) can tell if it was on a water main near the intersection of Hanchey and Stenstrom roads near Hardee Senior High School. Hope remains, however, that new or old. They know the dif- the remaining two percent of ference.” homes needing debris removal The distinction between hur- will be serviced soon. ricane and non-hurricane de- Valve Shuts Off Wildcat Games Hardee County is working bris is crucial. Federal with a tree service to manage Emergency Management the removal of “leaning trees” Agency reimbursement, New- Temporary Boil-Water Order Ends Today from the right of way, Newman man said, will depend on the By TOM STAIK crews began the valve installa- at the school. added. said. county providing accurate fig- Of The Herald-Advocate tion at the intersection of “My guys are going to go The girls and boys varsity County crews are also begin- ures on tonnage hauled. Replacement of a faulty un- Hanchey Road and Stenstrom out and turn off the a/c unit and soccer matches against Poin- ning the process of removing See DEBRIS A2 derground water valve Road following the final the ice machines,” said Rob ciana at Wildcat Stadium on prompted the cancellation of school bell, according to Assis- Krahl, facilities director for the Tuesday were not impacted. evening activities at Hardee tant City Manager Olivia Min- district. Wauchula Public Works Di- Senior High School on Tues- shew. Air conditioning units at the rector Andy Maddox said the day. “The water will be off about school are dependent on water valve installation will give the Man Charged According to Athletic Direc- an hour for the work,” Min- to operate, Krahl explained. city better control in isolating tor Travis Tubbs, both the boys shew said Tuesday morning. Shutting off the water flow specific sections of its water junior varsity and varsity bas- A precautionary boil-water to the ice machines, Krahl system. ketball matches against the notice for the school and sur- added, will ensure the school Work is expected to continue With Rape, Lake Wales Highlanders were rounding property was issued has usable ice made from water in the area once the high school canceled. A new date has yet to by the city that ends today from before the boil-water no- breaks for the holidays. “We be announced for the Class 6A (Thursday) at noon. tice when it reopens on are going to try to schedule the District 10 match-up between The Hardee County School Wednesday. rest of the work for when the Kidnapping the Wildcats and Highlanders. District was taking added pre- “We should be good to go to- kids are out on break,” Mad- City of Wauchula utility cautions to protect equipment morrow (Wednesday),” Krahl dox said. By CYNTHIA KRAHL ment, the alleged crimes were Of The Herald-Advocate initiated early in the afternoon A man reportedly intent on of Aug. 31 when the suspect killing his former girlfriend’s drove to his former girlfriend’s new beau allegedly terrorized home and ordered her into his Weather Forecast: Snow & Shows her over a two-day period as he truck, threatening harm to her, By NAOMI EREKSON Main Street Wauchula decided of choice. It is expected to performances, rescheduling attempted to force her to take her children and her family if Herald-Advocate Intern to hold off and move the date begin at around 7:15, so make was the only option, as the him to his intended victim, au- she did not comply. Frosty the Snowman had to to tomorrow at 6 p.m. instead. sure you and your family bring event is too popular to cancel. thorities said. Ibarra then allegedly drove avoid getting slushy, so Main All activities except the live chairs and blankets to provide “All the vendors were able Gregory Ibarra, 30, of 311 N. the 25-year-old woman to his Street Wauchula Inc.’s “Home- music performances will re- that little bit of extra comfort to to reschedule,” Newman 10th Ave., Wauchula, is sched- See KIDNAPPING A2 town Christmas” was post- main as originally planned. The make the movie more enjoy- added. “We talked to Santa up uled to appear in Hardee Cir- poned until tomorrow (Friday) Hardee Senior High School able. in the North Pole, and he was cuit Court for arraignment on night. Jazz Ensemble and Bailey’s Jessica Newman of Main able to reschedule as well.” Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. “Hometown Christmas” Dance Academy are still on to Street Wauchula said that be- Keeping these reassurances He faces one count each of originally had been scheduled provide entertainment, but cause of the weather forecast in mind, almost everything that kidnapping while inflicting for last Friday night in down- Gospel Jubilee is no longer on for last Friday, “it was better was originally planned for bodily harm or terror, sexual town Wauchula, but due to the slate for the night. Instead, for us to make the call and “Hometown Christmas” will battery, tampering with a wit- weather concerns for rain, Main Street Wauchula’s reschedule rather than risk hav- remain the same. Families can ness — all felonies — and petit “Movies in the Park” will be ing the event in inclement still take their kids to Santa’s theft and two counts battery — substituted in order to keep it weather.” Playland for crafts and snow- all misdemeanors. on its regular monthly sched- With good climate condi- sliding, as well as having their According to an arrest report WEATHER ule. tions being a necessity for the pictures taken with Santa. The filed by Lt. Matthew Whatley DATE HIGH LOW RAIN “Home Alone” is the movie 12 tons of snow and the live See FORECAST A2 of the Wauchula Police Depart- ibarra 12/05 83 60 0.00 12/06 84 59 0.00 12/07 84 61 0.00 12/08 84 68 0.06 CITRUS SCREENING 12/09 72 43 0.63 School Support 12/10 60 36 0.00 12/11 65 33 0.00 TOTAL Rainfall to 12/11/2017 - 50.11 Personnel Get Same period last year - 43.25 Ten Year Average - 47.77 Source: Univ. of Fla. Ona Research Center Bonuses Friday INDEX By TOM STAIK Classifieds . .B10 Of The Herald-Advocate Courthouse Report . .B12 The holiday season will be a Crime Blotter . .B4 little merrier this week for more than 250 school employees. Hardee Living . .B13 Hardee County School Board Information Roundup .B14 support staff – officially termed Obituaries . .A6 education support professionals Puzzle Page . .A4 or ESPs – will receive a pre-tax Save The Date . .A2 bonus of $625 in paychecks on School Lunch Menus . .B14 Friday. COURTESY PHOTO Solunar Forecast . .B7 According to Finance Direc- tor Greg Harrelson, one-time Grapefruit grows better in screen houses than in groves because the indoor facilities keep out the insect that bonuses – that total $168,125 – causes citrus greening, new University of Florida research shows. Protecting citrus from greening is essential, have been issued with this UF says, because the disease already has destroyed more than 250,000 acres -- for a 36 percent drop in planted week’s pay for 269 support area and a 68 percent reduction in yield. That’s why a system known as Citrus Under Protective Screen could staff. be crucial to Florida growers, UF scientists say. Although screen-house cost is high and varies depending on See BONUSES A2 facility size, two commercial growers in the state are currently using screening. A2 The Herald-Advocate, December 14, 2017 THE DEBRIS Continued From A1 erald- dvocate Debris on state-maintained working on state-maintained strongly encouraged not to add H HARDEE COUNTY’SAHOMETOWN COVERAGE SAVE rights of way, however, will rights of way – asserted more additional debris to piles. likely remain an issue for a few state effort was needed. “It will not be picked up,” JAMES R. KELLY & MICHAEL R. KELLY more weeks. The spat, thanks to an agree- Wheeler said. THE Publishers The Florida Department of ment reached Dec. 8, should Residents wishing to report CYNTHIA M. KRAHL Transportation and the county bring additional state resources debris for pickup should call Editor were at odds over the need for in the coming weeks.